Cherchez la femme / Look for the woman?

[Gecko123]

I continue to be mystified by how some people on TVF come to have such an intense dislike for Thailand and its people.

Most visitors who decide somewhere is not to their liking just quietly move on.

Also, when I check ex pat websites for other countries, I am unable to find the same negative emotional feelings about these other countries as are expressed for Thailand here on TVF.

I have been asking myself why this is, and I can't help but wonder if, because of Thailand's sex industry, more often than not, a broken heart doesn't lie just beneath the surface of much of the anger, disappointment, and resentment.

Am I wrong?

[gerry123]

correct/incorrect ?? so you are neither wrong or right

feel better now ????

Edited April 11, 2015 by gerry123

[MaeJoMTB]

Wrong,

We want the cheap women, but don't want the country.

[Costas2008]

Gecko, I try not to be a Thai basher, but sometimes can't hold it.

What is to like about the Thais?

The way they drive?

That they never come to do the job, they promised a month ago?

The way they point at you, like being a wild animal......a farang?

That they never give you back any money, you made the mistake to lend them?

The way they litter all Thailand by throwing their rubbish everywhere?

The hit and run drivers?

The disrespect for fellow human beings and life?

I can carry on for hours here.

But you know all these as much as I do.

Anyway, I still love Thailand and I'm not going anywhere.

But I love moaning and groaning also.

PS. I'm editing here as I thought of telling you a story.

Just came back from visiting Colin in the hospital as he's got an infection.

He was telling me that yesterday a Thai, speaking good English came near him and asked him.

Why farang in Hospital?

Colin explained to him his situation.

The Thai's answer was.

This is hospital for Thais not farangs, you go private hospital.

Colin started getting angry and asked him.

Does it bother you?

His answer was.

Yes, this is tax payers money that keep hospital, why farangs should take Thais money.

Colin got really PO and said.

I pay for this bed, I pay for the doctor, I pay for the nurses, now please FO before I throw at you this glass on your head.

The Thai left.

You have to adore them, don't you?

Edited April 11, 2015 by Costas2008

[slipperylobster]

Cherchez la femme "de la rue"

[Rooo]

Moved to Rue De Pub.

[Thongkorn]

Wrong,

We want the cheap women, but don't want the country.

Sounds like you don't have a high regard for women.

[saakura]

Gecko, I try not to be a Thai basher, but sometimes can't hold it.

What is to like about the Thais?

The way they drive?

That they never come to do the job, they promised a month ago?

The way they point at you, like being a wild animal......a farang?

That they never give you back any money, you made the mistake to lend them?

The way they litter all Thailand by throwing their rubbish everywhere?

The hit and run drivers?

The disrespect for fellow human beings and life?

I can carry on for hours here.

But you know all these as much as I do.

Anyway, I still love Thailand and I'm not going anywhere.

But I love moaning and groaning also.

PS. I'm editing here as I thought of telling you a story.

Just came back from visiting Colin in the hospital as he's got an infection.

He was telling me that yesterday a Thai, speaking good English came near him and asked him.

Why farang in Hospital?

Colin explained to him his situation.

The Thai's answer was.

This is hospital for Thais not farangs, you go private hospital.

Colin started getting angry and asked him.

Does it bother you?

His answer was.

Yes, this is tax payers money that keep hospital, why farangs should take Thais money.

Colin got really PO and said.

I pay for this bed, I pay for the doctor, I pay for the nurses, now please FO before I throw at you this glass on your head.

The Thai left.

You have to adore them, don't you?

Perhaps government hospitals are heavily subsidised by tax payer's money?

[StreetCowboy]

Gecko,

It's not my job to make sure Scottish people are happy in Scotland, nor in Thailand. Why foreigners choose to live here when (or if) they are miserable is their business, not mine.

SC

[MaeJoMTB]

Wrong,

We want the cheap women, but don't want the country.

Sounds like you don't have a high regard for women.

Not until they learn to make their own money, instead of living off men.

