This Thailand Falang F.I.F.O.

[starky]

Got an interesting acronym we use in Oz generally aimed at immigrants. I think the Thais should adopt it as well F.I.F.O (Fit In or <deleted> Off).

There are many things here that shock, sadden even appall me, but that's the price of admission. The chaos is one of the things that attracted me to the place. Certainly not wasting time or energy on things over which I have no control. I can accept the road toll.

I can accept people riding bikes on the wrong side of the road, choosing not to wear helmets or riding in the back of a pick-up. I can accept kids riding motorcycles and that for one week, once a year everyone loses their mind and starts throwing ice water and talc and even more people die. I can accept corruption, mai pen rai and sabaii sabaii. I don't care about red or yellow, Prayut or the Shins, lines at the airport or jumping through all the hoops to get my visa.

I Couldn't give a shit whether it costs me 40 or 400 baht to go to a national park or that last year's beer now costs 10 baht more but has a lower alcohol content. That's just the tip of the iceberg as far as complaints go from some here and nowhere near the most trivial. If I had all that shit going round my mind I would be a raving lunatic. Maybe some of you are. I love living here even with all its faults and can accept all that and more, because though a lot of things are not ideal, I have zero ability to create change.

If I wanted draconian road rules and common law and police that enforce everything, huge fines, massive jail terms and more rules, regulations and by-laws than one man can handle I could just move back to Oz. I learnt early on you can't run with the foxes and hunt with the hounds. So which is it falang? F.I. or F.O.

 

[CharlieH]

You'll never "fit in" you are tolerated by Thais, and you learn to be tolerant of Thais, if you cant, then you might as well F.O.

[starky]

16 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

You'll never "fit in" you are tolerated by Thais, and you learn to be tolerant of Thais, if you cant, then you might as well F.O.

Never play grammar nazi but Thias? From a mod?

[CharlieH]

Better check those specs Starky....??, despite rumours to the contrary we are human and can make mistakes ya know.

[rogeroc]

F.I.F.O is a nonsense and is used far too much by many on this Forum, the if you don't like it go brigade. Every individual, every community, every Country should be looking to improve themselves / itself.

 

Take the best from Western culture and the best from (in this case) Thai culture and combine them.

 

Where East meets West is Best. That is the way forward.

 

There will be no progress with FIFO.

[starky]

24 minutes ago, rogeroc said:

F.I.F.O is a nonsense and is used far too much by many on this Forum, the if you don't like it go brigade. Every individual, every community, every Country should be looking to improve themselves / itself.

 

Take the best from Western culture and the best from (in this case) Thai culture and combine them.

 

Where East meets West is Best. That is the way forward.

 

There will be no progress with FIFO.

Yes every community, country should look to improve itself and those improvements should come from those with the ability to initiate change. However no progress can or will be achieved by any falang in Thailand. Especially from impotent rantings from anonymous avatars on TVF. Most countries expect immigrants if not to totally integrate to at least accept the rules, laws ( or lack of them) belief systems and customs of the country in which they now like to call home. Its up to the Thais to progress as they see fit in what I hope will be their  best interest. 

[rogeroc]

Influence can come from both sides for the positive. Immigrants to the UK (particularly to London) have had a very significant contribution (in my mind largely a positive one) to the life of London City as it is today. It is unrecognisable from when i was a child. There are recent threads on the state of roads / driving here in Thailand and i for one would hate to see a Nanny state approach but the situation as it is on the roads at the moment is also a pretty unacceptable. It is about achieving a sensible balance. We should be able to challenge what we believe unacceptable and that challenge should at least be heard. If people don't complain people don't react.

[swissie]

2 hours ago, CharlieH said:

You'll never "fit in" you are tolerated by Thais, and you learn to be tolerant of Thais, if you cant, then you might as well F.O.

How true. Thais are tolerating us. The key to Farang-Happyness is to tolerate Thais and their strange view of the world.
No problem if village surroundings would indicate that daily life is mainly directed by "ghosts" and their secret powers.
Fine!

