I Used To Be A Farang But Now I Am Kon Thai!

[Tod Daniels]

TO: tomuk76

OFFICIAL RETRACTION OF STATEMENT

I withdraw my observation where you were mentioned in a negative light as the OP.

My assessments of whoever wrote that meaningless drivel remain the same.

[NoSpeakIt]

i am confused how those of you who don't like thai food managed to end up living here. actually, i take that back, i guess i have a pretty decent idea what brought and kept you here, i just think its kind of sad. but maybe food is just a bigger part of my life than others. each day i wake up and think "what do i want to eat today". i cant imagine living somewhere that you don't like the local cuisine regardless of the advantages afforded to you from an impoverished populous.

[NoSpeakIt]

2700 a month rent and they also have internet for 300 baht and apparently 50 cable channels for 100 baht? something is not adding up. room i am renting is 30K a month and has like 10 channels. cant see how internet could be that cheap either.

This is one of those frequent tunnel-vision posters who doesn't realize there is life outside of Patong, Phuket, and Bangkok.

2,500 to 3,000 baht a month is a normal range for apartment/home rental charges in our town. You can also get 50 cable channels here for about 130 baht.

I would suggest to NoSpeakIt to get out a little more and TryToSeeIt (the real Thailand).

Ah, 'the real Thailand'. Its always fun to visit 'the real Thailand' then after three hours of sighing and saying "Isn't this relaxing? Its so peaceful", we realize that there are no pretty women around, there is nothing to do and we miss civilization.

So how many people in this thread take great pride in not owning anything expensive?

'I bought these pants for 100 baht'

No kidding...

Edited July 10, 2008 by NoSpeakIt

[toptuan]

In terms of maids or anyone else that is targetting the foreign non-Thai market for a job, surely English is a skill you need to pick up and is a requirement of the job? If its not good enough for the job, of course the employer will complain. Its not a charity service where the employee dictates the conditions or self-evaluates their own performance.

Like I said. Colonial Mentality.

[NoSpeakIt]

Some people just can't adapt to a different culture. I bet most of the guys that go to Starbucks speak to the staff in English. I know one such guy, who has been here for 2 years, and can't order a cup of coffee - what a joke.

LOL, I bet you have never even been inside a Starbucks. How are you supposed to pronounce the English brand names in Thail? What is the Thai translation for quiche? how do you say frappachino in Thai?

This might shock you to the core, but did you know that Thais also drink Starbucks? You have created an illusion in your mind that 'being Thai' is equivilant to being poor. The poor Thais want to drink Starbucks too, they just can't afford to do so.

Edited July 10, 2008 by NoSpeakIt

[abdulrahman]

Some people just can't adapt to a different culture. I bet most of the guys that go to Starbucks speak to the staff in English. I know one such guy, who has been here for 2 years, and can't order a cup of coffee - what a joke.

LOL, I bet you have never even been inside a Starbucks. How are you supposed to pronounce the English brand names in Thail? What is the Thai translation for quiche? how do you say frappachino in Thai?

This might shock you to the core, but did you know that Thais also drink Starbucks? You have created an illusion in your mind that 'being Thai' is equivilant to being poor. The poor Thais want to drink Starbucks too, they just can't afford to do so.

I'm pissed!Please,someone help me!

I'm a farang,in the eyes of most Thais this means I'm stupid,Ok,can survive that;but now,reading this thread,find myself excluded from the farang community too!

Never entered a Starbuck shop,because i LIKE coffee,A concoption named Frappucchino must be even worse to drink as to pronounce.

The Thais,to my amazement,go to the KFC to eat mass produced,hormons chocked chickens,cooked with oil that should be forbidden for human consumption;the chickens on offer at every street corner are not only cheaper,they are sounder.I like most Thai food,good prepared and served,but often eat a steak too(of course the beef need to be a tad better as your old thai cow).

So,please,tell me there are not only US citizen or Aussies in TV.

[NoSpeakIt]

if u never entered a starbucks how do you know that its not any good? oh thats right your just another old geezer posting on thai visa

[JetsetBkk]

... just another old geezer posting on thai visa

That's got quite a ring to it!

