They Are Completely Mad-They Really Really Are.....

[edwinchester]

She might be using the umbrella to protect the child from the sun. Not a good idea to drive like that, but it might not be because she's worried about getting a tan

I guess its our western values that make us mad to a certain extent ?

Without question with no warning you would have the child removed immediately if in the UK

If say in the UK, if all the "consequences" were removed from the equation, would the population of UK revert to similar behaviours, or would they do the "right thing".....

Is it a case of "our "western values" which make us "do the right thing" or is it a case of in the West there is a degree accountability/consequence for ones actions, which make us think twice before acting ?

Good question . Which makes me wonder whether the posters lamenting the "excessive" rules in Western "nanny states" are the same ones who complain loudly about Thai driving, construction quality and such.

T

My Thai mother in law certainly laments the lack of law enforcement and accountability here. Her teenage son was killed by a drunk driver who avoided any responsibility by paying off the police.

[bifftastic]

I just purchased a car.

My gf wants to drive it, so I say let me see your driving license first.

No she says, I don't have one, and I reply no license invalidates my insurance and what if the police stop you?.

She says, I don't need a license or insurance, my Buddha will protect me.

And she's right. Back in the West she would be thought stupid, but that's down to the H&S nazis in the West.

Hardly the act of nazis to insist on insurance really is it? If you drive with no insurance and injure someone, how will their treatment be paid for? A driving license? That's not really the hallmark of a right-wing fascist authority either. Genocide, secret police, invading other countries, mindless racism, now that's more the kind of thing that nazis went in for.

Not in the least bit similar really is it?

[Geekfreaklover]

I just purchased a car.

My gf wants to drive it, so I say let me see your driving license first.

No she says, I don't have one, and I reply no license invalidates my insurance and what if the police stop you?.

She says, I don't need a license or insurance, my Buddha will protect me.

And she's right. Back in the West she would be thought stupid, but that's down to the H&S nazis in the West.

Hardly the act of nazis to insist on insurance really is it? If you drive with no insurance and injure someone, how will their treatment be paid for? A driving license? That's not really the hallmark of a right-wing fascist authority either. Genocide, secret police, invading other countries, mindless racism, now that's more the kind of thing that nazis went in for.

Not in the least bit similar really is it?

No it isn't, and I think FiFanatic realises that. She was being ironic. I think.

[WarpSpeed]

The buddha taught about mindfulness and carefulness; so lets not bring buddishm into what sounds like basic backwards ignorant behaviour by someone who knows no different because everybody else in the village is doing same same, ja?

Thank you for saying that. Far too many people are ready to ascribe all manners of wrong doing to Buddhism.

Stupidity is not part of Buddhism.

Anyway, since when were the Thais most of us know "real" Buddhists in the same sense as how many farangs are "real" Christians?

No but complacency is, thinking that no matter what happens in this life you have no control nor accountability anyways and you'll be reborn as another being here so mai pen rai..

I'm always curious what would they think if they didn't press the brake at the next light or train tracks when the train was coming? Would they be expecting Buddha to press the peddle and if not is it his fault they were killed or seriously injured? Like oh well! It was my time to go couldn't be avoided, same type of logic applies..

Edited August 27, 2011 by WarpSpeed

[StreetCowboy]

I just purchased a car.

My gf wants to drive it, so I say let me see your driving license first.

No she says, I don't have one, and I reply no license invalidates my insurance and what if the police stop you?.

She says, I don't need a license or insurance, my Buddha will protect me.

And she's right. Back in the West she would be thought stupid, but that's down to the H&S nazis in the West.

Sadly, many posters may mistake your sarcasm for encouragement.

SC

[F1fanatic]

I just purchased a car.

My gf wants to drive it, so I say let me see your driving license first.

No she says, I don't have one, and I reply no license invalidates my insurance and what if the police stop you?.

She says, I don't need a license or insurance, my Buddha will protect me.

And she's right. Back in the West she would be thought stupid, but that's down to the H&S nazis in the West.

Hardly the act of nazis to insist on insurance really is it? If you drive with no insurance and injure someone, how will their treatment be paid for? A driving license? That's not really the hallmark of a right-wing fascist authority either. Genocide, secret police, invading other countries, mindless racism, now that's more the kind of thing that nazis went in for.

Not in the least bit similar really is it?

No it isn't, and I think FiFanatic realises that. She was being ironic. I think.

Yes, but there's always someone who misses it - never mind how obvious....

[Flatouthruthefog]

I just purchased a car.

My gf wants to drive it, so I say let me see your driving license first.

No she says, I don't have one, and I reply no license invalidates my insurance and what if the police stop you?.

