How Much Longer will the Thais put up with Falangs?

For the people who have lived in Thailand or visited Thailand frequently for the last 10, 20, 30, or 40 years;
Does it appear to you that many Thais are becoming more antagonistic towards falongs?

I am pretty close to my Thai in-laws, and over the years, I have noticed that they have become much more protective of me. My BIL, a captain in the Thai police, always carries his pistol with him whenever the two of us go out and about.

Whenever, the family goes out in large groups at night, they always sit me in the middle of the table, and if I get up to wander around, a nephew or uncle generally gets up and keeps pretty close to me.

My wife has also started cautioning me more about where I go and what I do.

Most of my in-laws are fairly well-off Thais, with most of the adults college-educated, and include school teachers, government administrators, etc. They are not rural rice farmers. Do they know something most falongs don't?

Just wondering.

They don't want their farlong to have a wandering eye or could be a listening ear from the wrong people.
My Ex and family was like that and it turned out all my cash and gold was gone in to card nights.

This is a very strange post. Are you uncertain that being in Thailand is right for you ? If so, your Thai acquaintances may feel your sense of insecurity and try to counter it by being protective.

I can't imagine my wife's family treating me in that way.

Most of the 65 million Thais have never seen or never interacted with farang on any meaningful level.
The captain carries his gun with him everywhere regardless of your presence, if you have a carry permit, that's what you do.
Someone follows you cause they're afraid you will fall down and break a hip.

If anything the longer I live here the less they worry about me,I guess knowing I can take care of myself.
I must admit I don't go to as many of the local night-time events as I used to because there always seems to be young Thai Guys intent on fighting one another once they've had a few beers.Not that I've ever been threatened though.

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Originally Posted by RickThai

My wife has also started cautioning me more about where I go and what I do.

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Maybe there's been some gossip about you that no-ones told you about.

You been hanging around the girly bars lately ?:)

I asked my the Midget and she has no idea what a falong is.

The only time I have felt threatened (or at least gathered I was a target) Have been from young Thai men... I'd guess from age 18-30. I once was sitting in a restaurant minding my business and some little prick said something nasty about me to his female friend... I knew this based on how the punk was giving me a nasty look... His female friend slapped him on the shoulder and scolded him which I thought odd but didn't think too much of it and at this point I didn't really even realize there was any threat. After I cleared my check bin I headed for the only exit where said punk was furiously muttering in Thai and smoking a Cig. Just before I passed them in the car lot the female friend started screaming and slapping the little foker all the while he is staring me down. The kid obviously didn't care for me for whatever reason... His GF (or whoever she was) was not very happy with his actions and I carried on to my car. May have just been a show for the girlfriend or maybe he had major issues with Farangs.

Outside of that incident the only other time I have felt unsafe is when walking alone late at night with a backpack,, my Smart phone and set of spendy headphones... On a couple occasions where I walked past small groups of adolescent Thai boys gathered around motorcycles and they definitely were sizing me up,, Whether or not it was worth the trouble is what deterred them I suppose.

Oh and when in Cambodia I constantly feel like I am about to be stabbed and relinquished of my goods... But I figure that's only healthy.

In the Laksi area I often walk out to the market around 8-9 pm and the in laws frequently ask me if I'm scared of doing so... They think its a bit risky on my part but the only issue I've had is when the Soi dogs have gathered up for their nightly prowl and barked me down the soi home.

There is a good deal of resentment from young Thai men towards white men I truly believe.. However violence stemming from that is very rare IMO... I can say this.. Living in Thailand a few years has taught me what it's like to be the minority in a society. When I walk into public in some places it's as if a black man has walked into the southern USA... All eyes are on the minority.

I believe it's folks, like Rick, that think too much about their situations and lives in the Golden Land.....very destructive to the soul.

You'll always be a Farang and considered a Farang with this mental composition....after 39 years.

FFS. Take a breather and relax.

