Downer

[Rumpole]

....... the best thing you can do is to leave Thailand and go back to your own country.......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why do some people on this board assume that the only choices are Thailand, or going "back home"? Plenty of other places in the world.

[camerata]

funny thing is most xpats dont like Thais either.

This may (or may not) be true, but many expats I've met haven't made a serious effort to really understand Thai culture or integrate with it to any significant degree. They expect Thais to accept them exactly as they are, and then they complain that they don't feel accepted by Thais! And they tend to judge Thais by their own western cultural standards and dislike them for traits - such as lack of punctuality - which are frowned on in the west but accepted in Thailand.

[thymode91]

....... the best thing you can do is to leave Thailand and go back to your own country.......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why do some people on this board assume that the only choices are Thailand, or going "back home"? Plenty of other places in the world.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

oopppsss... sorry folks I forgot to say its an option to leave thailand then go somewhere else and look for better place

Edited June 13, 2005 by thymode91

[The Dude]

They said I could own the bike in my name but following a trailblazing road trip to Hua Hin I get a phone call from him...  Turns out I cannot own the damned thing in my name (according to the motor deptartment).  Oh-Well!  Luckily a trusted expat helped me out and is getting it registered for me!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You can have a car or motorcycle in your name with just a 30 day entry stamp.

The need to have a minimum status of non immigrant visa is a thing of the past, although you still need one for the first Thai driving license, after that a 30 day stamp will get you 1 year extensions on that license, a non immigrant will get you 5 years.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Really!?

I went to the Government Motor registration bureau on this one in Phitsanoluk, phone calls made they refused again!

If you know the exact procedure, who to contact and what to do, the information would be greatly appreciated. As the only expat I know with a vehicle in his name got his registered via a work permit and relevant visas. All others use their wives or girlfriends!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Here we go with the thailand catch 22 chit again. someone always says yes can do when we go and are told cannot. I've seen this before with bank accts etc. Thailand the nightmare

[The Dude]

....... the best thing you can do is to leave Thailand and go back to your own country.......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why do some people on this board assume that the only choices are Thailand, or going "back home"? Plenty of other places in the world.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

in reading what 80% of the posters say in this forum you'd think that Thailand was the only place in this god foresaken world. That's laughable. These people should get out more

[amal2029]

I would say he is a troll, new member with only negative posts concerning Thai people in a Thai related forum, is that not trolling?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When people post negative things about Thailand people a lot of people in this forum seem to get upset . I suspect this is because a lot of us sometimes think ina similar way. If you are being honest you might admit to yourdelf that a lot of people out here consider you nothing more than a walking ATM. Some of these people really hate us, and there is an accepted culture to "rip off the falang" also with wealthy Thais. Those of us who have tried being kind and gernourous and treating the Thais nicely and have been stung might realise that you actually get a lot further in this country by being dismissive towards the locals, treating them as your serfs, not getting to close or personal. It is a real shame, the more respect you give someone and the more you open up - the more they will disrespect you and use this against you.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Most of them get upset because they may have some connection to Thailand via TG or TW or they had stay here for a while. Been grateful to Thailand is OK but one must speak from their heart. I hardly doubt any of you haven’t been ripped off at least once in LOS

[The Dude]

I would say he is a troll, new member with only negative posts concerning Thai people in a Thai related forum, is that not trolling?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When people post negative things about Thailand people a lot of people in this forum seem to get upset . I suspect this is because a lot of us sometimes think ina similar way. If you are being honest you might admit to yourdelf that a lot of people out here consider you nothing more than a walking ATM. Some of these people really hate us, and there is an accepted culture to "rip off the falang" also with wealthy Thais. Those of us who have tried being kind and gernourous and treating the Thais nicely and have been stung might realise that you actually get a lot further in this country by being dismissive towards the locals, treating them as your serfs, not getting to close or personal. It is a real shame, the more respect you give someone and the more you open up - the more they will disrespect you and use this against you.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

All this negative comment from someone not even in Muang Thai despite indicating that he is " out here ". One has to wonder

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

One of the mods told me that they can all see the IP address on each post. It would be nice if we all could... Might help to cut through some of the crap

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes and allow for massive invasion of privacy. gimme a break

[Ajarn]

I would say he is a troll, new member with only negative posts concerning Thai people in a Thai related forum, is that not trolling?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When people post negative things about Thailand people a lot of people in this forum seem to get upset . I suspect this is because a lot of us sometimes think ina similar way. If you are being honest you might admit to yourdelf that a lot of people out here consider you nothing more than a walking ATM. Some of these people really hate us, and there is an accepted culture to "rip off the falang" also with wealthy Thais. Those of us who have tried being kind and gernourous and treating the Thais nicely and have been stung might realise that you actually get a lot further in this country by being dismissive towards the locals, treating them as your serfs, not getting to close or personal. It is a real shame, the more respect you give someone and the more you open up - the more they will disrespect you and use this against you.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

All this negative comment from someone not even in Muang Thai despite indicating that he is " out here ". One has to wonder

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

One of the mods told me that they can all see the IP address on each post. It would be nice if we all could... Might help to cut through some of the crap

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes and allow for massive invasion of privacy. gimme a break

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Massive invasion of privacy? Nonsense, I'd say. How do you figure that it invades your privacy? Your IP number doesn't reveal any personal or private information about you, where you live, who you are, what you do... Simply the area of the world where your Internet provider is located. For example, my IP number comes back as Chonburi. I live in Chiang Mai.

[camerata]

Massive invasion of privacy? Nonsense, I'd say. How do you figure that it invades your privacy? Your IP number doesn't reveal any personal or private information about you, where you live, who you are, what you do...  Simply the area of the world where your Internet provider is located. For example, my IP number comes back as Chonburi. I live in Chiang Mai.

The problem is that if someone takes a dislike to you (or your point of view) and they have your IP, they can launch a denial of service attack against you or use one of the many automated tools to hack into your PC and get your info. In Thailand, it's likely that all that shows up is the IP of our ISP's transparent proxy server, but that isn't necessarily true of other countries. And the bad guys will hide behind some anonymous proxy anyway.

Personally, I don't care much for anonymous conversations because no one feels any shame for posting rubbish, but if we're going to be anonymous let's do it right. My company uses a web board with nicks for internal communication - how screwy is that?

[Rumpole]

funny thing is most xpats dont like Thais either.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This may (or may not) be true, but many expats I've met haven't made a serious effort to really understand Thai culture or integrate with it to any significant degree. They expect Thais to accept them exactly as they are, and then they complain that they don't feel accepted by Thais! And they tend to judge Thais by their own western cultural standards and dislike them for traits - such as lack of punctuality - which are frowned on in the west but accepted in Thailand.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not everyone comes to a foreign country with a view to permanent settlement or remaining for the long haul. The majority of expats will probably remain in a country for something like two to five years, before returning home or moving elsewhere. Whilst I agree with what you say regarding learning at least a little of the language and culture, not everyone has either the time or the inclination for in depth study. Certainly, knowing the language and culture well, will endear you to many Thais (and indeed most other nationalities), on a superficial level. At the end of the day, however, it will be made abundantly clear to you that you are NOT Thai, and you will rarely, if ever, be accepted as such. For many expats, particularly those who arrived in the country primarily to work, this is fine, and they are often content to remain in some kind of “expat bubble”, with some having more contact with the indigenous culture and its inhabitants than others. This is the nature of expatriate and immigrant communities throughout the world and is in no way exclusive to Thailand. As anyone who has studied the effects of culture shock will tell you, sounding off about the host-culture is a very common symptom and, provided it is not taken to extremes, can provide a useful safety valve and survival tool.

