It Never Ceases To Amaze Me.............

[theblether]

It never ceases to amaze me how hard working ordinary Thais are. It humbles me...........and it reminds me how lucky I am.

To all of you millions of Thai people out there that work your fingers to the bone every day, running your little micro businesses, counting every penny,you are an example to us all of what hard work means.

I cannot tell you how much I admire and respect your work ethic and tenacity. You are the backbone of Thailand, my full respect to you, and to all of the millions upon millions of your fellow countrymen who graft in the fields, the farms, the factories, in the restaurants and hotels, every business imaginable.

The sacrifices you make by working away from home so that you can better provide for your family, all in the hope you may get a few days back in the village at holiday periods. You show us the value of family, of putting others first.

The ordinary working people of Thailand are an example to us all. Respect.

[GreenSnapper]

The hardest working 'Thais' are the Burmese construction workers. These are really miserable, in the heat, the dust and dirt and the ridiculous payment. They won't ever be able to afford even 1sqm of what they build.

[wana]

some of these micro businesses are pretty all right

theres a scruffy looking fruit slicer who gets a roaring trade between two big condo blocks and i later found out the fruit slice stalls manned by teenagers in the neighbouring streets are also his enterprise 's

then theres the laundry ,10 thb per item of clothing ? thats gotta be a money spinner

costs 40 thb to wash 12 kg of clothes in the machine (if you do it yourself)

give it to the lady in her "shop" ,she does all and charges 500-600 (if you want it ironed you can probably double that again

Her husband just bought a new harley davidson 1200cc and he doesnt even work himself .........

Edited June 27, 2012 by wana

[theblether]

They do it all through hard graft, they work hard, they save hard, and they sacrifice for their families. These people make Thailand what it is, they scratch around the forests looking for windfalls, scraping a living selling their fruits and produce at the side of the road.

This the reality of life in Thailand, people grafting and scratching for a living, they put a lot of country people to shame. The ordinary people of Thailand are the true jewels of the country.

[smokie36]

I helped my ex bar girl friend set up her laundry business. Suffice to say she is thriving....in spite of her being useless with money I have to admit.

At one time she had a thriving massage business before I met her but she has big ideas still...and occasionally I get a panic call asking for advice....but she has learnt to listen at least.

However she isn't afraid of putting in 18 hour days, and I applaud her for that at least.

[MrRealDeal]

Please pass that along to the last contractors I had , who did an excellent job however had a shift of 6 with 2-3 laying down sobering up in shifts at any given time ! I get your point but I think it's a bit of an exaguration. Thai people don't come to the city to work as a sacrafice they come because they think it's better not a sacrafice. I have never seen Thai or Burmeese people work anywhere close to as hard or get a house up nearly as fast as Mexicans in America , and their general work ethic is no where near the Japaneese.

The unfortunate reality is if in fact they did work really hard and were in fact productive while doing it, they would get paid more than they do. Their low pay is a function of their lack of productivity not because the owners are ripping them off so bad and keeping a staggeringly unfair percentage of the company profits.

Edited June 27, 2012 by MrRealDeal

[theblether]

There are always going to be examples of shoddy workmanship, and some feckless workers, it doesn't get away from the fact though that there are millions of small business owners trying their best to scratch a living.

[MrRealDeal]

I have pretty much the oppisite opinion , when I see hard working Thai people they stand out as unusual not the norm , for example go to patpong and watch the guys set up or take down the shopping area around the bars and those guys actually do work hard and it's noteworthy because it's unusual , I see guys packing bags of rice at a hard working clip and it stands out because it's unusual not because everyone is doing it. Have you been inside many factorys ? The pace is pretty slow , a fish factory in Alaska runs nearly 3 times as fast. The labor required to make a Toyota in Thailand is FAR more than the same setup in Japan. A Thai watriess would have a VERY difficult time adjusting to working a busy shift at Dennys in America because they just don't move that fast. Have you seen a bartender in a busy nighclub in Vegas slinging out the drinks so fast you can barely believe it ? I have sure never seen that in Thailand !

Those millions of small biz owners would be better off with some Denny's waitress's , Vegas bartenders , Japaneese auto workers , and Mexican construction workers in my opinion.

