Sandman77 Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 I did not even find one store in Thailand , where stuff can tell me the result of a simple bill without a calculator! Only one time it was on phangan last year the power line was interrupted by some repair for 2 h I walk into a dark 7 eleven, and a saw something that I maybe never see again,people calculating with pen and paper chaa chaa slowly but can! Often I recogneized that many people on the hotline cannot remember my 10 diget phone number, also when I repeat many time! What the children learn in mathematic in School, that the cannot calculate in the later life? This Is what I try to find out with this topic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theblether Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 It's a combination of mental laziness and a fear of getting it wrong and your boss taking the difference out of your wages. I think most of us children of the 70's and earlier took great pride in our mental arithmetic abilities however the kids are now encouraged to use calculators in school ( at least they were in my kids school ) and the importance of mental arithmetic has been eroded. We guys of an age will grind our teeth at that, the younger generation will just look at us as if we were daft. It's just the way it is 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morakot Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 I remember when people were still calculating with these wee numbers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heatherm Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 I've even caught mistakes they've made using a calculator by doing the math in my head. Shocks them every time. Sent from my GT-P1010 using Thaivisa Connect App 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post naboo Posted February 22, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted February 22, 2013 If you're going to post a topic putting down Thais and their maths, you should start by not making simple mistakes in your topic title. Their, not there. 19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impulse Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 I remember when people were still calculating with these wee numbers. A lot of small shops in China still use these. They're faster than I am with a digital calculator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rene123 Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 I've even caught mistakes they've made using a calculator by doing the math in my head. Shocks them every time. Sent from my GT-P1010 using Thaivisa Connect App That has happened many times for me. When I do my shopping in Canada I keep a running total in my head and I'm surprised that I'm usually within $5 on a $100 actual total. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post loong Posted February 22, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted February 22, 2013 Yes, some people are unable to do simple calculations. But to be fair, I have noticed in some shops that the owner will total a few items in his/her head when dealing with Thai customers - no calculator. Then when they serve me, they use the calculator. I believe it is because thay are worried that I will not understand if they tell me the total in Thai. With a calculator, they can simply show me the number and be sure that there is no confusion. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barabbas Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 Loong You are right. Evading misunderstanding is the very reason for using a calculator for even the simplest computations for a big-nose deal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brodie Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 (edited) For me, maths just doesn't add up............. I was walking along the street the other day and saw a sign that said "Chinese Takeaway"..... <deleted>! I can't even do the ones we have in my own language, let alone chinese ones...... Who's nicked my coat?? Edited February 22, 2013 by Brodie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nottocus Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 Some people can't spell simple words OP.......just like some people can't do simple suns in their head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoonToong Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 Some people can't spell simple words OP.......just like some people can't do simple suns in their head. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Crossy Posted February 22, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted February 22, 2013 Enough of the grammar / spelling tests, OP was clear (and yes, it did make me smile). 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishIvan Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 It might be a good business to set up a calculator shop? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endure Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 “Never memorize something that you can look up.” Albert Einstein... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mosha Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Pre decimalisation, the shop assistants could do 4 or 5 items in their head without breaking sweat. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_smith237 Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 (edited) Didn't you know - Maths is the route of all evil... Edited February 23, 2013 by richard_smith237 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utalkin2me Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 (edited) “Never memorize something that you can look up.” Albert Einstein... I think that is out of context here. I don't think Einstein would be opposed to someone subtracting 63 from 100 in their head, as opposed too "looking it up" - if that was your meaning. He's talking about things like not memorizing the periodic table or formulas, I agree with that wholeheartedly. Edited February 23, 2013 by utalkin2me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellred Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 If you're going to post a topic putting down Thais and their maths, you should start by not making simple mistakes in your topic title. Their, not there. Congratulations. At what point did you work out English was not the OP's first language? Doesn't really have anything to do with the thread topic either which is perfectly valid. If you have a gripe about the topic maybe send the OP a PM or better yet keep quiet, especially if your post is going to contribute nothing to the thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiangmaikelly Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Anyone who has had to hire minimum wage employees to make change in a Western country knows the problems are universal. I am always amazed at why the posters go to such great lengths to try and disguise their ethnocentric feelings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
culicine Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 What's interesting is that Thai schools ban the use of calculators. This is because their exams are focused on doing calculations. So it's astounding that Thais need to use a calculator for the simplest calculations. I'm assuming most had finished M6here. My students use a calculator as a tool for doing mathematics. The calculation itself is just one step, and doesn't replace the thinking involved in doing a problem. You would be surprised how many get -3^2 wrong on a calculator, The answer is 9 not negative nine, as the calculator would suggest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayned Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 It's not just Thailand, go to any country in the world and see what happens in 7-11 or pizza hut with electronic cash registers when the power goes off. A mad scramble for a calculator! The 7-11 in the small town near me has a proven plan. When the power goes off they activate the manual overide on the door and ask evreyone to leave, without their purchases. They then deactivate the manual override on the doorr and stand inside smiling. When someone tries to go in, they mouth "fai daup" with a big smile. No calculators needed, only a smile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris2004 Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Farangs and their spelling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semper Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 When I was young, this was used in schools. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayned Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Still have one, still use it, I must still be young! NOT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rene123 Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 I'm just amazed at how the cashier at a bar can keep all the tabs correct and separate when the bar is busy. Like someone already said, I like to see a total on a calculator when I've bought a bag of fruit and don't know the price in Thai. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottythai Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 When I was young, this was used in schools. slide rule.jpg You were young? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottythai Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Best thing I have ever seen with street vendors was with one of my previous bosses. The man had tons of money but loved to bargin and had the best tactic when it came to the Calculator game. He would first ask the price of the item he wanted the vendor would put in XXX. Then he would say no no and ask for the calculator. He would key in the price he was willing to pay bar none. The vendor would then take the calculator back and enter a price somewhere between the 2. My Ex Boss would pull the trick he would get the calculator and drop from his origonal price not go up to the inbetween he would lower it. This would provide the funniest expressions on said vendors face. And start the questions on why the price went down rather than up. He would mention he was going to pay the first price but this is now wasting his time and start to walk away. 8/10 times they would quickly agree to the first price he wanted to pay and send him on his way before anyone else observed how this was done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandman77 Posted February 23, 2013 Author Share Posted February 23, 2013 The biggest surprise ever during my travel around the word was in Guatemala Antigua city in a stylish traditional coffee house! All the stuff wearing wireless headsets, and transmitted the bill directly from the main counter to a cashiers display ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaullyW Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 (edited) Think this is more of a generational change than a racial/national one. Also, I think we may find things a bit different if observing the Thais at the upper end of educational attainment. Education for the old timers was quite different as many here have noted. They spent time reading 'classical' *books*, memorising ancient poetry, learning the ability to do maths without calculators, learning ways of speech (eloquence) and other things meant for external presentation that were meant to distinguish themselves as being educated. More recent gens have other means to distinguish ourselves. I work with a few older brits, and I can tell that for all their ability to speak eloquently, for all their impressive vocabulary, for all their ability to bring classical poetry and novel into conversations, they are NO more productive or profitable than people like myself and many of us younger guys. What worked for you old guys is often no longer relevant. Sorry. Cheers EDIT: On the topic of mental math specifically, check out these comments. It's simply, largely a waste of effort to spend significant time learning and do mental math. The world has changed. http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110310/03354413427/changing-way-that-math-is-taught-to-children.shtml Edited February 23, 2013 by PaullyW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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