How do other nationalities view Thais and Thailand

[Mossfinn]

My Vietnamese friends think (know?) the Thais are obsessed with money - especially the women

When I was a young man, and I carried my pack, and I lived the free life of a rover, (there's a songs lyrics there somewhere I must write it down) I spent a lot of time in the pub and low and behold there was a lot of drunk people around me. When I stopped using pubs, there wasn't so many drunk people around me, funny that.

If you can't change the people, change the people!

[Mossfinn]

Last time I was in Spain on a holiday A waiter asked me where I lived....I told him Thailand...... I don't like Thai people he said.....Why.....I asked......They eat anything .....he said.

Sometimes I'm reminded of him when I see fish heads been gulped down.

No Foie gras is better

[Mossfinn]

"The last I heard Thailand invaded and occupied Burma in 1942"

Huh?? You need to get out more Thailiketoo

Commenting on me instead of my post is an ad hominem flame and forbidden in Thai Visa posting rules.

You need to read some more.

Trust me, that is no Flame

[Mossfinn]

My friend jokingly says , " You can get the monkeys out of the jungle , but you can't get the jungle out of the monkeys ".

Your friend is an extremely witty wordsmith and should be applauded for his humor.

Yes, originality is certainly not a strong point, but my point of 'if you can't change the people, then change the people', certainly springs to mind.

[Scarpolo]

My Vietnamese friends think (know?) the Thais are obsessed with money - especially the women

When I was a young man, and I carried my pack, and I lived the free life of a rover, (there's a songs lyrics there somewhere I must write it down) I spent a lot of time in the pub and low and behold there was a lot of drunk people around me. When I stopped using pubs, there wasn't so many drunk people around me, funny that.

If you can't change the people, change the people!

thats interesting,

they must be encountering the same "pool of thai fish" as the rest of the foreigners,

of course they do not know the real Thais

just ask anyone who posts here, about real versus not real

lady vs bar girl,

its all very tiring and unecessary,

people are people and they all have the same issues,

somem countries make it easier to advance,

others impossible, or to be more fair, less probable,

so in thailand they accept their fate.

know they were born in a country where its stacked against them,

and no shortage of those doing better, ready and willing to help keep them down.

it isnt our fight

Edited April 17, 2014 by Scarpolo

[Mossfinn]

My friend jokingly says , " You can get the monkeys out of the jungle , but you can't get the jungle out of the monkeys ".

Who are the monkeys?

Good point

[Mossfinn]

My friend jokingly says , " You can get the monkeys out of the jungle , but you can't get the jungle out of the monkeys ".

Who are the monkeys?

the monkeys used to be a pop group in the late 60s,,

I believe Toscano was implying that Thais were monkeys in the jungle and he is a racist bigot. He wrote, "You can get the monkeys out of the jungle , but you can't get the jungle out of the monkeys." I don't think that by any stretch of the imagination means a rock group.

No, that was not what Toscano was implying, it usually takes the the refrain of, 'you can take the girl out of the bar, but you can't take the bar out of the girl'. change the people, people, just change the people you mix with.

[Mossfinn]

The new slang in the UK and Europe right now, is to "Thai" someone--meaning to cheat or lie to someone; usually the phrase is expressed by the victim, as in, "Don't Thai ME, you scumbag!"

Apparently, the Pattaya and Patong predators on tourists are making headway in creating a major international image of Thailand.

Well, I haven't heard it yet, ' change.......

[Mossfinn]

Again, you have some major logic gaps. How did we go from TV's seven million views to the price of Google stock?

You assume that people actively researching Thai-reputation-related information will surpass the laws of replication of word-of-mouth (in this day and age, we extend "word of mouth" to also include electronic transmission of ideas from individual-to-individual).

I believe you have need of some basic education in marketing principles which include the replication principle. Replication is powerful. It's a statistical axiom. Google it.

but it depends on who's doing the replicating and who's doing the listening, if they are fat, bald, tattooed and holiday in Pattaya, telling me how great the bars are, i am afraid I ain't listening.

