Is a hatred of Thailand and Thais part of being an expat?

[snooker4eva]

Two words;try Cambodia!

[nithisa78]

Caution, self-loathing is widespread. Thailand is like heaven on Earth, like many places when we know how to live. Keep our minds right.

[MyFriend You]

You just about covered it the way it's going krisb...sadly most of it is true.

If you want to holiday in a place like you want...may I suggest FIJI, Hawaii, Great Barrier Reef....

Hawaii gets my Vote - You will love the Aloha, and all the Senior Citizen perks in resturants, parks, museums etc etc......or come to Vietnam - but we have our share of complainers on the Vietnam Ex-Pat Forum as well, but I think they are mostly the French wishing it was 1950 again. They want to re-introduce French into the schools in order to provide AID to the Viet Govt. slightly off topic, but I am not much of a Thai basher, and don't find much to complain about in the Kingdom, 'cept all the Ex-pat complainers

[StreetCowboy]

Are you not by definition of your post a winger like all those you are complaining about?

But if you look at the post closely they are made up of people who have nothing better to do with their time.

Lonely and hope that their comments might spark a reaction so that they can feel good about themselves.

Pay little attention to the posts and use Thai visa for some of its valuable information and news update.

I like you see the same in the post so I ignore them 99.999% of the time.

The amount of x pats living in the city I live is about 40 the amount of x pats who have introduced themselves to me about 15. The amount I socialize with 0

Why? Because I came to Thailand to get away from the very same people in my homeland.

Easy really

BTW if you ever find a place on earth where people don’t have an opinion, keep it to yourself.

Opinions are like ass holes everybody has one .

So you live in the same village as 40 other farangs. Probably married to the same sort of wife the other 40 farangs have. Ended up in that same village for the same reasons as those 40 other farangs you don't like.

Seems to me you have a lot more in common with those other farangs you are so dismissive of than you think.

I think it's weird that someone makes comments like yours " get away from the same people"....it's alright coming from the angst of a 21 year old but a mature adult..

So you are not lonely good for you.....

It is important to have friends who are foreigners...

You are right there is a lot of great info on this thread..

Thailand has been ruined by unsociable foreigners , once you could walk down the street in sukhumvit and nod or just say a polite hello it was so relaxed then..now everybody ignores everybody..it's a shame..

Times HAVE changed, though. As you sa, back in the day you could be more friendly and welcoming to strangers, but now I would go through a whole box of business cards every time I get on the Sky Train.

SC

[bazza40]

I am perturbed by the number of likes on the OP. Why the hell are you here if you can't cope with a different culture?

[spidermike007]

Hopefully not. Personally, I really like most Thais. There are some who take the cake. But I find most to be infinitely more pleasant than most I encounter in the states. I find they have alot of good qualities. We all like to rag on the place. We all have our beefs. But, for me this would be a very different place, and alot less enjoyable a place, if I did not like the people. And hate is a very strong word. Definitely none of that. Thankfully.

[StreetCowboy]

I am perturbed by the number of likes on the OP. Why the hell are you here if you can't cope with a different culture?

I thought he was having a go at the whingers. As I recall, he said he didn't live here, but was a frequent visitor, and that the negativity on this forum might discourage people from moving to Thailand

[stoneyboy]

I am perturbed by the number of likes on the OP. Why the hell are you here if you can't cope with a different culture?

I thought he was having a go at the whingers. As I recall, he said he didn't live here, but was a frequent visitor, and that the negativity on this forum might discourage people from moving to Thailand

Let's hope so the more Aussies it deters the better.

[bazza40]

I am perturbed by the number of likes on the OP. Why the hell are you here if you can't cope with a different culture?

I thought he was having a go at the whingers. As I recall, he said he didn't live here, but was a frequent visitor, and that the negativity on this forum might discourage people from moving to Thailand

Let's hope so the more Aussies it deters the better.

<deleted>? As I see it, the term "whinging Pom" is part of the Aussie lexicon.

[StreetCowboy]

I am perturbed by the number of likes on the OP. Why the hell are you here if you can't cope with a different culture?

I thought he was having a go at the whingers. As I recall, he said he didn't live here, but was a frequent visitor, and that the negativity on this forum might discourage people from moving to Thailand

Let's hope so the more Aussies it deters the better.

<deleted>? As I see it, the term "whinging Pom" is part of the Aussie lexicon.

yes - as an example of tautology

[captspectre]

No.

Next question....

I have been in and out of thailand since 1969, (mostly in) I do not hate Thai's I do not hate Thailand, i find it very peaceful here, the people I know are poloite andhave great manners, when I pass them either jogging or walk

ing the street they mostly say hello, of course i am talking about Isan (Ubon Ratchathani) l is the thai government that is causing most of the problems. Thailand will never have a true democracy, it is not in their genes and if you are an expat, get over it! either accept the people or get out! and go home.

[xylophone]

Q: Is a hatred of Thailand and Thais part of being an expat?