[Stan42]

Some of us just aren't into Thai ladies. For me I'd say it's a mix of a culture gap (see thread on Thai humor, favorite TV shows, heroes you grew up with, etc.), the fact that I grew up with Westerners and my past girlfriend was a Westerner, and I'm sure genetics plays a role too.

In other words:

[YeahSiam]

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

Gecko, I try not to be a Thai basher, but sometimes can't hold it.
What is to like about the Thais?
The way they drive?
That they never come to do the job, they promised a month ago?
The way they point at you, like being a wild animal......a farang?
That they never give you back any money, you made the mistake to lend them?
The way they litter all Thailand by throwing their rubbish everywhere?
The hit and run drivers?
The disrespect for fellow human beings and life?
I can carry on for hours here.
But you know all these as much as I do.
Anyway, I still love Thailand and I'm not going anywhere.
But I love moaning and groaning also.

PS. I'm editing here as I thought of telling you a story.
Just came back from visiting Colin in the hospital as he's got an infection.
He was telling me that yesterday a Thai, speaking good English came near him and asked him.
Why farang in Hospital?
Colin explained to him his situation.
The Thai's answer was.
This is hospital for Thais not farangs, you go private hospital.
Colin started getting angry and asked him.
Does it bother you?
His answer was.
Yes, this is tax payers money that keep hospital, why farangs should take Thais money.
Colin got really PO and said.
I pay for this bed, I pay for the doctor, I pay for the nurses, now please FO before I throw at you this glass on your head.
The Thai left.
You have to adore them, don't you?

Perhaps government hospitals are heavily subsidised by tax payer's money?

You beat me to it.

Government hospitals are heavily subsidised.

[Stan42]

Gecko, I try not to be a Thai basher, but sometimes can't hold it.

What is to like about the Thais?

The way they drive?

That they never come to do the job, they promised a month ago?

The way they point at you, like being a wild animal......a farang?

That they never give you back any money, you made the mistake to lend them?

The way they litter all Thailand by throwing their rubbish everywhere?

The hit and run drivers?

The disrespect for fellow human beings and life?

I can carry on for hours here.

But you know all these as much as I do.

Anyway, I still love Thailand and I'm not going anywhere.

But I love moaning and groaning also.

PS. I'm editing here as I thought of telling you a story.

Just came back from visiting Colin in the hospital as he's got an infection.

He was telling me that yesterday a Thai, speaking good English came near him and asked him.

Why farang in Hospital?

Colin explained to him his situation.

The Thai's answer was.

This is hospital for Thais not farangs, you go private hospital.

Colin started getting angry and asked him.

Does it bother you?

His answer was.

Yes, this is tax payers money that keep hospital, why farangs should take Thais money.

Colin got really PO and said.

I pay for this bed, I pay for the doctor, I pay for the nurses, now please FO before I throw at you this glass on your head.

The Thai left.

You have to adore them, don't you?

I find this unprofessional and insulting. Forgetting the fact that I'd never go to a government hospital (I have stories that can keep you up all night), I would have reminded her of the doctor's oath, that all doctor's have sworn to help any person regardless of background.

Realistically, I would have just told her that she had a bad day I for her sake I would disregard her comment.

[cnx355]

Gecko, I try not to be a Thai basher, but sometimes can't hold it.

What is to like about the Thais?

The way they drive?

That they never come to do the job, they promised a month ago?

The way they point at you, like being a wild animal......a farang?

That they never give you back any money, you made the mistake to lend them?

The way they litter all Thailand by throwing their rubbish everywhere?

The hit and run drivers?

The disrespect for fellow human beings and life?

I can carry on for hours here.

But you know all these as much as I do.

Anyway, I still love Thailand and I'm not going anywhere.

But I love moaning and groaning also.

PS. I'm editing here as I thought of telling you a story.

Just came back from visiting Colin in the hospital as he's got an infection.

He was telling me that yesterday a Thai, speaking good English came near him and asked him.

Why farang in Hospital?

Colin explained to him his situation.

The Thai's answer was.

This is hospital for Thais not farangs, you go private hospital.

Colin started getting angry and asked him.