[Scarpolo]

I met a canadian in Chaing Mai,

he was telling me a story of how he was attacked outside a bar, in an alley. as he walked with two young cuban girls, (he was in Cuba)

and that he was very drunk,

the last thing he remembered was, getting hit in the head with a cue ball, and then getting hit with a stick in the face, and as she was stomped, saw the girls rifling thru his pockets.

you would think he would have bad things to say about Cuba and its people, but, he didnt, all he said was, they were prosecuted, and it turned out to be the girls boyfriends.

robbery scams are everywhere there is money,

anyone from any major US city knows, you go into certain areas looking for trouble, you will not have to wait long,

being drunk and stupid, is always a fine start.

then, posting on forums and threads where you may find sympathy, ,a clear sign of nueropathic damage

there will not be sympathy for the pathetic

in all the stories about all the bad things that can and do happen in thailand,

I have not heard anyone tell any tales of assaults and outright attempted murder on an unsuspecting tourist, so,

maybe people in thailand have less the complain about, as one girl or the next, helps you out of your money

Edited April 17, 2014 by Scarpolo

[Mossfinn]

OMG, you must not have visited either place, in order to have developed such a serious eye disorder.....

Until you've been physically threatened by the tuk-tuk mafia in Phuket, for instance, (as I have)...

Or charged outrageous songthaew charges to go a few kilometers (as I have)...

Or chased off the beach by turf-guarding beach-chair kings who saw you sitting too close to their territory (as I have)...

Or have been the victim of double-standard pricing (as I have)...

(shall I go on?)

.......you have no grounds for painting such a rosy picture.

I posit that the online complaints are but a fraction of the actual predatory practices on tourists in both places.

well, 1 out of four for me, well done, ( change........... after me with the chorus.......)

[benalibina]

Again, you have some major logic gaps. How did we go from TV's seven million views to the price of Google stock?

You assume that people actively researching Thai-reputation-related information will surpass the laws of replication of word-of-mouth (in this day and age, we extend "word of mouth" to also include electronic transmission of ideas from individual-to-individual).

I believe you have need of some basic education in marketing principles which include the replication principle. Replication is powerful. It's a statistical axiom. Google it.

but it depends on who's doing the replicating and who's doing the listening, if they are fat, bald, tattooed and holiday in Pattaya, telling me how great the bars are, i am afraid I ain't listening.

You forgot to add 1 stigma related to the Pattaya holidayseekers. Your bad.

[Mossfinn]

Read it again, this time more slowly.............but you do need to read it in its entirety and there is nothing wrong with parts of Pattaya, and stigma comes from those who listen to the above category I mentioned ( after me guy's the chorus ' if you can't change the ................)

[thailiketoo]

My friend jokingly says , " You can get the monkeys out of the jungle , but you can't get the jungle out of the monkeys ".

the monkeys used to be a pop group in the late 60s,,

I believe Toscano was implying that Thais were monkeys in the jungle and he is a racist bigot. He wrote, "You can get the monkeys out of the jungle , but you can't get the jungle out of the monkeys." I don't think that by any stretch of the imagination means a rock group.

No, that was not what Toscano was implying, it usually takes the the refrain of, 'you can take the girl out of the bar, but you can't take the bar out of the girl'. change the people, people, just change the people you mix with.

Toscono used jungle and monkeys not people. So take your analogy of girl and bar and replace the words with the ones Toscono used monkey and jungle. Or since this topic is view of Thailand change girl and bar with Thai people and jungle. In any event when you use an analogy of, "You can get the monkeys out of the jungle , but you can't get the jungle out of the monkeys " in a topic about how other people view Thai people you really have to stretch backwards and put on a blindfold not to see that it is racist and bigoted.

Although I do agree with your point about changing companions. Fookhart was talking about Phuket, at least I think he was. About Phuket; every tourist should leave. That is the only answer. Or reincarnate something like Eliot Ness and the Untouchables as Chicago had the same gang problem in the 1920's.

Edited April 18, 2014 by thailiketoo

[lvr181]

"They're fairly proud of the fact that they were never colonized."

The Japanese walked all over them during WW2. They could have colonised/conquered them if they did not have more important things on their mind. "never colonised" is just word play!

I believe the term is ally. The Japanese helped Thailand win their war against France (Franco Thai war); allowed them to attack and occupy parts of Burma and paid them for using Thai assets during the war.

Why did the Thais turn against their "ally" during WW2?

Maybe the Thai realised that Japan was not their friend or ally after all. Just a big bully who walked in and helped themselves as any colonialist/conqueror could have done.

[Scarpolo]

"They're fairly proud of the fact that they were never colonized."

The Japanese walked all over them during WW2. They could have colonised/conquered them if they did not have more important things on their mind. "never colonised" is just word play!

