Privileged And Too Busy Bitching To Realise It

[HardenedSoul]

Over the 5 years since joining these forums, I've become somewhat accustomed to shaking my head in despair and disbelief at some of the things expats bitch about so I thought I'd perform a public service and remind some of the more curmudgeonly members just how being a foreigner in this country makes them privileged.

Now I'm deliberately leaving out the obvious chestnut because firstly, the women that many gain access to aren't necessarily much cop and, secondly, it's been done to death.

No, instead, I want to speak about the real world, tangible stuff that can and does tend to smooth a foreigner's way through his/her tour of duty in Thailand.

1. By virtue of being a white foreigner, you occupy rarefied space well above the arcane class limitations that a huge swathe of Thais are mired in from cradle to grave

2. By virtue of being a white foreigner and, therefore, perceived as wealthier, you can go to establishments like higher end bars, restaurants and clubs and receive far more courteous service than an ordinary Thai

3. By virtue of being a white foreigner, mainstream Thai society doesn't judge you as much by your attire and overall image as they do an ordinary Thai.

As some of you will be aware, I'm of Caribbean parentage and conventional "wisdom" says that I should have had a really hard time in LOS but, in fact, the complete opposite has been true.

The point is; do some members need to lighten up and be thankful for the near-automatic privileges foisted upon them the minute they rock up at Swampy?

[Hedghog]

What a load of spherical objects.

[TommoPhysicist]

This and the 'little man' thread need to be merged.

[HardenedSoul]

This and the 'little man' thread need to be merged.

Hit a nerve, did it Tommo?

[TommoPhysicist]

This and the 'little man' thread need to be merged.

Hit a nerve, did it Tommo?

Just seems to me these threads are started by people deeply unhappy with their lives in Thailand.

Most posters on TV seem extremely happy to be here, I know I am.

[candypants]

What a load of spherical objects.

i would think he has got a point.

I certainly live a life of privilege, it is one of the things i enjoy most about living here.

[dave2]

re.

What a load of spherical objects

but here they are thai spherical objects : )

dave2

ps ... the ops right coz ive had 7 wonderful years here : )

[yourauntbob]

Being a (white) farang in Thailand has advantages and disadvantages. Anyone who says its all peaches and cream has no idea what they are talking about, period!

I dont need to worry about my social status.......... because i have none

Taxis run over people to pick me up....... then charge me more than anyone else.

ditto for many nightclubs and other establishments

Girls like to be seen with me......... as long as i am spending much more money than they would expect from a local

I get a higher salary to teach.......... and none of the respect

They dont judge me by my attire.......... at least not to my face

At high end restaurants i get great service....... at local shops i am ignored

I could go on for days, but its dinner time

[HardenedSoul]

This and the 'little man' thread need to be merged.

Hit a nerve, did it Tommo?

Just seems to me these threads are started by people deeply unhappy with their lives in Thailand.

Most posters on TV seem extremely happy to be here, I know I am.

One could be forgiven for thinking otherwise given your rants about mistrust of Thailand in general and your own wife in particular.

Sent from my HTC Desire S using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[TommoPhysicist]

One could be forgiven for thinking otherwise .......

Up to you!

[Choonpon]

It is said 'never judge a book by its cover'. But in this realistic world, we are often judged by the exterior. You don't have to be a farang to get good service. As long as you are well dressed and looked loaded, you will be well attended and of course at a premium rate.

[Kilgore Trout]

As long as you fit into the mold (thais perception of what a white, or in your case, black foreigner should look like, do and say) you will be fine.

As long as you spend money and don't cause a problem you will be treated politely.

The second you cause a problem, whether you are right or not is of no consequence, you will be deemed to be a bad person by many thais.

I say this as a statement of fact in my experience, trying not to be biased. Always giving everyone the benefit of the doubt.

Thais (especially priveleged ones) have a right to complain (again, whether they are right or not is of no consequence), foreigners do not.

Learn the language and hear what people say about you. I overheard a conversation the other day at a place of work, a thai asked the security guard about the foreigners working there regarding parking. Went like this;

falang jot rot tee nee die law? (can falangs park their cars here?)

Man jot die, jai ka duan. (IT can, it pays a monthly fee)

Never question what is said about you (many thais feel it is their right to say whatever they want about you in your presence) and your being offended or mentioning it is viewed as you being a liar (you should have made it known that you speak thai.

