Has Thailand Changed You?

[Inspire]

Has Thailand Changed You?

Orlando Barton

 

 

When expats first meet, there’s a feeling out process. Eventually you come around to finding out how long each other have been living in Thailand. If you meet someone who has been here longer than you, it is only proper to show respect until they prove they don’t deserve it. If a person has been here significantly less time than myself, I reflexively try to figure out what stage they are in. When you asked someone how long they’ve been here and they start their answer with “Well, the first time I came was ….” they are about to try and impress you with a fictitious number and are full of crap.

 

Inevitably we are drawn to people who’ve been here a similar amount of time; even more so if they are a similar age. We all want someone to relate to and compare notes with. And more often than not, we end up talking about how Thailand has changed us … or not.

 

To be sure I’ve picked up some habits here in Thailand that seem peculiar to my fellow countrymen. For instance, I take off my shoes in my house … anyone’s house actually. When I visited my brother in the US and he constantly fell over my shoes at the front door, he thought it was me trying to “be Asian”. When he came to see me in Thailand he found out that shoes in the house is a real no-no. I find that this is a habit lots of expats pick up.

 

Full story: http://www.inspirepattaya.com/lifestyle/thailand-changed/

 

 

-- © Copyright Inspire Pattaya 2017-03-12

[Jingthing]

Taking shoes off in the house is very common in the U. S.

[colinneil]

OP you ask has Thailand changed you?

Well in my case yes, it has made me a more cynical, non trusting, bad tempered old bugger.

[swissie]

Taking off my shoes ? Of course ! But I can top it. I always completely take off my clothes !

 

This makes me very popular. I get so many invitations, I am considering selling my house.

Cheers.

[JAFO]

5 hours ago, colinneil said:

OP you ask has Thailand changed you?

Well in my case yes, it has made me a more cynical, non trusting, bad tempered old bugger.

Wait. So you were cynical, non trusting, bad tempered person before and Thailand made it worse?  Doesn't sound like Thailand changed you, you getting old made it worse. 555

[KMartinHandyman]

Taking shoes off in the house is very common in the U. S.

That's true.
A friend recently told of being asked to take off his shoes in a Chinese American's home during an estimate visit. The ladies cocker spaniel pooped on the carpet and they stated the dog has a bad habit of doing that and apologized to which he replied "and you were worried about my shoes!". They had an awkward laugh and he got the job.

[Get Real]

Has Thailand change me or anybody else. Yeah, I would think that nobody get away from that. It can be in a good way, or it can be in a bad, but definitely changing people in some way.

[PatOngo]

Now I find I am never wrong and it's always someone else's fault!

[jollyhangmon]

No, hasn't changed me, what's supposed to resemble 'pizza' in the postings pic i'd happily give a fairly wide pass 4 shua.

Looks like already eaten once plus who in hell puts that damned Coriander even on something like a theoretical pizza - just because it looks very distantly like OREGANO they might have seen on photos? Double-Yuck!

 

Generations of I-talians spinning in their graves at highest possible rpm's, wait for the reports of seismic activity - actually it's not the Aetna volcano that's acting up right now  

 

Happy to be back home every summer for some of the real thing ...  

[Laza 45]

" When you asked someone how long they’ve been here and they start their answer with “Well, the first time I came was ….” they are about to try and impress you with a fictitious number and are full of crap. "...   I don't agree with this statement... I first came in 1979.. although I didn't return for many years that first encounter stayed with me and led me to come back again and eventually choose  Thailand as the place I want to live..   I have many friends with similar stories... they are not 'full of crap'..

 

As far as changes... when I was in business in Australia I was pretty wound up and stressed.. living here has helped me slow down and relax and not take things too seriously... to be sure there are still things that piss me off but I think that I have become more tolerant and accepting that there are different ways of seeing and doing things.. my wife constantly saying 'mai pen rai' and 'jai yen yen' took awhile to sink in.. but I'm getting there.. 

[KittenKong]

12 hours ago, colinneil said:

OP you ask has Thailand changed you?

Well in my case yes, it has made me a more cynical, non trusting, bad tempered old bugger.

 

Before I came here I was old, bitter, twisted and rich.

 

Now I'm just old, bitter and twisted.

[ExpatOilWorker]

I am too old to fight anybody and too young to be grumpy. Just in the perfect sweet zone.

[fitzcaraldo]

We change a bit but the main question is could you change thailand ?

[PatOngo]

1 hour ago, fitzcaraldo said:

We change a bit but the main question is could you change thailand ?

 That's funny!

