Living A Thai Lifestyle

[Jingthing]

I find you amusing, Mr. Jungian. As one who knows Philly, perhaps a visit to Pattaya is in order for you where you can report you never saw a prostitute there. Nor an Indian tailor tout.

[Jungian]

I find you amusing, Mr. Jungian. As one who knows Philly, perhaps a visit to Pattaya is in order for you where you can report you never saw a prostitute there. Nor an Indian tailor tout.

Oh come on I'm not that sheltered. Of course I have seen prostitutes the worlds oldest occupation. I have never been to a country where I didn't see a prostitute or red light district including my own (I said see not patronize) heck just open the phone book in Philly and they will come to you. Just what I have heard about Pattaya and Issian is enough to keep me away, I have no interest in the least. It just seems to me that most expats have these horror stories and conflicts with Thai people not to mention most expats I read posts from seem to be quite financially secure compared to the Thai people they know. My world is quite the opposite I have never met an expat with any kind of money actually most of them are starving English teachers who actually don't have any education other than high school (no wonder Thais have such a hard time learning to speak English) that do border runs and can't afford a ticket home, I do not mean that in a condesending way at all I assure you it has just been experiance and of course there are obviously those who are exceptions to the rule. I have lived in Asia most of my adult life but Thailand was not exactly my first choice of countries to live in as it is "developing" rather than "developed" nation however my wife is Thai and has family and ties here (no pun intended). I think Thai people are unique and understanding people and in the 5 years I have been living here I have never had a problem or disagreement with a Thai nor has a Thai including any member of my wifes family ever asked for any stang even as a loan. As I said I guess it's the company you keep (I'm not judging, I'm just saying).

[orang37]

... snip ... 99% of the Thai people I know live a semi-Western life style, by that I mean they have a modern house a car or two they send their children to good schools, have enough money to come and go as they please buy what they need and want with in reason. Most Thai people (I know) are better off than the average middle class American family hands down. ... snip ...

... snip ... My world is quite the opposite I have never met an expat with any kind of money actually most of them are starving English teachers who actually don't have any education other than high school (no wonder Thais have such a hard time learning to speak English) that do border runs and can't afford a ticket home ... snip ...

That's a very interesting universe you've created there. I'm trying to imagine the rabbit hole you went down to find that one

~o:37;

"The greater the cultural and social distance between people, the more magical the light that can spring from their contact." Milan Kundera in Testaments Trahis (quoted from memory so may be not a 'perfect' quote).

[Jungian]

... snip ... 99% of the Thai people I know live a semi-Western life style, by that I mean they have a modern house a car or two they send their children to good schools, have enough money to come and go as they please buy what they need and want with in reason. Most Thai people (I know) are better off than the average middle class American family hands down. ... snip ...

... snip ... My world is quite the opposite I have never met an expat with any kind of money actually most of them are starving English teachers who actually don't have any education other than high school (no wonder Thais have such a hard time learning to speak English) that do border runs and can't afford a ticket home ... snip ...

That's a very interesting universe you've created there. I'm trying to imagine the rabbit hole you went down to find that one

~o:37;

"The greater the cultural and social distance between people, the more magical the light that can spring from their contact." Milan Kundera in Testaments Trahis (quoted from memory so may be not a 'perfect' quote).

I haven't created anything, what I have stated are facts. The poorest Thai friend I have makes about 35,000B per month he is an assistant manager of an internet provider in the Chiang Mai division but he gets medical benefits for his family, paid holidays and decent bonuses, he has a new 4 door full sized truck fully loaded and his wife has a new Honda Civic, they live in a beautiful 2 story home and seem pretty happy as far as I can tell. There are poor people anywhere in the world you go I don't care if it's London, Paris or New York my point was I don't exactly hang out in the "ghetto" if you know what I mean and I tend to associate with people I have things in common with including language. I do not look down on other people not in the least bit and I'm kind of an average guy all things considered but I'll be damned if I live in squalor or subject my family to it as long as it is in my power to make a nice life for them. The poverty rate in the UK is currently 14% the USA is 12% while Thailand comes in at 10% so perhaps the question that I should be asking is what universe do you live in and I would suggest it may be the company you keep.

(source Nation Master: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_pop_...w-poverty-line)

[billd766]

I think I would rather be able to critically think for myself, about the future, and be curious about the question "Why?", than live a Thai lifestyle. Questioning is more important than believing everything you hear. I definitely agree with eating what they eat and travel like they do as well. It was a good comment about not living like you are on a holiday.

A good summary. You're right it's about having the right balance

Some mae bhen rai but not over the top so much that you drop your standards

walk away sometimes but stand your guns for the important issues

integrate but don't sell your soul

Too late for me I am afraid as I sold myself body and soul to a beautiful Thai lady back in 1993. Now she shares me with our 4 year old son. I love them both to bits.