[Neeranam]

Some people just can't adapt to a different culture. I bet most of the guys that go to Starbucks speak to the staff in English. I know one such guy, who has been here for 2 years, and can't order a cup of coffee - what a joke.

LOL, I bet you have never even been inside a Starbucks. How are you supposed to pronounce the English brand names in Thail? What is the Thai translation for quiche? how do you say frappachino in Thai?

This might shock you to the core, but did you know that Thais also drink Starbucks? You have created an illusion in your mind that 'being Thai' is equivilant to being poor. The poor Thais want to drink Starbucks too, they just can't afford to do so.

Wrong, I've been in a few Starbucks. I suppose frappachino is the same in Thai as English as the original language it is from. It is possible, however, to say. "could I have please", "sugar no milk" etc in Thai.

Wrong, I have not created any illusion that being Thai is being poor. I wasn't even talking about Thais.

Poor Thais want to drink Starbucks? How would you know that?

Edited July 10, 2008 by Neeranam

[teacup]

SA - TA - BUC

It is considered as a luxury item for the thais.

From what I can tell, Starbuck is the…….”seen and be seen” place in bkk. And from the looks of it, most customers seem to have the “type A” or “glit & glitter” personality.

Value wise:

Well I for one would rather hang myself before going back there, again and again…

I can find at least a dozen other coffee varieties much better taste and waay cheaper.

[Neeranam]

http://www.kentuckyfriedcruelty.com/

[GaiYaang]

SA - TA - BUC

It is considered as a luxury item for the thais.

From what I can tell, Starbuck is the……."seen and be seen" place in bkk. And from the looks of it, most customers seem to have the "type A" or "glit & glitter" personality.

Value wise:

Well I for one would rather hang myself before going back there, again and again…

I can find at least a dozen other coffee varieties much better taste and waay cheaper.

Sorry OP

SA TA BUC

Especially, the regular brewed coffee, taste crappy.

They will close 500-600 stores in US hopefully one across from each other.

[teacup]

Plus

1700 stores worldwide!

[NoSpeakIt]

please tell me where i can go to get a mocha frappuchino that tastes as good or anything like starbucks. i am not crazy about shelling out 180 baht for it, but despite your claims, no, the 25 baht thai vendor's instant coffee or instant coffee + ice in a blender does not taste as good. i doubt many can drink starbucks everyday or they would be like a blimp. its more of a monthly thing for me. its gotta be 800+ cals for a shake.

thais don't do coffee well, no ifs or buts about it.

[qwertz]

please tell me where i can go to get a mocha frappuchino that tastes as good or anything like starbucks. i am not crazy about shelling out 180 baht for it, but despite your claims, no, the 25 baht thai vendor's instant coffee or instant coffee + ice in a blender does not taste as good. i doubt many can drink starbucks everyday or they would be like a blimp. its more of a monthly thing for me. its gotta be 800+ cals for a shake.

thais don't do coffee well, no ifs or buts about it.

You can get a good cup of coffee in many hotel bars, not so expensive as Starbucks either.

[teacup]

please tell me where i can go to get a mocha frappuchino that tastes as good or anything like starbucks. i am not crazy about shelling out 180 baht for it, but despite your claims, no, the 25 baht thai vendor's instant coffee or instant coffee + ice in a blender does not taste as good. i doubt many can drink starbucks everyday or they would be like a blimp. its more of a monthly thing for me. its gotta be 800+ cals for a shake.

thais don't do coffee well, no ifs or buts about it.

"General foods international" - many flavors

Much cheaper, taste better……and no need to dress up

[NoSpeakIt]

i want the coffee milk shake though. not just a cup of coffee. they keep the recipe a secret. the ingredients are packaged. they probably put powdered MDMA into or something.

[teacup]

Just shake w/your own milk, Geshh……how difficult can it be?

It’s not 100% the same of course, but similar same same and look how much you can save.

Even my housekeeper could come up with her own varieties and just exactly the way she liked it !

Edited July 10, 2008 by teacup

[Heng]

Arguing about fast food. Starbucks is "fast food" too, you know.

