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Farang Negatitivity Towards Rich Farang In Thailand


Lukjaa

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I'm asking this because I am moving to Thailand and while I am very well off, in Canada I am just treated as any other person by my freinds and so on. I want to know if posters on ThaiVisa are representative of average farang in Thailand

Does that mean we gonna have to put up with numerous threads about how much money you really have ?

Perhaps you like socialism? Or more likely perhaps because you're skint you don't like anybody else mentioning they've got some coin to spend. Good luck to him I say.

Lots of people like socialism. I dont understand it but they do.

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Bjbkk,

Your perception of the Brits couldn't be further from the truth that my experience being a Brit. If you flaunt it in the faces of those that don't have it, it would be likely to result in vandalism, violence or just verbal abuse. It would very rarely go without some kind of backlash.

Going to a local pub as a big 'I am' is a huuuugggeeee mistake.

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There is indeed an outright bitterness and envy toward the wealthy people in general on this forum, and towards the wealthy farangs who "dare" to make any mention of their wealth in particular.

TV is not a place where you will find many wealthy people coming to lose their time. But there are some... (We speak about real wealth, right?)

So, avoid mentioning how big was the last diamond you bought to your wife and how much bonus you will give to the grooms taking care of your horses for Christmas. It could be perceived as disrespectful on this forum whistling.gif

Why is that? There must be several reasons. Maybe the "socialist fashion" in the western world at the moment, the overall quality of the farangs ending up Thailand, the lack of opportunities for farangs to make good revenues in Thailand, ... Well there are many more reasons for sure.

If this farang envy and bitterness was only restricted to this forum it would be ok, but the problem is that it is also noticeable outside...

You will sometimes find yourself in a group of people who will think you are a nice guy, who will even "like" you... until they know where you live, the number of cars you own and their brands, the size of your yacht, the price of your watch, the amount of the very generous donation you made to a charity, the price of your first class ticket back home 4 times a year, or whatever...

As you tell us, you will certainly show respect to these new "farang friends" as you always do with everyone, go with them for dinner, maybe invite them to your house, treat them as if everybody was on the same level, offer them an imported beer instead of a cheap local bottle... all those things that you would do as you have been always doing in your country.

However, in many cases you will find out that the efforts you made to make your new friends comfortable with you were useless.

Once you turn your back they will start to criticize you anyway, telling that you most probably borrowed to buy your house, saying that only idiots need a condo on the 60th floor with a private swimming pool in Bangkok, commenting on how stupid you look in your expensive sports cars, asserting that you probably never owned your business, adding that you only want to show off by spending money in front of everyone, etc...

All the comments you can read on here coffee1.gif

Important tip: Never say on this forum that you are a Thailand Elite member and that you happily spent 1 million to become member. They don't like it in here whistling.gif

So, at the end you will start to avoid the foreign community, except a very limited number of farangs who are; 1) on the same level as you, or 2) are (same as you) among the ones who can make friends with anyone, from any level of the society, without feeling envious.

There are some farangs like that, don't worry... but it takes some time to meet them smile.png

Some even realize, after they found out about your wealth, that "finally you are not that bad for a rich guy" rolleyes.gif .

On the other side, you will rarely, or probably never have bad feelings with the Thai people. For Asians the wealthy people are the examples of what they want to be in the future, if they are not yet at that level. If they are already wealthy they will be interested to know how you made up your wealth, what family you come from, what business your have created, which university did you go to, etc...

And the cherry on the cake : If you speak Thai you will earn even more respect from them (as well as respect from every other Thai people, regardless of their wealth, of course).

Thailand is a very nice place to be for the wealthy people to live in, and even better if you speak Thai and can associate with the Thai high society.

This does not mean that you cannot be very good friend with the poorest of the poor. As long as there is respect there can be friendship. But it must come from both sides...

One last tip : When you write a post that you know will be controversial, click "post" and then do not come back to read the critics. Just mention your opinion and move on !

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Some even realize, after they found out about your wealth, that "finally you are not that bad for a rich guy"

But that's an entirely reasonable reaction, it's rare to meet wealthy people that aren't arrogant about it, close to total prats.

Especially among the Thais, usually have no sympathy for nor respect for those less fortunate than themselves, especially among their fellow countrymen. I often get the impression that if they didn't need the cheap labour, they'd just as soon declare Bangkok a separate nation and let the countryside remain in the third world forever.

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I have nothing against wealthy people, I actually respect them if they have earned their money through hard work or business sense.

I'm also so lucky to havea few close friends in Europe which are very wealthy,one owns his own helicopter another one owns 18 Ferrari's for example.

The one thing they will never do is show off or brag to a stranger on a public forum about how much they own, because that would make them lose my respect..

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I have nothing against wealthy people, I actually respect them if they have earned their money through hard work or business sense.

