Massage-girls-get-unionised, Accuse Foreign Owner

[MattFS218]

Sorry that was very rude of me last night.

I apologize for calling you a wanrek.

Very bad of me,  to much Chang

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't worry icecubes, everyone knows your all talk...you still haven't taken me up on my offer to discuss this matter face to face (I even offered to buy a beverage of your choice, for free).

Puss can't find the nerve to talk to a geeky 23-year old.

Oh, and if you're going to keep flaming this board, you should at least learn how to use the Quote function... You'd think you could figure it out after 200 posts.

Matt

[icecubes]

Sorry that was very rude of me last night.

I apologize for calling you a wanrek.

Very bad of me,  to much Chang

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't worry icecubes, everyone knows your all talk...you still haven't taken me up on my offer to discuss this matter face to face (I even offered to buy a beverage of your choice, for free).

Puss can't find the nerve to talk to a geeky 23-year old.

Oh, and if you're going to keep flaming this board, you should at least learn how to use the Quote function... You'd think you could figure it out after 200 posts.

Matt

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

MattFS218

2005-01-19 11:36:19

So I have a 4 year undergraduate degree (?) from a university....So do I have a degree, diploma, and a transcript?

I think I'm having some problems with the cultural differences

I'm assuming a diploma is a 2 year degree?

A degree is a 4 year undergraduate University degree?

And a transcript is a piece of paper with all my classes and grades I recieved in each class.

Is this correct?

matt

I'm american btw.

MattFS218 2005-12-04 21:33:42

Poppa--I am not farang and if you can find me a full-time house cleaner for 2,000 baht/month in Pattaya who isn't going to work for a week and then steel all my stuff, please give me his/her number.

Building site people usually have housing and don't pay anything for transportation. Most in Pattaya are Burmese and not Thai btw...and work (often illegally) for far less than a Thai.

Matt you seem to have an identity problem, can you explain to us how you are not a falang but you are an American. I just cant work that one out. I don?t have the good education like yourself, I only got half a CSE when I was at school..

You also say you worked in an industrial estate, a Hotel. also hinting at two teaching jobs. In another post.!!!! You not telling pork pies are you.

How?s the selling of Electrical goods on Tv going, Laptops, Ipods, Memory cards ????

You even asked advice on how to take stuff to the USA in a suit case to sell on E-bay.

Advice on trading in stocks and shares in Singapore Hong Kong.

All this at 23, well done man, must be a good education at Starbucks.

Think its best we don?t have a coffee.

Come on tell the truth Matt or is it Water Mitty

By the way I think you have the Ego flaw.

Merry Christmas

[sierra01]

I can't decide if this is a case of 'my Dad's bigger than your Dad' or sticks and stones. Nonetheless, it's entertaining!

[britmaveric]

Hmmm a bizzare love triangle of sorts. I almost forgot what this thread was about, now it seems to be a Matt, Icecubes, Papa love fest.

[teletiger]

well, very entertaining, but getting back to the subject, as someone who works and employs Thai people in Issan i must take issue with a few misconceptions being put foreward on this subject.

I have found Thai workers on the whole to be a work-shy bunch of opportunists.

"people can't find work in Issan"? What a crock of &lt;deleted&gt;. I have 4 jobs pending on my farm, that local people are not willing to do. The reason? I'm a Farang and should pay more.

One job was to build a dry food barn. 120 sq mtrs. I drew up a worksheet for the 6 man crew recommended by a thai neighbour. 6men for 10 days which was easy work even by thai standards. I'd pay 300 baht per man per day. 18000 baht. They wanted 75000 baht. I eventually got my own staff to do it their spare time in 2 weeks and paid them 10000 baht. The three full-time staff I have got are paid well above going rates.They work all day, take an interest in their job and for me are well worth the extra money. But to get these three guys we had to endure 40/50 wasters. People who just showed an interest because it was a Farang involved. I often see these same people working for my Thai neighbours for 150 baht a day, and hard, really under the cosh. My brother in law, a chicken farmer, can't get staff. "People don't want to do manual labour anymore" he says. Have you seen 6 Thais on a building site? 1 man digging and 5 men watching.

Don't underestimate the farang factor.

Look at what Thai employers pay for the same jobs, It's an eye opener.

regards

[icecubes]

Sorry that was very rude of me last night.

I apologize for calling you a wanrek.

Very bad of me,  to much Chang

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't worry icecubes, everyone knows your all talk...you still haven't taken me up on my offer to discuss this matter face to face (I even offered to buy a beverage of your choice, for free).

