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

[keekwai]

^ The 10 year old Click?

[Chairman Mao]

Yes, a click would really impress them.

[Big D]

The best possible strategy is to stay as far away from the village as possible. There is absolutely nothing for you there, except throwing your money into a bottomless pit. If you really want to give all your money away, send it to that Imam in New York to help them build their Mosque. At least that will bring us closer to WW3 and end all this agony.

If life is really that bad, go back to your home country. You may be happier there.

[Panda]

I dont think its so much that Thais look down on farangs as it is that they think they are smarter than everyone else in the world.

I see the illegal moneylenders and rip off merchants being treated with great respect by the Thais. But I think its more to do with respect for their position of power than actual admiration for their lack of moral ethics. The Thais, well at least the ones I have met, seem to accept being taken advantage of by more wealthy and powerful people. I suppose that comes with many generations of living in a corrupt feudal society where the peasants have no comeback.

This twisted system of moral values weaves its way into the ethics of the peasant population. After all, who would you rather model yourself on,-- a downtrodden peasant, or the smarter wealthy man with the money and power? Dishonesty becomes acceptable, so long as it is only done to someone of lower caste, and done with a smile. And of course the keeping face thing comes into it too. Subordinates are expected to take it with a smile. But try ripping off someone higher in the social pecking order and the loss of face will cause all hell to break lose.

Then along comes the farang. A generous curiosity at first. Is he a kind, generous friend or some kind of a fool ready for the fleecing? Attitudes may change as the relationship progresses. And to top it all off, farangs when in a difficult situation are more likely to tell the truth. This goes to prove that farang sabeur, and that Thais are the smarter race to the Thais. What kind of an idiot would tell the truth to his own disadvantage? Also factor in the overwhelming sense of nationalistic pride that has been fostered by the ruling class among the peasant class, (and another one we cant mention here). There you got it. Its a fcuked up way of thinking and living by our standards, but its just the way it is in Thailand.

[Dan]

I see the illegal moneylenders and rip off merchants being treated with great respect by the Thais. But I think its more to do with respect for their position of power than actual admiration for their lack of moral ethics. The Thais, well at least the ones I have met, seem to accept being taken advantage of by more wealthy and powerful people. I suppose that comes with many generations of living in a corrupt feudal society where the peasants have no comeback.

That sounds like a perfectly serviceable description of the electorate in the 'democratic' west.

farangs when in a difficult situation are more likely to tell the truth.

More stories people tell to make themselves feel better. Look at those nasty natives. Aren't we so much more superior?

[Panda]

I see the illegal moneylenders and rip off merchants being treated with great respect by the Thais. But I think its more to do with respect for their position of power than actual admiration for their lack of moral ethics. The Thais, well at least the ones I have met, seem to accept being taken advantage of by more wealthy and powerful people. I suppose that comes with many generations of living in a corrupt feudal society where the peasants have no comeback.

That sounds like a perfectly serviceable description of the electorate in the 'democratic' west.

farangs when in a difficult situation are more likely to tell the truth.

More stories people tell to make themselves feel better. Look at those nasty natives. Aren't we so much more superior?

YMMV. I can only speak of my own experiences and observations. Observations and experiences which seem to be backed up with (not so) surprising regularity by other farangs who have had interaction in Thailand.
Please feel free to put your own thoughts re Thai culture down on cyber paper here.

[The Master Cool]

^^^ Spot on Panda. Well written.

[koman]

The best possible strategy is to stay as far away from the village as possible. There is absolutely nothing for you there, except throwing your money into a bottomless pit. If you really want to give all your money away, send it to that Imam in New York to help them build their Mosque. At least that will bring us closer to WW3 and end all this agony.

If life is really that bad, go back to your home country. You may be happier there.

Welcome to the discussion Big D, and thank you for your concern about my happiness

Actually, I do go back to my own country every year for a month or so, but I like it just fine here. This thread is mostly about life in rural Isaan villages, and not life in Thailand as a whole. Tried the village thing and got bored shitless after a while, so I decided to settle in town. Perfectly happy now. I would, as you suggest move back to my own country, or some other country if I was not. If you have not yourself lived in an Isaan village, I urge you to try it. Most farang don't last long but as you can see from the multiple responses some do. If everybody liked the same things, there might be only kind of beer. Then we would not be able to have discussions about which beer is best.