I'm also so lucky to havea few close friends in Europe which are very wealthy,one owns his own helicopter another one owns 18 Ferrari's for example.

The one thing they will never do is show off or brag to a stranger on a public forum about how much they own, because that would make them lose my respect..

so they will never brag purely for the reason they will lose your respect, you must be an important man in their eyes.

Don't try to be the smartest with your snide remarks, because it shows that you're the dumbest loser around.We know the latter from your previous posts already, but never mind.

I didn't say they behave like that because of me, they are simply respectable people, something you can probably not understand.People who need to brag about their wealth are losers and don't deserve respect from anyone.

relax smiley, no snide remarks from me, I just pointed out something you wrote not me, so give yourself an uppercut.

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We poor folks resent you because you can buy $10 Hoegaarden while we're resigned to iced-down Leo. You can live on lower/middle sukhumvit and we're on the other side of the River. You shop at the Emporium and we have to make shorts out of our jeans. We have to pay for girls at cowboy and you can get them at thonglor for free. Sometimes, they even pay for you... On a serious note, your problem is not one of rich vs poor or thailand culture versus western mentality. Since you're not even in thailand yet, you've probably met the wrong folks. I'm poor, compared to you financially, but it doesn't mean I like all poor folks that I've met. I also know many wealthy thais and westerners and I like some but dislike others and not for financial reasons. On a deeper level, there may be some negativity because we can't always hang out with the rich friends and share experiences. They can pull out 1000 baht notes like nothing and talk about weekend trips to the islands. We have to look at our budget and make the most out of 10k baht. Sometimes, the well-off farangs just assume that all farangs have money so they don't consider the finances of the whole group. Other times, the rich farangs are stingy bastards, never pay for a round of beer, knowing full well that they're the money-makers... Ok. Just rambling now.

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Let's keep it in perspective, folks. We have had many threads about how much money is enough to live in Thailand. Some have income of 10k a month and are happy and still save some, while other wouldn't know how to make ends meet if they had less than 500k a month. Thai Baht, that is.

The beauty of ThaiVisa is that all these people meet here, even in the same threads.

Sent from my LG-P698f using Thaivisa Connect App

Nice sentiment - and I entirely agree - with the sentiment. However I wouldn't call it a beauty, not even the grossest optimist would call it that. Nice spin - but what you really should have written is it is an ugly depiction - which is closer to the truth as far as I can tell. I criticise because I would like to help TV - but not with rose-blinkered glasses.

Ah, altruism in its purest form! Your stern guidance will surely make TV a better forum, and help its members reach their fullest potential.

May your 26 posts be but the first gentle trickle, to be followed by a flood of sage advice and fatherly criticism!!!

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Thais as well as falangs 'mansai' or experience envy as much as anyone else. They may simply express it differently. Again, OMMV, but a foreigner who is less likely to believe in karma is more likely to express a negative opinion towards the wealthy because it is conceding that those folks worked harder or smarter. Some are able to deal with this while for others it's more comforting to one's ego to spin those people as criminals, or instead credit blind luck (or God, or whatever higher power), or to cast a negative light on generational inheritance (because long term planning and providing for the next generation is such a bad and evil thing).

smile.png

Edited by Heng
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My feeling is that a number of foreigners believe they should, just because they are western, be on the top of the society. If you don't agree with that, just read the number of racist posts that criticize everything that is Thai compared to similar things in western countries.

These people are usually at the bottom of the society in their home country and hope, just because they are white, for an upgrade in Thailand. When they realize it won't happen and they are still stuck at the bottom, they become very bitter, especially against the more fortunate fellow foreigners who are closer to the Thailand dream.

These people should look at the chineses. When they come to Thailand, it's usually to escape poverty at home. They start at the bottom and are usually looked down by the majority of the population. Then they work hard and fast become synonym of wealth and success. But here again racism and resentment prevail from these bitter foreigners.

At the end they just have themselves to blame ....

“Though the face before me was that of a young woman of certainly not more than 30 years, in perfect health, and the first flush of ripened beauty, yet it had stamped upon it a look of unutterable experience, and of deep acquaintance with grief and passion… and it seemed to say: 'Behold me, lovely as no woman was or is, undying and half-divine; memory haunts me from age to age, and passion leads me by the hand – evil have I done… and sorrow shall I know till my redemption come. My picture upon arrival.

post-73727-0-43222200-1352513864_thumb.j

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I think the OP has a reasonable point.

Many moons ago I used to drink regularly in a well known expat pub in Lower Suk with colleagues most Thursday and Friday evenings.

We never bragged openly about our jobs, salaries etc but replied honestly when asked what we did.

Among the regulars were a few of your truly poisonous types (30K a month TEFLers) who tried a few nasty tricks out of pure envy such as trying to inform our senior boss that members of his staff were out whoring regularly and telling one lad's missus that he often played around with lasses in Nana.

