Dear readers,
Now I have already visited quite a few countries, including Thailand 5x and Brazil a number of times. I know that both countries are not really comparable at all, but unconsciously I often did this. Both countries are developing countries.
Now what struck me the most is the Brazilians regularly go out in their free time, the beaches are full of Brazilians on the weekends, when you take domestic flights the plane is always filled with Brazilians. When it comes to shopping, the Brazilian seller doesn't care at all whether the foreign tourist buys something or not. I even often have the impression that people are not at all interested in foreign tourists.
Now this is very different from the Thai. It really seems to me that the average Thai only lives to make money 24/24, every minute counts. I also saw that at the time with my ex girlfriend, she is a tour guide, and every tourist she could earn something from through the numerous commissions was well received, she moved heaven and earth for that. She wouldn't have missed anything.
Once relaxed, I see a Thai acting strange or rarely, going to an amusement park, with the whole family on the beach, and so on. When I take a domestic flight in Thailand, the plane is always full of foreigners.
It seems that a Thai works 7 days a week something I never see a Brazilian doing.
Which is also a big difference Brazilian women are weird or rarely start something with a foreign man and certainly not for the money. They have a certain pride in that, they marry their own people. Things that the Thai women apparently think differently about.
Anyone recognize this?
Regards,
Steve (BE)
Whether they are developing countries depends on the definition you use, but in 2009 the gross domestic product per capita in Brazil was almost twice as high (8000 usd) as in Thailand (4000 usd). Thailand was no longer a developing country by the standards of the IMF.
The Thai who can afford it also regularly go out in their spare time.
Pattaya floods with Thai cars from the province every weekend. Large restaurants such as the Hopfbräuhaus on Beach Road are packed, the mainly Thai guests literally line up.
And on Facebook I see many girls who work in Pattaya regularly travel to their native region, where the necessary activities are also done with the whole family. Or if the family comes to Pattaya, it will usually be a trip to Rayong/Sattahip, always recognizable by the selfies on the aircraft carrier, where we are not allowed to go either.
Many young Thai people are used to the bus for medium distances, it often stops near their village, it is cheaper than the plane, while it does not make much difference in total travel time. And their parents drive quietly in one go from Pattaya to Chiang Mai, for example, which does not always end well. But you will give them a living who put their boarding pass on Facebook at least 4 or 5 times a year!
The fact that the beaches are not full of Thai has of course to do with the aversion to dark skin, and many real Thai nightlife places are hardly recognizable as such to us, let alone you enter them.
I think the emerging middle class in Thailand is enjoying these pleasures just fine, but as I said, Brazil is twice as far in that regard, in cash.
And as for entering into relationships: I think that the Thai not only distinguishes itself from the Brazilians, but rather from the rest of the world. I suspect that Buddhism will have something to do with it, but it remains remarkable.
Mhwa. Eastern European women are at least as likely to enter into relationships with Western Europeans, provided they are wealthy enough. And then we are talking about an Orthodox-Catholic sphere of influence. Buddhism seems irrelevant to me.
It is not surprising that people want to move forward in life. It is rather remarkable if Brazilian women (would) exclude foreign men. I myself have very different experiences in that regard!!
Thailand would be a developing country? You have probably never heard of the fact that many European companies have their technical parts made there. That requires technical know-how.
The doctors have had their training either in America or in Europe. I visited several hospitals and talked to the doctors.
And what's against working hard. Isn't that what people do in Europe too?
You are right, Thais don't lie on the beach, no Asian does. But they have their time in a different way to relax and do and experience something with their children. A Tourist like you has no idea about that.
At the Sunday and evening markets, the sellers don't care who buys from them. Not in stores in Europe either.
So so, the Brazilian women are 'too proud' to marry men of another nationality? haha. Here in Switzerland, Brazilian women (and not just those from Latin America) are wild about marrying a Swiss, even if they are dirty, fat and inconspicuous and therefore not an option for Swiss women.
It brings these women out of the poverty they have at home. I should know because I worked in this field for many years. Who knows, your (Thai?) ex-girlfriend might have worked so hard to earn money so that she wouldn't have to marry a fat insignificant farang who was two or three times her age.
It is okay if one as a tourist communicates his impressions, but then that superficial knowledge as given
I don't think it's right to paint, and then first to make comparisons between two different cultures.
