Difference Between North And South Thailand

[WilliamCave]

Just woundering, not to offend any person on here. But from what i have seen in the past 6 to 7 years here is there is a thing that the people from the south say from Cha Am south think they are better than the people from the north,,because I hang out with people from both areas and listen to thais from the south talk about the people from the north like they are less than, they are. They tell me most of the girls in the gogo bars are from the issan area and say things that I find not to pleasant.

can anyone else shed some more light on this for me because I see it but have a hard time relating to what they are saying and doing

[worldfun]

sorry i dont get it.

if anyone should feel 'better' it must be the white skinned northerners vs. the dark skinned southerners isn't it?

surely majority of MP gals hail from the north & they're a step or more above the typical northeast or southern gogo gals!

in any event those feelings of superiaty is lame especialy this painting all folks from 1 region with the same brush even if less than 1% of the gals are in an illegal/lower moral occupation...

[Gary A]

In my experience, the drivers south of Cha Am are MUCH less skilled than Issan drivers. I can't say I see any difference as far as the people.

[anothertorres]

i met a girl from Isaan once. she was cool.

[astral]

Cha-am is central Thailand.

You need to go much further south.

[Geekfreaklover]

People from Isaan are looked down upon from people that are not from Isaan. It's just the way it is.

[tijnebijn]

Here in the North they think Southerners are maffioso kind of types , hot tempered, many are moslims they don't like ,

they are dark skinned which they do not like and they eat hot food which they also don't like .

I stay in the very up North and can say people here are khi nijau , they really are , lazy but easy going

and not hot tempered , the Mai pen rai mentality .

I prefer the hot food by the way , the mentality the North , petty haven't seen a beach for years ....

Perhaps more interesting whats the best place to stay , its so different but both beautiful , both far above average .

( the further down South I mean ) . But over here we have a cold season , can be sweet .

[PeaceBlondie]

The OP needs Thai geography lessons.

[Heng]

Maybe they are just more confident?

[baboon]

The OP needs Thai geography lessons.

Peaceblondie - Just for the record - if you are ever in my neck of the woods the first one is on me.

I am married to a black skinned, proudly Southern woman who shouts a considerable ammount of the time. Smlie at those from the south, be polite, do not expect much waiing, bide your time and make friends who really will help you when the worst happens.

I have just asked some southeners their opinion. The result-

We do not send our siblings to work in brothels knowing full well the stories of "Office work" are false.

We do not sell our children to the highest available bidder.

If you meet a southern girl in the sex industry, she is there because she wants to be.

Piss off to Sakhon Nakon and eat dogs if you do not like it here.

[Go back to your country if you dont like it] No, I dont care where you go, just piss off and leave us alone if we are so bad.

Just a random sample. In my opinion, if they like you, you are under their protection and they really will take that responsibility quite seriously. SBK - Any thoughts?

[Heng]

Here's a handy one liner for the dinner table, sure to bring some laughs... 'if you're looking for the cannons you ordered, they're in Bangkok, ready for pickup.'

[PeaceBlondie]

baboon, no offense intended or taken. First Diet Coke's on me.

My partner is very Lanna. North-Eastern Thailand is not Lanna. We lived 10 km south of Cha-Am; that's not South(ern) Thailand. I question how many Isaan families sell their daughters, etc. My Lanna partner finds Southern Thai food too spicy.

[baboon]

baboon, no offense intended or taken. First Diet Coke's on me.

My partner is very Lanna. North-Eastern Thailand is not Lanna. We lived 10 km south of Cha-Am; that's not South(ern) Thailand. I question how many Isaan families sell their daughters, etc. My Lanna partner finds Southern Thai food too spicy.

OhfortheloveofGodman, I really do like you and please drop down to the filthy south sometime. Put the toilet paper in the freezer, eat some of the best seafood you have ever tasted, enjoy the fact you will not have the living crap beaten out of you regardless of sexual orientation, and just accept the snarls as what they do in this part of the world.

As for Diet Coke however.....

