G’Bye Chiang Mai Expats,

[muchogra]

CMX, you impress me as a good fella. I remember you giving me good advices when I was seeking help on motorcycle in the forum. Never have I seen you made obnoxious posts against any individual. In my mind, you are an educated fella with a certain principles and philosophy of your own. I don't know exactly your reasons for leaving CM, but best of luck to you and be happy!

[Berkshire]

Thailand and the Philipines have the same literacy rate and Thailand spends almost twice as much of their GDP on education. Why do you think that education is better in PI?

The Philippines is a dump compared to Thailand, even the Filipinos know this. Anyone who thinks otherwise is truly delusional. In fact, the Philippines is often cited as an example of why learning English isn't critical to an Asian country's success: Filipinos are relatively literate in English, yet, the Philippines is still a hopeless basketcase.

[Saan]

So you too have drunk the Thai Kool-Aid about how thailand's so called skilled diplomacy kept it from being colonized by either France or Great Britain or divided between them. Either or both of these empires could have swallowed Siam with barely a burp or savored a meal of thailand between them but chose not to so as to maintain a neutral buffer state between them.

Did you yourself happen to attend one of those Thai schools that indoctrinate their students with these nationalistic notions of revisionist history?

I think the British were quite happy to take over Thailand after WW11 but the French ran squealing to the Americans about Britain having too much influence in SEA and that was the end of that. Thai diplomacy didn't enter into it.

[CMX]

Corrections:

1. I had not meant to suggest that how Thais think about their nation was historically accurate. They think it. Americans little realize the degree to which their weapons upon arrival, natural resources, and the point in time of the development of manufacturing contributed to their imagined 'greatness' - every nation is raised with an elevated notion of their successes. Point is we act because of these internalized values, many exaggerated or false, Thais too.

2. This was not a g'bye to CM - t'was to expats only - said so in the title. My paean to Chain Mai (sadly, written in English), raises the issue as to whether falang should be regarded as cash-cows like pimples - or weeping carbuncles instead - on the fanny of the nation. As I said, my own experience with Thais was wonderful,

3. Point was only that we can get on the happy bus and live with 'it is what it is' - or complain, correct, suggest, and b.... Constructive use to find solutions is another thing, and the best use of this forum. 'Venting' means that one is yet to come to an inner understanding.

Sold my car, too.

[hellodolly]

As I said Good luck in your new three year plan.

You are taking your self along so I am sure it will be a success.

I don't know what your destination is but all this talk back and forth about the Philippines got me to thinking.

So I looked them up on the Corruption Perception Index.

They are far more corrupt than Thailand.

Out of a list of 176 Thailand was 88th while the Philippines placed 105th in corruption.

[orang37]

As I said, my own experience with Thais was wonderful,

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun CMX,

I'm glad to hear there's a little wriggle-room between being "cash-cows like pimples" and "weeping carbuncles instead - on the fanny of the nation" !

moosomely, and pustulatingly, yours, ~o:37;

[Rasseru]

As I said, my own experience with Thais was wonderful,

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun CMX,

I'm glad to hear there's a little wriggle-room between being "cash-cows like pimples" and "weeping carbuncles instead - on the fanny of the nation" !

moosomely, and pustulatingly, yours, ~o:37;

^ Udderly and sobbingly adores o:37's expression of glee.

[muchogra]

Wow, a display of liguistics excellence?

On Phillipines and Thailand: perhaps Phillipines has this idea of democracy planted into them too early and subsequently exploited by the corrupt and incapable politicians and officials that has stymied the country? Look around the world, there may be other countries like that! I always like what Lee KuanYew had once said: democracy doesn't come before prosperity. In recent years, he had also said if the bunch of liberals got elected, Singapore would lose its leverage on things that have made Singapore what it is today- a country which virtually has no natural resources. It's the people and the values they respect and conform to that have made what Singapore what it is today.

A doctrine of democracy filtered into the wrong group is like breeding spoiled brats to have the power to elect hypocrtical exploiters into the office who would eventually do more harms than goods for a country. This also applies to the advanced countries as well. This is my personal belief.

[muchogra]

The systems in the West seem unsubstainable to me in the long run The only way to make it substainable and to support and please the spoiled brats now is to open up more markets in the world riding on a bandwagon with a banner saying: DEMOCRACY. Certainly, there are politicians exploiting this, and to the liking of the people also. Will people be happier with all the greeds and demands?

[binjalin]

Thailand and the Philipines have the same literacy rate and Thailand spends almost twice as much of their GDP on education. Why do you think that education is better in PI?

The Philippines is a dump compared to Thailand, even the Filipinos know this. Anyone who thinks otherwise is truly delusional. In fact, the Philippines is often cited as an example of why learning English isn't critical to an Asian country's success: Filipinos are relatively literate in English, yet, the Philippines is still a hopeless basketcase.

not all of it - I was in Cebu Ayala Mall recently and in knocks any Mall here into a cocked hat - why? because they allow for s-p-a-c-e I have been Phil 17 times and it is mixed - can't say 'it's all a dump compared to here' have you ever been to Greenbelt in Manila? it's fantastic