Why AreExpats So Stuck Up

[Notable]

It's mostly the opposite scenario, people who don't have anything to do here spend most nights drinking and talking b/s in ex-pat bars. I work as a translator so I can't go out late during the week, it's more of a normal lifestyle. Just sitting at home while your ex bar girl wife spends your retirement fund must be quite stressful. No wonder most of the older ex-pats don't smile!

[rgs2001uk]

From my experience, when a foreigner made contact if was either to ask for money or to ask for money.

On occasion it was to offer some kind of scam.

I do not believe it is about being stuck up, but rather self preservation, as no doubt many have had somewhat bad experiences with some expats.

You have to be kidding right.

So If i see ou on the street and say hello as we are passing I am looking for money????????????????????????????????????

How much does it coast out of your wallet to say hello and smile????????

I do not want to get a hug and a big kiss all I am wondering is where is the civility and common courtesy.

You have to be kidding right.

Far from it, IMHO most of them are either trying to sell you something (financial products) convert me to something (as an atheist they are wasting their time) or borrow something always but not limited to money.

I make no bones about it, any new farang I meet I tell them straight to their face, I dont do loans.

Be thankful you live in the backwaters of Rangsit, try the shark infested waters of the lower Suk enclave or Pattaya.

[vtjforyou]

They are just teachers anyway, the job that you do when you cannot find anything else...

[Notable]

So teaching for the British Council making 120k a month (as a friend of mine does) is considered the last resort to support yourself here is it? Sounds like we've found another jaded know it all ex-pat to avoid.

[gazwa]

Thank you for posting. I am feeling a little alone and isolated here in Rangsit if you can believe it.

Hey Kingston kid!.....I live in Rangsit and if you ever say Hi to me I will reciprocate and probably stop for a chat. I too have noticed this phenomenon, and I have lived in and visited many parts of Thailand.

I was also a teacher for 3 years and that didn't make me any less gregarious, some people are, some are not.

PM me to arrange a beer and a chat, but be warned I don't tolerate oafish behaviour. 1 strike and you're out.

My wife and kids keep me company, so I never feel isolated but I do enjoy a beer and a conversation in english when I can. I have a few local aquaintances and 1 or 2 that have been struck off, but overall I find saying hello to be rewarding.

Cheers!

Edited February 3, 2014 by gazwa

[StreetCowboy]

Why do you think so many generalisations are unpleasantly negative?

I've generally found expats in Thailand to be a likeable and friendly bunch, but I don't particularly go out of my way to meet them.

SC

[Munger]

So many of the foreigners here are either whacko nut jobs or scam artists worse than any Thais.

Much better off making friends with Thais.

NONSENSE, as usual "wym". Your previous posts said prostitutes make good partners / wives. Do you call your hookers, " YOUR FRIENDS" ?

[AryanicAristocrat]

Its not only the farang expats that are stuck up, I stay in a very exclusive apartment building in Sathorn and a lot of the rich Thais staying in the building will never even see u in the face let alone wish or greet you in the lifts and there is this Indian Gay Guy who stays with his Thai Chinese boyfriend and is decked from top to bottom in diamonds but is ever so rude to everyone just becuase he owns both the two penthouses in the building. He never even smiles or even answers back when greeted and assumes that all the staff in the building belong to him (though I heard that he tips them like crazy but its not fair to the other owners.) Simply makes me sick and I regret ever buying a unit there.

[Fookhaht]

Most of them came to get away from farangs. Duh.

Sent from my tin can via string

[rgs2001uk]

So teaching for the British Council making 120k a month (as a friend of mine does) is considered the last resort to support yourself here is it? Sounds like we've found another jaded know it all ex-pat to avoid.

Too be honest I dont know who is the more deluded.

You for thinking 120k per month is a decent salary, or your friend for wasting his time here for such a salary.

If your friend is retired and is teaching to stop himself from being bored, best of luck.

Move here to earn 120k per month, no chance, whats her name Little Lek from Nakon Nowhwere with two kids in tow?

[Notable]

As I said you're just the kind of arrogant idiot he's talking about. To suggest that 120k a month here is a poor wage when well educated qualified people in the UK and USA are taking jobs for much less, just makes you look even more foolish. Go and have a rethink and come back with something relevant.

[rgs2001uk]

As I said you're just the kind of arrogant idiot he's talking about. To suggest that 120k a month here is a poor wage when well educated qualified people in the UK and USA are taking jobs for much less, just makes you look even more foolish. Go and have a rethink and come back with something relevant.

