Politics and other pointless discussions.

[overherebc]

Why do people on a social night out want to start discussing politics in relation to their home country when they haven't been there for years.

Or even business matters when no one else in the party is involved or interested.

Or how they are investing in Thailand, in land and houses etc.

[pgrahmm]

Out of touch sharing - reaching out? The world is in a different place now than when they left it....

Low self esteem?

Subjects they feel comfortable with - which may be inane for others?

Some love to stir the pot & control.....

I like to be quiet & listen first....Tells me whether to participate or not....

[overherebc]

Agree but I can't help saying something like 'does it make a difference to the cost of your beer here'.

My way of trying to steer the conversation away from a point that is boring to everyone at the table.

For me a social night out is for enjoyment, not to discuss the worlds problems.

[swissie]

Most of us were raised in Democracies. So we talk about politics. It's in our blood.

Money/Investment matters: An increasing number of Investor-Farangs are starting to wonder, if they have possibly been betting on the wrong horse.

- There are alternatives: At every social-gathering, there is usually a corner where Farangs heatedly discuss "where can I get the cheapest Citterio-Salami in town?"

If that's not enough, one can always join the "Thai-Wifes corner". There, in no time at all, one will be well informed about the latest Soap-Opera developments on TV.

Clearly, there are alternatives. Witch discussions are more pointless remains in the eye of the beholder.

Cheers.

[overherebc]

The discussion on the Salami is one I would go for ☺

It's the seriousness, is that word? of the ideas especially on the political side that gets to me.

And sorry to disappoint but believe me Thai soap operas don't ever come into it.

[StreetCowboy]

I find it hard to believe that witch discussions are more pointless, though I suppose that since we stopped burning them at the stake, that may be the case.

"This trial is pointless!"

"Aye, well, you would say that, Vlad the Impaler, but the consensus is that if she's guilty, we burn her" and a heated discussion ensued.

[overherebc]

I find it hard to believe that witch discussions are more pointless, though I suppose that since we stopped burning them at the stake, that may be the case.

"This trial is pointless!"

"Aye, well, you would say that, Vlad the Impaler, but the consensus is that if she's guilty, we burn her" and a heated discussion ensued.

Did it make the beer more expensive ??

[TuskegeeBen]

Despite many foreign menfolk having a comfortable life, together with a Thai lady, you only have the real life roots that you brought with you, to the LOS, and then provide an up-grade the quality level to that life, yourself.

Essentially, you are alone here (in the LOS), particularly on the cognitive consciousness levels. Many expats will fananatically deny this fact, as a means of justifying their rationale for permanently remaining there. The LOS is peaceful (for thr most part), the womenfolk are the best "available & accommodating" eye-candy in Asia, plus the food and accommodations are affordable. However, life in the LOS can still leave a spiritual void in the farang's life, regardless the size of his purse, or the amount of Heinekens comsumed.

Thus, all praises are due to the creators of the TVF. It’s a medium of entertainment, an intellectual or information exchange platform, a “bitching-post” (sounding board) for venting individual frustrations, or an available "neutral" platform where people can simply meet, and give each other, a much needed, reassuring hug.

Hence, the TVF simply dispels the spiritual loneliness of being, the perpetually tolerated farang of the village

Perhaps this explanation answers your question. I certainly hope so. Cheers, and best wishes to you

Edited April 22, 2016 by TuskegeeBen

[Enoon]

Despite many foreign menfolk having a comfortable life, together with a Thai lady, you only have the real life roots that you brought with you, to the LOS, and then provide an up-grade the quality level to that life, yourself.

Essentially, you are alone here (in the LOS), particularly on the cognitive consciousness levels. Many expats will fananatically deny this fact, as a means of justifying their rationale for permanently remaining there. The LOS is peaceful (for thr most part), the womenfolk are the best "available & accommodating" eye-candy in Asia, plus the food and accommodations are affordable. However, life in the LOS can still leave a spiritual void in the farang's life, regardless the size of his purse, or the amount of Heinekens comsumed.

Thus, all praises are due to the creators of the TVF. It’s a medium of entertainment, an intellectual or information exchange platform, a “bitching-post” (sounding board) for venting individual frustrations, or an available "neutral" platform where people can simply meet, and give each other, a much needed, reassuring hug.

