Thai men: brave, hardworking or just plain silly?

[TPI]

The difference is Education, Training and awareness. That's what the "nanny" states drum into you..

Thailand, sadly, not so much.

Perhaps but I think it's much deeper than that here.

Thailand still retains a lot of the feudal culture mentality.

Peasant lives don't really matter much here, do they?

Look at the way pedestrians are treated here. They are seen as expendable peasants.

If you actually kill one assuming you don't flee the scene (so common here and almost seen as normal and acceptable) ... what does it cost you, 5000 baht, if that?

The man changing the bulb was an expendable peasant and for him to stand up and say I want the tools to do this safely, even if he had that spark of intelligence / self worth valuing of his how own life in him which is very doubtful, he'd be out of his rice bowl right quick.

Sorry, yes I live here and nobody is making me live here, but I'm never going to admire that part of this culture which is like that.

Cheers.

It's the real truth, life is not worth a cracker in Asia in general! Singapore, four and a half million people......850 dead a year in construction accidents and this is with some of the most stringent safety rules in Asia!

[Bender]

you know when they build condo in Bkk, at least a couple of dozens workers will die.

If you wallk past any construction site, you can read the actual number of deaths on this site.

Once i saw 2 "body in a bag" leaving a construction site, the roof did collapse on them...

Edited November 12, 2015 by Bender

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

If you believe that you will return to earth in future as another person, why would you fear death ?

[mmh8]

I want to add some balance to this post. I know things were different in Europe and US maybe 50 years ago. e.g. no travelling in back of pick ups was made law in europe as they found workers getting killed as they were thrown out during collisions.

my deep down feeling is that not just the men, but thias in general lack a sense of their own safety in many situations. thus in conclusion brave hardworking or plain silly I would suggest fucki ng stupid is more accurate a description

[HooHaa]

My wife lets my 3 year old daughter sit in the front seat. I told her millions of times that the air bag can kill her. Her reply was that she drives carefully and my daughter is wearing a good luck amulet and not to worry.

No seat belt either or one that will strangle her.My niece and nephew sit in the back behind the seats or they don't go.Start climbing on the middle glove box,get back or else. Cheeky buggers asked me,or else what.I said, i don't want to be cleaning your brains and blood off the windscreen when i have an accident.

so you grew up wearing a seat belt?

i most certainly did not.

[Ace of Pop]

Need about 5 Union Fat Workshy Slobs to do such a terrifying job in the West

[fey]

He's a low wage earner who wants to keep his job and the boss wants a bulb changed. Suing the company is not an option even if you fall.

Not too hard to understand.

[Johnnyngai]

When a gigantic office tower was being built next to my building 25 years ago, I heard stories directly from the labourers, translated by my Thai colleagues, that their boss would go ape if anyone mentioned safety and they'd be sacked. I was told that about 1 person died every month on the site, and that the family of that person would be paid 100k baht to say nothing. The cost of deaths and injuries was built into the tender price. There was no insurance for the workers.

The same thing in mainland China up until about 8 years ago. I was lucky that I had the chance to leave my third world surrounding.

[elliss]

The Labour union representative is the one who should be responsible for this. I dont know if thailand have. But we all know that we in our countries have 1 in every company. Thats where it has to start.

Every Bar , should have a union representative / safety officer.

Wear safety gear, two warnings and , it,s out . ,

[lovelomsak]

I think fear is worse than taking risks. Fear controls you. risk frees you. Living with risk a person is alive, living with fear a person is crippled. I would rather be the guy climbing around fixing the light bulb than a guy on the ground having a heart attack watching.

Well! You are either Superman or Evil Knievel! I can't quite figure out which.

But what is for sure is that you have never seen a man lose a couple of fingers on a Construction Site for being careless with a grinding and cutting tool. Or a young man in a comma and perhaps a vegetable for the rest of his life because he fell off of a high railing in a Compressor Building, and hit his head on a cement floor, and all because nobody trained him or told him to wear a safety harness. Had you seen this like I have, I am sure you wouldn't be talking so smart.

There is a big difference between being Stupid and being Brave. Not being afraid when you are doing a dangerous act for your life, or others, is being Stupid. But winners of the highest award for Bravery in the USA, the "Congressional Medal of Honor", will all tell you this. They were scared Sh_tless when performing this act of courage. See the difference? .

