Scientists Discover Inverse Relationship Between Expats’ Income And Thai Fluency

[Spycatcher]

How True...Finally

Read The Story Guys from the website notthenation.com Sunday 13th July....by the way anybody knows if this a reliable news but the article makes sense.

http://notthenation.com/pages/news/getnews.php?id=533

[Pierrot]

Funny enough, it reminds me "Not the SCMP"

Rings any bell ???

[Pierrot]

An other great site : http://www.theonion.com

[GuestHouse]

Low-paid expats have both the time to devote to Thai studies as well as the motivation. They can’t afford to eat in nice restaurants, party in upscale nightclubs, or shop for tasteful furniture and quality electronics in their spare time. Additionally, their poverty of lifestyle and material possessions makes them unable to attract mates, so they have the motivation to adapt a non-material mating skill – speaking Thai.”

So if you are hard up learn to speak Thai to get the girls ... mmmm

Oddly, the exceptions to the rule came at the extremes of the data. Some of the highest paid subjects such as diplomats, consultants, and specialized UN and development workers spoke fluent Thai despite being paid huge international salaries.

Some guys have it all.....

At the low end there was a cluster of data representing near-destitute men over the age of 65 in Chiang Mai and Udon who, despite incomes lower than the average factory worker, still didn’t speak more than 30 words of bar-Thai. “These lifers have nothing to offer and have stopped trying,” suggested Murkh. “They’re pretty much just waiting to die, preferably beneath a once-a-month rented sex-worker.”

Splurt !! ........ I've jsut spat coffee all over my keyboard...

[bonobo]

What a great site! A Thai-flavored The Onion.

[AmeriThai]

I can just imagine the "scientists" on the Discovery Channel.....

We’ve come here to the wilds of Thailand to observe the mating skills of the rare Western Expat. Look, there’s one now. He’s approaching a female, but there's no success. The female moves on, unimpressed and unable to recognize the language of his mating calls.

He slowly moves on to a nearby watering hole, known as a bar, where he can more easily mingle without being detected for his inefficient calls. This time he makes a new effort by displaying his plumage in the form of cash hoping to attract a female. Ah-ha! The technique has paid off, but alas, only for short-time. But better short-time than none at all. Once the female has plucked the Expat’s plumage clean, he’ll be satisfied and ready to die, and the female will move on to the next one.

[jetjock]

I would sure like to believe articles like that ! I used to think that the reason I could not speak Thai was because I was just too GD lazy to learn Thai and I had no real need to learn it since my Thai wife is every bit as fluent as I am in English. Now, thanks to the article, I find out that the real reason I cannot speak Thai is because I have a high income and am very well off. Thank you "Not the Nation" for your words of wisdom !

[Tinkelbell]

Low-paid expats have both the time to devote to Thai studies as well as the motivation. They can't afford to eat in nice restaurants, party in upscale nightclubs, or shop for tasteful furniture and quality electronics in their spare time. Additionally, their poverty of lifestyle and material possessions makes them unable to attract mates, so they have the motivation to adapt a non-material mating skill – speaking Thai."

So if you are hard up learn to speak Thai to get the girls ... mmmm

Oddly, the exceptions to the rule came at the extremes of the data. Some of the highest paid subjects such as diplomats, consultants, and specialized UN and development workers spoke fluent Thai despite being paid huge international salaries.

Some guys have it all.....

At the low end there was a cluster of data representing near-destitute men over the age of 65 in Chiang Mai and Udon who, despite incomes lower than the average factory worker, still didn't speak more than 30 words of bar-Thai. "These lifers have nothing to offer and have stopped trying," suggested Murkh. "They're pretty much just waiting to die, preferably beneath a once-a-month rented sex-worker."

Splurt !! ........ I've jsut spat coffee all over my keyboard...

Ha..ha...ha...

Guesthouse, you're so funny. I had a good laugh.

[Jimjim]

Should be in the jokes section.

[Lorin]

“James lives in Center Point Serviced Apartments, has an English-speaking Burmese driver, shops at Paragon, eats at Gianni and goes to Bed Supperclub on weekends,” Huang said. “His staff includes a trilingual secretary and two full-time translators. He can literally go for months without encountering a single non-English speaking person. Even his girlfriend, a light-skinned Chinese-Thai model and VJ, speaks perfect English.” According to the study, someone like James whose income is Bt350,000/month, requires a Thai vocabulary of only 50 words, including basic numbers and taxi directions.