To suggest that 120k a month here is a poor wage

For your average Thai, its a damned good wage, for a farang its not.

when well educated qualified people in the UK and USA are taking jobs for much less

Sorry cant talk about the USA, in the UK a graduate job will be paying the same.

Thankfuly I got my head in the books and got qualified enough to secure a job that gave me not only a decent salary, but skills, knowledge and experience that allow me to work , where, when and for how much I want.

Had the same conversation recently with some TEFLr who couldnt accept I earn more in a month than he does in a year.

I know guys who dont get out of bed for less than 25k per day.

Tell your friend to stop wasting his time here and head to Brunei or the ME, thats if he is a "proper" teacher.

[StreetCowboy]

As I said you're just the kind of arrogant idiot he's talking about. To suggest that 120k a month here is a poor wage when well educated qualified people in the UK and USA are taking jobs for much less, just makes you look even more foolish. Go and have a rethink and come back with something relevant.

According to my twenty seconds' research, the average civil engineering graduate earns less than 24,000 GBP p.a., so 120K THB seems not bad for a single chap living in Thailand with no real ambitions

SC

[Notable]

I am from the UK and there are very few jobs for graduates there now, you're sadly out of touch if you think differently. The average Thai will be lucky to make 30k a month, so my friend is doing OK at 4 times the average pay. Qualifications and experience determine if you're a 'real teacher' or not. You need to read a few more educational books, judging by that comment.

[StreetCowboy]

As I said you're just the kind of arrogant idiot he's talking about. To suggest that 120k a month here is a poor wage when well educated qualified people in the UK and USA are taking jobs for much less, just makes you look even more foolish. Go and have a rethink and come back with something relevant.

To suggest that 120k a month here is a poor wage

For your average Thai, its a damned good wage, for a farang its not.

when well educated qualified people in the UK and USA are taking jobs for much less

Sorry cant talk about the USA, in the UK a graduate job will be paying the same.

Thankfuly I got my head in the books and got qualified enough to secure a job that gave me not only a decent salary, but skills, knowledge and experience that allow me to work , where, when and for how much I want.

Had the same conversation recently with some TEFLr who couldnt accept I earn more in a month than he does in a year.

I know guys who dont get out of bed for less than 25k per day.

Tell your friend to stop wasting his time here and head to Brunei or the ME, thats if he is a "proper" teacher.

Don't you mean "... if he's properly greedy"; or "... in desperate need of short-term cash"? If he's happy and comfortable on what he earns and spends, why would he go somewhere else to be unhappy where the two did not match up?

SC

[Notable]

120k is a very good salary in Thailand, it's irrelevant if you are a falang or a Thai, if you're living here the salary itself is way above average. The cost of living here is much cheaper than the UK, people back home are struggling to pay their electricity and gas bills, what's the average electricity bill here? 1000 baht a month maybe, if that. The OP is right, Thailand seems to attract arrogant moaning ex-pats. Learn to speak fluent Thai and ignore the falang energy vampires. Hopefully one day they will expect all foreigners living here to be able to speak, read and write Thai or leave the country. Much the same as we are doing with immigrants in the UK. That would weed out plenty of the scum element the OP is referring to.

[wym]

120K per month is an absolute fortune for a local hire no matter what their trade, short of very highly qualified specialists.

Lots of new law school graduates from back home would jump at it.

Sure there are lots of so-called "true expats" transferred here by their MNC making high-end old-school western level salaries many times that.

But local hires? No.

For the commercial TEFL market the BC is creme de la creme, and their hiring standards and quality of management, working atmosphere, T&C all reflect that.

LOTS of bachelor-only TEFLers working for regular Thai schools work for less than a quarter of that, AND have to put up with soul-destroying management practices as well.

For teachers in general only fully-qualified school teachers hired from overseas by the few proper international schools (tuition 600+K THB p.a.) pay any better than that.

So you're friend should consider himself very very lucky, and if he wants to stay in Thailand make sure he works hard and performs well.

[wym]

Thankfuly I got my head in the books and got qualified enough to secure a job that gave me not only a decent salary, but skills, knowledge and experience that allow me to work , where, when and for how much I want.

Had the same conversation recently with some TEFLr who couldnt accept I earn more in a month than he does in a year.

I know guys who dont get out of bed for less than 25k per day.

