What is the "stigma" about tank tops.

[joeyg]

2 minutes ago, paulsingle said:

I do. Should I be ashamed? 

Mostly at home or for the beach.

I've popped into Tesco Lotus and Big C in a tank top. Is that very bad?

My shorts are above the knee - I guess that's pretty outrageous

At 59 I'm not sure if I'm old but I have trimmed the hair under my arms which hopefully mitigates the revulsion precipitated by my slobbish apparel.

I like your style dude... 

[Ireland32]

19 hours ago, joeyg said:

Very common here  and So Cal.  In So Cal the only people that wore the "long short pants"  were the gang banger Cholo types.

Everybody wears  board shorts...in SoCal 

[paulsingle]

15 hours ago, joeyg said:

Thank you.  Yeah that's why I wear them.  If I was a fat pig I think I would have to rethink that though.  And there were a couple of nasty shots fired at me but no followups so it's all cool.  After all I'm wearing a sarong

This is very entertaining but also a little worrying. I am a little portly and wondering if I should burn my singlets in the light of some of the views expressed here.

[cyberfarang]

What people wear depends on how much a person respects themselves, how they want to be seen by other people and what type of impression they prefer to give out about themselves.

 

My choice of attire is smart casual, decent tee-shirt, trousers, socks and soft shoes. This means that when I am conducting business here, visiting my bank, out shopping or general socilising, wearing comfortable but smart clothing I gain more respect rather then looking like a layabout low end class slob or smelly armpit backpacker tourist.

[joeyg]

Ok now this is important!  The Strategic Rules for Men Wearing Tank Tops.  Legal Disclaimer: "No wives or other animals were beat during the making of this film.  Any scenes resembling trailer parks is purely coincidental.  The poster assume no liability for men or woman wearing tank tops living or dead."

 

 

[joeyg]

4 minutes ago, Ireland32 said:

Everybody wears  board shorts...in SoCal 

No dude that's just "In the Valley"  San Diego is all good bra'...

[joeyg]

4 minutes ago, cyberfarang said:

What people wear depends on how much a person respects themselves, how they want to be seen by other people and what type of impression they prefer to give out about themselves.

 

My choice of attire is smart casual, decent tee-shirt, trousers, socks and soft shoes. This means that when I am conducting business here, visiting my bank, out shopping or general socilising, wearing comfortable but smart clothing I gain more respect rather then looking like a layabout low end class slob or smelly armpit backpacker tourist.

I didn't realize it.  I guess I don't respect myself after all.  I think it all started as a child.

[55Jay]

Just now, joeyg said:

That's fair.  I try to never go West of third road.  It's like "the 5" in San Diego... 

Tropo's reaction above is fair too I guess, it's not just about the beach. 

 

Otherwise, this is an interesting, if not a "done to death" observation..... the gap between how foreigners - silly tourists in particular - perceive Thailand and Thais vs. actual reality. 

 

Take overt, flamboyant lady boys and gays, for example. To an un- indoctrinated tourist, it would appear Thailand is so open and accepting.  Some might attribute this wonderful cultural trait to an ill-informed, idyllic notion of Buddhism.

 

Scratch the surface, a more conservative, critical view can be found, suppressed to avoid unnecessary conflict and maintain superficial, social order. 

 

Ignorance is bliss.  Although I reckon some foreigners are aware of reality here and simply don't give a shit what "the Thais" think.

[SaintLouisBlues]

"Tank tops" is just marketing hype for colored singlet. I certainly wouldn't wear my singlet in public


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

[55Jay]

1 hour ago, joeyg said:

Never noticed that at all.  I take all people on a one to one basis.  Skin color is not a factor.  Now out in Fallbrook (former KKK strong hold), Riverside or up North in Orange County sure.

 

At the beach everybody was pretty chill.

Right.  Head East on I-8 for about 15-20 minutes, drop down into El Cajon, Lakeside and Santee.  Yee-Haw, ride 'em cowboy! 

