"Fitting in" in your Isaan village. 8 Key points

[rasderek]

Sounds a great deal like most small town cities...keep a low profile and things are usually smooth....doubt there are many secrets even then.

[backinpd2007]

I've noticed that some people dont agree with my view on slightly overpaying their workers.
I'm in business in Australia, and have always paid my workers higher than industry rates. Generally, they will be more productive than others. And if they dont prove to be worth the higher rate of pay, well they where the door is?
There's no reason why the same philosophy shouldn't be applied to Thailand as well.

[pone]

I was asked to loan money once - friend of my partner wanted 30k. I explained my 'never a lender nor borrower be' principle and that was the end of that; secondary was that my partner had more than enough to loan and when i asked why she wouldn't, she said because she probably wouldn't get it back. Well . . . end of conversation.
i have agreed with my banker:i never lend money &they don't drive my car!!!!!!!!!

[superman]

Sorry mate, but the more you talk, the more you sound like the 9 month 'expert'

I'll have to go along with that also. You do sound as if you've done all your homework on the computer and then came to Thailand with the idea that the village life isn't for you. May be you have tried the village life, to appease the wife/girlfriend, but you really don't come across as someone who's spent more than a few months in one. The quote below says a lot as to your attitude. Plus you don't sound very much like someone who spent 10 years in the British army. Did you have to rough it or were you rear echelon ?

I'll stay close to where I can buy a bottle of decent wine, go see a movie or eat in a restaurant that does not have chickens and dogs under the tables.

[Chairman Mao]

I like it. The people I have grown to know over the almost decade are good down to earth kind people. I have been treated well by the local police and vendors. There are some really good people once you find your niche.

Good stuff.

[CQFarmer]

Confession of a happy farang
I have built two houses on Mama's land in the Muu-baan, one was called a "rebuild" because it included the pillars and upper wooden floor, but the million-plus extra was from me: the second took longer because I learned to give tiirak an allowance to care for her family and in theory to feed her, son and me. From this she found she could have a small group of chaan “experts” to build house number two. They cut down a tree to provide the timber and I paid small amounts occasionally for cement and nails. She still asks for small amounts for food and expenses, but it has become controllable.
Tiirak would like to spend all her time there "to look after her parents" (74 &78 yrs); she also loves the garden; but I insist she spends time with me in the city where I teach English and look after her son (13 yrs.). We have a recent agreement that seems to keep both of us happy of 4 days and 2 nights in the muu-baan each week, and Wednesdays and weekends with son and me.
When I can I spend time in the muu-baan living in one of the houses with Papa; Mama lives in the other house because she and Papa love to argue the way they have for over 50 years. I think of it as voluntary simplicity.
I am 68 in two weeks time and tiirak is 47, we have been married for two and a half years and I am happy with my beautiful Thai lady (and her cute bottom).
I have lent money to two brothers-in-law, 10,000 baht (returned) and 3,000 for study books (not expected back).
I think I have adapted to Thai life and culture, though it is an ongoing task.

I want to buy a house in the city, what is the way I can do that in my name? It has land and is not a condominium; the best I have heard of is land in tiirak’s name and house in my name, or a thirty year lease to me; is anything else possible?
CQF

[taxexile]

I've noticed that some people dont agree with my view on slightly overpaying their workers.

overpaying locals in thailand will nail you as an easy mark, and you will be taken advantage of. you would be considered foolish.


treating the staff to a trip, a party etc. fine. treating them fairly and not taking advantage of them, fine. but being overgenerous, never.

acting the saviour or the philanthropist in this country will have them laughing at you behind your back. they will have no respect for you.

[keda]

Sounds a great deal like most small town cities...keep a low profile and things are usually smooth....doubt there are many secrets even then.

Takes time to pick up on here, but some believe if you don't snigger at or criticise Thais or Thailand then there must be something wrong with you. And if you do criticise or find things amusing, then you shouldn't because you're a guest and at liberty to bugger off. And of course if you criticise and later dare to praise something else, your earlier criticism will come back to haunt you.