PS. I only stated the opinion of the Southeners I was speaking to, not always my own.

[IanForbes]

There is bias, bogotry and a social class system everywhere in the world. It's even common in the so called "educated" groups. It doesn't matter where you go and I've seen it in Australia, the UK and North America. There IS a reason for it though. For some reason people like to put others down in the misguided belief that it will somehow elevate themselves. Poor white trash in the southern US will denigrate the negro population, even though the people who they are putting down might be better educated than themselves. It is little wonder that the same is true about the city folks of Thailand making fun of the country folks, or the people in Bangkok making fun of those living in Issan.

[PST]

If you meet a southern girl in the sex industry, she is there because she wants to be.(quote)

Yeah right,biggest load of poo i've ever heard,99% of the girls are from issan,you tellin' me none of them want to be there?,they all do.

Southern thai birds rock,end of.Don't forget,if you meet a girl from issan in say Phuket,thats a hel_l of a way from her home town,same as meeting a girl from england in spain basically,i'd rather go with the local thing,meeting a girl from Phuket whilst holidaying in Phuket can only be a good thing.

PST.(btw,my wife is from chumpon).

Edited September 28, 2009 by PST

[IanForbes]

If you meet a southern girl in the sex industry, she is there because she wants to be.(quote)

Yeah right,biggest load of poo i've ever heard,99% of the girls are from issan,you tellin' me none of them want to be there?,they all do.

Southern thai birds rock,end of.Don't forget,if you meet a girl from issan in say Phuket,thats a hel_l of a way from her home town,same as meeting a girl from england in spain basically,i'd rather go with the local thing,meeting a girl from Phuket whilst holidaying in Phuket can only be a good thing.

PST.(btw,my wife is from chumpon).

You misinterpreted baboon's comment. Baboon was stating a bunch of common beliefs. He wasn't saying they were true or not.

[garyh]

Thai culture is all about being better than others so of course they are going say stuff like that.

[phetaroi]

I don't quite agree that people from Issan are looked down upon. I have heard central Thais (for example) make judgments about them, but to me they are their observations, not judgments. For example, "Oh people in Issan are not well educated, but they are the most friendly people in Thailand." "People in Issan aren't very sophisticated, but they will do anything for you." "People in Issan aren't very intelligent, but they have sweet personalities."

In terms of people from the South, I really do see two distinct personalities based on religious affiliation. My last visit down there was quite a while ago, before the current troubles. Yala, Narithawat, and Pattani. What struck me was that if I went into a shop or restaurant that was owned by Muslims, they tended to not be very friendly or downright unfriendly...to the point that I would simply leave and go to another shop or restaurant. If a shop or restaurant was owned by Buddhists, I would find a much friendlier attitude. I think it was summed up very nicely by visiting a wat versus visiting a mosque. We all know that you are welcome to walk into any wat in the country. But I remember wanting to visit a wat in the South and finding this sign out front: "Non-Muslims may not enter but you may give money." Uh-huh.

[WilliamCave]

People from Isaan are looked down upon from people that are not from Isaan. It's just the way it is.

GFL Yes I have come to see that, what u are saying. Dont know Y.

[IanForbes]

People from Isaan are looked down upon from people that are not from Isaan. It's just the way it is.

GFL Yes I have come to see that, what u are saying. Dont know Y.

I already explained why. It's to somehow to put their own miserable lives in a higher position. It happens everywhere. Ignore the self righteous bigots.

[Geekfreaklover]

People from Isaan are looked down upon from people that are not from Isaan. It's just the way it is.

GFL Yes I have come to see that, what u are saying. Dont know Y.

Yes refer to Forbes' comments. and to add to the mix the people from Isaan have a social group to look down upon - The Farang.

The Thai social system is more well structured more rigid system than any counterpart western social model. This is the reason Thais when they meet each other ask 'where you come from', what job do you do', etc. It is so they can place each other within the pyramid of social status. Although it is possible to buy credits from having money to raise themselves on the social ladder, to really gain height one must have a good family, good education, home, car, good job etc. A farang may never enter that pyramid.