She says, I don't need a license or insurance, my Buddha will protect me.

She cares about Buddha, at very least.

A motorcycling farang friend with very good Thai was at a red light when up came a Thai family with a baby hanging off the front. No helmets or eye protection anywhere.

He said very politely (I know) that it looked dangerous for the baby and he might fall off and be hurt.

The mother (on the back and totally out of touch with the baby) actually replied with a smile:

"Don't worry, we are both young enough. We can always have another."

It's the first time he's ever sat, stationary, at a green light, with his mouth open.

Now tell me THAT is Buddhism, huh?

[Moonrakers]

A common response I've heard to the matter of dangerous driving is "I don't care if I die"

Of course, they seem to have failed to take into account that other road users probably do care rather a lot that they might be killed.

[StreetCowboy]

And its difficult for doctors to decline treatment, and take that same "devil-may-care bravado" for their potential patients, for all that people whinge about emergency treatment here.

But many of us struggle to take a rational and risk-averse approach to decisions that offer quick gratification (getting the car home after a couple of beers) in comparison to relatively unlikely risk (the possibility of unexpected incident requiring quick and measured reaction) so it is good if the government helps us weigh in favour of prudence

SC

[scorpio]

The buddha taught about mindfulness and carefulness; so lets not bring buddishm into what sounds like basic backwards ignorant behaviour by someone who knows no different because everybody else in the village is doing same same, ja?

Thank you for saying that. Far too many people are ready to ascribe all manners of wrong doing to Buddhism.

Stupidity is not part of Buddhism.

Anyway, since when were the Thais most of us know "real" Buddhists in the same sense as how many farangs are "real" Christians?

seconded !! but nothing makes me scratch my head in disbelief anymore while in thailand or even at thai,s back home in uk, im starting to really go against these people and their ways / laws etc, sorry to say it but its true

[Moonrakers]

A lot of people in Thailand hide behind Buddhism just like they hide behind face.

[bifftastic]

Yes, but there's always someone who misses it - never mind how obvious....

They say 'there's always one' it's usually me

[PattayaParent]

Farang know norhing.

It's to protect the skin of the baby from the sun that the mother holds the umbrella while steering the motocy and talking on the 'mobi'

[PattayaParent]

The buddha taught about mindfulness and carefulness; so lets not bring buddishm into what sounds like basic backwards ignorant behaviour by someone who knows no different because everybody else in the village is doing same same, ja?

Thank you for saying that. Far too many people are ready to ascribe all manners of wrong doing to Buddhism.

Stupidity is not part of Buddhism.

Anyway, since when were the Thais most of us know "real" Buddhists in the same sense as how many farangs are "real" Christians?

I have met nmay Christians that are both ignorant and stupid but still manage to obey the law,

[Chivas]

The buddha taught about mindfulness and carefulness; so lets not bring buddishm into what sounds like basic backwards ignorant behaviour by someone who knows no different because everybody else in the village is doing same same, ja?

Thank you for saying that. Far too many people are ready to ascribe all manners of wrong doing to Buddhism.

Stupidity is not part of Buddhism.

Anyway, since when were the Thais most of us know "real" Buddhists in the same sense as how many farangs are "real" Christians?

seconded !! but nothing makes me scratch my head in disbelief anymore while in thailand or even at thai,s back home in uk, im starting to really go against these people and their ways / laws etc, sorry to say it but its true

Wait until you've been involved with the Fruits for 20 years or so.....

[mca]

I just purchased a car.

My gf wants to drive it, so I say let me see your driving license first.

No she says, I don't have one, and I reply no license invalidates my insurance and what if the police stop you?.

She says, I don't need a license or insurance, my Buddha will protect me.

All I can say is I hope she's good in bed.

(Joke)

[JRinger]

The buddha taught about mindfulness and carefulness; so lets not bring buddishm into what sounds like basic backwards ignorant behaviour by someone who knows no different because everybody else in the village is doing same same, ja?

Thank you for saying that. Far too many people are ready to ascribe all manners of wrong doing to Buddhism.

Stupidity is not part of Buddhism.

Anyway, since when were the Thais most of us know "real" Buddhists in the same sense as how many farangs are "real" Christians?

The "ism" part sure is...

[Atmos]

Having lived through one high season next to a 90-degree bend in the secondary road to Phuket's Big Buddha hill, I could easily have composed a thread 'they are completely mad they really are' . . . about motorbike-riding tourists.

^ from my earlier post #39.

heard from a former neighbour today there was a tourist motorbike fatality on 'our' road last Thurday night, 20 year male from Denmark had been drinking at a bar there and headed off approx 2am to Chalong bars and only made it round 3 corners, found dead the next morning. Drinking, no helmet and heavy rain.