Puss can't find the nerve to talk to a geeky 23-year old.

Oh, and if you're going to keep flaming this board, you should at least learn how to use the Quote function... You'd think you could figure it out after 200 posts.

Matt

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Matt, why you no come out to play anymore ???

To busy with work!!!!

[britmaveric]

Sorry that was very rude of me last night.

I apologize for calling you a wanrek.

Very bad of me,  to much Chang

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't worry icecubes, everyone knows your all talk...you still haven't taken me up on my offer to discuss this matter face to face (I even offered to buy a beverage of your choice, for free).

Puss can't find the nerve to talk to a geeky 23-year old.

Oh, and if you're going to keep flaming this board, you should at least learn how to use the Quote function... You'd think you could figure it out after 200 posts.

Matt

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Matt, why you no come out to play anymore ???

To busy with work!!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Check Starbucks!!!

[patsfangr]

poppa,

What's the matter, can't find a full-time housecleaner in pattaya for 2kbaht/mo? I just hope you pay your thai girlfriend more than 4kbaht/mo! Maybe after reading this thread, she'll get a raise.

Matt

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

sorry matt , i dont live with a prostitute so i do not pay her anything , in the west we have love and its no different for me out here

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

poppa,

I didn't say you live with a prostitute or that your thai girlfriend was a prostitute. All I said is that I hope you pay your thai girlfriend more than 4k baht/mo.

But don't worry; I'm sure I and all the other members of this board believe your last statement. All the best and all in good humor,

Matt

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

maybe off-topic, but now I'm really keen on knowing what the point is paying any monthly salary (or whatever you want to call it) to a Thai g/f? Really, really curious...or was it just an ironic remark? Then I haven't said anything....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree Raro, why pay a g/f anything? Paying even 1 baht changes the relationship, she's no longer a g/f but doing some kind of work or performing some kind of service for you.

I love the comment Poppa!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just a quick comment on this "paying a g/f" point, guys. My wife, to whom I've been married for 33 years, has not worked for most of that time. I have always given her money, beyond the "household" money, every payday. In my experience, that's true of every husband married to a non-working wife. It's just part of sharing everything, and not "payment" for anything. So I don't see anything wrong with a guy doing the same thing for a live in g/f.

I don't know Matt, and I have no idea about the relationship with this girl. But I certainly wouldn't have any more reason to believe that he's paying her for services than I would to believe that he's sharing with her, as a partner, to give her some independence. Know what I mean?

George

[MattFS218]

Just a quick comment on this "paying a g/f" point, guys. My wife, to whom I've been married for 33 years, has not worked for most of that time. I have always given her money, beyond the "household" money, every payday. In my experience, that's true of every husband married to a non-working wife. It's just part of sharing everything, and not "payment" for anything. So I don't see anything wrong with a guy doing the same thing for a live in g/f.

I don't know Matt, and I have no idea about the relationship with this girl. But I certainly wouldn't have any more reason to believe that he's paying her for services than I would to believe that he's sharing with her, as a partner, to give her some independence. Know what I mean?

George

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

George,

Thanks for being real...we need more honest people like you on this board. I agree with your ideology about sharing with your partner...I only wish poppa would think the same way! Merry Christmas!

Matt

[MattFS218]

Matt you seem to have an identity problem, can you explain to us how you are not a falang  but you are an American. I just cant work that one out. I don?t have the good education like yourself,  I only got half a CSE when I was at school..

You also say you worked in an industrial estate, a Hotel. also hinting at two teaching jobs. In another post.!!!! You not telling pork pies are you.

How?s the selling of Electrical goods on Tv going, Laptops, Ipods, Memory cards ????

You even asked advice on how to take stuff to the USA in a suit case to sell on E-bay.

Advice on trading in stocks and shares in Singapore  Hong Kong.

All this at 23, well done man,  must be a good education at Starbucks.

Think its best we don?t have a coffee.

Come on tell the truth Matt or  is it Water Mitty

By the way I think you have the Ego flaw.

Merry Christmas

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

icecubes,

My laptop broke last week and I was away in Ko Chang for the past two nights. Sorry, but responding to your insults is fun for free on my laptop @ starbucks but certainly not worth 1 baht/minute at the internet cafe.

Its good to know you took the time to read through all 100+ of my posts to find out every small detail about me, I appreciate the stardom despite the intelligence of my single fan. I could have saved you a lot mouse clicking if would simply come to starbucks and have coffee with me.

I worked at a school on the industrial estates for 4 months and at a hotel in Pattaya for the past 6, I am also an amateur investor and don't mind selling a few select imports here and there to make some extra pocket change.

