We are still here

[Malthus101]

SIL sold something.. A big something that was there for some one some when. Then spent it.

Nuff'?

<deleted> did the SIL have access to YOUR money?

I wonder more about the farangs thinking they can entrust their own money to a Thai wife / family that keep control of it themselves.

NEVER. MARRY. A. THAI..!!!!

This is not a personal attack btw. Just general musings.

[jonesthebaker]

I don't know where this idea that Rural Thailand and Urban Thailand are two different countries comes from.

exactly. the brainless and ignorant rural 'people' have a bad habit of locating themselves in most urban areas. mostly becasue the urban types need their labour and dont mind the havoc they cause as they are acutally much the same. only difference bieng their economic situations.

a rich Thai is simply an ignorant poor thai with a few extra baht. of course there are exceptions - but alas few!

Edited December 31, 2013 by jonesthebaker

[MJP]

These people are utterly clueless. Doesn't matter which way you cut it, you simply cannot educate pork.

Of course, it might be you yourself that failed to learn.

Or maybe just (another) crap teacher?

With the greatest of respect there's no need to be nasty. Both of you.

I'm just overreacting to the inefficient allocation of capital, that's all. It's not the end of the world, but it does represent a lot of time, effort and aggravation.

It's tricky here when you don't have the legal means of direct control. You can try and teach until you're blue in the face but sadly, it's only when they've realized they've balls'd it all up and it's too late that they learn.

[MJP]

SIL sold something.. A big something that was there for some one some when. Then spent it.

Nuff'?

<deleted> did the SIL have access to YOUR money?

I wonder more about the farangs thinking they can entrust their own money to a Thai wife / family that keep control of it themselves.

NEVER. MARRY. A. THAI..!!!!

This is not a personal attack btw. Just general musings.

No that's fair enough. All they need do is get hold of a deed and then have a funny five minutes with it.

[puffafish101]

MJP know what yah going through in the middle of going through same thing at the moment and totally agree with you comments. I am only hanging around for the kids but fear in the end I am wasting my time doing that.

[laobali]

For many longer-stay visitors to Thailand, the differences between Thais and Europeans remain almost unfathomable. With a view to writing his own book, one friend of the writer spent ten years trying to figure out and pinpoint precisely just what were the traits and idiosynchracies - the reasons which made the two tribes so very separate in outlook, attitude and behaviour.

Yes we are different and I have learned that to become more tolerant of the consequences of those differences, one must be more willing to acclimatise to the culture by embracing their values and ideas and even customs.

A little careful thought and examination of the two worlds we occupy can be very revealing.

You make a very good case except it applies mainly to Asia south of the Tropic of Cancer.

We of the fair skinned peoples of the northern hemisphere look different, act differently and think differently too for a number of very good reasons.

I am no professor of sociology or anthropology but I see the explanation couched in the origins of the two separate cultures - Hunters and Gatherers - primitive types who literally came from different worlds even way back then.

Clearly the northern apes millions of years ago survived the crippling cold winters huddled in caves wrapped in stinking skins, venturing out only to drag the wife by the hair to the river for a drink, or to get something hard and heavy and hunt down the weakest, dumbest wild animal to be cut up and shared between the hungry cave dwellers.

Later the spoils of the kill would be grilled over a nice big fire, once the trick of igniting flame had been perfected.

By contrast our Asian counterparts meantime were rising in the morning, picking fresh produce growing wild at the front door, scooping fresh fish from the ponds of Asia and deciding which of the huge array of fruits hanging heavy from the trees they were to enjoy before or after their afternoon nap, on the accommodating shady side of the jungle.

Occasionally they would stir to catch a wild pig by digging and disguising a hole, or trap a bird somehow for a tasty barbecue in the cool dusk of oriental paradise.

Quite a contrast then all those years ago. And not surprising then that we have very different outlooks even today, with the raiders or Hunters from the frozen Northern Hemisphere still intent on aggressively hunting down their modern-day quarry and opportunity and yes their partners too.

