Are You More Thai Than All The Other Farangs?

[473geo]

Add three points if you burn your garbage.

Add two points if "Tiger Balm" is always within reach.

Deduct one point if you use "Tiger Balm" while burning your garbage.

Reminds me of another one - constant use of menthol 'sniffers' - 10 points

[benthai98]

- I stopped holding doors open for other people.

haha - I'm afraid WTK has us all beat... I still find myself holding doors open. Though, i will admit, the longer the legs on the walker seems to have some effect...

[trompelemonde]

Add five ponts if you support Man Utd.

Add ten points if you spent more money on your car stereo system than you will ever spend on your child's eductation

Add five points if you are over forty and still wear a spangly retainer (ladies only)

Add five points if you visit the skin clinic twice a month even though there is nothing wrong with your skin and what the skin quack gives you as medication is load of useless crap

Add five points if you clean your toyota/isuzu pick-up at least twice a day

Add five points if you think that watching Mr.Bean is pant wettingly funny

Add ten points if you can sing 'Hotel California' badly

[JRinger]

5 points if you cut your nose hairs while sitting on a parked motorbike looking into the mirror while the passenger is dangling a fighting chicken in one hand (credit to SBK) and 15 coconuts in the other.

5 points if you leave your New Year's lights & decorations up all year

5 points if you've switched from som tum thai to som tum lao, extra 2 points if more than 3 chilies)

5 points if you roll your t-shirt up above your belly on hot days

5 points if you make 8" cuffs on your bluejeans (or is this out of date?)

5 points if you never look right before turning left cause your mind is completely somewhere else.

5 points if you drive around on you motorbike with no less than 4 people (kids included) *Bonus points for 5 or more and 20 bonus points if you use your baby/child as an airbag while driving a motorbike.

5 points if you have a toothpick in your mouth, *bonus points if you use the same toothpick to clean your finger nails

5 points if you wear your motorbike helmut 'backwards'

10 points if you've been counseled by your mother-in-law about your mia noi

20 points if it's all blown over and you, your wife & mia noi live in the same house....

I especially like the:

Add ten points if you spent more money on your car stereo system than you will ever spend on your child's eductation

Edited April 18, 2010 by JRinger

[sbk]

JRinger, you forgot the chicken. 10 extra points if the motorbike driver or 5 points if one of the passengers is carrying a fighting cockerel.

[JRinger]

JRinger, you forgot the chicken. 10 extra points if the motorbike driver or 5 points if one of the passengers is carrying a fighting cockerel.

or monitor lizard.........and I was actually thinking of a parked motorbike

[martijn12345]

I don't feel Thai in any way. And don't bother about it. Reading this topic does make me realize that I have things in common with Thai ppl.

I do trow trash where I want, except in nature areas.

I do go against the traffic because I don't like to make 2 u-turns when going back from Tesco Lotus.

Furthermore I do have a Thai driving license, but I think that is commonsense, that is something I have not in common with Thai ppl

[WOOHOO]

i'm an english man living in thailand; a falang is always going to b a falang, but you can interact better or worse depending how well you can adapt, go with the flow, relax, communicate or however you want to put it.

i ticks a few of your points, but would not want to be said like a try to b thai, i'm an individual changed by experience from all over the world, firstly england but many other place too, thailand has played a big part because of my life here; what you do / experience in you own country can be influence alot by other cultures aswell, through music film etcetc this is a global world we're living in. For example my mate at uni went to a school where as a white boy he was in the in the minority. where i was born in hammersmith we've probably got 10-20 or more differrent nationalities.

religion wise information is out there and my generation of english i think question everything and look for thier own answers not just place faith in something because there told to; travel and life have helped the thought formations for sure which is why i think travel and varied experience is good for peoples brains; if your beleifs, opinions and personality is exactly the same as when you left school or were living in the same place all your life then you cant of been doing much thinking.

i've met lots of people here who have lived here for years and years but still hold the most ignorant points of view, normaly those who have spent all thier time in bar girl social and tourist ghetto, but not exclusively. old people seem to have trouble letting go of their conditioning naturaly. like my grans generation with their irrational racism, rest her soul, just closed brains but doesnt nessarcarily mean bad people.

none of your points on their own realy help; an open mind is probably most useful

Perfect answer. Not only for this thread, but you could cut and paste it, and use it in a lot of others as well.

The points I have listed are examples of statements by Farangs why they are more Thai than other Farangs.

Nothing to do with being open minded or fitting in. Simply the kind of reasoning used by some Farangs to claim more Thainess.

