Reader Submission: Be positive and don't complain
Be positive and don't complain. In these difficult times, that's the best thing you can do. After talking about “the Dirty Farang” it is better to give a rebuttal in your doings. The minister is somewhat right, just like everywhere in the world there are many wrong figures.
It is not difficult to show the good sides. For 12 years I have been helping the "tribes" (the refugee people and children from Myanmar) in the border area. Unfortunately we can't go there at the moment but well-to-do Thai people still help and we keep in touch. The rich Thai also help In Isaan (no I don't name names, it's not necessary)
And all expats who have to meet the income requirement of 800.000 baht can certainly lend a hand. If you ordered food, an extra tip or if Kerry comes with a package. Give some extras (jatmous).
Have your garden mowed or taken care of, have your house cleaned once a week, etc. all that should be easily possible. Pay internet for a family with children who can't afford internet, crate of beer less, anything. They will appreciate you, that's my experience
Don't complain about medical care, which is very good in my case. The same in education, there are many good schools, my son has his Master's degree, with a diploma in appreciation in the Netherlands.
We live in a different country with different customs. That's how you adapt, it's not that difficult
Lucky.
Submitted by Wayan
I am very positive, my glass is half full. But that doesn't stop me from criticizing (complaining?) if I see factual inaccuracies or unwanted, risky scenarios (remember how until recently Thai people traveled like penguins in a row on public transport, having the idea of being protected with a thin piece of cloth for the mouth).
Overall, I think there are very few bad people around so why should I be positive? Precisely for that reason you can point out things that are still lacking, provided that they are presented in all reasonableness and with substantiated arguments. Thailand may be a different country, but the same people live there. We have similar if not the same desires, feelings and emotions. We are not that different. Add a drop of water to the wine, be a little flexible and assume the right thing until proven otherwise. Trying to put yourself in someone else's shoes. A bit of understanding but without looking away from less pleasant facts. It doesn't matter whether you stay in Thailand, the Netherlands, Belgium or elsewhere. 🙂
I think the writer is saying something like adapt and do something more for someone else so that you are accepted as a foreigner in a very nationalistic country.
Your approach is that you want to impose the norms and values that you know from the Netherlands on the Thai and which is comparable to stirring up because who says that those norms and values are correct?
If my left neighbor is going to tell me how to clean my house and my right neighbor says "I'll help you clean the garden" then I know who I appreciate more.
Seeing everyone as pitiful souls is not empathy but a form of know-it-all and comes close to a new form of colonism.
I do not believe in Dutch or Thai standards and values. I believe that we basically have similar norms and values that each individual puts their own spin on. The Thai perhaps a little more often, a little more with fear or awe of authority and the Dutch a little more often with a bit of resistance.
If I am your neighbor and I see you cleaning with cold water without soap, I might say 'neighbor, I clean with warm water and some soap, would you like to borrow a bottle?'. If you then say 'hah, no, that's how we've been doing it for generations, I learned it that way from my grandpa'. Fine, I'm still willing to help you clean even if you don't forbid me from using warm water and soapy water. However, if you shout at me 'neighbour, adapt, do what I am still upset about', then I will go back to my own yard. 🙂
Are you a pitiful soul then? No, I think you're stubborn at best. The Thai as an individual is certainly not pathetic, but with the authoritarian owners in the country who oppress the people, that makes me sad. Can such paternalism by the elite be brought back with a new form of internal colonialism (This is how current Thailand came into being, subjugation of smaller kingdoms and city-states)? No idea.
There are some things we will never agree on and it has been shown in studies that changing your mind is a bit of a loss of self worth and makes you more vulnerable.
We both believe in something different and that should be possible, but the perfect world does not exist.
I love actually doing it more than propagating what is good for someone else.
People are often hurt by other people who are not open to other people and opinions. Being vulnerable is sometimes a good way to achieve a goal or change, provided you keep both feet on the ground, of course. Beating yourself on the chest at the moments when you should know you're not doing well is not right. Be open to others and learn from it, because your own thinking is often what imposes restrictions that prevent growth from happening. This is why it is so important that people get a good education and grow up in a family where respect for individuals is the order of the day. The lack of this in many certainly ensures a society like the one we can see in Thailand for those who are open to it.
The quarrels within the EU about funds to alleviate the emergency caused by CORONA already show that there are major differences in norms and values between Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Germany. And then it is not so much about money, but about good accounting, agreements and control over the spending of money, transparency, etc.
