All The Fuss About Thailand...

[mrbojangles]

i am a thai citizen by birth, born into a family of civil servants in Songkhla province.

Hi Zoowatch,

If i may ask, of what nationality are your parents. And how did you come to have such a "High" command of the English language. Just curious

Mr BoJ

[samran]

As to peoples facination with Zoowatch's command of English, I have Thai born and bred cousins who speak (and write) English better than more than 99% of the people on this board.

Nothing like a good English or Australian boarding school for a little during the formative years to get the lingo down pat. Otherwise, a good university will do that for you as well.

[RDN]

As to peoples facination with Zoowatch's command of English, I have Thai born and bred cousins who speak (and write) English better than more than 99% of the people on this board.

Nothing like a good English or Australian boarding school for a little during the formative years to get the lingo down pat. Otherwise, a good university will do that for you as well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have found that Indians speak the best English

[Pink Mist]

Indubitally, had a phone call tonight from an indian call centre, Ha Ha english was great

[justsignedin]

Indubitally, had a phone call tonight from an indian call centre, Ha Ha english was great

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Last time i spoke to one on the phone i was enquiring about my bank balance. just my pardons and can you repeat thats alone cost me more than i had in the bank.

[Jai Dee]

Anyway Zoowatch, tell us more about the "more attractive foreign talent" in Singapore...

Edited October 18, 2005 by Jai Dee

[RDN]

.... my name is Chatchawal Phansopa and the e-mail address i used for this website is [email protected]

i am a thai citizen by birth, born into a family of civil servants in Songkhla province....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Zoowatch - we have an introduction thread here http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...ic=31918&st=465 in the "General Forum". You can say a little about yourself if you wish. I just Googled your name and you have apparently designed or worked on the Bangkok Rail Network or Mass Transit System. I, for one, would love to know more about you!

[think_too_mut]

from what i gather, thailand's is either enjoying a great deal of bad publicity or is indeed in a rather dismal state socio-economically (or a combination of both).

these views seem to have been shared by a numerous groups of critical forumers and it is unfortunate they have found their stay here less enjoyable.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My opinion is - the whole post is plain rubbish. Bordering with a troll.

Someone aware of the power that Thai Pu_ss_y commands would have never written that.

Remove Thai women from the picture and Thailand would have 2 out of 10 million tourists a year. Thailand is not London - 100 million people who come there every year to take pictures of and with important and world known places.

8 million tourists to Thailand were single men travellers.

After having experiencend something in their lives, some have settled there.

Then they have faced a 3rd world country and all of it's problems. Some complain, more of them are happy.

[samran]

8 million tourists to Thailand were single men travellers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No great loss.....

[samran]

.... my name is Chatchawal Phansopa and the e-mail address i used for this website is [email protected]

i am a thai citizen by birth, born into a family of civil servants in Songkhla province....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Zoowatch - we have an introduction thread here http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...ic=31918&st=465 in the "General Forum". You can say a little about yourself if you wish. I just Googled your name and you have apparently designed or worked on the Bangkok Rail Network or Mass Transit System. I, for one, would love to know more about you!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Also a contributor to the 2 bangkok website....the second best website on thailand

[think_too_mut]

8 million tourists to Thailand were single men travellers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No great loss.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Tell that to those planning to have 20 million tourists in 2010.

Hong Kong is already there.

[samran]

8 million tourists to Thailand were single men travellers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No great loss.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Tell that to those planning to have 20 million tourists in 2010.

Hong Kong is already there.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Given that I can, I just might...

[RDN]

from what i gather, thailand's is either enjoying a great deal of bad publicity or is indeed in a rather dismal state socio-economically (or a combination of both).

these views seem to have been shared by a numerous groups of critical forumers and it is unfortunate they have found their stay here less enjoyable.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My opinion is - the whole post is plain rubbish. Bordering with a troll....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The guy is simply very interested - amongst other things - in mass transit systems: http://bangkokrecorder.com/?p=redakt.artik...=9&ArtikelID=50

[RDN]

Hey Zoowatch - maybe you'd like to join our Thai Language forum: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showforum=43

Your command of English is exceptional - we need good Thai-English speakers in that forum!

[astral]

I'm sure there are Thai citizens who have harsher opinions than those expressed here in Thai Visa.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Definitely, but their upbringing does not allow them to express the views quite so vociferously.

The expats do not have that problem.