Jokes aside, he need double that salary to have lifestyle like that, what is remind us again how Thailand is not cheap as it claimed.

[guava]

Indeed a great site.

The front page ad for Sandbelt Lawyers is "not" funny of course

[Tinkelbell]

quoted............."Jokes aside, he need double that salary to have lifestyle like that, what is remind us again how Thailand is not cheap as it claimed....."

................................................................................

..

That exactly what I said all along these years.

For the past few years, I have seen prices going up more and more each year. Now it costs ME almost as much as living in Florida. At least I have clean air, first rated environment fits for first world.

Well, at least Thailand can offer you a varieties of choices to life cheap and eat off the food stalls from the road sites at 25 bahts OR you can order the same dish in the restaurant at 95 bahts, in the 5 stars hotel it's going to cost you 500 bahts.

[toptuan]

I can just imagine the "scientists" on the Discovery Channel.....

We’ve come here to the wilds of Thailand to observe the mating skills of the rare Western Expat. Look, there’s one now. He’s approaching a female, but there's no success. The female moves on, unimpressed and unable to recognize the language of his mating calls.

He slowly moves on to a nearby watering hole, known as a bar, where he can more easily mingle without being detected for his inefficient calls. This time he makes a new effort by displaying his plumage in the form of cash hoping to attract a female. Ah-ha! The technique has paid off, but alas, only for short-time. But better short-time than none at all. Once the female has plucked the Expat’s plumage clean, he’ll be satisfied and ready to die, and the female will move on to the next one.

Clever!

[Scott]

And I thought it was because I was lazy!

[Ulysses G.]

My Thai got really good when I was a teacher, was broke all the time and had to beg the working girls to give me giant discounts on services rendered. The thing that surprised me is that despite my advanced age and lack of physical attractions, a lot of them would go for it when I pleaded my case well enough.

Don't ever tell me that some BGs don't have hearts of gold!

Edited July 14, 2008 by Ulysses G.

[Super Hans]

I can just imagine the "scientists" on the Discovery Channel.....

We’ve come here to the wilds of Thailand to observe the mating skills of the rare Western Expat. Look, there’s one now. He’s approaching a female, but there's no success. The female moves on, unimpressed and unable to recognize the language of his mating calls.

He slowly moves on to a nearby watering hole, known as a bar, where he can more easily mingle without being detected for his inefficient calls. This time he makes a new effort by displaying his plumage in the form of cash hoping to attract a female. Ah-ha! The technique has paid off, but alas, only for short-time. But better short-time than none at all. Once the female has plucked the Expat’s plumage clean, he’ll be satisfied and ready to die, and the female will move on to the next one.

The Discovery channel? No chance, unless there's something about large motorcycles or lobsters bunged in as well.

[LiveSteam]

I can just imagine the "scientists" on the Discovery Channel.....

We've come here to the wilds of Thailand to observe the mating skills of the rare Western Expat. Look, there's one now. He's approaching a female, but there's no success. The female moves on, unimpressed and unable to recognize the language of his mating calls.

He slowly moves on to a nearby watering hole, known as a bar, where he can more easily mingle without being detected for his inefficient calls. This time he makes a new effort by displaying his plumage in the form of cash hoping to attract a female. Ah-ha! The technique has paid off, but alas, only for short-time. But better short-time than none at all. Once the female has plucked the Expat's plumage clean, he'll be satisfied and ready to die, and the female will move on to the next one.

Classic

LiveSteam

[PeaceBlondie]

Maybe I have a new excuse. I'm too rich to learn Thai.

[T_Dog]

This wins "Post of the day" in my book!

[t.s]

My Thai got really good when I was a teacher, was broke all the time and had to beg the working girls to give me giant discounts on services rendered. The thing that surprised me is that despite my advanced age and lack of physical attractions, a lot of them would go for it when I pleaded my case well enough.

Don't ever tell me that some BGs don't have hearts of gold!

i cant understand why anyone with a modicum of self esteem would share something like this.

