I am assuming that most that post here have a love for Thailand or some part of Asia. I am also assuming that everyone has attained some sort of knowledge about Asia. So, I am wondering how you deal with those folks who know nothing of the subject matter yet insist on their views. Example; Thai is filled with nothing but sex workers and only people who want to have sex with kids go there. We all know that is BS! There is a long list of issues like this for Thailand, China, even Japan and I am always torn between saying something and trying to educate and just saying to he ll with it and letting these petty people believe whatever they want. Sometimes it's frustrating because these people, Wanks(Yanks) I am talking about, that claim to be Buddhist or have some connection to an Asian culture yet they are so quick to condemn the people......why bother with a culture that is too disagreeable to you? Is it just too trendy not have some weak connection to Asia that makes these people claim to like yet bad mouth Asian cultures?

What do you do?

I just let it go.

Even if you do try to 'educate' them otherwise then they simply look at you as though you are crazy, and the genuinely believe that you are crazy, naive or just stupid and so what's the point.

What's more is that these people are likely to associate with others who think the same and so when they get together they sit about agreeing with each other, which in their mind proves that they are right and everybody else is wrong.

You are not going to convince them otherwise and so why bother trying? Such things used to wind me up but now I have learned to just laugh at them for their ignorance.

People are prejudiced. I'm reading an excellent book at the moment which I recommend: "A Fortune-teller Told Me" by Tiziano Terzani. I recommend it as it will explain why those people are like they are.

I'm interested to know if this book is widely read. Anyone else read it ?

People are prejudiced. I'm reading an excellent book at the moment which I recommend: "A Fortune-teller Told Me" by Tiziano Terzani. I recommend it as it will explain why those people are like they are.

I'm interested to know if this book is widely read. Anyone else read it ?

Tiziano Terzani was an excellent journalist!

The book was loaned to me by a long time Thai expat who made me promise on my mothers grave that it would be returned.

PS. He's also an excellent and engaging author.

The book was loaned to me by a long time Thai expat who made me promise on my mothers grave that it would be returned.

PS. He's also an excellent and engaging author.

I trust a lot of people have read that book. Just traveled from several major online bookstores to Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Fortune-Teller-Told-...s/dp/060980958X

Some interesting reviews there

I just let it go.

Even if you do try to 'educate' them otherwise then they simply look at you as though you are crazy, and the genuinely believe that you are crazy, naive or just stupid and so what's the point.

What's more is that these people are likely to associate with others who think the same and so when they get together they sit about agreeing with each other, which in their mind proves that they are right and everybody else is wrong.

You are not going to convince them otherwise and so why bother trying? Such things used to wind me up but now I have learned to just laugh at them for their ignorance.

There are those "experts" everywhere, of every nationality and variety of experience. You just have to learn to ignore them. I've met them if their Yank, Aussie, Brit, and Thai varieties around Thailand.

All I try to do is to be sure that what I say is as factual as I can make it....and let the rest go hang.

And if I find myself going off on something I really don't know as much about as I think I do, I try to shut my mouth before I make too much of a fool of myself.

Sometimes, unfortunately, I don't make it in time.

People are prejudiced. I'm reading an excellent book at the moment which I recommend: "A Fortune-teller Told Me" by Tiziano Terzani. I recommend it as it will explain why those people are like they are.

I'm interested to know if this book is widely read. Anyone else read it ?

First time I have heard about it, but I am looking it up now, thanks!

People are prejudiced. I'm reading an excellent book at the moment which I recommend: "A Fortune-teller Told Me" by Tiziano Terzani. I recommend it as it will explain why those people are like they are.

I'm interested to know if this book is widely read. Anyone else read it ?

I read it years ago. Very thought provoking, I nearly gave up air travel myself for a year, but realized I would never be " enlightened" so gave up.

I am assuming that most that post here have a love for Thailand or some part of Asia. I am also assuming that everyone has attained some sort of knowledge about Asia. So, I am wondering how you deal with those folks who know nothing of the subject matter yet insist on their views.

What do you do?

why should i deal with ignorants?

