HOW ARE FARANGS PERCEIVED BY THAIS IN GENERAL

I have been living in Thailand almost 3 years and I still cannot answer this question, can any of you?

I have been living in Thailand almost 3 years and I still cannot answer this question, can any of you?

The question itself begs for generalizations...is that really going to be useful? They think none of us can eat spicy food.

The bar boys seem to think we're all gullible: I love you, you're my boyfriend (after a day or two). "What about the pictures and love letters in your room from the Swedish guy?" He's just a friend. "Sure"

I have been living in Thailand almost 3 years and I still cannot answer this question, can any of you?

The question itself begs for generalizations...is that really going to be useful? They think none of us can eat spicy food.

The bar boys seem to think we're all gullible: I love you, you're my boyfriend (after a day or two). "What about the pictures and love letters in your room from the Swedish guy?" He's just a friend. "Sure"

You are right it might be too broad. Perhaps one's own experiences would be better. Thanks but I had in mind the general public!

[francois]

I think this is a worthwhile question, something that I have asked myself and my Thai friend.
Not sure how he perceives me but he once said " why you farang and not Thai same-same me"?.
I took it as a complement.

You would be wrong to generalize such a question.

The Thais are very adept at spotting the difference between low-lifes (such as those that inhabit the dark corners of Sunee Plaza and Tesco-Lotus mens' rooms) and those who are actually well-educated, well-mannered, and contributing to society.

And they do treat the two very differently indeed.

You would be wrong to generalize such a question.

The Thais are very adept at spotting the difference between low-lifes (such as those that inhabit the dark corners of Sunee Plaza and Tesco-Lotus mens' rooms) and those who are actually well-educated, well-mannered, and contributing to society.

And they do treat the two very differently indeed.

Especially if they are seen to be hanging around in open beer bars, drunk most of the time, and are known to treat the bar-boys with disdain.
Farangs who run large businesses, pay taxes and employ a number of Thai's are as you say treated very differently, as are those that have retired in LOS and don't frequent the "seedier side of town" on a regular basis.

franscois Interesting comment!

You would be wrong to generalize such a question.

The Thais are very adept at spotting the difference between low-lifes (such as those that inhabit the dark corners of Sunee Plaza and Tesco-Lotus mens' rooms) and those who are actually well-educated, well-mannered, and contributing to society.

And they do treat the two very differently indeed.

Especially if they are seen to be hanging around in open beer bars, drunk most of the time, and are known to treat the bar-boys with disdain.
Farangs who run large businesses, pay taxes and employ a number of Thai's are as you say treated very differently, as are those that have retired in LOS and don't frequent the "seedier side of town" on a regular basis.[/quote

For the most part I Agree with you, but Thailand is not only Pattaya and perhaps other places and the people their have a different perception .

[quote="Singapore Sexpat"]You would be wrong to generalize such a question.

The Thais are very adept at spotting the difference between low-lifes (such as those that inhabit the dark corners of Sunee Plaza and Tesco-Lotus mens' rooms) and those who are actually well-educated, well-mannered, and contributing to society.

And they do treat the two very differently indeed.[/quote

Yes but I don not think Sunni Plaza typifies the rest of Thailand. Do you?

[quote="Singapore Sexpat":1ql3d329]You would be wrong to generalize such a question.

The Thais are very adept at spotting the difference between low-lifes (such as those that inhabit the dark corners of Sunee Plaza and Tesco-Lotus mens' rooms) and those who are actually well-educated, well-mannered, and contributing to society.

And they do treat the two very differently indeed.[/quote

Yes but I don not think Sunni Plaza typifies the rest of Thailand. Do you?[/quote:1ql3d329]

No. Your point?

MY point is that Thais can tell the difference between a low-life farang and a decent farang -- and treat them accordingly. Therefore, there is no one way that "farangs are perceived by Thais in general".

If you can't understand, please get back to me and I'll draw you a diagram in crayola.

I have been living in Thailand almost 3 years and I still cannot answer this question, can any of you?