A: No.

Can't speak for everybody, and anyway "hatred" is a very strong word.

I like living here, my money goes further than in my home country allowing me a good lifestyle, I have quite a few friends here including Thai folk, I enjoy the nightlife when I partake of it (better options for a 68-year-old than back home) and I enjoy the weather as well as a few other things.

The things I dislike are: embedded corruption (especially a corrupt police force), inherent stupidity, laziness, a poor education system, the worshipping of wealth no matter how it was obtained, closed minds (we know best) and the "you have it and I don't, so I want some of it (as if by right)" attitude, and the priority which is put on "saving face" which is often translated into the fact that one can lie or even cover up wrongdoings with impunity.

What I find encouraging is that many of the Thai folk I know will agree that they also dislike them, so it is not just an expat’s view, because some Thais know that change is needed but despair that the country can ever change.

Overall, I live here because I can live my life how I want to and endeavour to overlook any shortcomings although they do irk from time to time.

[MaeJoMTB]

What I find encouraging is that many of the Thai folk I know will agree that they also dislike them, so it is not just an expat’s view, because some Thais know that change is needed but despair that the country can ever change.

Thai culture,

Agree with whoever you are currently talking with.

Try having the opposite POV sometime, I bet the same Thai people still agree with you.

[krisb]

I am perturbed by the number of likes on the OP. Why the hell are you here if you can't cope with a different culture?

I thought he was having a go at the whingers. As I recall, he said he didn't live here, but was a frequent visitor, and that the negativity on this forum might discourage people from moving to Thailand

Let's hope so the more Aussies it deters the better.

Yeah let's hope.

[Orac]

I don't think it is hatred so much as it is just frustration causing some ppl to display negative attitudes on here. To live here you have to be tolerant in a very 'mai pen rai' society. Unfortunately as you get older you tend to get more intolerant, a trait I have notice in myself as well as others, and as previous polls on here have shown and due to the nature of the types of people who move here to make Thailand their home, the average age of expats and more particularly TV posters is significantly greater than the population at large.

[faraday]

Gotta disagree there Orac about becoming intolerant as 'we' get older.

I'm far more patient, kind & understanding & anyone who differs from my opinion, is simply a:

[soalbundy]

Gotta disagree there Orac about becoming intolerant as 'we' get older.

I'm far more patient, kind & understanding & anyone who differs from my opinion, is simply a:

w.jpg

As i get older the number of people who can kiss my butt increases exponentially.

[ev1lchris]

Thailand is a lot of fun. It has its downsides. However, I find the people very friendly, food very good, and life easier.

[pigeonjake]

Krisp,

I agree with all you say in your OP,

My slant on it is, some will like one thing while others wont,

Some like leo some like chang, so you will always get members moaning about something,

But i do agree there is a lot of moaners on here,

Is that me moaning,,, no cant be,,

[xylophone]

What I find encouraging is that many of the Thai folk I know will agree that they also dislike them, so it is not just an expat’s view, because some Thais know that change is needed but despair that the country can ever change.

Thai culture,

Agree with whoever you are currently talking with.

Try having the opposite POV sometime, I bet the same Thai people still agree with you.

Quite possible, however perhaps I am lucky in as much as I do interact with quite a few Thai folk who have experience of other cultures and some of whom have lived and worked overseas and find it quite amazing that when they help run a little business, the police don't come round every month knocking on the door asking for money, or that you can't bribe a traffic cop!

Just about all of them complain about police corruption in one form or another and one even had a run-in with the police and they decided to impound one of her rental motorbikes, only for her to see it being used around town by the police for nearly six months.

What also surprises me is the "lower socio-economic" Thais who are very anti-corruption and a couple who have voiced their concerns about the schooling their children have as they believe the teachers are very lazy and are quite content to give many hours of homework to the kids, rather than teach them. In addition the same folk have complained that at some schools teachers ask for money to be able to give pupils good grades.......and it simply isn't right.

As for seeing three or four people on a motorbike with no crash helmets, they call them stupid because they believe they have earned merit with Buddha and nothing will happen to them........and in stating that they tilt their head sideways with a bit of a silly grin, as if to say "yeah right".

I sense an undercurrent of dissatisfaction with people at the lower end of the socio-economic scale, however they have to live with their lot because they realise that they are powerless to change it, and even if they did manage to change the government, another set of corrupt politicians get in and the whole cycle is repeated.

If only someone like a Lee Kuan Yew were to run this country, just think of the advances that could be made and also think of how much better the everyday working person's lot would be..............

[Gecko123]

I totally get that Thailand isn't everyone's cup of tea.

But hate Thailand and Thais?

I'll never understand how someone gets to that mindset.

Unless, of course, the woman you married turned out to be a ladyboy who robbed you of your life savings.

Then I can understand.

Otherwise, I think anyone who hates Thailand and Thais probably had "issues" before they ever set foot on Thai soil which have little or nothing to do with Thailand and its people.