Thankfully all of their spiteful moves failed and the perpetrators were dealt with.

Since then I have learned to play my cards very close to my chest when it comes to my personal life and seldom do I tell random strangers about my work or salary.

There are just too many spiteful, bitter oddballs out there...

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I've experienced both ends of the scale. Some have been jealous of what I have, others have been condescending of what I don't have. Overall money and possessions seem to incite people more here than back home.

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Only someone with huge insecurity issues would write a post like the OPs.

Who cares what others think?

Yes some people have stacks of money but most dont that is the way of the world.

Some will be jealous some wont give a toss because they are more interested in their own lives than someone elses.

Some rich people are <deleted> and some are generous and benelovent. Which category does the OP fall into?

It seems like a puerile attempt at boasting about how well he is compared to others.

If you feel like you have been ridiculed maybe it has something to do with the way you view your own wealth and project this view onto others!

I am in no way boasting...I am simply trying to gain perspective on what I can expect from meeting other falang when moving full-time to Thailand next year. The ironic thing is that I dress in flip flops and t shirts so you would never think of me any different than a regular tourist. I dress this way because I find it comfortable.

I drive a high end Ducati sportbike in Thailand because its a beautiful masterpiece of engineering and I would buy the same bike whether it cost 1 million baht or 100,000 baht. I shy away from anyone asking its price and do nothing to draw attention to myself. When other farang ask me about it, they are enthusiastic and happy to talk about bikes...no one I've met comes across envious or rude. I ride on day trips with a group of Thais who are the elite of Thai society and they treat me as just a normal person..they are funny, make jokes and are down to earth. We love riding high end sportbikes for the simple enjoyment of experiencing an Italian or British masterpiece. These guys (and girls) in no way look down on others, are respectful of all people we meet and really come across as nice people. Most are lukreung from the US, educated in the US but work and live in Thailand.

Last year when shopping for cars, most Thai salespeople would not even acknowledge my presence or speak to me as I dress like a regular guy. Its only the falang salespeople that smile and come over to talk because they know you can't always judge a buyer based on appearance. My watch is $50 because it works, its reliable and I won't be robbed for some high end decoration.

I think from reading these past posts, I certainly get the point. Why some people are so vindictive instead of happy for another person's success, I can only guess. I worked 14 hours a day outdoors, 7 days a week at -30C for 4 months at a time over 10 years to build what I have today. I never even did it for the money. I wanted to prove to myself that companies I worked at previously where I was considered a nobody were really the losers and I could do better.

My Thai girlfriend (divorced recently from my wife) can't understand why I even want to continue working whe I move to Thailand. It's because money is not the end goal of many business people. The goal is to have a purpose in life, to create a better life for employees and to put it in the face of scumbag employers that you can beat them while offering higher pay and better working conditions for your staff while still being more profitable than your competitors.

When I make friends with other westerners in my town, we don't even think about our individual status. It never enters the picture as we are too busy enjoying the outdoor pastime we are doing, whether its fishing, hunting, boating or whatever. Sure, they know my background but we treat each other based on our personal merits and respect each other. Its only in Thailand where I've come across this judgemental attitude and reverence to wealth.

When my Thai ex-wife's family asked for sinsot, they wanted 200,000 baht. At the time, I had minimal savings and told them it would be very difficult to attain the money. I should have listened to my gut instincts but I borrowed th money and married. I remember after the wedding asking the family if they appreciated the sacrifices I had to make in my personal life to come up with 200,000 baht. They didn't undertand my point and said sinsot was expected. I said what if I was a drug dealer and came up with the money by selling drugs to school kids..would they still be happy about the money I gave them? They then said that in Thailand, no one cares how one achieves wealth as its the display of wealth that is important and not how one obtains it. I just thought how pathetic and sad to think that way.

My reason for starting this thread was not to boast or belittle others. I feel so lucky for what I have been blessed with and share it with many unfortunate peoplein Thailand. One of the reasons I divorced was because my ex-wife was so mad when I gave money away as she felt it should go to her for her Louis Vuitton shopping trips. That type of consumption in Thailand almost makes me physically sick. To spend money for the purpose of showing off goes against all my personal upbringing and morals. When I come to Thailand, I would be just as happy being friends with a street cleaner or somtan cart dude if they liked to drink a few beers, kick back and laugh about life. I think most farang I would hesitate to meet based on what I've read here, especially the English teachers who outright lie to try and harm your reputation.

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Only someone with huge insecurity issues would write a post like the OPs.

Who cares what others think?

Yes some people have stacks of money but most dont that is the way of the world.

Some will be jealous some wont give a toss because they are more interested in their own lives than someone elses.

Some rich people are <deleted> and some are generous and benelovent. Which category does the OP fall into?

It seems like a puerile attempt at boasting about how well he is compared to others.

