Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 60
  1. #1
    I'm in Jail
    Butterfly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Last Online
    12-06-2021 @ 11:13 PM
    Posts
    39,832

    Suffering from Cultural Shock

    I think I am suffering from Cultural Shock according the definition I found below. Between the Songkran songs in the shopping malls, and the inefficiency of the whole country, I am starting to think that I should move to a more civilized place like Singapore. Getting tired of Thailand already and Singapore is starting to look really good. This country is a dead end. Great for whoring and the beach, but nothing else to expect. Moving here professionally is not the smartest thing to do.

    Aren't we all suffering from the symptoms below ?

    Culture shock is caused by the stress of being in a new culture. It is a normal part of adjusting to new foods, customs, language, people and activities.

    Symptoms of culture shock are:

    Unwarranted criticism of the culture and people


    Constant complaints about the climate


    Utopian ideas concerning one's previous culture


    Continuous concern about the purity of water and food


    Fear of touching local people


    Refusal to learn the language


    Preoccupation about being robbed or cheated


    Pressing desire to talk with people who "really make sense."


    Preoccupation with returning home


    Irritability


    Overly concerned with health


    Loneliness


    Hopelessness


    Distrust of hosts


    Withdrawal of people

    Lowered work performances

  2. #2
    Dis-member
    Dougal's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    18-03-2024 @ 07:17 AM
    Location
    Head Rock
    Posts
    3,507
    To be honest BF, I exhibited more of those 'symptoms' when I was back in the UK.

  3. #3
    Hifaluten Member
    Wayne Kerr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Last Online
    08-02-2019 @ 10:23 PM
    Location
    Fiji Islands
    Posts
    3,186
    Quote Originally Posted by Butterfly
    Fear of touching local people
    Count me in on this one when it comes to chicks with dicks

  4. #4
    I don't know barbaro's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    on pacific ocean, south america
    Posts
    21,406
    Cultural shock is a normal phenomenon.

    Unfortunately, there isn't enough preparation, awareneness, or formal instruction about it.

    Culture shock has many different stages.

    And these different stages are different for different people.

    Some hit certain crests and waves, troughs, and valleys quicker and slower than others.

    Some have more extreme crests and troughs.

    And the length of time and re-currence if different for different for different people.

    Cultura usually but not always continues for many years, but of course the longer one stays in a foreign country the less pronounced these crests and troughs will be.

    Best of luck to all.

    Everyone - well, almost everyone experiences, culture shock.

    It has been studied a lot.
    ............

  5. #5
    Member

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Last Online
    26-04-2008 @ 04:12 AM
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    378
    There's an entire area of Human Resources work in larger companies that deals with preparing employees for overseas assignments, and the really good ones prepare those same ex-pats for their return -- many ex-pats have a sort of reverse culture shock upon returning home. I know I did.

  6. #6
    ding ding ding
    Spin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    12,606
    Quote Originally Posted by Butterfly
    Moving here professionally is not the smartest thing to do
    I'm feeling this a lot. i think i will be moving back to the Uk soon to continue working as Thailand is a carrer cemetry

  7. #7
    Khun Marmite
    RDN's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    19-03-2016 @ 06:03 PM
    Location
    ราไวย์, ภูเก็ต
    Posts
    3,165
    Quote Originally Posted by Butterfly View Post
    ...Moving here professionally is not the smartest thing to do....
    Agreed. Make your money in your home country, then "retire" to Thailand if you can extricate yourself from all your home country ties. I admire the people who have made a success of working here, but there are many more failures than successes.

  8. #8
    Tonguin for a beer
    Bung's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Last Online
    25-09-2016 @ 09:58 PM
    Location
    Wat Bung
    Posts
    3,845
    Quote Originally Posted by Butterfly
    I am starting to think that I should move to a more civilized place like Singapore. Getting tired of Thailand already and Singapore is starting to look really good.
    See ya!

  9. #9
    Thailand Expat
    panama hat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Last Online
    21-10-2023 @ 08:08 AM
    Location
    Way, Way South of the border now - thank God!
    Posts
    32,680
    Having been in Singapore for almost six years now the following points are also seen here, on this little red dot . . . at least for the same kind of ill-fitting expat you describe:



    Symptoms of culture shock are:

    Unwarranted criticism of the culture and people

    Constant complaints about the climate

    Utopian ideas concerning one's previous culture

    Refusal to learn the language

    Pressing desire to talk with people who "really make sense."

    Preoccupation with returning home

    Overly concerned with health

    Loneliness
    In other words, Plus ça change plus c'est la même chose . . . . or a rose by any other name.

    The one thing that Singapore has way over Thailand is business credibility . . . a Singapore posting looks far more impressive than a Thailand posting.
    Last edited by panama hat; 13-04-2007 at 10:18 AM.

  10. #10
    watterinja
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Butterfly View Post
    This country is a dead end. Great for whoring and the beach, but nothing else to expect. Moving here professionally is not the smartest thing to do.
    The Thai blip on a Resume will always require some explaining - always!