[Seismic]

Is Thailand doomed? Perhaps but it will not be due to the Ex-Pat. We could all pack up our tents and leave and Thailand would revert to where it was 60 years ago. Yes, Education sucks it needs to be reformed but until it is there will be a steady stream of another generation of taxi drivers, factory workers, street vendors and sex workers. Does the exchange rate suck? Sure it does but my money still goes further here than back home. Now, Thai drivers are some of the worst I have ever encountered but they are the most loving, gentle people in the world...until they get behind the wheel of a car and you are in their way. Hate is too strong a word and is hardly accurate.

Thai drivers are no worse than western drivers were when they started driving en masse with little if any regulations/enforcement.

Please supply us with statistics and survey results for this observation. Where and how many, ratio of roads to vehicles, ratio of deaths or injuries to miles driven, etc etc,

No ???, Didn't think so.

[StreetCowboy]

We were lucky that motorisation came upon us gradually. And that early motor cars were primitive and lacking in performance. Now we are asking Thailand to leap from the ox cart to the autobahn. I never did that.

But at least I understand the difference between highway driving and village driving. We should all understand what rules apply, and make allowances for the less well educated who may not

SC

[Asheron]

We were lucky that motorisation came upon us gradually. And that early motor cars were primitive and lacking in performance. Now we are asking Thailand to leap from the ox cart to the autobahn. I never did that.

But at least I understand the difference between highway driving and village driving. We should all understand what rules apply, and make allowances for the less well educated who may not

SC

Has nothing to do with them going from "ox to car" like you put it.

It's the lack of respecting others in traffic, lack of respecting laws and regulations and utter lack of education regarding how you actually drive a motor vehicle. The "oh Buddha blessed the car/motosai so nothing can happen so i can drive like a dumbass" isn't helping either.

Why should anyone "give allowances" to anyone because of their laziness to educate themself?

[streboris]

Why should anyone "give allowances" to anyone because of their laziness to educate themself?

Education for most thais is from experience of life, necessity, and hard work, trying to feed their family, forraging and making money from nothing. You think they are lazy because they don't sit on their <deleted> reading books on how to drive politely?

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Edited August 7, 2015 by streboris

[Asheron]

Why should anyone "give allowances" to anyone because of their laziness to educate themself?

Education for most thais is from experience of life, necessity, and hard work, trying to feed their family, forraging and making money from nothing. You think they are lazy because they don't sit on their <deleted> reading books on how to drive politely?

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

So you are saying that it's fine to be a danger to others in traffic because of what... "need to first and foremost feed family"?

And there isn't a single person in Thailand who do not have an hour of spare time to read a book each day (illiterate excluded). If they, those you call "feed family" people, have time to watch brain dead Thai dramas for hours and hours... well... lazy isn't the word i would use for that kind of people.

[StreetCowboy]

We were lucky that motorisation came upon us gradually. And that early motor cars were primitive and lacking in performance. Now we are asking Thailand to leap from the ox cart to the autobahn. I never did that.

But at least I understand the difference between highway driving and village driving. We should all understand what rules apply, and make allowances for the less well educated who may not

SC

...

Why should anyone "give allowances" to anyone because of their laziness to educate themself?

To avoid accidents. You might be dead right in your criticism of Thai driving, but if you don't make allowances for the limitations of other drivers you could end up dead right but right dead.

SC

[huawei]

I totally get that Thailand isn't everyone's cup of tea.

But hate Thailand and Thais?

I'll never understand how someone gets to that mindset.

Unless, of course, the woman you married turned out to be a ladyboy who robbed you of your life savings.

Then I can understand.

Otherwise, I think anyone who hates Thailand and Thais probably had "issues" before they ever set foot on Thai soil which have little or nothing to do with Thailand and its people.

Yet so many " hate" their own countries..so what's hard to understand..

[huawei]

Why should anyone "give allowances" to anyone because of their laziness to educate themself?

Education for most thais is from experience of life, necessity, and hard work, trying to feed their family, forraging and making money from nothing. You think they are lazy because they don't sit on their <deleted> reading books on how to drive politely?

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What about the d..kheads in Mercedes etc..calling on their iPhones whilst driving..

Education from others who also don't know just adds to further ignorance...

Basic common sense dictates that people should be taught how to drive correctly as it can be dangerous to someone else..instead of just being able to buy a driving license..

Another defend the " poor" folk..they don't need a foreigner to do that..

[streboris]

The driving in thailand is pretty good compared to the driving I'm used to now here in Saudi.

I learnt fast here, if you don't adapt and learnt to drive their way, you end up getting in the way.

If everyone drives the wrong way down the wrong side of a duel carriage way. You have to learn to adapt and change your way, because if you stand firm, and go the right way into the flow of people coming the wrong way, you have a Headon collision that you caused because you were adamant that you were right.

And Idiots on phones is a world wide epidemic.

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