I must accept these things, it is what it is, not much I can do to change it. But at least I can vent and share my experiences with others who have had similar experiences.

I believe that it is my right to do so, and the priveleges I receive don't in any way outweigh the negatives. In the end, it balances out, for the most part,.

[arthurwait]

This and the 'little man' thread need to be merged.

Hit a nerve, did it Tommo?

Just seems to me these threads are started by people deeply unhappy with their lives in Thailand.

Most posters on TV seem extremely happy to be here, I know I am.

One could be forgiven for thinking otherwise given your rants about mistrust of Thailand in general and your own wife in particular.

Sent from my HTC Desire S using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I refer you to the thread title.

[Trembly]

I don't think that my attire has ever had a very tangible difference to the service that I receive, all things being equal.

[DocN]

Yep...it's all milk, honey and fluffy bunny rabbits. If you don't like it: go home!

[HardenedSoul]

It is said 'never judge a book by its cover'. But in this realistic world, we are often judged by the exterior. You don't have to be a farang to get good service. As long as you are well dressed and looked loaded, you will be well attended and of course at a premium rate.

Perhaps but if a not-so-well-dressed Thai rolls up to a swanky restaurant, he'll face greater scrutiny by the Thai staff than a similarly-dressed foreigner.

The foreigner is not seen as having to conform to unspoken guidelines with regard to attire.

[HardenedSoul]

As long as you fit into the mold (thais perception of what a white, or in your case, black foreigner should look like, do and say) you will be fine.

As long as you spend money and don't cause a problem you will be treated politely.

The second you cause a problem, whether you are right or not is of no consequence, you will be deemed to be a bad person by many thais.

I say this as a statement of fact in my experience, trying not to be biased. Always giving everyone the benefit of the doubt.

Thais (especially priveleged ones) have a right to complain (again, whether they are right or not is of no consequence), foreigners do not.

Learn the language and hear what people say about you. I overheard a conversation the other day at a place of work, a thai asked the security guard about the foreigners working there regarding parking. Went like this;

falang jot rot tee nee die law? (can falangs park their cars here?)

Man jot die, jai ka duan. (IT can, it pays a monthly fee)

Never question what is said about you (many thais feel it is their right to say whatever they want about you in your presence) and your being offended or mentioning it is viewed as you being a liar (you should have made it known that you speak thai.

I must accept these things, it is what it is, not much I can do to change it. But at least I can vent and share my experiences with others who have had similar experiences.

I believe that it is my right to do so, and the priveleges I receive don't in any way outweigh the negatives. In the end, it balances out, for the most part,.

There is truth in what you say but I've complained at shops, restaurants, to workmen and I've been dealt with courteously. Oh I'm sure they probably had some unpleasant things to say about me after I'd left but wouldn't that be the case even if I was Thai? Would it be any different in the West where customers complain and put-upon staff bitch about them when they're out of earshot?

Either way, I don't much care as long as I get what I want with a level of service and/or quality commensurate with what I'm paying.

[transam]

I don't think that my attire has ever had a very tangible difference to the service that I receive, all things being equal.

It is said 'never judge a book by its cover'. But in this realistic world, we are often judged by the exterior. You don't have to be a farang to get good service. As long as you are well dressed and looked loaded, you will be well attended and of course at a premium rate.

Perhaps but if a not-so-well-dressed Thai rolls up to a swanky restaurant, he'll face greater scrutiny by the Thai staff than a similarly-dressed foreigner.

The foreigner is not seen as having to conform to unspoken guidelines with regard to attire.

Rolox, it's whats in ones pocket, Thai or farang. Cash is cash.

[transam]

As long as you fit into the mold (thais perception of what a white, or in your case, black foreigner should look like, do and say) you will be fine.

As long as you spend money and don't cause a problem you will be treated politely.

The second you cause a problem, whether you are right or not is of no consequence, you will be deemed to be a bad person by many thais.

I say this as a statement of fact in my experience, trying not to be biased. Always giving everyone the benefit of the doubt.

Thais (especially priveleged ones) have a right to complain (again, whether they are right or not is of no consequence), foreigners do not.

