Why Is Thailand So Backward?

[OlRedEyes]

After all, several African nations have populations that speak much better English than Thais, Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa to name just 3.

.

Probably because English has been the first language of RSA for about 350 years.

/deleted.

Incorrect by a mile, but this is a Thai discussion.

Edited June 4, 2006 by OlRedEyes

[ROFL]

something as basic as the study or understanding of a countries culture.

Still waiting for ONE example of Thai culture that I cannot understand because I dont speak Thai.

Prove your theory, or just continue to wave the "white flag" by posting smileys.

Its real simple, ONE example , just one, come on you can do it!

[Sir Burr]

If you see, as I do, the industrialised nations as a bunch of lemmings heading fast for the cliff, you would say "Thank goodness, Thaailand is well back".

Thailand isn't so far down the industrialising tube that it can't back out reasonably intact.

There are difficulties ahead for Thailand, but far more for all the other countries mentioned in this thread (except Bhutan, possibly).

Having been so lucky as to have the opportunity to go back to the situation of generations of my ancestry, i.e. peasantry, and having taken it, I am so far behind that I believe I am ahead.

And a full 60% of Thais are with me, and we can absorb the 40% industrial population back, when the squeeze comes on and tightens and tightens.

With a few rice fields and an IPstar connection, it is a good stress-free life.

Why stop at regressing to peasantry, let's go back to being hunter-gatherers.

[The Dude]

the sad thing is Thai degrees are not worth the paper they are written on.

Thailand is home to some of Asia's most respected and prestigious universities. Most second-rate universities in the west are just a laguhing stock in comparison.

Where did you get your information from? Thailand is nowhere close to any top university anywhere, except Thailand itself.

Top 3000 Universities

Not even close

That one's bogus for a start. How could Tronno uni and a load of other septic ones possibly be above Oxford and Cambridge? Try this one... a bit more lifelike

Good job Jack, that top 3000 list isnt based on academic excellence, I can promise you that. Notice where Princeton, Yale, Caltech and as you said Oxford are. LOL. The list Jack posted is correct

The Dude is proud to say that his 2 almamaters are near the top of both lists. Those are the schools where he studied archaeology, the art of digging.

Edited June 4, 2006 by The Dude

[The Dude]

The Dude thinks that Thailand should be given credit for its #1 strength, the adult bar scene industry. It must be the best in the world with only the PI coming close. This industry could well be the wave of the future and is probably growing like wildfire with all of the baby boomers getting older and wanting to enjoy this kind of leisure. The country should expand on this as this is what they do best. This website would not exist without it. At least 90% of board members would not be here if not for it no matter how much they claim to have had nothing to do with it. Of course their disavowing it after the fact is a big LOL. I mean just look at your 2 biggest expat info websites, your stickman and your thaivisa, both of these were spawned by this banner industry. No one can say there is no claim to fame here and the folks should be proud. I mean what percentage of folks did not come here for the sole purpose of checking out this stuff that made /thailand great? That number has got to be real close to zero

Edited June 4, 2006 by The Dude

[OlRedEyes]

If you see, as I do, the industrialised nations as a bunch of lemmings heading fast for the cliff, you would say "Thank goodness, Thaailand is well back".

Thailand isn't so far down the industrialising tube that it can't back out reasonably intact.

There are difficulties ahead for Thailand, but far more for all the other countries mentioned in this thread (except Bhutan, possibly).

Having been so lucky as to have the opportunity to go back to the situation of generations of my ancestry, i.e. peasantry, and having taken it, I am so far behind that I believe I am ahead.

And a full 60% of Thais are with me, and we can absorb the 40% industrial population back, when the squeeze comes on and tightens and tightens.

With a few rice fields and an IPstar connection, it is a good stress-free life.

Why stop at regressing to peasantry, let's go back to being hunter-gatherers.

Thats it in a nutshell.

There's no going back, for Thailand or any other country. Adapt or die, pure and simple. All the nationalism and xenephobia in the world won't stop the march.

[ColPyat]

something as basic as the study or understanding of a countries culture.

Still waiting for ONE example of Thai culture that I cannot understand because I dont speak Thai.

Prove your theory, or just continue to wave the "white flag" by posting smileys.

Its real simple, ONE example , just one, come on you can do it!

Go back a few posts and read them again. I gave you one.

