Duty free in Thailand
It's just a story of myself as an expat in Thailand. Years ago everything burned behind me. Sold my house and moved to Thailand with my Thai wife after my retirement. Been here many times on vacation. For short and longer periods of time. I thought I knew it all.
Now live in a fishing village about 20 km south of Pattaya. Between the Thai and many people who earn their living from fishing. Never had a problem with those people. It took (which is normal for a Thai) several years before I was accepted into their community.
What I can't stand is injustice. If a Thai does something that is not acceptable and I want to say something about it, the local residents stop me. Pi Cor watch out for your annual visa. The Thai have to solve that themselves.
Tonight some weirdo drove through the residential area at about 90 km per hour. There were kids playing and I was walking my dog. Right next to the kids and my (short) trouser legs had almost changed into just underpants. I was angry because that figure stopped at the end of my street. I quickly went after him. My wife and some neighbors stopped me. I probably had grown his fat Thai head.
That is the biggest frustration of living in Thailand. Never respond to anything. Neither is injustice what you are being done to. Then there are those figures who claim that you should have stayed in the Netherlands.
But when you have burned everything behind you, that is no longer possible. There's really no way back. Not even after a large loss of income after the new tax measures of our government and the low point of the euro.
J. Jordan
Dear Jordan. An honest story, written straight from the heart. It must indeed be frustrating that you can't lecture such a guy who puts others in danger (there is no need to renovate now). You describe a dilemma that was previously described by Tino, Cor, Hans, Jacques, Gerrie and my person in the article 'The dilemma Thailand'. Thailand is beautiful and ugly.
Jordaan you are right. In Thailand it is mai pen lai, we Dutch people do not know that. Every Dutch person I know and speak has a kind of love hate relationship with the Thai and Thailand
Sorry, but I have only recently come to this site. I regularly come across the words 'mai pen lai'. And what does that mean or what does that mean?
You can read all about it in this story: https://www.thailandblog.nl/taal/mai-pen-rai-betekent-niet-wat-denkt/
I share this kind of experience in Thailand. However, staying in the Netherlands is not an option either. You also have to keep your mouth shut in many situations. Before you know it you will also be beaten up there or you will get a knife between your ribs. It's not all fun.
As a farang you may not have any rights, but you certainly have influence
Losing face and the harmony model is decisive, so you cannot comment on your Thai environment as directly as we are used to in the Netherlands.
Because you have family, neighbors and relations, you can have a lot of influence indirectly without confrontation. You have to play it through the band. Social pressure and an indirect approach do have results. Go with the flow. But no Mai pen rai.
Personally, I think that things are no worse in Thailand than in the rest of the world. Youth has changed, but that change has been going on for a long time. You used to be polite to older people, but today's youth don't care. the Asian world but also in the other world.
Regarding the "remodeling" of a road pirate Thai, the following: be happy that good people, including your wife, stopped you, because the Thai is happy that you are renovating it, possibly also his car, The police and the judges do everything to recover a multiple of costs on the farang. This can be huge and you have no chance to defend yourself. So as my brother-in-law (a Thai by the way) born in Bangkok, if anyone makes trouble, pretend not to see and just go ahead. Thai style, but effective. Have fun in Thailand.
This happens just as well in the Netherlands, only there dares to do a little more.
Here you have to “keep calm” otherwise it is your fault and the Thais are against the farang.
I myself live in a resort with thresholds, so quiet driving is recommended, unfortunately in our dead end street, the Thai gives gas like crazy (school bus!) I just said something about it, if it could be a bit quieter because I was afraid of him to drive when leaving our house.
The driver had to laugh at this farang zn anst; but take it easy now!
Tip; take a few raw eggs with you and throw them secretly on the window speedster…….can you laugh; make sure no one sees you!
You make idiots here in traffic every day, so watch out for 2.
Traffic light on green; fff do nothing maybe an idiot is driving through red!!
Try to keep smiling like a Thai (show teeth).
Throwing raw eggs on his windshield is also subpar and dangerous.
The driver will almost certainly automatically activate the windshield wipers in a reflex, with the result that the sludge will spread opaquely on the entire windshield, obscuring visibility with all the consequences that entails.
Without wanting to justify or trivialize the behavior of the speeding driver, the situation is actually exacerbated in this way, because a (speeding) driving car where visibility is obstructed makes it twice as dangerous and just then let a collision happen with fatal consequences.