Edited September 5, 2011 by Atmos

[StreetCowboy]

Having lived through one high season next to a 90-degree bend in the secondary road to Phuket's Big Buddha hill, I could easily have composed a thread 'they are completely mad they really are' . . . about motorbike-riding tourists.

^ from my earlier post #39.

heard from a former neighbour today there was a tourist motorbike fatality on 'our' road last Thurday night, 20 year male from Denmark had been drinking at a bar there and headed off approx 2am to Chalong bars and only made it round 3 corners, found dead the next morning. Drinking, no helmet and heavy rain.

On the bright side, no-one else was hurt... were they?

SC

[IanForbes]

This lack of understanding the relationship between 'action and consequence' is not confined to Thailand. It is found though out the world, predominantly in poor countries among the poor uneducated.

-----------------------

Excellent post, Tonto. You nailed it precisely.

Although the Thais MIGHT generally follow the concept of Buddhism, they don't understand it completely. Buddhism does not say that everything is predestined. Our own actions do have consequences. It is quite well know in teaching circles that a child learns the basics of life in its first 6 years. After that it is just fine tuning. I finally gave up trying to convince certain mothers that they are putting their children at risk, but I might as well be hitting my head against a wall.

[Atmos]

heard from a former neighbour today there was a tourist motorbike fatality on 'our' road last Thurday night, 20 year male from Denmark had been drinking at a bar there and headed off approx 2am to Chalong bars and only made it round 3 corners, found dead the next morning. Drinking, no helmet and heavy rain.

need to keep a tally, little motorbike pics with an X through them . . .

did the regular 'how are you' call to the ex-neighbour today, he was able to report three more accidents on the corner in last 2 weeks, he lives alone - think he enjoys the company as another 'victim' pops in. Latest yesterday when three tourists ('racing in the rain' was his description) zoomed up the road, one missed the usual corner, grazes to him, and the rental bike scarred from throttle to tail-light, all bodywork on one side, a few baht to fix that.

In his six years living there, only one crash ever involving a Thai, and that was when we lived there, a young lady panicked and went off the road being hounded (pun!) by four dogs; a sidenote to that story, the dogs had been 'trained' to chase after motorbikes by a loopy farang woman who encouraged them with food when she went to the local shop and back - too lazy to walk 200m, she thought it was 'fun'. A candidate for the 'completely mad' category.

Edited September 15, 2011 by Atmos

[nocturn]

The buddha taught about mindfulness and carefulness; so lets not bring buddishm into what sounds like basic backwards ignorant behaviour by someone who knows no different because everybody else in the village is doing same same, ja?

Thank you for saying that. Far too many people are ready to ascribe all manners of wrong doing to Buddhism.

Stupidity is not part of Buddhism.

Anyway, since when were the Thais most of us know "real" Buddhists in the same sense as how many farangs are "real" Christians?

I have met nmay Christians that are both ignorant and stupid but still manage to obey the law,

yes, but only because it is clear that it will be enforced should they chose to disregard it.

[Bagwan]

Agreed, paying the monk to help win a lottery is stupid. I try to cut out the middle man and appeal directly to Buddha to orchestrate a win. Meanwhile I also double my chances by using the money not paid to the monk to buy two tickets instead of one.

But consider this. Bearing in mind the infinitesimally small chance of winning the lottery in a given lifetime, aren't I, and hundreds of millions of others, including many in the developed world, stupid to buy a lottery ticket in the first place?

Of course, there are levels of stupidity. Paying a monk to bless one's ticket takes stupidity to a sublime (not subliminal) level. However a poor person unable to see their way out of poverty except by a lottery win is actually behaving rationally by buying a lottery ticket. For an educated well-to-do person to buy a lottery ticket is rather less rational, though, granted, a much smaller proportion of their income may be wagered.

What of this notion that the great unwashed are oblivious to the consequences of their actions? This flaw is not confined to Thais, or the poor, or the uneducated. The majority of Californians voted for no tax increases while simultaneously voting for enhanced government services. We, all of us, continue to consume beyond the earth's ecological means.

One doesn't have to be a poor, uneducated third world bumpkin to be irrational.

T

Lotteries = a self imposed tax paid by the stupid.

[IanForbes]

Lotteries = a self imposed tax paid by the stupid.

On that subject I totally agree. The only time I've ever bought lottery tickets is when I joined in an office weekly pool. If we had ever won something I would hate to be the only one left out. As it was, our office never won more than enough to buy a few more tickets. But, one of our Forestry offices won 9 million dollars and spread it out amongst 24 people. And, a year later their office was disbanded in a government downsizing.