The Essence Of Being Hi-So

[MediumPaceBowler]

The essence of Hi-So

How do you talented and distinguished peopled define the term HI-SO?

It seems to be a term that here on Thaivisa is poorly misunderstood.

Is it about old money versus new money?

Is it about education?

Is it to do with speech (intonation, vocabulary and accent)?

Is it to do with dress sense, deportment, composure and confidence?

If you have a HI-SO girlfriend or wife, why do you feel she warrants this term (or description)?

Here are some suggestions:

1. educated overseas (no -- not an indicator).

2. educated at Chulalongkhorn or Thammasat (obviously not an indicator).

3. a surname such as "na Ayuthaya" (possibly -- I'm really not too sure about this).

4. her father has a Bentley instead of a Rolls Royce (in all probability, yes).

5. she dines at the Dusit Thani in Bangkok instead of a farang joint in Khao San (usually yes -- but less so these days).

6. she's Thai-Chinese (no -- it's only here on ThaiVisa that uneducated pricks make this connection).

7. neither her parents nor her grandparents were farmers or manual workers (debatable).

8. her father owns a teak mansion that's more than 100 years old (maybe a yes).

9. she feels physically ill when you talk about the Prime Minister's brother (depends on many other factors, too)

POSTING GUIDELINES

Best not to post unless you've lived here in Thailand for a few years.

No stalkers.

No weirdos.

No creeps who post obsessively on this forum even though they don't live in Thailand.

[wana]

same time every night........

[theblether]

Many Hi-So take pride in owning exotic dogs.

[Tonto21]

Question please; why would someone be a creep because they post on TV but don’t live here?

To answer your question; what makes someone Hi-So…….It’s the Lo-So around them, acting Lo-So.

I term myself…So-So, Hi to some….Lo to others.

And the stalking charge was dropped, (lack of evidence)

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Same problems as the recent "class" threads, totally arbitrary.

From the lower person's POV, anyone with "first world problems" like which smartphone to buy this quarter.

From the aristocrat's (or wannabees), it's those that would never consider lifting a finger unnecessarily, much less actually earning a living, true-blue jetsetter trust-fund-babies only please.

I tend to use it, only disparagingly, for Thais that obviously have the need to set themselves apart from the hoi polloi, usually out of insecurity, but sometimes simply obliviously inconsiderate.

Unfortunately that covers a very high proportion of the wealthy Thais I've come across, but there are also many that are down-to-earth, don't put on airs and are not only actively concerned about the welfare of common people in the abstract, financially supporting charities without seeking status from it, but are actually considerate of the feelings of the ordinary people around them in their day-to-day lives.

These latter I call "classy".

[endure]

Women with big hair.

[NanLaew]

I think there's a Thai 'old money' class that are so far above the wannabe hi-so's that they just don't appear on the radar. Some members of the family may have the odd Uni degree and some degree's may have been earned overseas but it's not mandatory. But chances are that the kids did get educated in expensive schools in Europe. The brightest siblings get a seat at the company table whilst the ones that were less ardent students probably have at least 2 stars in the police force. They don't drive flash cars but do have some well appointed minibuses with a driver to take then shopping, golfing, etc.. The patriarch may have a Bentley or a Porche or two but that's just for mucking about. There's no farangs anywhere in their work or social life. They have big, expensive but quite tasteless houses out on the west side around Thawi Wattana way as well as plots of land all over the country. These buggers are rolling in it and ARE the politics of LOS in that they pay whatever shirt colour results in profit.

Then there's the wannabe hi-so's who are in fact the newly formed crust on the relatively new and rapidly expanding middle class. They have what they see as the trappings of hi-so'ness in as much as they have a condo and a Merc but they are still making payments on both. They have some degree or other from a local Uni but aren't as polished as those they aspire to be. They are just starting families and those kids are doomed to the local 'international' schools or rather, local schools with fancy foreign names similar to prestige schools overseas. There may be some farangs sniffing around for the crumbs that drop from their quite small tables. These ones have what is called in my homeland, fur coat and no drawers... i.e., appearances are deceptive. They get the vapours whenever they see a red shirt.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

I think there's a Thai 'old money' class that are so far above the wannabe hi-so's that they just don't appear on the radar. Some members of the family may have the odd Uni degree and some degree's may have been earned overseas but it's not mandatory. But chances are that the kids did get educated in expensive schools in Europe. The brightest siblings get a seat at the company table whilst the ones that were less ardent students probably have at least 2 stars in the police force. They don't drive flash cars but do have some well appointed minibuses with a driver to take then shopping, golfing, etc.. The patriarch may have a Bentley or a Porche or two but that's just for mucking about. There's no farangs anywhere in their work or social life. They have big, expensive but quite tasteless houses out on the west side around Thawi Wattana way as well as plots of land all over the country. These buggers are rolling in it and ARE the politics of LOS in that they pay whatever shirt colour results in profit.