Other than that, i am tired of posting on such an infantile piss contest level. Learn some manners, please.

[Indo-Siam]

Our pizza is better too!

Is there any other pizza? Those bastardly Italian pies can't be called pizza.

As everyone already knows real pizza only grows in New York.

If those Italians keep using the word pizza, sue them, Ulysses.

>>>>>>>>>>

To Indo-Siam, incindentally just yesterday Thaksin unveiled the grand plan of widening rail tracks nationwide, from 1 m to 1.4 m. The esitmated cost is 30-40 billion baht. Oh... wait, he proposed to study the possiblilites first, to continue on the previous study which was three years ago, perhaps already outdated. They will also plan to do a study on how to lay double tracks - possibly all the way to Nakhon Sawan!

Road/rail integration with India, China, and Singapore will be completed right in time for Bangkok winter olympics.

To Kathe and Misplaced - why don't you, Thais, pay attention to what other, senior Thais are telling you. Why don't you argue with privy councilor Kasem Wattanachai or Anand Panyarachoon? They've been predicting doom and gloom for Thailand for a few years already. They go for the roots - decline in ethics and morality, they argue that Thais are growing into a nation of lazy cheats with misplaced values and have no future unless they start actually working to create wealth, not stealing from each other (through corruption).

The world isn't waiting.

Let me spell this out for you in BIG LETTERS, so you don't miss out on the clues.

Look at a map. Look at India, and look at China. Look at Japan, and Korea, and Taiwan, and Vietnam. Then trace an ocean route between India and all the rest. Then, think about how long it takes to onload/offload cargo containers from a ship in its berth - compared to how long it takes to offload a freight train in a freight yard. Then look at racing a cargo ship transiting the Singapore Straits against a train transiting via Thailand. Then multiply the result times 1,000,000.

Basically, Thailand won't fund ANYTHING. Japan, and Korea, and China, and Taiwan, and Vietnam willl pay Thailand to put in the shortcut. Japan paid for the Mukdahan bridge. Thailand just needs to collect tolls for all the business that wants to transit its space. I'm not guessing - I've personally been in the meetings at State Railway of Thailand. That's where I learned how poor the financial results were for railway operations in Thailand. But - the State Railway still earns a fortune. How? Not via rolling activity. They own PRICELESS property, from which they collect ENORMOUS rent. Rights of way - now used for telephone cables, power cables, cable TV cables - and also collecting rent on properties such as all the land under Central World Plaza, and Chatuchak Market - to name just two out of 2,000 valuble properties.

This thread is full of "why nots" - why isn't Intel here? - why don't Thais speak better English.

The answer is: they don't need to. Thailand doesn't support Intel - instead, they support Seagate and Western Digital - for disk drives, instead of microprocessors. Thailand is the world's leading exporter (or #2) in many things - including tiger shrimp, jasmine rice, canned tuna, canned pineapple, and natural rubber (and also two things made from natural rubber - condoms, and automotive tires). Also very high in exports of flowers, and of tropical fish.

Any given country can't be #1 in EVERYTHING - all they can do is pick what they have natural advantages for - and exploit those.

After I left the US military in 1988, I worked in sales to the semiconductor industry. I've been to Intel Headquarters in Santa Clara. I've also been to Intel plants in Aloha, Oregon, and Rio Rancho, New Mexico. I've also been to IBM plants in Burlington, Vermont; Fishkill, New York; Manassas, Virginia; Corebeil-Essonce, France; and Sindelfingen, Germany. And also Hsinchu, Taiwan - which has the highest density of semiconductor plants on earth. What do those big companies look for, in selecting a site to put a chip plant? Two things: Clean air, and low-cost electricity. Why? Because they need to install massive air separation plants to take normal air, and break it down into VERY pure nitrogen, oxygen, and argon - to support the processes. How do I know? Because that's what I did - I sold air separation plants - US $30 million a pop - 1990 dollars.

You put chip plants into backward places, where air, water, and electricity are plentiful and cheap - and where the chip plant can be #1 citizen. Where you DON'T put it in a highly developed place that has scarce (expensive) electricty, polluted air, and lots of other competing industry.

So much for using the "Intel standard" to define high development.

All ground-based internet connectiviy in Laos and Cambodia is provided by Thailand - if Thailand pulls the plug, those countries go dark. The same for foodstuffs, medicines, and almost every other technology item. Manufacturing in Thailand is light years ahead of all continguous neighbors EXCEPT Malaysia. Anyone who thinks that these countries are leaving Thailand behind is absolutley clueless.