Its how things are still done in Europe and the US and Australia. The primitive DNA keeps those hard qualities hard-wired into the tribes of Europe, wherever they end up prevailing.

Likewise in Asia. The Gatherers stick to what they know best gathering.

Fruit, vegetables, rice, fish, poultry and the occasional bit of meat. And they are as expert at gathering as we the hairy-assed Europeans are at hunting.

And now that the twain meet, the Hunter is mystified why any people Thai or otherwise - can be so passive and tolerant and uncontroversial - lacking in fight or the desire to beat their opposition to a pulp.

Correct me if Im wrong but Rugby, American Football and Ice Hockey are sports of the Northern Hemipshere which revolve around the necessity to beat the shit out of the opposition to win. And lets be fair. They are not really big attractions in Asia today at all - even after all the televised hype and promotion.

The Gatherers prefer soccer, golf the gentler side of sport. Try beating a Thai at checkers!

[laobali]

For many longer-stay visitors to Thailand, the differences between Thais and Europeans remain almost unfathomable. With a view to writing his own book, one friend of the writer spent ten years trying to figure out and pinpoint precisely just what were the traits and idiosynchracies - the reasons which made the two tribes so very separate in outlook, attitude and behaviour.

Yes we are different and I have learned that to become more tolerant of the consequences of those differences, one must be more willing to acclimatise to the culture by embracing their values and ideas and even customs.

A little careful thought and examination of the two worlds we occupy can be very revealing.

We of the fair skinned peoples of the northern hemisphere look different, act differently and think differently too for a number of very good reasons.

I am no professor of sociology or anthropology but I see the explanation couched in the origins of the two separate cultures - Hunters and Gatherers - primitive types who literally came from different worlds even way back then.

Clearly the northern apes millions of years ago survived the crippling cold winters huddled in caves wrapped in stinking skins, venturing out only to drag the wife by the hair to the river for a drink, or to get something hard and heavy and hunt down the weakest, dumbest wild animal to be cut up and shared between the hungry cave dwellers.

Later the spoils of the kill would be grilled over a nice big fire, once the trick of igniting flame had been perfected.

By contrast our Asian counterparts meantime were rising in the morning, picking fresh produce growing wild at the front door, scooping fresh fish from the ponds of Asia and deciding which of the huge array of fruits hanging heavy from the trees they were to enjoy before or after their afternoon nap, on the accommodating shady side of the jungle.

Occasionally they would stir to catch a wild pig by digging and disguising a hole, or trap a bird somehow for a tasty barbecue in the cool dusk of oriental paradise.

Quite a contrast then all those years ago. And not surprising then that we have very different outlooks even today, with the raiders or Hunters from the frozen Northern Hemisphere still intent on aggressively hunting down their modern-day quarry and opportunity and yes their partners too.

Its how things are still done in Europe and the US and Australia. The primitive DNA keeps those hard qualities hard-wired into the tribes of Europe, wherever they end up prevailing.

Likewise in Asia. The Gatherers stick to what they know best gathering.

Fruit, vegetables, rice, fish, poultry and the occasional bit of meat. And they are as expert at gathering as we the hairy-assed Europeans are at hunting.

And now that the twain meet, the Hunter is mystified why any people Thai or otherwise - can be so passive and tolerant and uncontroversial - lacking in fight or the desire to beat their opposition to a pulp.

Correct me if Im wrong but Rugby, American Football and Ice Hockey are sports of the Northern Hemipshere which revolve around the necessity to beat the shit out of the opposition to win. And lets be fair. They are not really big attractions in Asia today at all - even after all the televised hype and promotion.

The Gatherers prefer soccer, golf the gentler side of sport. Try beating a Thai at checkers!

Sorry, what I tried to add (using my tablet) got buried in the quoted post and then I couldn't edit it.

You make a very good case except that "Asia" is a vast area. I'm assuming you mean those warmer Asian countries south of the Tropic of Cancer.

