The Intellectual Aspects Of Living In Thailand

[JurgenG]

For my intellectual development, I talk to old people.

In Thailand we have the chance to have a lot of retired expat with tons of very interesting experiences. In an other thread people were listing where they have previously worked, it almost covers the world ! I know quite a lot of retired engineers in the field of oil, telecommunications, airlines ... Listening to them is better than to read a book, more interactive to use a trendy word

I learned Thailand recent history with my father in law. He is a retired businessman and has now problem walking. So when I've time I drive him around meeting old friends and business associates. It's incredible the amount of information I've learned during these conversations.

[Nick in Thailand]

For my intellectual development, I talk to old people.

In Thailand we have the chance to have a lot of retired expat with tons of very interesting experiences. In an other thread people were listing where they have previously worked, it almost covers the world ! I know quite a lot of retired engineers in the field of oil, telecommunications, airlines ... Listening to them is better than to read a book, more interactive to use a trendy word

I totally agree, a very effortless and humble way to better oneself. I particularly enjoy sharing a beer or two with one of Thailand's many Vietnam vets.

[TommoPhysicist]

I notice that nobody has noted 'reading Thai' yet. I learnt French, Swiss German and High German, but was never so challenged as now that I'm getting into Thai.

The title was Intellectual pursuits, while learning to read Thai may be a challenge, the actual written content is the usual crap.

[Ulysses G.]

I eat a lot and spend time with really intellectual demimondaines.

[anon210]

I try to attend to those poor few classical music performances held in Bangkok... Sometimes it is painful to see an Opera condensed and directed by thais....

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect App

[Songhua]

From time to time I spend a day with a couple of mates, you know, to watch the footy or whatever. One of them can read fairly well and the other is able to write.

I always feel good when I hang around with intellectuals.

[topt]

I eat a lot and spend time with really intellectual demimondaines.

I tried this but somehow did not get very far. I salute you.

Can you let the rest of us know where you find them?

[Soutpeel]

I read up on advanced particle physics's and if I am looking for something a bit lighter... Plato

[Naam]

what sort of intellectual pursuits do you engage in whilst living here in Thailand?

when my dogs indicate that they need some time to digest my daily lecture of quantum mechanics we switch to more intelligent pursuits, such as

-is it possible to catch a slice of salami, a piece of gouda and an olive out of midair without one piece dropping to the floor? this pursuit is a bit frustrating for me because i always lose

[BoonToong]

One day you will wake up a say this is not my beautiful house, that is not my beautiful wife, what have I done?

Same as it ever was

[MrHammer]

I read books, watch foreign cinema and try to avoid debating bored trolls on Thaivisa such as TS.

Let's be brutally honest, there is no intellectual tradition to speak off in Thailand. With 95% of Thais, if you bring up any kind of 'serious' topic you can almost see them squirm in discomfort. And I'm not saying it to be negative, but Thai culture is extrovert and sensual, not introvert and reflective. That's why people love to travel here, but it does make it somewhat boring if you need a lot of mental stimulation.

[David006]

Intellectual ..Thailand..hmmm

[geriatrickid]

I try to attend to those poor few classical music performances held in Bangkok... Sometimes it is painful to see an Opera condensed and directed by thais....

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect App

Do they actually attempt to sing in Italian, or French or German?

[JurgenG]

One day you will wake up a say this is not my beautiful house, that is not my beautiful wife, what have I done?

Same as it ever was

We are on a road to nowhere ...

Edited September 28, 2012 by JurgenG

[Wavefloater]

Good question. I think we sometimes forget that it's important to exercise our minds, as well as our bodies.

I'm fortunate enough to work in an environment that employs many highly-educated and interesting foreigners, so the opportunity for stimulating conversations is always there. My grandfather, who died in his late 80's, was mentally sharp when on his death bed, and he always reminded us to push ourselves mentally by reading, doing mental puzzles, and conversing. Research has proven that people who make a point of "exercising" their brains are much more likely to keep their mental faculties working well when they get older, so I follow his advice, which is actually quite easy as I enjoy intellectual pursuits.

