Lessons Learned

[ozsamurai]

#5 Learn to use the bus if you live in BKK, there is a whole world outside MRT and BTS stations.....

[Geekfreaklover]

#5 Learn to use the bus if you live in BKK, there is a whole world outside MRT and BTS stations.....

I hear you there Oz. With short distances the bus is sometimes free!

[mssabai]

Stay away from car crashes - you know the people that I mean - unless you really really care. You will never help - only get dragged down too.

Draw up a list - if the negatives outweigh the positives, it's time to stop bitching and start packing

If you think someone is taking you for a ride, they are.

It is possible to have real true friends here. It is also possible to have not so real and true ones that you still have a great time with - just learn to tell the difference.

Respect the culture and the traditions. You are a guest. Act as you would when you are a guest in someone's house. You wouldn't enforce your own ways on them, so don't do it here.

Do unto others....same goes for anywhere. You treat people as rude, ignorant <deleted>, that's what they will be.

The truth has a different meaning here, don't assume everybody is lying, but don't assume they are all telling the truth either. Listen to what isn't being said and you will get a much better idea of the truth.

Keep your life in order at home - you never know when you will have to go back.

[wintermute]

Lying has different connotations here. The Thais have their equivalent of little white lies to save face for both parties. It's not always inherently negative but to preserve understanding and ensure smooth social interaction.

A person's respectability has diddly squat to do with their educational or class level. I've met plenty of Thai upper middle-class scumbags and plenty of good lower-class poor people who are good natured people. This seems obvious but this class hierarchy is imposed on people and farangs gradually get blinded by it.

Don't buy a condo in Thailand.

Don't live in farang tourist ghettos because prices tend to go up while service/quality goes down.

Edited October 29, 2009 by wintermute

[ozsamurai]

#6 When you have the right to own land and vote in Thailand as an equal to a Thai citizen, then you have the right to voice your opinion on politics here, till then, your just a whinger.

[basjke]

Don't apply counterpain to any bodypart shortly before you have to take a leak.

[tigerfish]

never try and get the wifes attention while the thai soap opera movie is on the t.v. between 8.30 p.m. and 10.30 p.m.. it will never happen!

and for gods sake dont even try explaining to the misses that they are all the same story, the actors are <deleted>, western movies are better and actually have a plot with a good story line, the fake blood isnt real, the person didnt really die, ask why does the person have to say the same thing about twenty times, why do they have to shout and scream so much, why cant the people that make these things condense 4 months of crap into 2 hours.

because all you will get is either a blank expression with their gob wide open, one of those looks as if you have committed high treason or even worse said something that will get you banged up in the bangkok hilton for breaking the les majeste rule of law.

[basjke]

never try and get the wifes attention while the thai soap opera movie is on the t.v. between 8.30 p.m. and 10.30 p.m.. it will never happen!

and for gods sake dont even try explaining to the misses that they are all the same story, the actors are <deleted>, western movies are better and actually have a plot with a good story line, the fake blood isnt real, the person didnt really die, ask why does the person have to say the same thing about twenty times, why do they have to shout and scream so much, why cant the people that make these things condense 4 months of crap into 2 hours.

because all you will get is either a blank expression with their gob wide open, one of those looks as if you have committed high treason or even worse said something that will get you banged up in the bangkok hilton for breaking the les majeste rule of law.

Do you think your wife is reading this topic?

[yabaaaa]

Thailand is not Thai Visa, there are many more good than bad people its just bad gets remembered and moaned about. Ive lent money and got it back, Ive been offered help in times of need, Ive been given many things for my hobby of palm tree growing free. Ive have made 2-3 very good friends always willing to help and expect no reward in fact have often had to fight with them to give them any sort of payback especially when having dinner with them.

This has included free use of condos to stay in for short breaks away.

Keep away from all bars I still havent been to one in the 5 years Ive been coming here.

Dont expect to get good directions if asking someone in the car when out driving, by a sat nav, invaluable here.

You dont have to become Thai to enjoy living here.

[Thakkar]

don't bother using sarcasm to make a point with asians, they don't get it

Oh, how wonderfully wise in the ways of The Asians you are.

[Soutpeel]

Thailand is not Thai Visa, there are many more good than bad people its just bad gets remembered and moaned about. Ive lent money and got it back, Ive been offered help in times of need, Ive been given many things for my hobby of palm tree growing free. Ive have made 2-3 very good friends always willing to help and expect no reward in fact have often had to fight with them to give them any sort of payback especially when having dinner with them.

This has included free use of condos to stay in for short breaks away.

Keep away from all bars I still havent been to one in the 5 years Ive been coming here.

Dont expect to get good directions if asking someone in the car when out driving, by a sat nav, invaluable here.

You dont have to become Thai to enjoy living here.

Lessons I have not learnt after being here for 9 years........Where do they hand out the rosey tinted spectacles at the airport..? or how does one become a Thai apologist, is there an exam one must pass ??...

Edited July 10, 2010 by Soutpeel

[robblok]

Thailand is not Thai Visa, there are many more good than bad people its just bad gets remembered and moaned about. Ive lent money and got it back, Ive been offered help in times of need, Ive been given many things for my hobby of palm tree growing free. Ive have made 2-3 very good friends always willing to help and expect no reward in fact have often had to fight with them to give them any sort of payback especially when having dinner with them.

