You're experience in Thailand same as this one?

[empireboy]

I've lived in many countries and the all of the "negative" differences as outlined by some in these posts, in my view, stem from education or lack of it.

I don't find Thai's any better or worse than any other comparably educated people. Granted I have only lived here for 4 years so far.

It seems to me that the bigotry associated with 'National Pride' 'Politics', and or, 'Big Religion' only exacerbates the potential negative possibilities in any of us. The sooner everyone LEARNS we're all in a universal community and we're all connected, the sooner things will get better because we will stop hurting ourselves.

For now, you can be a leader and shine a light on the way forward by your own forgiving, loving and generous example or you can continue to be part of the problem by complaining and holding on to your own ignorance in the darkness of your own conceit! Good luck with that! It's never worked historically to build a great nation or a great individual worth applauding!!

[HeavyDrinker]

Quelle Surprise! All the classics are rolling out already "You're a guest here, if you don't like it then leave...." "People who don't share our rose-tinted view of life here, must be "social misfits" and "Your own countries have the same problems" and so on....

Would be nice to see someone actually try and counter the points made in the article instead of reverting to the same tired old clichés...time after time....

[Pops]

The article describes a common side of a Thai attitude, pretty accurate.

Thais tend to mind (only) their own business and can be pretty selfish to the point of seeming plainly antisocial.

Just look at traffic.

On the other hand, I have been in situations where Thais have helped me out tremendously.

Remember being lost with car troubles in the country side and having complete strangers bring the local car mechanic to me by motorbike, while I was taken to a noodle soup stand, to eat and relax.

After 30 minutes and with the help of about 20 by-standing assistants the mechanic had my car running again.

This all happened at 23.00 o'clock in the evening.

I wanted to give him 1000 THB for all the trouble and he refused and just accepted 100 THB for his work.

That would absolutely not happen in my home country, i can tell you that.

What I see here, is that many Thais tend to mind only their own business but when asked, go out of their way to help you.

Someone once told me the Thais tend to be followers, not leaders.

Maybe that is the case.

Maybe it is not complete selfishness but also some lack of initiative ?

Who knows ?

[Pops]

The writer is very correct even though the piece is several years old. That does not change what he has said and It is correct today as it was when he wrote it. Many if not most Thais are hypocrites, insincere and above all inconsiderate of anyone but themselves.

Just think about this one:

We westerners and our respective societies consume most of the worlds natural resources while other people are starving and can only dream of what we have.

We have ruined complete countries and are still doing so, to maintain our lifestyle and do this for instance, through bribing politicians in underdeveloped countries, to get away with things illegally and to get more of what we want cheap.

Our mega corporates financially keep our political system running.

So, we can go on and on.

And while fully knowing all of this, most westerners, still want more of everything and better.

Then we come here to Thailand and call the Thais, hypocrites, insincere and inconsiderate of anyone but themselves.

Wow !!

[ChoakMyDee]

You think because we come from 1st world countries with problems we can't have an opinion on Thailand? Ludicrous. I have no desire to go back to my nanny state but it doesn't mean I can't see the reality of the Thai life.

[fittobethaied]

^{For those of you who are having a hard time understanding why the Thais behave the way they do, then please allow me to pass on to you what the Bible says about the condition of the human heart and the traits of the wicked.}

^{2 Timothy 3:2-4 says: For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,}

^{I have lived among the Thais now for four years, and for me that pretty much sums up the sort of the behavior that I see demonstrated on a daily basis. We are surrounded on all sides by people who pretend to be followers of Buddha but have no understanding of the his teachings and precepts. In Buddhism, actions are merely termed as unskillful or unwholesome, not as sinful. Every human being is a person of great worth who has within himself a vast store of good as well as evil habits. The good in a person is always waiting for a suitable opportunity to flower and to ripen. The problem with this concept is that man has no power in and of himself to do good when given the opportunity because his "bent" is to do evil. The majority of Thais simply choose to do good only when it benefits them or theirs personally, and by in large have no regard for the lives of others. They simply do what sinners are born to do, and that is to sin.}