This isn't maybe the correct answer you may expect, but II'd like to tell you:

Well, in fact thatтАЩs pretty easy. You have to be within a тАЮfamilyтАЬand an accepted member, even if not all like you. But they will protect and support you in any way.

ItтАЩs usually easy to be integrated IF you behave like a GOOD family member. Accept most of everything with a smile. Keep both your voice and profile down. Observe patiently and make sometimes supportive gestures and stick to promises. Do not question much.

Trust your partner and tell him about what you have in mind as budget and let him handle almost all тАЬfinancialтАЭ matters. It is at first very important for his role at home and at second also for him to know if he need to ask you for something specific. Take into account hat he is thinking Thai styleтАЭ. There is no need to spread cash like crazy but not act greedily

This has little to do with money, but if you around with open mind an open heart, it will be very helpful for all, you, your partner and family. I.e. if you see the old man is hardly able to read itтАЩs maybe wise to spend him a good set of specs тАУwitch cost you most likely less than 2000 TBT but you will win a friend of lifetime. Or if some of the kinds need new stuff for school. The old people get 500 TBT monthly as allowance so there is both need and traditional obligation for all children to support them. The maximum pension for 40 years permanent contribution to a pension funds could theoretically up to 1.710 TBT at present тАУ but no pension fund in Thailand exists that long and my folks as farmers could not join such an institution.

I personally pay sometimes after work for 2 or 3 bottles of beer very rarely a bottle of blanc home brandy which I never ever touch by myself. If we need go markets, I usually sponser the supply of fresh porc, fish or beef but usually never much more than 7 to 800 TBT or so тАУ managed by my supervisor. Every evening, all the family and often friends or staff are eating together; usually rounds of 15 to 20 or even more people. I do not know how much Supervisor frequently contributes for buying food or drink but this is all due toe the facts that we have plenty of own rice, chicken, sometimes fish, various vegetables or herbs as my folks definitely prefers organically grown food. We talk about it sometimes but lesser during the past years if cash is running short or he draws some money out from our joint ATM account.

This new life is all time consuming and can take some nerves, and all this maybe up to several years. Please, remember the proverb тАЬeating a sack of salt togetherтАЭ witch would be in Thailand sodium glutamate тАУ doing the same trick. And a strong helping hand is welcome everywhere at any time.

This entire all is the same all over the world. In Thailand there are maybe more тАЬunusual rules and formalitiesтАЭ in social life but the tolerant acceptance for mistakes is also great тАУ if you are willing and able to learn. You are the stranger and want to be integrated; itтАЩs not the other way round. The Thais can easily manage without you as they did for long before your appearance.

I all my 20 or so years Thailand experience, I have never ever been mislead by my various (Isaan) friends. If I am looking back, it was usually my own fault if friendship drifted into difficulties. For several years now I am getting supervised by my darling and this was and still is the best time of my life. We hopefully will walk many more years together.

Even if the tolerance of gay people is pretty low in Thai society, we are able to go trot our way together. Some family members do openly oppose us for being gay but there are not shy asking for assistance if there is some need. On the other way we are accepted as тАЬfamilyтАЭ members working together for the benefit of the whole clan. And Mama or Papa are directing fairly from behind our benefit.

I am pretty happy with my life now and grateful for it every day new.

Thanks. Ttom For your informative reply.

The Thais are very adept at spotting the difference between low-lifes (such as those that inhabit the dark corners of Sunee Plaza and Tesco-Lotus mens' rooms) and those who are actually well-educated, well-mannered, and contributing to society.

And they do treat the two very differently indeed.[/quote

Yes but I don not think Sunni Plaza typifies the rest of Thailand. Do you?[/quote][/quote]

No. Your point?

MY point is that Thais can tell the difference between a low-life farang and a decent farang -- and treat them accordingly. Therefore, there is no one way that "farangs are perceived by Thais in general

How woul you rate yourself as you are limited to being a welknown to be an inhabiter of the dark corners of Sunni
Plaza? :dontknow:

If you can't understand, please get back to me and I'll draw you a diagram in crayola.[/quote][/qu

I should think a mirror for you would suffice!