[Dan]

I can only speak of my own experiences and observations. Observations and experiences which seem to be backed up with (not so) surprising regularity by other farangs who have had interaction in Thailand. Please feel free to put your own thoughts re Thai culture down on cyber paper here.

I don't see any reason to think that Thais lie more often than do people from whatever nations post on Teakdoor, Thaivisa or wherever. How would you know if they did? Sure, Thais obviously lie. So do I. So do most people who post here. What I always think when I read posts that describe 'bad' behaviour is that they sound like they could happen anywhere in the world. What immigrants to Thailand from Europe and the States seem to have a marked tendency to do is to ascribe every single negative experience to some perceived failure in the Thai national character (whatever the fuck that is). It seems fairly self-evident that - besides being objectionably racist - it's just wrong to do that. And besides, it's, as you say, not so surprising that negative experiences get reported. How many people get home and think 'I want to tell the world about the people who didn't lie to me today'? Not many, right. So the fact that Thaivisa fills Google-sized servers every day with the petulant bellyaches of incompetents - I'm sure most people reading this have seen page after page of that crap - doesn't really mean very much.

As for 'Thai culture' in a general sense, that's a slippery fucking eel (as is the idea of any national culture) but I'm not entirely sure that there's any such thing, at least beyond the constructs of the myth-makers who hold power.

YMMV.

???

[Panda]

[quote=Dan;1554958]

YMMV.

???

Your Mileage May Vary.

[keekwai]

^ Oh! .. That archaic measurement system .. got it!

[Isee]

I don't see any reason to think that Thais lie more often than do people

Thais can't lie straight in bed - one day you'll get it.

[tsicar]

^^^ Spot on Panda. Well written.

yep!
panda cracked it there, and i have to agree with him.

the key to liviing happily in thailand is to just be yourself.

you don't have to accept any bullshit that you wouldn't in your home country.

you don't have to be friendly to anybody that you wouldn't beferiend in yiour own country.

you don't have to make allowances for their fuktup culture or the pressure they put on themselves to continuously show face.

just be yourself, no matter whether you live in an isaan village or in the city, coz if you don't, you will stress yourself to the limits and end up hating the place, and the thais really don't giive a shit anyway:

they will leave you alone as soon as they find that you are not a pushover.


OR

... walk around in a fukkn daze, waiing all the whores, their mothers and their soidogs; force yourself to swallow the shit food laced with rotten fish and pretend it was aroi;
throw in more money when grandma falls down the stairs, or brother-in law supposedly blows the title deeds to the mammy's farm in a gambling spree, and the family need a bailout;
hand over money to the monks to buy smokes and booze;
bribe the bib when they threaten you on some trumped up bullshit (they will be back if you pay the first time);allow yourself to be pressured by the wife to buy a fancier car, or gold for her neck or arm so that she can attain a higher status in the village

...and live a life of hell.


YOU OWE THE THAIS NOTHING, AND THEY CERTAINLY DON'T GIVE A FUK IF THEY OWE YOU ANYTHING.

[sabang]

Fitting into an Isaan Village, well starting with the basics you need-

A good wife/ partner
A decent family (if you move to the BanNok that is, otherwise move to a different village)
Enough money. Much is made of the money & Thailand issue, but money issues are a major cause of both marital breakups and suicide in the West too. And in Isaan there is no safety net.

Apart from that, it's really up to you. Is it the lifestyle you want. You've got to find your own things to Do- not like the city. Getting on with the locals is not hard, it probably helps to be acquainted with Thai ways both good and bad. But some people- probably infinitely patient- are able to jump in to Isaan village life green, and fit in. Others flip out.

It's certainly not for everyone, but mine and several others experience has been overall pleasant enough to say with confidence, it is for some.

[tsicar]

But some people- probably infinitely patient- are able to jump in to Isaan village life green, and fit in. Others flip out.
.

i loved living in the ban-nok.
...and i could never be described as an infinitely patient person. (not even a reasonable person, for that matter!)
everything went wrong for me, but i found my niche and i will be back in the same village one day, cursing the thais as usual and fighting the cops and immig. officials and the smelly buffalo-man next door and grandma and her fuktup tribe and all the shit that goes with rural thai life.

for me it is all about freedom, and nothing beats the freedom you will find in an isaan village.
just do your 'kkin thing-everything is ok

get pissed at 6.oo am
build your own house without submitting plans
boink your neighbour's daughter
cook his dog, too!
park your car in the middle of the soi, blocking all traffic.
drive an unlicensed vehicle through a roadblock
live off the land
have a meal in a filthy "restaurant" at the market for 35 baht!
make coconut smoothies out of coconuts you picked in your own garden!
find something to laugh about every day, just watching the stupidity all around you.

yep!
isaan village life is for me-never a dull moment!