Then there's the wannabe hi-so's who are in fact the newly formed crust on the relatively new and rapidly expanding middle class. They have what they see as the trappings of hi-so'ness in as much as they have a condo and a Merc but they are still making payments on both. They have some degree or other from a local Uni but aren't as polished as those they aspire to be. They are just starting families and those kids are doomed to the local 'international' schools or rather, local schools with fancy foreign names similar to prestige schools overseas. There may be some farangs sniffing around for the crumbs that drop from their quite small tables. These ones have what is called in my homeland, fur coat and no drawers... i.e., appearances are deceptive. They get the vapours whenever they see a red shirt.

You actually buy into this crap don't you?

[richard_smith237]

I think there's a Thai 'old money' class that are so far above the wannabe hi-so's that they just don't appear on the radar. Some members of the family may have the odd Uni degree and some degree's may have been earned overseas but it's not mandatory. But chances are that the kids did get educated in expensive schools in Europe. The brightest siblings get a seat at the company table whilst the ones that were less ardent students probably have at least 2 stars in the police force. They don't drive flash cars but do have some well appointed minibuses with a driver to take then shopping, golfing, etc.. The patriarch may have a Bentley or a Porche or two but that's just for mucking about. There's no farangs anywhere in their work or social life. They have big, expensive but quite tasteless houses out on the west side around Thawi Wattana way as well as plots of land all over the country. These buggers are rolling in it and ARE the politics of LOS in that they pay whatever shirt colour results in profit.

Then there's the wannabe hi-so's who are in fact the newly formed crust on the relatively new and rapidly expanding middle class. They have what they see as the trappings of hi-so'ness in as much as they have a condo and a Merc but they are still making payments on both. They have some degree or other from a local Uni but aren't as polished as those they aspire to be. They are just starting families and those kids are doomed to the local 'international' schools or rather, local schools with fancy foreign names similar to prestige schools overseas. There may be some farangs sniffing around for the crumbs that drop from their quite small tables. These ones have what is called in my homeland, fur coat and no drawers... i.e., appearances are deceptive. They get the vapours whenever they see a red shirt.

And then there is everything in-between, above and below these astute perceptions as once again on Thaivisa.com we fail magnificently in an attempt to place society into a series of boxes in a failed attempt to understand it.

IMO: there is only one thing to understand - And that is the varied nature of any society, including Thailand's is so evident it would be impossible to accurately characterise any part of it.

[NanLaew]

I think there's a Thai 'old money' class that are so far above the wannabe hi-so's that they just don't appear on the radar. Some members of the family may have the odd Uni degree and some degree's may have been earned overseas but it's not mandatory. But chances are that the kids did get educated in expensive schools in Europe. The brightest siblings get a seat at the company table whilst the ones that were less ardent students probably have at least 2 stars in the police force. They don't drive flash cars but do have some well appointed minibuses with a driver to take then shopping, golfing, etc.. The patriarch may have a Bentley or a Porche or two but that's just for mucking about. There's no farangs anywhere in their work or social life. They have big, expensive but quite tasteless houses out on the west side around Thawi Wattana way as well as plots of land all over the country. These buggers are rolling in it and ARE the politics of LOS in that they pay whatever shirt colour results in profit.

Then there's the wannabe hi-so's who are in fact the newly formed crust on the relatively new and rapidly expanding middle class. They have what they see as the trappings of hi-so'ness in as much as they have a condo and a Merc but they are still making payments on both. They have some degree or other from a local Uni but aren't as polished as those they aspire to be. They are just starting families and those kids are doomed to the local 'international' schools or rather, local schools with fancy foreign names similar to prestige schools overseas. There may be some farangs sniffing around for the crumbs that drop from their quite small tables. These ones have what is called in my homeland, fur coat and no drawers... i.e., appearances are deceptive. They get the vapours whenever they see a red shirt.

You actually buy into this crap don't you?

It's not my homeland or culture so I aint buying squat! We appear to have been ruminating at the same time so in a nutshell, my 'old money' are your 'classy' and my 'wannabe' are your 'insecure'.

And now back to the TV hoipolloi....