Edited September 28, 2012 by Wavefloater

[smokie36]

First off OP, perhaps you may want to reconsider your sign in name - for your own sanity. With only 30 posts to date, you won't be losing much.

As to your initial inquiry, this is how I do it.

Wake up a 3am and spend an hour or so on TV expelling all the subconscious musings accumulated during sleep. You are in the middle of one now.

Later I shall make a 2nd espresso before adjourning with the UBC Guide to my hole in the flooring for some expelling of a different nature. After that I will give some serious thought about whether to head down to the RBSC for a round of golf this afternoon or just skip it and head straight to the British Club for some enlightening conversation this evening while sporting my latest smoking jacket. For some less enlightening conversation, depending on my mood, I may head over to the Londoner instead, perhaps down the street further post pint or two for some head of a different variety - but I digress.

On Saturday, with hangover in tow, I shall take my sons to a mall to join the herds of sheep in search of air con and that thing called - noise. You know the type, where you can barely get a word in because it so loud, yet stimulating at the same time. If I feel the need to look intelligent I may drag along a copy of Harry Potter to sit in Starbucks with while sipping on a triple machioca, wasabi infused green tea with a lashing of pumpkin pie on the side. This can take up to two hours to finish depending on how much time you need to kill. The skill is in the the thought process and keeping a balance between looking like someone who has nothing better to do than pretend to read in some coffee shop and someone who is deep in thought about world politics or how does popcorn really pop?

On Sunday, this is my fun day, my i dont want to run day because Monday, alas Monday is bound to be Manic and depressive all rolled into one - if past history is anything to go on.

In conclusion, your quest of intellectual stimulation in Bangkok will be a long one but a journey that will no doubt open your eyes, if not your mind. Put down that book about nothing and walk on the wild side - look up from the sidewalk and smell the roses, if there were roses but now there are only sewers and rats, but you get my point?

Question, when you find intellectual conversation how do you recognize it? If you lose a debate do you concede it was stimulating? They say great minds think alike, somebody said that, I didn't, sounds rather boring to me. Two guys nodding their heads in agreement all the time.

Have a wonderful Friday and don't worry if your search is fruitless on day one of your journey. What you are looking for is not easy to come by anywhere, not to mention on TV, Bangkok or Earth for that matter. Keep looking. One day you will wake up a say this is not my beautiful house, that is not my beautiful wife, what have I done?

I hope you're not back on the pop James?

[bkkjames]

First off OP, perhaps you may want to reconsider your sign in name - for your own sanity. With only 30 posts to date, you won't be losing much.

As to your initial inquiry, this is how I do it.

Wake up a 3am and spend an hour or so on TV expelling all the subconscious musings accumulated during sleep. You are in the middle of one now.

Later I shall make a 2nd espresso before adjourning with the UBC Guide to my hole in the flooring for some expelling of a different nature. After that I will give some serious thought about whether to head down to the RBSC for a round of golf this afternoon or just skip it and head straight to the British Club for some enlightening conversation this evening while sporting my latest smoking jacket. For some less enlightening conversation, depending on my mood, I may head over to the Londoner instead, perhaps down the street further post pint or two for some head of a different variety - but I digress.

On Saturday, with hangover in tow, I shall take my sons to a mall to join the herds of sheep in search of air con and that thing called - noise. You know the type, where you can barely get a word in because it so loud, yet stimulating at the same time. If I feel the need to look intelligent I may drag along a copy of Harry Potter to sit in Starbucks with while sipping on a triple machioca, wasabi infused green tea with a lashing of pumpkin pie on the side. This can take up to two hours to finish depending on how much time you need to kill. The skill is in the the thought process and keeping a balance between looking like someone who has nothing better to do than pretend to read in some coffee shop and someone who is deep in thought about world politics or how does popcorn really pop?