[Mudcrab]

Living 'in the stick'.. 3' problems:

1. Language - very little if no english just built a new Robinson's - no English. Tesco last night.. no English

2. Facilities - cinema in new Robinson's - no films in original language... as no one will go if in English

3. Choice of food hopeless..

Keeping to my 30 days visa to give me a reason to leave for a few weeks and back again..

Not married no children.. long term relationship.. has it a future??

Funny you should mention this.

Took the wife to a shopping mall in Australia.....no Thai spoken.......fancy that!

Went to a movie.......all in English with no Thai subtitles!!!!!

What is the world coming to?

Luckily the wife speaks and understands English well.

[Mudcrab]

SIL sold something.. A big something that was there for some one some when. Then spent it.

Nuff'?

<deleted> did the SIL have access to YOUR money?

I wonder more about the farangs thinking they can entrust their own money to a Thai wife / family that keep control of it themselves.

NEVER. MARRY. A. THAI..!!!!

This is not a personal attack btw. Just general musings.

Never marry a Thai!!!... please elaborate...a Thai woman or man.

[PattayaAJF]

option C best describes my situation ..

fortunately (or unfortunately as the case may be) I studied Thai at university 30 years ago when I was doing an Asian History and Politics degree and this allows me to do most daily things and read gov't forms up to a point ..

however as option C is my reason to be here .. I am precluded from having any dealings with Thai people (other than what is normally required to live) as Thai people are expensive to deal with (either as friends, associates or otherwise like GF/GF family/Wife) ..

thus I have a very quiet life .. with no local interactions to speak of .. any achieving my goal as set forth in option C i.e. nice life and reasonable cost efficient ..

[Colabamumbai]

You can take people out of the country, but you cannot take the country out of people.

[NeverSure]

On topic.

Village life does seem so very different to life in the larger towns and cities. A lot less stressful IF you can take the slower pace of life and do without many of the things we would take for granted like food, regular water and electricity supplies, decent internet and a host of other things. A much slower way of life. Very cheap too.

I really enjoyed it, I have to admit. Yet, I left because underneath was lurking the ever present nest of snakes, hissing their venom, stirring things, eventually making life uncomfortable. Then come the demands, the change of attitude as your ladies friends begin to become the dominant voices, persuading her to want more and more from you. To expect to have the best of everything instead of being happy living a good and comfortable lifestyle with less financial stress on her.

In my case, I refused to give in to this insidious way. I stole away in the middle of the night.

I would live that life again for sure but with the ability, as ever, to escape and not plant any deep roots in the village until I was sure the woman in question was genuinely happy to accept that it is us and her (very close) family that counts and be content with what we have and not what others would say how it should be. But it takes a strong woman to stand up to the vipers nest that seems all too prevailent in many cases.

I stole away in the middle of the night.

Go on, there's a crackin' story there, I can feel it.

I am not sure there is room on Thaivisa to write it

Yet I did steal away in the dead of night during a thunderstorm when the lights were out, never to be seen of or heard from again.

Only to reappear as a ghost on ThaiVisa...

[DaveinAsia]

For many longer-stay visitors to Thailand, the differences between Thais and Europeans remain almost unfathomable. With a view to writing his own book, one friend of the writer spent ten years trying to figure out and pinpoint precisely just what were the traits and idiosynchracies - the reasons which made the two tribes so very separate in outlook, attitude and behaviour.

Yes we are different and I have learned that to become more tolerant of the consequences of those differences, one must be more willing to acclimatise to the culture by embracing their values and ideas and even customs.

A little careful thought and examination of the two worlds we occupy can be very revealing.

We of the fair skinned peoples of the northern hemisphere look different, act differently and think differently too for a number of very good reasons.

I am no professor of sociology or anthropology but I see the explanation couched in the origins of the two separate cultures - Hunters and Gatherers - primitive types who literally came from different worlds even way back then.

Clearly the northern apes millions of years ago survived the crippling cold winters huddled in caves wrapped in stinking skins, venturing out only to drag the wife by the hair to the river for a drink, or to get something hard and heavy and hunt down the weakest, dumbest wild animal to be cut up and shared between the hungry cave dwellers.

