"i've Been Living In Phuket Xx Years, How About You?"

[Sir Burr]

Thais are very hierarchy conscious. Whenever two Thais meet that don't know each other, the first thing they do, is work out who is who in the pecking order.

In real life and, on this forum too I've noticed that when two unknown people meet, they find out who has been living here the longest. Whomsoever has been here the longest, then assumes a superior attitude and the mere fact of living here longer, lends weight and veracity to their words, be it oral, or, written.

Do other posters come across this?

[WOOHOO]

This post is pointless.

Only joking. I mentioned the very same thing in one of my very first posts on T.V. I think I referred to it as being like a, 'playground piss*ng competition'. Being here 20 years only proves one thing to me.......... they are very old. There are of course lots of people who have been here for huge lengths of time, and are very knowledgeable and happy to share their knowledge in a non superior way. Takes all sorts. COME ON YOU BLUES.

[Redted]

Thais are very hierarchy conscious. Whenever two Thais meet that don't know each other, the first thing they do, is work out who is who in the pecking order.

In real life and, on this forum too I've noticed that when two unknown people meet, they find out who has been living here the longest. Whomsoever has been here the longest, then assumes a superior attitude and the mere fact of living here longer, lends weight and veracity to their words, be it oral, or, written.

Do other posters come across this?

How very true Sir Burr.

But I expect it happends all over the world.

Not just who have been here the longest, but the money side of it comes into play too.Meet um all the time. I got this, I got that, my boat this, my boat that, my house this, my house that, I done this, I done that, I have been here , I have been there. blar, blar, blar..

So when the dust settles, superiority kicks in if one of them can talk Thai. It happens all the time on forums too, mostly about peoples spelling mistakes and the like.

Superiority been round before mankind, but modesty has not.

Modest Ted.

Bit of spelling mistake.Sorry

Edited March 23, 2008 by Redted

[dee123]

25 years newbies,....ha ha

[dee123]

....serious guys it don't mean a thing as long as you spent a year or two.....but good joke eh

[BigSnake]

Great place to visit, wouldn't care to live there.

[dee123]

.....although these days...with internet ,sat TV,...etc u can learn an awful lot without having to be there

[dee123]

....i lived in Issaan for a few years but these days i'm in uk,.....back then didn't even have even telephone connected,..(mobile only for city london dealers),...unfortuneately i had quite a few negative experiences although some very happy days too, I know from experience that there are many older farangs who still live there happily,...although I think if I had more finances I could have lived a more secure lifestyle,....and could have probably lived there longer,...yes I think having finances helps an awful lot,I know a few guys who had problems of different kinds so just built new houses .......I am still married and go to Thailand every year....i get frustrated at people who have lived here a long time and portray Thailand like guide book fashion,....ie; "its well known custom"...and Thais do it like this or that....when on ground level you find it not to be the case,....but they seem to continue to portray thailand in this way,....

Edited March 23, 2008 by dee123

[jdinasia]

Sir Burr,

I have gotten the "so you've been here only 5 years? what do you know!" look, often! Usually from oldtimers sitting at a bar that can't speak, read, write or communicate even in pidgeon Thai. The same guy's that know about 20 'professional entertainers' and the taxi drivers that get them home, and that is the extent of their knowledge of Thailand or Thai ways.

Granted, they would be the first people I ran to if I thought my bill in a bar was being padded or last night's pillow warmer had lifted my mobile phone! Oh wait ... those things don't happen to me

[dee123]

....i lived in Issaan for a few years but these days i'm in uk,.....back then didn't even have even telephone connected,..(mobile only for city london dealers),...unfortuneately i had quite a few negative experiences although some very happy days too, I know from experience that there are many older farangs who still live there happily,...although I think if I had more finances I could have lived a more secure lifestyle,....and could have probably lived there longer,...yes I think having finances helps an awful lot,I know a few guys who had problems of different kinds so just built new houses .......I am still married and go to Thailand every year....i get frustrated at people who have lived here a long time and portray Thailand like guide book fashion,....ie; "its well known custom"...and Thais do it like this or that....when on ground level you find it not to be the case,....but they seem to continue to portray thailand in this way,....

if the guide books were right I would have "wai" ed myself to death by now

[Ping]

Interesting choice of thread, Sir Burr...

