Best And Worst Experience Of Integrating Thai & Falang

[NoshowJones]

Best .... the way Thai people treat me as opposed to the way Americans treat me.

Worst ? hummmm don't really know , maybe just the massive amount of congestion and density of people but that could be in any city around the world.

The best. The way the School Directors, Heads of the English Department, and other teachers treated me when I worked as an English teacher.

Gems, every one of them.

The worst. The low mentality of most of the Thai people, ie parents who let their underage kids ride their motorcycles on main roads and the people who ride them on sidewalks.

[Old Croc]

Worst:

The dishonesty with the majority in Thailand.

My GF recently lost her purse between a local shop and home. She lost a large sum of money (over 10,000) and her ID, ATM and drivers licenses. Would have been nice even if just the cards were returned. It's the second time she's lost her purse with all her cards and she's also lost about 3 phones. (she's like that! ) Not once has anyone tried to return these items.

Best:

Some Thais I know from a local shop/bar who put me on to a traditional remedy for some of my ailments. After not seeing me for a few days they called into my house to make sure I was ok and not sufferring side effects from their medicine. They really only know me as a customer, but consider me a friend to be concerned about. Lovely people.

[rene123]

Oh dear, this sounds like good ol' Canada, home to all the extremists of the whole world. God knows how the country survives (socially, as opposed to economically).

In the 1990s, when Hong Kong was being emptied of its rich folk before the handover, Vancouver changed its name to Hongcouver.

That is true, but most Chinese DO integrate well into Canadian society. Within one generations they are Canadians and think like western societies. Unfortunately, there are a few ethnic groups that do not, and only use Canada as an easy resource to exploit.

[NoshowJones]

Worse - Up 2 You answer

Best - Up 2 You answer when it benefits me.

Oh so true. My friend who has a Thai wife always dreads that statement... "Up to you"

I wouldn't dread it, it means you can get or do anything you want. Roll on bedtime.

[NoshowJones]

Best: Realising just how fortunate I was to be born and educated in Great Britain

Worst: Realising that many of the scummiest, most poorly-behaved foreigners here are from Great Britain

The best. Absolutely not.

The worst Most definitely.

[andrew]

And where ? may I ask was this very "White" town just outside of London???

there are quite a lot to choose from, St.Albans, Kingston, Camberely, East Grinstead, Tring, Sawbridgeworth, Farnham, Braintree, Canterbury, Fleet, Bromely......I could go on

Gosh! In that list, you've mentioned:

a. the town where I was born;

b. the town where I grew up;

c. the town where I used to work.

Plenty more "white" towns in Surrey, Hampshire, Kent and Berkshire.

[andrew]

Worst: While each of us has his own opinion, I've failed to find one who doesn't expect help supporting the extended family. I think I've learned that they get more credit for the next life if they put family first? ?? Even the very best, most highly educated ones I've met and I mean every.single.one is spending a large part of her paycheck on her family. My favorite signed and is paying a mortgage for a house for her parents. Yet she lives with her parents because she now can't afford even an apartment for herself. She has a masters degree, is 38, and has put off having her own life in favor of her parents.

Her idea of getting a farang isn't a scam. She's a good girl, not a scammer. It's upfront. It's her honest idea of what would happen. The farang would pay off that mortgage for the parents, allow her to continue giving the larger part of her government salary to her family, and then build a home for her and a new family and pay the bills. She simply has some idea that every farang is rich and that would be the normal way.

Bottom line is that my best experience in "integrating" was to have girlfriends, not get married, not buy property, and pay only what I wanted to or hit the road. Sorry.

You seem to understand the local culture quite well.

Maybe Thailand isn't for you. Mai pen rai.

[NoshowJones]

Worst:

The dishonesty with the majority in Thailand.

My GF recently lost her purse between a local shop and home. She lost a large sum of money (over 10,000) and her ID, ATM and drivers licenses. Would have been nice even if just the cards were returned. It's the second time she's lost her purse with all her cards and she's also lost about 3 phones. (she's like that! ) Not once has anyone tried to return these items.

Best:

Some Thais I know from a local shop/bar who put me on to a traditional remedy for some of my ailments. After not seeing me for a few days they called into my house to make sure I was ok and not sufferring side effects from their medicine. They really only know me as a customer, but consider me a friend to be concerned about. Lovely people.