^{Us Westerners come to Thailand and end up having tremendous problems with "perception and expectation" in that we are accustomed to looking for the good in people and are fooled right away by the Thai smile. After all...a smile like that back in our home country could only be "the manifestation of a beautiful heart". Wrong!!!! The Thais have a nasty way of hiding their darkened hearts behind the mask of a smile. The thing that irritates me the most is when people categorize their wickedness as a cultural phenomenon in order to make it more palatable. My friends, sin by any other name is still sin! If you expect that most Thais are going to be good, then you are in for some real disappointments along this journey. On the other hand, I for one expect for them to be wicked, and I am seldom disappointed because they most always meet my expectations. I am by no means happy about it, but this is the reality of Thailand.}

^{In all fairness to the Thais there are many other countries in this world where behavioral patterns are as bad or worse than Thailand. In my case I live here because I consider it to be the "better of two (or more) evils".}

[NoshowJones]

Well to generalise about an entire nation is a bit of a stretch. I also think people see what they want to see when faced the complexity of 60 million people. Perhaps the characteristics people see are reflection of their own views and prejudices on the many people they interact with. I do not see the same Thailand in most of the interactions I have with Thai people. Perhaps the author is a bit of grumpy sod and so that's what he sees. I have seen some selfish people - especially related to politics - but most people I've met in my 6 years of living and 20 years of visiting Thailand have been decent, caring people. Sent from my C6902 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Generalising?

I have lived here for years, drive many miles on the roads each day, in all that time I have never seen a Thai person pull over to let an ambulance past, they simply don't care about anything that does not have an immediate effect on them.

I have however lost count of the times I have seen Thai's block the path of an ambulance answering a call.

That is not generalising, that is pure fact!

I agree with this.

[NoshowJones]

Well to generalise about an entire nation is a bit of a stretch. I also think people see what they want to see when faced the complexity of 60 million people. Perhaps the characteristics people see are reflection of their own views and prejudices on the many people they interact with. I do not see the same Thailand in most of the interactions I have with Thai people. Perhaps the author is a bit of grumpy sod and so that's what he sees. I have seen some selfish people - especially related to politics - but most people I've met in my 6 years of living and 20 years of visiting Thailand have been decent, caring people. Sent from my C6902 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Generalising?

I have lived here for years, drive many miles on the roads each day, in all that time I have never seen a Thai person pull over to let an ambulance past, they simply don't care about anything that does not have an immediate effect on them.

I have however lost count of the times I have seen Thai's block the path of an ambulance answering a call.

That is not generalising, that is pure fact!

You've made this point twice in this thread - and I believe that it's an example of trying to apply your experiences from home to a different situation.

In many countries the ambulance service is provided by the state and the ambulances are staffed by skilled paramedics who have either been dispatched by a central controller to an emergency or who are on their back to the hospital with the injured/sick person.

This is not the case in Thailand.

The 'ambulances' here are nothing more than private taxis with red flashing lights and a siren. They work on commission and they all monitor the news, police and fire service radio waiting to here of an incident - then they all rush to the scene as they get a commission from the hospital if they bring in the injured person.

In 99% of cases the siren and lights is part of the race to get to the scene first to claim their 'prize'. There's no injured person in the back.

Thai's know this - so why move out of the way?

I was near the scene of a major fire a while ago. I saw Thai's move out of the way of the fire service vehicles (who are a public service) but they did not move for the 'Blood Wagons". When I got to the scene on foot I counted 27 Blood Wagons blocking the road and they were preventing the fire service from reaching the scene as they had created their own traffic jam.

In the end there was, thankfully, only one casualty. One person died of smoke inhalation at the scene. No other injuries. 27 'ambulances'.

I have taken on board what you have said and I believe you are right.