[tuky]

i am confused how those of you who don't like thai food managed to end up living here. actually, i take that back, i guess i have a pretty decent idea what brought and kept you here, i just think its kind of sad. but maybe food is just a bigger part of my life than others. each day i wake up and think "what do i want to eat today". i cant imagine living somewhere that you don't like the local cuisine regardless of the advantages afforded to you from an impoverished populous.

I don't think anyone here is saying they don't like Thai food.

I myself was commenting on the fact that I would rather pay more for a meal in a nice clean restaurant than buy the same dish from the side car on a motocy just to save a few baht.

I spent 7 days in hospital in South Korea a few years back by eating chicken from a street vendor, it was a very nasty experience which I never wish to repeat.

So, if eating your food from a filthy sidecar means you're a Thai then I am happy to call myself farang.

Infact, I live in an expensive house on a lake. I (my kids) own two other houses that we rent out. We drive a nice car. 17,000 baht is what I spend a month on household beer alone. I pay 130 baht for 50 tv channels, I have internet, I have my very own swimming pool etc etc. My Thai wife lives with me amongst all this, should I start calling her a Farang instead of Thai? Should I build her a corrugated iron shack down the road and give her a bucket to wash in so she can keep her citizenship?

[Doza]

QUOTE (Doza @ 2008-07-10 17:17:09)

In terms of maids or anyone else that is targetting the foreign non-Thai market for a job, surely English is a skill you need to pick up and is a requirement of the job? If its not good enough for the job, of course the employer will complain. Its not a charity service where the employee dictates the conditions or self-evaluates their own performance.

Like I said. Colonial Mentality.

No mate - its called the real world. Nothing colonial about it. Its called competitiveness, skills for the job, ummmm...... pretty simple.

Its like me trying to be a maid in Australia for Japanese families particularly. But I can't speak Japanese except for a few words. Jap family rings me up, asks if I can speak Japanese since its a requirement of the job, I say, yeah, offer me the job - turns out my Japanese is <deleted>, can'[t commuinicate with the family properly so my work is ordinary. So they complain.

Since they are the employer (nothing colonial about employing somebody) and there are requiremetnts for the job which I can't satisfy, its pretty normal they would complain about me and/or replace me if they find a better employee.

This is called the real world. (yes Thais live in it too sometimes...)

[abdulrahman]

if u never entered a starbucks how do you know that its not any good? oh thats right your just another old geezer posting on thai visa

Whow!Thanks for the kind words.

As said,don't need to drink the brew,the name(an oximoron),scare me off!

I'm a old geezer and my coffee must be dark as the night,strong as a giant and sweet as the love!

Sorry for the poor translation of the Omar's words;he wrote infinitely better.

[Tod Daniels]

How did a thread about some nameless "wanna-b-thai" foreigner living in a nondescript village, up country in the glorious "Land 'O Thais" mutate into an all encompassing Kentucky Fried Chicken exposé and a dissertation about the merits or lack thereof in the quality of Starbucks Coffee?

Sometimes these threads take on a life of their own, the mind truly 'wobbles'. ..

[tomuk76]

How did a thread about some nameless "wanna-b-thai" foreigner living in a nondescript village, up country in the glorious "Land 'O Thais" mutate into an all encompassing Kentucky Fried Chicken exposé and a dissertation about the merits or lack thereof in the quality of Starbucks Coffee?

Sometimes these threads take on a life of their own, the mind truly 'wobbles'. ..

yeah im bored of this thread now, I was hoping for some funny stories like when i saw a farang wearing a turbun!

Edited July 11, 2008 by tomuk76

[Samuian]

.... if any of you lot knew any farangs who think theyre thai, Now i know more about starbucks and KFC than i need to!!

Well assume yourself lucky - extra knowledge at no extra charge!

Concerning your initial question: No, I don't, but but I know somebody who thinks he is Napoleon and this guy can't even speak french, nor does he eat french, doesn't drink any french wine and as "extra topping on the Pizza", he is not even livin' in france really!

Now, what will all the french say about this guy?

Edited July 11, 2008 by Samuian

[midasthailand]

After reading this post that i have copied and pasted below i couldnt stop chuckling to myself, However i was just wondering if any of you lot knew any farangs that have gone to the extreme of thinking they are kon thai? C'mon a farang/westerner will always be a farang/westerner where he/she lives!