On Sunday, this is my fun day, my i dont want to run day because Monday, alas Monday is bound to be Manic and depressive all rolled into one - if past history is anything to go on.

In conclusion, your quest of intellectual stimulation in Bangkok will be a long one but a journey that will no doubt open your eyes, if not your mind. Put down that book about nothing and walk on the wild side - look up from the sidewalk and smell the roses, if there were roses but now there are only sewers and rats, but you get my point?

Question, when you find intellectual conversation how do you recognize it? If you lose a debate do you concede it was stimulating? They say great minds think alike, somebody said that, I didn't, sounds rather boring to me. Two guys nodding their heads in agreement all the time.

Have a wonderful Friday and don't worry if your search is fruitless on day one of your journey. What you are looking for is not easy to come by anywhere, not to mention on TV, Bangkok or Earth for that matter. Keep looking. One day you will wake up a say this is not my beautiful house, that is not my beautiful wife, what have I done?

I hope you're not back on the pop James?

Smokes - it was a quiz for those who are drunk all the time - as expected, you failed with flying colours

[cooked]

I notice that nobody has noted 'reading Thai' yet. I learnt French, Swiss German and High German, but was never so challenged as now that I'm getting into Thai.

The title was Intellectual pursuits, while learning to read Thai may be a challenge, the actual written content is the usual crap.

yes sir. Learning Thai is definitely an intellectual challenge. Content crap or not, being able to answer when I hear denigrating remarks has improved my self esteem considerably.

[mauGR1]

One day you will wake up a say this is not my beautiful house, that is not my beautiful wife, what have I done?

Same as it ever was

We are on a road to nowhere ...

It's a wild, wild life..

[BoonToong]

One day you will wake up a say this is not my beautiful house, that is not my beautiful wife, what have I done?

Same as it ever was

We are on a road to nowhere ...

It's a wild, wild life..

And she was?

[smokie36]

First off OP, perhaps you may want to reconsider your sign in name - for your own sanity. With only 30 posts to date, you won't be losing much.

As to your initial inquiry, this is how I do it.

Wake up a 3am and spend an hour or so on TV expelling all the subconscious musings accumulated during sleep. You are in the middle of one now.

Later I shall make a 2nd espresso before adjourning with the UBC Guide to my hole in the flooring for some expelling of a different nature. After that I will give some serious thought about whether to head down to the RBSC for a round of golf this afternoon or just skip it and head straight to the British Club for some enlightening conversation this evening while sporting my latest smoking jacket. For some less enlightening conversation, depending on my mood, I may head over to the Londoner instead, perhaps down the street further post pint or two for some head of a different variety - but I digress.

On Saturday, with hangover in tow, I shall take my sons to a mall to join the herds of sheep in search of air con and that thing called - noise. You know the type, where you can barely get a word in because it so loud, yet stimulating at the same time. If I feel the need to look intelligent I may drag along a copy of Harry Potter to sit in Starbucks with while sipping on a triple machioca, wasabi infused green tea with a lashing of pumpkin pie on the side. This can take up to two hours to finish depending on how much time you need to kill. The skill is in the the thought process and keeping a balance between looking like someone who has nothing better to do than pretend to read in some coffee shop and someone who is deep in thought about world politics or how does popcorn really pop?

On Sunday, this is my fun day, my i dont want to run day because Monday, alas Monday is bound to be Manic and depressive all rolled into one - if past history is anything to go on.

In conclusion, your quest of intellectual stimulation in Bangkok will be a long one but a journey that will no doubt open your eyes, if not your mind. Put down that book about nothing and walk on the wild side - look up from the sidewalk and smell the roses, if there were roses but now there are only sewers and rats, but you get my point?

Question, when you find intellectual conversation how do you recognize it? If you lose a debate do you concede it was stimulating? They say great minds think alike, somebody said that, I didn't, sounds rather boring to me. Two guys nodding their heads in agreement all the time.

