Somchai pulls the trigger

[thonglor55]

The Stickman column this week is all about becoming disillusioned with Thailand - it could equally be called From Delusion to Disillusion, but it's actually called When Somchai Pulls The Trigger (http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/StickmanBangkokWeeklyColumn2011/Somchai-Thailand.htm).

[cdnmatt]

I know Somchai. You know Somchai too? Talk about a small world.

Somchai sure is a popular guy. Everyone seems to know him.

[thonglor55]

Somchai sure is a popular guy. Everyone seems to know him.In the biblical sense?

[cdnmatt]

Somchai sure is a popular guy. Everyone seems to know him.In the biblical sense?

I was thinking more in the gypsy sense, but whatever floats your boat.

[CoffeeBreak]

The article seems to be saying its great to live in thailand until something goes wrong.......

[Beachlover]

I think story in the first paragraph of this article could've happened in many countries other than Thailand (I've seen it happen in other countries)...


a friend of mine a few weeks ago. He loves his life in Thailand but when he was shown the door by his employer for no good reason other than they wished to get rid of all of the foreign staff and replace them with local staff to reduce the cost of salaries, I pointed out to him that under Thai labour law they had to compensate him. Yep, he was due a pay off. Thai employers can let staff go for any reason, or no reason whatsoever, but staff are entitled to be compensated under Thai employment law. My pal composed a letter to management outlining the situation and seeking the monies that was rightly owed to him. They were incensed at his letter, couldn't understand how he could possibly know about such a law and refused to pay. Not only that, they decided to play hardball. They started making threats to him including contacting his new employer, basically the sort of actions that would have brought a large grin to a defamation lawyer's face. But the bottom line is that he wishes to continue to live in Thailand and to do that he needs a job. In the town he resides there just aren't the employment options you have in Bangkok so he was forced to eat humble pie. His old school forced him to sign a disclaimer that he had no rights to make any claim against them for any monies owing or any grievance of any sort. He had rights entitled to him as a work permit-holding, tax-paying foreigner, but he was being denied them by a school which was willing to bank on the fact that as a foreigner he had a certain vulnerability. http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/Stickman ... ailand.htm (http://www.stickmanbangkok.com/StickmanBangkokWeeklyColumn2011/Somchai-Thailand.htm)
... but what makes this story (along with the ones that follow) unique is the reactions of the Thais around these farang in terms of, in a way, turning against them.

Can't help but notice some of the characters in the other stories remind me of Matt... so I hope the same doesn't happen to him!

On his way back home, he was just outside of the village where he had built a house for his wife and where he supports a number of people in a large extended family, as well as provide expertise assisting people with the repair and upkeep of various properties, all out of the goodness of his heart...

Having said that, who knows if what Stickman writes is true or if it's sensationalised to draw readers...

[thonglor55]

I think story in the first paragraph of this article could've happened in many countries other than Thailand (I've seen it happen in other countries)... My reaction was basically the same, except I'll be more direct. The Thais generally are complete shits when it comes to dealing with strangers, whether Thais or Westerners, where there's a modicum of inconvenience or, worse, conflict. You have only to read the comment in another thread from (I think) kquill about how the boys in his bar have to have locks on their lockers to avoid the daily petty thieving that goes on. That is not a phenomenon that is limited to bar boys. It's ALL about face, and causing someone to lose face by being involved in an accident with them, for example, or suggesting they compensate for the wrong-doing of their children or pet is simply behavior beyond what is acceptable because it involves conflict. Anyone who's bothered to read a book on Thailand like Culture Shock should know that the Thai smile has nothing to do with happiness or welcoming strangers - it's conflict avoidance ("if I smile hard enough you won't hit me, will you?"). As I've said elsewhere, Thailand is a laugh a minute for the ex-pat with a sense of humor - and having a sense of humor is the only way to get through the day, believe me. Amazing Thailand and TIT (This Is Thailand) were invented for a reason (although the TAT, I'm sure, didn't understand the monster they were letting loose with the Amazing Thailand slogan).