Pretending To Be Thai

[GuestHouse]

I often read posts on this site (and others) that purport to be written by a Thai but that I strongly suspect are not.

I come to this conclusion for three reasons.. sorry four:

Linguistic traits - There are phrases and ways of expressing oneself that are absolutely a product of culture and mother tongue. There are also phrases that are cliches of another language. I have often read 'Thai' posts that are betrayed by these two factors.

Patterns of tought and logic. Western and Eastern patterns of thought and logic are totally different, I have read ''Thai' posts that are completely 'European' in the logic they apply.

Cultural values, often what are presented as 'Thai' posts will address a perceived Thai cultural value but get it all wrong.

Confrontational vs Conciliatory - I have seen 'Thai' posts that are clearly confrontational in their address to an issue, and clearly Euro/Western in approach.

For the record, while I have a degree in Thai Language and SE Asian studies that is not the basis of my suspicions, rather I have a gut feeling - And let us be hnest, while the classroom teaches method, it fails to teach gut.

It is a lack of attention to, or simply a lack of gut that I perceive.

[britmaveric]

TROLLS

[axl]

I am not Thai.

[medicinebox]

I often read posts on this site (and others) that purport to be written by a Thai but that I strongly suspect are not.

I come to this conclusion for three reasons.. sorry four:

Linguistic traits - There are phrases and ways of expressing oneself that are absolutely a product of culture and mother tongue. There are also phrases that are cliches of another language. I have often read 'Thai' posts that are betrayed by these two factors.

Patterns of tought and logic. Western and Eastern patterns of thought and logic are totally different, I have read ''Thai' posts that are completely 'European' in the logic they apply.

Cultural values, often what are presented as 'Thai' posts will address a perceived Thai cultural value but get it all wrong.

Confrontational vs Conciliatory - I have seen 'Thai' posts that are clearly confrontational in their address to an issue, and clearly Euro/Western in approach.

For the record, while I have a degree in Thai Language and SE Asian studies that is not the basis of my suspicions, rather I have a gut feeling - And  let us be hnest, while the classroom teaches method, it fails to teach gut.

It is a lack of attention to, or simply a lack of gut that I perceive.

Well, the human brain is ultra complex... and we have far more senses than we realize... It is Gut Feeling and Gut Reaction that help us to survive, not always logic and reasoning. Logic and reasoning may be tilling you that the guy with the knife will no way stab you... and your gut will be screaming that he will and is about to do just that. The guy who listens to reasoning and logic, will die while he is still not believing what is happening... The guy who uses gut feelings and gut reactions will escape the danger,or hit hard and first.

Trust your Gut.

Yep, you got it.

The mind is fickle. The body is the brains signal man.

Like when you get an offside in football, the ref depends on the linesman.

Under duress, the body will usually give the signal to the brain. Like if you burn your hand on something, the hand will be the first to know.

That's a raw reaction.

But did you ever do a deal, and get an awkward pit in your stomach?

But your brain tells you it will be ok?

But your initial reactions end up being right.

That is a "Gut feeling"

Listen to your body....

[Narachon]

I am not Thai.

What sad-assed, no-life people would want to pretend to be what they are not?

That is really, really SAD

Hey, I don't know about the others, but I am really a Beautiful Thai girl.... Bpen Pooying Thai Suai Saui....

[Totster]

Hey, I don't know about the others, but I am really a Beautiful Thai girl.... Bpen Pooying Thai Suai Saui....

ah haaa... I bloody knew it....

totster

[IamMaiC]

I am not Thai.

What sad-assed, no-life people would want to pretend to be what they are not?

That is really, really SAD

Hey, I don't know about the others, but I am really a Beautiful Thai girl.... Bpen Pooying Thai Suai Saui....

Narachon I'm coming to New York on the Next Plane

[siamruby]

Hey, I don't know about the others, but I am really a Beautiful Thai girl.... Bpen Pooying Thai Suai Saui....

Narachon your Thai is not good enough,got to go back to school

[sas_cars]

I am not a thai but being here so long sometimes make me think I am a Thai What's wrong in that?My thinking approach,deal with things around me is changed completely,now it's like a thai guy.

