Knowledge Of Geography.

[terdsak_12]

I had my sister over from the UK the other week, 26 years old, was not able to tell me what big country is north of USA or what country is north of Mexico, even though she'd been there before!!!!

[Plus]

Some people just lack natural cuiriosity, and even if they are curious about other countries and cultures, they are too lazy to invest time and effort in discovering something to sustain that initial interest.

Inquiring mind is not the strongest feature of Thai psyche.

[Donz]

Some people just lack natural cuiriosity, and even if they are curious about other countries and cultures, they are too lazy to invest time and effort in discovering something to sustain that initial interest.

Inquiring mind is not the strongest feature of Thai psyche.

I think its more to do with that they dont really give a shit.

[Ulysses G.]

Some people just lack natural cuiriosity, and even if they are curious about other countries and cultures, they are too lazy to invest time and effort in discovering something to sustain that initial interest.

Inquiring mind is not the strongest feature of Thai psyche.

I think its more to do with that they dont really give a shit.

No forked tongue on this guy!

[Misplaced]

Some people just lack natural cuiriosity, and even if they are curious about other countries and cultures, they are too lazy to invest time and effort in discovering something to sustain that initial interest.

Inquiring mind is not the strongest feature of Thai psyche.

I think its more to do with that they dont really give a shit.

now thats the truth!

[Plus]

They are cool, they don't give a shit.

[rcalsop]

Geography and or awareness of the world around them is a constant bone of contention in our family my wife and daughter Thai and 50% / 50% drive me crazy on this subject not even knowing the nieghbouring countries .. We have travelled a lot live abroad ( out of Thailand ) I have maps , globes, jigsaws ,posters ... google earth !!!! still they cannot pick out Thailand on a globe with out a 10 minute search despite frequent tries and bouncing the globe off their heads in frustration ...better explain it is an inflatable soft globe great as a football and about as much intellectual use .

[anuaaron]

I was rather hoping this post would invite discussion rather than invective.

It is simply an education issue. Any Thai who has been all through secondary school or University has a reasonable knowledge of geography. One of my lessons at Uni is based on geography and the students are pretty good. Uneducated people just don't know and really don't care where Belarus or Japan actually is. I think this would be true anywhere in the world. Australians with poor education got very poor marks in locating Cambodia and Israel on the map.

If we are talking about locally I find they are generally pretty good in knowing roughly where cities are. Without casting dispersions against rcalsop, you have one dumbass family

An Australian Network went to the USA with a map of the world. They wrote Iraq on top of Australia and asked citizens what would be the best method to invade. only 18% worked out it wasnt Iraq Of course I don't think they were asking any rocket scientists

Edited June 7, 2006 by anuaaron

[Plus]

Any Thai who has been all through secondary school or University has a reasonable knowledge of geography.

That statement goes agaisnt all the evidence so far.

[anuaaron]

Any Thai who has been all through secondary school or University has a reasonable knowledge of geography.

That statement goes agaisnt all the evidence so far.

I guess that depends what is reasonable. What level do you want?? Are you working off a study?

In my classes UK, Baltic States, USA, Brazil, Australia, and Southeast Asian states are always widely known. They have problems with many African nations and former Soviet republics, I would suggest that is common across the world.

I am not arguing that they are geographic experts but that they are probably not any worse of then other students at a University level. . I taught kids in Australia who had less knowledge off geography then some of my students. There are those who know nothing, but they have no interest. Again common world wide.

I will stick by the statement that Secondary and University students have a reasonable knowledge of geography.

Edited June 7, 2006 by anuaaron

[Plus]

Well, you are the first person so far to say that. The whole thread is about poor knowledge of geography, there are numerous posts with examples, and then you pop up and state something completely opposite.

The classic tale I'll never forget, I suppose, is a letter in Bangkok Post years ago. A farang asked young political majors at Chula University to name Thailand's neighbours, their capitals, and their current leaders. Students flopped this little test spectacularly, and so the farang wrote a letter. A few days later there was a reply that these particular questions aren't covered in students' current course and so they shouldn't be blamed for not answering.