Later the spoils of the kill would be grilled over a nice big fire, once the trick of igniting flame had been perfected.

By contrast our Asian counterparts meantime were rising in the morning, picking fresh produce growing wild at the front door, scooping fresh fish from the ponds of Asia and deciding which of the huge array of fruits hanging heavy from the trees they were to enjoy before or after their afternoon nap, on the accommodating shady side of the jungle.

Occasionally they would stir to catch a wild pig by digging and disguising a hole, or trap a bird somehow for a tasty barbecue in the cool dusk of oriental paradise.

Quite a contrast then all those years ago. And not surprising then that we have very different outlooks even today, with the ‘raiders’ or Hunters from the frozen Northern Hemisphere still intent on aggressively hunting down their modern-day quarry and opportunity and yes – their partners too.

It’s how things are still done in Europe and the US and Australia. The primitive DNA keeps those ‘hard’ qualities hard-wired into the tribes of Europe, wherever they end up prevailing.

Likewise in Asia. The Gatherers stick to what they know best – gathering.

Fruit, vegetables, rice, fish, poultry and the occasional bit of meat. And they are as expert at gathering as we the hairy-assed Europeans are at hunting.

And now that the twain meet, the Hunter is mystified why any people – Thai or otherwise - can be so passive and tolerant and uncontroversial - lacking in fight or the desire to beat their opposition to a pulp.

Correct me if I’m wrong but Rugby, American Football and Ice Hockey are sports of the Northern Hemipshere which revolve around the necessity to beat the shit out of the opposition to win. And let’s be fair. They are not really big attractions in Asia today at all - even after all the televised hype and promotion.

The Gatherers prefer soccer, golf – the gentler side of sport. Try beating a Thai at checkers!

Good point about hunters/gatherers but do you really believe Thais/Asians are more gentle, tolerant and uncontroversial than Europeans/Caucasions? Obviously you have been observing through different eyes and most likely 1)have a big bookbank and are mostly surrounded by upper-class and educated Thais, 2)you have only been here on holiday and have a distorted view, 3) you live in a villa on a tourist island and everytime you go outside the locals have smiles of grease painted three feet wide, Try living in a lower class suburb of Bangkok for a while to see if your opinion remains the same.

[NeverSure]

I mean to say, who in their right mind would want to live in America? -snip-

Only the millions of people who apply for it and are rejected every year.

[Bpuumike]

SIL sold something.. A big something that was there for some one some when. Then spent it.

Nuff'?

How on earth did a lower-order in-law get access to the nest egg?

You beat me to the same question

Edited December 31, 2013 by Bpuumike

[laobali]

The difference is what makes it "sexy" !!

What is the point in moving across the world only to find that it is exactly like home?

Still after more than 10 years here, all the small differences make me react, make me smile, make me angry, make me wonder (how the hell can they be so f******* stupid)

In other words all the small (or big) differences make me feel alive!

But you should get out for a while occasionally and 'smell the roses'. I did that after 12 years and now feel much better about SE Asia as a home. There's good and bad in every country and people.

[MJP]

The difference is what makes it "sexy" !!

What is the point in moving across the world only to find that it is exactly like home?

Still after more than 10 years here, all the small differences make me react, make me smile, make me angry, make me wonder (how the hell can they be so f******* stupid)

In other words all the small (or big) differences make me feel alive!

But you should get out for a while occasionally and 'smell the roses'. I did that after 12 years and now feel much better about SE Asia as a home. There's good and bad in every country and people.

This is right and it's about getting it right, keeping it right and maintaining a balance.

The mistake I mention was actually made many years back when the quid was at 76 and land values were low, the scale of it only magnified by the big drop in the quid and an increase in land values. No other mistakes made since then. Did that one fairly early on.