I've consulted my handy Websters, but cannot seem to find the word "surfice". Perhaps it appears in your crayola crayon dictionary? The same dictionary you consult, obviously, when trying to use the quote function?

I've consulted my handy Websters, but cannot seem to find the word "surfice". Perhaps it appears in your crayola crayon dictionary? The same dictionary you consult, obviously, when trying to use the quote function?



Another bore time to sleep!

[paperboy]

what a lovely reply ttom.
thankyou
im going to thailand for the first t ime, and been reading all about it. This web site is so so funny, but sad
There seems to be really sad people here. but thats another thread
once again ttom thankyou, you sound happy and content with your life
we only live once enjoy it
while we can

paperboy

[catawampuscat]

I have been living in Thailand almost 3 years and I still cannot answer this question, can any of you?

Generally very well, although there is a stupid blond haired drunken drug addicted git that frequents Sunee Plaza along with a well known scammer friend of his (both who incidentally post to this board) who are viewed by many Thais as the scum of the earth.

A rather uncharitable view as both the aforementioned are clearly in need of psychiatric help for their substance abuse and proclivity to sponge off others.

Naturally it would be wrong to name names, but Ithe old adage of 'If the cap fits wear it' applies.


good to see you back Romania and in fine form..... :hello2:

what a lovely reply ttom.
thankyou
im going to thailand for the first t ime, and been reading all about it. This web site is so so funny, but sad
There seems to be really sad people here. but thats another thread
once again ttom thankyou, you sound happy and content with your life
we only live once enjoy it
while we can

paperboy



Try telling CATAWPUSCAT THAT I mean about having a happy life.

Dinner conversation turned to reincarnation. He had declined a taste of my meat as "I don't eat buffalo". As a farmer, he believed that a good buffalo can return as a farmer.

I asked "What would you have to do to return as a Farang?"
He could not imagine a worse fate!
To me, this answers your question.

Try telling CATAWPUSCAT THAT I mean about having a happy life.

Why don't you get a life 'hereforme', instead of continually deriding others who you probably no nothing about, and certainly have nothing what so ever to do with! Have you always been such a 'shit' or has it only been since you started mixing strong prescription drugs with bottles of alcohol on a daily basis?

You certainly don't sound like a person who is himself leading a 'happy life' as you continually come across as a very bitter lonely old queen!

BTW Three years in Thailand most certainly doesn't make you, (as you so like to make out) an authority on LOS. Have you even bothered to learn to speak Thai, or spent time in other places other than the bar boy night life districts?

Dinner conversation turned to reincarnation. He had declined a taste of my meat as "I don't eat buffalo". As a farmer, he believed that a good buffalo can return as a farmer.

They will eat nua for sure. Maybe not the ones raised by themselves ans my folks wouldn't* do either.

I asked "What would you have to do to return as a Farang?"
He could not imagine a worse fate!
To me, this answers your question.

Yes, precisely.

Good one! [b] :hello1:

Try telling CATAWPUSCAT THAT I mean about having a happy life.

Why don't you get a life 'hereforme', instead of continually deriding others who you probably no nothing about, and certainly have nothing what so ever to do with! Have you always been such a 'shit' or has it only been since you started mixing strong prescription drugs with bottles of alcohol on a daily basis?

You certainly don't sound like a person who is himself leading a 'happy life' as you continually come across as a very bitter lonely old queen!

BTW Three years in Thailand most certainly doesn't make you, (as you so like to make out) an authority on LOS. Have you even bothered to learn to speak Thai, or spent time in other places other than the bar boy night life districts?


SNOOK! BTW I am fluent in Thai! Once again you shoot yourself in the foot as it would be useless to aim at your head!

[Beachlover]

Thais are very adept at spotting the difference between low-lifes (such as those that inhabit the dark corners of Sunee Plaza and Tesco-Lotus mens' rooms) and those who are actually well-educated, well-mannered, and contributing to society.

