Why Don'T Thais Have Forward Thinking?

[zzaa09]

Perhaps we could examine other comparative properties. Free thought, intuition, instinct, and other natural connections that don't seem to fare well when exploring the surface model of what is passed of as intellect and progressive thinking.

Or perhaps a thread on why we feel superior to other posters...

... Done - even while we bicker...

http://www.thaivisa....90#entry4385390

SC

You're the man, Cowboy!

That's why I feel superior...

And humble.

[StreetCowboy]

8>< .... SNIP NESTED QUOTES DELETED ><8

You're the man, Cowboy!

That's why I feel superior...

And humble.

I am just glad my faults and incompetences are so much greater than others'. OH God, imagine if we were only half as stupid....

SC

[zzaa09]

I am just glad my faults and incompetences are so much greater than others'. OH God, imagine if we were only half as stupid....

SC

GOD? Whose GOD...??

[trisailer]

You haven't lived until you have some 10,000 year old Thai ghosts looking out for you. I no longer need forward thinking; I got ghosts!

[samran]

You haven't lived until you have some 10,000 year old Thai ghosts looking out for you. I no longer need forward thinking; I got ghosts!

So what do you call the farang who buys a bar in Pattaya?

1) Forward thinking?

2) Visionary?

3) Optimistic?

4) Very brave

5) Masochistic

6) Protected by ghosts?

[Richard4849]

Soon broke.

[carmine]

You haven't lived until you have some 10,000 year old Thai ghosts looking out for you. I no longer need forward thinking; I got ghosts!

So what do you call the farang who buys a bar in Pattaya?

1) Forward thinking?

2) Visionary?

3) Optimistic?

4) Very brave

5) Masochistic

6) Protected by ghosts?

Someone that can't think of anything else to do.

[tangcoral]

Yup, it's my theory, too, that they don't have forward planning because their ancestors always had food available and didn't have to think about heating their home for the winter. I think that's part of why they don't gain weight when they eat like pigs, either. Those of us with ancestors from northern climates arise from people who were really good at finding, growing, storing food and putting on weight during the good times for fuel to get them thru winter. The ones who weren't good at forward planning simply didn't survive, so the forward planning genes were passed onto us (along with the easy weight gain genes)

Well, Vietnam has a very similar climate yet they are very shrewd people who seem to be able to think in a forward manner.

Agree or no?

If yes, why is this so?

Yes Vietnam shares a similar climate but they experienced one thing that many thais have not in recent genrations and thats WAR, a nasty one I might add.

Add a war torn country with harsh winters and you have a society that will work twice as hard to avoid hardships of suffering and survival mode instinctively kick in. Obviously an opportunity must be present

Countries like Japan and Korea needed to work forward to get back on their feets. This entailed people to work harder and think smarter which resulted in higher competitiveness which resulted in a exponential growth of the nation. When given the opportunity, Vietnam in 25 years will most likely be a much different Vietnam than now.

Edited April 29, 2011 by tangcoral

[zzaa09]

You haven't lived until you have some 10,000 year old Thai ghosts looking out for you. I no longer need forward thinking; I got ghosts!

So what do you call the farang who buys a bar in Pattaya?

1) Forward thinking?

2) Visionary?

3) Optimistic?

4) Very brave

5) Masochistic

6) Protected by ghosts?

Not too bright?

[zzaa09]

Countries like Japan and Korea needed to work forward to get back on their feets. This entailed people to work harder and think smarter which resulted in higher competitiveness which resulted in a exponential growth of the nation. When given the opportunity, Vietnam in 25 years will most likely be a much different Vietnam than now.

in these comparative situations, climate and social conditions had nothing to do with anything, less expanded growth. Remember, both Korea and Japan had post-war favoured status, thus overwhelming support and manipulation to their "supposed" growth. Whereas, post-war Vietnam was left out in the cold {sort of speak}, even blacklisted.

[tangcoral]

Countries like Japan and Korea needed to work forward to get back on their feets. This entailed people to work harder and think smarter which resulted in higher competitiveness which resulted in a exponential growth of the nation. When given the opportunity, Vietnam in 25 years will most likely be a much different Vietnam than now.

in these comparative situations, climate and social conditions had nothing to do with anything, less expanded growth. Remember, both Korea and Japan had post-war favoured status, thus overwhelming support and manipulation to their "supposed" growth. Whereas, post-war Vietnam was left out in the cold {sort of speak}, even blacklisted.

