Ever noticed how things are completely reversed here?

[Crossy]

I can't think of any specific examples (it's too early in the morning for memory), but I often find myself thinking "Wow, that was easy, would have taken ages and cost a packet in the UK", of course, there are an equal number of occasions when it's "Bl**dy h***, that would have taken five minutes and have been free in the UK".

Swings and roundabouts.

[chrisinth]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Yes, they even drive on the other side of the road here. How weird is that? And they put many of their vowels before, above or below consonants. Crazy culture.

Actually, they drive on the correct side of the road. Its the weird ones that drive on the other side.

All about perception and where you come from.............................

Edit: Can't argue about their vowel movements though! Should be easy for you Samran.

Edited August 19, 2014 by chrisinth

[kurtramsbottom]

Kliperty-klop!

[AYJAYDEE]

Kliperty-klop!

well, maybe you can't. oh well

[bannork]

The OP is right, here I can buy food almost anywhere anytime, in the Uk, it's hard to find a shop at times.

Here I can hail a taxi with a wave of the hand, in the UK I have to phone and wait 20 mins.

Here there are still many slim and well dressed girls, in the UK it's difficult to pass the shoppers wadlling down the aisles.

Here the weather is glorious, no problems getting up, In the UK, dark, dank and gloomy 6 months of the year.

Here I can decide which teeth to have pulled, filled in, depending on my current finances, in the UK it's entirely up to the dentist but for sure I'll get a big bill.

[thailiketoo]

The OP writes, "No judgment implied, but:" and then writes one of the most judgmental posts I've read in weeks. In Thailand there is such a thing as face. In Farang land it is two faced. That means people find in acceptable to say one thing and then turn around and do the opposite and expect no one will mention it.

[AYJAYDEE]

Is the Dalai Lama a real Buddhist? You of course know he wears a Rolex watch and has for most of his life.

that doesnt necessarily mean he is attached to it. he may be an arahant, he may not.

[geronimo]

Yes he does own a Rolex but he forms no attachment to it. It does what it is supposed to do.

[1BADDAT]

The irony for me is everyone is poor and everything is expensive here. You know, you can get a really good, fresh peach pie in the US for 5 bucks when they go on sale. A REALLY good one. I was just walking through emporium and a little, teeny low quality PIECE of cake is 120 baht. An entire high quality peach pie 150 baht, a little sliver crap piece of cake for 120 baht. This is not really a rant, just the truth.

so you claim EVERYTHING is expensive in thailand based on the examples of western deserts that use imported products??

Requote myself "anything packaged and or processed will be terribly more expensive here". I don't really get your point anyway. Maybe somebody can educate me, Nikon camera equipment is made here, yet it costs less after it gets shipped across the ocean to the US. Any takers on that one. Things just cost more here for no apparent reason (ie, because some Thai dude somewhere says so) is what I am going with at this point. They also make non imported deserts here, and if they are even halfway decent, they are way overpriced. If you think things have to be imported to be more expensive here, you are dreaming.

It has to do with supply and demand. US buys a lot of electronics and cameras and so the price is cheaper there.

[1BADDAT]

I have always called LOS the land of contradiction as the people (in some ways) could not be more opposite to Buddha's teachings if they tried!!

thats ridiculous. thais are no different than the people of western countries who ignore the teachings of jesus.

Have you ever seen a stripper pray to Jesus or any other god before getting on or off stage in any western country? Somehow in Thailand that seems to be perfectly acceptable. That makes absolutely no sense to me at all.

[mauGR1]

I have always called LOS the land of contradiction as the people (in some ways) could not be more opposite to Buddha's teachings if they tried!!

thats ridiculous. thais are no different than the people of western countries who ignore the teachings of jesus.

Have you ever seen a stripper pray to Jesus or any other god before getting on or off stage in any western country? Somehow in Thailand that seems to be perfectly acceptable. That makes absolutely no sense to me at all.

Why not ? Jesus was not known for being a moralist bigot.

Bigotry is not religion, is a result of a narrow mind.. Just in my opinion of course.

[Sigurris]

Girls, get a room! Or use the PM facility for your lovers tiff. What could have been an interesting thread has been hijacked by your petty squabbles. Grow up!

[96tehtarp]

"I notice how things are sometimes completely reversed here, almost comically, from back in Farangland"

Isn't that why so many expats choose to live here instead of farangland?

