Thailand: Are You Stuck In The Middle Or?

[baht&sold]

Reading posts and comments on TV, a 'common thread' seems to be many posters are disillusioned.... (er, with Thailand;)

There's plenty of valid reasons to grumble of course, but one wonders if general expectations of (mostly) 3rd world prices but WITH 1st world assurances & standards are somewhat unrealistic in a developing country? (can't have both, unfortunately).

On that 'note' which song best reflects your current combined Thai/Self mood?

1) The weary kind

2) With imagination

3) Stuck in the middle with you

4) Neither (make your own song suggestion)

Bottom line: wherever one goes in this world, there YE be (expectations, self-baggage and all;)

Whether one's cup (o' Thailand) remains half full or half empty, may you always find cheers.

Cheers!

[LivinLOS]

but one wonders if general expectations of (mostly) 3rd world prices but WITH 1st world assurances & standards are somewhat unrealistic in a developing country? (can't have both, unfortunately).

Quite frankly on Phuket its getting harder to have either

[MJP]

I think disillusionment is a global phenomenon right now, matters not where you are.

With low costs, no property tax, cheap school fees . . . could be worse.

[ManilaLover]

I think disillusionment is a global phenomenon right now, matters not where you are.

With low costs, no property tax, cheap school fees . . . could be worse.

don't think so... the thing here is if you live here longer you become aware of the backward developments and degeneration of the society.

thai used to be lovely, respectable people that's why i came living here 10 years ago. can be wrong but i always think taksin changed the minds of the people, helped them to dump good moral forever and become greedy. much work to be done here. they're totally materialized and 'what they call buddhism' hijacked the last remains of their personal mind.

i don't wanna know all this and try to enjoy the good things, but won't stay here anoyther 10 years for sure, not fulltime anyway.

(must be said my vision might be narrowed by too many years in chiangmai, perhaps isan or the deep south is different)

Edited January 15, 2010 by ManilaLover

[Loz]

The music that sticks in my mind is "picking up the pieces" by The Average White Band.

In fact I'm going to download it now to play in the car on the way home...

I think its the perfect rhythm for an average day in Thailand... If fact I'm sure most thais hear it on the little voice in their heads as that busy body about...

But I still like it here.

[MJP]

I think disillusionment is a global phenomenon right now, matters not where you are.

With low costs, no property tax, cheap school fees . . . could be worse.

don't think so... the thing here is if you live here longer you become aware of the backward developments and degeneration of the society.

thai used to be lovely, respectable people that's why i came living here 10 years ago. can be wrong but i always think taksin changed the minds of the people, helped them to dump good moral forever and become greedy. much work to be done here. they're totally materialized and 'what they call buddhism' hijacked the last remains of their personal mind.

i don't wanna know all this and try to enjoy the good things, but won't stay here anoyther 10 years for sure, not fulltime anyway.

(must be said my vision might be narrowed by too many years in chiangmai, perhaps isan or the deep south is different)

I really won't disagree with what you say. I feel the same, but it's no better anywhere else really. These people are trying to become like us. Might be telling us something?

Most of my friends here are elderly, well 50, 60, 70+. Lovely people. It's the generations after this that are trapped between the two worlds of 'developed' and 'developing'. Causes mental stress and societal problems. But is it better in the West?

My old neighbour, Lit, just brought round a cement toadstool he made for my garden. It is a very ugly thing, which will have to remain on view for the foreseeable future, but for which I'm very grateful and these happy little gestures make life worth living. No one ever manufactured an ugly cement toadstool thing for me in the UK. After living in the same street for 15 years I knew two neighbours in passing there.

It's not all bad, you just have to set limits and not throw the doors wide open. That's asking for trouble.

Yours,

Quite cheery really in Issan.

[baht&sold]

Words to the 'weary' from T Bone Burnett and Ryan Bingham:

And this ain’t no place for the weary kind

And this ain’t no place to lose your mind

And this ain’t no place to fall behind

(and geographical 'fixes' prob won't cure what really ails)

Me? Mostly I love Thailand- even with all her (& my) flaws. 2 works in progress, always

[MJP]

Words to the 'weary' from T Bone Burnett and Ryan Bingham:

And this ain't no place for the weary kind

And this ain't no place to lose your mind

And this ain't no place to fall behind

(and geographical 'fixes' prob won't cure what really ails)

Me? Mostly I love Thailand- even with all her (& my) flaws. 2 works in progress, always

It's a nice wee place to sit out a global recession if you do it right though.

Whatever anyone says, it is cheap to live here in Issan if you're sensible.

[tigerfish]

is there a music forum on tv?

music that comes to mind, anything by "incubus". saw them at the bec tero arena in bangkok, just after getting married out here. just let rip! been into them for years, theres a song for every emotion i have ever felt whislt staying in the land of smiles.

highly recommend any of the top isaan music artists for any of the disillusioned farangs out there and the vidoes that go with the songs. dacatan churada, dai oratai, jintala poonlarb, got jackapan, pe-sa-dirt, siliporn am-phaiwong, paipong satorn, mike pilonporn, unda star, ......

for the younger generation, and not so morbid. bodyslam, potatoe and my favourites hangman/ silly fools.