Train Defenestration

[HeijoshinCool]

Bangkok to Yala, 3:30 pm. Last minute trip, no airline seats, no air con train seats. I’ve taken trains before. Acceptable or good experiences. Some nice scenery.

But riding without air-conditioning means windows down. Things are different, windows down.

I face Bangkok, old guy across from me faces Yala. Can’t wait for food so he spends an hour harvesting nose, toes, eyes and ears for appetizers. Never seen someone yank nasal hair in clusters and chew them. But he does inspect them first. Food vendors come. Old guy’s still hungry, gets two meals. I stare at my fresh, lovely sashimi set from Fuji Market. Not appetite anymore.

But I digress, this is about defenestration.

Old man peels off plastic wrap. Whoosh. Out the window. Empties fish sauce over food from little

plastic cup. Whoosh. Out the window. Finishes can of beer, defenestrates it, and the straw, too. Whoosh.

Across the aisle, old man’s daughter has four-year old on lap. Grandma, across from them, takes trash from boy. Whoosh. Out the window. Boy giggles, throws bottle out window. Grandma
laughs and claps. We’re having a party. Boy flings coke can, misses, bounces inside, boy giggles madly. I briefly consider providing familiar sound effects—boing! I don’t.

But daughter does catche me raise an eyebrow. She’s embarrassed. Hands old guy bag with Styrofoam trays and spoons and water bottles, and toilet paper. Whispers, jerks chin towards bathroom—trash cans there, dad. He looks over, holds up bag for me to see, grins. Whoosh.

Bedtime. Heavy louvers cover windows in lower bunks. Upper bunks have no windows. Heat rises. At 3 a.m. train stops, no movement for an hour. Laying in my upper sauna, there’s smoke. I get up. Back door’s locked, front’s wedged shut with a table. No air flow. Return for more sauna until three hour mark of old man beneath me chain-smoking without train movement. I break out at sunrise.

But I digress, this is about defenestration.

Sitting in restaurant car. Better here. Windows down, sun comes up, fresh morning air. Surprisingly empty but for two rail workers, a couple of Railway Police, and the server. New locomotive engine shows. Train starts winding through green fields and hills, over bridges and streams. I drink
coffee and gobble a 190 baht breakfast.

Across from me, cops remove plastic wrap from their food. Whoosh. Out the window. Workers drain
water bottles. Whoosh, out the window. Server comes with second coffee. I take it, put used stirrers in empty first cup, hand to him with a thanks. Reaches past me. Whoosh. Out the window.

[pattayadingo]

You were not thrown out of the window then? Defenestration

[wolf5370]

Old man sadly passed away while sleeping on a train to Yala last night - it appears that whilst smoking in bed, he accidently swallowed a large pillow - body was found on trackside after maid service making the bed accidently threw the carcass out of the window Whoosh Last meal consisted of bogeys, nasal hair, train food and one pillow.

Edited April 20, 2013 by wolf5370

[cooked]

i remember being shocked while travelling in first class and being surprised and impressed that the well dressed Thai next to me was actually READING A NEWSPAPER. You guessed it: on finishing it, out of the window it went.

They seem to hate their country, they do all they can to make it ugly.

Edited April 20, 2013 by cooked

[wolf5370]

I was talking about this before one time - and we concluded this is because not so long ago everything came wrapped in banana leaves and could be discarded (ants ate the scraps and rest decayed as normal) - the Thais simply have never got used to rubbish that can't simply be tossed. 15 years ago my father in law drove us from Bkk to CM in his pickup. Along the way we stopped for a pee at the road side. My wife had carefully bagged all the rubbish up as we went along (packaging from various 7-11 and garage shops), when FIL got back to the car, he tied the bag and threw it on to the roadside (grass) - I went and got it - he threw it back again - I went and got it and held on to it (depositing it at the next garage we stopped at) - of course the next bag got thrown out whilst moving so I couldn't retrieve it - just did not make sense to me as it was bagged and we were certainly going to stop soon (kids with sweets and toilets!) and would be able to bin it. He was (returned now) a Naval officer.

[HeijoshinCool]

i remember being shocked while travelling in first class and being surprised and impressed that the well dressed Thai next to me was actually READING A NEWSPAPER. You guessed it: on finishing it, out of the window it went.

They seem to hate their country, they do all they can to make it ugly.

It sometimes seems that way. Some of the scenery is quite beautiful. There are homes along the tracks, most are hovels, but some are nice ones. I can't imagine what these people are thinking when they throw garbage out the window. They seem incapable of empathy.