[sas_cars]

More like a thai disguised in a foreigner

[Ajarn]

I am not Thai.

What sad-assed, no-life people would want to pretend to be what they are not?

That is really, really SAD

Hey, I don't know about the others, but I am really a Beautiful Thai girl.... Bpen Pooying Thai Suai Saui....

Narachon I'm come to New York on the Next Plane

Ummm the tone on 'Suai Saui'? Maybe not a rising tone in this case?

Keep your hand on your wallet

[siamruby]

Why should anyone would want to pretend to be Thai? I am a Thai woman but been living in Uk for a long time. I got my Cambridge English certificate so no problem with the language but then still I have got a dictionary online to help out

I have no problem with understanding culture because I live here. I don't give a s*** if my girlfriend told me that she got so pissed last night and don't remember the name of the guy she slept with! I will walk in the rain happily while in Los they all will run for shelter! I hate snow like everone does here while the Thais will go out and take the pic of them with snow!! I don't like wearing jewellery and gold so that really not a Thai woman's attitude. I probably cook Thai food once a month but the rest of the time it s British style everything with chips and peas .

And for the 'gut', yes it s hard for Thais to confront or complain. it s alway 'kreng jai' or 'mai pen rai'. But hey I am in UK. why should I let anyone jump the queue?why should I not complain when food in restaurant take an hour to serve? why should I not tell anyone who block my drive to p*** off? ( politely first of course ) My partner said he hates it when I act 'western' but I am not normally like that my mum brought me up to be a lady and I went to a public school for girls in BKK. But being a human being you got to learn to adapt.

Now do you think I pretend to be a Thai? and are you a Thai pretending to be a farang? or worse are you a troll?

[theviking]

I guess, you can all pretend to be whatever you want to be.

But in the end.....its called schizofrenia...

[elsie]

I'm a Thai woman and am proud to be one. I've been asked quite a few times (or accused in some cases) if I was actually a Western man. I know I'm no bimbo. I know my English is not bad. I know I want to send the message to people out there that we are not all that bad. So I have. And there are lots of Thais out there who have spent a shit load of time overseas. Not a surprise if they have different points of view and are not afraid to speak their minds. Gotta admit it's quite entertaining to see some foreign butt gets kicked by a Thai woman sometimes.

As my mate once said... People seem to suffer from internet paranoia these days.

[astral]

Patterns of tought and logic. Western and Eastern patterns of thought and logic are totally different, I have read ''Thai' posts that are completely 'European' in the logic they apply.

Remember there are some Thai's educated overseas who think just like westerners.

[sas_cars]

Patterns of tought and logic. Western and Eastern patterns of thought and logic are totally different, I have read ''Thai' posts that are completely 'European' in the logic they apply.

Remember there are some Thai's educated overseas who think just like westerners.

I agree and would like to add that there are many foreigners in Thailand who think like Thai.It's a lot depends on our surrounding and atmosphere.It can change the thinking systems of a person throughout sometimes

[Felt 35]

In contrast have I been taken for a Thai quit a few times? But I don’t think it have to do with how I express myself!!

[drummer]

That is a "Gut feeling"

Listen to your body....

As someone who has studied this a little bit - here is my theory...

The 'gut reaction' IS logic and reason.

Its just that your concious mind isn't direcly aware of it. To make it into concious perception, the signal strangth of any 'thought' or 'perception' has to be pretty strong. But there is a lot of information your brain has access too that simply cannot make it into consious thought because you don't have time. To fully process everything you see (only) is 1 second would take about 2 minutes. You are already run over by the car, eaten by the lion, etc by that point. So your brain has many many shortcuts and most information doesn't make it into conciousness.

An example - you meet someone and you get a 'bad feeling' about them. Could be aggresive body language, it could be a smell (you know how dogs smell fear? we emit smells that can betry our intentions - we just aren't aware of them for the most part) So my theory is that when you get a 'bad feeling' about someone, there is a logical reason for it, you just aren't directly aware of it.

Maybe the feeling that you are forgetting something is similar.

Of course - its not always right, but there is always a reason for it.

[Ajarn]

The 'gut reaction' IS logic and reason.

