I am trying to understand Thai logic

[smotherb]

In Thailand, people go bankrupt trying to look rich......

I see farangs trying that every day.

[Luxfare]

Are all Westerners different? Wasn't the 2008 crash down to people getting mortgages that they couldn't afford or blasting creditcards up. Regardless of nationality, some people want first and think later. Having said that,Thailand does have the second largest household debt to GDP in South East Asia, so there's clearly an issue.

[elgordo38]

Congratulations elgordo38, you have been officially sucked in. How much have you lost already? The story and facts are irrelevant. They may change frequently. That doesn't matter. The key thing is to effect the appropriate emotion in the listener.

I have lost nothing as my g/f is my only obligation. I trying to teach her now that after I have snuffed it and she gets some money from me and to turn a deaf ear to family and friends. She is aware of all the sick water buffalo sick motorbike uncle needs an operation jokes. I have explained to her that the money she gets it all there is. If she "lends" money to family and friends its not a loan its a gift. Expect no repayment. She will get enough to build a small house possibly with a store and have about 10 yrs. pocket money depending on how she spends it. She seems to understand my logic. Again she is a beautiful girl and must move on. The only thing that scares me is that the next man in her life might abuse her.

[pittsdaulga]

When I first came to Thailand and found the differences in priority between Falang and Thais, I was very confused. In fact I believe my reaction was, <deleted>, are you serious?! These people have no form of logic.

I've talked to my friend (Thai - derp) about the value of a good used car vs a new car. I was pro-used and she was the latter. We went back and forth with the pros and cons and I believe she was not convinced. After reflecting on our conversations about cars, homes and family (supporting the family), I've come to believe that the Thai have logic. It just happens that my (our Falang) logic differs a great deal and I can not understand their logic.

As such, I just accept this and carry on.

That's my 2 bits.

--Pitts

[mickyboy]

Been here for 14 years. There is no Thai logic, mate!

i agree with you been with the wife for 10 years she works hard and when she come home through the front door you never know what to expect one day happy next moody then ok then problem then wont talk then dont shut up then loveing careing next could not care less what i do but thats women i think half the time they dont know what they want so how the hell we meant to know and for being in thailand for 14 years think i go mad

[Surasak]

I have always been under the impression that logic and common sense have always met with solid resistence at the borders, a natural blockage one might say.

[arjunadawn]

I am unconvinced this is a Thai thing. In America many poor people associate the dressings of success with success itself, or better living, higher status, white, black, hispanic,etc. I am marrying into a Thai family where I am pretty much the bottom of the social barrel (its actually a total inversion of the stories here on TV). Not that they treat me this way- they are all MDs and Professors and while I have degrees, I cannot work in Thailand so I am like a handicapped white boy closer in age to mom then her daughter (its actually hilarious).

These people are quite frugal. They own lots pieces of land, drive old cars, wash laundry by hand, cook their own food, have no house help, and are suspect when I new punching bag appeared on the porch, or a number of other yard tools I bought to manage the nice home garden. My fiance told me "mom thinks you should be saving for sinsod instead of buying stuff." ha So, i placed little stickers on the boxing bag, the jump rope, the weedeater= yellow stickers "Sinsod." and then got an empty gallon water bottle and started dropping coin baht in it with.. yes, a yellow sticker "Sinsod." And you know what? They laughed their ass off. They don't want my money.

No, all thai people are not like this OP question. People without money, and without wisdom, will seek to have possessions that only reflect wealth, rather than actually having it. Its not a thai thing, it is a wisdom thing.

[Elmer Gantry]

What came first,the chicken or the egg,answer that question then you will understand Thai logic ( is there a Thai word for logic? )

[elgordo38]

A Postscript

There was a good article in the Bangkok News on Bank Loans. Apparently if you become an guarantor for someone to lend money from a bank and if they cease to make the payments they can come after you immediately to seize ALL your property to satisfy the loan. If that person goes to another bank to lend money and gets a loan and ceases to make payments you are on the hook for this to. They have a clause in the contract where you can sign off as a guarantor but they force you to waive this feature. Its like the wild wild west here with bank loans.

[In Search of Space]

Understanding Thai logic Vol 1 of 10:

10 volumes ? You must have the short version

[Shaunduhpostman]

Most everyone else in Thailand buys on credit that will take them centuries to pay back, so they are just trying to keep up with everyone else. The logic would be, keep up or get left behind. Not the way I run my show, but to each his own, and watch you don't get hit by plummetting Thais. My wife co-signed on loan for a co-worker friend ages ago. The co-worker "disappeared" and my wife was hit up to pay the 30,000 baht.

[MauiSteveBKK]

No different than Mainland USA and certainly no different than Hawaii.

Some people are "House Poor".

Some people are "Car Poor".

Hawaiians live in tiny, sub-standard housing, yet have a NEW Ford F350 Dual Cab Monster Truck in the driveway.

[crickets]

Dont look as far past your own nose then u will understand their logic.

[h90]

I am just starting my 14th year here, and have finally stopped getting all worked up about Thai logic.

I have to many examples of my own.

My Thai wife wanted to help her eldest sister when her husband died in Korat. Despite my 40+years of top business management experience, my wife totally ignored me, found a n empty 3-floor shop building near us and BOUGHT it from the bank for 3.5M baht. They wet it up as a restaurant and I did my best to kit it out, type menus etc in English. But she then told me she had to pay the bank back 35,000 baht a month. When I asked her to listen to me and let me prove it was totally impossible to pay that from the meager takings which I forecast and was proved right. Soon she was in trouble with the bank. Her sister just up and went back to Korat. I made her close the shop immediately and try to sell it - an impossible task as so many new shop blocks were being built.

