Freak Show

[hellyes2oo2]

I have lived in my Thai village for almost 13 years (apart from time spent running bars in Pattaya). I have never before got involved in the harvesting of the rice.

This year however, my brother in law is sick, with a heavy dose of the flu, and his son in law, who usually does all the donkey work involved, was working in Bangkok. So this morning they had over 200 hundred bags of rice to dry out. In our village there is a concrete five a side football pitch, which is used to dry out the rice, and today was their turn to use the pitch. As they were short of hands, I decided to give them a hand.

You would not believe the reaction of people. I think just because i choose not to work full time either here or back in England, Thai people think i can't work. I was working away lifting bags of rice into place, to open up and spread out for drying, when I heard a shout something like " Farang work work" when I looked up a guy was walking towards me, wanting to take a picture of me working, so I obliged, but within a few minutes, and it was unbelieveable, people were actually queing up to take pictures, Is it really so hard for thais to think that a farang can work?

[PREM-R]

I hope that none of the people taking pictures were from immigration

[SpokaneAl]

Many Thais seem to think that everything we have has been given to us by Obama, when the reality is that many of us worked long and hard for many decades and saved and invested carefully to arrive at our current position in life. They also seem to think the same about my Thai wife, when reality is that, even though she lived in the US and other countries, she worked her butt off and came home most days worn, tired and hungry. No one has given us anything.

[steven100]

I assume you had your work permit on you all the time ...........

[Jip99]

All Farangs are too rich to work!

[samsensam]

cultural ignorance. i'm sure many of the the low class uneducated in western countries have the same cultural ignorance and what they perceive as strange behaviour they may well react in a similar way.

[khwaibah]

cultural ignorance. i'm sure many of the the low class uneducated in western countries have the same cultural ignorance and what they perceive as strange behaviour they may well react in a similar way.

Just look at the GOP in the USA.

[SpokaneAl]

cultural ignorance. i'm sure many of the the low class uneducated in western countries have the same cultural ignorance and what they perceive as strange behaviour they may well react in a similar way.

Just look at the GOP in the USA.

And once again a post that has nothing to do with politics or the US is used to convince the rest of us of someone's perceived brilliance, insight and cleverness.

[hellyes2oo2]

I think the fact that i'm 62 years old, has maybe convinced them that i'm incapable of working. But hey there's life in the old dog yet

[khwaibah]

cultural ignorance. i'm sure many of the the low class uneducated in western countries have the same cultural ignorance and what they perceive as strange behaviour they may well react in a similar way.

Just look at the GOP in the USA.

And once again a post that has nothing to do with politics or the US is used to convince the rest of us of someone's perceived brilliance, insight and cleverness.

Put your western handy cap on the back burner then and only then you may understand Thailand. Just saying.

[ubonrthai]

I only clicked on the thread because I thought it said "freak snow."

Most of my neighbors over the years have asked why I do my own lawn care and landscaping.

[saakura]

To see a guy who has been running bars in Pattaya for a good part of 13 years to be suddenly seen harvesting rice would qualify as a freak show.

[KhunBENQ]

I can only agree with the topic starter.

Usually one of the family does the brush cutting in front of the house(s).

As I don't like their result (crushing all green to the ground leaving a desert) I recently decided to do that job on my own.

Put on long sleeve shirt, long trousers, real shoes and goggles and started the infernal machine.

What an event!

All passers-by gave some form of applause / thumbs-up or at least a consternated look

What they find completely "ting tong" is the fact, that I cut the edge of the road and clean it up.

My wife asked me whether I want to start working as a road sweeper at the thetsaban (municipality)

[Estrada]

cultural ignorance. i'm sure many of the the low class uneducated in western countries have the same cultural ignorance and what they perceive as strange behaviour they may well react in a similar way.

Just look at the GOP in the USA.

And once again a post that has nothing to do with politics or the US is used to convince the rest of us of someone's perceived brilliance, insight and cleverness.

So why did you mention Obama in your post on the subject? Quote: "Many Thais seem to think that everything we have has been given to us by Obama".

[dotpoom]

Many Thais seem to think that everything we have has been given to us by Obama, when the reality is that many of us worked long and hard for many decades and saved and invested carefully to arrive at our current position in life. They also seem to think the same about my Thai wife, when reality is that, even though she lived in the US and other countries, she worked her butt off and came home most days worn, tired and hungry. No one has given us anything.

I don't think Obama came to the shores of Ireland to dish out anything....why assume that every Farang is from the USA?

[SpokaneAl]

Many Thais seem to think that everything we have has been given to us by Obama, when the reality is that many of us worked long and hard for many decades and saved and invested carefully to arrive at our current position in life. They also seem to think the same about my Thai wife, when reality is that, even though she lived in the US and other countries, she worked her butt off and came home most days worn, tired and hungry. No one has given us anything.

I don't think Obama came to the shores of Ireland to dish out anything....why assume that every Farang is from the USA?

Sorry, I was not assuming anything. I was only discussing my experience from my perspective. I really have no business making any comments on Ireland or anywhere else.

[dotpoom]

I too got the same reaction when I rolled up my sleeves and "dug in" with the builders when they were building my house. I'm afraid I didn't view it in the same "romantic" light as you have.....it felt more like....."Look, the Farang can do tricks too"... I was doing things with a much better system then they themselves were.