    Good employers are always confused as to why a useful potential employee ended up in Thailand. Did you burn out; are you a sexpat; are you a kiddie-fiddler; are you on the run; what the hell are you? You will have to work 10x harder to prove yourself.

  11. #11
    Thailand Expat Boon Mee's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Last Online
    13-09-2019 @ 04:18 PM
    Location
    Samui
    Posts
    44,704
    Singapore?
    You must be joking.
    The place is devoid of any excitement - a completely controlled police-state - sterile in the extreme.
    Been there, done that and you couldn't pay me enough to live there.

  12. #12
    I'm in Jail
    Butterfly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Last Online
    12-06-2021 @ 11:13 PM
    Posts
    39,832
    it's not so much I hate the culture or hate living here, I am quite happy with the local ways, it's just in terms of "doing things", I am running out of patience. Nothing is being accomplished here or there is no incentives for planning, even on a personal level, and that is becoming annoying as it looks more and more like a deadend. Even building a home for your comfort is an enormous annoying challenge and because the locals are so dysfunctional, it's impossible to plan anything here for your own future., may it be personal or professional.

  13. #13
    I'm in Jail
    Butterfly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Last Online
    12-06-2021 @ 11:13 PM
    Posts
    39,832
    Quote Originally Posted by Boon Mee
    The place is devoid of any excitement - a completely controlled police-state - sterile in the extreme.
    Not anymore. That was true 6 or 7 years ago but the city has completely changed. The locals are more open than the Thais, and like to party all night. I had a great time everytime I went there, and the young Chinese Singaporians are hot. The life is not that expensive, even for a certain lifestyle compared to Thailand, that's why I am thinking about it. And in terms of business, there are far more opportunities for new contacts and clients. Try that here instead. They are all closed down and scared of the big bad foreigner, and they can't pay anyhow for what you have to offer. Even the smart Thais with a degree from abroad (or even local degree) leave the country to become successful.

    This country is for retirees and underachievers, literally. Nothing wrong with that, it fits certain profiles, but not mine. I am too young to retire even if I had the money.

  14. #14
    Thailand Expat Boon Mee's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Last Online
    13-09-2019 @ 04:18 PM
    Location
    Samui
    Posts
    44,704
    ^
    Sounds like it must have changed a lot then but I do recall how when dating a Singapore gal, one of the first questions out of her mouth was how many shares of Malaysian Rubber or some such I owned. Materialistic in the extreme. And, those HDB flats put me right off! They finally had to install cameras in the lifts to prevent men/boys from pissing in them. Smelled worse than an Indonesian urinal. But, concur, it's a much better place for business and efficiency.
    A Deplorable Bitter Clinger

  15. #15
    Thailand Expat Boon Mee's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Last Online
    13-09-2019 @ 04:18 PM
    Location
    Samui
    Posts
    44,704
    Quote Originally Posted by Butterfly View Post
    it's not so much I hate the culture or hate living here, I am quite happy with the local ways, it's just in terms of "doing things", I am running out of patience. Nothing is being accomplished here or there is no incentives for planning, even on a personal level, and that is becoming annoying as it looks more and more like a deadend. Even building a home for your comfort is an enormous annoying challenge and because the locals are so dysfunctional, it's impossible to plan anything here for your own future., may it be personal or professional.
    I'm really not looking forward to building my place either.
    Agree with everything you say...

  16. #16
    Member
    Anonymous Coward's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Last Online
    20-04-2007 @ 07:55 PM
    Location
    Ratsima - The Bakersfield of LoS
    Posts
    923
    Quote Originally Posted by Boon Mee
    This country is for retirees and underachievers
    So, that's why I'm here. I'm both a retiree and an underachiever.

    And, after 26 years on Saipan, this place seems like a paradise of modernity and convenience at about one fifth the cost.

    It's all a matter of perspective.

  17. #17
    I'm in Jail
    Butterfly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Last Online
    12-06-2021 @ 11:13 PM
    Posts
    39,832
    Quote Originally Posted by Helicopter
    I'm feeling this a lot. i think i will be moving back to the Uk soon to continue working as Thailand is a carrer cemetry
    My clients are all offshore, so I am not selling anything here (thank god), so at least I do not have to struggle with that part. But the office I am running is starting to be boring now, nothing new to do, and the idea of doing business with two faced hi-so cheating local bastards doesn't help me get the right motivation to explore the local business environment.

  18. #18
    Thailand Expat Boon Mee's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Last Online
    13-09-2019 @ 04:18 PM
    Location
    Samui
    Posts
    44,704
    ^
    ...and it's tough to learn their cheating, devious ways too in order to 'best' them...

  19. #19
    Bounced
    Frankenstein's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Last Online
    20-05-2021 @ 02:46 PM
    Location
    The land of milking honeys
    Posts
    3,292
    I understand what you're saying, mouche de beurre.