She then sat down and let me show her very slowly why she needed more than 65-70000 baht INCOME a month just to pay the bank back. Thde end result was she has now been made bankrupt. Family was stronger than marriage !!!

Now I hear the Pattaya Council has decided that all beaches in the area will be closed EVERY Wednesday from next week (Christmas Eve). This is to encourage the tourists to come here !!!! Who made this amazing decision? Has anyone on the Council any brains or logic or anything?

But after 13 years, I say to myself, this is Thailand !!

Well here is the proof that it isn't a specific Thai problem: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/785275-free-blankets/

3.5 MBaht and 35KB/month sounds like 10 years. If she would have gone for the 30 years pay back it might have been possible, but still only if you are good, way too much competition for restaurants.

[dao16]

I have seen much worse than this. This story is pretty tame, actually, OP. Yes, the whole country is like that, in one way or another.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

I am just starting my 14th year here, and have finally stopped getting all worked up about Thai logic.

I have to many examples of my own.

My Thai wife wanted to help her eldest sister when her husband died in Korat. Despite my 40+years of top business management experience, my wife totally ignored me, found a n empty 3-floor shop building near us and BOUGHT it from the bank for 3.5M baht. They wet it up as a restaurant and I did my best to kit it out, type menus etc in English. But she then told me she had to pay the bank back 35,000 baht a month. When I asked her to listen to me and let me prove it was totally impossible to pay that from the meager takings which I forecast and was proved right. Soon she was in trouble with the bank. Her sister just up and went back to Korat. I made her close the shop immediately and try to sell it - an impossible task as so many new shop blocks were being built.

She then sat down and let me show her very slowly why she needed more than 65-70000 baht INCOME a month just to pay the bank back. Thde end result was she has now been made bankrupt. Family was stronger than marriage !!!

Why did you sign allowing her to buy at the land office?

Why did you co-sign the home loan?

You have veto power on her land purchases ands home loans.

How did you keep your house?

They would take that too.

Or is she really just your gf, in which case, why make a post calling her your wife?

Your post is suspect!

[1FinickyOne]

Logic?

Where I come from they drive on parkways and park in driveways…

All you can do is enjoy the day...

[nithisa78]

You think this is about Thailand. It is about something much larger.

[eldragon]

The scenario you described sounds like one of those things that seem exclusive to Thailand but in fact happens all the time back home. Except for the part about looking for a "sponsor" on the Internet. Come to think of it, I think we should be questioning Laos logic...

[KarenBravo]

You think this is about Thailand. It is about something much larger.

Kim Kardashian's butt?

[h90]

I am just starting my 14th year here, and have finally stopped getting all worked up about Thai logic.

I have to many examples of my own.

My Thai wife wanted to help her eldest sister when her husband died in Korat. Despite my 40+years of top business management experience, my wife totally ignored me, found a n empty 3-floor shop building near us and BOUGHT it from the bank for 3.5M baht. They wet it up as a restaurant and I did my best to kit it out, type menus etc in English. But she then told me she had to pay the bank back 35,000 baht a month. When I asked her to listen to me and let me prove it was totally impossible to pay that from the meager takings which I forecast and was proved right. Soon she was in trouble with the bank. Her sister just up and went back to Korat. I made her close the shop immediately and try to sell it - an impossible task as so many new shop blocks were being built.

She then sat down and let me show her very slowly why she needed more than 65-70000 baht INCOME a month just to pay the bank back. Thde end result was she has now been made bankrupt. Family was stronger than marriage !!!

Why did you sign allowing her to buy at the land office?

Why did you co-sign the home loan?

You have veto power on her land purchases ands home loans.

How did you keep your house?

They would take that too.

Or is she really just your gf, in which case, why make a post calling her your wife?

Your post is suspect!

My wife just bought some land and I didn't sign anything.

Nothing at the land office as Thailand "forgot" that we are married.

At the loan for our company they wanted me to sign a guarantee for it as biggest share-owner which I refused as it is against the purpose of a Co.Ltd.. They accepted it.

Yes it doesn't sound logic.....but very Thai.....

[Rockhopper]

1) Thai's can think but cannot reason. It's the result of the education system.

2) Thai's thought process is totally different from farang. You will never understand Thai logic.

3) It's not just about the money, it's ALL about the money.

There you have it; everything you need to know about Thailand. Now go forth and enjoy Thailand.

[luk AJ]

IXmas is coming, everybody agrees on this post and yes so do I. Living 15 years in Thailand, most of the "unexpected" i see coming but nearly every day I am confronted with yet another surprise.

[ebonykap]

Not wanting to sound like a chauvinist, but I think It's more a woman thing than a Thai trait.

I decided years ago it's impossible to understand them, only tolerate them!

[Mr Somtam]

Been here for 14 years. There is no Thai logic, mate!

Thailand != logic

[dogpatch55]

In Thailand, people go bankrupt trying to look rich......

I see farangs trying that every day.

Yeah its not just a Thai thing.. People in every country do it!

[Crazy chef 1]

No different than Mainland USA and certainly no different than Hawaii.

Some people are "House Poor".

Some people are "Car Poor".

Hawaiians live in tiny, sub-standard housing, yet have a NEW Ford F350 Dual Cab Monster Truck in the driveway.

and in Germany most people are both "house and car poor" because it is so dam'n expensive...

[Alwyn]

There is no such thing as Thai logic, only Thai illogic

[A1Str8]

You are not going to understand it since it doesn't exist.

[Liquorice]

My g/f thinks I'm very clever and smart when I apply my logic, or just common sense to certain every day issues.

Maybe there is some logic to her thinking after all