I quess my post was a little misunderstood. I know fear and being scared shitless has happened a few times. Overcoming that fear to survive gives a man selfworth and confidence and to know living afraid of things is worse than death. Fear does cripple if not taken on head first.I have seen the light go out and fought well subconsious until it came back. Death is relaxing fear hurts you. I have been left for dead right here in Thailand 25 years ago. I didnot run away I am still here by choice. so i want you to know I do know the Difference.And I an all "Congressional Medal Of Honour " recipients would probably say the same. I have lashed myself to my boat with full sails singlehanding in 50 plus knot winds I know having to fight through fear also.

Edited November 13, 2015 by lovelomsak

[Plotholes]

Its a matter of choosing two out of the three - fast, cheap or safe.

Without the constrains of regulations, people choose fast and cheap.

[Laughing Gravy]

Its a very general statement with Thai men. Obviously this ones actions are questionable. To answer your statement I would say this. In 15 years I know of only two very hard working men and they are brave, who I would call friends. Just two Thai men as friends. I am sure there are lots more around. They both have PhD's from overseas which will help you get my reply.

[steven100]

I believe there are two reasons for lack of safety ................ I think awareness is not even in the mind, just get the job done.

it costs money to implement ........ & it's not enforced by law.

A mum and dad thai business could not afford all the requirements if it was enforced.

[FruitPudding]

The difference is Education, Training and awareness. That's what the "nanny" states drum into you..

Thailand, sadly, not so much.

Perhaps but I think it's much deeper than that here.

Thailand still retains a lot of the feudal culture mentality.

Peasant lives don't really matter much here, do they?

Look at the way pedestrians are treated here. They are seen as expendable peasants.

If you actually kill one assuming you don't flee the scene (so common here and almost seen as normal and acceptable) ... what does it cost you, 5000 baht, if that?

The man changing the bulb was an expendable peasant and for him to stand up and say I want the tools to do this safely, even if he had that spark of intelligence / self worth valuing of his how own life in him which is very doubtful, he'd be out of his rice bowl right quick.

Sorry, yes I live here and nobody is making me live here, but I'm never going to admire that part of this culture which is like that.

Cheers.

Ditch the western mindset, and consider how your average Thai views this life, the next life and the one before.

Thais arent burdened with concepts such as original sin, purgatory or hell.

This life is nothing more than a vehicle that carries them to the next.

LOL.

Poverty. When you live, literally, day to day, you'll take just about any job. And if a Thai won't do it, then there's always an illegal who is even more desperate. I've lived in CM a year now, and I don;t know how many people I've talked to who have been abused and cheated by their employers.

A bar manager told me just the other night that his staff was two days late getting paid because the owner got drunk the first night and had a "bellyache" the second. He couldn't be bothered to come in and pay them.

So, again, poverty.

Come the revolution, comrades!

Nonsense, he'd get another job paying the same tomorrow, if he was sacked.

[Asiantravel]

I think fear is worse than taking risks. Fear controls you. risk frees you. Living with risk a person is alive, living with fear a person is crippled. I would rather be the guy climbing around fixing the light bulb than a guy on the ground having a heart attack watching.

Well! You are either Superman or Evil Knievel! I can't quite figure out which.

But what is for sure is that you have never seen a man lose a couple of fingers on a Construction Site for being careless with a grinding and cutting tool. Or a young man in a comma and perhaps a vegetable for the rest of his life because he fell off of a high railing in a Compressor Building, and hit his head on a cement floor, and all because nobody trained him or told him to wear a safety harness. Had you seen this like I have, I am sure you wouldn't be talking so smart.

There is a big difference between being Stupid and being Brave. Not being afraid when you are doing a dangerous act for your life, or others, is being Stupid. But winners of the highest award for Bravery in the USA, the "Congressional Medal of Honor", will all tell you this. They were scared Sh_tless when performing this act of courage. See the difference? .

" There is a big difference between being Stupid and being Brave. Not being afraid when you are doing a dangerous act for your life, or others, is being Stupid."

such as persistently considering wearing a motorbike helmet on Thai roads is superfluous

[williamgeorgeallen]

as long as they don't start bashing us for coming to Thailand to bang their mothers, daughters, sisters or wives I don't care what they do. actually I find it hard to believe they let us do it.

[fang37]

Silly!

[kannot]

as long as they don't start bashing us for coming to Thailand to bang their mothers, daughters, sisters or wives I don't care what they do. actually I find it hard to believe they let us do it.

hmmmmmmmmmmm

[jerojero]

This is the way it's done in Thailand. Cultural norm and common practice.

[Pundi6446]

The only thing I can see is that it would be hotter then Hell up there, where there is no OSHA safety regulations, it's a no rules society for work ethics and safety.