    You probably realize you will feel dissatisfied after a few years wherever you move, though?

  20. #20
    Thailand Expat
    panama hat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Last Online
    21-10-2023 @ 08:08 AM
    Location
    Way, Way South of the border now - thank God!
    Posts
    32,680
    Quote Originally Posted by Boon Mee View Post
    ^
    Sounds like it must have changed a lot then but I do recall how when dating a Singapore gal, one of the first questions out of her mouth was how many shares of Malaysian Rubber or some such I owned. Materialistic in the extreme. And, those HDB flats put me right off! They finally had to install cameras in the lifts to prevent men/boys from pissing in them. Smelled worse than an Indonesian urinal. But, concur, it's a much better place for business and efficiency.
    Your personality dictates the type of person you choose to spend your time with . . . as for HDBs . . . well, if you didn't live in a condo or landed property then what were you doing here?
    Any, and I repeat, any expat who was here 7 years ago or so would have been on an expat package. You weren't?

    What were you doing in Singapore if not working and enjoying the lowest tax rates imaginable?

    Sterile? Are you talking about yourself or the HDb you were shacked up in?

    Your stories sound too contrived to be real, sorry.

  21. #21
    Thailand Expat
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    38,456
    I lived in HK for twelve years, and no people are more demeaning of Singapore than the HK'ers.
    It ain't that bad- I've met some 'out there' people in Singapore, and the stories about it being strait laced and boring are a little overdone.

  22. #22
    Thailand Expat Boon Mee's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Last Online
    13-09-2019 @ 04:18 PM
    Location
    Samui
    Posts
    44,704
    Quote Originally Posted by panama hat View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Boon Mee View Post
    ^
    Sounds like it must have changed a lot then but I do recall how when dating a Singapore gal, one of the first questions out of her mouth was how many shares of Malaysian Rubber or some such I owned. Materialistic in the extreme. And, those HDB flats put me right off! They finally had to install cameras in the lifts to prevent men/boys from pissing in them. Smelled worse than an Indonesian urinal. But, concur, it's a much better place for business and efficiency.
    Your personality dictates the type of person you choose to spend your time with . . . as for HDBs . . . well, if you didn't live in a condo or landed property then what were you doing here?
    Any, and I repeat, any expat who was here 7 years ago or so would have been on an expat package. You weren't?

    What were you doing in Singapore if not working and enjoying the lowest tax rates imaginable?

    Sterile? Are you talking about yourself or the HDb you were shacked up in?

    Your stories sound too contrived to be real, sorry.
    I was dating a Singapore gal who lived in one of those HDB flats. I'd go over to pick her up and, of course, all the neighbors are scoping me out - btw, I'm a WASP. Anyhow, one day I made the mistake when sitting at the kitchen table of my girlfriend's flat - looking out the window I said: "Reminds me of HK". Man, you would have thought I'd broken wind in front of her parents or something! Things went down hill shortly after that.

    I was on an expat package. Had a semi-detached place in Changi and after awhile lived down on Carinhill Rd across from Cold Storage. The only thing 'contrived' was the super-structured life on that tiny little island.

  23. #23
    Thailand Expat
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    38,456
    [quote=Boon Mee;284706][quote=panama hat;284695]
    Quote Originally Posted by Boon Mee View Post
    ^

    Anyhow, one day I made the mistake when sitting at the kitchen table of my girlfriend's flat - looking out the window I said: "Reminds me of HK". Man, you would have thought I'd broken wind in front of her parents or something! Things went down hill shortly after that.
    Yeh, that would go down like a fart at a funeral in Singapore.

  24. #24
    Thailand Expat
    panama hat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Last Online
    21-10-2023 @ 08:08 AM
    Location
    Way, Way South of the border now - thank God!
    Posts
    32,680
    There used to be this big rivalry between the two . . . not anymore on either side.

    Singapore is far from boring, it's like anywhere else - you make out of it what you wish.
    If you want to be miserable and put no effort into assimilation or general mixing then you will be miserable . . . not unlike so many expats in Thailand.

    Give me Singapore any day for most things . . . give me Thailand for the space.

  25. #25
    I'm in Jail
    Butterfly's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Last Online
    12-06-2021 @ 11:13 PM
    Posts
    39,832
    My idea is to rotate between the 2 places. Like I said, Thailand is fine for a short stay, but after a few months you want to shoot everybody because of the overall inefficiency of the people. I like doing things and what I miss the most in Bangkok is to be able to walk around, visit places, cultural events, exhibits etc... here it's impossible, the city is not structured to accomodate a vibrant cultural lifestyle, it's just impossible.

    If it wasn't for the low dollar, I would have stay in Europe but it was getting out of hand in terms of expensive lifestyle and I still needed to commute to Thailand every 2 or 3 months. I think Singapore could be a nice compromise. And it's nice to go party in a place without looking like a "farang" if you get my drift.

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •