Thread: Westerners In Thailand: What Went Wrong?

The guys I met were mainly complaining about visas, having their homes overrun with their wives relatives, problems building and owning a house, corruption, police, lese majesty, other drivers, and the military government.

Norton No not saying saying your a denialist at all,you been here a long time,much longer than many of us,your more Thai than most Thais.

Over the years I've respected your online activity here,your postings have been a help to many.


Maybe your time here as been long and you've adapted to the Thai ways,that many of us are not able to.

Its the new batch of expats,that will do anything to become accepted I'm referring to.

On meeting the denialists and drinking with them the truths come out,and i would say the main complaint is intellectual stimulation.

I mean just look at Jeff he's gone so native.

Originally Posted by Norton

Originally Posted by Horatio Hornblower

Living in the world of the denialist.

Now, now Yaso are you saying folks on forums (one being my good self) are "denialists"?

Originally Posted by Horatio Hornblower

many problems they found living here

Being here long term and assuming they all spoke Thai, surprised they had so many problems.
What sort of problems?

Originally Posted by Horatio Hornblower

you've adapted to the Thai ways

Supose I have. Yes it takes time and although you don't have to be fluent enough in Thai to addess uni students, enough to understand basics is key. "Seek first to understand then to be understood."

Originally Posted by Dragonfly94

Pity not so for Thais- another military coup and control by a small elite owning 50% of the wealth. Media censorship with people getting 30 years for fb comments, even about animals. Still a country where justice depends on who you are and how rich you are. Whoever is in power corruption, nepotism and rampant nationalism are more evident than common sense, meritocracy and freedom.

A good post, xanax . . . and spot on.

Though Norton points to the title relevant to foreigners, I'd suggest that your post IS relevant to foreigners as well as it affects especially those living in the land of smiles

Originally Posted by VocalNeal

In Indo I had a green rear light on my motorbike! Why? because I could

Nice

Originally Posted by Norton

"Seek first to understand then to be understood."

Deep, Norton. Very deep - had to look up the source, Steven Covey.

"is that people form opinions based on their own experiences. Unless they work hard to understand the other person's perspective, two people can see the same thing and form completely different viewpoints because they are understanding "autobiographically."

Originally Posted by Norton

"Seek first to understand then to be understood."

Classic Norton

For the sake of comparison and experience - where is this Utopia everyone talks about in comparison to being 'ripped off' (or 'whatever') in Thailand , by Thais, 'under Thai laws', etc