Edited December 31, 2013 by MJP

[VINCENT2012]

i stayed 5 years in bangkok and 5 years in a little village in issan zone where i build a little resort, supermarket and restaurant....and after learning the thai language and helping and knowing fast everybody from my village i have at the end the same meanings as the person who made that post.

i speak 6 foreign languages,so i lived in all those foreign countries before and i can say today that western or europeen are too diferent from thai or asian in general.

we can't eat what they eat everyday.at least not in my village, i tell you

exemple: we make food around a big family table, them they eat everybody in a diferent corner, when they full up ...they go!

we dont drink as they drink and what they drink. they are usualy dead pissed on the floor after a few hours.

we dont think the same way at all.

we have knowledges and they are primitive in many ways.

they use our technology but they do with it the <deleted> they want only

if thai ask us a favor we give it for free, if we ask them a favor ...we have to pay or give a tip.

i work with my wife without dayoff, but the rest of the village do nothing all day long.

and to finish, the authorities treat us like shit, stupid visa rules, money locked in a bank for 3 mounth, showing up like bandits every 3 mounths, we cant have nothing on our name, well u know the story.

so i said to my wife who agree 100% with me.....what the hell are we doing here?what the point?

thats a lot of good reason to sell all my wife's properties that i paid anyway like everybody and 100% i go back to the civilization....!

the laws should change a lot to make me change my mind

the concept amazing thailand is not amazing at all and the land of smile is absolutly not like in a travel agency book when you leave there all year long.

thats the truth

good day and good night

[dotpoom]

Have had the opportunity to live in quite a few countries (which i consider to be 4 + years at one time), and can honestly say there is not much difference in any of them. Once you start living in a place it becomes just another home. I can not think of one specific difference Thailand has over say Mexico, Canada, Ireland, Jamaica, Portugal, Spain or the US.

Thais are Thai, Mexicans are Mexican, Americans are American.

Thais - work to feed their families, want a roof over their head, get an education, take their kids to the Dr. when sick, go to the market to buy food, pay their bills like TOT, Truevision etc, watch tv. like sports.......not much different then your average Joe!

I think it's how we perceive what ever experience we are having and how we interpret it .....based on our personal past experiences in life, that we come to the conclusions that we arrive at.

Personally I am in total agreement with rct99q, particularly the last paragraph. I have always found it to be like that and it is the reason I live away from a tourist area. but I even travel further into the sticks on a regular basis to mix with the "salt of the earth". One other fringe benefit I love is not being looked at like the ATM machine that the tourist areas take me for.

MJP, I am really sorry to hear about what has happened. I have had a lot of up's and down's in my life and when I finally learned how to accept my life as it was (not how I thought it should be) things started to take a turn for the better. I really do believe now in the old saying..."When one door closes another one opens". In my own personal case...the door that opened led to a better life that the one I had come from.

[GuestHouse]

Do we need any more proof that ignorance is not an attribute Thais, rural or otherwise, have a monopoly on than simply to read many of the responses in this thread.

Much is said about ignorant or ill educated Thais, the evidence for which is the stories told by people who believe Thais to be ignorant and ill educated.

For evidence of ill educated and ignorant foreigners we need not rely on what others tell us, we need simply read what ignorant and ill educated foreigners are posting in this thread. It's not second hand, it comes straight out of their own heads.

[MJP]

Have had the opportunity to live in quite a few countries (which i consider to be 4 + years at one time), and can honestly say there is not much difference in any of them. Once you start living in a place it becomes just another home. I can not think of one specific difference Thailand has over say Mexico, Canada, Ireland, Jamaica, Portugal, Spain or the US.

Thais are Thai, Mexicans are Mexican, Americans are American.

Thais - work to feed their families, want a roof over their head, get an education, take their kids to the Dr. when sick, go to the market to buy food, pay their bills like TOT, Truevision etc, watch tv. like sports.......not much different then your average Joe!

I think it's how we perceive what ever experience we are having and how we interpret it .....based on our personal past experiences in life, that we come to the conclusions that we arrive at.