My friend who is Thai and educated in Calif owns Hotels in Thailand and he told me once it takes 4 Thai people to do the work of 1 American at his Thai Hotels. Probabbly a bit of an exaguration but you get the point.

[brit1984]

Our Thai maid in Bangkok works a solid 10 hour shift for 5 pounds per day. In London, we paid 10 pounds per hour!

Seeing some of these low-level workers slave away for a pittance reminds me how lucky I am to have been born in a country with such great opportunities for well-paid employment.

I hope one day the Thai workers will be rewarded for their endeavours with equivalent wages.

[MrRealDeal]

I hope one day they are rewared for the endeavors with equivalent wages IF they reward the company with equivalent productivity....... as of now they do not

And exactly who is in controll of paying your maid ? It seems a little disingenous to me, to say you hope your maid gets paid the same someday and then pay her 5 pounds a day ? Or did you mean you hope the other guy does all the paying ?

Edited June 27, 2012 by MrRealDeal

[edwinclapham]

I have a very good Thai friend who works in an Ice Factory in Nong Khai. An 10 hr shift cutting up slabs of ice with no protective clothing, then onto his 2nd job slaughtering pigs, stopping off to check on my Dad on the way home... 5 kids, wife and family to support.

A perpetual smile from ear to ear and never a word of complaint.

Nice to see a good positive thread about a great nation.

[theblether]

Thanks very much, but there's always one.........MrRealDeal, try to tell us a nice positive story about a Thai you know that works very hard. We promise we won't hold it against you.

.

Edited June 27, 2012 by theblether

[brit1984]

I hope one day they are rewared for the endeavors with equivalent wages IF they reward the company with equivalent productivity....... as of now they do not

And exactly who is in controll of paying your maid ? It seems a little disingenous to me, to say you hope your maid gets paid the same someday and then pay her 5 pounds a day ? Or did you mean you hope the other guy does all the paying ?

Better productivity will come over time in line with improved education and training, as well as more efficient working hours.

My point about hours is that they are often working the equivalent hours of two full-time jobs, and one's productivity is negatively correlated to working hours.

Also, don't forget (on the flip side) that Thai workers are not protected by anything like as strict labour laws as back in the UK, for example.

With regards to our maid, we pay the local going rate (obviously) as paying her London wages would cost us an extra +100k baht per month.

However, I wouldn't mind paying that if it was the going rate and if that was the personal price of an entire nation of workers (including my extended family) receiving a good wage.

Sent from iPhone; please forgive any typos or violations of forum rules

Edited June 27, 2012 by brit1984

[MrRealDeal]

Thanks very much, but there's always one.........MrRealDeal, try to tell us a nice positive story about a Thai you know that works very hard. We promise we won't hold it against you.

.

Well I did ! ... those guys in Patpong are amazing hard workers , I go to a hospital near their once in a while with my wife and I like to sit there and have a beer and watch them bust ass ! I am not going to comment much more because like I said I just have a different take overall , but certianly their are some amazingly hard working Thai people.

[theblether]

Thanks very much, but there's always one.........MrRealDeal, try to tell us a nice positive story about a Thai you know that works very hard. We promise we won't hold it against you.

.

Well I did ! ... those guys in Patpong are amazing hard workers , I go to a hospital near their once in a while with my wife and I like to sit there and have a beer and watch them bust ass ! I am not going to comment much more because like I said I just have a different take overall , but certianly their are some amazingly hard working Thai people.

To be fair I did see your earlier comment but it didn't register Apologies for that

[smokie36]

I have pretty much the oppisite opinion , when I see hard working Thai people they stand out as unusual not the norm , for example go to patpong and watch the guys set up or take down the shopping area around the bars and those guys actually do work hard and it's noteworthy because it's unusual , I see guys packing bags of rice at a hard working clip and it stands out because it's unusual not because everyone is doing it. Have you been inside many factorys ? The pace is pretty slow , a fish factory in Alaska runs nearly 3 times as fast. The labor required to make a Toyota in Thailand is FAR more than the same setup in Japan. A Thai watriess would have a VERY difficult time adjusting to working a busy shift at Dennys in America because they just don't move that fast. Have you seen a bartender in a busy nighclub in Vegas slinging out the drinks so fast you can barely believe it ? I have sure never seen that in Thailand !

Those millions of small biz owners would be better off with some Denny's waitress's , Vegas bartenders , Japaneese auto workers , and Mexican construction workers in my opinion.

