Different laws of physics in Isaan

[wump]

Apparently, you have to switch off your mobile phone when it's raining or you might die from a lightning strike. I spoke to several families around Udon and they all think that, one even recalling some person in her home having died from that.

 

I tried to explain that this is impossible (stupid me) but it seems "This Thailand, not same Europe".

 

Any similar stories?

[SiamBeast]

When someone says that to you, politely smile, and change the topic.

 

You can't fix stupid.

[Bikeman93]

That's just something parents say to their kids to stop outrageous phone bills.

[samsensam]

 

sent a thai lady some photos of my home, i have a double bed therefore i am married, apparently. until i pointed out she also had a double bed so that meant she was married too.

 

in the background of one photo, on a chest of drawers, was a b&w photo of two children, this, apparently, means i have children ( i don't) and the photo is actually of my brother and i as children.

 

needless to say i didnt bother to progress a relationship with this lady

 

i was accused by another thai lady of not arriving in the country on the date i did. the next time we met i took my passport but she refused to look at the entry stamp and maintained i had not arrived on the date i had... 

 

i could go on...

[Bikeman93]

Just now, samsensam said:

 

sent a thai lady some photos of my home, i have a double bed therefore i am married, apparently. until i pointed out she also had a double bed so that meant she was married too.

 

in the background of one photo, on a chest of drawers, was a b&w photo of two children, this, apparently, means i have children ( i don't) and the photo is actually of my brother and i as children.

 

needless to say i didnt bother to progress a relationship with this lady

 

i was accused by another thai lady of not arriving in the country on the date i did. the next time we met i took my passport but she refused to look at the entry stamp and maintained i had not arrived on the date i had... 

 

i could go on...

Could have been an honest mistake, we all look the same to them.

[sirineou]

2 hours ago, wump said:

I tried to explain that this is impossible (stupid me) but it seems "This Thailand, not same Europe".

In Europe and indeed the rest of the world  they are different stupid.

[Rhys]

2 hours ago, SiamBeast said:

When someone says that to you, politely smile, and change the topic.

 

You can't fix stupid.

 

.... Can always say... you know it might rain.....

[DILLIGAD]

 

 
i was accused by another thai lady of not arriving in the country on the date i did. the next time we met i took my passport but she refused to look at the entry stamp and maintained i had not arrived on the date i had... 
 
i could go on...

But did her 'other brother' move out before you arrived?


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[Ahab]

My relatives also claim that lightning strikes are an issue with cell phones (Buriram), and also insist that getting rained on will also cause you to catch a cold. I pointed out that previously the whole family took showers with water collected from rainwater with no obvious ill effects. The answer was once it is collected it no longer has the "ability" to cause a cold. I just nod and continue doing whatever it was I was doing.

[howard ashoul]

I was in Laos and they had some celebration, when they were shooting bamboo sticks up to sky. Basically bamboo stick filled by something like you find in fireworks.

 

And everybody was like "yep, it will be raining today!"

"Why, did you watch forecast?"

"No, because they're making holes to clouds by those bamboo sticks... ."

"No! No! No! Thats not how it works. Thats not even close how it works!!!"

 

Guess who was a biggest idiot in the morning at the breakfast? Because last night was the biggest strom I ever wintnessed in my life.

[howard ashoul]

6 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

sent a thai lady some photos of my home, i have a double bed therefore i am married, apparently. until i pointed out she also had a double bed so that meant she was married too.

 

in the background of one photo, on a chest of drawers, was a b&w photo of two children, this, apparently, means i have children ( i don't) and the photo is actually of my brother and i as children.

 

needless to say i didnt bother to progress a relationship with this lady

 

i was accused by another thai lady of not arriving in the country on the date i did. the next time we met i took my passport but she refused to look at the entry stamp and maintained i had not arrived on the date i had... 

 

i could go on...

 

Try to imagine this situation from her perspective.

 

What if she posted at Facebook photo with some random farang and photo from hotel room.

 

Wouldn't be you first question "are f*cking this guy? did you stay in his room?".

[luk AJ]

Why many Thai people switch of airco in the car before they shut down the engine?
Tides are directly the result of more or less rain.



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[cooked]

9 hours ago, sirineou said:

In Europe and indeed the rest of the world  they are different stupid.

Indeed! I must have employed a hundred people in my small seasonally working firm and I saw just about everything. The things that most annoyed me were:

saying they knew how to do it and finding out a day later that this wasn't true.

refusing to change their way of doing things because they had 'always done it like that'

assuming that they knew better.

All these things are to be found in Thailand, lack of a rational education just puts another slant on it.

My wife has told me that she had seen on TV and therefore must be true: tie up a red dress outside your house or the husband stealer spirit will take your husband (never found out what 'take your husband' actually meant). Fill up with fuel in the morning and you will get more for your money (I did the calculation and came up with a maximum potential saving of 15ml). It's OK to drive with only your parking lights (sometimes called sidelights) on at night.

It's what I like about Thailand, I am constantly putting my brain through mental gymnastics to work out the why, don't always succeed of course.

