As A Foreigner, What Is Your Advice For Today's Thai Youth?

[udonthani1]

Whether they'll listen is another story but...

Learn as much English as possible. Master the language.

Wear a helmet.

[BookMan]

What you post on Facebook now may come back to haunt you in future!

(no ghost pun intended)

[rene123]

I think it's the same advice that every youth of any nation should adhere to if at all possible. Get as much education as possible and learn some trade that suits the cultural environment. I see a glaring lack of trade schools in Thailand. I think if a young man was formally educated as a mechanic, carpenter, plumber, builder, technician, etc, then he could go far with his own business. Learning good English would be a requirement in the business world. Without it there are many closed doors. In Canada the sky is the limit for young people who learn Chinese and other Asian languages.

[bluweyze]

My advice, don't listen to foreigners that think they know it all

[VocalNeal]

I see a glaring lack of trade schools in Thailand. I think if a young man was formally educated as a mechanic, carpenter, plumber, builder, technician, etc, then he could go far with his own business.

You must live in a very remote place. There are lots of them and far from using the opportunity to start their own business, they seem to put more emphasis on atacking or shooting students from different trade schools. Edited May 24, 2013 by VocalNeal

[chrisinth]

"Learn as much English as possible. Master the language."

It depends on what Thai youth you are talking to. The emphasis on the learning of the English language for the majority of Thais is quite frankly overrated, as most of them will never use it! This will probably upset the teaching fraternity on TV, but for the majority of the country outside the commercial areas they speak and run their lives using Thai as they have done for centuries.

Why would a rice/sugar cane farmer need to know another language as all his trading is done inside Thailand? If he doesn't need to know, why should his workers? These type of workers will never be trading in the international markets. They will have minimal contact with foreigners. That is the way it is and for people who think that learning a new language is going to change this, sorry, you are living in a dream world.

Forget language, learn a trade, as mentioned earlier by Rene123!

Of course the above changes if the youth has potential to be exposed to international markets or visitors to their land or to work overseas. But, percentage wise throughout the Thai populous this, I would imagine would be very small.

Fine balance.

Edited May 24, 2013 by chrisinth

[Trembly]

I see a glaring lack of trade schools in Thailand. I think if a young man was formally educated as a mechanic, carpenter, plumber, builder, technician, etc, then he could go far with his own business.

You must live in a very remote place. There are lots of them and far from using the opportunity to start their own business, they seem to put more emphasis on atacking or shooting students from different trade schools.

Anyone with any knowledge of the trades from the west would be hard pressed to call the Thai ones trade schools. Some very basic first principles are missing from many of the graduates, which means they must be missing from many of the staff too.

[lazygourmet]

Contraception

[mr78]

Don't belive the hype! Meaning, don't fall in to the trap of thinking that the newest phone/most expensive clothes/fanciest house/whatever makes you happy. These are the reasons us westerners are so miserable, life has no substance and everything is about showing off to your friends and neighbours. There is no happieness unless you buy a nicer car/bigger house e.t.c. than your neighbours/friends, than you'll be happy for a brief moment untill you realize that said neighbour/friend has a nice big boat that you didn't know about, and you'll be back knocking on the bank door to get yet another loan to finance your everlasting competition with the people around you.

Now the banks own you and if you or the gf/bf/wife/husband loose your job the bank will kick you out before you even have had time to pack your belongings. And this is why you'll cry yourself to sleep every night. So, don't belive the hype!

[Rsquared]

I have to agree with mr78, technology and media has expanded at an exponential rate since I have been on this blue marble, which leads to the "keeping up with the Jone's" syndrome.

Advice for young Thais depends on their location and family's financial situation.

Education is the main factor for success, and how one measures success is a whole new topic...so before I go off on a tangent, my humble advice would be.....find out for yourself what you are good at and what you like....and go from there.

Cheers.

[benalibina]

Think !

[mauGR1]

Play football... The National team sucks ..

[rct99q]

Don't believe everything your parents tell you. You are not better then anyone else, you are not the most important person in the world, you do not deserve any of the respect you are shown just because you are a Thai male. And just because the old man sits back each evening drinking whiskey and smokes 5 packs of cigarettes does not mean you can too.

.

[PaullyW]

"Learn as much English as possible. Master the language."

It depends on what Thai youth you are talking to. The emphasis on the learning of the English language for the majority of Thais is quite frankly overrated, as most of them will never use it! This will probably upset the teaching fraternity on TV, but for the majority of the country outside the commercial areas they speak and run their lives using Thai as they have done for centuries.

Why would a rice/sugar cane farmer need to know another language as all his trading is done inside Thailand? If he doesn't need to know, why should his workers? These type of workers will never be trading in the international markets. They will have minimal contact with foreigners. That is the way it is and for people who think that learning a new language is going to change this, sorry, you are living in a dream world.

Forget language, learn a trade, as mentioned earlier by Rene123!

Of course the above changes if the youth has potential to be exposed to international markets or visitors to their land or to work overseas. But, percentage wise throughout the Thai populous this, I would imagine would be very small.

Fine balance.

I think you might be missing the forest for the trees. Having fluency in English is perhaps most useful as a medium through which Thais would be able to learn about all manner of things (world history, scientific thought, law, medicine, philosophy, self-reflection, what other countries might REALLY think, morality, etc.) that they would not likely be able to even access having only mastered Thai. English + the internet is the ticket for the 99.9 percent of non-Elite Thais. Revolution of thought from the bottom up.

