Powerful Thai People.

[theblether]

theblether, on 24 Apr 2013 - 16:52, said:

maxme, on 24 Apr 2013 - 16:44, said:

Nope......I made no reference to respective IQ's......to me it's a win-win-win-win situation.

The Tai boys get a good jump, the ladyboy get's well sorted, the Sino get's a few quid and Pretty Girl get's her wealthy man.

What's wrong with that? //

Well, since it is Thailand we are talking about, I guess you could take it as an accomplishment...

So you have your answer as to why the Sino-Thais rose to the top. I told you theblether was very clever.

Here's another rhetorical question. Since they have reached the tippy-top of the society because of their business skills and ahem, leadership, why is this country still in development hell?

I refer you to post 27.

[maxme]

theblether, on 24 Apr 2013 - 16:52, said:

maxme, on 24 Apr 2013 - 16:44, said:

Nope......I made no reference to respective IQ's......to me it's a win-win-win-win situation.

The Tai boys get a good jump, the ladyboy get's well sorted, the Sino get's a few quid and Pretty Girl get's her wealthy man.

What's wrong with that? //

Well, since it is Thailand we are talking about, I guess you could take it as an accomplishment...

So you have your answer as to why the Sino-Thais rose to the top. I told you theblether was very clever.

Here's another rhetorical question. Since they have reached the tippy-top of the society because of their business skills and ahem, leadership, why is this country still in development hell?

I refer you to post 27.

He was referring to the Chinese, we were talking about the Sino-Thais. Don´t twist or change the subject.

[theblether]

Hmmm.....I'll be back to continue this intriguing argument but my lady has just called me and told me she wants to go for dinner early cos she's hungry.

When she calls, I run. Forgive me for being weak.

Edited April 24, 2013 by theblether

[SamsonSW]

Thais of Chinese descent do own the vast majority of the means of production, and dominate the top 10% of income earning families in Thailand.<br /><br />If you discuss this issue with non-Chinese Thais that aren't rich, they will often concede it is because they are "lazy", in other words, not willing to sacrifice enjoying today for delayed gratification later on. Some will even go so far as to admit that from an economic point of view they were actually colonized from within long ago.<br /><br />If you have a hard time identifying them by their appearance and external decorations in their homes and places of business, you can identify which Thais are of Chinese descent by asking them and they will tell you, they are very proud of their heritage and make sure their kids learn Chinese languages, religion customs as well as Thai.<br /><br />If you really get interested, start investigating which families are Chiuchow as opposed to Swatow, and how many have close family members in Macao and Hong Kong and Taiwan, and try to learn about the cross-connections in company ownership and trade patterns.<br /><br />Just like with the more usual western style multi-national corporations, the whole concept of nationality becomes less and less important over time, and money will always flow to where conditions are best depending on the industry, no matter where the ultimate owners happen to live, hold their passports, do their banking - often in very different places.<br /><br />Which makes foreigners bringing most of their financial assets into Thailand just because they want to live here look pretty silly, at least to me.

[Ricardo]

It will be interesting, now that there are significant numbers of farangs moving to work and live here, to see how well they & their descendants integrate and succeed, over the next several generations.

Ordinary Thais who move overseas, for work or social-reasons (marriage), seem to do fairly well IME.

Whatever, good luck to them all !

[h90]

If you see how usual Thais work and how usual Chinese work.

If you see how Chinese families value education and how usual Thais value education.

--> Than you'll understand it.

Beside some real Thais are just bleached, so they appear to be white like Chinese.....

Well I don't think non-Chinese Thais undervalue education.

They just can't afford it.

Big difference

A lot education is for free.....

[geriatrickid]

Just curious, but how on Earth can you possibly know which Thais have Chinese heritage? Because they have light skin? There are plenty of Thais in northern Thailand who have light skin and are not in positions of power. Does that debunk your theory? I'm sure if you ask any of these Thais in power what their ethnicity is, 100% of them will say "Thai"....not Thai-Chinese, or Chinese, or anything else.

No, not at all "because they have light skin". I am talking about Thais who traditionally follow Chinese culture aspects - such as (for 1 example) patrons of the traditional Chinese version of Buddhism (the "fat Budda" for lack of a better term).

I try not to judge based on "light skin" - it's not a good indicator - so I just observe more closely.

Also - even though I am descendant from Germans, I identify with being an American. That still does not change my family history though. So - I AGREE with you - even Thai's of Chinese decent - I expect them to label themselves as THAIs.

Again, this is all just my personal observation - I'm not claiming any scientific study - and I was wondering if anyone else had noticed this.

I think you answered your own question with your German American roots explanation. Thailand is a dog's breakfast of mixed cultural origins just like the USA. One need only look at Surin and Udon to see the influence of Khmer and Laos cultures. People of Chinese origins have been in Thailand for centuries. These people are as Thai as any other Thai national, just as americans who have German origins are as American as their fellow citizens. Americans of German extraction do not identify with Germany anymore than Thais of Chinese origin identify with China. I have met plenty of lazy ignorant thais that have some Chinese ancestry. Having a Chinese heritage doesn't bestow anything special.They are just more noticeable, the same as Afro americans in expensive cars are noticeable in small town Utah. IMO, America cleansed German immigrants of some nasty cultural predispositions to the point that they became an integral positive part of America.The same has occurred with Thais of Chinese descent. The influence of other cultures more often than not brings out the best in people.

Edited April 25, 2013 by geriatrickid

[tool84]

Here is the article on Thai Chinese from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Thai

According to this 14% of the population is Thai Chinese and particularly interesting is this Thai Chinese also control 96 percent of Thailand's 70 most powerful business groups and They are estimated to produce 50% of Thailand's overall GNP.

I am married to a Thai Chinese from a family in Yala and there are some pretty rich people there that control some big businesses, but she want's nothing to do with her Chinese origin lol, doesn't want to learn Chinese, don't like them. I like to tease her that she's Chinese and it annoys her that people thinks she's any other Asian nationality except Thai. For her she is Thai, period.

[Khun Watchaporn]

As if, possibly long ago, Chinese immigrants came in, assimilated, and took control.

Er, yes. They would have been the Tai.

Came in around 800 years ago and took control.

[Khun Watchaporn]

Besides, I think you'll find they're a very nice, welcoming, warm people with decent morals.