Learn the language and hear what people say about you. I overheard a conversation the other day at a place of work, a thai asked the security guard about the foreigners working there regarding parking. Went like this;

falang jot rot tee nee die law? (can falangs park their cars here?)

Man jot die, jai ka duan. (IT can, it pays a monthly fee)

Never question what is said about you (many thais feel it is their right to say whatever they want about you in your presence) and your being offended or mentioning it is viewed as you being a liar (you should have made it known that you speak thai.

I must accept these things, it is what it is, not much I can do to change it. But at least I can vent and share my experiences with others who have had similar experiences.

I believe that it is my right to do so, and the priveleges I receive don't in any way outweigh the negatives. In the end, it balances out, for the most part,.

There is truth in what you say but I've complained at shops, restaurants, to workmen and I've been dealt with courteously. Oh I'm sure they probably had some unpleasant things to say about me after I'd left but wouldn't that be the case even if I was Thai? Would it be any different in the West where customers complain and put-upon staff bitch about them when they're out of earshot?

Either way, I don't much care as long as I get what I want with a level of service and/or quality commensurate with what I'm paying.

Sooooooooo, l don't know what your on about with this thread.

[smokie36]

You and me both transam. Bit of farang bashing I suppose.

[qdinthailand]

Oh, I think we here in Thailand (Americans, anyway) are privileged, when you consider that more than 50% of Americans have less than $500 in savings. That amount doesn't buy a plane ticket to LOS. (and that frightening statistic means that we should lighten up on the Thais - lots of them probably have that, or more, in the bank - I know, I stand behind a lot of them at the ATM machines when they keep shoving the card back in the slot for another go at 15,000 baht more.)

[transam]

Oh, I think we here in Thailand (Americans, anyway) are privileged, when you consider that more than 50% of Americans have less than $500 in savings. That amount doesn't buy a plane ticket to LOS. (and that frightening statistic means that we should lighten up on the Thais - lots of them probably have that, or more, in the bank - I know, I stand behind a lot of them at the ATM machines when they keep shoving the card back in the slot for another go at 15,000 baht more.)

, stop stalking at ATM's.

[smokie36]

Oh, I think we here in Thailand (Americans, anyway) are privileged, when you consider that more than 50% of Americans have less than $500 in savings. That amount doesn't buy a plane ticket to LOS. (and that frightening statistic means that we should lighten up on the Thais - lots of them probably have that, or more, in the bank - I know, I stand behind a lot of them at the ATM machines when they keep shoving the card back in the slot for another go at 15,000 baht more.)

, stop stalking at ATM's.

Yes...and wipe off that drool please.

[wilcopops]

some kind of white supremacist?

[wilcopops]

As long as you fit into the mold (thais perception of what a white, or in your case, black foreigner should look like, do and say) you will be fine.

As long as you spend money and don't cause a problem you will be treated politely.

The second you cause a problem, whether you are right or not is of no consequence, you will be deemed to be a bad person by many thais.

I say this as a statement of fact in my experience, trying not to be biased. Always giving everyone the benefit of the doubt.

Thais (especially priveleged ones) have a right to complain (again, whether they are right or not is of no consequence), foreigners do not.

Learn the language and hear what people say about you. I overheard a conversation the other day at a place of work, a thai asked the security guard about the foreigners working there regarding parking. Went like this;

falang jot rot tee nee die law? (can falangs park their cars here?)

Man jot die, jai ka duan. (IT can, it pays a monthly fee)

Never question what is said about you (many thais feel it is their right to say whatever they want about you in your presence) and your being offended or mentioning it is viewed as you being a liar (you should have made it known that you speak thai.

I must accept these things, it is what it is, not much I can do to change it. But at least I can vent and share my experiences with others who have had similar experiences.

I believe that it is my right to do so, and the priveleges I receive don't in any way outweigh the negatives. In the end, it balances out, for the most part,.

i think you need to review how Thais use - or don't use pronouns before you jump to any conclusions.

[NancyL]

Actually the pronoun "man" is pretty derogatory when used in reference to a person. That's the pronoun you use when referencing an animal, like a cat or dog. There are worse pronouns, but "man" isn't close to polite.

[endure]

Asterisks don't hide profanity. A post has been removed.

[cdnvic]

This went off the rails in a hurry. Happens when you strike a belligerent tone in your title.