Edited May 24, 2013 by PaullyW

[ihunnieibee]

Same advice I would give any young person... IF U WANNA HAVE SEX MAKE SURE TO WEAR A CONDOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cornishcarlos]

You can give them all the advice you want, but until the education system is changed and their parents have a clue as to what goes on outside their village, nothing will get better.

I have a MIL that taught for 25+ years, she knows her rubber and palm plantations but little else to be honest. These are the people charged with arming the future generations for life !!!

She even told me that if she had a left handed student, she would force them to use their right hand.. Because she couldn't be expected to teach a child that can't write properly ????

Edited May 24, 2013 by cornishcarlos

[arthurwait]

I see a glaring lack of trade schools in Thailand. I think if a young man was formally educated as a mechanic, carpenter, plumber, builder, technician, etc, then he could go far with his own business.

You must live in a very remote place. There are lots of them and far from using the opportunity to start their own business, they seem to put more emphasis on atacking or shooting students from different trade schools.

Anyone with any knowledge of the trades from the west would be hard pressed to call the Thai ones trade schools. Some very basic first principles are missing from many of the graduates, which means they must be missing from many of the staff too.

Maybe it's got something to do with offering people teaching jobs on the sole qualification of being a native English speaker.

[Payboy]

As A Foreigner, What Us Your Advice For Today's Thai Youth?

For heavens sake, grow up already, you're over 50 now.

[PaullyW]

I would tell the guys to enjoy all the wonderful easy snatch. Tell both sexes to enjoy the wonderful food. Focus on your strengths - don't think too much.

[utalkin2me]

Learn to do things by yourself. Get serious medical treatment in Singapore. Get educated in another country.

In short, if you need to do anything that requires competence and precision, go elsewhere.

[poanoi]

Keep your bank account secret from mommy

[PaullyW]

Stop wearing those god awful shorts under your skirts. My friend sees them on the escalator and says they look tacky. Plus it's too hot for that.

[mca]

Puff, puff, give.

[Chittychangchang]

"Youth is wasted on the young"

Work hard at school

Respect your elders

Don't do drugs

No sex till your 21

[yourauntbob]

1) Knowledge is power

2) Dont be an A-hole

[Trembly]

I see a glaring lack of trade schools in Thailand. I think if a young man was formally educated as a mechanic, carpenter, plumber, builder, technician, etc, then he could go far with his own business.

You must live in a very remote place. There are lots of them and far from using the opportunity to start their own business, they seem to put more emphasis on atacking or shooting students from different trade schools.

Anyone with any knowledge of the trades from the west would be hard pressed to call the Thai ones trade schools. Some very basic first principles are missing from many of the graduates, which means they must be missing from many of the staff too.

Maybe it's got something to do with offering people teaching jobs on the sole qualification of being a native English speaker.

I've never heard of native English speaking staff (trying to / supposedly) teach anything anything other than English at trade schools. Have you?

[Stradavarius37]

I would tell the guys to enjoy all the wonderful easy snatch. Tell both sexes to enjoy the wonderful food. Focus on your strengths - don't think too much.

Classy

[chrisinth]

"Learn as much English as possible. Master the language."

It depends on what Thai youth you are talking to. The emphasis on the learning of the English language for the majority of Thais is quite frankly overrated, as most of them will never use it! This will probably upset the teaching fraternity on TV, but for the majority of the country outside the commercial areas they speak and run their lives using Thai as they have done for centuries.

Why would a rice/sugar cane farmer need to know another language as all his trading is done inside Thailand? If he doesn't need to know, why should his workers? These type of workers will never be trading in the international markets. They will have minimal contact with foreigners. That is the way it is and for people who think that learning a new language is going to change this, sorry, you are living in a dream world.

Forget language, learn a trade, as mentioned earlier by Rene123!

Of course the above changes if the youth has potential to be exposed to international markets or visitors to their land or to work overseas. But, percentage wise throughout the Thai populous this, I would imagine would be very small.

Fine balance.

I think you might be missing the forest for the trees. Having fluency in English is perhaps most useful as a medium through which Thais would be able to learn about all manner of things (world history, scientific thought, law, medicine, philosophy, self-reflection, what other countries might REALLY think, morality, etc.) that they would not likely be able to even access having only mastered Thai. English + the internet is the ticket for the 99.9 percent of non-Elite Thais. Revolution of thought from the bottom up.

My point is what good would that be to someone without access to a computer and working in a rice field or a 'chop shop'. So financially constrained that this will never change?

You are talking about an ideal world. I am looking at present day reality for so many outside the commercial areas. It is why I said in my original post it depends on what Thai youth you are talking to. The time wasted on teaching English to those who will never use it could be used to a better, more productive purpose.

I think where I am coming from is through my own experience of schooling. For years I had to endure learning French at the school I attended, because someone thought it was a necessary language skill to have. I see a big similarity to the kids of today in Thailand being taught compulsory English. Taught for perhaps an hour a day but nowhere to practice it.

In my case, that time would have been better spent on any other subject I had, as I learnt zero French at school, and for the last 50 or so years have never spoken or had cause to speak a word of it.

They later found out that the world was round and not flat..............

Edited May 25, 2013 by chrisinth

[Somtamnication]

"Somchai and Noi, do not be like a falang teenager".

[EBlair48]

Get out if you get a chance. Your leaders are setting you up to be the slaves of ASEAN.