[brit1984]

Hi-So is a silly term used mostly by silly people

[wana]

I think there's a Thai 'old money' class that are so far above the wannabe hi-so's that they just don't appear on the radar. Some members of the family may have the odd Uni degree and some degree's may have been earned overseas but it's not mandatory. But chances are that the kids did get educated in expensive schools in Europe. The brightest siblings get a seat at the company table whilst the ones that were less ardent students probably have at least 2 stars in the police force. They don't drive flash cars but do have some well appointed minibuses with a driver to take then shopping, golfing, etc.. The patriarch may have a Bentley or a Porche or two but that's just for mucking about. There's no farangs anywhere in their work or social life. They have big, expensive but quite tasteless houses out on the west side around Thawi Wattana way as well as plots of land all over the country. These buggers are rolling in it and ARE the politics of LOS in that they pay whatever shirt colour results in profit.

Then there's the wannabe hi-so's who are in fact the newly formed crust on the relatively new and rapidly expanding middle class. They have what they see as the trappings of hi-so'ness in as much as they have a condo and a Merc but they are still making payments on both. They have some degree or other from a local Uni but aren't as polished as those they aspire to be. They are just starting families and those kids are doomed to the local 'international' schools or rather, local schools with fancy foreign names similar to prestige schools overseas. There may be some farangs sniffing around for the crumbs that drop from their quite small tables. These ones have what is called in my homeland, fur coat and no drawers... i.e., appearances are deceptive. They get the vapours whenever they see a red shirt.

And then there is everything in-between, above and below these astute perceptions as once again on Thaivisa.com we fail magnificently in an attempt to place society into a series of boxes in a failed attempt to understand it.

IMO: there is only one thing to understand - And that is the varied nature of any society, including Thailand's is so evident it would be impossible to accurately characterise any part of it.

thats all very nice ,but lets get back to slanderous definitions and unfair stereotypes in our attempt to classify thai society

into farang sized boxes .........it makes for more interesting reading to hear from some of the diverse individuals and how they

percieve thailand and its class system while living slap bang in the middle of it.....

[smokie36]

Living in Thailand is no bar to posting on any subject here. Many of us have Thai partners wherever we live.

Its offensive to suggest what you have OP.

See how lenient I am?

[NanLaew]

I think there's a Thai 'old money' class that are so far above the wannabe hi-so's that they just don't appear on the radar. Some members of the family may have the odd Uni degree and some degree's may have been earned overseas but it's not mandatory. But chances are that the kids did get educated in expensive schools in Europe. The brightest siblings get a seat at the company table whilst the ones that were less ardent students probably have at least 2 stars in the police force. They don't drive flash cars but do have some well appointed minibuses with a driver to take then shopping, golfing, etc.. The patriarch may have a Bentley or a Porche or two but that's just for mucking about. There's no farangs anywhere in their work or social life. They have big, expensive but quite tasteless houses out on the west side around Thawi Wattana way as well as plots of land all over the country. These buggers are rolling in it and ARE the politics of LOS in that they pay whatever shirt colour results in profit.

Then there's the wannabe hi-so's who are in fact the newly formed crust on the relatively new and rapidly expanding middle class. They have what they see as the trappings of hi-so'ness in as much as they have a condo and a Merc but they are still making payments on both. They have some degree or other from a local Uni but aren't as polished as those they aspire to be. They are just starting families and those kids are doomed to the local 'international' schools or rather, local schools with fancy foreign names similar to prestige schools overseas. There may be some farangs sniffing around for the crumbs that drop from their quite small tables. These ones have what is called in my homeland, fur coat and no drawers... i.e., appearances are deceptive. They get the vapours whenever they see a red shirt.

And then there is everything in-between, above and below these astute perceptions as once again on Thaivisa.com we fail magnificently in an attempt to place society into a series of boxes in a failed attempt to understand it.

IMO: there is only one thing to understand - And that is the varied nature of any society, including Thailand's is so evident it would be impossible to accurately characterise any part of it.

Indeed there are the overwhelming masses outwith the food group that the OP has chosen as tonights wind up toy.

[theblether]

I still think dogs have something to do with it.

[brit1984]

I still think dogs have something to do with it.

Pedigrees or the other type?

[theblether]

I still think dogs have something to do with it.

Pedigrees or the other type?

Well to keep it on topic, the other type.

I'll get my coat..........

[NanLaew]

shi tzu or some other mongrel

[richard_smith237]

I still think dogs have something to do with it.

Pedigrees or the other type?

Well, one would have to assume pedigree would one not ?

Difficulty presents itself when deciding upon which pedigree maybe considered hi-so.

To identify with but a few...

Doberman - too dark (We all know this one !)