My friend who is Thai and educated in Calif owns Hotels in Thailand and he told me once it takes 4 Thai people to do the work of 1 American at his Thai Hotels. Probabbly a bit of an exaguration but you get the point.

The two Thai girls I met working at AMT coffee in Reading deserve a mention here....knocking out hundreds of coffees an hour with always a sizeable queue but still made time to chat to all their regular customers every day with a smile.

After their shift they were off to improve their English and then work in a Thai restaurant in the evening as well.

Hard work has its rewards and those two girls i know are still in the UK and thriving. Good for them!

[David48]

I certainly do agree with the OP that there are some amazing success stories in Thailand and given the opportunity the Thai can be some of the most industrious and efficient workers going.

However I do preface that the working life here does have two faces.

The government held positions and working for a larger company doesn’t engender a more relaxed attitude to work … but isn’t that one of the character traits that we enjoy in Thai Culture?

[David48]

Following on from above … it’s my experience that when a Thai has the opportunity to work for him or her self and more so, when they work for their family, their true industrious work ethic shines.

Here is the story of my gf’s Father who, with his wife, run a profitable Fish and Shrimp/Prawn Farm.

If you have ever worked or stayed close to the Farming Community, you know only to well that there are no ‘Sundays’ or sleep-ins on a Farm.

You are awake before the sun rises and asleep not long afterwards. Sure, you compensate with a noon siesta … but only Mad Dogs and Englishmen would work the midday Thai sun.

The Farm Father did his duty for the Kingdom and served in the Navy for many a year … in the process he lost his leg below the knee.

Did he take up the bottle and woe is me?

No … he's out there with his prosthetic on, nearly knee deep in the mud helping with the last of the fish harvest after the pond has drained.

Almost nothing slows him down ... I tip my hat to him.

That’s part of the story of the Farm Father.

The Farm Mother is equally impressive, but a story for another time maybe.

If you are interested in meeting them and seeing how a Thai Fish and Shrimp/Prawn Farm works drop by that thread.

[loong]

I do see a few that are extremely hard workers, but they are not the norm.

I know of a few employers that pay 250 Baht/day plus food that have constant problems with finding reliable staff who will actually turn up each day.

We employed 4 people to work piece rate, as it was hard work, we paid them more than the going rate. The next day, not one of them showed up. They showed up 2 days later when they were broke!

Many will only work as much as is necessary to get by. I suppose that there is nothing wrong with that if they are happy. But it can be very frustrating for the people who employ them.

[loong]

Yes David, I agree that many of those who are running their own businesses tend to work the hardest.

There are 2 families in this village that make those low tables/seats. They start at first light and are on the go all day.

[GuestHouse]

Auch the view from afar.

.... much of that vaulted 'industriousness' does not stand closer inspection.

Edited June 27, 2012 by GuestHouse

[impulse]

I do see a few that are extremely hard workers, but they are not the norm.

I know of a few employers that pay 250 Baht/day plus food that have constant problems with finding reliable staff who will actually turn up each day.

Perhaps that's because they'd never make more than XXX per day doing what they're hiring them for.

That lady cooking chicken by my office building can grow her business as big as her capabilities allow, including setting up others to run her little kiosks, and paying them XXX per day...

What amazes me is the environment that allows people to start a tiny business for a few thousand baht. In the USA, between licenses, insurance, health inspections, minimal rental, deposits on rent and utilities, and on and on, the cost of starting a business locks out the folks that most need the work.

Edited June 27, 2012 by impulse

[GuestHouse]

My own personal observation is, there is about the same proportion of hard working Thais as there are hard workers anywhere else in the world I've worked.

The difference here is there is no pretence, you are either a grafter and get on and graft or you plough all your energies into doing as little as possible to get through the day.

So perhaps 10% are hard working the rest are passing the time between snacks.

[MrRealDeal]

I do see a few that are extremely hard workers, but they are not the norm.

I know of a few employers that pay 250 Baht/day plus food that have constant problems with finding reliable staff who will actually turn up each day.

Perhaps that's because they'd never make more than XXX per day doing what they're hiring them for.

That lady cooking chicken by my office building can grow her business as big as her capabilities allow, including setting up others to run her little kiosks, and paying them XXX per day...