[katana]

I remember someone posting that on one occasion he saw the guard on one train emptying the contents of the trash bin out the window too when it was full.

[LuukKoeyKorat]

Out of sight, is out of mind. Unfortunately.

[cooked]

Not a trivial topic when you think about it. It suggests a lack of aesthetic sensibility and sense of public responsibility. How can you bring this in accord with the patriotism that most Thais fervently believe in?

The UK is a lot cleaner than it used to be, Switzerland is generally impeccable. When I visited a mountain top and found rubbish strewn around, I would usually remark something like: I see we have had a visit from our Britannic friends'.

[MrHammer]

Yeah the thais and their complete disregard for how public spaces look like are really baffling.

[Kitsune]

I'm lost

" Server comes with second coffee"

(Server : operating system, computer, or appliance to run one or more services)

Computers bring you coffee in Thai trains ???

[uptheos]

i remember being shocked while travelling in first class and being surprised and impressed that the well dressed Thai next to me was actually READING A NEWSPAPER. You guessed it: on finishing it, out of the window it went.

They seem to hate their country, they do all they can to make it ugly.

Yeah but, no but, yeah but.......don't forget (just in case anyone would let you), it's their country, they are our hosts and we are merely guests in the land of smiles and as such have no right to voice our concerns over the spoiling of this beautiful country. People will tell you that if you want to live here happily learn to adapt to our hosts ways, so 'whoosh' everything, pick every orifice whilst someone is eating and buy a few dogs, but don't train them. You will fit in blissfully.

[Kitsune]

i remember being shocked while travelling in first class and being surprised and impressed that the well dressed Thai next to me was actually READING A NEWSPAPER. You guessed it: on finishing it, out of the window it went.

They seem to hate their country, they do all they can to make it ugly.

Yeah but, no but, yeah but.......don't forget (just in case anyone would let you), it's their country, they are our hosts and we are merely guests in the land of smiles and as such have no right to voice our concerns over the spoiling of this beautiful country. People will tell you that if you want to live here happily learn to adapt to our hosts ways, so 'whoosh' everything, pick every orifice whilst someone is eating and buy a few dogs, but don't train them. You will fit in blissfully.

It's not about their country

It's about the planet

What they throw all end up in the oceans destroying marine life, without which we could not survive.

http://onemoregeneration.org/2011/07/11/is-ocean-garbage-killing-whales/

[StreetCowboy]

The least we can do is maintain our own standards, and set an example.

As the OP mentioned, the daughter felt embarrassed; perhaps on her own, she would dispose of her rubbish carefully; perhaps her children will.

But there's no point in trying to directly change the behaviour of others - Thais are no less spitefully thrawn than any other nation

SC

[uptheos]

i remember being shocked while travelling in first class and being surprised and impressed that the well dressed Thai next to me was actually READING A NEWSPAPER. You guessed it: on finishing it, out of the window it went.

They seem to hate their country, they do all they can to make it ugly.

Yeah but, no but, yeah but.......don't forget (just in case anyone would let you), it's their country, they are our hosts and we are merely guests in the land of smiles and as such have no right to voice our concerns over the spoiling of this beautiful country. People will tell you that if you want to live here happily learn to adapt to our hosts ways, so 'whoosh' everything, pick every orifice whilst someone is eating and buy a few dogs, but don't train them. You will fit in blissfully.

It's not about their country

It's about the planet

What they throw all end up in the oceans destroying marine life, without which we could not survive.

http://onemoregeneration.org/2011/07/11/is-ocean-garbage-killing-whales/

Sorry my post went over your head.

[Somtamnication]

Defenestration failed miserably if the locals did not throw out any falangs out da windoze.

[lomatopo]

This is a popular topic:

https://www.google.com/search?q=littering+site%3Athaivisa.com&aq=f&oq=littering+site%3Athaivisa.com&aqs=chrome.0.57.6651j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I've seen people riding in the back of pick-up trucks fling detritus over-board at speed on the highway; and I've seen people outside a 7-11, with a trash bin less than 25 cm away, toss trash on the ground.

Education, awareness, recycling/deposits, shame, public service announcements over a long term can start to address the situation. It wasn't that long ago, in the U.S. anyway - say 50 - 60 years - that there was little awareness of this issue. There was a "Mad Men" episode (show takes place in the 1960's but anti-littering efforts began in the 1950's) from season 2 which showed a family enjoying a picnic in an picturesque meadow, and then leaving behind all their trash, which was not atypical. I think many of the older folks here remember Iron Eyes Cody shedding a tear in the iconic "Keep America Beautiful" spot.