I am an American with a Chinese ancestral background, which strictly speaking doesn't make me "farang". Traditionally farang is reserved for "white men" because it comes from the word "france". Occasionally people of Asian decent will be called farang, but for the most part we are yippon, or a slew of other adjectives. But my example in the post you quoted (incorrectly btw), was only to demonstrate to poppa that I'm aware of price levels and wages in Pattaya and not a guy who just arrived yesterday.

I may very well have an ego, just like yourself...but what makes me different from you isn't my education level...it's simply respect for others. All the best in the new year mr cubes.

[yarpy]

Tiger makes my point far better than I did.

Whatever deal these girls were on its bound to have been twice what a Thai owner would have paid for the same work and likely they were striking for even more as 'falang must pay'.

Now fired they will have been replaced in oh... 10 seconds flat. The falang business owners all talk to each other so likely they will be black balled at other falang businesses as troublemakers and so will likely have to work for a Thai at wages less than what they had before the strike.

AND they will probably be content with that. Thais are just plain wierd sometimes...

[MattFS218]

well, very entertaining, but getting back to the subject, as someone who works and employs Thai people in Issan i must take issue with a few misconceptions being put foreward on this subject.

I have found Thai workers on the whole to be a work-shy bunch of opportunists.

"people can't find work in Issan"? What a crock of &lt;deleted&gt;. I have 4 jobs pending on my farm, that local people are not willing to do. The reason? I'm a Farang and should pay more.

One job was to build a dry food barn. 120 sq mtrs. I drew up a worksheet for the 6 man crew recommended by a thai neighbour. 6men for 10 days which was easy work even by thai standards. I'd pay 300 baht per man per day. 18000 baht. They wanted 75000 baht. I eventually got my own staff to do it their spare time in 2 weeks and paid them 10000 baht. The three full-time staff I have got are paid well above going rates.They  work all day, take an interest in their job and for me are well worth the extra money. But to get these three guys we had to endure 40/50 wasters. People who just showed an interest because it was a Farang involved. I often see these same people working for my Thai neighbours for 150 baht a day, and hard, really under the cosh. My brother in law, a chicken farmer, can't get staff. "People don't want to do manual labour anymore" he says. Have you seen 6 Thais on a building site? 1 man digging and 5 men watching.

Don't underestimate the farang factor.

Look at what Thai employers pay for the same jobs, It's an eye opener.

regards

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

teletiger,

Interesting observations about the differing wage levels in Isan for a Thai vs. a farang employer. Unfortunately (because I think the practice is wrong) I believe what you are saying. Here's why:

Weather these perceptions are true or not, I cannot comment on...but I believe Thais often view farang employers to be less dependable, and farang bosses to be less understanding of Thai work culture. There is also the "rich" farang factor, all of which lead to a (sometimes hefty) premium.

When a Thai gets hired by another Thai, s/he can expect his/her hard work to be rewarded by additional work, a permanent job, or referral business. With a farang who could likely end up in Europe next month, these benefits are perceived to be non-existent.

There's also a general lack of Thai work culture and difficulties communicating (again, these are only what I believe to be the Thai perception). It's frustrating to both worker and employee when ideas can't be communicated. Often times this leads to conflicts with Thais ending up being the ultimate losers via forced overtime or being short changed when the job is complete (especially true in the building/contract business). There are other small items like New Year's bonuses that can be expected from a Thai employer but are iffy with a foreigner.

Perhaps tho, the "rich" farang factor accounts for most of the premium. But just remember, chances are your riches came a lot easier than theirs!

Matt

[icecubes]

MattFS218,2005-12-24 17:34:17]

One baht a minute for internet time, well that?s a awful load of cash.!!!!!!!

You better make a bit more money on stocks and shares to pay for it.

I?m surprised you have so much time for holidays and sitting at Starbucks all day

With all these jobs you do. It must be a nightmare with getting the correct work permits.

Have a nice Christmas

Love Icecubes

Ps Some times things are best kept in cyberspace its better for all, So no coffee for me thanks.

[richardb]

I wonder if anyone can tell me anything about training for the traditional massage ladies. A google search throws up several massage schools which offer govt approved courses from 30 hours to 600 hours but seem exclusively focused on the European market. I wonder if the training for thai ladies is at these same schools and also wonder if this might be an area where double pricing is in operation. I should add that I am particularly interested in the paper qualifications and particularly high level qualifications as these are likely to be a prerequisit to fullfulling UK work permit rules. I can dream

ps its cold and peeing down in N London

Richard