Vietnam and Malaysia - and above all Singapore - are another story - they are not dependent upon Thailand. Vietnam is BEHIND Thailand - but it IS closing the gap - and if their government wasn't so dismally bad - it makes Thailand's government look like a model of efficiency - it really would surpass Thailand. But - that won't happen for another half-generation, at least.

And - in the long term - the competition between Thailand and Vietnam will be the driving impetus for both countries to continually improve their attractiveness for Foreign Direct Investment. That will be good for Thailand, good for Vietnam, and good for the investors.

Steve

Indo-Siam

Edited June 4, 2006 by Indo-Siam

[Martin]

'Sir Burr' said, in post #183,:

"Why stop at regressing to peasantry, let's go back to being hunter-gatherers. "

Actually, many of my neighbours don't have to go back.

They are hunter-gatherers on days when they are not needed in the rice fields.

At 71, I don't do it, as I haven't got the physique, but my wife buys a lot of her ingredients from them for her cooking (as do some of your very-posh Bangkok chefs, further down the distribution chain).

A couple of generations ago, my ancestors joined the urban drift, because cheap bulk energy had made life in one of the secondary peasant-serving elites much more comfortable and exciting than staying in the peasantry.

But the peasant has that guaranteed sustainable self-sufficiency that makes the peasantry the primary elite, on the basis of intrinsic security.

Luxury is nice, but it is secondary in essential importance to security.

I am lucky to be living at a time and in circumstances that let me have both.

"There is a time and tide in the affairs of man..." and the tide is turning for the price of bulk energy.

A lot more tides will turn in consequence---including urban drift.

It will be tough on those who miss the tide.

Edited June 4, 2006 by Martin

[Gary A]

I for one am very happy to be a hunter gatherer. I live in the boonies and go to the ATM occassionally to gather some baht. My wife then does most of the hunting. She also shares in the gathering. She gathers all sort of weeds for us to eat. I also do a little hunting. Finding new watering holes is a tedious business. Most of the time I gather my beer at the most familiar place up on a mountain near where we live. My wife is a GREAT cook and as long as she can make those weeds delicious I don't care what I eat.

I used to wear shoes and long pants once every three months. Since I am now in the boonies I no longer need to wear shoes or long pants to Immigration. Most of the time I don't know or care what day it is or what time it is. I do look forward to the first of every month so I still do have that pressure. So far so good, the baht alway seems to find its way to the ATM.

[Jai Dee]

I for one am very happy to be a hunter gatherer. I live in the boonies and go to the ATM occassionally to gather some baht. My wife then does most of the hunting. She also shares in the gathering. She gathers all sort of weeds for us to eat. I also do a little hunting. Finding new watering holes is a tedious business. Most of the time I gather my beer at the most familiar place up on a mountain near where we live. My wife is a GREAT cook and as long as she can make those weeds delicious I don't care what I eat.

Funny stuff Gary... and it's obvious that you are enjoying your life here too.

Good for you.

<snipped for brevity>

Any given country can't be #1 in EVERYTHING - all they can do is pick what they have natural advantages for - and exploit those.

Spot on Steve... and a very good informed post.

[Ulysses G.]

The Dude thinks that Thailand should be given credit for its #1 strength, the adult bar scene industry. At least 90% of board members would not be here if not for it no matter how much they claim to have had nothing to do with it. Of course their disavowing it after the fact is a big LOL.

Viva, the Dude!

[Plus]

Look at a map. Look at India, and look at China. Look at Japan, and Korea, and Taiwan, and Vietnam. Then trace an ocean route between India and all the rest. Then, think about how long it takes to onload/offload cargo containers from a ship in its berth - compared to how long it takes to offload a freight train in a freight yard. Then look at racing a cargo ship transiting the Singapore Straits against a train transiting via Thailand. Then multiply the result times 1,000,000.

Basically, Thailand won't fund ANYTHING. Japan, and Korea, and China, and Taiwan, and Vietnam willl pay Thailand to put in the shortcut. Japan paid for the Mukdahan bridge. Thailand just needs to collect tolls for all the business that wants to transit its space.

Bla bla bla. The west has been using Malacca straits for centuries now and it's not going to change. Your idea is even less feasible than infamous Kra Istmus canal.