[rene123]

That is my one major complaint that I have with a lot of Thai people. They don't value the environment around them. They toss their rubbish everywhere and expect others to pick up after them, or not at all. The children are not taught and it carries through to the next generation. It is the same in Canada near most every native community. There is plastic garbage everywhere.

In Chiang Mai i spent once a week hiking up Doi Sutthep mountain on the old trails. I was taken there by an elderly Canadian who became my mentor in many ways. We opened up the old monk trails with bush axes (machetes) so they were free of the fast growing bamboo. When we started in November there was almost nobody hiking because they couldn't get through, but after a few months of cutting we met more hikers all the time. The real downside to the exercise was the garbage that was left behind. By March I had to bring a packsack to carry out other people's bottles and plastic waste.

[Kitsune]

i remember being shocked while travelling in first class and being surprised and impressed that the well dressed Thai next to me was actually READING A NEWSPAPER. You guessed it: on finishing it, out of the window it went.

They seem to hate their country, they do all they can to make it ugly.

Yeah but, no but, yeah but.......don't forget (just in case anyone would let you), it's their country, they are our hosts and we are merely guests in the land of smiles and as such have no right to voice our concerns over the spoiling of this beautiful country. People will tell you that if you want to live here happily learn to adapt to our hosts ways, so 'whoosh' everything, pick every orifice whilst someone is eating and buy a few dogs, but don't train them. You will fit in blissfully.

It's not about their country

It's about the planet

What they throw all end up in the oceans destroying marine life, without which we could not survive.

http://onemoregeneration.org/2011/07/11/is-ocean-garbage-killing-whales/

Sorry my post went over your head.

We are all guests here on planet Earth nothing is "ours" and we should start behaving accordingly

[HeijoshinCool]

i remember being shocked while travelling in first class and being surprised and impressed that the well dressed Thai next to me was actually READING A NEWSPAPER. You guessed it: on finishing it, out of the window it went.

They seem to hate their country, they do all they can to make it ugly.

Yeah but, no but, yeah but.......don't forget (just in case anyone would let you), it's their country, they are our hosts and we are merely guests in the land of smiles and as such have no right to voice our concerns over the spoiling of this beautiful country. People will tell you that if you want to live here happily learn to adapt to our hosts ways, so 'whoosh' everything, pick every orifice whilst someone is eating and buy a few dogs, but don't train them. You will fit in blissfully.

Outside of your post, where is it written we "have no right to voice our concerns?" Is there a law I don't know about? Is it immoral? Unethical? Rude? Do you voice concerns about how the British do things? The Americans? The French? The North Koreans?

If raising an eyebrow is voicing an opinion, I'll do it again and again. You say we should "adapt to our hosts (sic) ways?" Really?

Okay, you start. You should be driving your motorbike on the wrong side of the road, at nighttime, without lights, and your baby girl in your left arm. Do you do this?

You should pick your nose while you are talking to a stranger, or while fixing a sandwich for a friend. Do you do this?

You should tell your kids never to ask their teachers any questions, even if they don't understand something. To do so would be telling the teacher they hadn't done a good job of teaching. The teacher would lose face. Do you do this?

You should wear T-shirts with a Hitler screenprint. Okay with you?

You should actively accept and engage in corruption, no matter how detrimental to others, especially the poor, including denying young girls, held prisoner for years and tortured with boiling water, justice by quickly give her captors easy bail. You should not try to set an example to do otherwise.

You should burn all your plastic. Slowly.

When entering a building, never hold the door open for the person right behind you. You don't hold the door, do you?

The fact that you actually state we should throw trash out the window is assinine. It is selfish. You say the country is beautiful? And you are enjoying it, yes? Well, what about the generations to come? What, you don't care about those after you? Please tell me you do.

Nowhere did I use derogatory language. I did not even state an opinion, simply recited facts. Nowhere did I say Thais are stupid. They are not. They lack, in certain categories, education. We all do.

Close-mindedness is a poor teacher. Back home over the years, I have had many visitors and immigrants teach me something in my own country. It made me a better police officer, a better traveler, a better cook, a better cabinetmaker, a better friend, a far better person, one with a more realistic perspective of reality.

[harrry]

People here are never happy. TV readers are the first to object when the Police in Bangkok enfore the no littering policy by fining them for throwing their cigarette buts on the ground.

Edited April 21, 2013 by harrry

[patongphil]

What does defenestration mean?

[lomatopo]

What does defenestration mean?