After being in the East for ten years, I went back to UK and went to my local in Wolverhampton. After nearly being knifed by some young chavs ( I kid you not, luckily one was so ugly he had to come from a well known local family so I was able to tell him to F$%^&k off as I could see his elder brother accross the bar ) I went for the pint to be greeted by " aw rite mate ere yow bin , a seen ue for a couple of weeks ", I explained where I had come from and the reply was " they talk funny there dow they "

What could you say to that ?

I just let it go.

Even if you do try to 'educate' them otherwise then they simply look at you as though you are crazy, and the genuinely believe that you are crazy, naive or just stupid and so what's the point.

What's more is that these people are likely to associate with others who think the same and so when they get together they sit about agreeing with each other, which in their mind proves that they are right and everybody else is wrong.

You are not going to convince them otherwise and so why bother trying? Such things used to wind me up but now I have learned to just laugh at them for their ignorance.

I agree quite a bit with moonrakers. I think sometimes people are just looking for any victim to spout a tirade on. Usually I will just smile and get up and leave, as I know from experience that its unlikely that no silence or subtle hints of 'leave me alone' will get through. I have also found there are some people who at first seem nice and want to strike up a conversation (even when im obviously reading..but then i decide not to be rude), but once they bate me into an apparent 'conversation' it turns into a preaching session. I really dont get it, and i really dont like it.

There are the other ones too, who have serious rose-tinted specs on, and dont want to see any side but the lovely Thai smiles and the helpful policemen. Again, no point in a normal discussion with people like that. They have painted their own happy picture and dont want to accept that maybe its not all a bed of roses too.

..and I dont know how to finish this off, cuz i just got distracted by a sms..so ill just finish off abruptly

edit: I wonder if sometimes people talk about their disgust at certain aspects of Thailand because im a woman. I wish I had the courage sometimes to say something like "Yes, i came here for the bar scene too" etc. Just to see the expression on their face. ^^

I am assuming that most that post here have a love for Thailand or some part of Asia. I am also assuming that everyone has attained some sort of knowledge about Asia. So, I am wondering how you deal with those folks who know nothing of the subject matter yet insist on their views.

What do you do?

why should i deal with ignorants?

Whenever I come across this I let it ride just in case I am one of those ignorants.

Later I will google or whatever to make sure I am correct.

For example, the other a guy at work was telling everyone how there is a village in Thailand that has the worlds largest hermaphrodite population. I asked him if he meant ladyboys. No he was adamant so I left him to it, I was sure I would have known about this if it was true.

Anyway I did a google and it turns out that village is in India and is probably the result of inbreeding.

I used to try to put my own point of view, but realised that if I was too emphatic on the other aspects of SE Asia it was often assumed that I was apologising for myself and that the critic in question would go off thinking that i was myself a kiddie-diddler or some such.

So now I ignore the ignorant and let them keep their own mistaken ideas.

However I do concur with those who say that Vietnam is a nation of petty thieves. i had a year of experience and every day reinforced these extraordinarily unpleasant prejudices.

They put me in mind of the old saying, There are none so blind as those who will not see.

After being in the East for ten years, I went back to UK and went to my local in Wolverhampton. After nearly being knifed by some young chavs ( I kid you not, luckily one was so ugly he had to come from a well known local family so I was able to tell him to F$%^&k off as I could see his elder brother accross the bar ) I went for the pint to be greeted by " aw rite mate ere yow bin , a seen ue for a couple of weeks ", I explained where I had come from and the reply was " they talk funny there dow they "

What could you say to that ?

I haven't been to Wolverhampton in 40 years, I'll bet its changed and not for the better. My great aunt and uncle lived there. Wasn't a bad place then, but my mother visited it 15 years later and auntie complained to her alot about the changes occurring.

It seems to me that when we can look at our own culture, see the good and bad, then look at anothers culture and go through the same process a lot walls fall down, a whole new set of ethics become important and humans just become humans. I tend to think this is a good thing, even though many have told me ignoring too many differences would undermine anyones national identity and create a 'world culture', I still tend to think that is better the misunderstanding that we kill each other over. What do you guys think?