I feel that it's more of an emotional reaction, rather than one from only logic and reason. And our fears are included, too, I believe, whether validated or not. Therein lies the reason why 'gut reactions' should be valued, but second-guessed. Especially living here, we must all do a lot of guessing and our gut reactions are not always so accurate, often because of cultural/language issues, in my experience. I think the intellectual side of our reasoning should be weighed in also to help confirm our good choices where 'gut' reactions are involved.

[sublime]

i pretend to have 20 thai girls on my bed at once... but then of course i wake up

[kat]

I am not Thai, but after living here for 2 years, I definitely bathe and clean like a Thai now. When I first arrived here, I would laugh at how many times a saw a lady with a mop in public shopping malls, and when I was home last, my friends laughed at how neurotic they thought my cleaning habits had become. But it's one thing that I definitely intend to keep from my time in Thailand. Unfortunately, my New York City impatience seems to be hardwired into my DNA and immutable to change.

[SK1972]

Well, there are a lot of people on here who "pretend" to be someone else.........thats one of the negative sides of the internet.

People can live their fantasies here and be what or who they want to be without being caught out. May it be men pretending to be women or vice versa.

Some are real, some are not...........same everywhere, not only in Thailand.

[samran]

Its actually pretty easy to have a split personality (at least if you are not a troll).

Firstly, plenty of overseas educated Thai's around these days. Heaps in OZ, even more in London who have been sent to study since the age of 6 or 7. They can flit between both worlds effortlessly.

In essense, you adapt your ways to where you are. In Thailand, I am polite, kreng Jai, mai pen rai, and speak too formally. The fuzzy logic also takes hold. But it works and it gets me by and life is then pretty stress free.

On this board/general life in Aus/UK, which is dominated by Westerners, the Australian side of me comes out, and I tend to more...well Australian in my approach! I guess this can be said for alot of people.

[Ajarn]

Well, there are a lot of people on here who "pretend" to be someone else.........thats one of the negative sides of the internet. 

People can live their fantasies here and be what or who they want to be without being caught out.   May it be men pretending to be women or vice versa. 

Some are real, some are not...........same everywhere, not only in Thailand.

Sure is easier to remember truth, rather than a lie, but maybe the truth isn't as fun for some?

Just don't disappoint your good friends, na'?

[SK1972]

Sure is easier to remember truth, rather than a lie, but maybe the truth isn't as fun for some? 

Ajarn..........the truth is not always fun but that's reality. Lies always catches up with a person and in the end the truth will be revealed. Where are they going to hide then or do then??

I never disappoint my good friends.......

[Ajarn]

Sure is easier to remember truth, rather than a lie, but maybe the truth isn't as fun for some? 

Ajarn..........the truth is not always fun but that's reality. Lies always catches up with a person and in the end the truth will be revealed. Where are they going to hide then or do then??

You sure don't sound Thai to me! (joking)

Like you suggested, you can run from the truth, but you can't hide, na'?

I just find it easier now to be transparent. I prefer to be real now. And my life wasn't always like that before....If I ###### up, I try to accept my responsibility-Funny, but it actually makes me feel great sometimes to admit my wrongs- not that I'm going to try to set myself up for too many of those 'great feelings' , though...

[SK1972]

Like you suggested, you can run from the truth, but you can't hide, na'? 

I just find it easier now to be transparent. I prefer to be real now. And my life wasn't always like that before....If I ###### up, I try to accept my responsibility-Funny, but it actually makes me feel great sometimes to admit my wrongs- not that I'm going to try to set myself up for too many of those 'great feelings' , though...

Well said, Ajarn!!

[p1p]

What are Thai or Farang but labels.

My friends, born in the UK to Thai parents and brought up through the British education system & University, carry Thai passports, but they have spent an average of a month or less per year in Thailand throughout their lives. Are they Thai?

I speak, read and write Thai far better than them, indeed have had to translate for them on occasions. I was first in Thailand in 1962 and have spent a larger proportion of my life either at home here, or deeply involved with overseas Thai communities. Am I Thai?

Labels really do not mean very much.

[Neeranam]

If I make others believe I am something that I'm not, who is being fooled?

[Ajarn]

If I make others believe I am something that I'm not, who is being fooled?

They are?