Farang Survey Findings

[philmac]

Dr Robert Howard from the University of New South Wales in Sydney has released the preliminary results of a survey on Westerners living in Thailand that he began earlier this year. About 900 Westerners have so far participated. You can check out his findings so far at www.farangaffairs.com

[WhiteShiva]

Dr Robert Howard from the University of New South Wales in Sydney has released the preliminary results of a survey on Westerners living in Thailand that he began earlier this year. About 900 Westerners have so far participated. You can check out his findings so far at www.farangaffairs.com

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What an absolute pile of rubbish. What exactly does this survey prove except that Westerners are in Thailand for a variety of reasons - that's all.

Not exactly groundbreaking stuff........

[skylar]

I had a look at the survey and it was extremely biased in its nature. It seemed to be only geared to farang men. I couldn't even complete the survey as the person who designed it obviously had never contemplated someone of my background living in Thailand. I certainly wouldn't have expected this type of 'research' from someone with a PhD working at a top tier Australian university. It's rubbish and the findings mean nothing.

[stevehaigh]

I certainly wouldn't have expected this type of 'research' from someone with a PhD working at a top tier Australian university. It's rubbish and the findings mean nothing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

PhD's need to something to publish regardless of how irrelevant it is. It's how they keep their university jobs; no one is expected to read it! and outside of university a PhD is as useful as a chocolate watch!

[chanchao]

So what is your background that's so incompatible with the questions asked?

[sbk]

Well, he only had 28 women in his survey. Granted, you do have to search us out but seems like he didn't try very hard. Perhaps we should post the link to this in the Ladies section and boost his percentages a bit?

[skylar]

It's not just the lack of women though. If he wanted to survey males only, he should have put the following conditions on: male, aged 18-71. That would have removed women (non-working, working, married and single women) and people who lived in Thailand up until the completion of their schooling. The survey doesn't even define 'farang'.

There's just way too many questions in there biased towards males, as well as those biased to some coloured viewpoint and just pointless questions which do nothing for the 'study'.

For example, the options available for Question 12 is just ridiculous: What was/were your full or part-time occupation/s in Thailand , if any? (Select more than one if necessary)

Did not have job in Thailand.

English teacher.

Diving instructor

Bar work

Worked via Internet in another nation (e.g. journalism, website design)

Worked part of the year in another nation but not in Thailand.

Just assumes that those completing this survey didn't even have a similar job to the occupation specified in Question 11. The majority of people I knew who have/had jobs in Thailand, both in the past and the present have the same occupation in the West as in Thailand. Why assume that when they come to Thailand that this is not so? This is obvious bias towards a particular image of a typical respondent the researcher had in mind and is one of the many examples that renders the results that this survey collects useless. I've crapped on far too much already and I could pick out many more structural and question structure mistakes that just assume instead of trying to find a real answer.

[WhiteShiva]

So what is your background that's so incompatible with the questions asked?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dunno about Skylar, but I remember getting as far as question 10, where he asks about occupation in Thailand, and it was a choice between

Do not have job in Thailand.

English teacher.

Diving instructor

Bar work

Work via Internet in another nation (e.g. journalism, website design)

Work part of the year in another nation but not in Thailand.

Other (please specify)

Myself, I work as a technical adviser to a Thai company, and I remember thinking to myself "if these are the only choices of professions that the surveyor can list, surely this survey cannot be taken seriously". It was simply not worth my time to proceed furthere, so I closed the page.

Seems I was not the only one.

There is not one - repeat ONE - single piece of useful or interesting information to be learned from this survey. A complete waste of time for the respondents and the people who carried out the "work". I am amazed that the University of NSW would even let Mr. Howard do this survey in their name - it is completely unprofessionally executed.

[chanchao]

> Do not have job in Thailand.

> English teacher.

> Diving instructor

> Bar work

> Work via Internet in another nation (e.g. journalism, website design)

> Work part of the year in another nation but not in Thailand.

> Other (please specify)

> Myself, I work as a technical adviser to a Thai company,

Well, my profession isn't listed either but that's what the 'other' is for? I agree it's a bit strange to list these particular professions instead of a more common list of fields, i.e. 'tourism/hospitality', 'ICT', 'Agriculture', 'Manufacturing', 'Education' and so on.

So.. Yes it doesn't appear like a whole lot of thought went into the questions, but I wouldn't say anyone would get really stuck, right?

And.. no matter what anyone does, it won't be the most useless, ill-conceived bit of research on Thailand.. there's always a lot worse out there.

Cheers,

Chanchao

[ace]

Maybe one of the job options should have been:

" Travelling round Thailand carrying out useless survey funded by Australian tax-payers money"

It's certainly a career move I would consider if offerred

[khall64au]

The survey was conducted online. I believe the results would be far different if the study was conducted in the field. Surely a survey collaboration with a Thai uni would have yielded much more valuable results.

It is disappointing to see that not much has been achieved. But then again, we all know this information already but those outside the country may find it useful in some way... even if it is largely incomplete.