[pgrahmm]

They are not.....we are - and saying they are reversed simply because "we" are here now too.....

[waynethor]

Girls, get a room! Or use the PM facility for your lovers tiff. What could have been an interesting thread has been hijacked by your petty squabbles. Grow up!

the ignore button still works

Suggesting that people ignore you is the first sensible thing I've seen you post.

[mauGR1]

Frankly, i see the OP examples of differences a bit far-fetched.

Perhaps it's just me, but i see more similarities than differences in everyday life between Asians and Westerners.

It's the globalisation effect, i think.. Probably to see any great difference in culture and lifestyle, we should have come in Thailand 50 or 100 years ago.

[isawasnake]

The irony for me is everyone is poor and everything is expensive here. You know, you can get a really good, fresh peach pie in the US for 5 bucks when they go on sale. A REALLY good one. I was just walking through emporium and a little, teeny low quality PIECE of cake is 120 baht. An entire high quality peach pie 150 baht, a little sliver crap piece of cake for 120 baht. This is not really a rant, just the truth.

so you claim EVERYTHING is expensive in thailand based on the examples of western deserts that use imported products??

Requote myself "anything packaged and or processed will be terribly more expensive here". I don't really get your point anyway. Maybe somebody can educate me, Nikon camera equipment is made here, yet it costs less after it gets shipped across the ocean to the US. Any takers on that one. Things just cost more here for no apparent reason (ie, because some Thai dude somewhere says so) is what I am going with at this point. They also make non imported deserts here, and if they are even halfway decent, they are way overpriced. If you think things have to be imported to be more expensive here, you are dreaming.

It has to do with supply and demand. US buys a lot of electronics and cameras and so the price is cheaper there.

Honestly, you guys think you are solving world riddles on pricing and economics with simple statements. It is a little more complex than that.

Of course the market and demand determines prices to some extent, but here they have a lot more latitude when it comes to price increases via taxes (or whatever the hell excuse they want really) because there is no competition. They have done everything they can to manipulate things in this way, from levies on products carried in or through the mail system. There also is not really a good option, luckily enough for them, to stop traffic from crossing borders to purchase things. If there were, they would put a stop to that too.

If you guys want to be naive enough to think the prices here are natural and not manipulated, go ahead, but this is not the truth.

Edited August 19, 2014 by isawasnake

[AYJAYDEE]

Honestly, you guys think you are solving world riddles on pricing and economics with simple statements. It is a little more complex than that.

Of course the market and demand determines prices to some extent, but here they have a lot more latitude when it comes to price increases via taxes (or whatever the hell excuse they want really) because there is no competition. They have done everything they can to manipulate things in this way, from levies on products carried in or through the mail system. There also is not really a good option, luckily enough for them, to stop traffic from crossing borders to purchase things. If there were, they would put a stop to that too.

If you guys want to be naive enough to think the prices here are natural and not manipulated, go ahead, but this is not the truth.

what taxes or levies are placed on nikon products made in thailand?

[Naam]

Yes, even some girls have penises here

and people drive on the wrong side of the road

[Banzai99]

In Western countries we get the impression that in Buddhist and Hindu countries the people are beyond all the materialism, petty vanities and all the superficial aspects of physical existence that are so much part of life in Farangistan. It is not possible to be more wrong.

I never had that impression

Real Buddhists are!

Someone who does not form attachments, does not assume or judge and accepts things for what they are.

I have always called LOS the land of contradiction as the people (in some ways) could not be more opposite to Buddha's teachings if they tried!!

Whereas the Christians and Muslims are having a great time slaughtering each other, why can't these pesky Thais be more like us...

[welsh1]

Things must be really bad, If you buy 5baht rolling tobacco to make your own smokes

[rak sa_ngop]

Something I observed in Vietnam where people do this sort of stuff more often:

If you see a woman relieving herself in pubilc she will squat down and turn her face away from sight, but exposing her bum for all to see.

Whereas I believe in the west it is more common for the bum to be hidden from view if possible.

I suppose it is all to do with 'face'.

[h90]

It depends....as higher the society as more European it gets. Some very rich customer come with an old Mercedes which was a second hand bargain and changed to gas as it is cheaper. Other customer came in walking from the park and the main topic was how to farm tomatoes in your garden, as the own one taste better than from the supermarket. And they drive a very old car as it works....They don't need to show anything......