What amazes me is the environment that allows people to start a tiny business for a few thousand baht. In the USA, between licenses, insurance, health inspections, minimal rental, deposits on rent and utilities, and on and on, the cost of starting a business locks out the folks that most need the work.

You find the same thing in Thailand ..... people pay "rent" to someone even on the side of a street you know....... health inspections dont cost the bisness by the way , paid for by the general tax fund. It's not nearly as cheap as it looks to start a simple chicken stand , wanna drive a motorbike ? Better have a few 10,000 bhat bills to buy the vest The lady with a chicken stand anyplace can grow it as big as their capabilitys allow not just Thailand.

[MrRealDeal]

My own personal observation is, there is about the same proportion of hard working Thais as there are hard workers anywhere else in the world I've worked.

The difference here is there is no pretence, you are either a grafter and get on and graft or you plough all your energies into doing as little as possible to get through the day.

So perhaps 10% are hard working the rest are passing the time between snacks.

You also have to compare Apples to Apples , people in hot climates work slower than people from cold climates , which is why I compared Mexican construction workers. Don't be insulted if your from the south it's just a fact of life.

[canuckamuck]

I have seen extreme examples on both ends, I guess that makes Thais normal (oops we can't say that). There are conditions in Thailand that facilitate total inefficiency, but that is not to say Thais can't or won't work hard. When put in a situation where hard work is not expected or rewarded most people take it easy. This time of year in the village where I live, everyone is expending every last bit of energy to get the crops in before the main part of the rains start. It is hard to imagine they could work any harder, and it is freaking hot some times. I doubt I could do as well.

[ArtVandalay84]

I found this video on Youtube awhile back. It's some British reality show, where they made some folks live and work as Issan rice farmers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huCO1y1ERvA

[canuckamuck]

I do see a few that are extremely hard workers, but they are not the norm.

I know of a few employers that pay 250 Baht/day plus food that have constant problems with finding reliable staff who will actually turn up each day.

Perhaps that's because they'd never make more than XXX per day doing what they're hiring them for.

That lady cooking chicken by my office building can grow her business as big as her capabilities allow, including setting up others to run her little kiosks, and paying them XXX per day...

What amazes me is the environment that allows people to start a tiny business for a few thousand baht. In the USA, between licenses, insurance, health inspections, minimal rental, deposits on rent and utilities, and on and on, the cost of starting a business locks out the folks that most need the work.

You find the same thing in Thailand ..... people pay "rent" to someone even on the side of a street you know....... health inspections dont cost the bisness by the way , paid for by the general tax fund. It's not nearly as cheap as it looks to start a simple chicken stand , wanna drive a motorbike ? Better have a few 10,000 bhat bills to buy the vest The lady with a chicken stand anyplace can grow it as big as their capabilitys allow not just Thailand.

10,000 baht bills eh?

[MrRealDeal]

I do see a few that are extremely hard workers, but they are not the norm.

I know of a few employers that pay 250 Baht/day plus food that have constant problems with finding reliable staff who will actually turn up each day.

Perhaps that's because they'd never make more than XXX per day doing what they're hiring them for.

That lady cooking chicken by my office building can grow her business as big as her capabilities allow, including setting up others to run her little kiosks, and paying them XXX per day...

What amazes me is the environment that allows people to start a tiny business for a few thousand baht. In the USA, between licenses, insurance, health inspections, minimal rental, deposits on rent and utilities, and on and on, the cost of starting a business locks out the folks that most need the work.

You find the same thing in Thailand ..... people pay "rent" to someone even on the side of a street you know....... health inspections dont cost the bisness by the way , paid for by the general tax fund. It's not nearly as cheap as it looks to start a simple chicken stand , wanna drive a motorbike ? Better have a few 10,000 bhat bills to buy the vest The lady with a chicken stand anyplace can grow it as big as their capabilitys allow not just Thailand.

10,000 baht bills eh?

Well I was kidding about the actual bills but it wasnt a missprint and their are in fact 10,000 bht Thai notes just a lot more fake ones than real ones ! ...... They are green if you care ! Edited June 27, 2012 by MrRealDeal

[canuckamuck]

Can't find any proof of that, but I did find this, it is a bit dated http://thailandforvisitors.com/general/moneygal.html

No sign of a 10k note