I believe the term is ally. The Japanese helped Thailand win their war against France (Franco Thai war); allowed them to attack and occupy parts of Burma and paid them for using Thai assets during the war.

Why did the Thais turn against their "ally" during WW2?

Maybe the Thai realised that Japan was not their friend or ally after all. Just a big bully who walked in and helped themselves as any colonialist/conqueror could have done.

could it be, that they were turning the women into sexslaves and forcing the men to become soldiers?

[thailiketoo]

"They're fairly proud of the fact that they were never colonized."

The Japanese walked all over them during WW2. They could have colonised/conquered them if they did not have more important things on their mind. "never colonised" is just word play!

I believe the term is ally. The Japanese helped Thailand win their war against France (Franco Thai war); allowed them to attack and occupy parts of Burma and paid them for using Thai assets during the war.

Why did the Thais turn against their "ally" during WW2?

Maybe the Thai realised that Japan was not their friend or ally after all. Just a big bully who walked in and helped themselves as any colonialist/conqueror could have done.

They didn't turn against their ally Japan. Thailand surrendered and was occupied by British and Indian troops in 1946.

[marko kok prong]

My father who lives in the Uk was not overly thrilled when i married my Thai wife,i think there is a perception in the Uk that all Thai women are prostitutes,well my wife is an ex bar girl,like so many who post here,but she is also a qaulified beautician/hairdresser,so thats what i told the old man,could kind of tell what he was thinking though,what europeans fail to understand is that Asia has a long tradition of concubines and little shame is attached to a woman selling her body,all this guff about ex bar girls with falang husbands being looked down on is rubbish,the others only envy them because they don't have what the lady with the falang husband has,obviously i am not talking here about bangkok hiso's, i have know Thai's like money but lets be honest it's no fun being a pauper.

[Mr Worldwide]

Like a previous poster I've heard the expression "you've been Thai'ed" or "Don't Thai me" - Sad to see it's become part of the UK vocabulary but when you see what goes on it's hardly surprising.

When I first went to Thailand about twelve years ago the comments were generally centred around Thai wife. Thai food, ladyboys, cheap.long flight, girlie bars. Now it tends to revolve around ladyboys. Thai wives ripping people off and underage activities. Hence my reluctance to mention Thailand at work. I always tell people Thailand is like Marmite, like it or hate it, no middle ground but with most people liking it.

i love Thailand but take care not to delve or involve myself in their personal lives at all because it's just somewhere I don't want to be.

[lvr181]

"They're fairly proud of the fact that they were never colonized."

The Japanese walked all over them during WW2. They could have colonised/conquered them if they did not have more important things on their mind. "never colonised" is just word play!

I believe the term is ally. The Japanese helped Thailand win their war against France (Franco Thai war); allowed them to attack and occupy parts of Burma and paid them for using Thai assets during the war.

Why did the Thais turn against their "ally" during WW2?

Maybe the Thai realised that Japan was not their friend or ally after all. Just a big bully who walked in and helped themselves as any colonialist/conqueror could have done.

They didn't turn against their ally Japan. Thailand surrendered and was occupied by British and Indian troops in 1946.

Thailand surrendered? Then they were "occupied"?. Apart from semantics, is it not a case of not being colonised (according to the Thais) but just allowing occupation by other countries? Either way they gave up their "rights" to an occupying foreign nation.

But enough word play, I still like Thailand, just have a personal problem with their ways of dealing with national problems (have the "blinkers" on?). Mai pen rai really does not advance their society in the face of other more aggressive asian economies.

[thailiketoo]

I believe the term is ally. The Japanese helped Thailand win their war against France (Franco Thai war); allowed them to attack and occupy parts of Burma and paid them for using Thai assets during the war.

Why did the Thais turn against their "ally" during WW2?

Maybe the Thai realised that Japan was not their friend or ally after all. Just a big bully who walked in and helped themselves as any colonialist/conqueror could have done.

They didn't turn against their ally Japan. Thailand surrendered and was occupied by British and Indian troops in 1946.

Thailand surrendered? Then they were "occupied"?. Apart from semantics, is it not a case of not being colonised (according to the Thais) but just allowing occupation by other countries? Either way they gave up their "rights" to an occupying foreign nation.

But enough word play, I still like Thailand, just have a personal problem with their ways of dealing with national problems (have the "blinkers" on?). Mai pen rai really does not advance their society in the face of other more aggressive asian economies.