[Ajarn]

Massive invasion of privacy? Nonsense, I'd say. How do you figure that it invades your privacy? Your IP number doesn't reveal any personal or private information about you, where you live, who you are, what you do...  Simply the area of the world where your Internet provider is located. For example, my IP number comes back as Chonburi. I live in Chiang Mai.

The problem is that if someone takes a dislike to you (or your point of view) and they have your IP, they can launch a denial of service attack against you or use one of the many automated tools to hack into your PC and get your info. In Thailand, it's likely that all that shows up is the IP of our ISP's transparent proxy server, but that isn't necessarily true of other countries. And the bad guys will hide behind some anonymous proxy anyway.

Personally, I don't care much for anonymous conversations because no one feels any shame for posting rubbish, but if we're going to be anonymous let's do it right. My company uses a web board with nicks for internal communication - how screwy is that?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, agreed, some good points. Those with static IP's might be more open than others. I hadn't fully considered the extremes, but extreme folks do exist, as you said. I guess maybe it is better to be a bit private, even if the bullshitters take advantage of that... Oh well...

Onward through the fog

Edited June 13, 2005 by Ajarn

[camerata]

Whilst I agree with what you say regarding learning at least a little of the language and culture, not everyone has either the time or the inclination for in depth study.  Certainly, knowing the language and culture well, will endear you to many Thais (and indeed most other nationalities), on a superficial level.

It's not so much about endearing yourself to Thais as it is about avoiding butting heads with them and learning what makes them tick, because this is essential for doing business here. Even reading one book, such as Thais Mean Business, can put you ahead of the curve without any deep study. The three farang I know who speak, read and write fluent Thai are all businessmen who took an interest in the language and culture mainly for business reasons.

At the end of the day, however, it will be made abundantly clear to you that you are NOT Thai, and you will rarely, if ever, be accepted as such.

Well, I don't think anyone expects to be accepted "as a Thai" but it isn't a black and white thing. There are different levels of acceptance, and each one makes your life a little bit easier. Taxi drivers call me "phee" or "nai," for example. That's one level of acceptance based on knowing the language, and it means I don't get ripped off. My staff all ask me to give a speech at their weddings. That's another level of acceptance based on them knowing I'm "jai-yen" and can be relied on not to do anything embarrassing. In return, they always buy me a present and sing Happy Birthday on my birthday. They also provided a van and insisted on helping me move to a new apartment.

These are the things that really count on a practical level even though I'll always be a farang to the Thais who know me.

[Rumpole]

It's not so much about endearing yourself to Thais as it is about avoiding butting heads with them

In my experience Thais can be just as guilty of "butting heads" – intentionally or otherwise - as anyone else. Cultural sensitivity is a two-way street. Whilst there is no way on earth I would expect the average taxi driver, waitress or shop assistant to have any inkling of the nuances of my culture or make any allowances for it (though many of them do), I would expect a slightly higher level of understanding and sensitivity from, say, a “leading university”, which has engaged my services. Sadly, I experienced far more xenophobia, intolerance and passive-aggression at the hands of Thailand’s so-called educated elite than I ever did on the street. And no, I was not some culturally inept neophyte. I speak reasonable Thai, first visited the country in 1986, and was in a happy, stable relationship with a Thai citizen for more than ten years. I have also spent most of my working life in countries other than my own.

The Thais are continually bemoaning the standard of foreign “teachers” in their country, yet they do nothing to try to make the working environment more attractive to professional educators. They also quickly manage to alienate many of those that do venture there - even those with an affinity for their country and culture.

Edited June 13, 2005 by Rumpole

[camerata]

I would expect a slightly higher level of understanding and sensitivity from, say, a “leading university”, which has engaged my services.  Sadly, I experienced far more xenophobia, intolerance and passive-aggression at the hands of Thailand’s so-called educated elite than I ever did on the street.

Yes... Elite people at an elite university doesn't sound like the best introduction to Thailand.