Does it bother you?

His answer was.

Yes, this is tax payers money that keep hospital, why farangs should take Thais money.

Colin got really PO and said.

I pay for this bed, I pay for the doctor, I pay for the nurses, now please FO before I throw at you this glass on your head.

The Thai left.

You have to adore them, don't you?

Perhaps government hospitals are heavily subsidised by tax payer's money?

Yes , but expats living here pay probably more in taxes ( VAT on food, hotels, services , tax on fuel, vehicules purchases and insurance, maintenance) etc...than a great number of Thaï in the low income bracket. And a lot do not pay income tax. Earning of 150,000 bahts per year are tax exempt. And I think foreigners ( farangs) pay their due when using government hospital. And like costa wrote, this English speaking Thai at the hospital is another fine example of a Thai attitude towards fellow human that bring critics.

[NoshowJones]

Gecko, I try not to be a Thai basher, but sometimes can't hold it.

What is to like about the Thais?

The way they drive?

That they never come to do the job, they promised a month ago?

The way they point at you, like being a wild animal......a farang?

That they never give you back any money, you made the mistake to lend them?

The way they litter all Thailand by throwing their rubbish everywhere?

The hit and run drivers?

The disrespect for fellow human beings and life?

I can carry on for hours here.

But you know all these as much as I do.

Anyway, I still love Thailand and I'm not going anywhere.

But I love moaning and groaning also.

PS. I'm editing here as I thought of telling you a story.

Just came back from visiting Colin in the hospital as he's got an infection.

He was telling me that yesterday a Thai, speaking good English came near him and asked him.

Why farang in Hospital?

Colin explained to him his situation.

The Thai's answer was.

This is hospital for Thais not farangs, you go private hospital.

Colin started getting angry and asked him.

Does it bother you?

His answer was.

Yes, this is tax payers money that keep hospital, why farangs should take Thais money.

Colin got really PO and said.

I pay for this bed, I pay for the doctor, I pay for the nurses, now please FO before I throw at you this glass on your head.

The Thai left.

You have to adore them, don't you?

Great post Costas, but your one about "the hit and run drivers", If a Thai driver is involved in a serious accident, and there are fatalities (and even when they are not) the Thai driver has to "flee the scene", or he risks the chance of being attacked by other Thais who appear on the scene. It is often reported that the driver goes to a police station later.

Remember, Thais are not noted for their bravery, hardly ever fight one on one, can only fight when the odds are on their side.

[Crazy chef 1]

Wrong,

We want the cheap women, but don't want the country.

Sounds like you don't have a high regard for women.

Not until they learn to make their own money, instead of living off men.

they learned already..they're making money out of chaps like you....

[Gecko123]

Good morning, Costas:

Let's start with Colin's story. First of all, it's important to point out that it was neither a doctor or nurse who made these comments, but an uninformed and opinionated Thai. All of the Thai government run hospitals have a fee schedule for people who are not covered by the national health insurance plan. Since all Thai nationals are automatically covered by this plan, I have to assume that this fee schedule is for non-Thai nationals, i.e., foreigners, which means that the government recognizes that foreigners use these hospitals. What's important is that the Thai government doesn't exclude foreigners from using these hospitals, not the opinions of some uninformed stranger.

I can understand how these comments might have upset or annoyed Colin, but I would have let them go in one ear and out the other. I recall you posting a while back that because your wife was a nurse you had been allowed to use the local government hospital free of charge (at least for a period of time), so I highly doubt that you have personally experienced this "farang go to private hospital" mentality yourself. While I have only gone to government hospitals a handful of times, I've never encountered this attitude either. If other foreigners were encountering this problem on a regular basis, I'm sure we would have heard about this before. So I suspect this is an isolated case, not a widespread attitude.

I don't understand how someone can ask, "What is there to like about Thais?" and in the next breath say "I still love Thailand." Many of your complaints, Costas, seem to center around being taken advantage of and being treated in a dehumanized fashion. I will only say that I think learning the language helps humanize a person in the eyes of Thais, as well as help people humanize/understand Thais better as well.

I also would like to gently suggest you carefully consider whether your feelings about Thais are likely to improve after moving to Pattaya. To me, Pattaya epitomizes the dehumanizing 'farang as walking ATM' mentality still harbored by some Thais.

Which brings me back around to the central question of my OP: is there a correlation between the sex industry and the extreme negativity about Thailand and Thais sometimes expressed by some posters on TVF? BTW, I'm asking this question from a sociological point of view, not a moralistic one.

[buhi]

I have private health insurance, but there are so many clauses, exemptions, that bar a road traffic accident, it is worthless.

I do go to a private hospital and pay for out patient necessities.I tend to agree with Costas, pay up or die!

[buhi]

And yes I did have a road traffic accident, while a passenger on a bus and it took all hell and bribes to the police to get minimum compensation. Thai style!

[buhi]

Let me continue, I needed plastic surgery and my insurance did cover it, but the bus driver got off with no expenses incurred and the BTS did not pay a santang. Now I limp and suffer most days through impaired movement. My fault I suppose!

[marko kok prong]

Thai father in laws-not good at all.

[CWMcMurray]

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

Gecko, I try not to be a Thai basher, but sometimes can't hold it.

What is to like about the Thais?

The way they drive?

That they never come to do the job, they promised a month ago?

The way they point at you, like being a wild animal......a farang?

That they never give you back any money, you made the mistake to lend them?

The way they litter all Thailand by throwing their rubbish everywhere?

The hit and run drivers?

The disrespect for fellow human beings and life?

I can carry on for hours here.

But you know all these as much as I do.

Anyway, I still love Thailand and I'm not going anywhere.

But I love moaning and groaning also.

PS. I'm editing here as I thought of telling you a story.

Just came back from visiting Colin in the hospital as he's got an infection.

He was telling me that yesterday a Thai, speaking good English came near him and asked him.

Why farang in Hospital?

Colin explained to him his situation.

The Thai's answer was.

This is hospital for Thais not farangs, you go private hospital.

Colin started getting angry and asked him.

Does it bother you?

His answer was.

Yes, this is tax payers money that keep hospital, why farangs should take Thais money.

Colin got really PO and said.

I pay for this bed, I pay for the doctor, I pay for the nurses, now please FO before I throw at you this glass on your head.

The Thai left.

You have to adore them, don't you?

Perhaps government hospitals are heavily subsidised by tax payer's money?

You beat me to it.

Government hospitals are heavily subsidised.

And what if the said Frarang was working here and paying taxes?

[Zyxel]

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

Gecko, I try not to be a Thai basher, but sometimes can't hold it.

What is to like about the Thais?

The way they drive?

That they never come to do the job, they promised a month ago?

The way they point at you, like being a wild animal......a farang?

That they never give you back any money, you made the mistake to lend them?

The way they litter all Thailand by throwing their rubbish everywhere?

The hit and run drivers?

The disrespect for fellow human beings and life?

I can carry on for hours here.

But you know all these as much as I do.

Anyway, I still love Thailand and I'm not going anywhere.

But I love moaning and groaning also.

PS. I'm editing here as I thought of telling you a story.

Just came back from visiting Colin in the hospital as he's got an infection.

He was telling me that yesterday a Thai, speaking good English came near him and asked him.

Why farang in Hospital?

Colin explained to him his situation.

The Thai's answer was.

This is hospital for Thais not farangs, you go private hospital.

Colin started getting angry and asked him.

Does it bother you?

His answer was.

Yes, this is tax payers money that keep hospital, why farangs should take Thais money.

Colin got really PO and said.

I pay for this bed, I pay for the doctor, I pay for the nurses, now please FO before I throw at you this glass on your head.

The Thai left.

You have to adore them, don't you?

Great post Costas, but your one about "the hit and run drivers", If a Thai driver is involved in a serious accident, and there are fatalities (and even when they are not) the Thai driver has to "flee the scene", or he risks the chance of being attacked by other Thais who appear on the scene. It is often reported that the driver goes to a police station later.