So why not tell us what your profession is then?

And that of these very fortunate guys - and are they freelancing IN THAILAND?

Tell your friend to stop wasting his time here and head to Brunei or the ME, thats if he is a "proper" teacher.

Wouldn't want to live there for 20x the Thai-level salary, money just isn't that important compared to quality of life.

[StreetCowboy]

120k is a very good salary in Thailand, it's irrelevant if you are a falang or a Thai, if you're living here the salary itself is way above average. The cost of living here is much cheaper than the UK, people back home are struggling to pay their electricity and gas bills, what's the average electricity bill here? 1000 baht a month maybe, if that. The OP is right, Thailand seems to attract arrogant moaning ex-pats. Learn to speak fluent Thai and ignore the falang energy vampires. Hopefully one day they will expect all foreigners living here to be able to speak, read and write Thai or leave the country. Much the same as we are doing with immigrants in the UK. That would weed out plenty of the scum element the OP is referring to.

I don't really think of myself as Scum. I prefer to think of myself as a globally mobile professional.

How much benefit would learning Thai have stood me in my subsequent postings in the Middle East and Malaysia?

I think there is no language requirement for people on a Work Permit in the UK, though I think the British are less tolerant of people who cannot speak their own language than say Thais, or Malays,.

SC

[HooHaa]

i said hello to some bellend at the gym/pool i frequent. It go to the point where i eventually had to tell him to leave me the fock alone because he yammers in my ear every chance he gets. now he just looks hurt.

there is a very good reason for keeping to yourself.

Edited February 3, 2014 by HooHaa

[lmfao]

i said hello to some bellend at the gym/pool i frequent. It go to the point where i eventually had to tell him to leave me the fock alone because he yammers in my ear every chance he gets. now he just looks hurt.

there is a very good reason for keeping to yourself.

You sound like a bellend yourself You two could of been best Friends.

Edited February 3, 2014 by lmfao

[aveabeeror2]

It's mostly the opposite scenario, people who don't have anything to do here spend most nights drinking and talking b/s in ex-pat bars. I work as a translator so I can't go out late during the week, it's more of a normal lifestyle. Just sitting at home while your ex bar girl wife spends your retirement fund must be quite stressful. No wonder most of the older ex-pats don't smile!

You have to work for a living. Don't cast aspersions at us that don't.financially secure people all have ex bar girl wife? Your an idiot.

[aveabeeror2]

As I said you're just the kind of arrogant idiot he's talking about. To suggest that 120k a month here is a poor wage when well educated qualified people in the UK and USA are taking jobs for much less, just makes you look even more foolish. Go and have a rethink and come back with something relevant.

I wouldn't get up in the morn for less that 1.2 mill a month.i have pride.

[iamariva1957]

wym... I understand your POV very well.The problem is that I guess we are from two different worlds. I was brought up living overseas and so in foreign lands where English was not the primary language and in different cultures than what where not my own. As a kid I was always happy to hear an American/ British/ Australian/Irish voice or to see someone who was like me... traveling. What amazes me is back then ('60 and 70's) people where much more ready and willing to just smile. I am not saying that one has to stop and have a conversation or to befriend someone just because they are travelers from 'home'. What I am saying is that why not show some positive human acknowledgement. Yes, most people come from urban environments for the most part. But that in and of itself does not really explain the goings on. Yes, like in NYC and other big cities in the US (or even London, etc) we are careful about making eye contact while walking, we tend to stay away from anything other than what we are doing or where we are going. But, be are human and so like to interact with other people especially while traveling in far off places. I agree, talking with Thai locals is somehow more fun, but that does not mean that conversing with our fellow travelers would not be. But again, I am not talking about having a conversation. For as we all know if you ask a western traveler simply, "What time do you have?" who has been on the 'road' for a while, you wind up getting an hour long description of what they have gone through and been doing. This is simply because they have not had someone to talk to in person for so long and they are 'hungry' for the connection. But again... why not smile? Will it hurt anything? Maybe it will even give that other person the opportunity to ask a question or to pick your brain as to what they should do or where to go... you know.. get information that will be of help to them. It is just possible that they might need that smile from you and/or to you from them to open that 'door'. I find that Thais will always smile, at least to me and I return it. I find that it is just polite as I am not from 'these here parts' and so want to show that I am give a dam and am friendly, just to show kindness and concern without needing a reason or looking for a 'payback'. So smile for God's sake people! None of us are that important, in the grand scheme of things.