Whoosh, out the window

From the Latin, fenestrum for window.

Agree the title is misleading, sounds like someone threw a train out the window.

Edited April 21, 2013 by lomatopo

[infinity11]

i remember being shocked while travelling in first class and being surprised and impressed that the well dressed Thai next to me was actually READING A NEWSPAPER. You guessed it: on finishing it, out of the window it went.

They seem to hate their country, they do all they can to make it ugly.

Maybe they LIKE it that way.

You know, kind of like noise, the more the better.

[bkkgriz]

People here are never happy. TV readers are the first to object when the Police in Bangkok enfore the no littering policy by fining them for throwing their cigarette buts on the ground.

I think most of the people complaining about the tesakijt fining people for throwing butts on the ground that don't exist. If you do the crime pay the fine. But many people who don't even smoke have been stopped and told to pay a fine.

[yourauntbob]

Waiting for the first clong boat in the morning a few years back I saw a couple sleeping on the bench. When they heard the first boat approaching they woke up. the women (i would guess 45-50) reaches under the bench, pulls out two plastic bags filled with garbage, and throws them right in the clong. Goes back under the bench and does it again. They both pick up their belongings and causally walk off (walking right past a trash can i might add). When I told some Thai friends about this they kind of shrugged their shoulders like "why are you telling us this."

As stated above, you can try to educate a bit but in the end its their country and if thats the way they collectively decide to treat it there is nothing we can really do.

Whoosh

[jackr]

screwed up by quote system

Edited April 21, 2013 by jackr

[jackr]

i remember being shocked while travelling in first class and being surprised and impressed that the well dressed Thai next to me was actually READING A NEWSPAPER. You guessed it: on finishing it, out of the window it went.

They seem to hate their country, they do all they can to make it ugly.

Yeah but, no but, yeah but.......don't forget (just in case anyone would let you), it's their country, they are our hosts and we are merely guests in the land of smiles and as such have no right to voice our concerns over the spoiling of this beautiful country. People will tell you that if you want to live here happily learn to adapt to our hosts ways, so 'whoosh' everything, pick every orifice whilst someone is eating and buy a few dogs, but don't train them. You will fit in blissfully.

It's not about their country

It's about the planet

What they throw all end up in the oceans destroying marine life, without which we could not survive.

http://onemoregeneration.org/2011/07/11/is-ocean-garbage-killing-whales/

Sorry my post went over your head.

We are all guests here on planet Earth nothing is "ours" and we should start behaving accordingly

Indeed, couldn't agree more, but like he says, his post went over your head.

[thequietman]

People here are never happy. TV readers are the first to object when the Police in Bangkok enfore the no littering policy by fining them for throwing their cigarette buts on the ground.

A cigarette is paper, tobacco and sponge. It will eventually degenerate alone fairly quickly. A plastic bag will not. I think smoking is a disgusting habit however, it disgusts me more when 'police officers' use this bullshit excuse to dish out exorbitant fines. Thai people know it is wrong to litter, they just choose not to care. Don''t believe me ? Try dumping a bag of rubbish at the entrance to their home or on their ground. See what kind of response you get. Another thai apologist. How many is that now ?

I frown on littering a lot. I have told the kids in my village not to litter and especially not in front of my house. If they drop any, adults or kids, I will walk after them and hand it back (true) Now they will walk by my home and check if I am sitting out front. If I am, they will hold the litter in their hand until they are beyond the front of my home and then.............. you guessed it, discard the litter on the ground. UnFu##ingbelieveable.

[geriatrickid]

I often visit the military rehab center in Hua Hin. There is a beach which is maintained by the army and which is often crowded with Thais. It is kept clean. The Thais collect their garbage and put it in one of the many garbage receptacles. I think that the fact that the beach is clean to begin with is a major factor, and most importantly of all, there are rubbish cans. Part of the problem in Thailand is that there are no public waste bins. Have a look at the beaches in Phuket or even the tourist section of Hua Hin. A garbage can is a rarity. The end result is that people just abandon their trash.

IMO part of the issue is that someone has to deal with the trash collection and no one wants to do that. Putting out a garbage can means it will fill up and then the disposal has to be paid for. Easier to make it some one else's problem. Mai pen rai. Some companies are exemplary with their approach, many of which are the multinational fast food companies. McDonalds (which I loathe) has many garbage cans and regularly collects the trash around the premises. Compare that to the food vendors on the beach in Patong and their foreign clientele that just toss their crap all over the place.

Edited April 21, 2013 by geriatrickid