OP writes that Thailand is NOT a developing country anymore. Maybe read a little better?
quote/copy: “Both countries are developing countries.”
Either I have to learn to read again or at least I need new glasses. I think Jasper has a different version of Thailandblog because I can't find the word "NO" anywhere in the text.
Thai people also like to go to the beach! Just take a look at the beaches of Ban Saray and Sattahip.
I fly a domestic flight 6 times a year. See a few foreigners and the rest are Thais. And developing countries forget that. Think you made a mistake with the name of the country.
Don't know where you got your info from that Thais don't go out or go to the beaches they certainly do and to the beaches on the weekends and they don't go there by plane with the whole family there is always at least 1 with a pickup Brazilian men have more money than Thai men and the choice for white EU or something like that is quickly made.
A bit naive, but that's what most European men are. Girls from good Thai families (education, money) don't date European men. In such circles this is “not done” and is strictly frowned upon and can lead to ostracism and disinheritance. Academically trained and other highly educated women are open to a relationship with a European man for the simple reason that in general Thai men are not interested in a woman who has more to offer than they do. Such women also want to leave Thailand with a European man because they know all too well that they are seen as inferior or even as a “whore”. All other ladies who are looking for contact with European gentlemen have economic and/or financial motivations.
Hello, You will be surprised how many Brazilian women have married Dutch people.
We have had to deal with it privately and as soon as she had everything her heart desired we got kicked in like Sinterklaas on holiday to Brazil within 3 days back home, never seen such an aggressive person. That closed the door for us, what a metamorphosis.
The couple is now married but can't divorce just like that, but she manipulated him bank account Brazil and house in her name then he is on the street. I think he deserved it so badly when he treated family this is also something that still pisses me off when I talk about it even their Dutch friends who were also with Brazilian ladies I have never seen such an irregular mess how can you as a man let yourself be manipulated like that. Then give me a Thai one.
The contact is no longer and will never be again when you are threatened with death by her and you flee to a hotel where the manager welcomed us, that was class.
If you've been to Thailand five times, then you obviously know how the hares run here. Haven't met a Thai yet, who is just as relaxed, but always works 24 hours a day, so to speak. While they regularly beat the world record for lying in a hammock, I have been in the wrong places for a while. Which airline you fly with is also a mystery to me, but the waiting area here at the airport is packed with Thai people. To help you out of your dream, Thailand is a country that is not so easy to fathom, many contradictions, hard working people, good families, but also the opposite. A country without good social services, that also makes money important.
With regard to the reactions, I regularly see an opinion expressed about the elderly along the lines of:
a dirty fat elderly person, that statement says a lot about how you look at life yourself and forget that one day you will also belong to the category of elderly people. I'll just call it youthful arrogance and ignorance.
What a NO-SENCE (= noncense)!
Ridiculous !
Both cultures are so different that it is precisely what makes traveling so fascinating.
Which does not alter the fact that everyone has their own preference.
Long live the "Multicultural"
Yes, I totally recognize it! Absolutely! Foreign men who marry Thai women are not proud of their own people! Marry your own people! Do you hear that?
Nice to listen to 'Where the white top of the dunes………'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0ByuI9CWkE
To which nation does my Thai/Dutch son belong? His own people... who should he marry so as not to arouse the anger of this and that?
Sigh……….
Well, I don't completely agree with you: I know dozens of Brazilian ladies who are (or were) married to a Dutchman. And a lot of ladies there try to get to a higher social level through a foreigner by coming to Europe.
I was married to a Brazilian for 23 years and therefore visited Brazil a lot. Now I have been living in Thailand for almost five years and have known my wife from here for almost six years.
So we're going to talk about differences? Of course there are.
Apart from the fact that both countries differ greatly in size, the population is of course also very different. The Brazilian population consists mainly of descendants of Europeans, Africans, Japanese and people from the Arab part of the world.
If you look at the differences in lifestyle, it is not exactly different here or in Brazil. In Bangkok, the Thais go out in their favorite places as much as the Brazilians do in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo or any major city.
I was in Khao Sok this weekend (which I want to report on) and there were just as many Thais on holiday there. Also here in Hua Hin many Thai families are on holiday during the weekends. So no difference there either.
There is a difference when it comes to shops or even “begging”: I was not treated worse or better in Brazil than another customer. With a little more curiosity, but certainly not in the sense that I would leave more money behind.