If you feel like you have been ridiculed maybe it has something to do with the way you view your own wealth and project this view onto others!

I am in no way boasting...I am simply trying to gain perspective on what I can expect from meeting other falang when moving full-time to Thailand next year. The ironic thing is that I dress in flip flops and t shirts so you would never think of me any different than a regular tourist. I dress this way because I find it comfortable.

I drive a high end Ducati sportbike in Thailand because its a beautiful masterpiece of engineering and I would buy the same bike whether it cost 1 million baht or 100,000 baht. I shy away from anyone asking its price and do nothing to draw attention to myself. When other farang ask me about it, they are enthusiastic and happy to talk about bikes...no one I've met comes across envious or rude. I ride on day trips with a group of Thais who are the elite of Thai society and they treat me as just a normal person..they are funny, make jokes and are down to earth. We love riding high end sportbikes for the simple enjoyment of experiencing an Italian or British masterpiece. These guys (and girls) in no way look down on others, are respectful of all people we meet and really come across as nice people. Most are lukreung from the US, educated in the US but work and live in Thailand.

Last year when shopping for cars, most Thai salespeople would not even acknowledge my presence or speak to me as I dress like a regular guy. Its only the falang salespeople that smile and come over to talk because they know you can't always judge a buyer based on appearance. My watch is $50 because it works, its reliable and I won't be robbed for some high end decoration.

I think from reading these past posts, I certainly get the point. Why some people are so vindictive instead of happy for another person's success, I can only guess. I worked 14 hours a day outdoors, 7 days a week at -30C for 4 months at a time over 10 years to build what I have today. I never even did it for the money. I wanted to prove to myself that companies I worked at previously where I was considered a nobody were really the losers and I could do better.

My Thai girlfriend (divorced recently from my wife) can't understand why I even want to continue working whe I move to Thailand. It's because money is not the end goal of many business people. The goal is to have a purpose in life, to create a better life for employees and to put it in the face of scumbag employers that you can beat them while offering higher pay and better working conditions for your staff while still being more profitable than your competitors.

When I make friends with other westerners in my town, we don't even think about our individual status. It never enters the picture as we are too busy enjoying the outdoor pastime we are doing, whether its fishing, hunting, boating or whatever. Sure, they know my background but we treat each other based on our personal merits and respect each other. Its only in Thailand where I've come across this judgemental attitude and reverence to wealth.

When my Thai ex-wife's family asked for sinsot, they wanted 200,000 baht. At the time, I had minimal savings and told them it would be very difficult to attain the money. I should have listened to my gut instincts but I borrowed th money and married. I remember after the wedding asking the family if they appreciated the sacrifices I had to make in my personal life to come up with 200,000 baht. They didn't undertand my point and said sinsot was expected. I said what if I was a drug dealer and came up with the money by selling drugs to school kids..would they still be happy about the money I gave them? They then said that in Thailand, no one cares how one achieves wealth as its the display of wealth that is important and not how one obtains it. I just thought how pathetic and sad to think that way.

My reason for starting this thread was not to boast or belittle others. I feel so lucky for what I have been blessed with and share it with many unfortunate peoplein Thailand. One of the reasons I divorced was because my ex-wife was so mad when I gave money away as she felt it should go to her for her Louis Vuitton shopping trips. That type of consumption in Thailand almost makes me physically sick. To spend money for the purpose of showing off goes against all my personal upbringing and morals. When I come to Thailand, I would be just as happy being friends with a street cleaner or somtan cart dude if they liked to drink a few beers, kick back and laugh about life. I think most farang I would hesitate to meet based on what I've read here, especially the English teachers who outright lie to try and harm your reputation.

I'm still working on my autobiography.I guess I'll have to jazz it up a bit to compete.

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who cares what money a farang has, who the puck is he trying to impress in thailand, wow i can mix with the "na" somethings,but they would never really accept you, the red bull idiots and countless other idiots who use connections (corruption,nepotism etc) to feather their own world from the common people.

good luck to people who have made money the honest way, good luck to people with money if they use some of it to benefit the "battlers" in society.

perhaps all farangs with money could wear a certain colour of shirt or something so those of us with our little lives know when to step back and admire them, australians and kiwis really love those who try to flaunt their wealth to us.

money does not buy class, thailand is the perfect example of a country where the new rich flaunt their wealth, where the true class know how to carry their wealth.

i would rather sit next to the road eating my 35 baht noodles, drinking leo and having a laugh with the village copper, recycle man, rice farmer than with some arse who thinks he is above me.

just a rant, but as i said i admire the good little family from the corner of "struggle street and battler avenue" (thailand has heaps of them), than sitting with a farang flaunting his weatlth, most probably with a former employee of the "isaan prostrate workers collective", who no matter how much is spent will never carry her knew found wealth with any style.

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