Thus why I did mention opportunity must be present which was in the case of Japan and Korea. Yes I agree with you that Vietnam hasnt had an equal opportunity in post war support.

However the society in Vietnam will not sit there and twirl their thumb around not having the competitive fire to actively think forward as much as they do now if it wasn't for the war.

So you cant say that social conditions had nothing to do with expanded growth in Vietnam. Obviously Vietnam is a developing nation but I bet you it will be have a greater growth rate than Thailand will in the next 25 years.

You ask any Korean how Korea got from where it was 50 yrs ago to today. 90% of them will agree that we as a nation worked our a$ off to get to where we are today instead of saying "mai pen rai" to everything.

Edited April 29, 2011 by tangcoral

[Richard4849]

So the Koreans have lots of "stuff"...but I bet the Thai happiness quotient is higher and suicide rate lower than theirs is (I'm too lazy to look it up, but I'm sure someone will).

[SteeleJoe]

So the Koreans have lots of "stuff"...but I bet the Thai happiness quotient is higher and suicide rate lower than theirs is (I'm too lazy to look it up, but I'm sure someone will).

Suicides: S. Korea #2, Thailand #59

Not sure what this proves -- if anything -- but you were right twice: the S Koreans do it more and someone did look it up.

Edited April 29, 2011 by SteeleJoe

[Richard4849]

It means that wealth and development don't mean happiness.

And in the end, what is more importance than happiness?

[Heng]

Fairly sure that poverty and malnourishment doesn't equal pure bliss either.

I'll take the (upper) middle path, thanks.

[saraburioz]

Fairly sure that poverty and malnourishment doesn't equal pure bliss either.

I'll take the (upper) middle path, thanks.

Strange as I've been poor and rich and in many respects happier with little(not poverty) than with excess and all the cadillac problems that go with wealth.

[MAJIC]

You haven't lived until you have some 10,000 year old Thai ghosts looking out for you. I no longer need forward thinking; I got ghosts!

So what do you call the farang who buys a bar in Pattaya?

1) Forward thinking?

2) Visionary?

3) Optimistic?

4) Very brave

5) Masochistic

6) Protected by ghosts?

Financial Adviser ?

[Briggsy]

Google "learned helplessness". It is totally applicable to the average Thai. (and to most Europeans, say, 400 years ago.)

[Heng]

Fairly sure that poverty and malnourishment doesn't equal pure bliss either.

I'll take the (upper) middle path, thanks.

Strange as I've been poor and rich and in many respects happier with little(not poverty) than with excess and all the cadillac problems that go with wealth.

I've been relatively poor as well, IMO life is actually simpler (and happier) when you don't have to worry about mundane things like bills or what will happen if you decide to take a few years or more off from work (and of course whether to do anything productive at all on a day to day basis). It really comes into perspective when you watch other folks rush about in their suits and ties in the financial district looking at their watches and working through their lunches.... or even observing the recycling scavengers going through your garbage that you just sprayed down with insecticide but despite the smell and poison they can't help but not deny themselves the plastic, glass, and aluminum treasures within...

Have avoided the Cadillac problems by getting a very well made Toyota minivan.

Uh-oh... it's the 30th again. Time to kick back until the 4th-5th when the pikers have spent their paychecks...

[zzaa09]

Google "learned helplessness". It is totally applicable to the average Thai. (and to most Europeans, say, 400 years ago.)

Don't you mean two weeks ago?

[StreetCowboy]

So the Koreans have lots of "stuff"...but I bet the Thai happiness quotient is higher and suicide rate lower than theirs is (I'm too lazy to look it up, but I'm sure someone will).

Suicides: S. Korea #2, Thailand #59

Not sure what this proves -- if anything -- but you were right twice: the S Koreans do it more and someone did look it up.

Pretty impressive forward thinking, eh?

Look out, Nostradamus!

SC

[TheyCallmeScooter]

If Thai's are incapable of forward thinking then how do you explain all the examples of Thai ladies on the long con that we read about here? One might just as well ask why are so many farang unable to learn from history and collective experience?

Ah someone pointed out the obvious.

It has been my experience that "lack of forward thinking" is often assessed as being the case, by someone not really in a position to decide what is best for their girl's future. By their I mean them, and the guys that will be sharing her future with them. Sounds like smart forward planning, in a world where the bargirls are literally people too. Who fall in love, or were capable of it...once.

