Same Same, But Not Different

[eldragon]

It's safe to say the things that annoy us in the Land of Smiles are more common here or happen way more often than they do back home. I don't need to watch my back for motorcycles when I'm walking on a sidewalk in good old USA. I also don't (not that often) need to ask myself if someone is afraid to tell me the truth for no apparent reason and is thus embellishing things a bit.

 

What about the things foreigners complain about that seem unique to Thailand, but are actually quite common in the west? Or things that also happen in the west, but are more subtle? (Corruption is an easy one. Or girls like guys that have money.) And what things are just a result of being a foreigner? For example, I often complain that I don't connect with Thai people b/c they're not that curious about my life and don't want to know anything about where I come from. But I can't say that people back home really care about foreigners that much. I mean, a few do. But most don't. 

 

In short, how is your country just like Thailand?

[Wilsonandson]

Well coming from Yorkshire originally I must say that its not the same and is completely the opposite of Thailand.

1) The weather - Blooming cold to humid heat.

2) Happiness - Miserable folk to smiley, happy people.

3) Food - Steak and Ale pie with potatoes, vegetables and gravy to fried rice and pork.

4) Women - Hilda Ogden types with a rolling pin to shaven asian ravers front page.

5) Life style - Charity Shops, carboot sales, cheap 3 litre bottles of cider and walking the dog to Shopping malls, paradise beaches, fancy restaurants and swimming pools.

6) Sense of humour - This is were I can relate. The sense of humour of most Thais I've met is similar to mine and my home country.

[realenglish1]

Girls in general are not hug up about sex . Boys are stupid  Thais do not think for themselves 

Families generally are tight together. Education is not as good in Thailand as the west.

Cost of living is lower hear

Cars are more expensive because of the taxes 

and I could go on and on

[Enoon]

 

"Everywhere people are the similar in their desires, but differ in their customs"

[gemguy]

Some aspects of living here in Thailand will always be somewhat of an illusion while other aspects of living here are in your face everyday.

I would say you have to practice a whole lot of patience and reserve here in Thailand more so than many other countries.

If you are doing business here in Thailand or live here because of business reasons then the perspective you have or develop will be considerably different than people that are retired here or coming and going on vacation multiple times while everyone is subject to many of the same or similar anomalies and peculiarities of Thailand.

Some of it you will come to Love and some of it you will come to Loathe.

I think most foreigners that live here for a long time and therefore subjected to all the more of what goes on here in Thailand ( everyday ) develop a Love / Loathe  relationship with Thailand while everyone's degree of how much loathing develops verses how much love develops depends on many factors and too many factors to encompass.......

After coming here since 1978 and living here since 1986 I have never met one foreigner yet who does not want to secretly "open up" and scream at the top of their lungs just how many " Living in Thailand"  based issues aggravate the hell out of them concerning all that is entailed while living here and or working here and or spending more than enough time to be well subjected to Thailand and Thai people mentality and attitudes and the Thai ways and all that Thailand has and is  .......The good, the bad and the ugly aspects that are more or less unavoidable if you have been here for long enough.

Obviously near everyone likes enough of the good aspects to keep them here or coming back for more......whatever those aspects be for each person while many of them are universal and agreed upon.

Cheers

 

Edited December 5, 2016 by gemguy

[NoshowJones]

"In short, how is your country just like Thailand"?  It isn't, there are far more positives here in Thailand than in the UK. Where politicians  and the rich are concerned, even corruption is worse than in Thailand. Thai politicians don't have the brains to hide how they benefit from corruption, whereas UK politicians and all the rich have, ie ,expenses, not paying the taxes they should by hiding their fortunes abroad, MPs drawing their full salary while moonlighting by working as solicitors, company directors etc.

[4MyEgo]

It's not, that's what I like about it.

 

I live in a village amongst mainly poor rice farmers, they go about their business as I do mine, if I am out and about at a local market which is seldom, eyes are gazed upon me as if I was a movie star or a freak, it used to bother me, but not anymore, after all, how often do they see a foreigner here, and a hanhom one at that.

 

I can just about get everything I want here as I could back in Sydney, Australia within an hours drive in either direction, that is if I am going away from my local Tesco store which is quite big and has a lot of good stuff.

 

There in never any real traffic, everybody is in that "whenever, whatever, mood" which took me a little while to get used to, because coming from the slave trade and constantly being beaten to perform and deliver or face 1,000 lashes took me a while to relax in fear of having my guard down and being beaten again.

 

The cost of living here is something I don't have to think about, because everything is cheaper then back in Sydney and in some cases on par, like the great beef that I buy from a cattle station in Sakon Nakhon, I reckon its a better bite than the Aussie meat, and it has to do with the cross Thai/French.

 

The airport is an hours drive, and then an hour 50 flight to Phuket which is the place I visit twice a year and is inexpensive, a good hotel that I frequent is 1,400 baht a night in June or December, and is within a 5-10 minute walk to all the action, you don't have that back home, and you would never find a hotel for anywhere near that kind of money.

 

Sure there are things that get on my nerves at times, but hey, things get on my nerves back in Sydney, suffice to say, we all have to learn to live and let go, moving forward is easier than holding onto whatever is annoying us, it takes time, but it gets easier to get used too.

 

If you asked me what is my biggest issue, its the smoke from the burning, which is banned back in Oz, so when going out, I take a deep breath and get in the car, but going outside when its in the air is a major problem, and the fact that this is not seen as a potential respiratory problem for Thai's, new born's and the older amazes me that they don't put a stop to it, but while I am living here, and a guest in their country, I have a choice, of which I choice to remain when I weigh up all the good Vs all the bad. 

Edited December 6, 2016 by 4MyEgo

[Minnehaha]

never heard of a Thaivisa forum where foreigners compare differences between their home countries and their present country

 

that's different.

by the way,

how does a fish know it is in water?

[MaxiMaxi]

After my birth I was taken to Germany where I gruw up 10 years before returning to my homeland and study, work as far east supervisor all over Asia for 35 years, coming and going all time and seeing many countries but since 1980 my desire was come live in Thailand and so I have done in spite of coming from a land where is beautiful to live and is bful itself for the environment, the climate, the food, the mountains, the beaches, the islands and much more....but the rules are so strickt just for the people but not for the politicians that cannot stay there anymore and so many like me left.

In conclusion my country (Italy) is sure not same Thailand, many things better many others worse but in this time of my life I prefear to live in Thailand in spite of many things I have there that I don't have here....in future I don't know, life is always a surprise but when I think what makes me feel bad in my country then I am more convinced to stay here.....

[Berkshire]

OP says: "For example, I often complain that I don't connect with Thai people b/c they're not that curious about my life and don't want to know anything about where I come from."

 

Are you freakin serious?  I'm not the least bit interested in your life or anything about where you came from.  Ditto most people that I meet.  You need to get off your high horse and come down to the real world.  You're not that interesting. 

[eldragon]

On 12/6/2016 at 2:39 PM, Minnehaha said:

never heard of a Thaivisa forum where foreigners compare differences between their home countries and their present country

 

that's different.

by the way,

how does a fish know it is in water?

 

What do you talk about with the people you meet? Most foreigners I know that speak Thai well say Thais generally aren't interesting in knowing new things and don't discuss matters of importance.

 

Anyway, this thread was meant to discuss ways our home countries are similar to Thailand. Ways the countries are not as different as we tend to think. Seems like most people want to tell their boring story about why they chose Thailand. No wonder everyone says it's the same old same old here on TVF.