It is more the new rich or poor who have to show off money.

[Berkshire]

The OP writes, "No judgment implied, but:" and then writes one of the most judgmental posts I've read in weeks. In Thailand there is such a thing as face. In Farang land it is two faced. That means people find in acceptable to say one thing and then turn around and do the opposite and expect no one will mention it.

Agree. Why do people start a blatant Thai-bashing thread, then try to hide behind "I don't want to bash the Thais, but..." or "I don't want to be overly critical, but...." and in this case "No judgement implied, but...." Maybe it's a moral courage thing (or lack thereof), who knows.

Most of the OP and his ridiculous examples are so bizarre and out-of-touch with reality, I wonder who the heck he's really talking about. Re the buying a car thing, there's a huge 2nd-hand market in Thailand filled with overpriced cars precisely because Thais think they'll save money buying a used car over a new one. If anything, I know of farangs who would buy a used Volvo or Mercedes over a new Vios or City for almost the same price, even though the latter has much better value and quality. Face?

As for the walking around thing, I see Thais walking around all the time, all over freakin Thailand. If anything, there's a whole lot more out-of-shape farangs in Thailand than Thais. When I go workout, I see Thais all over the place. What the heck is the OP talking about?

The OP seems desperate to believe that his way of thinking his superior to the Thais, even though he has no idea how Thais think. Anyways, it's threads like this that make Thais think farangs are a bunch of ignorant boobs.

[AYJAYDEE]

The OP writes, "No judgment implied, but:" and then writes one of the most judgmental posts I've read in weeks. In Thailand there is such a thing as face. In Farang land it is two faced. That means people find in acceptable to say one thing and then turn around and do the opposite and expect no one will mention it.

Agree. Why do people start a blatant Thai-bashing thread, then try to hide behind "I don't want to bash the Thais, but..." or "I don't want to be overly critical, but...." and in this case "No judgement implied, but...." Maybe it's a moral courage thing (or lack thereof), who knows.

Most of the OP and his ridiculous examples are so bizarre and out-of-touch with reality, I wonder who the heck he's really talking about. Re the buying a car thing, there's a huge 2nd-hand market in Thailand filled with overpriced cars precisely because Thais think they'll save money buying a used car over a new one. If anything, I know of farangs who would buy a used Volvo or Mercedes over a new Vios or City for almost the same price, even though the latter has much better value and quality. Face?

As for the walking around thing, I see Thais walking around all the time, all over freakin Thailand. If anything, there's a whole lot more out-of-shape farangs in Thailand than Thais. When I go workout, I see Thais all over the place. What the heck is the OP talking about?

The OP seems desperate to believe that his way of thinking his superior to the Thais, even though he has no idea how Thais think. Anyways, it's threads like this that make Thais think farangs are a bunch of ignorant boobs.

so I'm not the only guy thats put off by all the thai bashing by folks who have been graciously allowed to live in this country??

[canuckamuck]

The OP writes, "No judgment implied, but:" and then writes one of the most judgmental posts I've read in weeks. In Thailand there is such a thing as face. In Farang land it is two faced. That means people find in acceptable to say one thing and then turn around and do the opposite and expect no one will mention it.

Agree. Why do people start a blatant Thai-bashing thread, then try to hide behind "I don't want to bash the Thais, but..." or "I don't want to be overly critical, but...." and in this case "No judgement implied, but...." Maybe it's a moral courage thing (or lack thereof), who knows.

Most of the OP and his ridiculous examples are so bizarre and out-of-touch with reality, I wonder who the heck he's really talking about. Re the buying a car thing, there's a huge 2nd-hand market in Thailand filled with overpriced cars precisely because Thais think they'll save money buying a used car over a new one. If anything, I know of farangs who would buy a used Volvo or Mercedes over a new Vios or City for almost the same price, even though the latter has much better value and quality. Face?

As for the walking around thing, I see Thais walking around all the time, all over freakin Thailand. If anything, there's a whole lot more out-of-shape farangs in Thailand than Thais. When I go workout, I see Thais all over the place. What the heck is the OP talking about?

The OP seems desperate to believe that his way of thinking his superior to the Thais, even though he has no idea how Thais think. Anyways, it's threads like this that make Thais think farangs are a bunch of ignorant boobs.

so I'm not the only guy thats put off by all the thai bashing by folks who have been graciously allowed to live in this country??