 

Edit:  Which is one reason I love the place.  Surf in the morning.  Ride ATVs and horses at lunch.  Visit snow (maybe..) in the afternoon.  All sorts of people and mindsets between and betwixt the various landscapes.

Edited December 28, 2016 by 55Jay

[joeyg]

1 minute ago, 55Jay said:

Tropo's reaction above is fair too I guess, it's not just about the beach. 

 

Otherwise, this is an interesting, if not a "done to death" observation..... the gap between how foreigners - silly tourists in particular - perceive Thailand and Thais vs. actual reality. 

 

Take overt, flamboyant lady boys and gays, for example. To an un- indoctrinated tourist, it would appear Thailand is so open and accepting.  Some might attribute this wonderful cultural trait to an ill-informed, idyllic notion of Buddhism.

 

Scratch the surface, a more conservative, critical view can be found, suppressed to avoid unnecessary conflict and maintain superficial, social order. 

 

Ignorance is bliss.  Although I reckon some foreigners are aware of reality here and simply don't give a shit what "the Thais" think.

Excellent summation I think.  I would also like to "throw in" the fact that the "conservative, critical"  Thais are documented as being the most philandering cheating mates in the world.  First men woman in a close second.  Also Thailand is in the midst of a historic and chronic epidemic of spousal/domestic abuse #2 in SEA beat out only by India.  So when you say "some foreigners are aware of reality here and simply don't give a shit what "the Thais" think."  I think your spot on.

 

However when going to Temple, lecturing or or social occasion I make sure to dress accordingly. 

[joeyg]

16 minutes ago, paulsingle said:

This is very entertaining but also a little worrying. I am a little portly and wondering if I should burn my singlets in the light of some of the views expressed here.

Well "a little" is relative.  You can get back in good shape.  Calories in, calories out.  Work out you won't be sorry.  You can do it!  Getting to optimum weight and as fit as your able has so many benefits.  The list is to long.  Go for it.  Just please trim your pits... 

[joeyg]

7 minutes ago, 55Jay said:

Right.  Head East on I-8 for about 15-20 minutes, drop down into El Cajon, Lakeside and Santee.  Yee-Haw, ride 'em cowboy! 

 

Edit:  Which is one reason I love the place.  Surf in the morning.  Ride ATVs and horses at lunch.  Visit snow (maybe..) in the afternoon.  All sorts of people and mindsets between and betwixt the various landscapes.

Yeah San Diego is hard to beat.  Lived there 30 years.  Been seriously thinking about coming out of retirement ant moving back there in a few years...

[joeyg]

Athletic Shirt Video feed part two... 

 

[elgordo38]

20 hours ago, joeyg said:

I find them more comfortable and like getting more sun.  Who is Jerry Springer.

Geeze you are young. 

[joeyg]

3 minutes ago, elgordo38 said:

Geeze you are young. 

Nothing like a good nights sleep...

[elgordo38]

6 minutes ago, joeyg said:

Nothing like a good nights sleep...

Jerry was on during the daytime. Funny guy. 

[joeyg]

1 minute ago, elgordo38 said:

Jerry was on during the daytime. Funny guy. 

I looked it up on the internet.  Pretty unbelievable really.  On one show he asked the camera, "Why do yuo watch this show?"

 

[tropo]

5 hours ago, fruitman said:

 

So you think the Thai people in Pattaya are the same ones as in BKK??

 

 

There's no need to jump to absurd conclusions...

 

LOL> Do you think all people in Pattaya are different to all people in BKK?  

 

Personally, I wear tank tops where I consider them appropriate. That could be in Bangkok, Pattaya or anywhere else.

Edited December 28, 2016 by tropo

[joeyg]

5 minutes ago, tropo said:

There's no need to jump to absurd conclusions...

 

LOL> Do you think all people in Pattaya are different to all people in BKK?  

 

Personally, I wear tank tops where I consider them appropriate. That could be in Bangkok, Pattaya or anywhere else.