Totally true... I think as a farang you probably get a bit of respect out of unfamiliarity at first (unless you look, sound, smell and act like a very obvious low life) but they can suss out what kind of person you are quickly. Nice or not nice. Successful or mediocre.

[Beachlover]

Instaly is walking the plank:

I really think you should walk the plank... come on now... be brave for us... slam down a bottle of gin, gulp a good handful of xanax and take that step off a tall building. You can do it!

Instaly is walking the plank:

I really think you should walk the plank... come on now... be brave for us... slam down a bottle of gin, gulp a good handful of xanax and take that step off a tall building. You can do it!


I am afraid to go alone, If you and SANOOK go with me ok! It would be a sacrifice for the many! A bit like J.C.
But I will go only for the ride! :idea:

I am afraid to go alone, If you and SANOOK go with me ok! It would be a sacrifice for the many! A bit like J.C.
But I will go only for the ride! :idea:

Once again you prove yourself to be a very, very silly man. You were removed from this forum as 'hereforme', which you managed to do all on your very own not so long ago so why come back posting under yet another handle?

SNOOK! BTW I am fluent in Thai! Once again you shoot yourself in the foot as it would be useless to aim at your head!

Posters who actually know you have PM'd me to tell me that you do not speak a word of Thai except maybe for the well known words such as Sawatdee (sic)..You have also been known to belittle all those Farangs that try to speak or are indeed studying the language!

Oh dear what a sad, sad man you really are.

SNOOK! BTW I am fluent in Thai! Once again you shoot yourself in the foot as it would be useless to aim at your head!

Kindly post a scan of your Por. 6 equivalency certificate from the Ministry of Education. You can blank out the photo and name if you want.

This is the only proof of Thai language fluency officially recognized in this country.

Kindly post a scan of your Por. 6 equivalency certificate from the Ministry of Education. You can blank out the photo and name if you want.
This is the only proof of Thai language fluency officially recognized in this country.

If he had a certificate it would be from the same 'factory' as LMTU's certificate/degree in Teaching English.....

BTW Further information coming in about 'hereforme' is that he has been in Thailand for around 5 years and not 3 as he previously posted. It seems like he was previously living in Bali, but being a smaller gay community there he had to leave as he had apparently overstayed his 'welcome' with the fellow expats living there. Something to do with his mouth again!

Amazing tool the Internet.........

Is this called a FISH fight? :rolling: :rolling: :rolling:
If so capsanoc is being eaten alive !
Catgotyourtonge ? Or has that already been swallowed too ?

Good thing for you that you have no balls to eat hence you need other fish to do the flapping for you. :occasion9:

[cdnmatt]

Asking how Thais view farangs is a bit like asking how white people view black people. Well, I guess not really, but close.

Up in Khon Kaen at least, I think they view farangs just fine. I don't particularly think the majority of Thais give a shit. They're busy with their own lives, and don't need to worry about what some farang is doing. I can say though, I have not once sensed a hint of disdain or even homophobia, in the city or the village. They generally don't seem to care about the fact I'm a farang, but if anything, they show interest, generosity, and respect.

I don't get any disdain or hate, and more than anything, I'd say people have "greeng-jai" (р╣Ар╕Бр╕гр╕Зр╣Гр╕И)'d me. Just tons of little things. For example, if I'm going out at 2am to get a pack of cigarettes, the security guard will tell me to take his bicycle, instead of walk. If I'm out for a night with Kim, and it's obvious I don't feel like being there, alot of times someone at the table will take me aside. You know, we'll end up going for a smoke or something, and end up playing some snooker, which makes my night a whole lot better.

Or during Songkran we went to the village for a day, and I told Kim beforehand that we couldn't stay late, because I made some promises to have some work finished. Sure enough, the beer starts flowing, Kim gets carried away, and 9pm comes around. So there's no chance of getting back to the city now, because everything is closed, and we're spending the night in the village. I was pretty pissed off, plus a little hurt due to his lack of empathy. A neighbor overheard this though, and offered to drive us in his pick-up. And this is at 9pm in a village, which is around 3am for farangs, so quite generous I thought. He wouldn't even let me fill up his tank.