As for beggars, I was rarely if ever harassed in Brazil. Here in Thailand, of course, they see you coming from afar as a foreigner and you are more likely to be singled out than to bother a Thai. Perhaps also because many foreigners feel compelled to help here, so there is more to be gained.
In Brazil, Brazilians were addressed just as well as foreigners…
In Brazil, too, there are plenty of places where you can get your money's worth as a foreigner and where women hope to meet a foreigner. Also often the same reasons: money is of course one of them, but also because foreigners from various countries have the dubious reputation of cheating less. Just like it is thought here in Thailand.
In 2011 I was really thinking about which country I would go to after retirement. Brazil was my favorite for a long time, but eventually it became Thailand because I met my current wife here. But despite being very happy with her, I miss my Brazilian family – my ex-wife's family, who always treated me with respect.
And here is a super big difference: when you marry a Brazilian, you don't have to think with every penny that your wife's family claims at least 1/3 of your expenses. In Brazil I didn't have to justify myself and my ex was never harassed by her family to cover costs. That is unfortunately the case here.
Another difference is of course the Brazilian cuisine. Mainly rice, beans and a piece of meat (in many variations) or fish. Famous is the feijoada, a delicious bean dish, which I sometimes also make here, or the pão de quijo – or cheese rolls, made from tapioca flour, olive oil, etc. I also find the ingredients in the supermarkets for this and I make it now and then.
I could even drink a caipirinha here recently…. something other than Hong Tong Coke!
I really can go on. There are also many similarities: the poorest part of Brazil's population comes from the Northeast, just like here. There, too, the northeast is often dry and there is little work. Only that northeast in Brazil is bigger than Thailand itself.
Transvestites, or Katoys, are also common in Brazil. A Brazilian man who sleeps with a ladyboy does not think he is cheating. An uncle of my ex was known to prefer that.
Working in Brazil? Ask my daughter, who has been living in Salvador Bahia for the past five years. 10 hours a day is not uncommon, many have two or even three jobs because they can't manage it otherwise. There is just as much corruption there as here.
In terms of landscape, you see around Rio de Janeiro, but also other parts of the country, the same beauty as here in Thailand… There, just like here, it is great.
There is again a difference between the beaches and the way of life. Here in Thailand you can in all likelihood walk on a beach at night and at most you will be harassed by dogs. In many places in Brazil you play with your life when you do that. A friend of mine who now also lives here in Thailand for a large part of the year has been robbed a few times in Brazil (my daughter too), but also stabbed with a knife and also caught a bullet… he has it barely survives.
If you live in Brazil, you will most likely have barbed wire, electric fence or glass on your wall if you have a single house. The condominiums in Brazil are much better guarded than in Thailand, and yet it is more likely that your home or apartment will be robbed.
The crime rate is much higher and also much more violent than here in Thailand. I can tell you something about that too.
In Brazil, as a foreigner you can work without too many problems and you can do what you want…. here.. yes yes we all know that….
However, as a foreigner you have a much faster connection with the Brazilians and you are also better integrated into a family - without being seen as a walking ATM. Friendship is often without an ulterior motive, nothing but the need to have friendship. That is another level here in Thailand…
I can go on longer…. Brazil is a great country. Thailand is wonderful to live in… Thailand is safe to live in compared to Brazil and also cheaper…. a plus for here.
Rio is almost twice as far from Bangkok as Amsterdam. It is therefore logical that the Dutch and Thais are much more similar than Brazilians and Thais. That is why you notice the differences between Brazilians and Thais so much. 😉
I have never been to Brazil, but I don't think you have ever been to Thailand, if I am wrong about this then you are guaranteed to have been to a different Thailand than where I have been for 28 years and have lived permanently since 2008. There are of course people who work hard and the majority of other Thai people like to see how things are going. There are few Thai people who care whether you buy something from them or from the competitor somewhere, which is also evident from the fact that they will never call you back if they have to order something from the supplier. I have made many domestic flights and was almost always the only farang. Indeed, go to BangSean at the weekend and you will stand out because of your skin color. All in all Actually, my experiences are the opposite of your experiences. If you come to Thailand for the 6th time:::Welcome and put on your different glasses.
Corretje, now you contradict yourself. You say it won't happen, but basically your wife will make sure that anyone who comes to ask for money can get a glass of water.
So people come to the door, don't they?