And that's political majors at the best university in Thailand.

I myself won't be able to point all African countries on the map right away, and I always thought Belize and Benin were in Africa, too, but the capital of Vietnam or Cambodia?

It's good that your students know geography well, but it's rather an exception.

Don't get so worked up over my one liner - your "well thought post" is based on a wrong premise.

[anuaaron]

Well, you are the first person so far to say that. The whole thread is about poor knowledge of geography, there are numerous posts with examples, and then you pop up and state something completely opposite.

The classic tale I'll never forget, I suppose, is a letter in Bangkok Post years ago. A farang asked young political majors at Chula University to name Thailand's neighbours, their capitals, and their current leaders. Students flopped this little test spectacularly, and so the farang wrote a letter. A few days later there was a reply that these particular questions aren't covered in students' current course and so they shouldn't be blamed for not answering.

And that's political majors at the best university in Thailand.

I myself won't be able to point all African countries on the map right away, and I always thought Belize and Benin were in Africa, too, but the capital of Vietnam or Cambodia?

It's good that your students know geography well, but it's rather an exception.

Don't get so worked up over my one liner - your "well thought post" is based on a wrong premise.

Not worked up at all. I guess the fact that my post is considered an exception may just mean that others have not posted. You said yourself the Bangkok Post article was years ago. It would be possible that things have improved. While I am willing to accept that my group in rural Thailand are the exception it would be suprising. Again i state that they are by no means geographic experts but do not seem to be as hopeless as perhaps they once were. They all know the capitals of Mynamar, Laos, and Cambodia thats for sure. Part of our English final is to name the 72 regions in English, so again perhaps the standard has improved. Perhaps the flop years earler caused a general improvement at this level.

Not sure what "premise" I have wrong. I am saying poorly educated Thais are poor at geography. Educated Thais are reasonable.

Edited June 7, 2006 by anuaaron

[Rinrada]

They Dont seem to know or care too mut.....

A few years ago my regular runs out i used to travel with China Air (via the dam)and on more than the odd occasion I was asked to assist the local airport staff on the return leg by trying to find out where some Thai passengers were heading to...sounds straight forward.......

Most common situation tended to be the young single femail travelling to boyfriends country ...holly-day..."to go look" but they didnt know what country loverboy actually lived in?

One little nubblie in particular who springs to mind had been sent the dosh to buy her ticket...but to where..??..She had a bundle....my ko jai..

Anyway with a bit of patience I sussed out that he lived in Denmark.....yes yes she would say ...in Sveedon......

My Chai dear .....Denmark...same same ...no...NO.........

She had as said a load of tics whick took her from LOS to Amsterdam and then connected to Germany..then ...Sweden and finally Denmark....

Wots his name........Sven....

have you got his "torasap"?...No...he wait me at Sanam.......

When...dont know....

What day...dont know...

His address....Sweed......No-No-NO... dont start that again......

Anyway finally and with much korp khun k..passed her back to ground staff and told them where to send her.

They even got me a free beer....and she gave me her number in Bangers...... ...hope she made it OK.....

[Thai-Aust]

When i first saw this thread i thought it was going to be about Americans.

P.S. Why all the negitive threads on this site about Thailand and the Thai people?

When i first saw this thread i thought it was going to be about Australians.

[English Noodles]

a Thai related website

That is becoming debatable.

[thaibebop]

a Thai related website

That is becoming debatable.

Everything is debatable, Noodles.

[Jai Yen Yen]

I had one of these when I was a kid:

"Hey Dad, where's Delhi?" ask I.

"Here son." <points>

"Hey Dad, where's Timbuktu?" ask I.

"Here son." <points>

"Hey Dad, where's Bangkok?" ask I.

"Who told you you about that place?" <smacks head>

[thaibebop]

I had one of these when I was a kid:

"Hey Dad, where's Delhi?" ask I.

"Here son." <points>

"Hey Dad, where's Timbuktu?" ask I.

"Here son." <points>

"Hey Dad, where's Bangkok?" ask I.

"Who told you you about that place?" <smacks head>