So yeah, I think just the old adage of treat people how you want to be treated applies. If you look and act like an obnoxious slob, then expect to get treated like one. If you're polite, respectful, nicely dressed and all that, then expect people to treat you quite well.

Thanks Matt for taking the time to post this! It is exactly the kind of thing that I was hoping to get.

[cdnmatt]

One quick side note though. From my experience at least, I've found that if you're a farang in Thailand, you are held to higher standards than Thais. If you want to be treated good and with respect, you're expected to be cleaner, better groomed, healthier, more polite, and more respectful than the average person. Otherwise, there's a chance they'll just pass you off as another loser farang, and won't want anything to do with you.

I never wear shorts these days, and when I go out I'm always showered, nicely dressed, polite & respectful, etc. When I end up in an unfamiliar situation, I always observe before saying or doing anything, and so on. I'm sure that type of thing has helped enrich my experience quite a bit.

If you look and act like an obnoxious slob, then expect to get treated like one. If you're polite, respectful, nicely dressed and all that, then expect people to treat you quite well.

That of course stands anywhere in the world matt, perhaps the O.P. might heed your words, but I somehow don't think he will!

Asking how Thais view farangs is a bit like asking how white people view black people. Well, I guess not really, but close.

Up in Khon Kaen at least, I think they view farangs just fine. I don't particularly think the majority of Thais give a shit. They're busy with their own lives, and don't need to worry about what some farang is doing. I can say though, I have not once sensed a hint of disdain or even homophobia, in the city or the village. They generally don't seem to care about the fact I'm a farang, but if anything, they show interest, generosity, and respect.

I don't get any disdain or hate, and more than anything, I'd say people have "greeng-jai" (р╣Ар╕Бр╕гр╕Зр╣Гр╕И)'d me. Just tons of little things. For example, if I'm going out at 2am to get a pack of cigarettes, the security guard will tell me to take his bicycle, instead of walk. If I'm out for a night with Kim, and it's obvious I don't feel like being there, alot of times someone at the table will take me aside. You know, we'll end up going for a smoke or something, and end up playing some snooker, which makes my night a whole lot better.

Or during Songkran we went to the village for a day, and I told Kim beforehand that we couldn't stay late, because I made some promises to have some work finished. Sure enough, the beer starts flowing, Kim gets carried away, and 9pm comes around. So there's no chance of getting back to the city now, because everything is closed, and we're spending the night in the village. I was pretty pissed off, plus a little hurt due to his lack of empathy. A neighbor overheard this though, and offered to drive us in his pick-up. And this is at 9pm in a village, which is around 3am for farangs, so quite generous I thought. He wouldn't even let me fill up his tank.

So yeah, I think just the old adage of treat people how you want to be treated applies. If you look and act like an obnoxious slob, then expect to get treated like one. If you're polite, respectful, nicely dressed and all that, then expect people to treat you quite well.

ThatтАЩs true. You need to do make some efforts and need to work for any acceptance and sound standing. After a while, the locals get used to you. But you can never be sure that not one day a bunch of rowdies out from nowhere turns violent on you. A farangтАЩs life does not count that much for many. The only and main obstinacies are, if a farang is involved in trouble, to deal with the very much disliked police can be very painful experience.

Mostly Thai are indeed very friendly, will be respecting you, and are also quite supportive in a certain way тАУ along within a pretty conservative perspective. But be sure, for most Thai, a farang must be rich (otherwise he cannot afford to come and stay in Thailand doing nothing), is always very smart (thatтАЩs because hr is rich) and this combination is enough for an adequate amount of jealousy. On the other side, Thai and Thailand are the prime of the world, otherwise not so many farangs would come to Thailand. While listening carefully to Thai or Lao language, you cannot miss the many rude comments about farangs and also gay people in general тАУ which would of course exclude you, in particular.