An other thing it is, when one discovers, that one's Thai-Investment-Advisor has his office packed with "Anti Ghost Objects". (Low cost Ghostbusters, actually) and that his front yard, leading to his house, containing 3 miniature ghost houses, can therefore not come as a surprise. The question: When will Thailand arrive in the 21st century, remains open to a more or less heated debate.

This does not mean, that this is a recommendation to leave Thailand with the first plane tomorrow morning. Hard to pack a condo into a suitcase.
But I am confident, that some years in the future, Farangs will still be allowed to leave Thailand as long as the luggage is less than 20 Kg.
Cheers.  

[JAFO]

All good. You make it what is. I never understood all the whinging by many. Just go live it.  I see every day as free entertainment and never a dull moment. In fact honestly I have learned a few things since I have been  here. 

 

 

[starky]

43 minutes ago, JAFO said:

All good. You make it what is. I never understood all the whinging by many. Just go live it.  I see every day as free entertainment and never a dull moment. In fact honestly I have learned a few things since I have been  here. 

 

 

That's it. IMO I think guys that live here for a long time generally fall into 2 groups  Those that start accepting nearly everything ( for better or worse) and are almost mai pen rai about it all. While others I think the joint wears them down. It starts with big things, then small things then everything starts to annoy them which is sad cos I assume most knew what it was like well before they arrived. I'm with you though I mostly see everyday as free entertainment, certainly never a dull moment.

[JAFO]

33 minutes ago, starky said:

That's it. IMO I think guys that live here for a long time generally fall into 2 groups  Those that start accepting nearly everything ( for better or worse) and are almost mai pen rai about it all. While others I think the joint wears them down. It starts with big things, then small things then everything starts to annoy them which is sad cos I assume most knew what it was like well before they arrived. I'm with you though I mostly see everyday as free entertainment, certainly never a dull moment.

I have typically found people that are active and are out doing something whether in their yard, traveling around or socializing etc have little time to focus on everything that is bad. This problem exists in the US as well. I know people that watch all the news, believe all they read and hear and become spun up and get caught in the trap of all is bad and then complain relentlessly. Most are unaware they have become that way except one day they realize no one calls or comes by and they become alone because no one wants to listen to the constant complaining.

 

Again to each his own. I am busy with life. I do not follow the news, politics or religion and quite honestly my life is way better for it. 

[Kwasaki]

Never really think about things like this,  never care about what Thais think or anybody,

l'm here retired with my lovely 4'8" rottweiler and appy thanks. 

[andersonat]

13 hours ago, starky said:

Yes every community, country should look to improve itself and those improvements should come from those with the ability to initiate change. However no progress can or will be achieved by any falang in Thailand. ....  Its up to the Thais to progress as they see fit in what I hope will be their  best interest. 

 

The Thai people that I know understand that they [also] have *zero* ability to initiate/direct change in the laws/customs of Thailand.

[louse1953]

15 hours ago, CharlieH said:

You'll never "fit in" you are tolerated by Thais, and you learn to be tolerant of Thais, if you cant, then you might as well F.O.

That's only your opinion and far from the truth imho.I'm a FI,makes life easier.Actually i thought it meant,fly in,fly out,for Ozzy mine workers.

[louse1953]

13 hours ago, starky said:

Yes every community, country should look to improve itself and those improvements should come from those with the ability to initiate change. However no progress can or will be achieved by any falang in Thailand. Especially from impotent rantings from anonymous avatars on TVF. Most countries expect immigrants if not to totally integrate to at least accept the rules, laws ( or lack of them) belief systems and customs of the country in which they now like to call home. Its up to the Thais to progress as they see fit in what I hope will be their  best interest. 

Well that is one of the problems.We are not immigrants,nearly all of us a non immigrants.If the govt invested a bit more thought into our situation,maybe a lot of the moaning will stop.Doesn't really matter to me,i am in for the long haul.I haven't burn't my bridges,but things would have to change drasticularly for me to fo.