Yeah, yeah! Dats da ticket!!!  I wear 'em 95% of the time 'cause I live on the beach, in a beach town...

[tropo]

4 hours ago, dotpoom said:

You say you don't wear ones with advertising....because you don't "like to".

   I wouldn' t wear them either but for a different reason.....They're not paying me to advertise their stuff and I'm certainly not going to do it for free.

     I remember a time when companies paid people to advertise their goods.  Now when I see all these people who think they are "cool" with logos on their shirts, my mind's eye pictures a load of exectuvies up in some board room rubbing their hands together with glee looking at each other and grinning ....."Imagine guys, we used to actually pay people to advertise our stuff, now they are paying over the odds to do it for free for us, what a crazy world we live in....but keep it up public, we'er saving a fortune".

 

 

 

Do you strip all the logos off your mobile phone, car and all your other possessions? Just about everything we buy has logos.

[Gimbo]

Ah, the fashion police are on the lose. Luckily as a Norwegian I do not have to care, so shorts, t-shirts and flip flops it is :-)
(Just like everyone else I see)
 

[joeyg]

8 minutes ago, tropo said:

There's no need to jump to absurd conclusions...

 

LOL> Do you think all people in Pattaya are different to all people in BKK?  

 

Personally, I wear tank tops where I consider them appropriate. That could be in Bangkok, Pattaya or anywhere else.

I first saw BKK in 1972.  It was still mostly rice fields outside of downtown which we not long before, the US Air Force bombed the $$$$ out of.  Nice work guys.  NOT!  I've spent a lot of time in BKK over the years and was married to a wanna be Hi So Thai Chinese gal from a well to do family.

 

I know hard to believe as it may be, had "so called friends" from some of what were considered "top 10" elite families in BKK/Thailand.  No thanks.  after getting to know them, I avoided them.  I'll take Issan folks every time.

 

One thing about Pattaya I like.  I say we farangs are practically invisible here.  The Thais here are so jaded, unless people are acting like extreme asses which happens to often, we really don't phase them.  They're all just working.  Not matter what the job.

 

I am noticing a slight increase in attempts at customer service and good attitude to promote/preserve tourism.

 

In general I just like the Thai vibe especially when you can understand and speak a little Thai.  Years ago if it wasn't "sanuke" Thais weren't interested.  Now it really is all about the dollar/bhat.  Friends that visit are always put off by the vendors and hawkers.  I remind them most really are quite poor and they're just working.

 

And although we may appear to be "invisible" that don't miss any move we make.  In the neighborhood or on the streets.  Hell bhat bus drivers just pull over to pick me up now on the way home.  I don't have to ask them if they are going to Naklua.

 

I have lots of friends in BKK who are always on my case for not coming to visit them.  I always tell them to get out of the city and come down to the beach. If I never go back to BKK again it will be too soon.

 

 

[joeyg]

11 minutes ago, tropo said:

Do you strip all the logos off your mobile phone, car and all your other possessions? Just about everything we buy has logos.

I have taken "Badging" off cars.  Mostly "Bimmers" it was a fad for a while years ago when customizing.  Phones I find it hard to see the logos esp when they're in the case.  IPhones yeah easy to spot.

 

Can't miss those Chang logos on some fat guys stomach that looks like it could "blow" any second man.  I often find myself thinking how much fat people suffer really.  Or do they just get gradually used to carrying all that extra weight around.  Of course knees blow out early as well as low backs.  Gastric Reflux disease is almost 8x the national average.  And type two diabetes?  Think about it, outside of a small minority,  you have to earn it with poor lifestyle and gluttonous eating.

 

Did you know that more people die from obesity related illnesses in the world than starvation?  Makes ya wonder...

[smotherb]

I am always astonished at the fashion police; as if what you wear is more important than who you are.

[little mary sunshine]

2 hours ago, joeyg said:

I was raised in New Jersey in an Italian family all the men wore them including my grand father.  We were far from low class.  Middle class for sure.  Don't remember seeing PRs wearing them.

