Why are Thailand and Thais so different?

[khunpa]

What is it that makes Thailand and Thai people so interesting to discuss in e.g. forums like this? I doubt that foreigners living in other countries, would find it interesting to keep discussing culture, women, food, politics, daily life etc. in those countries.

However, when it comes to Thailand, then everything can be discussed over and over again. It is because, us foreigners living here are constantly feeling a bit "lost" and need a way to analyze our experiences and share our feelings? Is the culture too different for us? Are the women too much of a challenge?

What is it, that makes us foreigners keep logging on to sites like this and spend our time sharing things about Thailand. Why and what makes Thailand different over other countries?

[x0r1987]

Funny you posted this right now haha...

Due to another topic, I just went to a forum for expats in Australia.... Used it to post a reply moments ago

The topics seem very similar to that which get posted here.... A lot of Aussie bashing also taking place in the forum... A lot of people questioning the 'Aussie way' / 'Aussie culture' (however you define it)

Are you sure your findings are only for Thailand? And not a general following many expats find themselves in when in another country?

Regards to the second point... Cant be bothered going thu pages and pages to see if the topics are generally the same....

[khunpa]

Funny you posted this right now haha...

Due to another topic, I just went to a forum for expats in Australia.... Used it to post a reply moments ago

The topics seem very similar to that which get posted here.... A lot of Aussie bashing also taking place in the forum... A lot of people questioning the 'Aussie way' / 'Aussie culture' (however you define it)

Are you sure your findings are only for Thailand? And not a general following many expats find themselves in when in another country?

Regards to the second point... Cant be bothered going thu pages and pages to see if the topics are generally the same....

I don't know about other countries. But I have lived abroad in many different countries the past 20 years and have never been member of any other country related forums. Thats also why I wonder, why I myself find it interesting to discuss Thailand and Thais.

Maybe it is because my daily contact here with other farangs is pretty limited... I am not sure... On the other hand, I try to avoid social events with other farangs, because I find them boring and had too much of that in the other countries I lived in. Or maybe it is because I really feel "home" here - more than I do in my own country or any other country I lived in.

[Loptr]

There are forums for other countries around the world, but I have never found one that is as active as the ones for Thailand. Perhaps it's the weather, food, temples, Buddhism or jasmine fever. I think it's something in the water myself.

[dao16]

There are forums like this for almost whatever country you are going to. If anything, I would think that most people living in Thailand have a little more time on their hands, so there are lots of posts. Still, many other countries I have lived in have very active forums and the questions (country specific) come up over and over again. It is just people trying to understand and share their experiences in a new place.

[Travel2003]

Wherever one go, there is something similar.

Even the Forums where new members are being "put back in their place" by older members (Khon Kaen forums, other forums, etc).

Same same, but different.

[giggles]

its a filter down effect from the local fanny that keeps guys on chat forums .if it wasnt for the local fanny all thses guys wouldnt be here

[cpofc]

Speaking as a WASP, I put the difference mostly down to the lack of 2000 years of Christian Sexual Repression.

[tuky]

I spend as much time on an Indonesian board that is probably bigger than this one, Thaivisa though is well put together and easy to navigate. It is much more presentable than other boards I am a member of.

[Jasun]

I think most Thais subscribe to the 'knowledge is power' theory, they love hearing the goss, but don't readily give away information. Between that and the language barriers, sometimes the easiest (or only) way to find something out is to ask other farangs living here.

[Crazy chef 1]

indeed our cultures are very different.one of the main differnces is that Thai are not brought up questioning why things are as they are,never request evrything.many times i am asking my wife the"why" question and she is almost never able to give ma an answer.this forum helped me a lot to understand the things behind.on the other hand i dont have many social contacts(farangs) and so it is quiet pleasant to share my thoughts.and last but not least to let a bit of steam off what will be summing up if you live here full time,due of different ways of life.not judging which is the better way,just sometimes confused.and not to forget the tales from the government( makes me laughing).

[kannot]

indeed our cultures are very different.one of the main differnces is that Thai are not brought up questioning why things are as they are,never request evrything.many times i am asking my wife the"why" question and she is almost never able to give ma an answer.this forum helped me a lot to understand the things behind.on the other hand i dont have many social contacts(farangs) and so it is quiet pleasant to share my thoughts.and last but not least to let a bit of steam off what will be summing up if you live here full time,due of different ways of life.not judging which is the better way,just sometimes confused.and not to forget the tales from the government( makes me laughing).

They dont seem inquisitive at all, Ill sometimes say to my Wife something like ( example) do you know who the first man in space was?........she'll say "dont know" but if I say nothing else she wont ask "who was it then"

I still find this very odd even after all the years we have been married.

[cpofc]

hehehe my new fridge (from Home Pro) arrived today. The truck pulls up and out jumps a young thai bloke and a young girl. it is a fair sized fridge. They wrestle it off the truck. They strip the packaging off and begin to hump it right to the back of the house where the kitchen is. Same old, same old, No trolley! No hydraulic lifter on the back of the truck. No nothing. All manual. Blood, sweat and tears.

The girl was really battling by the they time came to negotiate getting it through the front door. so I made them stop and took over from her. You go and collect up the packaging, let me do this.

What they lack in OH&S they make up for in workplace equality.

Got a free microwave too, that was totally out of the blue.

And I slung her 100 Baht in the off chance she invests it in a trolley. But I doubt it somehow.

[FiftyTwo]

How many topics are there?

Women, food, drink, houses, footy, TV and movies

That's about it.

[FiftyTwo]

its a filter down effect from the local fanny that keeps guys on chat forums .if it wasnt for the local fanny all thses guys wouldnt be here

If it wasn't for that, I'd be off in Peru or the Himalayas where I can do some serious hiking.

[jocko]

its a filter down effect from the local fanny that keeps guys on chat forums .if it wasnt for the local fanny all thses guys wouldnt be here

If it wasn't for that, I'd be off in Peru or the Himalayas where I can do some serious hiking.

And thinking.

[Saradoc1972]

I suppose your usual Thaivisa user has more time on his hands than "normal" expats having daytime jobs (it just occurred to me most around here are male) so its a gossiping place.

That expat/sexpat phenomenon would also explain why a high number of topics relate to visa and passport issues.

Apart from that, it's the little differences that you notice from a common European/British/US cultural background, like the senior police officer getting his picture taken while happily wielding that dildo he just impounded from a busted street vendor that present themselves as talking points.

[zydeco]

hehehe my new fridge (from Home Pro) arrived today. The truck pulls up and out jumps a young thai bloke and a young girl. it is a fair sized fridge. They wrestle it off the truck. They strip the packaging off and begin to hump it right to the back of the house where the kitchen is. Same old, same old, No trolley! No hydraulic lifter on the back of the truck. No nothing. All manual. Blood, sweat and tears.

The girl was really battling by the they time came to negotiate getting it through the front door. so I made them stop and took over from her. You go and collect up the packaging, let me do this.

What they lack in OH&S they make up for in workplace equality.

Got a free microwave too, that was totally out of the blue.

And I slung her 100 Baht in the off chance she invests it in a trolley. But I doubt it somehow.

Got a new fridge a few years ago. A month or so after it arrived, I decided to move it by myself. Slipped some cardboard under it and easily pulled it in new place. Thought my wife would be pleased. Instead, I got, "why don't you use your brain? Move it when there are people here to do the work for you." Self reliance is not a virtue--at least not with her.