The main reason is that all these countries - Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam - are too backward and politically unstable to have any world class trading routes pass through them.

I gave you real quotes from real Cabinet meetings - all SRT will possibly get is two way tracks to Nakhon Sawan, and it will take too many years to accomplish to actually see it happen for many of us here.

You grand visions are nice, though. Pity they are totally separated from reality.

And what was that about Intel? Why Thailand can't get Intel factories here? Is it because it doesn't need to, or because Thailand is too industially developed comparing to Taiwan and Malaysia, or because Thailand doesn't have clean air, water, and cheap electircity?

Talking about electricity - EGAT privatisation and all long term plans are totally screwed now because of what? Government's incompetence.

Thailand dependence on imported energy sources and inefficient use of very expensive imported oil is another topic for discussion.

Edited June 5, 2006 by Plus

[Donz]

Go walk down the bangla road in Patong, does it really need anything else?? (i have a feeling im gonna regret this)

Edited June 5, 2006 by Donz

[ROFL]

The answer is: they don't need to.

Steve

Indo-Siam

You're starting to sound like an ENRON executive.

[ROFL]

something as basic as the study or understanding of a countries culture.

Still waiting for ONE example of Thai culture that I cannot understand because I dont speak Thai.

Prove your theory, or just continue to wave the "white flag" by posting smileys.

Its real simple, ONE example , just one, come on you can do it!

Go back a few posts and read them again. I gave you one.

Other than that, i am tired of posting on such an infantile piss contest level. Learn some manners, please.

You mean this?

A typical example of why is is so necessary to understand Thai, is that the class division here are huge.

Please explain what I "don’t" or cannot understand about the above issue because I don’t speak Thai?

LOL, I learned about that the first time I saw a skin cream commercial where two girls are playing tennis and one of them goes off the court to put cream on here face then comes back and starts playing better.

I learned that when I asked a young man why no girl and he replied because "I’m ugly, I’m too black".

I can list 100's of examples but those two "funny" examples.

The simple fact is I don’t need to speak fluent Thai to understand Thai culture. Sure it may take years to learn everything, but anyone with a little natural curiosity and desire to LEARN can work their way through it ...no problem.

Oh yeah, you wrote your example in English.......I thought that was impossible?...considering your premise that one must speak Thai to be able to understand Thai culture.

[ColPyat]

Oh yeah, you wrote your example in English.......I thought that was impossible?...considering your premise that one must speak Thai to be able to understand Thai culture.

Obviously i have to write this in English - if written in my native language it wouldn't make any sense to you, of course.

And as to your interpretition of class divisions shown through skin color, well, thanks for proving my point. Skincolor only has very little to do with class, a typical mistake people make that have only a superficial idea about Thailand's class divisions.

You confuse here beauty ideal with class.

Let me tell you something - Thailand's highest class often is everything else than pale. If you have ever met aristocrats from the old families than you may see that they are often tending towards the darker tone. And they have generally only disdain for the naturally paler Thai - Chinese.

My wife, for example, has a very light skin tone. Which doesn't put her any higher in the social hirarchy, because she is from a Thai ethnic minority that has a rather light skin tone, and only slightly above non-Thai ethic minorities.

If you want to instantly know which class the person you speak with belongs to, you better listen to his/her pronounciation of Thai, and the vocabulary he/she uses, as different classes use a very different language.

[Sing_Sling]

The answer is: they don't need to.

Steve

Indo-Siam

You're starting to sound like an ENRON executive.

I'd have to agree. You can make quite sensible and powerful arguments in a discussion but then you let yourself down by coming up with something that just deserves a smilie as words might just sound a bit abrasive.

Whether it's mentioning LKY's draconian beginnings - vis-a-vis the Thai military dictatorship in Thailand or something quite bizarre like the COE . . . Your knowledge exceeds that, you should use it.

You do go off the rails at times, which is a shame. (By the way, I referred a business acquaintance to your place and he got what he wanted and is happy with the service - well done)

You either have Development or you have Arrested Development. I don't see the harm in pointing out the deficiencies of the system in Thailand - how can you argue that all is golden as Thailand by mentioning she is No 1or No 2 in canned Pineapple exports?

The discussion is based around comparative economic development in SE Asia. Thailand is more likely to be compared to Cambodia and Myanmar than Singapore or Malaysia.

