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

[EBlair48]

Get out if you get a chance. You leaders are setting you to be the slaves of ASEAN. If you protest they will kill you.

[Chonburiram]

"Whatever you do - don't get caught!"

[whiteman]

Do not use whitening cream

[samtam]

Honesty and integrity are paramount to growth.

[Donnie Brasco]

Have a good look around you at just who controls the banks, the food industry, tourism and hospitality, the gold trade, the equities market, telecommunications, and who has brainwashed you into hating the color of your own skin.

Tell me again how this agglomeration of warring city states has never been colonized.

[wealth]

critical thinking and practicing "Freedom with Responsibility"

[stickylies]

1. learn english, burmese and chinese

2. there is no divine being. none, zero, nada

3. a girl with a dark(er) skin is *not* an ugly girl per se

4. not all farang are rockefeller

5. use the dustbin

to start with...

[Andre0720]

Take responsibility for your actions.

Take a non-smoker, non tattooed, non drunk, non gun-carrying individual as a father/mother figure...

Take a successful honest person as a role model.

Drive with a helmet, without a mobile in your hand.

There are enough kids with brains already fried on Meth. Thailand does not need another one.

Always try to do the right thing.

It will still be very difficult

[captspectre]

do NOT embrace the teenage western habits especially from britain and the U.S.keep your Thainess and respect for your family. the western culture for teenagers is ruining their country. maintain your individuality and national respect.

[winstonc]

dont pay any attention to above post,,get sterilized,,,,and live life to the full,cos there aint nothing to look forward to here in thailand if your from a poor family,,except more of the same,,good luck

[hellodolly]

"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.

Excellent post.

Most Thai Visa posters push English to save them the trouble of learning Thai. Or as a way to earn money. The truth of the matter is at the very most only 10% of them will ever need English.

Education is the answer. Schools to teach the basic reading writing and arithmetic. Then learn how to use an electronic device. That will not be that great of a leap as they seem today have a fair start with the use of smart phones.

Trade schools to teach the different trades in the construction industry. Or in the electronics industry. If becoming a business person is there goal yes english will help. But not always needed. Just strongly recommended. The closer Thailand gets to China it might be Chinese they need to learn.

Edited May 25, 2013 by hellodolly

[hgma]

Live your young Thai lives ot the fullist, but never borrow money which you can't repay.

fall, break a leg if you don't want to listen but MAKE your life yourself!

The rest of life secrets you will discover in time....allow that to happen and you will be happy!!

Have a good time

[dunque]

"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.

I am not sure about that - it does not seem to have worked for the Americans

[Guest]

Stop, breath, think, act.

Understand causality

Learn Chinese

Choose your friends wisely

[rubberduck]

'Go learn English sign up for Thaivisa so you can learn everything about your country and your culture.'

[Matthew2027]

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

Why waste your time posting stupid comments.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

I love it, everyone wants Thais to do things the western way.

But hang on a minute, didn't we come here because we didn't like the western way.

My advice, don't take any advice from western foreigners, their economies are in ruins, their women hate them, and they just want their banks to own you.

Oh, oh, and if you really want to learn a foreign language, try Mandarin, more visitors speak that than English.

Edited May 25, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican

[brimacthai]

"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.

Well... I kind of feel that they would face more open doors to much more job opportunity here in Thailand because they can speak English and not just at the bar/taxi level but at a level that gets them a job with an international company... even if it's just in Thailand... as for a rice farmer... maybe a job with an international rice company who deals with English speaking client or business associates. just thinking...

[Honthy]

Actually, they are not only for Thais, but general ... Master English and Chinese; in other words study languages and in general, study.

Accept and adopt everything from other culture and refuse the bad things from any other culture, including Thai.

[hellodolly]

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!

That reminds me of a fellow I know completely empty on the inside and constantly in ways he dosen't even understand screaming. Look at me look at me. Indeed a sad case.

I do not believe that all westerners are constantly seeking to one up the Jones.

There are how ever many expats living here because they like the culture the climate and the ability to travel to other countries relatively cheaply. Also a lot of them doing volunteer work with out the big look at me.

It is indeed a hard line to walk between teaching them that they can earn some of the material things so many of us enjoy and that they are really OK with out them also.

In my opinion start them in school learning to think on their own (Not by rote) with out the pad to help them and then bring in the pad in late grade 2. down the line when they have started to form ideas of what they want to do in their lives offer the courses they will need to achieve these things. When I was in grades 10,11 and 12 we had an auto shop a metal shop and a wood shop all optional classes with full credit.

[hellodolly]

"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.

You can learn all that in Spanish and be able to get through a conversation with Italians South Americans and to a degree French.

So if learning all that is your reason for learning English why not Spanish or French or German?

[wilgoster]

Specifically, get a computer and use it to learn English:

YouTube is great; for practice - Facebook Chat, Skype, MSM, Yahoo Messenger, (FaceTime if Mac - iPad - iPhone) to talk internationally to anyone who gives you time.

Be good at something you like, your time will come.

[GAZZPA]

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!

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!

Wow, sounds like there's some bitter experience there. You can't suppress a fundamental instinct in human nature which is to compete,, but there is a level of truth in what you say. The West is too materialistic nowadays, however we are not all miserable. My advice to the youth would be to love your family and friends, treat people with respect and stay honest. Don't get too wrapped up in believing that material things make you happy, they don't,, only my previous point makes you happy.

[Long tang]

Read more books

[Kitsune]

Pointless topic

Young Thai don't take advice from their parents, needless to say they don't take anything from Farangs.

[BookMan]

Pointless topic

Young Thai don't take advice from their parents, needless to say they don't take anything from Farangs.

Im sure they would take money from farangs

[phantomfiddler]

Get it right out of your mind that you are far superior to everyone else (just because you can speak thai !) because in actual fact you are far from it, and rank among the lowest in the world when it comes to general knowledge and common sense. Also it might be a good thing to ponder the fact that crime does not always pay, as many have done well through honest endevour.

[Heng]

My advice would be to stop growing up in broken homes, but they don't have much control over that.

:-)

[indyuk]

If you still believe that Honda, Yamaha, Toyota are famous Thai products and are proof of the supremicy of the Thai mind and business finess shoot yourself now and avoid the loss of face when you discove the truth.

[Salapoo]

1) Forget everything any Thai has told you, try to learn from Westerners.

2) Take off the bra and make-up, you're a 15 year old male.