[SpokaneAl]

Many Thais seem to think that everything we have has been given to us by Obama, when the reality is that many of us worked long and hard for many decades and saved and invested carefully to arrive at our current position in life. They also seem to think the same about my Thai wife, when reality is that, even though she lived in the US and other countries, she worked her butt off and came home most days worn, tired and hungry. No one has given us anything.

I don't think Obama came to the shores of Ireland to dish out anything....why assume that every Farang is from the USA?

Sorry, I was not assuming anything. I was only discussing my experience from my perspective. I really have no business making any comments on Ireland or anywhere else.

Thais have asked me more than once, "How much does Obama pay you every month?" in those exact words.

[dotpoom]

Many Thais seem to think that everything we have has been given to us by Obama, when the reality is that many of us worked long and hard for many decades and saved and invested carefully to arrive at our current position in life. They also seem to think the same about my Thai wife, when reality is that, even though she lived in the US and other countries, she worked her butt off and came home most days worn, tired and hungry. No one has given us anything.

I don't think Obama came to the shores of Ireland to dish out anything....why assume that every Farang is from the USA?

Sorry, I was not assuming anything. I was only discussing my experience from my perspective. I really have no business making any comments on Ireland or anywhere else.

No problem, I myself must apologize too, I am not usually so "picky". It was just that, combined with other instances like prices being quoted in Dollars, (not meaning yourself of course, latest yesterday) sometimes gets up my shirt, when we are living in Thailand. Especially the latter, why convert Thai Baht into Dollars and then post it , leaving those not from the USA to have to look up the value of a dollar and then convert it back into Thai Bath in order to understand what the poster is talking about.... God Bless.

[Assurancetourix]

Many Thais seem to think that everything we have has been given to us by Obama, when the reality is that many of us worked long and hard for many decades and saved and invested carefully to arrive at our current position in life. They also seem to think the same about my Thai wife, when reality is that, even though she lived in the US and other countries, she worked her butt off and came home most days worn, tired and hungry. No one has given us anything.

I don't think Obama came to the shores of Ireland to dish out anything....why assume that every Farang is from the USA?

He wrote Obama as he should wrote Merkel or Hollande ..

Sometimes , readind answers here, I ask me : did many people here have a sense of humour ?

[seancbk]

Many Thais seem to think that everything we have has been given to us by Obama, when the reality is that many of us worked long and hard for many decades and saved and invested carefully to arrive at our current position in life. They also seem to think the same about my Thai wife, when reality is that, even though she lived in the US and other countries, she worked her butt off and came home most days worn, tired and hungry. No one has given us anything.

I don't think Obama came to the shores of Ireland to dish out anything....why assume that every Farang is from the USA?

Sorry, I was not assuming anything. I was only discussing my experience from my perspective. I really have no business making any comments on Ireland or anywhere else.

Thais have asked me more than once, "How much does Obama pay you every month?" in those exact words.

You must know some really smart Thais.

[hellstens]

It is good to show, that we can work to :-)

But I have one question, every time someone say you help the family or a friend or the whole village,

some one very quick tells you can't work whiteout work permission,

you really need that, if you help without getting paid?

One thing if you work and get paid!

[1FinickyOne]

It gives them something to relate to - it is sharing - it is showing respect and contributing -

Being kind, generous and helpful all brings respect here - good for you.

and they were showing their appreciation.

[khwaibah]

It is good to show, that we can work to :-)

But I have one question, every time someone say you help the family or a friend or the whole village,

some one very quick tells you can't work whiteout work permission,

you really need that, if you help without getting paid?

One thing if you work and get paid!

Technically yes even if you are not receiving any pay.

[shirtless]

Good for you mate , Thais dont quite understand most of us have worked all our lives. Work is not sitting on a iphone behind a desk ignoring customers.

[NoshowJones]

I assume you had your work permit on you all the time ...........

I wonder how many expats (apart from the drunks who occupy barstools all day) can honestly say they have never defied the

Thai Immigration rules and done any unpaid work to help their wife or wifes family.

[NoshowJones]

To see a guy who has been running bars in Pattaya for a good part of 13 years to be suddenly seen harvesting rice would qualify as a freak show.

What about the overmuscled monkeymen wearing only vests?

Are they not a freak show?

[Assurancetourix]

As wrote khwaibah . we need a WP even we aren't paid for a work.

But we are in E-San, far from Bangkok and we can work here without a WP ;

I go often in the rice fields or sugarcane ones or hevea plantations in the night to help my family,

Don't know if I really help them; it was not my job in Europe !

But they like I'm with them ;

I remeber, it was about two or three years ago;

driving a farm tractor with a huge trailor in Sawang Daen Din city;

the policemen saw there were a farang behing the wheel ...and nothing happened ; only a large smile from them and a big salute.

[pugwash1]

I got much the same reaction here,they were amazed an old farang had it in him.But i did appreciate the cold beer they brought me.

[mercman24]

as said on a topic previous, it is a great shame this country does not tap into the wealth of experience from the ex pat community,even to do unpaid work you have to have a work permit, (because a thai could do this) yeah right, . i have seen their shoddy workmanship, they just need proper training that is all.