[NoshowJones]

Quelle Surprise! All the classics are rolling out already "You're a guest here, if you don't like it then leave...." "People who don't share our rose-tinted view of life here, must be "social misfits" and "Your own countries have the same problems" and so on....

Would be nice to see someone actually try and counter the points made in the article instead of reverting to the same tired old clichés...time after time....

I agree with you.

[Trentham]

If one looks in an English-Thai dictionary for the meaning of guilt one will find two Thai words, kwam pit – ความผิด - meaning a wrong and kwam rooserk pit – ความรู้สึกผิด - translating as the feeling of having done wrong but in essence meaning the knowledge of having done wrong. My Thai teacher devoted almost half of one lesson trying to answer my questions about the word for the feeling of guilt a Westerner feels when having done something sinful or criminal. Neither of those two words is adequate to describe that guilty feeling. Finally she gave up and told me that Thai people don’t really feel guilt. What they feel is shame. My teacher had a good understanding of Western cultures and I was left with the feeling that she was embarrassed by her admission.

She then went on to explain that Thais can do bad things and do not feel anything for having done it. However, when other people know about what they have done they feel shame. If you look in the dictionary you will find there are many words that equate to the English word, shame. Note I don’t want professors and other pedantic types debating me on this interpretation of guilt. I have since discussed this point with normal Thai speakers and they basically agree with me. Thais only feel bad about doing bad things when others know they have done them.

[UglyBug]

I think the guy contemplating coming to live in Thailand after only a two week visit in ten years should do some groundwork and research for himself I have been coming to The Land of Smiles since February 1990 and I found a couple of books by Roger Welty " Thai Culture and Society" " The Thai and I: Successful Living in Thailand " to be very informative about all aspects of living here !

Reading answers in Thai Visa is like listening to bar stool experts any where in the world ? do your own research and learn by your own mistakes and experiences there are many pitfalls that can be made as there is a huge gulf between Thai and European culture ! the most basic one in my opinion is that most Thai's whether educated to a high standard or otherwise seem to not have,even a minimum percentage of common-sense

[fittobethaied]

If one looks in an English-Thai dictionary for the meaning of guilt one will find two Thai words, kwam pit – ความผิด - meaning a wrong and kwam rooserk pit – ความรู้สึกผิด - translating as the feeling of having done wrong but in essence meaning the knowledge of having done wrong. My Thai teacher devoted almost half of one lesson trying to answer my questions about the word for the feeling of guilt a Westerner feels when having done something sinful or criminal. Neither of those two words is adequate to describe that guilty feeling. Finally she gave up and told me that Thai people don’t really feel guilt. What they feel is shame. My teacher had a good understanding of Western cultures and I was left with the feeling that she was embarrassed by her admission.

She then went on to explain that Thais can do bad things and do not feel anything for having done it. However, when other people know about what they have done they feel shame. If you look in the dictionary you will find there are many words that equate to the English word, shame. Note I don’t want professors and other pedantic types debating me on this interpretation of guilt. I have since discussed this point with normal Thai speakers and they basically agree with me. Thais only feel bad about doing bad things when others know they have done them.

Thanks for that post Trentham! This goes a long way toward helping me further understand the Thai heart and mentality. Now we're getting somewhere!

[rockderk]

I agree totally. I would add that life is clearly cheap here, whether because of blind faith that there's another life right behind this one, or for more sinister reasons. Racism is rampant and hardly even recognized as such. Imagine being poor and Cambodian, or Burmese here. Car insurance should be dependent upon dash-cam installation, but isn't. The death race that is driving in Thailand could so easily be controlled and the Royal Thai Police are just pretending. Schedules are subject to outrageous change until 4 seconds before any event and my 11 year old daughter is smarter than 75% of her teachers. I could go on and on. Anyone who's lived here for a while could.