Some posters can't seem to figure that there's such thing as a balance, where you can like some things and hate or find others amusing, but overall like it which is why we stay.

As I said, takes time and btw welcome aboard.

[Iono]

Don't wai other farangs, we shake hands.

Other farangs...you're in a city not a village..when we see other farangs here we run away cos we're all a bunch of xenophobic wankers..either that or stare, blatantly..

Yeah, what is up with that? When I come from my village and go to Big C, Tesco or any other place with Falangs I always smile and say hello, most look frightened when I speak to them, truly weird...by the way I have lived in the same village and a nearby city for the past 7 years, it can become boring, but once you befriend other people in the village life is much more pleaseant, especially if you don't sit around on your butt drinking beer and doing nothing as where I live we can only have one town drunk and he is Thai, the rest have to work or pretend to work

[twobalcane]

I seems that the rigor of the useless female will never end...one must be positivly aware about local surviour techniques, fear of ghosts ,incest, ignorance, greed and just plain ole dead track idol mentalities.

[koman]

[quote=superman;1553885]

'

I'll have to go along with that also. You do sound as if you've done all your homework on the computer and then came to Thailand with the idea that the village life isn't for you. May be you have tried the village life, to appease the wife/girlfriend, but you really don't come across as someone who's spent more than a few months in one. The quote below says a lot as to your attitude. Plus you don't sound very much like someone who spent 10 years in the British army. Did you have to rough it or were you rear echelon ?

Superman. I'm disappointed. I honestly thought you and the other supporters of sub-standard living conditions could read. Please refer to posts 13 and 44 again. It make take some concentration because they are more than 4 lines of text, but it's all in there in relatively simple language. Now: appeasing the wife? I did not know her until more than a year after my village "residency" experience, so I guess the answer to that would be NO. British Army: I was never IN the army, but I was in the armed services for 10 years and spent quite a bit of time with the army...actually several armies. As to roughing it; you bet. Can be fun if it's not too dangerous but then in your 20 ies it's like that. Most people reach a point where they don't want to rough it any more and prefer creature comforts. I was not going to bother explaining this, but I was curious to know what military service has to do with choosing to live in a remote Issan village. Is this like trying to connect dots that are not on the same page? Futile activity. I don't intend to prolong this debate much longer because it's a bit like trying to explain the benefits of the capitalist model to a trade union congress, but it's the wet season and the Koran and Bible burning thread has run it's course so I thought it might be interesting to try something else for a day or two. Of course I was well aware that any revelations about the down side of rural village living would bring out the International Brotherhood of Village Idiots. Happens every time...and the subject has been beaten to death over the years anyway, but it was fun to take another run at it to see what happened. I wish good fortune to all in the lifestyle they have chosen.

[The Master Cool]

Please try to locate the key with 'Enter' written on it on your keyboard.

It's used for paragraphing so endless dribbling waddle doesn't look like a solid wall of poo that know will be interested in reading.

[keekwai]

overpaying locals in thailand will nail you as an easy mark, and you will be taken advantage of. you would be considered foolish.

Forum/Internet "Hearsay" Copied and repeated ad nauseum .. like many comments are. Not based on actual first hand experience.

I've never heard any Thai say that .. and that includes ones close and honest to me.

[koman]

I seems that the rigor of the useless female will never end...one must be positivly aware about local surviour techniques, fear of ghosts ,incest, ignorance, greed and just plain ole dead track idol mentalities.

[koman]

Please try to locate the key with 'Enter' written on it on your keyboard.

It's used for paragraphing so endless dribbling waddle doesn't look like a solid wall of poo that know will be interested in reading.

Who is know? whoever know is, I 'm glad he will be interested in reading....

[koman]

Just picked up this gem from another forum, but I'm sure the guy is just making it up. Hell, this kind of stuff never happens in Thailand

Needless to say, I forgot all of the good advice as soon as I landed at the airport. Thailand is so intoxicating on your first trip (and subsequent ones too if you are coming from the Western world). I think catching bronchitis on my first trip was probably a good thing! I had 3 crazy women chasing me that I had met online. They quickly lost contact when I ended up in Bumrungrad hospital for 5 days with acute bronchitis.