[Soutpeel]

Thankfuly I got my head in the books and got qualified enough to secure a job that gave me not only a decent salary, but skills, knowledge and experience that allow me to work , where, when and for how much I want.

Had the same conversation recently with some TEFLr who couldnt accept I earn more in a month than he does in a year.

I know guys who dont get out of bed for less than 25k per day.

So why not tell us what your profession is then?

And that of these very fortunate guys - and are they freelancing IN THAILAND?

Tell your friend to stop wasting his time here and head to Brunei or the ME, thats if he is a "proper" teacher.

Wouldn't want to live there for 20x the Thai-level salary, money just isn't that important compared to quality of life.

I know plenty of guys who wouldn't get out of bed for 25k/day working in Thailand and no they are not freelancing either

[Notable]

For as many people you say there are 'not getting out of bed for less than 25k', I can promise you I know a whole load more who regularly get of bed for 25k a month. Get real or you'll turn in to one of the arrogant d##ks the op is talking about.

[wym]

wym... I understand your POV very well.The problem is that I guess we are from two different worlds. I was brought up living overseas and so in foreign lands where English was not the primary language and in different cultures than what where not my own. As a kid I was always happy to hear an American/ British/ Australian/Irish voice or to see someone who was like me... traveling. What amazes me is back then ('60 and 70's) people where much more ready and willing to just smile. I am not saying that one has to stop and have a conversation or to befriend someone just because they are travelers from 'home'. What I am saying is that why not show some positive human acknowledgement. Yes, most people come from urban environments for the most part. But that in and of itself does not really explain the goings on. Yes, like in NYC and other big cities in the US (or even London, etc) we are careful about making eye contact while walking, we tend to stay away from anything other than what we are doing or where we are going. But, be are human and so like to interact with other people especially while traveling in far off places. I agree, talking with Thai locals is somehow more fun, but that does not mean that conversing with our fellow travelers would not be. But again, I am not talking about having a conversation. For as we all know if you ask a western traveler simply, "What time do you have?" who has been on the 'road' for a while, you wind up getting an hour long description of what they have gone through and been doing. This is simply because they have not had someone to talk to in person for so long and they are 'hungry' for the connection. But again... why not smile? Will it hurt anything? Maybe it will even give that other person the opportunity to ask a question or to pick your brain as to what they should do or where to go... you know.. get information that will be of help to them. It is just possible that they might need that smile from you and/or to you from them to open that 'door'. I find that Thais will always smile, at least to me and I return it. I find that it is just polite as I am not from 'these here parts' and so want to show that I am give a dam and am friendly, just to show kindness and concern without needing a reason or looking for a 'payback'. So smile for God's sake people! None of us are that important, in the grand scheme of things.

I haven't been a traveler for decades, I live and work here.

Not talking about myself anyway, I actually do smile and say hi, even stop and chat at the drop of a hat if I think you aren't a nutter or scammer.

I was just trying to answer the OP's question and explaining why he can't expect what he's looking for from many.

[Soutpeel]

120K per month is an absolute fortune for a local hire no matter what their trade, short of very highly qualified specialists.

Lots of new law school graduates from back home would jump at it.

Sure there are lots of so-called "true expats" transferred here by their MNC making high-end old-school western level salaries many times that.

But local hires? No.

For the commercial TEFL market the BC is creme de la creme, and their hiring standards and quality of management, working atmosphere, T&C all reflect that.

LOTS of bachelor-only TEFLers working for regular Thai schools work for less than a quarter of that, AND have to put up with soul-destroying management practices as well.

For teachers in general only fully-qualified school teachers hired from overseas by the few proper international schools (tuition 600+K THB p.a.) pay any better than that.

So you're friend should consider himself very very lucky, and if he wants to stay in Thailand make sure he works hard and performs well.

THB 120k is not an absolute fortune in Thailand for a local hire stop talking through your bum, in the teaching game one suspects its the upper end of the money on the table.....but most certainly not an absolute fortune when it comes to local hire "farang" salaries in Thailand

[wym]

OK fortune is exaggerating, but 90% of the jobs out there available to local westerners do pay far less.

Example job descriptions please - short of very highly qualified specialists remember.

[thailiketoo]

OK fortune is exaggerating, but 90% of the jobs out there available to local westerners do pay far less.

Example job descriptions please - short of very highly qualified specialists remember.

Engineers and helicopter pilots.