Edited June 5, 2006 by Sing_Sling

[thedude]

ROFL, a simple rule to watch out for in life is to not argue with someone who has obviously more ammunition than you do.

It would be more credible for you to make your argument if you did understand spoken and written Thai, as Colpyat does. You now have no means to disprove him. It has been painful watching you try to extricate yourself from this pit. And by the way, Colpyat is right, having whiter skin does not automatically make you superior in Thailand, it depends from which part of society you come from. For example, if you have royal blood, or come from a military elite family, you may not look pale at all, nor may you aspire to be. The infomercials you see are targetted at middle class urban chinese-thais. Of course, the lower classes, seeing these commercials, will start to aspire to whiteness, but then this will be more 'pop' culture than traditional Thai culture.

[sriracha john]

Oh yeah, you wrote your example in English.......I thought that was impossible?...considering your premise that one must speak Thai to be able to understand Thai culture.

Obviously i have to write this in English - if written in my native language it wouldn't make any sense to you, of course.

And as to your interpretition of class divisions shown through skin color, well, thanks for proving my point. Skincolor only has very little to do with class, a typical mistake people make that have only a superficial idea about Thailand's class divisions.

You confuse here beauty ideal with class.

Let me tell you something - Thailand's highest class often is everything else than pale. If you have ever met aristocrats from the old families than you may see that they are often tending towards the darker tone. And they have generally only disdain for the naturally paler Thai - Chinese.

My wife, for example, has a very light skin tone. Which doesn't put her any higher in the social hirarchy, because she is from a Thai ethnic minority that has a rather light skin tone, and only slightly above non-Thai ethic minorities.

If you want to instantly know which class the person you speak with belongs to, you better listen to his/her pronounciation of Thai, and the vocabulary he/she uses, as different classes use a very different language.

Funny to come into this discussion on page 14 (or is it 15 now?) and see how the great defender of Thailand's poor... the all-knowing expert on it's ex-cons... it's protector of Drug War death list fugitives... who takes on the downtrodden as his preferred associates in so many other threads...

[fast forward now to this thread]... and poof!.. now seems to profess to know so much about inner workings of Thailand's ultra-rich and seems to run in their social circles as well.

Equally at home hanging out with street gang members in a slum over a beer Leo or enjoying an afternoon tea at the Shangri-La with the head of the Maleenonts clan.

a more diverse living ex-pat cannot be found in Thailand... more of an expert in any topic does not exist...

or... more accurately, at least one who changes more with the drift in a thread's wind...

waiting for the likewise fictional movie to come out, titled:

A Man For All Seasons....

(or similarly-name movie)

------------------

I do notice that you have a whole new group of detractors in this thread.. It's positive to see some

load-sharing...

Edited June 5, 2006 by sriracha john

[bannork]

I for one am very happy to be a hunter gatherer. I live in the boonies and go to the ATM occassionally to gather some baht. My wife then does most of the hunting. She also shares in the gathering. She gathers all sort of weeds for us to eat. I also do a little hunting. Finding new watering holes is a tedious business. Most of the time I gather my beer at the most familiar place up on a mountain near where we live. My wife is a GREAT cook and as long as she can make those weeds delicious I don't care what I eat.

Funny stuff Gary... and it's obvious that you are enjoying your life here too.

Good for you.

<snipped for brevity>

Any given country can't be #1 in EVERYTHING - all they can do is pick what they have natural advantages for - and exploit those.

Spot on Steve... and a very good informed post.

Like you Gary, our family are hunters and gatherers but I have to tell you we have also progressed to the second level in the ascent of man, namely we also cultivate rice and herd domesticated animals, ie cows. I believe we have now reached the pinnacle of possible contentment.

It's a wonderful life: fresh air,open skies plenty of places for the kids to run about in.When I see 'developed' Bangkok I shudder at the pollution, noise and lack of space, talk about low quality of life.

Regarding neighbouring countries, I remember the border at Padang Besar, I'd just come from Malaysia on a dirty, torn seats second class air-con bus, I got on the Thai bus,clean seats, gleaming chrome. I was sure it wasn't the cheap bus, but it was, the local bus to Had Yai.

Malaysian restaurants in Penang, served by unshaven middle-aged men with grubby aprons, the pavements on the main street are even more obstructed than Bangkok's, one's forced to walk in the road.

