Lame Excuses

[willyumiii]

I am sometimes amused by the excuses I hear about why Thais do some things the way they do.

I will list three and hope others have some to share as well.

It could be an amusing thread.

1) Thais walk down the middle of the road because many years ago when there were poisonous snakes everywhere, it was the safest place to walk.

2) Thais make extremely wide turns,, left or right, while driving ( usually into the opposing traffic lane) because years ago when everyone drove carts pulled by buffalo, they could only make wide turns.

3) Thais talk very loud, even yell to each other when only a few feet apart because when they worked in the rice fields, before tractors, 20 people abreast, they needed to shout to gossip with one and other while working.

All three of these amuse me.

Most Thais today were not even alive when snakes were a serious problem everywhere, people drove buffalo drawn carts or in the pre- mechanized days when 20 people worked abreast in the fields.

Anyone have more to add to the list?

Not bashing, just chuckling...555!

[Soutpeel]

most of the power lines in Thailand are above ground on poles, because Thai electricity "no like" the dark

Don't need grounding on Thai electricity because not same same farang electricity

Thai rivers not same same as western rivers....think that one belongs to a politician

[Costas2008]

I like No 2.......always wondering why they do that?

Another one but don't know the answer.

Why don't Thai men have a haircut on Wednesdays?

[bertty]

Now-a-days its safer to walk down the middle of the road due to the amount of traffic using the pavements. That one is still true.

I wonder if number 2 is due to the fact they cant see over the steering wheel or because of the height on some of the curbs ? I saw a guy take a cornet to tight, what a mess he made of his car.. Tho personally I think they just don't know how to drive.

Edited October 5, 2014 by bertty

[pgrahmm]

I think #2 is like that as that is the way they rode their motorbikes to maximize the angle/lean on the turn....now they've proudly stepped up to car ownership but still drive as though riding on a motorbike....it's all they know.....

[thehelmsman]

Sorry to intrude but working 12 abreast in the fields is very common so maybe you should scratch that one.

[thailiketoo]

It's always they and us; as if there was a real difference. They do this and they do that and they have lame excuses for doing this and that and they can't even speak proper English. When will you realize we are we? You want to know who creates all the problems in the world? Those who can find difference between them and us instead of similarities.

Edited October 5, 2014 by thailiketoo

[bertty]

Who created all the problems in the world ??? This is a light hearted thread as to why people do what they do...

Why do Thai people drive a motorbike in the dark with the light on yet have their helmet sitting in the basket blocking out that light ?

Maybe you can have a light hearted dig back at us thailiketoo..

Or does the why do Thais laugh at the same joke 50 times in a row even if its not funny fit you also.

[NoshowJones]

I like No 2.......always wondering why they do that?

Another one but don't know the answer.

Why don't Thai men have a haircut on Wednesdays?

I don't know about Greece, but I wonder why are so few Thai men are bald? In the UK most men are bald to some extent.

[thehelmsman]

It's always they and us; as if there was a real difference. They do this and they do that and they have lame excuses for doing this and that and they can't even speak proper English. When will you realize we are we? You want to know who creates all the problems in the world? Those who can find difference between them and us instead of similarities.

I think now is the proper time for all of us to hold hands and hum a few verses of kum ba ya

[thailiketoo]

Who created all the problems in the world ??? This is a light hearted thread as to why people do what they do...

Why do Thai people drive a motorbike in the dark with the light on yet have their helmet sitting in the basket blocking out that light ?

Maybe you can have a light hearted dig back at us thailiketoo..

Or does the why do Thais laugh at the same joke 50 times in a row even if its not funny fit you also.

When I was in kindergarten my teacher told all the students not to make fun of children who were not like them and I told the same thing to my children. Did no one tell you?

[SoiBiker]

Why do farangs post this kind of lame crap?

Apparently it's because they feel superior to the Thais.

Now that's funny.

[thailiketoo]

I like No 2.......always wondering why they do that?

Another one but don't know the answer.

Why don't Thai men have a haircut on Wednesdays?

I don't know about Greece, but I wonder why are so few Thai men are bald? In the UK most men are bald to some extent.

Every time you have a bad thought about people of a different culture you lose a hair. I believe this topic is about lame excuses.

Edited October 5, 2014 by thailiketoo

[mikebike]

Wow, just wow. Try reading the OP replacing the word "Thai" with the "N" word. Not so amusing.

[Soutpeel]

Why do farangs post this kind of lame crap?

Good question ? almost as lame as posting about food courts and the protocols for leaving an umbrella on a table or was it your hand bag ?

[Soutpeel]

Wow, just wow. Try reading the OP replacing the word "Thai" with the "N" word. Not so amusing.

funny enough the same thing works if you replace the word "Thai" with "apologist" not so amusing either.

[SoiBiker]

Wow, just wow. Try reading the OP replacing the word "Thai" with the "N" word. Not so amusing.

funny enough the same thing works if you replace the word "Thai" with "apologist" not so amusing either.

Then it just doesn't really make sense.

[bonobo]

As with the food court thread, let's not make this personal.

[saakura]

I like No 2.......always wondering why they do that?

Another one but don't know the answer.

Why don't Thai men have a haircut on Wednesdays?

Why do Greeks beleive in the evil eye? Superstition.

[Tim207]

Wow, just wow. Try reading the OP replacing the word "Thai" with the "N" word. Not so amusing.

Norwegians???

So what you are saying is that "Thai" is a derogatory word for people from Siam? I think I know a few Thai people that would be more offended at your equating the word Thai with nigger than they would by this thread. I think you need to get a refund from your cultural sensitivity class instructor. Their is a big difference between using racial slurs and using national identity to generalize.