Not semantics at all. Thai and Japanese troops fought together during WWII on the same side. Thai and British troops fought on opposite sides and Thailand lost.

No Mai pen rai. Thais fought on the Japanese side and lost and paid the consequences. It is not a semantic argument. Thailand was Japans only voulentary ally during WWII.

Thailand was never colonized. Burma, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia were colonised.

Thai troops defeated French troops at the beginning of WWII they had a good army and could have caused the Japanese a lot of trouble but chose not to do so.

Don't forget there was a massive loss of life in Burma, China, Japan, Vietnam, French Indochina and the Philippines. Thailand escaped WWII with almost no causalities a rare feat in Asia.

Show me another nation that was a combatant in WWII with less causalities than Thailand?

Edited April 18, 2014 by thailiketoo

[Banshee]

Do certain cultures actually look down on Thais or unknowingly just see themselves as being so grand and above all, judging others makes them feel a little power.

When they disrespect Thailand they should look in their own backyard, or cesspits.

We all know many a Thais behaviour can and does set a poor eg, however those with a little common sense and who are not so ignorant should understand that you do not judge a nation by the behaviour of a few.

The Thais who do set a bad eg though should endeavour to set a better eg, the good Thais suffer as a result of their behaviour.

[Mr Worldwide]

Don't we all tailor our history when triumpant?

[thailiketoo]

Don't we all tailor our history when triumpant?

Check Japan and Thailand win or lose no different history is still fiction. How many people on Thai Visa believe the legend of Seri Thai?

Edited April 19, 2014 by thailiketoo

[takkatan in the land]

once I worked with burmese staff, I used to talk about thais with them

one of them told me once thai man is like a dog

if you say to a dog come here with an empty hand the dog won´t come

if you say to a dog come here showing a bone the dog will come

since they have fought repeated wars aganst eachother for 3,000 years, can you get us a sample, from a more unbiased source?

I don't think that guys think what they think about thais because the war, I think it's more because their live experiences living in thailand

I cited the burmuse but I have heard several times same thoughts from several people from different parts of the world

some examples: russian, japanese, spanish, italian, british, turkish, canadian, american, kazakstanian, african, french, chinese, filipino, syran

[laolover88]

The myth of "Thailand never being colonised" is an interesting one. As several posters have pointed out Thailand effectively in WW2 sided with the Japanese. Historically it was the decision of the French and British to use Thailand as a 'buffer state' between India/Burma and Indo-China that resulted in the land of Thailand not being annexed by either party nor "colonised". The Thais had little say in the matter. Later of course Thailand was economically colonised by Japan. Thais of course are no bunnies. They have been busy over 100+ years annexing land. Have you asked a Hmong or a Lisu person what they think of Thailand? Cover your ears......I should guess that what is going on in the Southern provinces will eventually fracture Thailand. Of course thewe centgral question is: Who exactly are Thais?: People from SipsongPanna, Hokkien Chinese, Lao, Mon, Khmer, Chao Talay. Thailand is a country forged by force from hugely disparate groups of people. Of course just like many countries!

[Gina Monash]

I've had about 15 trips to the region over 20 years, Patong, Pattaya and Bangkok, though somewhat on a much smaller scale, carried a similar charm as you would find today. Hat Yai, Phi Phi, Chumphon, Chiang Rai and Ko Chang were locked in time In the late 70s, early 80s, the locals were content, genuinely happy, friendly and eager to go out of their way to assist a lost traveller with no expectations in return. Pristine beaches and waterways, spectacular mountains and rain forest were standard. We were interesting people from a foreign land, locals would take it personnel to ensure a good impression was made.

Not Now, we are a source of income where the name of the game is to extract as much thb for as little as possible. Girls, Tuk Tuks drivers, ladyboys, beach operators, bus drivers, restauranteurs, hoteliers, etc, etc are of a different character today.

[jonesthebaker]

back home in the Uk most people think that all thai girls are prostitutes

[Sphere]

How do other nationalities view Thais and Thailand

They love 'em so much they coined the phrase "don't Thai to me".

[thailiketoo]

How do other nationalities view Thais and Thailand

They love 'em so much they coined the phrase "don't Thai to me".

I think you are the third person to mention that but no matter. Expants aren't required to read the threads before posting are they?

The story that ran about that was impolite people from 3 places out of 180 countries. It was Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.