On the other way, Thai daily life is not as soft or peaceful as its looks. Pretty rough disputes and bitter fights happened often as there is plenty of domestic violence including rapes. This all is so common that nobody takes much notice about. ItтАЩs almost about money and especially cash. Any local temple fair we went to during the past years was closed early, due to heavy clashes between the always present heavy police force and some local berserks, ill driven by hormones, local blanc brandy and of course drugs.

Ever since I am around, I keep myself usually very quit. If there is some need, I / we support, but as it is in Thailand, here is nothing for free. So I / we want the see some reward at a time, i.e. a good school report if we help with school fees or uniforms or extra classes.

For some alterations on parentтАЩs large old house we paid for almost all materials but the other family members needed to contribute equally doing the manual works. While dealing with constructions on the house, an accident occurred suddenly and I luckily was able to handle a fair amount of wood, three of the stronger cousins jointly couldnтАЩt manage to free another one from moving logs. That was a good topic for several days and went around very quickly. Since than something has changed for good.

Everybody makes his own and different experiences. After some time I found out, that being open and fair but also alerted, with a friendly patience and not too much talking I would earn best results.

This is Thailand: Something new or unusual at any minute. I love it! posting.php?mode=quote&f=9&p=203398# (http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/posting.php?mode=quote&f=9&p=203398#)

[thaiguest]

I have been living in Thailand almost 3 years and I still cannot answer this question, can any of you?

Thais get mixed reviews from expats. There are some autobigraphical works written by ex-diplomatic staff, newspaper people et al and not all of them are flattering to Thais. I've read numerous testimonies from foreigners to the effect that after half a liftime here they never made a true Thai friend.

But the Siamese have always been (for patronising would-be colonists) a frustrating race. An English trade delegate wrote in 1880: "neither by entreaty nor force can one get even the lowliest Siamese to do that which he decides not to do". The French and the British could dominate the Burmese, the Vietnamese, the Cambodians and the Laoatians but were thwarted at every turn by the Thais and the Chakri kings. During the Japanese occupation here I understand that the pro-nipon Thais kept the antis fully informed vis a vis Japanese military 'secrets'.

I've decided to be guided by own personal experience and so far I've a positive attitude to Thai people. I admire above all their sense of independence, their personal cleanliness and their sense of fun. Farangs who have these qualities are welcomed by Thais and some cash helps as well, of course.

Last year I was invited to Prae Yao (near Chiang Mai) for a weekend visit by a very handsome boy I met in Pattaya. Once in his home town he turned out to be an obnoxious ladies' man, taking me to a disco with 5 of his girlfriends and then wandering off making new conquests. Guess what?- the girls stayed with me all night, kept apologising for their friend and even walked me home. I had a great time with them. Where else in the world would teenage girls do that for a middle-aged gay man? In the west teenage girls don't even want to be seen with their own fathers.

Last year I was invited to Prae Yao (near Chiang Mai) for a weekend visit by a very handsome boy I met in Pattaya. Once in his home town he turned out to be an obnoxious ladies' man, taking me to a disco with 5 of his girlfriends and then wandering off making new conquests. Guess what?- the girls stayed with me all night, kept apologising for their friend and even walked me home. I had a great time with them. Where else in the world would teenage girls do that for a middle-aged gay man? In the west teenage girls don't even want to be seen with their own fathers.

Nice posting thaiguest, I think the answer to your last bit is/could be due to the way in which Thais are brought up from birth to respect older people, this can also be noticed in the way that they acknowledge each other with the polite use of words for both 'older' and 'younger.'

[Beachlover]

An English trade delegate wrote in 1880: "neither by entreaty nor force can one get even the lowliest Siamese to do that which he decides not to do".

I quite admire this trait of the Thais.

In view of the current situation in Bangkok it may be equally pertinent to ask:
HOW ARE FARANGS PERCEIVED BY THAI GENERALS?