Interesting to see that Mahatir just recently criticised his successor for dismantling some of his grandoise projects, hopefully Abudallar, excuse spelling, will consider quality of life when measuring development.

[sbk]

And the original topic here was????????

[ROFL]

Like you Gary, our family are hunters and gatherers but I have to tell you we have also progressed to the second level in the ascent of man, namely we also cultivate rice and herd domesticated animals, ie cows. I believe we have now reached the pinnacle of possible contentment.

Gotta love a "Hippy" whos "living the life" who uses the INTERNET.

[ROFL]

ROFL, a simple rule to watch out for in life is to not argue with someone who has obviously more ammunition than you do.

LOL, its real simple, his premise was that one cannot understand anothers culture unless they speak the language.

That is simply wrong.

The fact that he then went on to "educate" me about a point of Thai culture in ENGLISH is ironic...dont ya think.

My point isnt that I know as much as COL, but that his point that a person who does not speak Thai cannot have an educated or informed POV concerning Thai culture.

Nuff said.

Edited June 5, 2006 by ROFL

[Gary A]

I may have oversimplified things a bit. My wife actually grows some of those weeds we eat. Some things that grow well on her property don't grow well on others properties so they also barter the weeds. We also have one fancy rooster but I suppose that doesn't count much towards domestic animals.

I lived in Bangkok for about 7 years so I DO understand congestion and pollution. To defend myself and so that you don't think I am insane, I was forced to live there while making a living. Fortunately the need to make a living is a thing of the past and it is GREAT!

[ColPyat]

It would be more credible for you to make your argument if you did understand spoken and written Thai, as Colpyat does.

Thanks.

I have to admit though that i cannot read or write Thai. I have a learning disability that makes it extremely hard for me to learn via the traditional methods, and had to develop my own methods to learn.

To compensate for this i do try to communicate as much as i can about all aspects of Thailand with an as wide range of the population as i can, in Thai.

The beauty of being a foreigner in Thailand is that i am not restricted to my own class, and can move with very little effort between the classes, to some extend. Which Thais themselves have huge difficulties to do.

Anyhow, back to topic.

I believe that one of the huge factors for Thailand's backwardness is exactly this strictly hirarchal class systhem, and Thailand's inability to overcome those restrictions. A modern economy survives by qualification and not by priviledge. And Thailand is still far away from this point.

Behind the thin veneer of modern life is still the old semi-feudal sythem of client/patron relationships in almost every aspect of Thai life. As a Thai - one cannot escape this sythem and still remain in Thailand.

The class that has managed to sort of overcome this handycap here is miniscule and only found in particular niches that have very little to do with how the land is governed, how the economy works, or how the vast majority of this land lifes every day.

Part of the appearant lack of workethic and independent thinking is that these class restrictions punish independent thinking so important to function in a modern economy, a conflict Thais are aware of, as they are no less stupid than anybody else. But it's easier to see the why than to actually find a way change things.

[Sing_Sling]

We also have one fancy rooster but I suppose that doesn't count much towards domestic animals.

(I should have asked you out for a drop of the amber fluid while I was in your neck of the woods, as it were)

[Gary A]

No problem, next time. The offer's still open. BUT, back on topic. We are pretty backwards up here.

(I should have asked you out for a drop of the amber fluid while I was in your neck of the woods, as it were)

[Sing_Sling]

No problem, next time. The offer's still open. BUT, back on topic. We are pretty backwards up here.

(I should have asked you out for a drop of the amber fluid while I was in your neck of the woods, as it were)

I was actually staying in Naduang, where this business partner is originally from. I believe I know 'backwards' - I believe I described it to my wife over the phone as 'basic', especially when referring to the 'Garden Resort' I was staying at.

Not a worry about basic - it's been some time I shared a bathroom with a gecko the size of my hand!

[ColPyat]

LOL, its real simple, his premise was that one cannot understand anothers culture unless they speak the language.

That is simply wrong.

Nuff said.

Excellent.

Have we now descended into Trinkisms (another man who has consistently refused to learn the language of the country he has lived in for over 40 years), and simplistic "That is simply wrong" arguments?

Why don't you stick with your economical analyses? You are good in that, and i have learned from what you posted on the economic problems of Thailand, and would not mind reading more of what you have to say on this subject, instead of having to go through these ad hominem attacks and increasingly infantile piss contest.

Nobody can know everything.