That's just it. I don't remember hearing a lot of people claiming to be more Thai than others. I do however, constantly hear people talking about how other people think this way.

People accusing other people of trying to be more Thai seem to be the ones with the issues.

I disagree. I think your OP has everything to do with an open mind, and a desire to embrace a culture that has taken your fancy. It would seem to me, the less ability you have in this area, the more likely you are to criticize others of 'trying to be Thai'.

[krading]

"Whats with the bum bag? I don't know many Thais who wear a bum bag."

Maybe it's a Isan thing but where I have chosen to stay, anybody who has got anything worth carrying around carries it in a bum-bag around their neck.

Personally I only carry my phone, glasses, copies of my passport and bum drying tissues.

I've given up carrying money ( she's got it all ) and condoms ( I'm monogamous ) and it makes a handy pillow when I try to sleep on the train.

[mca]

Add ten points if you spent more money on your car stereo system than you will ever spend on your child's eductation

Your vehicle.

All worth 5 points.

You have a big bore exhaust on your diesel pick up. No matter how old or shit it is.

You have fancy alloys on your car even though the engines knackered and blows more smoke than The Cannonball Express.

You have a sticker in the back window saying something like " Police Cadet Class 817 " Not forgetting a sticker on the back of a rescue attendant carrying an unconscious girl. And fake bullet holes.

Serpico, Che Guevera or Sylvester Stallone in " Cobra " mudflaps

For motorcyclists add 5 points for either the front or rear light not working. Note. To achieve these points the opposite light to the one not working MUST be fully operational.

Edited April 18, 2010 by mca

[JRinger]

5 points for: getting up in the morning and singing along with the puyai ban's loud speaker music

5 points for: filling air into motorbike, car or truck tires until they won't take any more

5 points for: Saying "krup,(pause) krup, krup,(pause) krup, krup, krup while talking on the phone

5 points for: Pushing another motorcycle out of gas with your left foot.while riding your motorbike

Edited April 18, 2010 by JRinger

[mca]

If an adult riding a bicycle designed for a child and vice versa. There's a few families round my way like that. Mum on an 8 year old's steed pedaling like a demon with her knees up round her chin and her son riding a shopping bike so big he has to jump off to stop.

I think to myself " Why don't you just frigging swap? "

[Boo]

5 points if you have no problem stopping in front of mirrored glass to pick or pop you spots, even if their are people the other side who can see you doing it (YUK)

5 points for being able to get half your finger up your nose for a good old pick & an extra 2 points for doing it in public.

[sarahsbloke]

5 points for: Pushing another motorcycle out of gas with your left foot.while riding your motorbike

I think you will find the it's the RIGHT foot that does the pushing.

[mca]

5 points if you have no problem stopping in front of mirrored glass to pick or pop you spots, even if their are people the other side who can see you doing it (YUK)

Lat year I was at a traffic light and these 2 real babe uni students pulled up alongside me. The one side saddle on the back obviously refused to be a conformist to authority judging by the micro length of her uniform skirt as she teased her hair in my window tint.

I'm a happily married family man but I'd be a liar if I said I didn't take a lingering glance at her stairway to heaven as it were.

[Spee]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

not thai

1. still crave western food

I don't know about this one. My partner's daughter's favorite restaurant is KFC, with Pizza Hut running a close second. They both love MK, which is not western but not exactly Thai either.

[BygonKeaw]

I have just started reading thaivisa after 1 year after losing interest.

One thing is still the same..Guesthouse is still the biggest troll but the cleverist at disguising it.

Sorry i havent read the thread but i can imagine he hoped it would of turned into a slanging match.

ps troll threads are always the best so keep them coming..maybe if i have time ill read it

[RogueExpat]

Yeah, I've turned so Thai that I don't even bother fishing the bugs out of my noodles anymore. Does that make me more Thai than other farang?

I would love to see the OP's own self appraisal, being part Thai I assume, to see whether he is more Thai or more farang.

[MiG16]

moved to the farang expat life section

[GuestHouse]

I have just started reading thaivisa after 1 year after losing interest.

One thing is still the same..Guesthouse is still the biggest troll but the cleverist at disguising it.

Sorry i havent read the thread but i can imagine he hoped it would of turned into a slanging match.

ps troll threads are always the best so keep them coming..maybe if i have time ill read it

You've not read the thread but your imagination provides you with my motives...... and you accuse me of being a Troll.

Yeh Right!