Personally I am in total agreement with rct99q, particularly the last paragraph. I have always found it to be like that and it is the reason I live away from a tourist area. but I even travel further into the sticks on a regular basis to mix with the "salt of the earth". One other fringe benefit I love is not being looked at like the ATM machine that the tourist areas take me for.

MJP, I am really sorry to hear about what has happened. I have had a lot of up's and down's in my life and when I finally learned how to accept my life as it was (not how I thought it should be) things started to take a turn for the better. I really do believe now in the old saying..."When one door closes another one opens". In my own personal case...the door that opened led to a better life that the one I had come from.

It's no biggie, not a disaster, I'm just having a moan. No sex please we're British.

I've had to restructure the management team and amend a couple of standard operating procedures is all. Since the actual mistake was made many years ago and none since, this is at least a mitigating factor and although an unfortunate confluence of circumstance has led to the demolition of the kids college fund, no doubt I shall pull a rabbit from the hat when the time comes in the future, but I'm certainly not telling them that.

[MJP]

Do we need any more proof that ignorance is not an attribute Thais, rural or otherwise, have a monopoly on than simply to read many of the responses in this thread.

Much is said about ignorant or ill educated Thais, the evidence for which is the stories told by people who believe Thais to be ignorant and ill educated.

For evidence of ill educated and ignorant foreigners we need not rely on what others tell us, we need simply read what ignorant and ill educated foreigners are posting in this thread. It's not second hand, it comes straight out of their own heads.

I take it you're talking about me, right?

[hotrod4098]

Have been here a few years and the Thai smile is wearing thin! I live in a small village in Issan and work in another country. LIfe here has been good whilst I have been here (6 months of the year).

But after a few years now I look back and really I should be in another country with my my Thai family. Being here is not educating the kids, in fact it is doing the opposite if that is possible.

With me I am becoming less intelligent as the days go by in the village and look forward to getting back to my work where I have to think!

I only stay here because of my wife's family, otherwise I would have moved years ago. 2014 will be time to move out and increase the intelligence level of the family.

had 4 years in issan .i lost my self..the brain went dead..every day ,,it was mai pen rai..my life was controlled by them with my money...

the family was totally illiterate ..but told the wife what to do and say....

[GuestHouse]

Do we need any more proof that ignorance is not an attribute Thais, rural or otherwise, have a monopoly on than simply to read many of the responses in this thread.

Much is said about ignorant or ill educated Thais, the evidence for which is the stories told by people who believe Thais to be ignorant and ill educated.

For evidence of ill educated and ignorant foreigners we need not rely on what others tell us, we need simply read what ignorant and ill educated foreigners are posting in this thread. It's not second hand, it comes straight out of their own heads.

I take it you're talking about me, right?

Sadly MJP, its not something you have a monopoly on.

[hotrod4098]

i stayed 5 years in bangkok and 5 years in a little village in issan zone where i build a little resort, supermarket and restaurant....and after learning the thai language and helping and knowing fast everybody from my village i have at the end the same meanings as the person who made that post.

i speak 6 foreign languages,so i lived in all those foreign countries before and i can say today that western or europeen are too diferent from thai or asian in general.

we can't eat what they eat everyday.at least not in my village, i tell you

exemple: we make food around a big family table, them they eat everybody in a diferent corner, when they full up ...they go!

we dont drink as they drink and what they drink. they are usualy dead pissed on the floor after a few hours.

we dont think the same way at all.

we have knowledges and they are primitive in many ways.

they use our technology but they do with it the fuc_k they want only

if thai ask us a favor we give it for free, if we ask them a favor ...we have to pay or give a tip.

i work with my wife without dayoff, but the rest of the village do nothing all day long.

and to finish, the authorities treat us like shit, stupid visa rules, money locked in a bank for 3 mounth, showing up like bandits every 3 mounths, we cant have nothing on our name, well u know the story.

so i said to my wife who agree 100% with me.....what the hell are we doing here?what the point?

thats a lot of good reason to sell all my wife's properties that i paid anyway like everybody and 100% i go back to the civilization....!

the laws should change a lot to make me change my mind

the concept amazing thailand is not amazing at all and the land of smile is absolutly not like in a travel agency book when you leave there all year long.

thats the truth

good day and good night

this sums up rural thailand the complete truth

[smotherb]

If it's Thai thinking , how can it only be experienced in the sticks ?