[quote name='caf' date='2009-03-13

Yes, Chaimai. Most farangs have no concept of a Thai's economic realities; how much they earn, spend on food etc. Their concepts of losing face vs. being truthful. Their concept of caring for others which can be more caring than in the west but has some very tough conotations as they can turn that off in a wink of an eye. Farangs trying to integrate is a foreign concept to them. They don't understand the thais but pretend they do because they have a western mindset. I have no problem with that - each to his own - but I wish they would just accept that they are in the ghetto and not the real thailand.

It all depends on where you live.

I live 6km from the village in a small moo ban, not in a farang ghetto and I see how much rural Thais earn, how much they spend and how much they care. Perhaps I live in the real Thailand in a rural area which is mainly a farming community.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Cool, a "my Thailand is realer than your Thailand" topic.

[orang37]

I haven't created anything, what I have stated are facts. ... snip

Khun Jungian, Sawasdee Khrup,

That is delightful that you have adorned your universe with "facts," and that you believe them, and that you rush to their defense with the same passion that Don Quixote defended damsels-in-distress he believed were in danger from windmills ... with

I perform the same hypnotism on myself, daily, albeit minus the windmills.

Since you are "Jungian," may I remind you of Jung's concept of enantidromia ?

~o:37;

Edited March 14, 2009 by orang37

[Puwa]

Those statistics don't mean much. Each country has its own standard, the numbers are self-reported, and the site points out that wealthier countries have more generous standards, while in poorer ones the poverty line is pushed way down. The Human Development Index (http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/) has more telling measures and comparisons. Thailand comes in at 81 our of 179.

[Jungian]

I haven't created anything, what I have stated are facts. ... snip

Khun Jungian, Sawasdee Khrup,

That is delightful that you have adorned your universe with "facts," and that you believe them, and that you rush to their defense with the same passion that Don Quixote defended damsels-in-distress he believed were in danger from windmills ... with

I perform the same hypnotism on myself, daily, albeit minus the windmills.

Since you are "Jungian," may I remind you of Jung's concept of enantidromia ?

~o:37;

If you are referring to enantiodromia, yes I'm quite familiar with the concept, it is the superabundance of any force inevitably produces its opposite. It is equivalent to the principle of equilibrium in the natural world, in that any extreme is opposed by the system in order to restore balance. But in fact the roots of enantiodromin can be traced back to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus. What Jung was referring to was the unconscious acting against the wishes of the conscious mind. Perhaps you misunderstand me I'm not saying poverty and suffering do not exist; poverty and suffering are common to all. I have the utmost compassion for those less fortunate than I and have spent a great deal of time effort and personal resources doing what I can to help others and the environment. My point that seemed to be lost is that Thailand isn't really much different than anywhere else in the world. Perhaps I am in a unique situation (according to many) however some of the posts I saw on this topic I found quite far to the left and to prove my point to myself I asked two of my neighbors and my wife if they personally knew any poor suffering Thai people. The answer was "no", yes of course they know of poverty and suffering but they went to the extent of explaining why i.e. the land in Issian is not suitable for farming. I have been all over the USA and I have seen extreme suffering from Indian reservations to children forced in to Mormon marriages. Quite frankly if I had to live a lesser life style even considering that I live on my Thai salary I would return to the USA in a heart beat.

In any event the question I set out to answer was on topic "living a Thai life style" I simply suggested that the Thai people I KNOW don't live much differently than the people I know in the USA, sure the culture is different as is the food and the like but other than that I'm seeing all middle class people. Granted in the USA I didn't go out of my way to go see the people in Ozarks, Cherokee North Carolina or in the slums of Queens, Spanish Harlem or even South Philadelphia who in their right mind would for fear of bodily harm if nothing else. I suppose if you saw the news footage from Hurricane Katrina and the people stealing TV's not food and shooting at the soldiers trying to rescue them you would understand why I don't go places like that.

[SKORPiO]

I also don't use the aircon. Smartest move I made in Thailand. Not only saves 4 or 5K baht a month but now I am totally acclimated which is obviously much healthier. The only downside is I am starting to feel cold like the Thais at absurdly warm temperatures.

Jingthing, how long have you lived in Thailand? I always wondered if it is possible to adjust to high temperatures with time. I guess you are living proof.

regards, Bartek.

[amexpat]

Edited March 15, 2009 by amexpat

[Rasseru]

I also don't use the aircon. Smartest move I made in Thailand. Not only saves 4 or 5K baht a month but now I am totally acclimated which is obviously much healthier. The only downside is I am starting to feel cold like the Thais at absurdly warm temperatures.

Do you also, as apparently do the Thais, find yourself perfectly comfortable in malls and restaurants, no matter how cold the air con is set?

[gentaro]

Hi guys,

I am new to Thai Visa forum, just became a forum member because I feel that this subject is an interesting one and I would like to give yiou my opinion.