[biggles45]

13 hours ago, starky said:

. "Most countries expect immigrants if not to totally integrate to at least accept the rules, laws ( or lack of them) belief systems and customs of the country in which they now like to call home."

obviously you dont follow the European news where governments seem to have no such expectation but do expect the locals to fit in !

[speckio]

you sound like a wise man... stressing over things you can't change or have no control over is only advised if you are currently in a competition to see who can get their blood pressure highest!

 

People are people everywhere or anywhere you go you will find things that will be irritating.

 

jai yen yen

[TKDfella]

Many years ago I found myself working so many hours a week I didn't have time for anything else. And if hadn't have chosen to work those hours I would have lost my job through a loophole in the then new 'job descriptions' that was sweeping through industry. I had never thought of Thailand but when a friend suggested an introduction to his Thai 'sister in law' I saw something new. I took early retirement and I have never regretted coming to and living in Thailand. Yes I do complain sometimes and there is 'this & that' going on but 'she is in my blood', so to speak, and don't intend leaving. Of course there is always a chance immigration might refuse to let me stay for some reason but there will nothing I can do about that. I have been married and divorced in Thailand and had my share of other problems and I have come to accept that perhaps I don't fit in. But the good things that have happened to me in Thailand, balance the bad and overall I'm content. I'm always 'up front' with people so they can choose to like or dislike so It really doesn't if 'I don't fit in' 'cos that happened in my native country anyway.

As I have said many times on different threads, we are all different and choose different roads for our peace of mind but the important point is to know, truly, one's own self for it will be that, that will guide you through life...no matter what anyone else says. 

[Thaidream]

Indeed, know thy self and act accordingly.  I sometimes complain to other foreigners about certain things but  never to Thais because it would not be proper nor would it be accepted. 

At the end of the day, I have learned to accept those things which I cannot change much the same way most Thais accept it.  I try and maintain a positive attitude and smile as much as possible.  Thailand is for the Thais to decide what they want and do not want. I'm just along for the ride.

[steve williams]

[johnbarpic]

A man after my own & this fits which ever country you reside even if you have a vote the politicians do as they please until the next vote. who gives a f fffff k relax enjoy life. great post 

[Suradit69]

21 hours ago, CharlieH said:

You'll never "fit in" you are tolerated by Thais, and you learn to be tolerant of Thais, if you cant, then you might as well F.O.

There's a difference between fitting in and (pretending to) go native. In many countries with significant non-native populations, expats can fit in reasonably well without losing their own identities or trying to be something other than what they are.

 

I fit in here in the situation I've created for myself. I don't think I've become Thai and there's really no reason why I would delude myself in that regard. I don't feel I'm "tolerating" Thais. They are an important part of why I enjoy being here.  I don't think most Thai people tolerate me. 99.999% of them wouldn't have any reason to form an opinion about me one way or the other. I've never lived anywhere, including my own country, where I was silly enough to think everyone loved me.

 

In your home country you could say that you tolerate most of those around you and most of them tolerate you. You can't seriously think that just because you're the same nationality and/or race or have the same accent  that you have some wonderful relationship with the everyone in the population that surrounds you.

 

 

 

 

[Suradit69]

19 hours ago, swissie said:

An other thing it is, when one discovers, that one's Thai-Investment-Advisor has his office packed with "Anti Ghost Objects"

Someone doesn't have to be Thai to have beliefs or superstitions that are different from yours and, therefore, seem strange to you.

 

Lot's of people in the US, who are outwardly the same as me, believe in UFO's or claim they lived a previous existence as Marie Antoinette or won't live on the 13th floor of a building (some buildings number their floors ...10, 11, 12, 14 ...), or have a lucky rabbit's foot or some other object or see images of the Virgin Mary in a piece of toast or have a variety of religious icons in their homes or places of business, or attend seances where they can communicate with dead relatives or ...  not things I would do, but it doesn't make be think of them as especially alien.