Bart Walters is neither generalizing nor whining. He's happy living here, as am I. And when my neighbor across the street, big smile, asks me for a ride into town -her car broke down- then tries to sell me Amway products on the way and when I decline to buy any, her car is miraculously fixed without going in for repairs and she never looks at me again, I don't whine about it, I just take note that superficiality rules the day here, but I'm not going to play that game.

[Trentham]

There is a much read book written by an American husband and his Thai wife but I apologise for I cannot remember its name. It describes the three circles of Thai culture. The first circle includes family and maybe best friends. The second circle contains friends, neighbours, people you deal with on a regular basis such as shopkeepers, work colleagues and school friends. The second will also be made up of people of high class, status or wealth and power. The third circle includes everybody else.

To the first circle you devote yourself, even at great personal cost. The second circle you show respect to or feign respect. You maintain friendliness, “face” and politeness. The third circle of people you do not give a sh?t about. They do not exist except if you can use them to some advantage for yourself or your family. Of course the third circle is vast and includes most people in the country. You may not even see them or at least pretend not to. Note The English/Thai dictionary does not have a word for altruism but it is described as disagreeing with selfishness.

However, in spite of the dislike for so many of their own countrymen, Thais still feel a strong nationalistic fervour. If some poor North Eastern guy, [issan] who usually despised, wins an international boxing tournament, he belongs to everyone. He will be lauded by all. BUT don’t dare let him marry one of our daughters.

[SunsetT]

I carry pepper spray for those wild,crazy dogs.If they get to close to me they get their eyes hurt.

It took a while but I dont worry about them now and just ignore them when cycling or walking by without changing speed. After 8 years, and I cycle everywhere, I have never been bitten. If u try to out run/cycle them or show aggression or retalliation, they chase u all the more. It is just a game for them or they r just defending their territory. On one occasion, I felt the chasing dog's hot breath on my foot, and on another occasion wet lips like a kiss. So they could have bitten me but didnt. And whats the point in getting stressed? if one is going to bite u it will.

[pauleddy]

I think that the article from Bart sums it up neatly.

I think that there are some truly amazing, kind and helpful Thais, but they seem to be the ones who have 'education' (in all senses of that word--in Spanish, the word equates with politeness and good upbringing as well as "schooling"). On balance, only about 4-5% of all the Thais I have ever met are 'genuine'/true/loyal etc.

Yes, the Planet Thai stops at the end of their noses. It is not deliberate: rather, I equate it with the behaviour of children. Thais have not been subjected to (for better or worse) the 'processes' that westerners go through.

I was blind to it for the first two years. But, ten years later, I am still here. My fault.

I have been barged on the street many times, and then it was 'my fault', it seems. Now, I just barge right back.

As a very caucasian-looking person, I find the racism very powerful here. I genuinely dislike being here, but have my reasons work-wise, at present.

There are huge chips on shoulders once people know that I am very white without lasers or creams, that I am well-educated and also fairly solvent compared to some.

As the saying goes--"If you want to be loved, get a dog..."etc

Put it another way--give McDonalds, Mercedes and Hollywood to a people who were running around in loinclothes in a paddy field 70 years ago, or else were getting beheaded if they even looked at a royal person. Compound that with corruption and jealousy. Taking the big view, it is human nature to be 'selfish' anyway, but impose all that on a child-like consciousness means dog-eat-dog and everybody wants a Louis V handbag from Paragon.

What a dump. Yes, yes, I know that there is a plane out 25 times a day. I have heard the tired admonishments. Now I just give up.

Eddy

(On balance, the women are possibly 'worse' than the men, debatable tho')

[SunsetT]

Well to generalise about an entire nation is a bit of a stretch. I also think people see what they want to see when faced the complexity of 60 million people. Perhaps the characteristics people see are reflection of their own views and prejudices on the many people they interact with. I do not see the same Thailand in most of the interactions I have with Thai people. Perhaps the author is a bit of grumpy sod and so that's what he sees. I have seen some selfish people - especially related to politics - but most people I've met in my 6 years of living and 20 years of visiting Thailand have been decent, caring people. Sent from my C6902 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Excellent, fair-minded post.