I live in Phuket (sorry for intruding the Chiand Mai forum... ) for the last 2.5 years and it might be different here but not that much I believe. I am married to a Thai and when I met her many years back (6 years or so) she was very much down to earth in most of her habits (spending in particular...).

I can say that we are very well off, have our house with pool and maid, car, bike, etc. (full airconed but we hardly ever run it as I do not like it much..) and it seems all that kind of easy life has changed her a lot and this is fairly normal I believe. As one guy mentioned that he is happy with the money he has as he would simply spend more if he would have more money ....

Now what is Thai Lifestyle??? It's the same like everywhere in the world, the poor people live their life in their way and the more money they have the more they indulge in 'luxury'. Phuket is a very good place to see the trend of Thai people who make/made money and I believe it's the same in Chiang Mai town.... just count the increasing number cars.

I envy he guys who come from the Western world and live on their pension but I wouldn't call it 'Living Thai Lifestyle'.

Wish all of you a wonderful Sunday

gentaro

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I also don't use the aircon. Smartest move I made in Thailand. Not only saves 4 or 5K baht a month but now I am totally acclimated which is obviously much healthier. The only downside is I am starting to feel cold like the Thais at absurdly warm temperatures.

Jingthing, how long have you lived in Thailand? I always wondered if it is possible to adjust to high temperatures with time. I guess you are living proof.

regards, Bartek.

You don't really adjust or get used to the heat, but you do get used to being sweaty and uncomfortable most of the time.

[orang37]

Cool, a "my Thailand is realer than your Thailand" topic.

Indeed, it is a "cool" topic, Khun Winnie, even though some, obviously, respond heatedly. To me your comment contains a profound insight into what happens here as realities as different as dwarf stars and black holes collide in outer-cultural-space !

For some of us, there is a "non-position" "outside the game" that holds to non-existence of any "real Thailand" whatsoever. But the fundamental emptiness of all constructions does not negate the reality of the competition for reality between multiple realities; a kind of on-going "Miss Universe" contest with the exception that gender is free-form

To the extent a Farang has money, I believe they can essentially "buy" whatever reality they want here, which, I believe, is one of the main attractions for many expats. That herculean and comic mental efforts can be at times required to maintain the fiction that the "bought reality" corresponds to the inner psychodramatic fantasy ... well : TIT

I hope you will read my book : "Farang Grandiosity Syndrome : Thailand as Thighland" It is a difficult read : the censors have struck out every word, leaving only the punctuation, but for many expat readers, surprisingly, that has not been a problem; they've responded with comments like : "this book explains exactly the way I find Thailand to be."

best, ~o:37;

p.s. I apologize for my post which you took as abusive; it was meant to be funny, but I can see that it did not come across that way.

[Jingthing]

People ask about becoming acclimated to the tropics and my specific experience with it.

-- have lived in Thailand almost three years, but part time for three years before that and my time in farangland during the part time periods was almost all in hot weather seasons (sometimes hotter than Thailand)

-- I do use fans, I also sleep with a column fan directly at me, I have nightmares about overhead fans when sleeping so don't use them

-- I still do sweat in the sun, but the temperature I sweat at is higher than it used to be

-- I am not really bothered by the sweat

-- during hot hotter seasons, I take more cold showers, like the Thais

-- I now prefer cold or cool showers most of the year except when it has become "chilly" outside

-- I don't spend that much time in aircon buildings but the only time they bother me as being too cold is at the movies, I just suffer it without bringing a parka

-- I wear minimal clothing indoors at home, I sleep in the nud_e

-- the best part about this other than saving on the power bill is that going out into the sun is not a shock like going from cold aircon directly to heat

Edited March 15, 2009 by Jingthing

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I hope you will read my book : "Farang Grandiosity Syndrome : Thailand as Thighland" It is a difficult read : the censors have struck out every word, leaving only the punctuation, but for many expat readers, surprisingly, that has not been a problem; they've responded with comments like : "this book explains exactly the way I find Thailand to be."

best, ~o:37;

p.s. I apologize for my post which you took as abusive; it was meant to be funny, but I can see that it did not come across that way.

No hard feelings, I appreciate this post as well!

WTK

[dave2]

jingthing .

re ... I still do sweat in the sun

if you sweat in the sun you are almsost certainly DEHYDRATING and your pee will be dark / yellow / not clear ?

drink LOTS of water and i mean 7 to 10 liters a day in this heat ( and more in april and mays heat ) and you wont sweat anymore

advice only ! .. take it or leave it ...... up to you ...... enjoy ...... dave2

[anonymouse]

It means as much to me as somone saying they live an English lifestyle or an American lifestyle, nothing at all.

I live a lifestyle that works for me, I eat Thai food, drink Leo and ride a bicycle - the Thai's over the road drive a 4x4 and drink Heineken - does it make them more Western than me?