Remember, Thais are not noted for their bravery, hardly ever fight one on one, can only fight when the odds are on their side.

The chance of being attacked by other Thais who appear on the scene is more disgusting than to flee the scene IMO.

[buhi]

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

Gecko, I try not to be a Thai basher, but sometimes can't hold it.

What is to like about the Thais?

The way they drive?

That they never come to do the job, they promised a month ago?

The way they point at you, like being a wild animal......a farang?

That they never give you back any money, you made the mistake to lend them?

The way they litter all Thailand by throwing their rubbish everywhere?

The hit and run drivers?

The disrespect for fellow human beings and life?

I can carry on for hours here.

But you know all these as much as I do.

Anyway, I still love Thailand and I'm not going anywhere.

But I love moaning and groaning also.

PS. I'm editing here as I thought of telling you a story.

Just came back from visiting Colin in the hospital as he's got an infection.

He was telling me that yesterday a Thai, speaking good English came near him and asked him.

Why farang in Hospital?

Colin explained to him his situation.

The Thai's answer was.

This is hospital for Thais not farangs, you go private hospital.

Colin started getting angry and asked him.

Does it bother you?

His answer was.

Yes, this is tax payers money that keep hospital, why farangs should take Thais money.

Colin got really PO and said.

I pay for this bed, I pay for the doctor, I pay for the nurses, now please FO before I throw at you this glass on your head.

The Thai left.

You have to adore them, don't you?

Perhaps government hospitals are heavily subsidised by tax payer's money?

You beat me to it.

Government hospitals are heavily subsidised.

And what if the said Frarang was working here and paying taxes?

[buhi]

And yes this farang was working here and because of his connections something happened!

First, unconcious in some flea infected clinic, then they discovered my insurance card and who I was!

But my father in law is ok, we get on!

[buhi]

Who I am, is that important in a life death situation?

Well I am white, farang, but more Thai in who I am. But?

All my family are Thai, my children included.

But!

[MaeJoMTB]

I can understand how these comments might have upset or annoyed Colin, but I would have let them go in one ear and out the other. I recall you posting a while back that because your wife was a nurse you had been allowed to use the local government hospital free of charge (at least for a period of time), so I highly doubt that you have personally experienced this "farang go to private hospital" mentality yourself. While I have only gone to government hospitals a handful of times, I've never encountered this attitude either. If other foreigners were encountering this problem on a regular basis, I'm sure we would have heard about this before. So I suspect this is an isolated case, not a widespread attitude.

I've used a Thai government hospital several times.

As I paid, they were extremely eager to treat me, no queuing, and very cheap.

Should some non-paying Thai customer have told me to leave, I am confident said Thai customer would have been shown the door PDQ.

[marko kok prong]

Regarding motor accidents,i have been advised by several expat friends,do not stop,even if you have done nothing wrong,you will end up paying,with,your money,liberty,or in extreme circumstance your life,luckily i am very cautios driver,and in 3 years no accidents,plenty of near misses,that where not my fault

[buhi]

I have a car; rarely use it. Taxis are cheap and other forms of transport too cheap to be believed!

My unfortunate event was when I parked my car near a BTS station.

We, my Thai wife and I tried to get a taxi; yes in downtown Sukhumvit. No meter, F off, got on a bus. The rest is history!

As I recall, we had just visited a site for a dead princess, very beautiful and the last time I walked without a limp. Karma?

Edited April 12, 2015 by buhi

[Squeegee]

"Is there a correlation between the sex industry and the extreme negativity about Thailand and Thais?"

Of course there is. Many guys come here for the cheap young women. That doesn't mean they choose to fly so far, choose to pussyfoot around Thai sensibilities, and it doesn't mean they choose to come for 90 reports or a thousand other things.

Given the choice I imagine most guys who come for the girls would prefer not to go so far or have to deal with Thainess when all they want to do is down some beer and empty their sack into some 19 year old farmer's daughter.

So they have to put up with an awful lot of trouble and inconvenience just to get what they are here for.

Sometimes life just isn't fair.