Arthur, I believe you have found a flaw in the OPs statements. Most assuredly, Thainess is not only found in the country side. However, finding Thainess is much more difficult if you live in the farang ghettos. To great extent, falangs greatly contribute to the cost rises, the Thai indifference, the scams, and even the marital soap-operas which seem to plague the TV posters. Furthermore, the OP missed at least one reason for coming here; that is, there were just too damn many falangs where you lived in the West and you wanted something different. Therein lies the key, if you want to get to know the Thais, start making Thai friends, learn the culture and the language, and stop hanging-out only with falangs.

[MJP]

Do we need any more proof that ignorance is not an attribute Thais, rural or otherwise, have a monopoly on than simply to read many of the responses in this thread.

Much is said about ignorant or ill educated Thais, the evidence for which is the stories told by people who believe Thais to be ignorant and ill educated.

For evidence of ill educated and ignorant foreigners we need not rely on what others tell us, we need simply read what ignorant and ill educated foreigners are posting in this thread. It's not second hand, it comes straight out of their own heads.

I take it you're talking about me, right?

Sadly MJP, its not something you have a monopoly on.

Oh come now, I only did it the once years ago when I was young and foolish. Haven't done it since. Was hoping they'd make the best of it after my guidance but sadly not. This was just to vent my frustration.

Some of us do live and learn old boy.

[thailandist]

I love know it all posts based only on the users personal experience with the assumption it applies to everyone.

Edited December 31, 2013 by thailandist

[smotherb]

Buying houses in Thailand,bahahahaaaaaa. Still happening,omg.

You need to, to house children if you have them.

Otherwise if you're just a (long term) tourist then I agree, only rent.

This wasn't a house in any case.

Please give me one reason anyone has to buy a house.

[Thai at Heart]

I don't know where this idea that Rural Thailand and Urban Thailand are two different countries comes from.

Watched any news in the past couple of weeks?

Never heard about the color divide?

North vs. south/central?

Ever been out of your neighborhood?

This is not one country.

To the topic starter, mine ist A, B, C

I don't just watch the news, I speak to Thai people and listen to what they say.

Two days ago, sitting with half a dozen Thais in what is the Red Shirt heartland I listened as these supposed Red Shirts lambasted the government and the government's puppet master.

Born, bread and raised in 'Red Shirt' territory, they are not assigned to a color division of the nation by their geographic location - they have the tools to decide what they themselves think - an education.

Don't fall into the trap of believing that just because a corrupt government run by a convicted criminal is able to manipulate sections of the population with divisive vote buying polices that Thailand is two countries.

The puppet PM is today demonstrating exactly where she and her puppet master policies are directed by calling on and paying respects to the leader of the Privy Council - the head of that elite that this government claims is suppressing its Red Shirt voters, the figure head of an elite that the Red Shirts say they want to get rid of.

There are not two Thailands - there is one Thailand, urban or rural, educated or undedicated.

There is a divisive government lead by a puppet PM under the control of a convicted criminal puppet master who's single aim is to get his criminal conviction expunged and the money he stole from the nation returned to him.

He will do whatever he needs to do to achieve this including, as we see from the news, dividing the nation and setting Thai people at each other's throats.

So thaksin managed to divide the country into his political strongholds by magic and there was no separation before?

Thailand isn't a case of all roads lead to bangkok with a hugely centralised government where all cash goes to bangkok to be redistributed? It's a nice idea to talk about one Thailand but to deny that there hasn't been regional separation going on for a long time you are very naive.

The reds might turn on thaksin eventually but one thing is pretty sure. They won't ever for democrat. There is a huge nationwide political schism.

Edited December 31, 2013 by Thai at Heart