I remember the time i was travelling around india and i saw this western guy wearing a turbun buying something on a market from a indian wearing jeans and a t shirt! Now that was strange! I mean the the western guy!!

Anyway here is the post i found in on another topic debate! It was about being broke in thailand!

"I am always broke haha..but to live in Europe in the snow eating farang food and no temple round the corner to go to and speak with the monks, no Pad kaprao

or Gaeng Thai (แกงใต้) no going waddling in the stream catching fish (ทอดแหจับปลานิน) and maybe a million other things then i just couldn't live.

i make only 17000 baht a month dont work at all except on developing my website and taking the odd person to a temple for a tattoo and translating for them.

On this 17000 baht a month i live quite well only i dont have any savings.

I can understand someone who comes here lives in a beer bar, starbucks kfc and the pizza hut would prefer to go home and make money than live here broke, as they live the same western life here as they do at home...

but i cant eat that stuff i eat only thai food and for me a pad kaprao with a fried egg on top costs me 15 baht or 2 curries on rice i get for 20 to 25 baht

I also cant live without this food i dont eat bread and all that farang bull it isnt tasty and also expensive.

A coffee in starbucks costs 60 baht (uff what a waste thats 3 square meals for me which are much more delicious than a coffee)

I always wonder why some farang copme here as some people pack their tins of beans, marmit/vegemite, and all their other "home copmforts" and live on that when they are here...what is the point of being here if you cant adapt to the lifestyle and have to need your stuff from home country.

This is like taking your country with you.....why dont you just stay home if you dont like the real life/food/culture here?

i suppose some people only come for the women..which is as far as i am concerned stupid, as Thai women dont like farang they just like their money.

I couldn't take a wife who only wanted an easy life and a free ride but really all she is waiting for is me to die so she can go home and make a house and marry the thai she has always told me is her little brother or cousin.

I know a guy he employs his wife's little brother...well that guy is her boyfriend really i found out about it...but i ain't telling the farang because he has to learn himself.

Broke in Thailand? yes! But it is still better life than being middle class in Europe.

How many people in europe can afford a prawn and lemon grass soup every day eating out?

Even your average Thai can afford to eat fresh fish, prawns and lots of other lovely stuff on a "Broke" budget.

My 2 room condo apartment costs me 2700 baht a month and have internet for 300 a month 1mb another 100 baht a month gets me 50 cable tv channels...god i would have to work my ass off in Europe to keep all that together.

The broke thing isnt important as if you have a lot of money here then you either just blow it all on uinnecessary luxuries (ie starbucks) or some woman or thai guy syphons it out of you.

If you have nothing for them to take then they cant take it off you"

What a waste of space, I've seen this thread already and read the pros and cons. Why don't you come up with something original?

[rdog]

blah, blah, blah. mmmmmm Starbucks, mmmm KFC, mmmm Thai Food, mmmm Donuts cable TV etc..!!! Get over it worse things could happen and you could be whinging from a worse place.

[PeaceBlondie]

How did a thread about some nameless "wanna-b-thai" foreigner living in a nondescript village, up country in the glorious "Land 'O Thais" mutate into an all encompassing Kentucky Fried Chicken exposé and a dissertation about the merits or lack thereof in the quality of Starbucks Coffee?

Sometimes these threads take on a life of their own, the mind truly 'wobbles'. ..

tod, how did you manage a post without referring to the locals as diminutive? I had matayom 2 kids who outweighed me, and matayom 4 kids taller than me.

[Naam]

What a waste of space, I've seen this thread already and read the pros and cons. Why don't you come up with something original?

have you ever eaten a donut in Starbucks soaked with pik nam pla?

[Naam]

Concerning your initial question: No, I don't, but but I know somebody who thinks he is Napoleon and this guy can't even speak french, nor does he eat french, doesn't drink any french wine and as "extra topping on the Pizza", he is not even livin' in france really!

Now, what will all the french say about this guy?

most of them would say or think "je m'en fous!" meaning (more or less) "i don't give a flying fàck!"