A large percentage of Westerners seem to become confused and perplexed when they come to live here and find themselves faced with a culture different from their own.

Folks don't like to be confused and perplexed -- it makes them feel insecure. But, instead of taking their time to understand the history, language and culture of their new

place of residence, they take the easy-way-out. They look for quick and simplistic explanations. When someone writes a biased article like the one cited here -- Aha! They

jump on those simplistic views as a quick solution to their insecurity. I have witnessed this pattern of intellectually lazy behavior in many of my fellow expats since I first

went to live overseas in Dec 1960.

This pattern of is still prevalent today.

As Western expats, we would do well to analyze our own problematic patterns of intellectual laziness before we attempt to make sweeping generalizations about a culture

most of us know far less about.

So please enlighten us with your intellectual understanding of Thai history language and culture as to why they dont pull over for emergency vehicles.

[HeavyDrinker]

The only book I'd truly recommend before coming here would be Denis Segaller's peerless 'Thai Ways" and "More Thai Ways", Compiled from his column in the old Bangkok World (the predecessor of the Bangkok Post) the books may seem dated to some but they are still very entertaining and relevant...

[alex8912]

Well to generalise about an entire nation is a bit of a stretch. I also think people see what they want to see when faced the complexity of 60 million people. Perhaps the characteristics people see are reflection of their own views and prejudices on the many people they interact with. I do not see the same Thailand in most of the interactions I have with Thai people. Perhaps the author is a bit of grumpy sod and so that's what he sees. I have seen some selfish people - especially related to politics - but most people I've met in my 6 years of living and 20 years of visiting Thailand have been decent, caring people. Sent from my C6902 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Generalising?

I have lived here for years, drive many miles on the roads each day, in all that time I have never seen a Thai person pull over to let an ambulance past, they simply don't care about anything that does not have an immediate effect on them.

I have however lost count of the times I have seen Thai's block the path of an ambulance answering a call.

That is not generalising, that is pure fact!

You've made this point twice in this thread - and I believe that it's an example of trying to apply your experiences from home to a different situation.

In many countries the ambulance service is provided by the state and the ambulances are staffed by skilled paramedics who have either been dispatched by a central controller to an emergency or who are on their back to the hospital with the injured/sick person.

This is not the case in Thailand.

The 'ambulances' here are nothing more than private taxis with red flashing lights and a siren. They work on commission and they all monitor the news, police and fire service radio waiting to here of an incident - then they all rush to the scene as they get a commission from the hospital if they bring in the injured person.

In 99% of cases the siren and lights is part of the race to get to the scene first to claim their 'prize'. There's no injured person in the back.

Thai's know this - so why move out of the way?

I was near the scene of a major fire a while ago. I saw Thai's move out of the way of the fire service vehicles (who are a public service) but they did not move for the 'Blood Wagons". When I got to the scene on foot I counted 27 Blood Wagons blocking the road and they were preventing the fire service from reaching the scene as they had created their own traffic jam.

In the end there was, thankfully, only one casualty. One person died of smoke inhalation at the scene. No other injuries. 27 'ambulances'.

Thais know this? They have x ray vision? So what you are saying is that when they know that someone is dying in the ambulance then they pull over?? What about fire trucks.? They are not dispatched? When about 100 people died in the New Year's Eve fire at Santika all Thais knew to pull over for this one? Come to my balcony and see NO ONE PULL OVER FOR A FIRE TRUCK EVER! I don't believe your 27 ambulances story at all. Anyone who has been here has come across accidents and there are not dozens of them. I live right near St. Louis hospital when an ambulance is trying to pull into the hospital with blaring sirens no one pulls over. What is your response to that?