Behold the apologist trinity

[1BADDAT]

The OP writes, "No judgment implied, but:" and then writes one of the most judgmental posts I've read in weeks. In Thailand there is such a thing as face. In Farang land it is two faced. That means people find in acceptable to say one thing and then turn around and do the opposite and expect no one will mention it.

You have given an example how it is completely different here than in the West. Does that make you judgmental?

[thailiketoo]

The OP writes, "No judgment implied, but:" and then writes one of the most judgmental posts I've read in weeks. In Thailand there is such a thing as face. In Farang land it is two faced. That means people find in acceptable to say one thing and then turn around and do the opposite and expect no one will mention it.

Agree. Why do people start a blatant Thai-bashing thread, then try to hide behind "I don't want to bash the Thais, but..." or "I don't want to be overly critical, but...." and in this case "No judgement implied, but...." Maybe it's a moral courage thing (or lack thereof), who knows.

Most of the OP and his ridiculous examples are so bizarre and out-of-touch with reality, I wonder who the heck he's really talking about. Re the buying a car thing, there's a huge 2nd-hand market in Thailand filled with overpriced cars precisely because Thais think they'll save money buying a used car over a new one. If anything, I know of farangs who would buy a used Volvo or Mercedes over a new Vios or City for almost the same price, even though the latter has much better value and quality. Face?

As for the walking around thing, I see Thais walking around all the time, all over freakin Thailand. If anything, there's a whole lot more out-of-shape farangs in Thailand than Thais. When I go workout, I see Thais all over the place. What the heck is the OP talking about?

The OP seems desperate to believe that his way of thinking his superior to the Thais, even though he has no idea how Thais think. Anyways, it's threads like this that make Thais think farangs are a bunch of ignorant boobs.

so I'm not the only guy thats put off by all the thai bashing by folks who have been graciously allowed to live in this country??

Behold the apologist trinity

160,000 members on Thai Visa and three that like Thailand. Not bad. I think the Spartans at Thermopylae had better odds though.

Edited August 19, 2014 by thailiketoo

[Banzai99]

The OP writes, "No judgment implied, but:" and then writes one of the most judgmental posts I've read in weeks. In Thailand there is such a thing as face. In Farang land it is two faced. That means people find in acceptable to say one thing and then turn around and do the opposite and expect no one will mention it.

Agree. Why do people start a blatant Thai-bashing thread, then try to hide behind "I don't want to bash the Thais, but..." or "I don't want to be overly critical, but...." and in this case "No judgement implied, but...." Maybe it's a moral courage thing (or lack thereof), who knows.

Most of the OP and his ridiculous examples are so bizarre and out-of-touch with reality, I wonder who the heck he's really talking about. Re the buying a car thing, there's a huge 2nd-hand market in Thailand filled with overpriced cars precisely because Thais think they'll save money buying a used car over a new one. If anything, I know of farangs who would buy a used Volvo or Mercedes over a new Vios or City for almost the same price, even though the latter has much better value and quality. Face?

As for the walking around thing, I see Thais walking around all the time, all over freakin Thailand. If anything, there's a whole lot more out-of-shape farangs in Thailand than Thais. When I go workout, I see Thais all over the place. What the heck is the OP talking about?

The OP seems desperate to believe that his way of thinking his superior to the Thais, even though he has no idea how Thais think. Anyways, it's threads like this that make Thais think farangs are a bunch of ignorant boobs.

so I'm not the only guy thats put off by all the thai bashing by folks who have been graciously allowed to live in this country??

Behold the apologist trinity

I don't understand why people who are happy in Thailand are labeled as apologists, are Thai bashers enlightened ?

If they are so enlightened, what are they doing here ?

They bash and bash, yet they remain here, tapping away useless moaning , whining posts, criticizing all things Thai, yet they still stay in Thailand, why is that ?

I love the whingers moaning about the Visa laws, saying how much easier everything is in other SE Asian countries, yet they look for any loophole that will allow them to remain in Thailand.

[rgs2001uk]

^^^^^^,

Dont worry, they are on the Generals radar, not in his sights just yet.

Wait for dodgy Ed Visas to be picked up on next.

Enjoy Angeles (not).