 

Wherever you live it would very boring if everyone around you was exactly the same as you. You can enjoy the similarities and difference of people or you can become obsessed with only the differences and assume your quirks are somehow more real or better than others. Variety is the spice of life.

 

 

 

Edited April 10, 2017 by Suradit69

[starky]

6 hours ago, TKDfella said:

Many years ago I found myself working so many hours a week I didn't have time for anything else. And if hadn't have chosen to work those hours I would have lost my job through a loophole in the then new 'job descriptions' that was sweeping through industry. I had never thought of Thailand but when a friend suggested an introduction to his Thai 'sister in law' I saw something new. I took early retirement and I have never regretted coming to and living in Thailand. Yes I do complain sometimes and there is 'this & that' going on but 'she is in my blood', so to speak, and don't intend leaving. Of course there is always a chance immigration might refuse to let me stay for some reason but there will nothing I can do about that. I have been married and divorced in Thailand and had my share of other problems and I have come to accept that perhaps I don't fit in. But the good things that have happened to me in Thailand, balance the bad and overall I'm content. I'm always 'up front' with people so they can choose to like or dislike so It really doesn't if 'I don't fit in' 'cos that happened in my native country anyway.

As I have said many times on different threads, we are all different and choose different roads for our peace of mind but the important point is to know, truly, one's own self for it will be that, that will guide you through life...no matter what anyone else says. 

Yep its a bit of a cliche, but surely true I believe. No matter where you go there you are.

[CharlieH]

3 minutes ago, starky said:

Yep its a bit of a cliche, but surely true I believe. No matter where you go there you are.

You been reading my tag line Starky ?

[Grauwulf]

On 09/04/2017 at 11:36 PM, CharlieH said:

You'll never "fit in" you are tolerated by Thais, and you learn to be tolerant of Thais, if you cant, then you might as well F.O.

 

23 hours ago, starky said:

Never play grammar nazi but Thias? From a mod?

Some grammar Nazi you are, were you pissed or forgot your glasses on his or your spelling!!!! ?

[starky]

1 hour ago, Grauwulf said:

 

Some grammar Nazi you are, were you pissed or forgot your glasses on his or your spelling!!!! ?

Oh no. You aren't one of those guys that think grammar is spelled grammer are you? Then tried to pick me up on it. Check a dictionary get back to me, then we can talk about who is pissed  or are you not aware that Charlie being a mod edited his post after I picked him up on it? See post 4 Charlie was the one that used Thias not me, but thanks for playing.

Edited April 10, 2017 by starky

[steven100]

On 10/04/2017 at 2:36 AM, CharlieH said:

You'll never "fit in" you are tolerated by Thais, and you learn to be tolerant of Thais, if you cant, then you might as well F.O.

what is F.O.  ....      lol 

[Blackheart1916]

Ah, since I have been a lad and working in WA and NT mining (a few years ago  I must admit), F.I.F.O has always stood for fly in / fly out, as in workers. When did it change to the other?

[jerojero]

Someone doesn't have to be Thai to have beliefs or superstitions that are different from yours and, therefore, seem strange to you.
 
Lot's of people in the US, who are outwardly the same as me, believe in UFO's or claim they lived a previous existence as Marie Antoinette or won't live on the 13th floor of a building (some buildings number their floors ...10, 11, 12, 14 ...), or have a lucky rabbit's foot or some other object or see images of the Virgin Mary in a piece of toast or have a variety of religious icons in their homes or places of business, or attend seances where they can communicate with dead relatives or ...  not things I would do, but it doesn't make be think of them as especially alien.
 
Wherever you live it would very boring if everyone around you was exactly the same as you. You can enjoy the similarities and difference of people or you can become obsessed with only the differences and assume your quirks are somehow more real or better than others. Variety is the spice of life.
 
 
 

Or millions who believe in an invisible all-powerful all-knowing Overseer who lives in the sky, plus a 'holy' ghost?