I am not a lawyer, but in the Netherlands I can imagine that it is seen as an attempted manslaughter, that he drove fast does not change that.
Besides, if you have been so sneaky, just hope that none of the Thai see you have done that…
In the parking lots along the European highways, this method is often used by ruthless criminals, the driver gets out to remove the udder brush and at that moment they jump out of the bushes to rob the person.
Driving through a residential area at 90 is criminal behavior, I'm not saying I threw, but the driver will have to stop if this ever happens.
Mind you, in my case a chat helped, but it could just be that the speeder was lucky.
Just report it and say what is wrong; the best solution, but if this does not help, I certainly do not hesitate to take other measures, but in a way that others are not victims of this.
Well, the driver will indeed have to stop, hopefully not after he has hit someone, not only because of speeding, but also not because his sight was taken away while speeding by throwing an egg on his windshield at that moment.
The fact that others cannot become victims is beyond your control, because it is still the driver behind the wheel whose sight is taken away and thus actually 'determined' how to drive.
Think that your Netherlands can even be sued for complicity, even if, as said, he drove too fast.
Moreover, if there is some money to be made, there are always witnesses who have seen the egg thrower and as J.Jordaan already indicated (to stay on-topic), as a farang you will soon have no rights in Thailand.
It is understandable that you are able to do this in the emotion, but all in all it remains a very bad tip, there is nothing else you can do about it.
When I look at the Thailand-blog-Survey results, which received 801 votes and
is at the top...... feel at home here 22%, 175 votes, then I come to the conclusion that the complainers lose to the non-complainers.
Moderator: The writer does not ask to lecture him.
I wrote an article on the blog and it was approved and posted by the editors. I wrote that directly from my experience.
It pains me that there is also a little criticism of this.
Or the commenters don't understand it. That's their problem
Of course I'm not going to respond. If you write an article, you can criticize it. But as a writer, I'm not going to comment on that.
J. Jordan.
Of course those eggs are not necessary, but I can also be annoyed by such road pirates. In our street there are also a few that I would like to see literally fall on their faces.
At the beginning of our street there is a childcare center where about 10 children are taken care of every day, right opposite is a rest home with elderly people in need of care and next to our door, tutoring is given to about 10 children in the WE.
Little (not) taken into account by the road pirates and they come through the street consequences at a speed that would not be out of place on a race track and the more noise the thing makes the better.
For a good understanding, I would like to add that this concerns a few people and the other residents are sailing a calmer course in that respect.
J. Jordan
If it can ease the pain – I think it's a good and recognizable story and someone who is a little familiar with Thailand will certainly confirm this.
By the way, I don't think the various responses are critical of your story. That's not too bad, I think, but maybe you're taking the response about complainers a bit too personally.
As far as I'm concerned, you don't complain but you notice something, a problem that also annoys me (despite the fact that I feel at home here 😉 ), but I don't think we can change much about it whether you say something about it or not. .
In any case, don't let this stop you from pouring more of your experience into a story in the future.
Jordan, good article. You unfortunately encounter such idiots in Thailand. I would also have stepped up to it, and certainly let some Dutch swear words be heard.
But the best and only thing you can do is go to your poojaay job and tell them what you have experienced. The Thais are really doing something in these cases.
Agree with Caro that as a farang you can indeed influence matters that are also felt as abuses by the majority of Thais. In my experience you have the most influence if:
1. you work via the networks of the 'offender'. Find out who the most important person s/he listens to is (dad, mom, the boss at work). If it can't be found (or the person doesn't seem to listen to anyone) have an influential Thai nearby call the police and have a casual chat;
2. in addition to complaining, you must also indicate how things should be done, or reward people who show the right behavior: giving food, fruit, toys for the children, some money if you have a windfall or if someone does something for you . In the neighborhood where I live with my wife, everyone knows that we help 'good' people in need and absolutely not 'bad' people. The difference between good and evil is clear to everyone and there have never been any misunderstandings about it.
@Chris, I've never seen such a nonsensical, patenalistic, pride-driven response as this one. Congratulations!
“Networking”? What on earth do you mean by that? What networks are you talking about, apart from those “in the highest regions of Thailand”?
Explain. Come up with a detail. An example. You came in here saying you know Thailand better than anyone, and then you speak in riddles. We hang on your every word, Chris, please enlighten us, I swoon at the idea of your knowledge of this beautiful country.
