How long did it take you to become expert about Thailand.

[Kudel]

Oh, they live here all right. They're just narcissists, that's the problem. View the country as if it existed to please them rather than being a country and society in its own right, with its own dynamics which largely have nothing to do with them.

Its a well known fact that most mods on this site dont live in Thailand,so whats youre excuse?

[bigbamboo]

In case it wasn't clear, OP is a Thai and disturbed by the racist bordering rants.

I understand him, and hope he understand i get disturbed when i get money requests from left and right,

under penalty of insults, or in the case of corrupt officials, possible confiscation, imprisonment or visa denial,

in short, extortion

Now we farangs have many faults for which we can be justly criticised at times by our gracious Thai hosts but for them to get on their high buffaloes and accuse us of being racist is pushing it a bit.

[maccaroni man]

TBH never have and probably never will and would not have any other way

[farang000999]

In case it wasn't clear, OP is a Thai and disturbed by the racist bordering rants.

He is just pretending to be Thai.

This is just a new version of the daily "I don't understand all the bitter complainers because I love Thailand and only have good experiences," done under the guise of being written by a Thai, under the expectation that whatever a Thai says about Thailand holds more weight than comments made my non-Thais.

Next he will start a thread about age discrepancies in relationships and then another about the non-racist use of the word farang - because we know that these are two topics of particular interest to Thai people - whom while searching the vast internet, find Thai Visa and find it necessary to set the record straight, and in doing so, prove a large portion of the Thai Visa community to be right in their beliefs.

Edited September 18, 2013 by farang000999

[I Like Thai]

Only a fool knows everything.

When I came here first, I knew a lot. Now I know very little. The more I learn about Thailand, the less I know.

[Dancealot]

I know-a-lot and I have even more to learn.

[JLCrab]

When to ignore advice or opinion? When it starts with: I have lots of friends who ... I know lots of people who ... I've been with lots of Thai women who ... etc. ...

[pilm]

Thailand has turned me into an expert at not believing anything I see or hear.

[Sheryl]

Troll or not, what the OP says is I think close to what most Thais would think based solely on reading the more active forums in TV.

The whiners/negativists aren't the majority of the membership but they do the most posting by far.

[Sheryl]

Troll or not (and I would bet on the former), what the OP says is I think close to what most Thais would think based solely on reading the more active forums in TV.

The whiners/negativists aren't the majority of the membership but they do the most posting by far.

Part of that is just human nature...people are more likely to post about a problem/something that irritates or troubles them than they are to post "had a lovely day, nothing went wrong, all's well in my life".

And another part of it is specific to the nature of a certain type of shall we say poorly adjusted individual, one convinced he is 100% right and the world wrong in any respect that it does not suit him, all relationships and interactions that go badly are totally the fault of the other party etc. At some level they have to know this is not true hence the need to try to "make" it true by being vociferously verbal about it. Some of these folk moved to Thailand because they were convinced all their problems back home were the fault of their home country and expected Thailand to be a paradise designed specifically to meet their every wish. They get here and find out this is not the case, and are enraged because rage is how narcissists respond to having their expectations/wishes thwarted. Or in some cases (witness the Letters to the Editor columns in the English language papers here) they truly believe that Thailand does want to meet their needs and just doesn't know how, and will surely adjust itself if they only point out the "flaws".

[benalibina]

Troll or not (and I would bet on the former), what the OP says is I think close to what most Thais would think based solely on reading the more active forums in TV.

The whiners/negativists aren't the majority of the membership but they do the most posting by far.

Part of that is just human nature...people are more likely to post about a problem/something that irritates or troubles them than they are to post "had a lovely day, nothing went wrong, all's well in my life".

And another part of it is specific to the nature of a certain type of shall we say poorly adjusted individual, one convinced he is 100% right and the world wrong in any respect that it does not suit him, all relationships and interactions that go badly are totally the fault of the other party etc. At some level they have to know this is not true hence the need to try to "make" it true by being vociferously verbal about it. Some of these folk moved to Thailand because they were convinced all their problems back home were the fault of their home country and expected Thailand to be a paradise designed specifically to meet their every wish. They get here and find out this is not the case, and are enraged because rage is how narcissists respond to having their expectations/wishes thwarted. Or in some cases (witness the Letters to the Editor columns in the English language papers here) they truly believe that Thailand does want to meet their needs and just doesn't know how, and will surely adjust itself if they only point out the "flaws".