I sympathise with the GF, but unless the person who finds the purse knows it's yours, what could they do with it? Take it to the police station? Think of the extra tea money for the BIB, ask around? If you did, how could you tell the person who says it belongs to them is telling the truth?

[me313]

Worst: I grew up in a very 'White' town just outside of London. We used to get rubbish thrown at the house (eggs on the walls and bricks through the window) My Dad's English, my Mum's Thai. The neighbours children would shout racist comments at us and I was regularly asked if my Dad had bought my Mum!

And where ? may I ask was this very "White" town just outside of London???

It sounds like a modern version of Wuthering Heights needs to be put to the screen again, but adapted to be a Thai woman as a "Heathcliff" character...it could be set in Anytown in England, near or far to London.

[Whidbeyboy]

And where ? may I ask was this very "White" town just outside of London???

there are quite a lot to choose from, St.Albans, Kingston, Camberely, East Grinstead, Tring, Sawbridgeworth, Farnham, Braintree, Canterbury, Fleet, Bromely......I could go on

Not my quote, but whatever.

[HardenedSoul]

Best: Realising just how fortunate I was to be born and educated in Great Britain

Worst: Realising that many of the scummiest, most poorly-behaved foreigners here are from Great Britain

The best. Absolutely not.

The worst Most definitely.

I'm sure you know what you mean by that but it's escaped me.

[Trembly]

Best: Many of the women are really beautiful and the good ones can't be beat for how you're treated.

Worst: While each of us has his own opinion, I've failed to find one who doesn't expect help supporting the extended family. I think I've learned that they get more credit for the next life if they put family first? ?? Even the very best, most highly educated ones I've met and I mean every.single.one is spending a large part of her paycheck on her family. My favorite signed and is paying a mortgage for a house for her parents. Yet she lives with her parents because she now can't afford even an apartment for herself. She has a masters degree, is 38, and has put off having her own life in favor of her parents.

Her idea of getting a farang isn't a scam. She's a good girl, not a scammer. It's upfront. It's her honest idea of what would happen. The farang would pay off that mortgage for the parents, allow her to continue giving the larger part of her government salary to her family, and then build a home for her and a new family and pay the bills. She simply has some idea that every farang is rich and that would be the normal way.

Bottom line is that my best experience in "integrating" was to have girlfriends, not get married, not buy property, and pay only what I wanted to or hit the road. Sorry.

I'm Thai and she sounds weird. Maybe there was something lost in translation or you need to give more context but my spidy senses are tingling.

Thais have some really weird beliefs about karma, but if you listen to people with their heads screwed on right (and people who have actually studied what Gautama Buddha actually said about what he found out) will tell you that good deeds is good deeds is good deeds, there are no bonus points or happy hours; you get what you give down to the tiniest little scintilla of emotion and sub-atomic particle. The universe / wheel of karma is going to take it's own sweet time until the timing and delivery is exactly right. It's just one giant algorithm.

Monks have been known to bullshit about karma, which is why you get monks who are disgusted enough to leave temples and go and set up their own temples in the forest or middle of nowhere so they can be left alone, which then attracts a following, and the cycle starts all over again (maybe).

As it so often happens with chinese whispers and ulterior motives, even noble concepts like kratanyoo (remembering to take care of the people who took care of you) can be used to exploit and emotionally blackmail, or used as a crutch in various ways.

Edited January 6, 2013 by Trembly

[sbk]

Best: Hard to decide, was it my husband's 90 year old grandfather who, when told by his grandson that he was marrying a farang said "Its not what's on the outside that matters, its what's on the inside". or maybe its the neighbor who found my cat and walked her back to my house 1km away because she was too scared to be carried on a motorbike. Or the friend who helped us dig out the small klong next to our house when it filled up with sand. Or maybe the backhoe driver who saw me digging on the side of the road to stop the water from flowing down our driveway and dug it out for me with the backhoe.

Worst: Disgusting toilets at gas stations in the middle of nowhere.

[MrHammer]

Worst: Disgusting toilets at gas stations in the middle of nowhere.

Disgusting food buffets in the middle of nowhere.

[naboo]

Worst - the introduction of plastic bags and the utter disregard people have for their own national parks and country with litter everywhere.

Best - the introduction of the idea of government subsidised health care. No longer is health care affected access according to wealth nor a doctor's judgment affected by profit margins on medicines.