It is interesting though that local embassies do not attempt surveys to see what their expat citizens are up to.... not that they'd get too many answers I suppose.

[ProfessorFart]

It is interesting though that local embassies do not attempt surveys to see what their expat citizens are up to.... not that they'd get too many answers I suppose. 

Thats far too much work for embassy staff to consider!! It would interupt afternoon cocktail time............

[The Dude]

Well, he only had 28 women in  his survey. Granted, you do have to search us out but seems like he didn't try very hard. Perhaps we should post the link to this in the Ladies section and boost his percentages a bit?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I thought the survey was accurate and interesting. Obviously though this 28 women out of 900 total expats is a flaw. What I'm wondering is, what is the actual ratio of expat men to women in Thailand? Stickman site states that BKK is a 4:1 ratio but that sounds low to me.

[WhiteShiva]

Well, my profession isn't listed either but that's what the 'other' is for?  I agree it's a bit strange to list these particular professions instead of a more common list of fields, i.e. 'tourism/hospitality', 'ICT', 'Agriculture', 'Manufacturing', 'Education' and so on.

So.. Yes it doesn't appear like a whole lot of thought went into the questions, but I wouldn't say anyone would get really stuck, right?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Correct, but I just don't see any point in wasting time on a survey where so little thought has gone into the questionnaire.

And.. no matter what anyone does, it won't be the most useless, ill-conceived bit of research on Thailand.. there's always a lot worse out there.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have never seen any other surveys, but I wouldn't be surprised if you are right. The problem with this kind of research is that to get a valid result you have to have a representative sample of people being surveyed. Just basing it on an internet questionnaire is flawed in itself, as you will only reach a certain segment of the expat population (those that spend a lot of time on the internet, and are patient enough to fill out online questionnaires). When, on top of that, you severely limit the options of the replies (as detailed above), you further reduce the amount of useful information you are likely to gain.

My guess is that the so-called professor spent a few weeks on a beach in Thailand, went diving, had a few drinks in beer bars, met a few English teachers, and thought - "Hey - this is what all foreigners in Thailand do for a living. That chick behind the bar looks really hot. I bet if I make a survey of foreigners in Thailand, the university would pay for me to do another trip up here. I wonder if she does anal."

Come on - looking at this survey, if this is all a professor in NSW can come up with, getting a degree in Australia must be easier than I thought….

[johnnyk]

Certainly not all, but many academics are like eunuchs in the harem.

They know all about &lt;deleted&gt;: what it looks like, what it smells like, what it sounds like, where it happens, when it happens, how long it takes, who does what to whom in which orifice and why etc etc

They just haven't done any of what they talk about.

And too many of them don't get off campus.

[The Dude]

Well, my profession isn't listed either but that's what the 'other' is for?  I agree it's a bit strange to list these particular professions instead of a more common list of fields, i.e. 'tourism/hospitality', 'ICT', 'Agriculture', 'Manufacturing', 'Education' and so on.

So.. Yes it doesn't appear like a whole lot of thought went into the questions, but I wouldn't say anyone would get really stuck, right?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Correct, but I just don't see any point in wasting time on a survey where so little thought has gone into the questionnaire.

And.. no matter what anyone does, it won't be the most useless, ill-conceived bit of research on Thailand.. there's always a lot worse out there.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have never seen any other surveys, but I wouldn't be surprised if you are right. The problem with this kind of research is that to get a valid result you have to have a representative sample of people being surveyed. Just basing it on an internet questionnaire is flawed in itself, as you will only reach a certain segment of the expat population (those that spend a lot of time on the internet, and are patient enough to fill out online questionnaires). When, on top of that, you severely limit the options of the replies (as detailed above), you further reduce the amount of useful information you are likely to gain.

My guess is that the so-called professor spent a few weeks on a beach in Thailand, went diving, had a few drinks in beer bars, met a few English teachers, and thought - "Hey - this is what all foreigners in Thailand do for a living. That chick behind the bar looks really hot. I bet if I make a survey of foreigners in Thailand, the university would pay for me to do another trip up here. I wonder if she does anal."

Come on - looking at this survey, if this is all a professor in NSW can come up with, getting a degree in Australia must be easier than I thought….

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, Jack, but the survey dude clearly hit the nail on the head here. You'se people in denial are a real bunch of comedians. I s'pose Thailand is a gathering place of IVY school grads to ply their trades and become upstanding millionaires in the Thai community. LOL, I can't take it, stop please. I'd say that compared to the bashing this dude is taking here, I think he ought to get a Pulitzer prize for an on-the-money study of real expats in Thailand. Congrats to him.

[daleyboy]

It is interesting though that local embassies do not attempt surveys to see what their expat citizens are up to.... not that they'd get too many answers I suppose. 

Thats far too much work for embassy staff to consider!! It would interupt afternoon cocktail time............

Yeah and dont forget morning tea and elevens' brunch, lunch and afternoon tea.

Makes me wonder what we DO pay them for.