Corgy - Too short (We all know the hi-so are taller!)

Pug - Too flat nosed (don't go there !)

West Highland White Terrier - Too Scottish (sorry... you know who)

Jack Russel - Too short and can't catch (erm... cricket themed)

Old English Sheep Dog - Too old (and is only seen with NEP rejects!)

I suspect a Dalmatian with the black spots tippexed out would work... There you go, you have a nice, white, tall, blemish free bitch at your side.. Now how hi-so is that ?

[theblether]

I still think dogs have something to do with it.

Pedigrees or the other type?

Well, one would have to assume pedigree would one not ?

Difficulty presents itself when deciding upon which pedigree maybe considered hi-so.

To identify with but a few...

Doberman - too dark (We all know this one !)

Corgy - Too short (We all know the hi-so are taller!)

Pug - Too flat nosed (don't go there !)

West Highland White Terrier - Too Scottish (sorry... you know who)

Jack Russel - Too short and can't catch (erm... cricket themed)

Old English Sheep Dog - Too old (and is only seen with NEP rejects!)

I suspect a Dalmatian with the black spots tippexed out would work... There you go, you have a nice, white, tall, blemish free bitch at your side.. Now how hi-so is that ?

Hmmm, well thought out, but I still think the chances are that the father was a back door opportunist. It takes three generations to breed out such imperfections you know.

[Tywais]

Posts removed linking/quoting posts in another topic that have been removed.

[jackinbkk]

The correlation between a users number of posts and stupid questions is astounding....

[KeyserSoze01]

Women with big hair.

You just described every woman in the state of Texas.

To me, Hi-So is more of an attitude than anything else. That air or pretension which reeks with the message, my <deleted> doesn't stink and you'd best grovel at my feet lest I unleash the hounds on you.

I know poor people who think their <deleted> doesn't stink and I know very, very wealthy people that you couldn't tell they had any money at all by talking to them. Salt of the earth types. Hi-So is a state of mind. A very bad one IMO.

[brit1984]

The correlation between a users number of posts and stupid questions is astounding....

Do you mean a positive or negative correlation?

(oops... I think I unwittingly answered my own question... I assume I will grow out of it as my post count grows)

[smokie36]

The correlation between a users number of posts and stupid questions is astounding....

Do you mean a positive or negative correlation?

(oops... I think I unwittingly answered my own question... I assume I will grow out of it as my post count grows)

How many more silly threads I wonder?

[samran]

Hard to define, but I have a couple of mates who are 100% hi so.

All sons and daughters of politicians, or major business family.

Some red. Some yellow.

The only commonalities are that they are members of the RBSC, if the get married a senior royal or politician (yingluck, abhisit, Korn etc) comes to preside over festivities and they get in Thailand tattler on a semi regular basis, not that this in itself explains much.

Edited May 7, 2012 by samran

[David48]

You know, my Thai Gf must be different.

According to the OP's definition she is definitely not 'HI-SO' ... the daughter of a Fish Farmer never could be ... heck, she doesn't even own a car.

Can't be 'LOW-SO' because she's university educated ...

Humm, not HI-SO, nor LOW-SO ... that must make her, by definition 'SO-SO'.

When I speak with her next I will inform her of her new class rating according the learned people here on TVF ... then DUCK.

And keep ducking until all the bullets have been fired ... or I'm dead.

Speaking of the Fish Farm, they had a duck there, thought that it was good security but the darn thing keep on squawking on about nothing ... now a dead duck, not a pretty sight ... tasty though.

Footnote ... in keeping in line with the PC directive, there is no implication that being without a University education defines you as LOW-SO.

Edited May 7, 2012 by David48

[mjj]

Hi-so eat kfc with knife and fork.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Hi-So is a silly term used mostly by silly people

Often yes, but it's also just a slangy term for 'upper class'. 'Upper class' as a term has it's uses.

3. a surname such as "na Ayuthaya" (possibly -- I'm really not too sure about this).

Possibly, though I also know a bargirl with that surname. (A somewhat middle-class one, relatively speaking, though her family doesn't appear to be actual upper class in any definition.)

Edited May 8, 2012 by WinnieTheKhwai

[mauGR1]

Once i saw a hi-so girl (not talking about magazines)

I was walking near KSR, and i saw an Italian economy car from the sixties, transformed into convertible, painted with the most shocking pink panther pink colour..One girl at the wheel..

The girl was young and beautiful, dressed in black and wearing huge sunglasses, with her long black hair in the wind..She looked as cool as the car.

Now, i'm not saying that you must drive a car like that to be hi-so, but for sure it helps.