All is in the eye of the beholder, and so is your comment. Which is applicable to less than 1%, IMO, of all expats/tourists related to thailand.

[WitawatWatawit]

In case it wasn't clear, OP is a Thai and disturbed by the racist bordering rants.

He is just pretending to be Thai.

This is just a new version of the daily "I don't understand all the bitter complainers because I love Thailand and only have good experiences," done under the guise of being written by a Thai, under the expectation that whatever a Thai says about Thailand holds more weight than comments made my non-Thais.

Next he will start a thread about age discrepancies in relationships and then another about the non-racist use of the word farang - because we know that these are two topics of particular interest to Thai people - whom while searching the vast internet, find Thai Visa and find it necessary to set the record straight, and in doing so, prove a large portion of the Thai Visa community to be right in their beliefs.

Beat me to it. Somchaiyatt, what's our real name? Steven? Bruce? Nice troll when you can get so many people stirred up. One thing that is difficult to do - a farang trying to write in Tinglish. I turn over a couple of thousand words of Tinglish each day, and have done for 25 years, yet no way can I write Tinglish. It's an art form that Thais have a monopoly on.

[chrisinth]

When to ignore advice or opinion? When it starts with: I have lots of friends who ... I know lots of people who ... I've been with lots of Thai women who ... etc. ...

Very true!

I get nervous when someone says "Here, hold my can of beer and watch this"..............

Not Thailand specific but scary all the same.

[GuestHouse]

Troll or not (and I would bet on the former), what the OP says is I think close to what most Thais would think based solely on reading the more active forums in TV.

The whiners/negativists aren't the majority of the membership but they do the most posting by far.

Part of that is just human nature...people are more likely to post about a problem/something that irritates or troubles them than they are to post "had a lovely day, nothing went wrong, all's well in my life".

And another part of it is specific to the nature of a certain type of shall we say poorly adjusted individual, one convinced he is 100% right and the world wrong in any respect that it does not suit him, all relationships and interactions that go badly are totally the fault of the other party etc. At some level they have to know this is not true hence the need to try to "make" it true by being vociferously verbal about it. Some of these folk moved to Thailand because they were convinced all their problems back home were the fault of their home country and expected Thailand to be a paradise designed specifically to meet their every wish. They get here and find out this is not the case, and are enraged because rage is how narcissists respond to having their expectations/wishes thwarted. Or in some cases (witness the Letters to the Editor columns in the English language papers here) they truly believe that Thailand does want to meet their needs and just doesn't know how, and will surely adjust itself if they only point out the "flaws".

And a third point is, ThaiVisa is probably the only place where people feel they can express their opinions.

But the forth reason is the one that has a real legitimacy, that is people who complain because they actually care about the place, are committed to a life in Thailand, perhaps raising a family in Thailand.

They point out problems they have encountered, or things they really would like to see improved and are lambasted for doing so.

The question is - does the post break the forum rules, if not then why are some people so fixated on dictating to others the limits of their opinions?

[WitawatWatawit]

Troll or not (and I would bet on the former), what the OP says is I think close to what most Thais would think based solely on reading the more active forums in TV.

The whiners/negativists aren't the majority of the membership but they do the most posting by far.

Part of that is just human nature...people are more likely to post about a problem/something that irritates or troubles them than they are to post "had a lovely day, nothing went wrong, all's well in my life".

And another part of it is specific to the nature of a certain type of shall we say poorly adjusted individual, one convinced he is 100% right and the world wrong in any respect that it does not suit him, all relationships and interactions that go badly are totally the fault of the other party etc. At some level they have to know this is not true hence the need to try to "make" it true by being vociferously verbal about it. Some of these folk moved to Thailand because they were convinced all their problems back home were the fault of their home country and expected Thailand to be a paradise designed specifically to meet their every wish. They get here and find out this is not the case, and are enraged because rage is how narcissists respond to having their expectations/wishes thwarted. Or in some cases (witness the Letters to the Editor columns in the English language papers here) they truly believe that Thailand does want to meet their needs and just doesn't know how, and will surely adjust itself if they only point out the "flaws".

