Thailand Bashers

[Simmo]

Pom, from POHM = Prisoner Of Her Majesty.

Nothing the do with modern Britons and everything to do with the early Convict Settlers of Australia

That's an invented origin actually and unlikely as "pom" didn't enter the Aus vocabulary until the 1920's.

Most likely origin is that as the majority of early immigrants to Australia were British, it is rhyming slang for "immigrant" from a contraction of the word "pomegranate", or possibly more directly related to the appearance of the fruit, as it bears a more than passing resemblance to the typical pale complexioned Briton's skin after his or her first few days living under the hot Australian sun.

And yes they do whinge excessively

[Charma]

A little off topic, but that's just one theory. Look it up and you will find many:

The term Pommy for a British person is commonly used in Australian English and New Zealand English, and is often shortened to Pom. The origin of this term is not confirmed and there are several persistent false etymologies.

One theory is that, as the majority of early immigrants to Australia were British, it is rhyming slang for "immigrant" from a contraction of the word "pomegranate", or possibly more directly related to the appearance of the fruit, as it bears a more than passing resemblance to the typical pale complexioned Briton's skin after his or her first few days living under the hot Australian sun.

Another theory is that POM is a shortened acronym of Prisoner of His/Her Majesty (POHM). As many of Australian's first settlers were convicts, sentenced to transportation, this theory holds that upon arrival in the country they would be given a uniform with POHM emblazoned on the back, and that convicts with an extended stay on Australian soil would no longer have to wear the shirt and would often refer to newer entrants into the country as "Pohmmys". Other suggestions hold that POM is a different acronym, such as "Prisoner of Mother England" or "Port of Melbourne". These etymologies are believed to be false, as the term "pommy" was coined long before acronyms were used in common parlance. Moreover, there is no record of prisoners in Australia ever wearing such uniforms.

Another etymology suggests it is short for "pompous" [citation needed], a quality often attributed by Australians to the British.[citation needed]

[Charma]

Sorry simmo, I think we both looked up the same refernce at the same time!

[GuestHouse]

Well that's one alternative that skirts the need to discuss recidivism in the family.

[Simmo]

Ouch ..

My unattributed cut and paste job blantantly exposed .

[Charma]

I just read that back and it looks like I was trying to be a smart arse - no "exposure" intended simmo.

So it seems that "Pom" came first and the aussie's added the Whinging" later. Which kind of neatly gets us back the the topic in that whinging is just human nature. I guess some do it more than others, but if man as a species didn't look around and think "that's crap, it could be done better" then there would have been very little progress anywhere.

[robitusson]

Criticising something unequivocally is as ridiculous as defending something unequivocally.

That's about the size of it. A lot of the complaints are legitimate but as soon as someone voices one, it's "Go home if you don't like it!"

[diddlysquat]

There are extremes on both sides.... on the whinging side, there are clueless people who want Thailand to be some kind of paradise "like back home," only with cheap Thai stuff (of all sorts). On the whinging about the whinging side, there are the silly people who "defend" Thailand from all criticism, post stuff like "like it or leave it," "we are guests" and are pretty blind to the real faults and downsides of Thai culture/life. As long as you're somewhere in the middle, you're probably ok, and a heckuva lot more interesting to talk to.

"Steven"

A marvellous post. EXACTLY how I see it, but I could not have put it so eloquently.

God save us from those who do not understand you can love a country and peoples whilst accepting it and they have many flaws. There are many I have come across who think any criticism of Thailand is a personal affront.

[Donz]

The Brits were so good at complaining about their new country that the aussies created a name for them - Whinging Poms!

I thought thats what everyone calls them.

As a brit I could resent that remark - but on second thoughts it might be justified! Anyway Donz, I read somehwre that you are leaving oz for Thailand. Is that because of all the whinging poms arriving?

With so many around the world wanting to go to oz, why would you wanna leave? You got lots of sunshine, great beaches, beautiful scenery.....

Its because I really like Thailand and want to spend a few years there, its just an itch i need to scratch, plus I have a business opportunity to pursue, Sydney is ok but its too freaken boring as i lived here all my life, I want to experience different countries then hopefully move to the UK where my fiancee's sister lives (try your warm beer) and catch up with my relatives there. My plan is Thailand-UK-(somewhere in Europe). If all fails I can come back to my boring home.

[Charma]

The Brits were so good at complaining about their new country that the aussies created a name for them - Whinging Poms!

I thought thats what everyone calls them.

As a brit I could resent that remark - but on second thoughts it might be justified! Anyway Donz, I read somehwre that you are leaving oz for Thailand. Is that because of all the whinging poms arriving?

With so many around the world wanting to go to oz, why would you wanna leave? You got lots of sunshine, great beaches, beautiful scenery.....

Its because I really like Thailand and want to spend a few years there, its just an itch i need to scratch, plus I have a business opportunity to pursue, Sydney is ok but its too freaken boring as i lived here all my life, I want to experience different countries then hopefully move to the UK where my fiancee's sister lives (try your warm beer) and catch up with my relatives there. My plan is Thailand-UK-(somewhere in Europe). If all fails I can come back to my boring home.

It's a strange world. I've got relatives in Brisbane and my wife (thai) and I have discussed going over there and/or Thailand! I guess this illustrates the point that after a while any place can get a bit stale. My worry about Thailand is only what I would do all day. Working seems pretty difficult for a falang and I couldn't spend everyday on a beach!

[Donz]

The Brits were so good at complaining about their new country that the aussies created a name for them - Whinging Poms!

I thought thats what everyone calls them.