[SunsetT]

I sometimes just cannot stand the constant whining of these moral inventory takers who constantly comment negatively on the quality of Thai civilization, morals, food, manners, whatever, just as long as it is negative.

The bottom line is and always will be…..It is none of your business , you are GUESTS in this country, don’t like it then please go home and take your mean spirited, unwanted and often jaded opinions with you. I doubt you will be any happier where you came from.

I happen to like Thailand, I like most Thais, I have been married to one for 25 years, I have Thai children, I speak Thai, I eat Thai food that I don’t really like because my Thai wife cooks it for me because she cares about me. I go to a Buddhist temple and try to get my own PERSONAL life in order, I don’t try and fix SOMEONE else’s’ life, it is not my job.

I would love to just once in awhile read something positive about the experiences of these often seemingly morally dissolute people who can only criticize Thailand.

Sorry but it gets boring listening to the children complain.

...........But step back my friend..............You are being just as judgemental!

......And as for " I eat Thai food that I don’t really like because my Thai wife cooks it for me because she cares about me" ...........

.................Thats absolutely priceless!!!

[atyclb]

Well to generalise about an entire nation is a bit of a stretch. I also think people see what they want to see when faced the complexity of 60 million people. Perhaps the characteristics people see are reflection of their own views and prejudices on the many people they interact with. I do not see the same Thailand in most of the interactions I have with Thai people. Perhaps the author is a bit of grumpy sod and so that's what he sees. I have seen some selfish people - especially related to politics - but most people I've met in my 6 years of living and 20 years of visiting Thailand have been decent, caring people. Sent from my C6902 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Generalising?

I have lived here for years, drive many miles on the roads each day, in all that time I have never seen a Thai person pull over to let an ambulance past, they simply don't care about anything that does not have an immediate effect on them.

I have however lost count of the times I have seen Thai's block the path of an ambulance answering a call.

That is not generalising, that is pure fact!

You've made this point twice in this thread - and I believe that it's an example of trying to apply your experiences from home to a different situation.

In many countries the ambulance service is provided by the state and the ambulances are staffed by skilled paramedics who have either been dispatched by a central controller to an emergency or who are on their back to the hospital with the injured/sick person.

This is not the case in Thailand.

The 'ambulances' here are nothing more than private taxis with red flashing lights and a siren. They work on commission and they all monitor the news, police and fire service radio waiting to here of an incident - then they all rush to the scene as they get a commission from the hospital if they bring in the injured person.

In 99% of cases the siren and lights is part of the race to get to the scene first to claim their 'prize'. There's no injured person in the back.

Thai's know this - so why move out of the way?

I was near the scene of a major fire a while ago. I saw Thai's move out of the way of the fire service vehicles (who are a public service) but they did not move for the 'Blood Wagons". When I got to the scene on foot I counted 27 Blood Wagons blocking the road and they were preventing the fire service from reaching the scene as they had created their own traffic jam.

In the end there was, thankfully, only one casualty. One person died of smoke inhalation at the scene. No other injuries. 27 'ambulances'.

I cannot speak for all countries but in the usa many ambulance companies are privately owned. An ambulance being able to get to its destination in a timely manner is of paramount importance as well as being able to transport the patient to a hospital. in thailand i have seen decently equipped real ambulances belonging to major bkk hospitals IMPEDED by other vehicles that according to your explanation know for sure the ambulance is simply rushing to get to the patient first.

If you were educated in a so called developed country where people are taught to think below the surface, your line of reasoning in the post does not reflect it.

[dude123]

I have to admit, when I started this thread, I never expexted it to be such an eye opener for me. I really thank all of you for your posts and observations. It is indeed a very different culture than the West. I think the biggest surprise for me is in general the statement that Thais don't feel "guilt". That took me back a little. That is like saying that in general Thais have a black heart. That is very sad, and I hope it is not true, but at the same time, why would they be so disrespectful as to not pull over for an ambulance or firetruck. I just don't understand the apathy in it all. I sincerely have second thoughts about retiring here.