[sabang]

Yep, a lifestyle totally unhindered by routine.

[backinpd2007]

Finally, a simple piece of wisdom from somebody on TD! Thanks Big D.

To all on here,If you dont like your adopted country and lifestyle, go home.

[keekwai]

yep!
panda cracked it there, and i have to agree with him.

the key to liviing happily in thailand is to just be yourself.

Do these "rules" apply to Thais also? .. If not, I'll just continue as normal. Go to work, go home and live my life the way I want. Just like the Thais.

I was sure I'd already said that.

[keekwai]

To all on here,If you dont like your adopted country and lifestyle, go home.

If I read that little nugget on a Thailand based forum just one more time .. I'll ... I'll .. I'll ..... ????

[Marmite the Dog]

To all on here,If you dont like your adopted country and lifestyle, go home.

Very fucking original. Did it take you long to think of that one?

[koman]

^^^ Spot on Panda. Well written.

yep!
panda cracked it there, and i have to agree with him.

the key to liviing happily in thailand is to just be yourself.

you don't have to accept any bullshit that you wouldn't in your home country.

you don't have to be friendly to anybody that you wouldn't beferiend in yiour own country.

you don't have to make allowances for their fuktup culture or the pressure they put on themselves to continuously show face.

just be yourself, no matter whether you live in an isaan village or in the city, coz if you don't, you will stress yourself to the limits and end up hating the place, and the thais really don't giive a shit anyway:

they will leave you alone as soon as they find that you are not a pushover.


OR

... walk around in a fukkn daze, waiing all the whores, their mothers and their soidogs; force yourself to swallow the shit food laced with rotten fish and pretend it was aroi;
throw in more money when grandma falls down the stairs, or brother-in law supposedly blows the title deeds to the mammy's farm in a gambling spree, and the family need a bailout;
hand over money to the monks to buy smokes and booze;
bribe the bib when they threaten you on some trumped up bullshit (they will be back if you pay the first time);allow yourself to be pressured by the wife to buy a fancier car, or gold for her neck or arm so that she can attain a higher status in the village

...and live a life of hell.


YOU OWE THE THAIS NOTHING, AND THEY CERTAINLY DON'T GIVE A FUK IF THEY OWE YOU ANYTHING.

Really good post. You seem to have covered all (or most) of the highlights.
It's really always about being yourself and sticking to what is good for you regardless of what everybody thinks they want. One small item on village life that has been ignored so far is how great at can be at Songkran when all the girls get of their backs down in Pattaya and come home for the holiday, hopefully with a bag of cash or a nice newly arrived farang with a big heart, and a healthy financial statement.

Were you just kidding about the "mothers and soi dogs"?...or just the mothers?

[tsicar]

^^^ Spot on Panda. Well written.

.

Really good post. You seem to have covered all (or most) of the highlights.
It's really always about being yourself and sticking to what is good for you regardless of what everybody thinks they want. One small item on village life that has been ignored so far is how great at can be at Songkran when all the girls get of their backs down in Pattaya and come home for the holiday, hopefully with a bag of cash or a nice newly arrived farang with a big heart, and a healthy financial statement.

Were you just kidding about the "mothers and soi dogs"?...or just the mothers?

not kidding.
seen many a farang walking around waiing everything that moved.
strangely, no thais-not even their wives, set them straight about the wai thing, so they just keep on doing it, thinking that they got the culture thing taped.

one thing i omitted in my post:
you can go to parties, weddings and funerals in flipflops and shorts and not feel out of place!

[keekwai]

Don't forget to take lots of photos at funerals .. it's the "done thing"

.... months later .. "OOh .. here's some pics of Uncle Somchai being cremated!" .. "That was a fun day!"

[superman]

not kidding. seen many a farang walking around waiing everything that moved. strangely, no thais-not even their wives, set them straight about the wai thing, so they just keep on doing it, thinking that they got the culture thing taped.

The wives let them carry on doing it cause it gives them a laugh. My missus is in bits when she sees a farang Wai another. Me, I never do it, not even to a Thai. They don't take exception to it as they know it's not our custom.

[keekwai]

I wonder why it's not funny when I see a Thai shaking hands with another Thai?