[guava]

My Thai got really good when I was a teacher, was broke all the time and had to beg the working girls to give me giant discounts on services rendered. The thing that surprised me is that despite my advanced age and lack of physical attractions, a lot of them would go for it when I pleaded my case well enough.

Don't ever tell me that some BGs don't have hearts of gold!

i cant understand why anyone with a modicum of self esteem would share something like this.

Old, unattractive, poor, desperate, sexpat, teacher - what's not to be proud of?

I do hope there's still something he's not telling us - a dark embarrassing secret perhaps.

[Naam]

My Thai got really good when I was a teacher, was broke all the time and had to beg the working girls to give me giant discounts on services rendered. The thing that surprised me is that despite my advanced age and lack of physical attractions, a lot of them would go for it when I pleaded my case well enough.

Don't ever tell me that some BGs don't have hearts of gold!

i cant understand why anyone with a modicum of self esteem would share something like this.

Old, unattractive, poor, desperate, sexpat, teacher - what's not to be proud of?

I do hope there's still something he's not telling us - a dark embarrassing secret perhaps.

that he is an American?

[Ulysses G.]

My Thai got really good when I was a teacher, was broke all the time and had to beg the working girls to give me giant discounts on services rendered. The thing that surprised me is that despite my advanced age and lack of physical attractions, a lot of them would go for it when I pleaded my case well enough.

Don't ever tell me that some BGs don't have hearts of gold!

i cant understand why anyone with a modicum of self esteem would share something like this.

I don't see much honesty from most posters on the internet. I just thought that it might make a refreshing change.

Edited July 14, 2008 by Ulysses G.

[oevna]

My Thai got really good when I was a teacher, was broke all the time and had to beg the working girls to give me giant discounts on services rendered. The thing that surprised me is that despite my advanced age and lack of physical attractions, a lot of them would go for it when I pleaded my case well enough.

Don't ever tell me that some BGs don't have hearts of gold!

While I'm sure this is true, I think it is also possible that they were giving a discount for repeat business!

[Underbelly]

I should stop going to Uni and learning Thai because then I will have no money.

If I just stay at home and be a lazy bum, then i will have a good income and will be able to go to the good bars.

[on-on]

Not The Nation is absolutely hilarious, I've been reading it for a spell now. I only wish the writer had more time to make more posts. This article is no disappointment.

[sbk]

Agreed, Notthenation is quite funny and certainly not to be taken seriously (some people seem to be lacking a humor gene) but this thread is also a year old, so lets bear that in mind when posting

[henryalleman]

We can joke about it, but the article is correct. Coming from a country with linguistic political problems, I can confirm it.

And this is so for every expat comunity worldwide. How higher you are in the food chain how less you have the need to speak the local language.

I have a friend who retired already 15 years in Thailand, he don't even speak one word Thai, but not only that, he simply refuse to speak it.

Edited March 29, 2009 by henryalleman

[guava]

Agreed, Notthenation is quite funny and certainly not to be taken seriously (some people seem to be lacking a humor gene) but this thread is also a year old, so lets bear that in mind when posting

If we start discrimating against old threads, half the country will end up naked.....

Yes notthenation is rather amusing, in a country where the target of some of that amusement does indeed completely lack the humour gene - and rather than simply not be amused, they throw you in the big house with limited toilet facilities for 5-20+

I'm re-thinking renewing my Club Douchebag membership (gets me into Bed, QBar, or Spassos for 1000 baht pisshead farang super discount na!).

[Junglejumbo]

It's generalisation but I've thought it myself. Two out of the three best speaking Thai people I've met are poor. One of them a French man used to clean the toilets in a go go bar to get 100baht, and he was fluent. Another was a mid 30's ex boiler house guy jailed for about two years in 2001 who picked it up in prison. But the third was a UN refugee specialist who's since moved on into industry and is very wealthy.

For me, I actually made a conscience decision not to learn much of it because I really did feel that it was a hinderance to doing well. To learn Thai fluently brings you down to having to follow so many social rules, etc and you can't help but get involved in the day to day gossip. Turning up at a job interview speaking fluent Thai is a recipe for a low salary, as you'll only be compared to other Thai workers and not usually foreign.

However, I did end up learning a fair amount after falling for the love of my life who didn't speak any English. But since breaking up I've gone back to speaking as little as possible, especially around the work place.