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Originally Posted by Nokturnal

The only time I have felt threatened (or at least gathered I was a target) Have been from young Thai men... I'd guess from age 18-30. I once was sitting in a restaurant minding my business and some little prick said something nasty about me to his female friend... I knew this based on how the punk was giving me a nasty look... His female friend slapped him on the shoulder and scolded him which I thought odd but didn't think too much of it and at this point I didn't really even realize there was any threat. After I cleared my check bin I headed for the only exit where said punk was furiously muttering in Thai and smoking a Cig. Just before I passed them in the car lot the female friend started screaming and slapping the little foker all the while he is staring me down. The kid obviously didn't care for me for whatever reason... His GF (or whoever she was) was not very happy with his actions and I carried on to my car. May have just been a show for the girlfriend or maybe he had major issues with Farangs.

Outside of that incident the only other time I have felt unsafe is when walking alone late at night with a backpack,, my Smart phone and set of spendy headphones... On a couple occasions where I walked past small groups of adolescent Thai boys gathered around motorcycles and they definitely were sizing me up,, Whether or not it was worth the trouble is what deterred them I suppose.

Oh and when in Cambodia I constantly feel like I am about to be stabbed and relinquished of my goods... But I figure that's only healthy.

In the Laksi area I often walk out to the market around 8-9 pm and the in laws frequently ask me if I'm scared of doing so... They think its a bit risky on my part but the only issue I've had is when the Soi dogs have gathered up for their nightly prowl and barked me down the soi home.

There is a good deal of resentment from young Thai men towards white men I truly believe.. However violence stemming from that is very rare IMO... I can say this.. Living in Thailand a few years has taught me what it's like to be the minority in a society. When I walk into public in some places it's as if a black man has walked into the southern USA... All eyes are on the minority.

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Apparently, your in-laws think like mine. As for the soi dogs, I always carry a big stick whenever I walk in an area where I don't frequently hang out. Most Thais I know, have been bitten at least once by dogs. I've thought about getting some bear spray and zapping them, but you have to be careful as Thais are very possesive of their dogs (no matter how skinny and neglected they might look - the dogs, not the Thais).

Cheers,

Rick

Nokturnal says, When I walk into public in some places it's as if a black man has walked into the southern USA... All eyes are on the minority.[/QUOTE]

So white Southerner's are prejudiced towards black's? And the rest of the world is not? And, blacks can't be prejudiced? Interesting. Guarantee you walk into Ermis, we will all look regardless of color. I am thinking that that is pretty universal. If you don't know someone, and they walk into your environment, you will look. FYI, in my area I am rapidly slipping into the minority. Mesicans everywhere.

Alternatively, I can cling to my guns, religion and prejudice. How could I have ever been married to a Thai?

I am not a fearful person. I am very self-confident and grew up in a housing project. I've had my share of fights, and look mean enough so that most people don't think of me as a target.

I agree that some people look like targets, and as a former '"bad guy" I know that if a person gives off the wrong vibes, "bad guys" seem to sense this (I know I did) and it brings out the predator in them.

Unless you speak Thai very fluently and have good hearing, you might be surprised at some of the comments Thais (mostly men who have been drinking) will make about you. With the popularity of yaa baa with the younger Thais, I imagine you become even more of a target.

I have lived in several countries, and in my younger years, always wound up in the worst parts of town (skid row, etc.) and when trouble came, I was ready for it.

Now that I am older (and hopefully wiser), I am more situationally aware of my surroundings. If I see someone staring at me, I try and evaluate why. Looking to rob me? Looking to sell me something? Pissed off and looking for someone to take it out on? You never know, but you need to be aware. Sometimes just being aware is enough to defuse a potential problem.

To the posters who seem to follow the "Ignorance is bliss" concept of life, chok dee.

Cheers,

RickThai

That statement came out a bit backwards I have to admit. My point was more along the lines of this scenario. Say you're from a small town where there is likely no more than one black family... Plenty of "Mesicans" as they've invaded any and everywhere in the US... However a lone black man in a town of not more than 20k residents will surely be stared at just because the locals almost never see blacks around.. And the blacks who are around are very few, And are known to the community. The town people may not even hold any prejudice just interest in something new.

Same goes for some parts I go to.... Around downtown BKK I don't feel so out of place... When around Laksi or any other outskirt with less western exposure I definitely get more gawking... And that made me ponder how a minority in the states might feel.

Mind you I'm not racist.. Not hatefully racist at all. I was raised in a large California city with all types of people.