[NoshowJones]

Yes it has, I could never have kept a relationship for twelve years back in the UK without any break ups, but after nearly twelve years my relationship here in Thailand with my wife is as strong as ever. Also, I have often got out and confronted drivers for their attitude on the roads but would never do that here in Thailand, yet the driving standards are much worse. So there is two ways in which Thailand has changed me.

[Suradit69]

14 hours ago, colinneil said:

OP you ask has Thailand changed you?

Well in my case yes, it has made me a more cynical, non trusting, bad tempered old bugger.

Whereas before you came to Thailand you were a marginally less cynical, non-trusting, bad tempered young bugger?

 

Some people pay good money to psychologists and psychiatrists to help them discover themselves and to release the inner self from the constipating restraints of typical farang nanny state culture. You got that for the price of an air ticket and a few nights cruising the bars in search of love. Good job.

[klauskunkel]

yes

[smotherb]

Well, the first time I came here was 1967

[maximillian]

I became a very bad driver as I have well adjusted to Thai style driving.

Back home would be incarcerated in no time for driving like I do here.

 

First visit to Thailand in 1974.

[gandalf12]

3 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

Before I came here I was old, bitter, twisted and rich.

 

Now I'm just old, bitter and twisted.

If you are no longer rich you forgot to add stupid to your list

[paulsingle]

It's making me lazy at home because my good lady doesn't expect me to lift a finger to do anything around the house. I have to do domestic chores when she's not looking otherwise she insists on doing everything herself and I acquiesce.

Also, I wouldn't want to live without a bum gun anymore.

I'm a newbie so feel free to set me right if you feel I'm speaking out of terms.

When I first came here in 2002.... 

[sfokevin]

13 hours ago, swissie said:

Taking off my shoes ? Of course ! But I can top it. I always completely take off my clothes !

 

This makes me very popular. I get so many invitations, I am considering selling my house.

Cheers.

This will change as you age...  

[KittenKong]

37 minutes ago, gandalf12 said:

If you are no longer rich you forgot to add stupid to your list

 

This forum lacks a "facetious" emoticon.

[steven100]

yes,   now i drink piss all day and bang as much as i can  

just drink and bang.

[bananafish]

Yes, it has changed me. 

I didn't leave home because I disliked it or didn't have friends. I liked it and had many friends. And I didn't come here with the intention of staying.

I now dislike it back home, and bar a select few, couldn't care if I ever see most of those friends ever again.

 

So I've definitely changed. 

[bananafish]

Or more I've realised which friends back home are my real friends, because I miss them.  And there are others who were my friends before I came here, and I now actively wish to never meet them again. 

[Get Real]

5 hours ago, jollyhangmon said:

No, hasn't changed me, what's supposed to resemble 'pizza' in the postings pic i'd happily give a fairly wide pass 4 shua.

Looks like already eaten once plus who in hell puts that damned Coriander even on something like a theoretical pizza - just because it looks very distantly like OREGANO they might have seen on photos? Double-Yuck!

 

Generations of I-talians spinning in their graves at highest possible rpm's, wait for the reports of seismic activity - actually it's not the Aetna volcano that's acting up right now  

 

Happy to be back home every summer for some of the real thing ...  

Nja! You are a little bit wrong there, my dear friend. The pizza in the picture is what they call a gourmet pizza. The vegetable you see and that reminds you about coriander, is actually spinnach which is very common on stone baked pizza´s coming from a high class kitchen. Everyday we learn something new, and the world is still same damn wonderful!

[Get Real]

1 hour ago, smotherb said:

Well, the first time I came here was 1967

Aaaha! You´re full of crap, ain´t you? LOL

Edited March 12, 2017 by Get Real

[gemguy]

Hmmmmm...I am changing while I do not look the way I used to....

It all happened in Thailand ....lol

 

Edited March 12, 2017 by gemguy

[jollyhangmon]

34 minutes ago, Get Real said:

Nja! You are a little bit wrong there, my dear friend. The pizza in the picture is what they call a gourmet pizza. The vegetable you see and that reminds you about coriander, is actually spinnach which is very common on stone baked pizza´s coming from a high class kitchen. Everyday we learn something new, and the world is still same damn wonderful!

Well, i won't discuss 'gourmet' in regard of pizza and Thailand in the same sentence, doesn't look too delicious to me either ... but spinach on top  i came across already, yes. Wasn't that bad.

Just looked different - a lot better actually, wouldn't have eaten it otherwise.

The coriander was an educated guess (11 o'clock, not that green pile in the center which hopefully resembles spinach) as pretty much everything here easily gets ruined by that cabbage.

But with you being an expert obviously, what's that white slimy lump at 4 o'clock supposed to be, sure does look fairly disgusting ... 

 

However, i'll stick with the I-talians, just a stone's throw from back home and lots of good pizza chefs in-country.