[GuestHouse]

I would love to see the OP's own self appraisal, being part Thai I assume, to see whether he is more Thai or more farang.

I make absolutely no claim whatsoever to being even the teeniest bit Thai.

I'm pure Farang - Any ability I might have in the Thai language, the length of time I've spent here, nothing about my wife, no document I carry, no taxes I've paid, absolutely nothing changes me one tiny bit from being 100% Farang.

[streetlife]

Wherever you are from whatever your nationality, if you are not proud of that fact then you are an insult to your own family that raised you.

If you think your are more Thai than a bowl of Som Tam then your are you are seriously mistaken in thinking your are accepted as one of their own.

[Ulysses G.]

I would love to see the OP's own self appraisal, being part Thai I assume, to see whether he is more Thai or more farang.

I make absolutely no claim whatsoever to being even the teeniest bit Thai.

I'm pure Farang - Any ability I might have in the Thai language, the length of time I've spent here, nothing about my wife, no document I carry, no taxes I've paid, absolutely nothing changes me one tiny bit from being 100% Farang.

I concur!

[Elvikingo]

I don't know if this was mentioned already, but I usually find the level farang speak Thai opposite their level of income, the better the level of thai the worse the income is....

[OxfordWill]

/

Edited April 19, 2010 by OxfordWill

[vespachiangmai]

Add five ponts if you support Man Utd.

Add ten points if you spent more money on your car stereo system than you will ever spend on your child's eductation

Add five points if you are over forty and still wear a spangly retainer (ladies only)

Add five points if you visit the skin clinic twice a month even though there is nothing wrong with your skin and what the skin quack gives you as medication is load of useless crap

Add five points if you clean your toyota/isuzu pick-up at least twice a day

Add five points if you think that watching Mr.Bean is pant wettingly funny

Add ten points if you can sing 'Hotel California' badly

[vespachiangmai]

Add five ponts if you support Man Utd.

Add ten points if you spent more money on your car stereo system than you will ever spend on your child's eductation

Add five points if you are over forty and still wear a spangly retainer (ladies only)

Add five points if you visit the skin clinic twice a month even though there is nothing wrong with your skin and what the skin quack gives you as medication is load of useless crap

Add five points if you clean your toyota/isuzu pick-up at least twice a day

Add five points if you think that watching Mr.Bean is pant wettingly funny

Add ten points if you can sing 'Hotel California' badly

you nailed it pretty much my wife/neighbors

[tutsiwarrior]

hey...I live inna shop house wid no hot water an' I gotta concrete tiger on guard in my forecourt...I'm cool...

HEY!...I live inna shop house....

[eurasianthai]

Actually the more I stay in Thailand, the more farang I become.

Won't explain why, most farangs staying or wanting to stay in Thailand would not understand, or would not want to.

So, no, I'm not more Thai than all other farangs.

[HappyInCM]

The points I have listed are examples of statements by Farangs why they are more Thai than other Farangs.

Nothing to do with being open minded or fitting in. Simply the kind of reasoning used by some Farangs to claim more Thainess.

sorry, the way i read your opening post was like you were inferring it ridiculas that farrangs claim to be like a thai, i was just trying to show how its natural to adapt and change

It is of course ridiculous to claim to be more Thai than any other Farang, since you are never going to be one tiny bit more Thai.

Getting a Thai driver's license or even marrying a local lass, is not adapting to anything and does not make one anymore Thai than a farang who has not married and does not drive.

your second statement is right, but your first is surely wrong.

For example:

Have you seen this series of docs on thai terrestrial tv where this bangkok thai dude goes around meeting these farrang who've grown up in thailand? last week he met this guy who had lived in sum northern hill tribe village since he was 6, he was climbing up tree bare foot picking down ants nests and eating the ants raw, while this bangkok thai was jumping all over the place like a right fassy, this falang spoke fluent thai, northern, and the tribal language, moved like a thai mannerisms and everything, he speaks english and went to study in america for a year but came back because he didnt like it, wanted to stay in his village with his tribe and live the simple happy life. Surely he is more thai or localised than you me or just about anyone else! He considers hims self thai, but have white skin, like a black man in england is still english if he feels it to be so.

That makes him a hill tribe person certainly but since many of these people although born in thailand are not given citizenship (http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/type,CHRON,,THA,469f38e8c,0.html) it doesn't make him a thai? Many Thais may think they are about as Thai as I am. It's impressive though that at least he spoke Thai since many of the street merchants don't seem to even do that.

Edited April 20, 2010 by eljefe2