Edited January 21, 2014 by dude123

[faraday]

If his view of Thai people is like this, why does he live here? Nope, paradise it is not....people are flawed, all of us are.

Of course, the West is perfect.

I've only been a member on here for a few weeks & my first impression was that there is way too many negative comments about Thai people.

Then, I read other comments which say how lovely they are. Just depends on ones pov, mindset & experiences.

He does seem rather unhappy though.

[Toscano]

When I complain about the bad inconsiderate behaviour of neighbours , my wife always say ," In Thailand People Do what They Like ", without consideration

for anyone else . Thais can be very kind , but in general are very selfish . Thai people may call themselves Buddhist , but the religion in practice has

little connection the the Buddhist philosophy .

[leosuntime]

most thai ppl cant even save money

there is a serious inflation problem here

I find that thai ppl dont understand why they r becoming poor but will be cut throat in their behavior to rectify their situation

you steal off thais THEY STEAL OFF YOU!!!!

western ppl r stealing they just cant figure it out yet

[dude123]

If his view of Thai people is like this, why does he live here? Nope, paradise it is not....people are flawed, all of us are.

Of course, the West is perfect.

Of course the West is not perfect. I don't think anyone made a statement saying it is perfect over here, but maybe some of us take too much for granted, that's all. I love Canada, but as one gets older, the Winters can surely beat you down enough to have thoughts about moving elsewhere. My first choice was always Australia as I hold dual citizenship, but like Canada, Australia is not very cheap to retire in, that is why so many of us think of destinations such as Thailand, and since my Wife is Thai, it's worth looking into.

[atyclb]

fair use snippet from article by thai journalist called

Decency drowns in a culture without a sense of shame

"Can't get through the front door because of the flood? No problem. Paddle your boat to the side, climb up to the roof, remove the tiles, make a hole and drop down into the bedroom.

Perhaps tie a rope around your waist, then drop down like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible, playing the theme music in your head while you're at it. It's exciting stuff.

Once inside, steal everything.

That's one of the many looting stories from the southern provinces that have been experiencing heavy flooding.

One Japanese rubber factory offered a reward for its missing goods that were carried away by floodwaters. But that's not good enough. Locals who found the goods haggled with the factory, wanting more cash. After all, it's hard work finding other people's stuff.

The flood perhaps drowned any sense of shame they might have had.

Meanwhile, in tsunami and earthquake ravaged Japan, when locals find goods that don't belong to them, they go to the trouble of creating a makeshift lost and found."

"It's doubly baffling for a culture that puts ''image'' on a golden pedestal to be so thick-skinned when it comes to lying and cheating _ even rounding it all off with a staunch denial. But that too is because of the lack of shame."

http://www.thailandfriends.com/showthread.php/46295-Decency-drowns-in-a-culture-without-a-sense-of-shame

Edited January 21, 2014 by atyclb

[bkk75]

While I tend to agree stereotypes have it's place you can't make a blanket statement. It's culture here and the author is using western culture to judge another culture. It's like how it boggles me "farang" don't take off their shoes inside a home.

I was working out at fitness first the other day and this brute (Caucasian) was dropping weights so loud that everyone was glaring at him but he didn't give a care nor did he put away his weights.

At the end of day judge a person based on their own actions not an entire group.

[atyclb]

When I complain about the bad inconsiderate behaviour of neighbours , my wife always say ," In Thailand People Do what They Like ", without consideration

for anyone else . Thais can be very kind , but in general are very selfish . Thai people may call themselves Buddhist , but the religion in practice has

little connection the the Buddhist philosophy .

Articles have been written by thai scholars about how current monks just learn the ceremonies they can make money from.

Theres many good things about thailand as well as societal realities.

[brucegoniners]

Unfortunately very accurate.

But the guy doesn't know the difference between the red shirts and the anti government protestors. He lost a lot of credibility there.