The usage of minority, in this discussion, can be defined as: lesser than, inferior.
Conditioned - the term and mindset.

....and clearly a made-up term in our social lexicon.
[same as first world, third world, etc]

These supposed minority poulations....what if they don't find themselves inferior to or lesser than you white cnuts?
What if, in reality, they aren't?

I never said anywhere that any minority is lesser than me... In fact some of the most genuinely good people I've ever met outside my own family have been Hispanic. I don't think less of them at all. Some people who have worked for me mange to not only take good care of themselves but also send a great deal of money to their struggling families in Mexico/Guatemala. Not many westerners I know who work 60+ hour weeks for 12-13 dollars an hour who do anything more than waste their money on consumer goods or vacations or whatever they squander their money on.

I don't use the term Minority to describe someone as lesser than me, I use the term to describe someone who is a small part of a community ... Or a part of the community who may be less fortunate for whatever reason.

Some of my best friends are minority....:rolleyes:

Laosy used to worry about me.
She even used to worry that I couldn't ride a Honda wave.
As much as I showed her pictures of ZX9Rs. I've owned 2.
She stopped worrying about 5 years ago when a Thai thug tried to rob us at knife point outside the bowling alley in Rayong.
Big mistake Khun Thai.......

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Originally Posted by Rural Surin

Some of my best friends are minority....:rolleyes:

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Something difficult for you to read into RS? Or are you just trying to be an twat per the norm?

Nothing I stated above was meant to degrade any race or nationality... Was simply an account of my experience in life, With folks not from my place of origin. Though I do say I'm not bigot... I am rather quick to call a pretentious twat, Well just that.

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Originally Posted by Nokturnal

a Thai thug tried to rob us at knife point outside the bowling alley in Rayong.
Big mistake Khun Thai.......

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Did you recognise the school uniform and report him to the headmaster?:)

Whenever, the family goes out in large groups at night, they always sit me in the middle of the table, and if I get up to wander around, a nephew or uncle generally gets up and keeps pretty close to me.

... They don't want you wandering off when the bill comes.
... One of several possibilities is. that you may have inadvertently pissed someone off. It's easy to do (especially with the arrogant, superior smart-ass t ype that my friend calls the street weasel). Gawd knows how many times that has happened to me over the past quarter century. And you just don't know.

Dex

Maybe the OP is catching on

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Originally Posted by Nokturnal

That statement came out a bit backwards I have to admit. My point was more along the lines of this scenario. Say you're from a small town where there is likely no more than one black family... Plenty of "Mesicans" as they've invaded any and everywhere in the US... However a lone black man in a town of not more than 20k residents will surely be stared at just because the locals almost never see blacks around.. And the blacks who are around are very few, And are known to the community. The town people may not even hold any prejudice just interest in something new.

Same goes for some parts I go to.... Around downtown BKK I don't feel so out of place... When around Laksi or any other outskirt with less western exposure I definitely get more gawking... And that made me ponder how a minority in the states might feel.

Mind you I'm not racist.. Not hatefully racist at all. I was raised in a large California city with all types of people.

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Fair enough then. Thanks for the clarification.

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Originally Posted by Lorenzo

Maybe the OP is catching on

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Maybe the OP is getting on....

Here's a funny story regarding this topic and my experience.

When Sam and I would go there, she was always very protective and ensured I had a body guard everywhere I went. Always complained about that. Told her I was like a caged up animal. Better to go out on my own and if I die, I die. OOf course, that never happened.

Last i went, my SIL was the same way. After the first few days of being home, I took a long walk knowing full well that sooner or later, a motosi would be arriving to fetch me back to the house. Which did happen. They told me lucky I stopped to talk with people along the way so they could find me.

Kept fussing with Sai about being stuck home. She told me that I need to wait until after the ceremony. Wouldn't want me to die before that was over...And then it was over, then she asked me, if you die, what will I do then. i told her well, you'd be well off as if I die, you have the key to my room and will get everything. LOL. She didn't know what to say about that.

They all mean well. And as some have posted, it is possible to piss someone off and not know. After all, we are falang.

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Originally Posted by RickThai

Just wondering.

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Simple courtesy I'd say. Thai's do have or show it some times.