I would venture to say that hiding (or denying) the differences in values and norms (on many levels) between the EU countries is one of the main stumbling blocks for the EU.
Strange that in more and more European countries that thin piece of cloth for the mouth has also been made mandatory. There are so many penguins in the world. Incidentally, the Thai are increasingly wearing that "useless" piece of thin fabric in front of their mouths, so not until recently I think.
'The minister is somewhat right': are you really serious or have you been brainwashed by those around you?
Yes Cornelis , Dirty ? Most certainly, seeing how Some behave at immigration is more than a disgrace..
And be positive, is more, is the help you can give in your environment, so ask yourself first, what can I do, in other words, No Words but Deeds,
In addition, I think that good measures are being taken in Thailand, many do not yet know what Corona is and means, so words about penguins are inappropriate.
But standing together in a hut-mutje is highly discouraged in these times, isn't it? The Thai authorities have fallen short here and have at least exposed their citizens to unnecessary risks if not outright guilty of falsely informing their citizens that you are protected against Covit spread with a cloth over your mouth. That is of course not fun, and some readers will find me a nag or a sour. Oh yes, I shrug my shoulders. Opinions do differ. If someone else praises the Thai based on the same observations, that's fine.
Yes, I too am ashamed and have to agree with the minister a bit.
When you see that almost all Thais wear face masks and that some foreigners and Dutch people do not do so, it is a shameful display.
Yes, masks may not help. It may even have the opposite effect, I don't know.
But what I do know is that if a Thai person has to deal directly or indirectly with corona and imagine a child or father or mother or brother or sister has died from it. Imagine. And then you see those foreigners walking around disrespectfully without masks and you're Thai. Then you're not going to give those foreigners flowers. So the result is that foreigners may soon be able to move around Thailand less safely. A Dutch person is not Thai and a Thai is not a Dutch person. Are we still safe here because of this behavior?
Editors this is not to condemn people this is a writing not to warn about Corona but to warn about another danger. . I find it scary. Safety is compromised by this behavior.
One of the reasons that this country is not really progressing is that too many people have not learned to think independently and critically about what is happening in their neighbourhood, village, city, country and in the world. But more or less unquestioningly follow instructions from above, starting with the village chief.
As a Thai, imagine that one of your relatives died in a moped accident with Songkran, hit by a drunk behind the wheel. Wouldn't you advise everyone not to drink if you still have to drive. And wouldn't you ban alcohol from your life from that moment on? Then why do 24.000 Thais still die on the roads every year? Because EVERY Thai knows someone who has died in a traffic accident. Not a Corona death, and given the number of deaths from the virus, that will not happen either..
Only 5% of any population can think independently. This is no different in the Netherlands and Belgium. Just look at the hysteria surrounding the coronavirus.
I read fear in this message. Look down, join the queue with your mouth closed and above all do not show any other opinion. Be obedient, listen. Think about it, politely point out factual inaccuracies and condemn actions by the authorities that affect the people? No no, mouths closed, beaks closed. After all, we are guests??
Well, I'm happy when guests politely express their own views. If a Thai here in the Netherlands insists on wearing a homemade face mask, I will not tell them that this frightens the Dutch and that we 'don't do that here' or 'that it is disrespectful not to behave exactly like the rest'. At most, I warn them that their deviant behavior, despite being within the law, can cause skewed eyes or racist reactions from some people who cannot empathize with others.
Nicely written Wayan, exactly how I feel about it too.
Of course we all help. Many initiatives in this difficult time prove this once again.
But aid should not cover the gaps that should be structurally filled by a government. And it often smells like that. Why should the government really do something about the situation of the poor, of refugees, of exploited workers in the fishing industry, of abused elephants, if all kinds of foreign organizations are selflessly and above all uncritically prepared to invest time, energy and money in this?
On the one hand it is commendable but on the other hand it is not good that the Bill Gates foundation invests 5 billion US dollars in healthcare in Africa; in some countries more than their own government does. Who is now in charge of health care in that country?
https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/gates-foundation-to-invest-5-billion-in-africa-over-five-years
Dear Ruud,
I recommend that you better educate yourself in Thailand.
The poor all have a poor bank card into which the government deposits money each month so that they can buy food. The farmers are compensated when they cannot harvest due to a shortage of water.
The government also provides compensation in the event of an excess of water resulting in the loss of many crops.
There are budgets for children to cover the costs of losing parents and so on and so forth.
Unfortunately John, all that is too little to live on and too much to die on.
Jan Beute.
The pension amount for Thai people, other than civil servants and some exception groups, is about 600 to 700 baht per month. If you drink water and get your Thai meals at a market, you can't make ends meet. Things really need to be overhauled in this country and the right to a decent life must also be respected in Thailand.
Personally, I do not recognize myself in Wayan's call. The fact that I comment and am very critical of the ins and outs of and in Thailand does not mean that I am complaining and not being positive. On the contrary. I have been coming to that country for many years. Their in-laws and a home in Chiangmai that now houses less fortunate acquaintances of ours. I have lived and worked in Korat for years, also a house there, where a very close family has found free shelter. Here and there we support various initiatives. But that is precisely why I think I am entitled to comment and criticism. So that we all get a good picture of what is going on in Thailand, both politically and socio-economically. And from there hoping that in the long term and in the long run Thailand will learn a lesson from this. After all, Thailand is not an isolated island that does not have to worry about developments in the surrounding world. Thailand likes to do business with that world, if only to trade with it. Of course, be positive, but also remain critical. That's my call. The post-Corona era will begin next year. The world is changing. Hopefully Thailand will go along with that trend and democratize.
where do you get that wisdom from that next year the post corona era will arrive, if there is already talk of mandatory vaccination worldwide at the highest level, including Bill Gates.
No one knows whether we will get our full freedom back and what is being ′′ arranged ′′ in the meantime during this corona era.
By the way whether Thailand changes or not, just accept it or go.
Since when is Bill Gates an expert/competent in this field? Having a lot of money does not mean that you belong to 'the highest level'.
Dear Ruud, would you like to send me a message at robrakthai at gmail dot com? Thx.
(if others want to get in touch with me that's fine too, we don't have to chat here).
Some writers appear to have little knowledge of Thailand, and of the people who live in the countryside,
Did you really think that the company in Wapi Pathum, and many other places, know what is going on because of the Corona? Or they have knowledge of the information, they are happy that they can take their cows to some pasture, or sell mangoes, and be together with the family.
Fishing, elephants, Bill Gates, and more of that nonsense passes them by.
By the way … Thanks Hendrik
It should be clear that different people view Thai situations and circumstances in different ways, and interpret all of them in even more different ways. For myself I can say that I try to reason as much as possible from free democratic values. Of course it is the case that pensioners who have found their place somewhere in a village (community) have found their heaven on earth, but that cannot mean that in order to foster your own happiness or state of mind you have to promote the further development of that village and/or community don't like? It's hard to maintain that being together with family and sharing scarce resources is the pinnacle of progress, can't you? I wish anyone a bigger perspective than bringing cows to some pasture.
The last sentence attests to any ignorance of what reality is. It is precisely by having cows that money is now earned. My family is in this business and right now they are doing well.
I've already seen nonsense pass by with the floods and I wonder what the fun of those left-wing rascals is to always say that the world is on fire.
Just an addition to my writing, I am not attacking anyone, but it is striking that the improvers think they know everything, speak to the Thai in their own language, then you will get more understanding
Moreover, I think that few farang have no knowledge of the Thai language
So in the corona time you can immerse yourself in Thai language, and that works better without alcohol!
Well, wayan, you obviously don't think too highly of your fellow farangs. You know it all better, you think.
That's fine if that's your starting point, good luck with it.....
The other side of the coin is that very many Thais do not speak or understand any language other than their own. Then your world is completely determined by all messages and media that only use Thais. And you have little faith in what is happening in the rest of the world unless seen through the Thai lens (of government, business and media).
Take a Thai with you to the Netherlands and discuss that their country could look just as (civilized) if you started working on it, in all kinds of areas. But that takes time because the Netherlands did not come about in 10 years. But the Thais lose so much time.
I try to teach my students, who all speak English, to think independently and critically about these issues that play a role in this country. They can think what they want of me, red, yellow, white, masked. I respect all political opinions, but they must be able to substantiate their opinion, not with slogans, but with as much knowledge as possible, scientific theories, comparisons with other sectors and/or the approach in other countries and logical reasoning.
To the followers of red I play the yellow devil's advocate, to the yellows the red advocate.
One thing always strikes me in comparison to my own student days. We were very critical, worked, read, discussed and wrote all the time and were not afraid of anyone. This was almost always accompanied by rebellion against the established order and our parents. Most Thai students today are pussies and lapdogs by comparison and wash in the hands of their parents.