All is in the eye of the beholder, and so is your comment. Which is applicable to less than 1%, IMO, of all expats/tourists related to thailand.

You don't need to go much further than TV forums to see many people are leading perfectly happy lives here. E.g., farming, photography, cooking etc. For me, the main bumps are corruption - incessant, depressing - and elitism. Ennui in government, too, I guess. Most other things are irritants that can be dealt with as part of life.

[watcharacters]

.

You sound a little upset, somchaiyatt.

[Sheryl]

.

You sound a little upset, somchaiyatt.

Perhaps France does not agree with him (as that seems to be where he's posting from )

But I can see why a Thai or person fond of Thailand might get a bad impression of TV members from many of the posts on TV especially in General and some of the local forums.

If they look closer they will see that it is a vocal minority who are negative and that the frequency with which they post makes them seem like they are more n number than is really the case. And if they take the time to look at some of the more specialized forums they'll find a much more pleasant atmosphere.

[maxme]

.

You sound a little upset, somchaiyatt.

Perhaps France does not agree with him (as that seems to be where he's posting from )

But I can see why a Thai or person fond of Thailand might get a bad impression of TV members from many of the posts on TV especially in General and some of the local forums.

If they look closer they will see that it is a vocal minority who are negative and that the frequency with which they post makes them seem like they are more n number than is really the case. And if they take the time to look at some of the more specialized forums they'll find a much more pleasant atmosphere.

Criticism is not always meant to be positive and that's the point. Freedom of expression is something of a taboo here, it's not really in written form but became an unwritten rule in the eyes of the people. Try to say anything about reds or anything related to Thaksin in the south and watch the reaction of people who happen to listen in on your conversation.

Coming from a country where freedom of expression is not so limited as here, could certainly put some people off and change their attitude but that doesn't mean they were negative from the start.

Can you really say you know how people on an anonymous forum think or that you know their reasons behind their statements?

I wouldn't write off people that have a different opinion than mine, I wouldn't agree with them but I wouldn't write them off.

Everybody here has some kind of experience. Just because I have a different experience than someone here on TV, doesn't mean that his/her experience is less true.

[JLCrab]

There is freedom-of-expression and diversity of opinion and then there is just plain mean.

[maxme]

There is freedom-of-expression and diversity of opinion and then there is just plain mean.

... or trolling to seek mislead attention. Fact is that one can be mistaken for the other and at sometimes it's hard to see due to the fact that this is an anonymous forum.

[ABCer]

OP, sorry I didn't read the posts here. Apologies if somebody pointed this before me, but

I really hope there are no fools here on TV to claim being 'experts' on Thailand.

You come, you live your life here, and you are not nearer 'expertise' when you die.

The last time I've heard of 'official experts' on Thailand - they were advising the Thai PM.

Now, look where it's got the PM.

All US Presidents also have their 'official experts' advising them. Look where it's got them.

The point is - there are no experts on life, on any country at any time. Just Life... and making mistakes and learning is a part of it.

[transam]

.

You sound a little upset, somchaiyatt.

Perhaps France does not agree with him (as that seems to be where he's posting from )

But I can see why a Thai or person fond of Thailand might get a bad impression of TV members from many of the posts on TV especially in General and some of the local forums.

If they look closer they will see that it is a vocal minority who are negative and that the frequency with which they post makes them seem like they are more n number than is really the case. And if they take the time to look at some of the more specialized forums they'll find a much more pleasant atmosphere.

Sometimes facts are not pleasant, fact of life. Not sure if you mean multi posters (like me) have a negative outlook on stuff here. I certainly haven't, just post what l have seen or witnessed in reply to a question, some times the truth hurts. I just wish we all had perfect lives, but then forums like this would perhaps not be as popular eh.

[JLCrab]

Facts are one thing -- clairvoyance is another.

