10 replies to this topic

[Lucas]

I hate the farangs who constantly complain about the Thai's and their culture.
They keep on posting about how stupid the Thai'a are and how different things go in their own home country.
Well I live long enough in Thailand to know that this is a total different culture where things don't go the same as we are used to.
I am happy in Thailand and T.I.T and the Thai's should do it their way.
Farangs who keep on posting about the fact that they don't get it are in my eyes cultural barbarians and should go back to their country where everything is done their way.

[dolypardon]

Wow,big words Lucas !

Thailand is a Nation with nice and friendly people.

This is a start of mine, I don't get it list:

Why don't the Thai's not complain if the food is not good in a restaurant ?
Why don't the Thai's wear shorts pants for an evening out ?
Why the Thai's take a shower three times a day and Farangs only once a week ?
Why the Thai's eat with their hands and we with a fork and a knife ?
Why we use a condom and the Thai's don't


I don't get it.

[Trongpai]

A lot of these "I don't get it's" are really I don't understand why. For example, a farang notices that all the bars are closed at 1am on one side of the street but on the other they are open until 3. The answer is there are two different police districts and the one on the left side had made "arrangements" with the commander of that area to stay open.

If you read "that book" that is banned in Thailand a lot of the "I don't get it's" become "oh I see's" and the longer you live in Thailand a lot of the things that make no sense become clear when you learn of the underlying reason(s) and many of the reasons are not pretty.

[YardenUK]

a very easy to read book available in Thailand and through amazon.com is "Very Thai" by Philip Cornwel-Smith - it is a book full of very short chapters (and loads of photos for those who get easily distracted with the written word!), explaining Thai popular culture (literally it covers almost everything), and helps explain things that many farangs consider "I dont get it".

I do see Lucas's point though - the number of farangs in thailand who seem to complain day in day out with the Thai way of doing things is frankly rude, and if people just took a little bit more effort to appreciate that there are a multitude of world views on this planet and none is superior to another.

The bottom line is grown up men should know the rules of how to be a gracious and good guest which is what we all are in thailand.

[UncleSam]

if people just took a little bit more effort to appreciate that there are a multitude of world views on this planet and none is superior to another.

That's what the cannibals in New Guinea said in 1961 when they served Michael Rockefeller as their dinner entree.

Hehehe.....

[Lucas]

That's what the cannibals in New Guinea said in 1961 when they served Michael Rockefeller as their dinner entree.

Hehehe.....

I have mine medium rare !

[Haloi]

there are a multitude of world views on this planet and none is superior to another.

If that's the case, then what is this thing we call "civilization" all about ?

[YardenUK]

If that's the case, then what is this thing we call "civilization" all about ?

what does that mean?

[TheYenta]

what does that mean?

I think it means that your comment that "there are a multitude of world views on this planet and none is superior to another" is subject to being challenged. Are you suggesting that muslim attitudes toward stoning people for criticizing Islam, as if this was the 12th Century, are just a valid as current western concepts of free speech ? I'd say our values are more civilized. Wouldn't you ?

[Gaybutton]

I'd say our values are more civilized. Wouldn't you ?

I agree with you. About a year ago two boys, age 16, were publicly hung in Iran because they were gay. Ahmadinejad was right when he proclaimed there are no gays in Iran. Of course not. They killed them all.

I do agree with you, but it still might be a bit difficult to convince the detainees at Guantanamo of our civility.

[Rogie]

About a year ago two boys, age 16, were publicly hung in Iran because they were gay. Ahmadinejad was right when he proclaimed there are no gays in Iran. Of course not. They killed them all.

There was a disturbing programme on British TV last night, 'Transsexual in Iran'. Iran carries out more sex change ops than any other nation apart from Thailand. Whilst homosexuality is punishable by death, as in the case GT mentions, sex changes have been sanctioned by Islamic law there for nearly 25 years.

These poor guys, average age on the programme late teens/early twenties, go down the op route as the only means of preserving their sanity (having in many, if not most cases, been completely disowned by their families), only to find afterwards they've been bitterly let down. Instead of finding a boyfriend and settling down into some sort of normality many of them end up from whence (in many cases, not all) they came, ie, the street.

This was the most thoroughly depressing programme.