your Home, yes, but your country?....

[pattaya127]

The recent exchange on the Songkran thread has me wondering about the extent of one's importance in being an expat in LOS?

 

How much do expats feel they have a say, other than commercial, in how the country/district/village is run, or simply what part of the thai collectivity you can have an input in. How much do you feel thais would like you to make a difference?

 

i do not mean helping planting a tree or erecting a volley ball net for kids, I mean actions that result in you or a farang collective having become part in the civic life of the country ? Not as an aside, like NGO work, but as a full fledged member of the thai community that helped change things.

 

And if so, what was changed by you, or a group of farangs, that affected the country or a sizeable community, made it better.

 

Do you ever feel more than just a guest, outside thai friend and family?

 

On the other hand, Is the only alternative just to complain about it, though there is nothing you can do, except avoiding it (Songkran a perfect example)?

[Guest lazyphil]

It puzzles me some what that some guys here who are quite obviously settled, tax paying up standing guys, have familys and who have lived in LOS years etc and call it home and have no intention of going back to where they once called home yet cant vote because they cant be a Thai.....to me being able to vote in a place that is your home is pretty important (not that theres alot of choice as to who you can vote for?). How important are these men in the eyes of Thais and officialdom??

[samak]

you have only influence in Thailand as a Farang, if you are a big investor or executive of a company, which invests a large sum in this country!

[Guest]

Home is where your heart is.

 

HT

[Guest]

I mean actions that result in you or a farang collective having become part in the civic life of the country ?

 

 

it's all a two way street. depends how much you put in as well.

and, the major question here is also: how much are thais integrated into their "country"? from my observation most thais are basically integrated only into their family and their immediate community. even though some try to emphasise some sort of "thainess" it only exists in the speaches of some politicians.

and yes, if you spend some years in some community here, if you do earn respect your voice will be heard. obviously that means that we have to have some command of the language, and are willing to learn.

[rickfarang]

I did plant a tree once.

[MrX]

May I contribute an anecdote? My friend Mercedes (name changed, otherwise true) is mobilising resources along with Thais to save the coconut trees on Koh Samui. The problem is that a weevil which used to be kept in check by the native black squirrels is multiplying furiously and killing the trees The squirrels unfortunnately are becoming extinct (or at least reside elsewhere) due to activities of builders, developers , tourists etc. It is estimated that in 5 years they may be no more trees left unless......This project involve petitioning the king and working with Thai ministries and international bodies and academics. Is this what you mean by becoming part of the civic life of the country...a fully fledged member of the Thai community 127?.

My own thought is that many board members are too hung up on their formal relation with the state and do not realize they are already 'de facto' Thai though not without a nasty frisson of insecurity. I note too Thai nationals too may have have insecurities in their relation with the state though obviously their substance differs.

[pattaya127]

a fully fledged member of the Thai community 127?.

---------------------------

most likely is. There are many farangs who definitely make a difference, and for the better, but as to change certain things in the social realm, and be recognized as having made an input in bettering the lot of thais, or aspects of the country that needed improvement (Environment, for ex.) other than at local level, i think the farang is swimming upstream, and his contribution will not be acknowledged or even cared about, at national level.

JimThompson is a case I often refer to. the guy revived and started a whole industry, made an enormous contribution to thai society, and basically, he had to fight his way in court and almost went to jail, because his success made some people envious.

Thailand is a country that has enormous foreign presence and know-how, but how much of this contribution is really acknowledged nationally, how many of these farangs are known to the thais?

 

maybe someone like Flyw can tell us otherwise, as i think he has an interest in thai medias. I am sceptical, personally.

[MrX]

think the stingyness about giving recogntion may be closely related the the super/formal hierarchical character of thai society and the privileges which go with it (recognition).....but perhaps this is stuff for another thread

[Guest]

 

father joe mayer.

 

 

he is highly respected, if not revered, in klong toey slum and beyond. he got several royal and other decorations. he regularly gets death threads.

so, that man made not only a strong impact in his local community but also on national level.

 

thing though is that he is not some arrogant farang who comes here and teaches the brownies how to be civilised, he spent years sharing exactly the same life people of his community lived and has earned respect that way, and has learned, allowed himself to be changed.