[gpdjohn]

I ask myself all the time if I could, live this Thai lifestyle thing,

Then,

I follow on foot a Thai police officer into a mexican restrauant and he talks to the manager not knowing if falang speaks or understands Thai, or could give a rats ass either way, and tells the manager that it will "be 500 baht a month" payola....

( I wanted to walk up and ask him what comes with the extra 500 for the month...)

Then,

A Thai friend who owns a business gets burglarized the other night and a computer is stolen. Contact is made with the police, who will not take a report until 10,000 baht is paid....

and I keep thinking if I could tolerate that/this.

Soooooo,

I'll have to keep thinking on this one....

[john b good]

Living a Thai lifestyle means...

Burning the garbage in the garden to save 20 THB on rubbish collection. Spending the savings on Whiskey in the evening. Inviting the neighbours to drink the same. Borrowing 500 THB from the neighbour. Spending the 500 THB on a prospective mia noi. Borrowing another 500 THB to appease the mia luang if she finds out. Maintaining a small library that consists mainly of comic books. Working only when absolutely necessary. Eating five meals per day. Spending 50% of brain activity to think about what to eat next.

CMX

Well seeing as.....

I haven't got a garden...

Thai whisky was the cause of death of two of my three brother's in law...

I don't borrow (and don't need to)..."that's not to say that I wouldn't mind getting back the half million Baht (conservative) that Thai's have borrowed from me, with no likelihood of ever seeing it again...

I am not looking for a "prospective" mia noi (at least not until i can persuade "her indoors" to move out)...

The last takes care of the mia luang...

Stopped reading comics when I was about 12...

Not really interested in ever working again...

Eat twice a day...

That then takes care (reduces the brain activity to less than 20%) thinking about meals...

I really don't think that I am gonna make it insofar as "living a Thai lifestyle"

Seriously I don't want (and will never) live a Thai lifestyle.

I fit in (as much as I want to) Go to the temples on a regular basis.

I am not gonna eat noodles three times a day at some stall by the side of the road.

I want my creature comforts, some air-con when it gets hot, a nice piece of fillet steak (imported) some decent wine (none of that French shyt)

If I wanted to live under a bridge I could do that anywhere.

Edited March 16, 2009 by john b good

[Ulysses G.]

some decent wine (none of that French shyt)

Would that be Aussie wine?

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Aussie whine possibly.

[malcy]

I tend to agree with john b goode ,the french wine i have drunk is sh*t i prefer the aussie stuff . Mind you i suspect the frogs keep all the good wine for themselves.

[john b good]

You don't even turn on the light in the evening??

within a certain limit of electricity usage, the government pays the bill. Same with water.

Enjoy! because it (the free bit) stops in June.

[john b good]

some decent wine (none of that French shyt)

Would that be Aussie wine?

SA, NZ, Australian, Californian, some Chilean, some Georgian (first country in the world to produce wine) if I could get the hands on some.

Whilst talkin' about beverages Georgian the Topadze Beer (15.5% alc) was not a bad drop

[adjan jb]

some decent wine (none of that French shyt)

If by « French shyt » you mean the French wine we usually get in Thailand, I have to agree with you.

Some places sell decent Bordeaux and Bourgogne, but who is going to pay THB 2000 or more for a bottle of wine that has been stored in poor conditions? I know a place where they sometimes have a very nice Côtes du Rhone (10 years old/under 400 baht a bottle) but I’m not going to give you the address. In France, Côtes du Rhone is considered an ordinary wine but, believe me or not, when it’s good it sure beat the shit of any of the best Australian wines. And I’m not jingoistic; it’s just that I can make the difference between wine and plonk (wherever the wine or the plonk comes from)

But if by « French shyt » you mean every French wine, sold in France or anywhere else in the world, then I’m afraid you are the philistine I’ve (always?) thought you were. Anyway French wines are not produced for philistines (except for the table wines) so it doesn’t matter much.

That said, to end on a more positive note, I agree with you about Chilean wines. They are usually very good and they are also cheap. See? I told you I’m not jingoistic.

Edited March 17, 2009 by adjan jb

[orang37]

... snip ... I know a place where they sometimes have a very nice Côtes du Rhone (10 years old/under 400 baht a bottle) but I’m not going to give you the address.

Khun Adjan,

Thanks for not sharing; I couldn't drink it, anyway

~o:37;

[Ulysses G.]

And I’m not jingoistic; it’s just that I can make the difference between wine and plonk (wherever the wine or the plonk comes from)

It is true, adjan has no loyalty to his country or any other, besides, France must have some good

wines!

[IanForbes]

This topic reminds me of similar ones on how to live a Muslim life style, Christian Life style, Hindu life style, a New York or London life style, or ANY life style for that matter. There are NO set standards... anywhere.