Do not assume that because we complain we do not like the country, we want to see it improve.

It is sad country where you cannot express your dissatisfaction!!

[Eric Davis]

University Of Leeds.

[SiamOne]

I got this today and the warning appears genuine.

Yesterday, a friend of mine was travelling on a Manchester to Leeds train.

A man of Arabic appearance got off the train and my friend noticed that he had left his bag behind. He grabbed the bag and ran after him, caught up with him in the station and handed him back his bag.

He was extremely grateful and reached into his bag which appeared to contain large bundles of money. He looked around to make sure nobody was looking and whispered "I can never repay your kindness, but I

will try to...with a word of advice for you: Stay away from Leeds"

My friend was genuinely terrified. "Is there going to be an attack?" He asked him.

"No" ... he whispered back. "It's a shithole"

sorry, just something I found

[phibunmike]

Hi Zoowatch,

I found your post interesting, and would like to make a couple of points:

1. Don't forget that the silent majority of expats in Thailand never read TV. They are sitting at home enjoying a cold Chang and watching the sun set over the rice fields (or bkk skyline for some) while others are hunched over the keyboard venting their spleen at something-or-other.

2. There DO seem to be some rather agressive critics in the forum, I agree. But I would temper that by saying that when in a restaurant and there is a fault in the food or service offered, I usually only bother to complain if overall I like the restaurant, and am willing to make the effort to draw their attention to those lapses. If the restaurant is poor overall, I simply decide not to return. I think the same can be said of living in a country.

[mijan24]

As to peoples facination with Zoowatch's command of English, I have Thai born and bred cousins who speak (and write) English better than more than 99% of the people on this board.

Nothing like a good English or Australian boarding school for a little during the formative years to get the lingo down pat. Otherwise, a good university will do that for you as well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Zoowatch welcome - Samran "big call"

This must be spot the obvious mistake! school for a little during the formative ??

Edited October 19, 2005 by mijan24

[samran]

As to peoples facination with Zoowatch's command of English, I have Thai born and bred cousins who speak (and write) English better than more than 99% of the people on this board.

Nothing like a good English or Australian boarding school for a little during the formative years to get the lingo down pat. Otherwise, a good university will do that for you as well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Zoowatch welcome - Samran "big call"

This must be spot the obvious mistake! school for a little during the formative ??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Mijan, I never said that 99% didn’t include posters such as myself and I guess you’ll just have to meet my cousins one day and decide for yourself.

There are some extremely educated and worldly circles of Thai society which most members of this board won’t meet. Think of Apisit Vejjajiva and you’ll be getting close.

[WhiteShiva]

But I would temper that by saying that when in a restaurant and there is a fault in the food or service offered, I usually only bother to complain if overall I like the restaurant, and am willing to make the effort to draw their attention to those lapses. If the restaurant is poor overall, I simply decide not to return. I think the same can be said of living in a country.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Brilliant analogy, Mike - could not agree more!

[The Dude]

Looks  like  OP  has  done  a  runner..............strange  things  people  do, get  up  at  5am  and  join  Thaivisa  to  make  a  posting.

I  smell  a...............................

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, my man dude, that there rant were the words of a farang, most likely an English cat.........a most undiggable impersonation of a Thai dude

[robitusson]

i am a thai national who stumbled across thaivisa.com while doing a google search on driving in thailand.

i must say that i am rather surprised by the amount of unpleasant opinions (with regards to thailand) from many of the forumers here who are presumably expatriates working and living in Thailand.

i have been reading many threads with great fascination and some of the messages impress upon me that quite a number of forumers do carry a negative view on the country.

i try not be judgemental about these views (as everyone has a right to expressing opinions) but i do wonder if most of the farangs here find it hard to adapt and live comfortably in thailand.

like most other thais, i am ignorant enough to have assumed that most expats here are well-to-do and lead a fine life, seemingly shielded from most of the social ills.

from what i gather, thailand's is either enjoying a great deal of bad publicity or is indeed in a rather dismal state socio-economically (or a combination of both).

these views seem to have been shared by a numerous groups of critical forumers and it is unfortunate they have found their stay here less enjoyable.

undeniably, i am fully aware of the many problems going on across the country, whether about the thai government, the increasingly polarised thai society, the lack of order and safety, the laid-back thai culture, the pollution and urban issues as well as other matters which are unfairly putting farangs at the disadvantage (housing, immigration etc...)