[maxme]

Facts are one thing -- clairvoyance is another.

...And you know which is which when it comes to the majority of the posters here?

[rct99q]

After nearly five years I still open the passenger side door to get behind the steering wheel only to be looking at my wife already plunked in and waiting......."everything okay dear...?".....expert....no.......but I can tell you anything you need to know!

[jocko]

Facts are one thing -- clairvoyance is another.

Nothing wrong about a bit of clairvoyance now and again the Thai ladies love it.

[rayongchelsea]

.

You sound a little upset, somchaiyatt.

Perhaps France does not agree with him (as that seems to be where he's posting from )

But I can see why a Thai or person fond of Thailand might get a bad impression of TV members from many of the posts on TV especially in General and some of the local forums.

If they look closer they will see that it is a vocal minority who are negative and that the frequency with which they post makes them seem like they are more n number than is really the case. And if they take the time to look at some of the more specialized forums they'll find a much more pleasant atmosphere.

Sometimes facts are not pleasant, fact of life. Not sure if you mean multi posters (like me) have a negative outlook on stuff here. I certainly haven't, just post what l have seen or witnessed in reply to a question, some times the truth hurts. I just wish we all had perfect lives, but then forums like this would perhaps not be as popular eh.

I just don't see this uniquely faultless country that some ops do. Having raised a family here, worked for multi- national companies here, dealt with most institutions,been scammed,invested here good and bad,paid enormous amounts of income tax, seen the rise of bigotry, seen the mass commercialization of the sex industry, seen shootings on the streets of Bangkok,the dire state of education..my perception will be different from the retiree who comes here and invests so much emotionally here, doesn't know how or want to integrate, came for the cheap sex, cheap living,it's not even a negative out look it's based on experiences. It's hard not to see the negatives when you reflect on what Thailand was once like, or what I once perceived it to be.

I am no expert but on thing is crystal clear to me..this country is going down hill.

[JLCrab]

Facts are one thing -- clairvoyance is another.

Nothing wrong about a bit of clairvoyance now and again the Thai ladies love it.

I tell people I am at a disadvantage riding my motor bike in Thailand because I cannot see around corners; apparently the Thai people can.

[JLCrab]

Facts are one thing -- clairvoyance is another.

...And you know which is which when it comes to the majority of the posters here?

Yes.

[cpofc]

.

You sound a little upset, somchaiyatt.

Perhaps France does not agree with him (as that seems to be where he's posting from )

But I can see why a Thai or person fond of Thailand might get a bad impression of TV members from many of the posts on TV especially in General and some of the local forums.

If they look closer they will see that it is a vocal minority who are negative and that the frequency with which they post makes them seem like they are more n number than is really the case. And if they take the time to look at some of the more specialized forums they'll find a much more pleasant atmosphere.

Sometimes facts are not pleasant, fact of life. Not sure if you mean multi posters (like me) have a negative outlook on stuff here. I certainly haven't, just post what l have seen or witnessed in reply to a question, some times the truth hurts. I just wish we all had perfect lives, but then forums like this would perhaps not be as popular eh.

I just don't see this uniquely faultless country that some ops do. Having raised a family here, worked for multi- national companies here, dealt with most institutions,been scammed,invested here good and bad,paid enormous amounts of income tax, seen the rise of bigotry, seen the mass commercialization of the sex industry, seen shootings on the streets of Bangkok,the dire state of education..my perception will be different from the retiree who comes here and invests so much emotionally here, doesn't know how or want to integrate, came for the cheap sex, cheap living,it's not even a negative out look it's based on experiences. It's hard not to see the negatives when you reflect on what Thailand was once like, or what I once perceived it to be.

I am no expert but on thing is crystal clear to me..this country is going down hill.

You won't get an argument from me, but then the Western Civilizations aren't faring all that well either, are they. My Peers back home, and those of my Mother's Generation are saying the same things about Australia.

Ironically it is the Western Influences and Western Consumerism that are for the most part to blame.

At the moment I think it is a worldwide race to the bottom and Thailand is far from taking the Yellow Jersey at this time.