You also seem to have a very unambiguous idea of what "good" people are and what "bad" people are, very interesting. Can I attend one of your lectures? Give me a call: 08-24405021.
See you bels
Color
dear cor….
I understand from your response that you have not understood much of Thai society. Not bad, except when you – as you constantly do – assume an opinion about what is happening in Thailand and, in the absence of culturally sensitive knowledge, apply Western standards. It's probably because you're not really part of it. When you live here and work for a few years among a majority of Thai colleagues (as I do every day), you begin to understand how this society works. And if you then just read the newspaper and also the opinion of critical Thai journalists, you could read that Thailand is very much a network society. Networking means that it is of great importance (in all aspects of life, now and in the future) who your family is, what they all do, where you went to school and in the army and with whom, who you work for and how important the boss is in various political and non-political circles. Direct reactions to people are inappropriate and when I disagree with my boss about things I have to wrap it up pretty damn well if he doesn't want to feel criticized and lose face. You can't just say no politely. It is not for nothing that Thai managers do not like to have Westerners as employees, precisely for that reason. They are happy with Westerners because it increases their status as managers in their network. A delicate balance for many Thai managers.
If you then delved a little into Buddhism, you would not have to ask the question of what Thai thinks is good and bad. Instead of a lecture, I suggest you spend some weekends in a temple and live the life of a monk.
Furthermore, I hope that from now on the moderator will refuse to post your responses if you characterize my response as "nonsensical, paternalistic and driven by pride." I'm not using those qualifications towards you, although they apply much more to that than to my piece. And with such words you make yourself appear to all readers as a stupid, unconstructive Dutchman. Keep it up if you want to maintain that image…
Hahahaha, don't get involved, but I think it's funny that you don't know Cor, because he's been walking here among the Thai people for 10 years and he teaches Thai children. This time you also speak out of turn, although you are of course allowed to form an opinion!
Moderator: You are chatting.
Chris, you are talking from a very scary world, aren't you! All nice theories about how it should be, but now the practice.
Go back to the story of J. Jordaan and tell him how he should have acted. I can already tell you that this good man does not have a "network", he does not have an influential Thai living nearby, and he is not bothered by managers other than his wife.
Hi Gringo,
I don't understand your comment that I live in a very scary world. I have been here for 7 years now, I am a teacher at a university, I work for the Thai government for a Thai salary, I live in an ordinary Thai neighborhood, I teach Thai students. Cor's world is not that different, I think. What is different is that I am married to a Thai woman who has networks at the highest political and military levels in this country. And that since the time I lived with her, I have come to understand much more about how the world works here. And based on that I have given my idea of what Jordaan can best do. And that is NOT going up to the speedster and beating him up. Maybe he's the governor's nephew and you'll get yourself into big trouble. Not that the driver was wrong (no one will say that is a good thing), but because Jordaan is going to play for his own judge. That is the way Loso Thais solve their problems. You can see it on TV every morning. What you do have to do is reach out to the network around the speedster and let them do the work. It (sometimes) takes a little longer, but it is much more effective, also in the long run. We also had a boy in our street who always drove way too fast. (Our neighborhood is known for the large number of moped gangs). My wife once confronted him about it (kindly but firmly) when he was buying a Coke at the corner shop. My wife also gave him her phone number. I'm sure he checked that number and was told he better change his behavior or he has a serious problem. That is how it works. Whether you want it or not, whether you like it or not, whether you find it nonsensical or paternalistic or not. For me, the result counts. I'm sure for Jordaan too.
Thank you, Chris, for your further explanation. By "creepy little world" I didn't mean anything creepy, but I used the word scary in the sense of very limited.
I won't use all of Cor's words, but your whole attitude has a bit of pride: “I've been living in this country for 7 years, work at the university and my wife has a network up to the very highest circles”. The Thai world is bigger than that alone, Chris!.
That's great, I've been living here for 12 years with a Thai woman and I've been in Thailand since 1980 and I also think I understand something about the Thais, although I also know that a Thai can never really be understood by us foreigners. I will be the last one who imagines "knowing Thailand" and tells someone how and what to do,
Anyway, you also research the (non) integration of expats, don't you? Write a nice story about it for this blog, the Thailand connoisseurs can shoot their arrows at it, ha ha!
Have a nice day, Chris!.
Moderator: the discussion is getting out of hand, we have turned off the comment option.