Not to mention the OP was about reasons people have claimed are the origins of behavior by the T word people.

Edited October 5, 2014 by Tim207

[kannot]

I like No 2.......always wondering why they do that?

Another one but don't know the answer.

Why don't Thai men have a haircut on Wednesdays?

I don't know about Greece, but I wonder why are so few Thai men are bald? In the UK most men are bald to some extent.

Every time you have a bad thought about people of a different culture you lose a hair. I believe this topic is about lame excuses.

How about cannibals?

[sdanielmcev]

Ironing everything out of the clothes washer. Closing the drapes when it rains.

[champers]

Ironing everything out of the clothes washer. That's to be applauded. I know my old mother would do the same, socks and underpants included.

[bertty]

Who created all the problems in the world ??? This is a light hearted thread as to why people do what they do...

Why do Thai people drive a motorbike in the dark with the light on yet have their helmet sitting in the basket blocking out that light ?

Maybe you can have a light hearted dig back at us thailiketoo..

Or does the why do Thais laugh at the same joke 50 times in a row even if its not funny fit you also.

When I was in kindergarten my teacher told all the students not to make fun of children who were not like them and I told the same thing to my children. Did no one tell you?

No my teachers didn't say that. What they did teach me was that every race culture etc are different. The taught me that we are not all the same.

I got taught what was good and what was bad.

I was taught that just because you had money you couldn't run a cop down and get away with it.

I was taught about justice and not killing people so rich people could get away with murder.

I think my teachers were better than yours.

Do tell me what you say to your kids when they see a black/white person ? do you say they are the same as us ? or do you tell them that no person can ever be as good as a Thai person.

Edited October 5, 2014 by bertty

[AYJAYDEE]

theyre not excuses, theyre beliefs. some based on facts and some based on myths. every culture has them. by insinuating that they are excuses, you are in fact thai bashing.

[willyumiii]

I like No 2.......always wondering why they do that?

Another one but don't know the answer.

Why don't Thai men have a haircut on Wednesdays?

I have read a cause of this superstition, in the ancient times people believed that Wednesday was the day of growth and development, it was also considered auspicious time. The members of royal family and noble men prefered to have a haircut on Wednesdays, therefore there was a rule to prohibit common people to have a haircut in the same day. It was consider inauspicious event to do the same activity in the same day as if you tried to compare your prestige to the royal family.

[willyumiii]

theyre not excuses, theyre beliefs. some based on facts and some based on myths. every culture has them. by insinuating that they are excuses, you are in fact thai bashing.

Walking down the middle of the road...

Making excessively wide turns when driving...

shouting at each other when only a few feet away...

These are not beliefs....

They are strange unpractical behaviors

The reasons for them are excuses, not beliefs...

That is fact, not insinuation..

And some of us are laughing, not bashing..

I can laugh at my self too...it's a healthy thing to do..

I believe you are " off the wall" on this one AYJAYDEE

Smile..it won't hurt you!

[thailiketoo]

Who created all the problems in the world ??? This is a light hearted thread as to why people do what they do...

Why do Thai people drive a motorbike in the dark with the light on yet have their helmet sitting in the basket blocking out that light ?

Maybe you can have a light hearted dig back at us thailiketoo..

Or does the why do Thais laugh at the same joke 50 times in a row even if its not funny fit you also.

When I was in kindergarten my teacher told all the students not to make fun of children who were not like them and I told the same thing to my children. Did no one tell you?

No my teachers didn't say that. What they did teach me was that every race culture etc are different. The taught me that we are not all the same.

I got taught what was good and what was bad.

I was taught that just because you had money you couldn't run a cop down and get away with it.

I was taught about justice and not killing people so rich people could get away with murder.

I think my teachers were better than yours.

Do tell me what you say to your kids when they see a black/white person ? do you say they are the same as us ? or do you tell them that no person can ever be as good as a Thai person.

I told my children that ignorant, uneducated people used stereotypes to explain things they didn't understand in other cultures. I told them that people are all the same; 99.9% of their genetic code is the same that the concept of race will eventually disappear taking it's place among history's other misguided and unnecessary concepts.

What's the Use of Race?

Modern Governance and the Biology of Difference

Edited by Ian Whitmarsh and David S. Jones

[bannork]

I like No 2.......always wondering why they do that?7

Another one but don't know the answer.

Why don't Thai men have a haircut on Wednesdays?

I have read a cause of this superstition, in the ancient times people believed that Wednesday was the day of growth and development, it was also considered auspicious time. The members of royal family and noble men prefered to have a haircut on Wednesdays, therefore there was a rule to prohibit common people to have a haircut in the same day. It was consider inauspicious event to do the same activity in the same day as if you tried to compare your prestige to the royal family.

I thought it was because executions occurred on Wednesdays and prior to execution the unfortunate soul would have his head shaved,(easier for the blade to sever the neck?). Thus it was seen as inauspicious to have a haircut on Wednesdays.

[Sigurris]

There are some really touchy people out there. Perhaps the OP's language skills meant that excuses was substitued for reason. Many of us live here and are constantly amazed by things that happen here and the reasons, that are strange to us but normal to Thai. If it doesn't make you laugh fair enough but it is not racist to be amused. Perhaps I should give you a link to a Thai forum where Thai's have a giggle over foreigners who touch wood for luck, won't walk under ladders and throw salt over their shoulders.

In the meantime I am still amazed that some of the natives of this country think it is unlucky to look over their left shoulder. Great when you are driving a motorbike. But I touch wood and keep my fingers crossed that they will be ok.