Have a wonderful Friday and don't worry if your search is fruitless on day one of your journey. What you are looking for is not easy to come by anywhere, not to mention on TV, Bangkok or Earth for that matter. Keep looking. One day you will wake up a say this is not my beautiful house, that is not my beautiful wife, what have I done?

I hope you're not back on the pop James?

Smokes - it was a quiz for those who are drunk all the time - as expected, you failed with flying colours

Bugger! I'm still trying to work out if that's an insult or not....

[JurgenG]

Same as it ever was

We are on a road to nowhere ...

It's a wild, wild life..

And she was?

Speaking in Tongues !

[chrisinth]

From time to time I spend a day with a couple of mates, you know, to watch the footy or whatever. One of them can read fairly well and the other is able to write.

I always feel good when I hang around with intellectuals.

Need to be careful you ask the right one to perform the right action. Nothing p1sses me off more than to be asked to read something when they should know it is writing I do.

(Just got my mate to spell-check that for me)...............

[kblaze]

For my intellectual development, I talk to old people.

In Thailand we have the chance to have a lot of retired expat with tons of very interesting experiences. In an other thread people were listing where they have previously worked, it almost covers the world ! I know quite a lot of retired engineers in the field of oil, telecommunications, airlines ... Listening to them is better than to read a book, more interactive to use a trendy word

I learned Thailand recent history with my father in law. He is a retired businessman and has now problem walking. So when I've time I drive him around meeting old friends and business associates. It's incredible the amount of information I've learned during these conversations.

This. the greatest teacher is experience. Obviously one cannot experience everything in the world, so the next best thing is to fill idle time listening to others life experiences. You will find all sorts of people in this city, of all sorts of ages, from all sorts of places, that did all sorts of things...talk to them. It is a fine line between being inquisitive and annoying though, so tread carefully.

[londoedan]

Speaking in Tongues !

When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed

Say something once, why say it again ?

[JurgenG]

Speaking in Tongues !

When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed

Say something once, why say it again ?

America is waiting for a message of some sort or another

[mauGR1]

Speaking in Tongues !

When I have nothing to say, my lips are sealed

Say something once, why say it again ?

America is waiting for a message of some sort or another

Stop making sense

[Rancid]

I reached an epoch after some acid when I was 19, life, the universe, causality, relativity, it all came into focus. I honestly understaood it all completly, explained chaos theory and the possibilty of time travel within the constraints of Einsteinian physics to all that were there. My insights faded day by day, the trevails of dementia I can understand and intellectual endeavour has been a collapsing ideal ever since, a utopia of insight and understanding never again reclaimed.

Perhaps I artificially reached a potential, or was under the delusion that I actually knew what I was talking about, but friends still remember that night and talk with marvel about those shared insights. Perhaps rather than seeking intellectual stimulation in Thailand I am better accepting that the physics of wiggling bottoms are all that lie in my future.

[smokie36]

I reached an epoch after some acid when I was 19, life, the universe, causality, relativity, it all came into focus. I honestly understaood it all completly, explained chaos theory and the possibilty of time travel within the constraints of Einsteinian physics to all that were there. My insights faded day by day, the trevails of dementia I can understand and intellectual endeavour has been a collapsing ideal ever since, a utopia of insight and understanding never again reclaimed.

Perhaps I artificially reached a potential, or was under the delusion that I actually knew what I was talking about, but friends still remember that night and talk with marvel about those shared insights. Perhaps rather than seeking intellectual stimulation in Thailand I am better accepting that the physics of wiggling bottoms are all that lie in my future.

Fiver a tab...three for a tenner.

[sprq]

Thais are possibly the least intellectual people on this planet, and consequently there is virtually nothing of any intellectual depth in Thai culture, aside from the work of the few true Buddhists that exist, or in the vast majority of performing acts which turn up here.

This leaves the foreign resident with making his own intellectual world, with foreign friends, with books, with the internet, with DVDs, etc, etc. Personally, my top resources are YouTube, BBC Radio 4, pirate DVDs and books.