 

The only low class thing is your statement.

 

 

I'm related to half the Italians in NJ....it was the low

class Italians that wore them everywhere, perhaps

you're not quite middle class......We were middle to

upper class...Short Hills.

[joeyg]

1 minute ago, smotherb said:

I am always astonished at the fashion police; as if what you wear is more important than who you are.

Agreed of course.  You know the old saying "The clothes make the man."  There is an element of truth too it, I guess.  The interesting thing here, for me, is the Thai and perception of Thai psychology and social orientation.

 

I remember in the old days we had to were a shirt and tie in clinic, at the hospitals at least.  I used to get in trouble for not wearing ties or wearing golf shirts.

 

Some years later studies came out describing the huge colonization of bacteria, virus, fungus etc on the average tie.  A memo was generated asking clinicians not to wear ties.  Esp. when working around HIV/AIDS patients.  Yeah just ahead of the curve...

[tropo]

17 minutes ago, joeyg said:

I have taken "Badging" off cars.  Mostly "Bimmers" it was a fad for a while years ago when customizing.  Phones I find it hard to see the logos esp when they're in the case.  IPhones yeah easy to spot.

 

Can't miss those Chang logos on some fat guys stomach that looks like it could "blow" any second man.  I often find myself thinking how much fat people suffer really.  Or do they just get gradually used to carrying all that extra weight around.  Of course knees blow out early as well as low backs.  Gastric Reflux disease is almost 8x the national average.  And type two diabetes?  Think about it, outside of a small minority,  you have to earn it with poor lifestyle and gluttonous eating.

 

Did you know that more people die from obesity related illnesses in the world than starvation?  Makes ya wonder...

 

 

Not really the place to discuss diabetes, but thought I should put in a word. I've been in good shape my whole life and have always taken great care of what I eat (to the point of being a "health-nut" at times), and don't even consume alcohol - yet I'm pre-diabetic. You might be surprised to learn that often what you see - fat people with big guts - are a result of diabetes, not the other way around. i.e. they are not diabetic because they are fat but fat because they are diabetic. IMHO shaming fat people or people with big guts by saying they made themselves diabetic is not helpful and quite wrong.

Edited December 28, 2016 by tropo

[joeyg]

6 minutes ago, little mary sunshine said:

 

 

I'm related to half the Italians in NJ....it was the low

class Italians that wore them everywhere, perhaps

you're not quite middle class......We were middle to

upper class...Short Hills.

Half? Hummm no comment. Short Hills.  Yeah that explains it.  People in Glen Ridge and Essex Fells thought they were pretty hot shit too.  Until we got them on the football field or on the ice playing hockey.   I was raised in Newark.  We weren't "rich."  I can assure you though we we're low class.

 

Newark was a great education in survival and street smarts.  Glad I got out of there when I was 18.  Really prepared me for a tour of Vietnam.

[smotherb]

Just now, joeyg said:

Agreed of course.  You know the old saying "The clothes make the man."  There is an element of truth too it, I guess.  The interesting thing here, for me, is the Thai and perception of Thai psychology and social orientation.

 

I remember in the old days we had to were a shirt and tie in clinic, at the hospitals at least.  I used to get in trouble for not wearing ties or wearing golf shirts.

 

Some years later studies came out describing the huge colonization of bacteria, virus, fungus etc on the average tie.  A memo was generated asking clinicians not to wear ties.  Esp. when working around HIV/AIDS patients.  Yeah just ahead of the curve...

We are talking about what we wear in Thailand. While I  do not see many well-to-do Thais wearing  tank tops; I do see shorts and sandals worn by well-to-do Thais while shopping in malls, going to cinemas, going out to dinner, attending Rotary meetings and at university seminars.  I think the Thai mindset on appropriate casual clothing is changing. Certainly hi-so Thai women wearing clothes with bare shoulders is nothing new here in the LOS.