The day that I got out of hospital, I called a massage service and fell head over heels with the massage girl. Her name was Tip, she was 31 but looked 18 (don't they all when you are in that first visit haze?) and she knocked my socks off.
From then on you could have written a textbook about things not to do with Thai women (or women in general).

Her mother was sick and needed money for an operation.
She had to work in massage shop, but only massaged women.
She had never had children. Jing jing! That scar across my stomach is from a motorbike accident.

The 2nd Thai gf that I had was just before I met my ex. She had caught a bus down from Isaan, jumped my bones ASAP and then took me to China town to choose a wedding ring.

[superman]

It was through forum research over several years that I learned about life in LOS and all of the things to be wary off.

Koman you even admit "I learned about life in LOS" from forum research on the Internet. Post #35

[Marmite the Dog]

When I come from my village and go to Big C, Tesco or any other place with Falangs I always smile and say hello, most look frightened when I speak to them

truly weird

Indeed. It is a bit unnerving when a complete stranger wants to talk to you just because you have the same colour skin.

[Marmite the Dog]

I was in a restaurant last week having a bit of food with the Midget & kids, when this German guy walks over and says, "Hi. Are you Norwegian?". I said, "No, I'm English, but my wife can speak Norwegian to you if you like?".

He walked off embarrassed. Is there a German 'in' joke about Norwegians that I should know about?

[The Master Cool]

Who is know? whoever know is, I 'm glad he will be interested in reading....

Yes, must have been distracted half way through. Luckily the smarter among us would have been able to work it out.

[taxexile]

overpaying locals in thailand will nail you as an easy mark, and you will be taken advantage of. you would be considered foolish.

Forum/Internet "Hearsay" Copied and repeated ad nauseum .. like many comments are. Not based on actual first hand experience.

I've never heard any Thai say that .. and that includes ones close and honest to me.

well of course you wont have.

do you ever see thais overpaying for labour, or for work ?

do you think you will get a better job done by overpaying ?

in most cases you will just be paying more for exactly the same output.

[Panda]

The wifes family is spread around the country, but the core of the clan is still up in Issarn.
I have visited several times and must say they treated me well and made me feel most welcome. But my visits were only short, lasting on average about 4 days.
Still, I have to say that by day 4 I was always bored shitless and itching to move on.

I guess the main attraction for most blokes who choose to settle up in the village sticks is an Issarn wife and possibly kids. A quite understandable motivation I guess.

I did go through a stage in the early days of considering building a little retreat up there and spending my retirement relaxing and living cheaply in Issarn. But after a few visits and the early onset of boredom, I soon gave up that idea.

When I sat down and did the sums, I realized I could buy/build a little comfortable place in rural Australia for about the same as in rural Thailand. Maybe not quite as grand for the same money mind you, but comfortable and I could actually own it.

Cost of living came into it next. And when I started going into it I figured that I could eat just as cheaply here in Oz. Health care was a big deciding factor too. Good quality health care and ambulance services free here back home vs relatively expensive and inefficient by comparison in Thailand.

Overall, its going to be about the same cost to retire here in rural Australia as it is in Issarn. Plus with the added benefits of free health care and not being socially isolated in a strange country. But the wife yearns to spend her final days back in Thailand with her family, which is entirely understandable. So we have come to an agreement where we plan to split our time between the two countries. Not in Issarn village though.

[keekwai]

do you ever see thais overpaying for labour, or for work ?

Only to me. I get paid far too much.

[taxexile]

Only to me. I get paid far too much.

then keep riding that gravy train.

[superman]

do you ever see thais overpaying for labour, or for work ?

I'm not nit picking, but yes I've seen it. A woman, married to a farang, does it for prestige. It's her way of making herself feel big and respected.
What is "overpaying" ? Where I live they can either get paid for the day, or the job, when working the Tapioca. I've known for them to get 300 baht for half day's work when getting job price.