 

 

[KhunBENQ]

I like this thread.

Always when lightning is around my wife gets angry when I play with the smartphone.

Every attempt to argue is worthless

 

My only idea that it results from the old times of fixed line phones where there was indeed some risk if the wires go overground.

But now tell them that for a mobile (cell) phone things are completely different.

And then you tell the story at a farang meeting place hoping for a good laughter.

And what's the reaction: there might be something behind

[Hereinthailand]

Sounds like a good way to save some money. Every time you go outside now tell your wife you just saw some lightning.

[wump]

It's not even about the lightning itself, they are more worried about using the phone during torrential rain. 

 

Heard the bit about getting sick from rain water as well. But it's completely okay to get soaked in ice water for 1 week straight every year in April 

Edited May 14, 2017 by wump

[howard ashoul]

4 minutes ago, wump said:

It's not even about the lightning itself, they are more worried about using the phone during torrential rain. 

 

Heard the bit about getting sick from rain water as well. But it's completely okay to get soaked in ice water for 1 week straight every year in April 

I was living in a bungalow complex for year or two. And grandmother of owner was in charge. She always turned off internet 1 hour before raining and never turned it on again (as she didn't use it and forgot about it). It sucked especially during raining seasson, when you're stuck in middle of Isan and internet works 2 hours a day... .

 

I also had to move out from a long term rent in Chonburi. Because they turned off internet at midnight and turned it back on at 8am. Our argument about it went like this:

 

- Why you always turn off internet at midnight?

-Because nobody uses it.

-But I want to use it!

-But you can't!

-Why?

-Because we turn it of!

-So why you always turn off internet at midnight?

-Because nobody uses it.

 

Went through this conversation loop 3 times and then I moved out.

[taichiplanet]

i nearly always get weird looks when i point to a star and say that it is the same as the sun, just further away. Obviously stars are different in Thailand.

[Pdaz]

Yes I remember the incredulous look I received on saying that the tides were controlled by the moon.... And that whales weren't fish.....

[elliss]

Heavy  rain ,  switch tele off  , and cover tele with  blanket / towel .

      What do we have in common .  sweet fah .555

[agudbuk]

Then there is Thai geography knowledge, both international and Thailand

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[agudbuk]

Just had another example Thai checks water level in car battery Low so uses discoloured water from tap.

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[thehelmsman]

I just go with it.  For me it's Buddha is talking aka thunder. Yeah..Yeah turn off the phone, unplug the TV.

[starky]

On Sunday, May 14, 2017 at 7:53 AM, Ahab said:

My relatives also claim that lightning strikes are an issue with cell phones (Buriram), and also insist that getting rained on will also cause you to catch a cold. I pointed out that previously the whole family took showers with water collected from rainwater with no obvious ill effects. The answer was once it is collected it no longer has the "ability" to cause a cold. I just nod and continue doing whatever it was I was doing.

Awesome. I love the rain makes you sick myth. This time of year up at mine as soon as it starts raining i love getting outside the in laws go loopy. My favourite is when its been stinking hot then starts pissing down is to throw on some boardshorts and lay in the driveway till the concrete cools down. 5 years later still waiting to catch a cold.

 

[johng]

The other day my wife showed me a U tube clip of a car being hit by lightning while driving along a fast road,apparently the occupants where using their mobile phones...no wonder it got hit !

[johng]

The catching cold in the rain does have at least some credibility as often just before it starts to rain there is a tremendous gust of wind that whips up all the dust
(carrying multiple nasties )
into eyes and mouth and nose

[Morch]

On 5/14/2017 at 9:21 AM, luk AJ said:

Why many Thai people switch of airco in the car before they shut down the engine?
Tides are directly the result of more or less rain.



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The car AC thing is apparently about unspecified "fungus" build up. Somehow switching off the AC and letting the fan blow at max counters the effect. Or so SIL claims.

 

The in laws variation of the rain/cold phenomenon amounts to phobia of rain hitting hot concrete. Said to release unspecified "fumes", bound to cause colds and all manner of "allergy". Rubbing some Chinese pungent oil/ointment under your nose will save you, though.

 

Mobile phones are dangerous during lightning storms, but family likes to live on the edge.  

[Ahab]

On 5/14/2017 at 9:56 PM, elliss said:

Heavy  rain ,  switch tele off  , and cover tele with  blanket / towel .

      What do we have in common .  sweet fah .555

Unplugging electronics could possibly reduce the chance of an electric surge frying your TV. Not sure the purpose of the towel though.

[Martyjustice]

The same laws of physics apply in Thailand. The Thais just ignore the laws, like all the other laws on the books like helmets and proper driving.


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[zoza]

one of the best I have encountered is the plumbers sent by the condo manager telling

me and the wife that although the waste water was flooding at the drain in the shower

(by your feet) they needed to cut the pipes above (by the sink) about five foot above

the actual blockage and trying to convince them was like something out of a movie

these were described by the wife and the manager as proper plumbers....God help us