Pescator Posted April 11, 2002 Report Share Posted April 11, 2002 I was browsing through the thai pages of the Seasite website when I came across lesson no. 25 in the Manii Reader section. I listened to the conversation and it struck me how different life in Thailand can be from the life most people lead in Europe. Lesson no. 25 is about a small girl Manii who is talking with her friend. The friend asks Manii where her parents are. Manii doesn`t know this. Then she asks if nobody ever told her where they`d gone. No, she replies. She lives with her "lung" or uncle (doesn`t necessarily need to be her real uncle) and has done so for a long time. http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Thai/maanii2/lesson25/story.htm Now can you imagine a western text book for kids in first grade be about a similar situation? Some kids sure get a rough deal in Thailand. When Isarn Mums and Dads go working in Bkk during the cool season. Or even abroad for years. Not to mention all the hooker`s kids who get to stay if not with their grandparents then with just about anybody who`ll take them in. Or thai women who get married abroad and never bring their kids to stay with them. I`d say that the percentage of kids in Thailand not staying with their parents is considerable although I don`t have any official figures to back it up with. Just based on what I see and hear. I realize that the vast majority of these situations occur due to low income related problems, however, I do find it rather concerning. Hua Nguu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted April 11, 2002 Report Share Posted April 11, 2002 I can sort of relate here. I was adopted when I was a few days old. I have no idea who or what my real parents are like. When I see things like this, I think about it in the sense that I can understand where they are comming from. For me, it is not a big deal. I think maybe for these kids who grow up knowing the deal from the start, they look at it differently. For me, I always knew I was adopted, so the idea of a "real family" never ment much. Just my side of it. On a similar note, I know many people (mainly Filipino) who work overseas away from their kids, they only see them maybe once a year. For the kids in this situation, it almost seems normal, as they usually have friends in the same situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo_bill Posted April 11, 2002 Report Share Posted April 11, 2002 Hua Nguu, I am not an expert in Thai culture and therefore would not easily judge about local specialities ; it needs a long antenna to understand Asian ways of thinking anyway, I may say that after 20 years travelling here . What leaves me breathless though is the total ignorance that Thais can show towards members of their own family. How many fathers leave their kids behind and give a damn about their fate. How many Isaan parents do not care how their daughters make money in Pattaya. Adding the amount of violence you come across every day plus the ubiquitous corruption , you get a fairly wrotten society all in all. This at least countryside. If the reasons would be related to low income , things would have to be far worse in Burma, China and Afghanistan , but they are not. Insofar it is no big surprise to find the results now manifested in the schoolbooks. cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted April 11, 2002 Report Share Posted April 11, 2002 ".... What leaves me breathless though is the total ignorance that Thais can show towards members of their own family. How many fathers leave their kids behind and give a damn about their fate. How many Isaan parents do not care how their daughters make money in Pattaya. Adding the amount of violence you come across every day plus the ubiquitous corruption , you get a fairly wrotten society all in all. This at least countryside..." Dude! This could be any housing project in the USA! It could be any one of ten thousand+++ "deadbeatdads" Parents who get their kids to sell drugs, or in the extreame cases themselves for the parents drug money... I could go on. Ever see Text books from puplic schools now adays? "Johnny has 2 dads" "Suzy's mom has a friend" "I never met my dad" etc... I don't mean to single you out, or bust on you, but the senario could be in the USA just as easily... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiHome Posted April 11, 2002 Report Share Posted April 11, 2002 Would you not also say that this is true for large part of Western Society? Have you looked at what is going on the ghettos of every American and European city? You think the violence is worse in rural Thailand then in major western cities? Could it be you may have had more exposure to rural Thailand then the ghettos of your own country? You mention China, how many baby girls are killed by their parents every day? What about all the Burmese children begging on the streets of Bangkok? Your comparisons of Thailand to China, Burma and Afghanistan are ludicrous. My experience with rural Thai families has left me amazed at how loyal and strong they are, especially when I compare to the typical western family now. [Thaihome accidently posted the same text twice. I took the liberty of removing one instance to increase readability - KS] Thank you KS, I saw Bills post just before I left work and posted a response in a rush, as well as in anger-TH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted April 11, 2002 Report Share Posted April 11, 2002 Thaihome, I didn't want to get on this bus...but this is exactly my point! You are 100% on the mark! It really gets up my back side the way my fellow Americans (sorry, don't mean to be a dick, just not sure where you are from) can piss and moan about other countries! We should take a look in the mirror before we look out the window! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo_bill Posted April 11, 2002 Report Share Posted April 11, 2002 oldhippie, my opinion about the Thai society is not based on somebody's remark about a schoolbook. It just fits into what I started thinking about ze Thai people since I got some insight anyways and in particular since I sponsor several projects who try to repair the later consequences of 'never seen mum and dad'.I repeat my opinion that this society has a lot of very unpleasant aspects which do not make it a good example for a land that smiles. cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo_bill Posted April 11, 2002 Report Share Posted April 11, 2002 Thaihome, this starts to eat up my time, I am still in the middle of my working hours. Therefore in brief, ready to continue later today: I have a strong sympathy for the Thais, thus various activities, do not misunderstnd me. I have been to China close to one billion times I think and do know about newborn girls to be killed etcetera. Still I say that the responsibility for the welfare of their family members is far more developed there than in Siam , as it is in Afghanistan. The latter mentioned for proving purposes of course. so far for now ,cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 11, 2002 Report Share Posted April 11, 2002 Post deleted by DoxyBlue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goodthaigirl Posted April 12, 2002 Report Share Posted April 12, 2002 >That said, it presumes that your grandparent's actually have something worthwihle to say. I doubt this is the case in Thailand's farm country. It depends on what you mean by "worthwhile". Is teaching their grandchildren how to fish, grow rice, take care of the buffalo, do the basketry, tell local tales, their forefather way of life - worthwhile? OR do they have to listen to Mozart, or read Shakespeare to be worthwhile???? I always had a great time with my grandparents who didn't have much formal education but they knew a lot of things that interested me. GTG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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