Dear Chris, this time you are absolutely right. I also know so many young people in Thailand and most of them shun debate. No sense in forming an opinion, no willingness to change. @Wayan has found a romantic place for him somewhere in the middle of Isaan, and it is clear that all this can stand for him. Can't be more conservative! I always notice that farang who have managed to settle prefer to be left alone. We are just too “guests” is their reasoning. Thai should take their own troubles and leave it for how it all comes to them, but have to join in, they don't dare to speak out about it, afraid as they are to lose their self-created and hard-earned ego spot. Would they realize it themselves?
I don't know Wayan but how can you blame someone for accepting the situation as it is? Not much different than many Thai in the Isaan or anywhere else in Thailand.
If it is first ensured that there are no more deprived neighborhoods in the Netherlands and/or Flanders and an equal society that does not form an opinion based on surnames, then it may only be time to impose your own opinion in a country where you were not born. are.
Instead of calling someone a conservative, you can also spend your time announcing in the Netherlands or Flanders that it is no longer of this time that food and clothing produced in Thailand under very poor working conditions can no longer be sold in both countries. become. The consumer determines the life situation of the worker far away, so do something about it.
If you can put it all into words so well, go into politics and make it better.
For years we have been trying to make the world a little better together and to donate an incredible amount of money over the years.
Each of us can fill in for ourselves what has become of it.
Maybe a tip: read Linda Polman's book “the crisis caravan”.
https://nl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_crisiskaravaan
As long as we give up our freedoms more and more and fear reigns more and more and hop along like sheep after politics, nothing will ever change.
Divide and conquer, ever since.
Some projects have succeeded and deserve praise.
I have personally experienced how Gambia has been filled with cars for years, if they are worth the name, and other discarded rubbish.
And if the Gambian has bad luck with this car or he no longer drives: They wait until another interest group brings another car.
I personally do not believe in this help.
Knowledge transfer, provided one is open to it.
Thousands of white farmers were evicted from their farms in 2000 so that the population could get to work.
Nothing, really nothing came of it.
In 2017 they will be welcomed back with loud cheers.
In Thailand people often do not want to know the opinion of the farang or it is not presented in the right way.
Thailand wants to do it its way.
That is their right and that is apparently the only right thing to do.
They just live and let live.
Moderator: Please provide a source for your statement.
Mr Cornelis, no I don't know everything better, but I'm still learning
Dear editors
Thank you for posting my letter, I have decided not to answer anymore, it makes little sense, in general the topic is deviated from, but you will have read that yourself,
I do admire your task as an administrator, it must not be easy.
Best regards, and stay healthy
Joseph
Dear Wayan, after your message of being positive and helping each other, I thoroughly disagree with you, but thank you for an insight into your way of thinking. Ditto commenters like JohnnyBG. You seem more like the motto roll up your sleeves and keep your mouth shut, smile at the boss. Where I think that besides rolling up your sleeves with a smile, you can also tell your boss or colleagues that instead of going clockwise you can also do the work counterclockwise with the same or a better result.
I strongly believe in politely exchanging views and arguments, so that we learn something from each other. So I don't keep my mouth shut against my compatriots or the Thais and I am completely happy when they also have well-intentioned comments about me. We move forward through dialogue, even though it is just as difficult for people to abandon an opinion as it is to abandon a belief. So for those who think completely differently than me, please let us know. This way I can try to put myself in the shoes of someone with a different opinion. Makes me happy. And then readers may think of me as a sour meddlesome pancake who doesn't know his place. 555 I smile cheerfully and help society in my own way. Another in his way. Fine, agree to disagree. I'll leave it at that, otherwise the moderator will soon have a gigantic pointed head. 🙂
It is no coincidence that I am both manager and employer of two Thai companies. I can assure you that it is not always a laugh and certainly not towards the government.
To the staff I use freedom happiness as long as it is earned. I think everyone can work 4 hours a day if we keep the place running and future-proof and that results in very loyal staff.
The wages of every member of staff have risen by almost 60% in recent years and there is still a chronic shortage of money.
That chronic shortage will always be there because people always want more and there may be a problem there. Looking ahead isn't taken too seriously so whose fault is that?
Sometimes accepting the situation is better for your health and therefore also for the people who depend on you. I think Wayan says so too. If you have the opportunity help someone in your area but take responsibility in difficult times.