I wonder what romantic fairy tales of their youth made them so callous. I wonder if they did not learn callous, from the predecessors of those who wax lyrical.

Edited May 1, 2011 by TheyCallmeScooter

[Suradit]

''Tomorrow never comes''

" Mai pen rai''

Given recent events resulting in multi-trillion dollar debt in the US, wars started with no source of funding, under-funding of Social Security, pensions and Medicare, etc. ... and the imminent collapse of the EU economies under debt used to fund a fantasy life style, especially in Greece, Portugal, Ireland, UK... and the frugal approach to "fail-safe" measures in nuclear plants from Japan to the US to Russia, and the cost cutting by British Petroleum in their off-shore drilling ...

it looks like the forward planning in farang-utopia hasn't been all that splendid either. That noise you hear is the sound of chickens coming home to roost and it's not in Isaan.

[fancyking]

True

[mikecwm]

it is because Thais never had to store food, supplies and wood for the winter, so planning is not part of their culture.

Well done. You nailed it.

''Tomorrow never comes''

" Mai pen rai''

To plan:-

ดำเนิน dam neern To implement, to go forward with a plan, to conduct or proceed, to operate, carry out.

No word? I don't think so.

[Richard4849]

it is because Thais never had to store food, supplies and wood for the winter, so planning is not part of their culture.

Well done. You nailed it.

''Tomorrow never comes''

" Mai pen rai''

To plan:-

ดำเนิน dam neern To implement, to go forward with a plan, to conduct or proceed, to operate, carry out.

No word? I don't think so.

That word does not mean "to plan", but simply to implement something (whether a policy, plan, etc.).

The Thai expression "wang phaen" is the direct translation of "to plan" -- with "phaen" coming from the English "plan". It is not originally a Thai word.

[Suradit]

it is because Thais never had to store food, supplies and wood for the winter, so planning is not part of their culture.

Well done. You nailed it.

''Tomorrow never comes''

" Mai pen rai''

To plan:-

ดำเนิน dam neern To implement, to go forward with a plan, to conduct or proceed, to operate, carry out.

No word? I don't think so.

That word does not mean "to plan", but simply to implement something (whether a policy, plan, etc.).

The Thai expression "wang phaen" is the direct translation of "to plan" -- with "phaen" coming from the English "plan". It is not originally a Thai word.

กลยุทธ (​gon-​lá~​yút ) means strategy, strategic planning, and in a differnt form, วางกลยุทธ (waang-​gon-​lá~​yút ) to strategize no?

[Derifo]

it is because Thais never had to store food, supplies and wood for the winter, so planning is not part of their culture.

Well done. You nailed it.

''Tomorrow never comes''

" Mai pen rai''

My daughter used to say that to me when asked to keep some of her snack for the next day before she was two.

[zthyadat]

it is because Thais never had to store food, supplies and wood for the winter, so planning is not part of their culture.

Well done. You nailed it.

''Tomorrow never comes''

" Mai pen rai''

They plant rice and other crops, and then store them. Isn't that forward thinking? Does anyone have anything other than their gut feeling to back up this "land of plenty" theory? Any anthropological studies? Or is everyone just talking out of their backsides? Often these things that seem like common sense at first glance turn out not to be. Not saying I disagree, but everyone is joining the party to celebrate the problem being solved (or the cause of the problem being understood), and this can become received wisdom that may not be very wise at all.

[puipuitom]

I worked for a factory in Pattaya area, where the machinery had to be changed. We made a time scheme, and during Songkran some European technicians would come over for the final touch. Till on month before.. we had to discover the Thais hardly had done anything. Postpone, and never thought in TIME.

My 17 years esperience since then: no Thai can plan in the future. Shipment out Mid April might mean: 5th of May. Shipment out end of Feb and.. forgot the order. Solly, leglet inconvinien, will be end of Aplil. So Better loose orders to China as making a plan and stick to it.

As a Chinese Thai friend of mine said: why you think so much of Thailand is in the hands of Chinese immigrants, factories are owned for 95% by Chinese immigrants, and the other 4 % by Koreans, Taiwanese and farangs. Thais 1 %.

Simply because they never had to plan. Eat papaya and.. spit out the seeds. one year later you have papaya trees. Coconut: have only to wait till the fruits fall down.

Why you think there are so many expats on decisiion levels, from factories to tourist resorts and hotels. For 20 years and still now.