No More "mai Pen Rai"

[edwardmoulton]

I think the key issue here is that a combination of poor education and being scared to question anything and accept it all regardless holds the people and the country back.

It is common knowledge that the average IQ in Thialand is around 88 or less probably and dropping by the state's own admission. This is a very low score for a country with a face of devlopment as it has. The result is that the youth are effectively unemployable - see here - http://www.geocities.com/rnseitz/Definition_of_IQ.html especially given today's socieety is more and more competitive.

Keeping the status quo and keeping the people down will backfire on the powers that be who seek this quite soon as every other country around moves ahead as they currently are.

The third factor is laziness, I beleive. Given the culture of not acheiveing it is ok to sit and do nothing as so mnay Thias do all day. They rarely read and if so it is a comic book. Again official gov't stats recvenetly acknowledged that the averager Thai reads one book a year compared to around 70 in Vietnam for example. How long is that stat going to take to kick in?

I believe the majority of Thais are well meaning. They try to please but they are massively handicapped by the cpountry that has let them down. As a result, the pwoers that be and the average Thai look at foreigners with distrust as they know the differences that exist and it is such a shame that help is not taken because of loss of face, the final and the biggest single handicap.

These are my observations after 4 years here in LOS. I apologise for my generalisations to those not as I see, but how else do you get a point across about the majority. Sorry to the very small monotirty that have defied this mould.

[permanent_disorder]

NO MORE 'MAI PEN RAI'

By: VORANAI VANIJAKA

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion...ore-mai-pen-rai

Read the article. Sounds like Mr. Voranai has got a lot of chips on his shoulder!

Well, Thaivisa would be a good place for him to find readers I guess.

it's another classical piece of Kitsch by Khun Voranai.

and it looks like the TVforum readers have forgotten his "Dearest Tom, Dick and Harry" story.

[edwardmoulton]

Thanks Permanent Disord...

I remember that story but did not make the link that he wrote it too... It made my blood boil then as it does now.

The story you mention, Dearest Tom, Dick and Harry" is typical of the dismissive approach a Thai with a little education takes once hge gains those inevitable shoulder chips... I feel it is a clear story of look down on your own and then look down on westerners as you were educated abroad and so must be superior to all - Thai blood/farang education = perfect!

'Guests in any country are holidaymakers not those who live and work here and pay copious amounts of tax and immigration fees to satisfy your dual standard rules to protect your own nationals from superior outside standards in everything - so Mr Voranai, how can we be guests?' Shakespeare.

[mommysboy]

Mai Pen Rai = <deleted>!

Still, who cares, it doesn't matter

[oevna]

Mai Pen Rai = <deleted>!

Wait, what?

[way2muchcoffee]

Don't worry about things you cannot change(or words to that effect). Very popular in the western word.

Applied to other cultures, it becomes unacceptable. mai pen rai, 'innit

Incomplete. The popular western 'serenity prayer' goes:

'Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.'

Not quite the same thing.

[way2muchcoffee]

The Thai version goes something like this:

'Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to simply smile and do nothing, and the wisdom to know my place.'

Edited February 25, 2009 by way2muchcoffee