A neighbor of mine bought a car a year or two. His wife got into the biggest fight with her sister, because she also wanted to buy a car and couldn't understand that they couldn't cough up a few thousand baht. After all, they could have bought a car, couldn't they?
My wife will never tell her family how much she has saved together, because she knows that she will have no peace at all. Mother-in-law invariably calls at the end of the month to complain that there is not enough money and that she does not have to pay everything.
I don't have to list all the stories that are circulating here. We're called walking ATMs for a reason. Our one-sided thinking, however, leads us to suspect that this only happens with Farangs.
Thai men don't often complain about it, but they are just as exploited. My wife's son had a serious accident a few months ago. The first thing his in-laws worried about was the car, because they had let him buy it on credit and where half his salary went. Due to the accident, he - and 9 members of the in-laws - no longer had an income. My wife, of course, went to the hospital, 800 miles away, to take care of him.
He sent her back home when he had regained some strength, for the in-laws thought it quite normal for my wife to pay for almost everything. One even had the guts to “borrow” 1000 of the 200 baht for medicine to buy whiskey for herself!!!
We really want to help him, but we don't, because we know that his in-laws divide the money between them. Isn't that awful? This in between.
Anyway, because of this my wife is called stingy and she is a bad daughter, because she also does not work for her family (do they do that????). My personal happiness is that my wife thinks about her own and my future and doesn't try to be a "good daughter" all the time. It doesn't make her happy and she sometimes struggles with it, but when bad times come, no one from the family will come to help.
Years ago I loaned my ex-father-in-law money when he was in financial trouble. I think he paid back tenfold over the years after that. A few years before the divorce with my ex-wife, he paid for her entire studies in Brazil. My ex was well into her forties at the time and was studying online at a uni in Rio de Janeiro.
I could go on for hours on this theme… the fact is that I agree with almost everyone who responded to Steven's article here, that his story was very quickly based on a few short observations, but not on years of experience and experiences.
The number of Thai women who want to start something with a foreign man is a very small minority. In any case, in most cases it is only the girls from the Isaan who prey on a foreigner. Of all the Thai Western couples I know, there is not one where the woman is not from the Isaan. Thai women from the slightly better class and certainly not the well-to-do class don't even give a Westerner a look....and this in contrast to the Brazilian women.
dear Fred…
You got that all wrong. I have Thai female colleagues (MBA, Ph.D) who have a western husband. I also have Western friends (managers, teachers) who are married to a Thai woman. And look at television: many a presenter and actress (and certainly not always from the isan) have a western man. And finally: some of my graduate students (yes, from wealthy families in Thailand) have married a Westerner in recent years.
The world just got smaller. Thais also travel the world or study elsewhere. And then meet nice men. And that will only increase.
They will undoubtedly be there because I belong to them myself while I don't even move in 'your' circles, but I can't deny that on the other hand almost all compatriots I know without exception have an Isan wife/girlfriend.
oh yes Fred, forgot to mention:
1. the eldest princess was married to an American for a long time (and lived in the USA)
2. the former ambassador for Thailand to the EU in Brussels (a lady) is married to my colleague, a Frenchman.
I apparently move in different circles than you because I don't actually know 1 western man who is married to a Thai from the isan including myself. Their wives come from Bangkok, Rayong but most of them from the south of Thailand. (Chumporn, Prachuap Khirikan, Phuket)
We have a good new addition to the Thailand blog. We have an “anthropologist” and that is of course very welcome. If the writer, in his analysis of the difference between Thais and Brazilians, could rely on years of "living experience" in both countries, the analysis could possibly have well-founded grounds. But, after having “been” to Thailand 5 times and a few times to Brazil, I find making such an analysis really unfounded.
Most of it just doesn't make sense and is based on nothing but hearsay. To be able to judge such a subject you must have lived among the locals for at least a few years.
Wandered around South and Central America for years when I was young. Had many relationships with women there. Was never picked, can't remember ever docking a penny for an in-laws either. Proud people don't like to hold their hands with a foreigner. Thailand? different story!
Proud men will not be treated like a walking ATM by Thai women or their families. Kampen butcher shop? Different story!
Butcher shop van Kampen, your story about Thailand is a different story, we are familiar with that by now. It is clear in this that it is mainly YOUR story and that your story is not what many in Thailand do not happen to, namely a family that apparently milks you, at least that is how you experience it and complain about it all the time.
Nico B