Hence, the TVF simply dispels the spiritual loneliness of being, the perpetually tolerated farang of the village

Perhaps this explanation answers your question. I certainly hope so. Cheers, and best wishes to you

Embrace the void:

"People in this world look at things mistakenly, and think that what they do not understand must be the void. This is not the true void. It is bewilderment."

"When your spirit is not in the least clouded, when the clouds of bewilderment clear away, there is the true void." Miyamoto Musashi.

[pgrahmm]

Where words are scarce they are seldom spent in vain.....

Shakespeare...

[JingerBen]

Despite many foreign menfolk having a comfortable life, together with a Thai lady, you only have the real life roots that you brought with you, to the LOS, and then provide an up-grade the quality level to that life, yourself.

Essentially, you are alone here (in the LOS), particularly on the cognitive consciousness levels. Many expats will fananatically deny this fact, as a means of justifying their rationale for permanently remaining there. The LOS is peaceful (for thr most part), the womenfolk are the best "available & accommodating" eye-candy in Asia, plus the food and accommodations are affordable. However, life in the LOS can still leave a spiritual void in the farang's life, regardless the size of his purse, or the amount of Heinekens comsumed.

Thus, all praises are due to the creators of the TVF. It’s a medium of entertainment, an intellectual or information exchange platform, a “bitching-post” (sounding board) for venting individual frustrations, or an available "neutral" platform where people can simply meet, and give each other, a much needed, reassuring hug.

Hence, the TVF simply dispels the spiritual loneliness of being, the perpetually tolerated farang of the village

Perhaps this explanation answers your question. I certainly hope so. Cheers, and best wishes to you

From one Ben to another let me thank you for a perceptive post.

Can't argue with any of your points, but might add that it helps to have a life here that includes meaningful work and a good family.

[jacko45k]

It is called conversation, although politics is one normally to be avoided.

People like to talk and perhaps tell you their woes.

You did not make any suggestions for subjects that perhaps you prefer, or would you suggest sitting in silence?

[Krataiboy]

Politics and business matters? In your dreams. Booze, birds and the English Premier League are the norm among the falang bores one meets here - along, of course, with rubbishing their adopted homeland and its indigenous population.

[xen]

Politics, Poetry and Philosophy - is there anything more the intellectually well rounded TV member would prefer to discuss ?

[mesterm]

Just because it's uninteresting to you doesn't mean it's irrelevant.

I'd rather listen to someone's political views and discuss them, than have a 1 hour discourse on salami. Even if I did have to sit and listen to someone talk about salami, it still doesn't mean I'm going to get on an online forum the next day and whine about it.

Maybe you're just shallow?

Edited April 23, 2016 by mesterm

[jeab1980]

Why do people on a social night out want to start discussing politics in relation to their home country when they haven't been there for years.

Or even business matters when no one else in the party is involved or interested.

Or how they are investing in Thailand, in land and houses etc.

Not only on night outside but on here all time

[ThailandLOS]

Why do people on a social night out want to start discussing politics in relation to their home country when they haven't been there for years.

Maybe coz they still care?

Or even business matters when no one else in the party is involved or interested.

To big themselves up

Or how they are investing in Thailand, in land and houses etc.

See above

[jippytum]

These days when visiting restaurateurs and bars especially in Chaing Mai most of the patrons seem more interested in taking advantage of the free internet and spend most of the time looking at smartphones or notebooks .Conversation is limited especially with the younger generation who seem obsessed with social media to the determent of social conversation.

[Sooo Upto Me]

Agree but I can't help saying something like 'does it make a difference to the cost of your beer here'.

My way of trying to steer the conversation away from a point that is boring to everyone at the table.

For me a social night out is for enjoyment, not to discuss the worlds problems.

Well u know the best solution

Don't <deleted>. Sit with them.

[Sooo Upto Me]

Politics and business matters? In your dreams. Booze, birds and the English Premier League are the norm among the falang bores one meets here - along, of course, with rubbishing their adopted homeland and its indigenous population.

Ru Thai or a scouser?

[F4UCorsair]

Meaningless/pointless to the OP perhaps, but I'd wager many would think that of your conversation.

Tolerance my friend, just as others are surely tolerant of you!