however, i have now realised that there are also many angry expats out there who are trying to play an active part in building the thai society and are conistantly denied that role.  also, i realise that there are many expats who'd readily quit thailand and move elsewhere given the chance and are not afraid to be bluntly critical about the current affairs of the country, sometimes in a form of mockery.

as another thai here who just assume that all farangs lead a relatively easy life, i do find many of the comments / criticisms here useful and i hope that we can evolve into a more open society where permanant residences born abroad also has a chance to play an active role in the mainstream society.

as a thai, i've managed to live life quite pleasantly despite all the shortcomings and inconveniences here and there.  we are so accustomed to passing at each day overlooking those imperfections and the "bads of thailand", so much so that we sometimes don't realise what's really wrong with something until you guys actually point them out.

at the same time, we as those who live in the country are guilty of taking many things here for granted.

i think that some of the comments about thailand here are a little unfair but most other remarks are quite valid.

of course, this is not about 'losing face' and i respect all comments i've read.

generally, i think that thais aren't xenophobic people but the lack of foreign language skills combined with the lack of proper understanding of the deeper thai culture among expats sometimes results in misperception and the alienated feelings among the local expats.

whichever category of farangs (angry, miserable / happy, enjoying) you are, i hope that at the end of your stay in thailand, you can look back without regret and feel that your time here isn't that bad after all.  of course, i believe that most of us do want to play a good host of the country and make your stay as pleasant as possible.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It is an extremely important part of most Farang cultures to argue, debate and criticize. The fact that people are highly critical of Thailand is probably a lot more with this aspect of the Farang mentality than the obvious, varied and many, many shortcomings and hypocrisies of the kingdom. Obviously there is no such thing as a Farang or Farang culture but in terms of Asia and the extended European world we can speak about the way Farangs think and speak.

[RDN]

Yes, my man dude, that there rant were the words of a farang, most likely an English cat.........a most undiggable impersonation of a Thai dude

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

"most undiggable impersonation of a Thai"? You are a total pillock, Dude. Why don't you read the whole thread before posting?

[RDN]

But I would temper that by saying that when in a restaurant and there is a fault in the food or service offered, I usually only bother to complain if overall I like the restaurant, and am willing to make the effort to draw their attention to those lapses. If the restaurant is poor overall, I simply decide not to return. I think the same can be said of living in a country.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Brilliant analogy, Mike - could not agree more!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Seconded! An analogy to remember the next time one of the "if you don't like it, go home" brigade posts here.

[Godders]

Take away the multiple tourist visas, non-imm after non-imm, and watch them kick and scream to not be sent home. Don't be fooled; they love it in Thailand.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Course they do. You can bet your life those individuals complaining constantly about Thailand did just the same about their native countries before they decided to look for a better life elsewhere. Waste of time, really. You get good and bad wherever you go. It's just that some people notice the zits on the face of whatever society they find themselves in more than others. No bad thing. The trouble with the "laid back" mai pen rai attitude generally adopted by Thais and copied by falangs who want to "belong" in the LoS is that if you apply it to everything (and throw in kreung jai for good measure), nothing much is likely to change for the better, while it can definitely get worse. Frankly, I only came out here for a bloody good winge, because all my mates were getting bored with my constantly carping about how bloomin' awful England was becoming. Which it was. But it always looks like that when you are 106 years old, have lived through two world wars, five wives and a woman prime minister. I've been back to Blighty a few times - and I was right to leave. I couldn't stand it and it couldn't stand me. I must say, I'm getting hacked off with LoS now, too. Why does everything get worse, instead of better. Anybody recommend a better shangrila? Or perhaps an old folks home with a better class of winger?

[Auntie Dah]

I also have thai citizenship, although I'm the most un-thai thai you'll ever meet....I can say that i know lots of expats in real life who are completely happy with their situation in thailand ,are very optimistic about thailand as a whole and never whine and moan.Maybe this forum just attracts those with a greater propensity to the more negative reactions about life in LOS.It makes for highly entertaining reading 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Actually this man is very thai, like thai middle class who get some money first time. You can tell because:

1. He watch a lot of TV

2. He love to talk about "image" consumer goods

3. Spend much time talking about himself and trying to impress

4. Not have real confidence

Many Thai people would love him to come to Thailand, they know how to deal with this kind of thing