This has included free use of condos to stay in for short breaks away.

Keep away from all bars I still havent been to one in the 5 years Ive been coming here.

Dont expect to get good directions if asking someone in the car when out driving, by a sat nav, invaluable here.

You dont have to become Thai to enjoy living here.

Lessons I have not learnt after being here for 9 years........Where do they hand out the rosey tinted spectacles at the airport..? or how does one become a Thai apologist, is there an exam one must pass ??...

I must have passed it then because i kinda like this place here. That does not mean i have blind faith in the locals. But there are more good then bad things here and Yabaaa has a point. Bad things are remembered longer.

[yabaaaa]

Thailand is not Thai Visa, there are many more good than bad people its just bad gets remembered and moaned about. Ive lent money and got it back, Ive been offered help in times of need, Ive been given many things for my hobby of palm tree growing free. Ive have made 2-3 very good friends always willing to help and expect no reward in fact have often had to fight with them to give them any sort of payback especially when having dinner with them.

This has included free use of condos to stay in for short breaks away.

Keep away from all bars I still havent been to one in the 5 years Ive been coming here.

Dont expect to get good directions if asking someone in the car when out driving, by a sat nav, invaluable here.

You dont have to become Thai to enjoy living here.

Lessons I have not learnt after being here for 9 years........Where do they hand out the rosey tinted spectacles at the airport..? or how does one become a Thai apologist, is there an exam one must pass ??...

Tsk Tsk Soutpeel surely you must have read some of my other posts where I moan like hel_l??

Only fools trust people blindly ANYWHERE.

Edited July 10, 2010 by yabaaaa

[ozsamurai]

#7 If you picture yourself as a rich African American at the turn of the century in Mississippi, you're pretty close to understanding how over half of Thai people view you.

Edited December 17, 2010 by ozsamurai

[Genericnic]

#3 Phuket and like resort towns bear no resemblance to real life/people in Thailand, don't move here because you had a nice holiday there once.

And on the flip side of the coin, don't write the place off because of the way the people who flock to resorts for a fast buck acted while you were on holiday.

Both of those statements are true for most places in the world. Best reason to avoid tourist places generally.

David

[Genericnic]

#4 Speaking Thai, dressing like a Thai, eating Thai food, does not make you Thai. You NEVER will be, get used to it!

Substitute any nationality but your own for Thai in the above and the statement will be true ... more so if you substitute French.

David

[IMA_FARANG]

In Thai movies, music videos, etc. when you see a young girl start bleeding from her nose...you know she will die soon and the next scene will be her boyfriend cying over her hospital bed.

(watching one too many Thai music videos)

[IMA_FARANG]

And the ultimate wisdom is:

Don't worry. Life may be a b--ch, but in the end you die anyway.

[afarang]

That bottle of M150 the taxi driver is drinking probably contains Yaa dong

Or Lao Khao

[sarahsbloke]

Never tell anyone about your private life back in the home country, your income, or why you ran away to Thailand.

That information will always be used against you.

[Moonrakers]

Never tell anyone about your private life back in the home country, your income, or why you ran away to Thailand.

That information will always be used against you.

.......... unless you have nothing to be ashamed of!

[IanForbes]

Never tell anyone about your private life back in the home country, your income, or why you ran away to Thailand.

That information will always be used against you.

.......... unless you have nothing to be ashamed of!

But if it was long enough ago, then most people will understand. And if they don't then that is THEIR problem, not yours.

[GuestHouse]

While being on guard against the lies other people tell you, just make sure you don't believe the lies you tell yourself.

[stander]

This Abraham Lincoln quote, is very relevant to many living here

"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt."

[ableguy]

If you are going to fart, sit down in the toilet.

Golden rule for sure. And remember, wear easily accessible trousers and underwear for those toilet moments. Do not. I repeat. Do not wear garments that require a lot of fumbling with (as I found out to my eternal shame one day). In LOS a feeling of "fine and dandy" changing to "Where's the loo the bomb bay is open/The tortoise is sticking his head from the shell/Mr Brown is at the door" can often be measured in seconds.

Seems to me there are an awful lot of members on this site who shit them selves, why do you feel the need to report this?

[ableguy]

never try and get the wifes attention while the thai soap opera movie is on the t.v. between 8.30 p.m. and 10.30 p.m.. it will never happen!

and for gods sake dont even try explaining to the misses that they are all the same story, the actors are <deleted>, western movies are better and actually have a plot with a good story line, the fake blood isnt real, the person didnt really die, ask why does the person have to say the same thing about twenty times, why do they have to shout and scream so much, why cant the people that make these things condense 4 months of crap into 2 hours.

because all you will get is either a blank expression with their gob wide open, one of those looks as if you have committed high treason or even worse said something that will get you banged up in the bangkok hilton for breaking the les majeste rule of law.

Do you think your wife is reading this topic?

What makes you think she can read ?

[mahtin]

LCD TV translates as Lowest Common Denominator on Thai Visa.

[Loz]

lesson: ignorance kills. check the motorcycle accident fatali stats.

[ozsamurai]

#8 Keep your head down, nose clean and walk a straight line, and Thailand will outlaw it, tax it or take bribes from it, get used to it.

[leo12345]

if you get into a taxi and the driver says "ok ok", get out and change taxis