[dick dasterdly]

Meaningless/pointless to the OP perhaps, but I'd wager many would think that of your conversation.

Tolerance my friend, just as others are surely tolerant of you!

Which brings us to the obvious question - what would the OP prefer to talk about?

[F4UCorsair]

Agree but I can't help saying something like 'does it make a difference to the cost of your beer here'.

My way of trying to steer the conversation away from a point that is boring to everyone at the table.

For me a social night out is for enjoyment, not to discuss the worlds problems.

So what are your topics of conversation?

Others would, I'm sure, see some of those topics as irrelevant, trite, or foolish, particularly if they involve hookers and booze, favorites with many expats.

[mesterm]

These days when visiting restaurateurs and bars especially in Chaing Mai most of the patrons seem more interested in taking advantage of the free internet and spend most of the time looking at smartphones or notebooks .Conversation is limited especially with the younger generation who seem obsessed with social media to the determent of social conversation.

Maybe they're googling for good salami and beer prices. OP might know.

[chrisinth]

The 3 unwritten topics that shouldn't be discussed in bars where i grew up was always Politics, Religion & football.

Of course that didn't happen. Football wasn't much of a problem in Belfast in the 70's, but the other 2 could get you in big trouble very fast........................

I have always remembered the unwritten, and tend to keep my beliefs, however small, to myself.

[StreetCowboy]

The 3 unwritten topics that shouldn't be discussed in bars where i grew up was always Politics, Religion & football.

Of course that didn't happen. Football wasn't much of a problem in Belfast in the 70's, but the other 2 could get you in big trouble very fast........................

I have always remembered the unwritten, and tend to keep my beliefs, however small, to myself.

Politics, religion and football? What were the other two topics?

[StreetCowboy]

...

I'd rather listen to someone's political views and discuss them, than have a 1 hour discourse on salami. Even if I did have to sit and listen to someone talk about salami, it still doesn't mean I'm going to get on an online forum the next day and whine about it.

Maybe you're just shallow?

While we're talking sausages, I had some pretty poor sausages in the pub the other night. To call them rancid would be an exaggeration rather than a lie Edited April 23, 2016 by StreetCowboy

[bangkokjulia]

Simple-opinions are like a rseholes-everyone has one

[TuskegeeBen]

Despite many foreign menfolk having a comfortable life, together with a Thai lady, you only have the real life roots that you brought with you, to the LOS, and then provide an up-grade the quality level to that life, yourself.

Essentially, you are alone here (in the LOS), particularly on the cognitive consciousness levels. Many expats will fananatically deny this fact, as a means of justifying their rationale for permanently remaining there. The LOS is peaceful (for thr most part), the womenfolk are the best "available & accommodating" eye-candy in Asia, plus the food and accommodations are affordable. However, life in the LOS can still leave a spiritual void in the farang's life, regardless the size of his purse, or the amount of Heinekens comsumed.

Thus, all praises are due to the creators of the TVF. It’s a medium of entertainment, an intellectual or information exchange platform, a “bitching-post” (sounding board) for venting individual frustrations, or an available "neutral" platform where people can simply meet, and give each other, a much needed, reassuring hug.

Hence, the TVF simply dispels the spiritual loneliness of being, the perpetually tolerated farang of the village

Perhaps this explanation answers your question. I certainly hope so. Cheers, and best wishes to you

Embrace the void:

"People in this world look at things mistakenly, and think that what they do not understand must be the void. This is not the true void. It is bewilderment."

"When your spirit is not in the least clouded, when the clouds of bewilderment clear away, there is the true void." Miyamoto Musashi.

Enoon has a resentful person's penchant for playing the "one-upmanship game" on the forum.

Musashi wrote relative to the realities of 17th. century Japanese (Samurai) life, not 21st century Thai farang life.

Thus, quoting Musashi, as a response my post, instead of the OP, was akin to mixing apples, harvested in the 17th. century, with oranges consumed in the 21st. Sigh!

However, in a effort to dispell any possible further confusion about my meaning, I'll rephrase: "A westerner's life in the LOS can still leave him spiritually vacant, regardless the size of his purse, or the amount of Heinekens consumed."

Thank you,

Edited April 23, 2016 by TuskegeeBen

[TuskegeeBen]

Simple-opinions are like a rseholes-everyone has one