In fact, I've experienced more kindness in the US and Canada and Oz than any other places I've ever been. Here's something to mull over.

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Working or donating to "charities" or consciously committing random acts of kindness upon strangers is certainly virtuous, but to my mind has very little to do with the topic at hand, which is refraining from stealing, an instance simply doing the right thing in your day-to-day life.

I doubt very much this could be measured, but if it could I doubt even more that Thailand wouldn't come out well ahead of most of our home countries.

Of course I could be wrong.

You're wrong.

Plenty of honest Thais ... If you hang around the bars or in company of bar girls what so you expect ??? Thailand gets its bad name from that lot when there is 90% of the country that are good

I think most Thais are honest , but in a city like Pattaya it is harder to find them .

In fact, I've experienced more kindness in the US and Canada and Oz than any other places I've ever been. Here's something to mull over.

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Working or donating to "charities" or consciously committing random acts of kindness upon strangers is certainly virtuous, but to my mind has very little to do with the topic at hand, which is refraining from stealing, an instance simply doing the right thing in your day-to-day life.

I doubt very much this could be measured, but if it could I doubt even more that Thailand wouldn't come out well ahead of most of our home countries.

Of course I could be wrong.

I agree. Particularly with the Chinese influence on Thailand and Thai culture.

Plenty of honest Thais ... If you hang around the bars or in company of bar girls what so you expect ??? Thailand gets its bad name from that lot when there is 90% of the country that are good

My first wife was a fine arts professor in college and after she divorced me I met a large number of bar girls. You are right. There was a big difference. My first wife could paint better than any of the bar girls.

See there's other people with fat wallets too!

In fact, I've experienced more kindness in the US and Canada and Oz than any other places I've ever been. Here's something to mull over.

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Working or donating to "charities" or consciously committing random acts of kindness upon strangers is certainly virtuous, but to my mind has very little to do with the topic at hand, which is refraining from stealing, an instance simply doing the right thing in your day-to-day life.

I doubt very much this could be measured, but if it could I doubt even more that Thailand wouldn't come out well ahead of most of our home countries.

Of course I could be wrong.

I agree. Particularly with the Chinese influence on Thailand and Thai culture.

Interesting - is it your opinion that the Chinese influence on native Thais is in the direction of higher levels of this type of honesty or lower?

I have to say that in many decades of living in the US I have never had a taxi driver go out of his way to return my belongings left behind, and have only successfully recovered such once out of dozens of times, and the cash was gone. As opposed to success in the majority of times here, and cash returned in all. I've also been mugged many times there, never here, only non-violent thefts here.

I think many people's view of Thai integrity is influenced by the fact that we may think scamming, lying and cheating in business - persuading someone with words to voluntarily hand over their money - in the same moral category as physically stealing (failing to return) something that is clearly not yours.

I don't think Asian cultures do the same. For example, I'm sure shoplifting is much more prevalent back home than here.

Throughout the world there are really only two types of people, those that are good and those that are bad. I don't care where you were born, what job you have, how much money you make, where you live, or what color you skin is. What matters to me is if you are a good person or not. If you are surprised that there are honest people in Thailand I would suggest that you get out of where you are and see more of the country as this has not been my experience.

Throughout the world there are really only two types of people, those that are good and those that are bad. I don't care where you were born, what job you have, how much money you make, where you live, or what color you skin is. What matters to me is if you are a good person or not. If you are surprised that there are honest people in Thailand I would suggest that you get out of where you are and see more of the country as this has not been my experience.

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There are two kinds of people in this world - those who divide everything into two and those who don't

-- Robert Benchley

Actually there are 10 kinds of people - those who understand binary notation, and those who do not.

The full range of the spectrum can't be expressed in zeros and ones, both in wavelengths of "color" and the world of human ethics.

In fact, I've experienced more kindness in the US and Canada and Oz than any other places I've ever been. Here's something to mull over.

-

Working or donating to "charities" or consciously committing random acts of kindness upon strangers is certainly virtuous, but to my mind has very little to do with the topic at hand, which is refraining from stealing, an instance simply doing the right thing in your day-to-day life.

I doubt very much this could be measured, but if it could I doubt even more that Thailand wouldn't come out well ahead of most of our home countries.

Of course I could be wrong.

I agree. Particularly with the Chinese influence on Thailand and Thai culture.

Interesting - is it your opinion that the Chinese influence on native Thais is in the direction of higher levels of this type of honesty or lower?

I have to say that in many decades of living in the US I have never had a taxi driver go out of his way to return my belongings left behind, and have only successfully recovered such once out of dozens of times, and the cash was gone. As opposed to success in the majority of times here, and cash returned in all. I've also been mugged many times there, never here, only non-violent thefts here.

I think many people's view of Thai integrity is influenced by the fact that we may think scamming, lying and cheating in business - persuading someone with words to voluntarily hand over their money - in the same moral category as physically stealing (failing to return) something that is clearly not yours.

I don't think Asian cultures do the same. For example, I'm sure shoplifting is much more prevalent back home than here.

Have a look at any Thai TV programs in the evening and you will find a good dozen or so dedicated to CCTV on shoplifting. Next to drinking lao khao it could be the national pastime.

Throughout the world there are really only two types of people, those that are good and those that are bad. I don't care where you were born, what job you have, how much money you make, where you live, or what color you skin is. What matters to me is if you are a good person or not. If you are surprised that there are honest people in Thailand I would suggest that you get out of where you are and see more of the country as this has not been my experience.

-

There are two kinds of people in this world - those who divide everything into two and those who don't

-- Robert Benchley

Actually there are 10 kinds of people - those who understand binary notation, and those who do not.

The full range of the spectrum can't be expressed in zeros and ones, both in wavelengths of "color" and the world of human ethics.

Actually, there are 3 kind of people in this world.

Those who can count, and those who can't.

In fact, I've experienced more kindness in the US and Canada and Oz than any other places I've ever been. Here's something to mull over.

Interesting chart which confirms some of my own observations. The Middle East and Asia have some work to do.

Like Guesthouse I've been the recipient of many kindnesses in Thailand; most often, unexpected. It's hard to know how to reciprocate. Sometimes a bit of money is ok or food is always appreciated, but if I were in the position to change someone's life I wish I could do that. I'm retired so a best all I can offer is work of a domestic or labor variety. But if I were still an active professional working in a Thai company, as Guesthouse is I think I'd try to do more. I'm not saying that Guesthouse didn't reciprocate adequately, he surely did, but what if you could change someone's life for the better? You already know your prospective employee is honest, if you DID need to hire someone that's a big plus.

I hope it was SEAFOOD PIZZA with extra ketchup.