It is the ultimate beauty ideal for most Thai people; creamy white skin. The whiter the better. Everything has to make way for that and it may also cost something. Manufacturers are skilfully responding by enriching their products with 'brighteners'. Try to buy a body lotion, deodorant or soap without brighteners in Thailand.
Tourism is an important source of income for Thailand, it is the famous goose with the golden eggs. It is then rather strange that the Thai government is increasingly taking measures that resemble 'tourist bullying'. In short, time for a statement to gauge the opinion of the readers.
Statement of the week: NL financial institutions would rather lose you than rich if you move to Thailand
Globalisation, the disappearance of national borders and deregulation on a global scale, is a development that cannot be stopped. Strangely enough, the (financial) authorities in the Netherlands seem to think differently. If you are no longer registered in the Netherlands, you risk becoming a kind of 'outcast'.
I am launching this statement after the death of a XNUMX-year-old cadet at a military academy in Nakhon Nayok that has caused quite a stir. Social media can't stop talking about it and many Thai are very angry.
Statement of the week: Due to climate change, Thailand is becoming unlivable for expats
We don't need to discuss the origins of climate change, because different groups think differently. The fact remains that the climate is changing. This could have major consequences for Thailand: even hotter in the summer, more precipitation and even more flooding in the rainy season, which could make Thailand unlivable for many expats.
There are quite a few expats who have strong opinions about Pattaya, even if they have never been there. The common thread is usually that Pattaya is a kind of Sodom and Gomorra. I always wonder, what people think about Bangkok? Because when I compare these two places, there are many more things happening in Bangkok that cannot bear the light of day. Hence the statement that Bangkok is a dirtier city than Pattaya.
Tino thinks Thailand is fast becoming a militarized society, if not already. What do you think? Do you agree or not with the statement? And if so, what do you think will be the short- and long-term consequences? Join the discussion about the statement: 'Thailand is fast becoming a militarized society!'
The capital Bangkok is located in Thailand, then nothing comes for a long time and then it turns out that there are also other cities in the country. Anyone who reads the newspaper in the 'Land of Smiles' also quickly thinks that Bangkok is the center of the world. The rest doesn't really matter.
We throw the bat in the chicken coop once again with the statement that Thai cuisine is not really that much. Of course the dishes are tasty. Yet it is almost always about simple one-pot dishes in which all ingredients are quacked, add a little fish sauce, stir and you're done. In this case you cannot speak of a refined kitchen with exquisite dishes.
Each society has different classes with associated advantages and disadvantages. But in Thailand that separation is very strong. That is not good for a harmonious society. Therefore, join the discussion about the proposition: 'Groups and classes in Thailand live too much at cross purposes!'
Statement: 'Junta promised reforms, but nothing essential has changed in the past three years!'
Tino sees no real reform in the Thai community, something the junta promised when they staged a coup three years ago. Join the discussion about the statement of the week: 'The junta promised reforms, but nothing fundamental has changed in the past three years!'
The Inquisitor assumes that makers, those responsible, the bloggers, the readers and those who respond - are interested in Thailand. Nobody is going to read a website about Nigeria, or Ecuador, so to speak, if you don't have a connection with it. But he feels that the blog is slipping into a kind of complaining forum about Thailand.
If you are a regular reader of Thailand blog, then you know more about Thai history than the average Thai. Do you agree with that?
The statement of the week is: 'A few years ago it was still possible to emigrate to Thailand with only an AOW or WAO benefit, now you certainly need a financial buffer to last there for the rest of your life. '
Join the discussion and respond to the statement.
Statement of the week: 'Thai people work too many hours!'
Tino Kuis has a statement that reads: Thais work too many hours. In fact, he means that they have too little free time to give their lives more substance.
Statement: 'Thailand needs to grow towards a welfare state!'
Tino argues that Thailand needs to grow towards a welfare state. Thailand is rich enough to pay for social services. The sick, the disabled and the elderly are now too dependent on their children.
Anyone who is easily annoyed or a perfectionist should not live in Thailand, that is the statement of this week.
Statement of the week: 'In corruption, the government steals money that belongs to the people!'
I postulate the above statement because I often hear that in corruption, the people steal from the government. I argue that it is the other way around: the government, the powerful, steal from the people. Do you agree with this line of thinking? Respond to the statement: 'In case of corruption, the government steals money from the people!'
Statement of the week: 'Poverty is not caused by personal failure, but by social factors!'
This week Tino comes up with the following proposition: Poverty has much less to do with personal failure and much more with general social factors! Respond and tell why you agree or disagree with the statement.
Statement of the week: Going back to the Netherlands is more difficult than leaving for Thailand
Suppose your emigration is disappointing and you want to return to the Netherlands after many years in Thailand? A difficult subject that is often taboo. Rarely do expats dare to admit that they have misjudged themselves. The proposition is therefore that returning is more difficult than leaving. Join the discussion.
The Dutch Embassy is located in an excellent location, with a large garden, stretching from Wireless Road to Soi Ton Son, with a large modern office building and a residence in a historic building next to it. It would be a shame if that disappeared, wouldn't it?
Statement of the week: Military court for drink drivers is absurd
Everyone agrees: Drunk drivers must be tackled and it is good that the Thai government is doing something about it. But to have civilians who violate the law appear before a military court goes a long way.