Quote Originally Posted by DrB0b View Post
Because sarcasm and irony require an in-depth knowledge of the English language that most foreigners don't have IMO. Most sarcasm is pretty subtle and even good but non-native English speakers have trouble noticing it. The cruder forms of sarcasm are often perceived as bad-manners and insults here according to my Thai friends (who were asking me why farangs often call their friends ugly, fat, or gay and still manage to keep those friends) and accordingly ignored. How good are you at recognising Thai humour which is mostly based on the differences between similar sounding words with slightly different tones? Also ignoring verbal violence is nothing to do with stupidity or ignorance but a deep and integral part of Thai culture. Have you any idea how insulting it is to say that abstract thought is beyond any group of people, you do know that Thais have turned out some of the deepest and most abstract commentaries on the Buddhist scriptures? Where are you from - do you have enough insight and knowledge of Thai culture, languages, and history to legitimately make such sweeping statements.
I have limited insight into Thai culture, which is why I brought up this topic in the form of rhetorical questions to promote discussion. When I stated that Thais were in the 'here-and-now' and adverse to abstract thought, it was actually a backhanded compliment to their culture. If you didn't notice, I actually preferred my final explanation, which suggested that Thais simply don't enjoy verbal violence. 'Sweeping statements' in the form of questions aren't really so sweeping. You have very good insights but you sound a bit angry and judgmental at times.