[Gerryasia]

Worst: Chickengunya Dengue Fever

Best: Thai Poontang

[sirchai]

Best

Coming to this country to settle down. Made some Thai friends and married a nice Thai woman. Still in love after ten years!

Worst

Realizing that some local people think foreigners come to this country to take their women away.

Edited January 25, 2013 by metisdead
: Bold font removed.

[bermondburi]

Worst: I grew up in a very 'White' town just outside of London. We used to get rubbish thrown at the house (eggs on the walls and bricks through the window) My Dad's English, my Mum's Thai. The neighbours children would shout racist comments at us and I was regularly asked if my Dad had bought my Mum!

And where ? may I ask was this very "White" town just outside of London???

Just to be pedantic but I can think of four very ' white ' towns just outside of London . Guildford , Crawley , Rochester and Chelmsford . All of them are about half an hour from London so IMHO they do qualify .

[NewlyMintedThai]

Best

Coming to this country to settle down. Made some Thai friends and married a nice Thai woman. Still in love after ten years!

Worst

Realizing that some local people think foreigners come to this country to take their women away.

And the rest are here for the boys...

[stoli]

Best: The Thai people have been so wonderful in helping me learn the society, and their language, whenever possible.

Worst: Having to deal with so many expats that only want to say what a terrible place Thailand is, how they could fix it all, and if you disagree with me, let's argue forever.

[thequietman]

Worst:

The dishonesty with the majority in Thailand.

My GF recently lost her purse between a local shop and home. She lost a large sum of money (over 10,000) and her ID, ATM and drivers licenses. Would have been nice even if just the cards were returned. It's the second time she's lost her purse with all her cards and she's also lost about 3 phones. (she's like that! ) Not once has anyone tried to return these items.

Best:

Some Thais I know from a local shop/bar who put me on to a traditional remedy for some of my ailments. After not seeing me for a few days they called into my house to make sure I was ok and not sufferring side effects from their medicine. They really only know me as a customer, but consider me a friend to be concerned about. Lovely people.

I sympathise with the GF, but unless the person who finds the purse knows it's yours, what could they do with it? Take it to the police station? Think of the extra tea money for the BIB, ask around? If you did, how could you tell the person who says it belongs to them is telling the truth?

try reading the post. money and ID were in the purse.

[arminbkk]

Best: the smiles

Worst: the smiles faded

[Poo Ying FeFe]

Best: the smiles

Worst: the smiles faded

That last post is quite shy and melancholic ... Perhaps you wouldn't mind revealing the story behind it?

A New Best: Watching how much my partner enjoys and absorbs life in Thailand (and can eat more chillies than me now).

Edited January 18, 2013 by Poo Ying FeFe

[Her0]

Best "Papa" 40 years + age gap

Worst. those baht bus rides. They sit there looking around but not a word. Talk to your woman! there must be some interesting thoughts on your mind you could share with your darling. 20 minute ride but not a slightest hint of interruction. It makes you wonder do they even know each other? yeah they do, getting off together.

[muythai2013]

worst, should have gotten with my wife sooner, we were friends for a long time first and could not see the obvious.

best, our beautiful children.

[jcnbkk]

Pizza.

That is all I'm saying.

No joke!

Been trying to find some real pizza. By that I mean NY or Chicago style doesn't matter, not Thai, not Italian, just saying. Sorry, off topic, but feel my pain.

[jcnbkk]

Worst?.... Getting my fingers burnt.

Best?.... Realising that it was better to pick up a warm lady rather than a hot tart

Cool

[jcnbkk]

Best: Cheap prices

Worst: You get what you pay for.

Another good one. Thanks

[LawrenceChee]

worst : class system here where we are seen as the rich folks and an easy target...we didnt become rich by being stupid *wink*

best : pretending not to understand Thai and switching off to the world....

[muythai2013]

worst : class system here where we are seen as the rich folks and an easy target...we didnt become rich by being stupid *wink*

best : pretending not to understand Thai and switching off to the world....

yes but they keep targeting farang, and its because they are successful, very very successful, and that is because the farang are suddenly struck dum when they step off the plane and are confronted by either a beautiful lady, or a slick swindler who they assume is stupid because they have broken english or a thai or whatever reason.

lets be honest, if the farang are so dam_n clever, why do they keep getting done again and again by what are very obvious almost childish scams.

go to run now, will post more later, my wifes buffalo is sick and im of to western union to send her some money to buy it some medicine.