Edited September 29, 2009 by Geekfreaklover

[LooseCannon]

I don't quite agree that people from Issan are looked down upon. I have heard central Thais (for example) make judgments about them, but to me they are their observations, not judgments. For example, "Oh people in Issan are not well educated, but they are the most friendly people in Thailand." "People in Issan aren't very sophisticated, but they will do anything for you." "People in Issan aren't very intelligent, but they have sweet personalities."

....

You have hit the nail squarely on the head here.

Thais can be very blunt when making observations about other people - for example - "Noi is very black", "Dang is fat", so-and-so looks like a pig along with the usual "Issan people eat....", "Isaan people do ...." etc. These comments seem harsh & judgemental to our ears but from my experience these are generally (but not always) made without malice & do not result in adverse action.

I see it all the time - an outrageous comment followed by treating the 'target' with extreme friendliness, acceptance & respect.

This is a part of the Thai nature - totally lacking any 'political correctness'

.....

I already explained why. It's to somehow to put their own miserable lives in a higher position. It happens everywhere. Ignore the self righteous bigots.

There is no denying that there are plenty of bigots of all persuasions in Thailand, whether they are central Thai, southern, Isaan or Lanna, but you need to be careful about taking these comments at face value. Very easy to make a judgment with out understanding the intent or lack thereof. Generally the central Thai are very tolerant & accepting despite what might come out of their mouths.

[hardy1943]

People from Isaan are looked down upon from people that are not from Isaan. It's just the way it is.

GFL Yes I have come to see that, what u are saying. Dont know Y.

Yes refer to Forbes' comments. and to add to the mix the people from Isaan have a social group to look down upon - The Farang.

The Thai social system is more well structured more rigid system than any counterpart western social model. This is the reason Thais when they meet each other ask 'where you come from', what job do you do', etc. It is so they can place each other within the pyramid of social status. Although it is possible to buy credits from having money to raise themselves on the social ladder, to really gain height one must have a good family, good education, home, car, good job etc. A farang may never enter that pyramid.

Who in their right mind wants too. Good education from where? I have never ever heard of anyone from any country coming here for an good education. It does not exist.

See the so called universities every where, second class voctional schools yes at the best.

[pjclark1]

Thailand has a very fragmented society.

There appear to be about 4 main languages floating around the county, with about another dozen tribal languages. They only appear to learn central Thai in secondary school, which can make the first year classes a bit exciting (1 class, 5 different languages spoken)

All the Thais I have met appear to be extremely racist, not only about ferrangs (in itself a racist insult), but about each other.

While I have been learning to read and write Thai many ladies in bars have been only too willing to help and have written small sentences to practise with. Once when I could not understand what was written, I asked a pal to translate. His immediate comment was, this was not written by a proper Thai (written by a lady born and bred in Chiang Rai). He then had a bit of a rant about girls from Issan. Another mates gf judges everyone by the colour of their skin "no good, skin too dark, nose and forehead bad shape". My own gf has a bit of a thing against mountain people "they break into my house, they steal"

On further investigation I find that many hill tribe girls are non-persons in Thailand, not allowed to move around the country with out travel permits, no allowed passports. In short the same treatment as aborigines and native Americans used to suffer 50 yers ago.

I have never found any of these people to be anything other that pleasant and friendly. Personally, I don't care where they were born or what colour their skin is.

I stay in the very up North and can say people here are khi nijau , they really are , lazy but easy going

and not hot tempered , the Mai pen rai mentality .

I've not heard that word for lazy before.

Kee-ge-et ขี้เกียจ in town

Jack-a-doo in the mountains (no idea of spelling)

Perhaps you could spell it in Thai for me.

Edited September 29, 2009 by pjclark1

[PeaceBlondie]

IMHO, I think the level of internal, Thai ethnic rivalry in Thailand is mild. About as mild as the Chicagoans of the 1950's, stereotyping Irish as drunks, Poles as stupid, Scots as skinflints, Bohemians as sexually loose, etc. Thais may reserve worse epithets for Burmese, Khmers, farang, Hill Tribes who are 'not Thai-Tai."