BUT in answer to your question, yes. Example: there's a particularly cliquey bar in Soi Nanai (the bar with the insulting signs outside, if you know the one) where a small crowd of regulars (long-term expats) drink most evenings. Not a recommended venue for tourists if that group has been there for a few hours. Many long-term expats will openly admit they avoid tourists like the plague. Of course, they are not all like that.

[dogblower]

Always knew you were better than me Sir Burr - by about a year if I remember rightly.

[keestha]

Along a similar line: I always refuse to speak Thai with other westerners who like me learned this language. It inevatably turns into a competition who can speak Thai the best, which is the last thing that interests me.

As far as the HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN HERE thing is concerned, I view it as kind of a pyramid structure. Tony, who has been on a holiday to Thailand six times, is known among his friends as a real Thailand expert. But Bill lives in Thailand permanently one and a half years already, and for him Tony is just a tourist. Than there is Tom, who lives in Thailand for 5 years, and as far as he is concerned, Bill has little insight. But Kevin, who has lived here 15 years, just smiles and shakes his head when Tom is spouting his wisdom about Thai culture.

To Sir Burr goes the credit for initiating a very interesting thread.

[ade100]

I say those at the top of the hierarchy deserve respect, admiration and esteem. They obviously have many personal qualities that I do not, such as tolerance, patience, open-mindedness, etc. I find Thailand great for a long weekend but by about day 4 I’m cursing everything and wishing I was back in civilisation.

When it comes to knowledge of Thailand there are many things I don’t know and hope never to find out (such as breeding water buffalo, cooking monitor lizards, making soup out of pigs intestines, etc.).

But seriously, it takes a lot of personal qualities to adapt to living in a third world country. To those who have achieved it, I say “hats off to you”.

Edited March 27, 2008 by ade100

[huggybear]

Thais are very hierarchy conscious. Whenever two Thais meet that don't know each other, the first thing they do, is work out who is who in the pecking order.

In real life and, on this forum too I've noticed that when two unknown people meet, they find out who has been living here the longest. Whomsoever has been here the longest, then assumes a superior attitude and the mere fact of living here longer, lends weight and veracity to their words, be it oral, or, written.

Do other posters come across this?

I think if there is a point to it, for example, somebody knows such and such to be true because back in 1994 that is the way it was, therefore making a valid point then the fact that they have been here longer is relevant.

Poster, WHOHOO and I had a go of it awhile back as he said he was going to find true Thai culture here in Phuket and as both a resident and traveler here to Phuket for some 17 years I disagreed, that true Thai culture is one, subjective and two not to be found on "Starbuck/7-11/MacDonald's" island.

So anyway, my only point here comes with if the length of time here is relevant to the argument, otherwise we're just at that same old juvenile thing of "oh yeah! well my schlong is longer than yours"! (Moderators, can I say schlong? is that o.k.? make it schl**ng if not)

[Dupont]

I say those at the top of the hierarchy deserve respect, admiration and esteem. They obviously have many personal qualities that I do not, such as tolerance, patience, open-mindedness, etc. I find Thailand great for a long weekend but by about day 4 I’m cursing everything and wishing I was back in civilisation.

When it comes to knowledge of Thailand there are many things I don’t know and hope never to find out (such as breeding water buffalo, cooking monitor lizards, making soup out of pigs intestines, etc.).

But seriously, it takes a lot of personal qualities to adapt to living in a third world country. To those who have achieved it, I say “hats off to you”.

I agree.

The more recently you arrived, the easier it was to get here, get around and adapting or learning language basics nowadays is not required.

Dont knock the old guys, there are many interesting tales and insights to be gleaned. A lot of the distancing that long term expats do from newbies is that they see so many fools arriving and making the same stupid comments and mistakes down the years. It is best to wait and see if any newcomers exhibit any signs or being more interesting than the typical Khao San Roaders who appear to know all about life in Thailand despite just being fresh out of uni for the summer with a lonely planet guide and some course in "humanities" or "wimins studies" to assure them of their obvious superiority.

For me, I would rather swim in katoey vomint than mix with all those unwashed, dreadlocked, henna tattooed "travellers". It takes all sorts and some of them are indiviualistic enough to leave the hordes of culture shockees behind and blend in. They are welcome here though (khao san road, not my house!!!) and the inflated prices they pay compared to the gnarled grumpy old men comes in handy in the economy!!!