As a brit I could resent that remark - but on second thoughts it might be justified! Anyway Donz, I read somehwre that you are leaving oz for Thailand. Is that because of all the whinging poms arriving?

With so many around the world wanting to go to oz, why would you wanna leave? You got lots of sunshine, great beaches, beautiful scenery.....

Its because I really like Thailand and want to spend a few years there, its just an itch i need to scratch, plus I have a business opportunity to pursue, Sydney is ok but its too freaken boring as i lived here all my life, I want to experience different countries then hopefully move to the UK where my fiancee's sister lives (try your warm beer) and catch up with my relatives there. My plan is Thailand-UK-(somewhere in Europe). If all fails I can come back to my boring home.

It's a strange world. I've got relatives in Brisbane and my wife (thai) and I have discussed going over there and/or Thailand! I guess this illustrates the point that after a while any place can get a bit stale. My worry about Thailand is only what I would do all day. Working seems pretty difficult for a falang and I couldn't spend everyday on a beach!

Dont go to brisbane, that place is the most boring place on earth, I only been there once, was amused for about 2 hours then wanted to go back home.

[Charma]

Careful Donz or someone will start a thread about Australia Bashing! So what part of Thailand has the "magic" that Australia doesn't, where are you heading?

[Donz]

Well the plan is to stay in BKK for awhile then up to Chaing mai.

I would love to live on Phuket or Samui but I rather save those places for a cheap holiday. So where are you? I gather your not living in Thailand at the moment.

[Charma]

Well the plan is to stay in BKK for awhile then up to Chaing mai.

I would love to live on Phuket or Samui but I rather save those places for a cheap holiday. So where are you? I gather your not living in Thailand at the moment.

Were living in the UK at the moment. Once I sort things out here with my business in the next year or so, we will then have the option to move. We have a house in my wife's village in Ratchaburi, but that doesn't appeal as I would be the only westerner there. We are having a house built in Samui also and that may be an option if we can find a good school for our daughter (2 yrs old now). A lot of people on this forum have slagged off Samui (you know who you are) but we have been many times and love it there. Not sure if it would be the same living there. Like I said before, is there enough to keep you busy? I think there might be (I like golf, diving, reading, laying around by the beach - a little, motorcycles etc. I think it would be good but you never know until you try it long term. We both like Phuket also. Chaing mai is nice also (I proposed to the Mrs there on the back of an elephant). Loved Doi intanon national park - beautiful. Decisions decision...

Maybe I have to listen to some more Thailand bashers and see if they can put me off.

[diddlysquat]

The Thai bashers have really been getting to me lately. Actually, I have found I am shying away from talking with foreigners who live here, mostly prefer tourist or Thais. Yeah, sure Thailand isn't perfect, but what good does it to go on and on and on about how terrible it is. Pack up, go home, what ever. Maybe I am stupid, but I enjoy my life and love living in this country, I might leave someday or I might not. It gets so old trying to defend one's positive attitude from the moaners, I try to avoid them, but seems to me there are so many it means I have to avoid almost all Farangs living here. I don't remember such a high percentage of miserable people back home, maybe it was the same but maybe I have gone native and developed a mai pen rai mindset and all the Farang negativity is just more obvious. frankly the longer I live here I think most of the biching is nothing but ingrained racism in our culture and people seem to have a need to put down others in order to try to elavate themselves or some such thing, which I have no time for.

Unhappiness or happiness primarily comes from within, complaining that the environment or one's surroundings is making one unhappy is a waste of time. If your surroundings are making you unhappy, change your surroundings (move). If the unhappiness comes from within, change yourself and your attitudes. But, please. stop trying to make everyone else see the world through sh*t-colored glasses and wasting people's time with constant unproductive attempts to change the world to fit your ideal.

A classic example of whinging about the whingers for the sake of whinging.

I suggest you are infatuated with Thailand. For you to love the country you must first acknowledge it's faults, and there are many.

Having said that I have to agree with you there are an awful lot of overly miserable people in Thailand and, like you, I am becoming less and less inclined to socialise with ex-pats.

[Donz]

Good to hear,

I was planing on staying in Phuket or samui and running some tourist activities like ATV's etc but there is too much competition with the locals. I would love to move there but I havent figured what job/business I can do there.

well bashers wont discourage me in anyway because no matter where you go in the world they are there.

I will hopefully be there early next year or end of this year.

And I cant wait, hope i can join the sunbelt soccer team

[Charma]

Good to hear,

I was planing on staying in Phuket or samui and running some tourist activities like ATV's etc but there is too much competition with the locals. I would love to move there but I havent figured what job/business I can do there.

well bashers wont discourage me in anyway because no matter where you go in the world they are there.

I will hopefully be there early next year or end of this year.

And I cant wait, hope i can join the sunbelt soccer team

Some sort of business would be nice. Something that's not "full time" but that gives an interest and something constructive to do. I used to own and run a seaschool (motorboats) but I think boats are pretty much a Thai domain and a falang setting up shop would upset the local guys. I love motorcycling and there are some great mountain tracks in Samui. My wife used to run her own business in Bkk and I think she would probably like to find some business if we went to Samui or Phuket.

[ROFL]

With the help of the search function and a small amount of effort we might discover that there are two sides to this story.

Too often those that defend Thailand as Ambrosia are the self same people who rant about the life they had elsewhere. (Particularly about women elsewhere, but that's the stuff of another post)

That begs the question, is their life so good in Thailand or is it simply good in contrast with their background?

We have to accept that some people really never have enjoyed life before they came to Thailand.

Sad really.

Good point.

I like both places most of the time, but some of the time....