[lazygourmet]

The OP needs Thai geography lessons.

Peaceblondie - Just for the record - if you are ever in my neck of the woods the first one is on me.

I am married to a black skinned, proudly Southern woman who shouts a considerable ammount of the time. Smlie at those from the south, be polite, do not expect much waiing, bide your time and make friends who really will help you when the worst happens.

I have just asked some southeners their opinion. The result-

We do not send our siblings to work in brothels knowing full well the stories of "Office work" are false.

We do not sell our children to the highest available bidder.

If you meet a southern girl in the sex industry, she is there because she wants to be.

Piss off to Sakhon Nakon and eat dogs if you do not like it here.

[Go back to your country if you dont like it] No, I dont care where you go, just piss off and leave us alone if we are so bad.

Just a random sample. In my opinion, if they like you, you are under their protection and they really will take that responsibility quite seriously. SBK - Any thoughts?

Having lived in Koh Phangan -which is even more particular- and back to Krung Thep for the last two years, my only friends here, in Baan Buathong, are Southerners. (Maybe because it's the only Thai lingua that I can speak?!?)

Most of them are native from between Chaiya & Nakorn Si Thammarat, most of them are -reputed- artists, most of them are well-off, most of them don't give a dam about what could happen north of Bangkok... ANY of them will never ask me for a single satang, for a dodgy landscam, for a niece to introduce to my visiting guest... or whatever bs you can read daily on this forum.

Southern people are proud and deserve all my affection!

[Scott]

The issue is about 'belonging' to a group. I grew up in a small town. 30 miles away was a similar sized town. Ours was better, our inhabitants were smarter, nicer, richer, etc. Our football team was better and if they won it was the referee's fault.

When I went to University our entire state--including the bafoons from that other small town were smarter, nicer, richer than the next state.

Now I am in Thailand and people from my country are smarter, nicer and richer than all you other folks.

Any reason why Thais should be any different?

[Geekfreaklover]

People from Isaan are looked down upon from people that are not from Isaan. It's just the way it is.

GFL Yes I have come to see that, what u are saying. Dont know Y.

Yes refer to Forbes' comments. and to add to the mix the people from Isaan have a social group to look down upon - The Farang.

The Thai social system is more well structured more rigid system than any counterpart western social model. This is the reason Thais when they meet each other ask 'where you come from', what job do you do', etc. It is so they can place each other within the pyramid of social status. Although it is possible to buy credits from having money to raise themselves on the social ladder, to really gain height one must have a good family, good education, home, car, good job etc. A farang may never enter that pyramid.

Who in their right mind wants too. Good education from where? I have never ever heard of anyone from any country coming here for an good education. It does not exist.

See the so called universities every where, second class voctional schools yes at the best.

You would be surprised how many farangs would like to be accepted within the Thai social fabric. Jumping through hopes to obtain citizenship, learning to read and write fluently etc and then at the end of it realizing that they are just another Farang. And always will be. It's one of the only frustrating things about Thailand after living in multi-cultural immigrant tolerant countries.

But back to the question. The north and the south and never the twain shall meet. It is lets face it a concept in most if not all countries. In England the North and south divide can be playful and sometimes violent when it comes to football matches, drunken holiday makers etc.

[longstebe]

Just woundering, not to offend any person on here. But from what i have seen in the past 6 to 7 years here is there is a thing that the people from the south say from Cha Am south think they are better than the people from the north,,because I hang out with people from both areas and listen to thais from the south talk about the people from the north like they are less than, they are. They tell me most of the girls in the gogo bars are from the issan area and say things that I find not to pleasant.

can anyone else shed some more light on this for me because I see it but have a hard time relating to what they are saying and doing

If you have lived here for that long you should know better that there are good and bad people from all parts.

It's whom you come in contact with I suppose.

Working in a gogo bar doesn't mean that your a good or bad person.

[astral]

Home rule for Isaan