Are thais obsessed with money?

[carlton68]

MightyMouse said:

Quote:

"Thais are preoccupied with money and the stuff it buys, but no more than people in my home country"

 

I agree.

 

Where the problem comes in, is that most falangs associate with lower class Thais. Ask yourself, back in falangland, if you associate with lower class people, what do they talk about in your presence - money.

 

MM, my experience is different. Most (I don't wanna say low class, I prefer the term poor) people here in farangland are not talking about the newest handphones and other blinking stuff they just bought. Sometimes the lack of money is an issue. When someone of my poorer friends here asks me for a small loan than it's 20 bucks for food until the next payday. And I got repaid every time. In Asia they ask for many times more, waste it on handphones and never pay it back. Being the main reason I don't lend money in asia. Just said I am poor and don't have that kind of money. I can do that with a wad of cash in my hand and keep a straight face.

But then I met many people in asia who never asked me for money, didn't try to appear richer than they were and had some friendly words and a smile.

I even got credit at the local noodle stand near my mother in law. Of course I always paid at the end of the week so not to give us foreigners a bad name.

[trooper]

In general I would say Thais are definitely more materialistic than Europeans. Never been to America but guess it's a bit worse than Europe. In Thailand money gains face and rich people want to show they are rich. Even poor try to look as rich as possible. Many Thai families live in a dirty little shack but have to have a relatively expensive car to gain face.

[Guest]

I was just thinking. I only know 2 Thai here, where I live. Both older Thai women, whom I work near. One owns some land in Pattaya, but has refused to go back for 20 years now. Why? Big fight with family over greed/money issues. If she ever does go back, it will be under the cover of darkness. She has a very bad opinion of all Thai's, and their insatiable greed (as she puts it). She is really bitter about it.

 

Other is a woman who owns business here selling Thai products. She goes back once a year to coordinate her containers being loaded for export back to here. She is constantly telling me to be careful of Thai's, and that all they care about is my money. The reason she goes back to supervise, is that she does not trust her Thai compatriots as far as she could throw them.

 

Interesting that both will tell you, Thai's only care about one thing......money, and status.

 

These two have helped me keep a reality check on things over the years, although I'm not as hardened as they......yet.

 

Good news is, the second lady met my g/f for dinner in bkk her last visit, and gave me a . "Ok....you get lucky, and can find very nice Thai girl. How you can do? I talk her, and can know she not only want money. But rest are shit (kee nok). Not good you let xxxx go". ::

 

Too funny, these two.

 

HT

[Zaad]

Soongmak,

 

Not much different than anywhere else IMO, but I do hear more of such stories here than back in farangland. I take that as more interest for that subject.

 

I will deliberately distance myself from such people.

[pattaya127]

Not sure if everyone is approaching the subject as the title asks.

is status given by money paramount in Thailand? yes, too much.

 

Are thais interested in having more money so they can buy more things? yes, too much.

 

Are they getting up in the morning and going thru the day with money in their mind? No. A society like this would be the contrary of what we really enjoy about this country. a 20$ sex pop would not be enough to drag guys across oceans, over and over again.

 

Are farangs naturally being courted and approached by thais who will put making money paramount in their approach. Yes, like most countries where the average income is 10 to 20 times lower than the farang back home, and where tourism is a huge industry.

 

Are thais who are not essentially living off farangs obsessed with money? Maybe yes, maybe no, same like everywhere. We all put a certain premium on making and having money. In US, it's about being afraid not to have anymore, and respecting it because it was earned with one's sweat or brains, or time. (some) thais seem to gladly spend theirs very easily, much more than any farang i have known. S

 

So, maybe obsessed to have and spend, enjoy, rather have and save, and keep counting.

 

Just many damned ways to look at it, and also, preferrable to do that away from too touristy scenes. It seems to me that many expats here on nanaP, do not complain too much about their wives and W's family being too greedy.

 

I remember a discussion i had with a friend married to a thai, and we talked about how she and thais are not responsible with it, spend it too easy, especially if not theirs, and his wife barged in and said: "all you farangs talk about is money, money, money. Why don't you stay alone, in your room, not go out, not have GFs and this way, you won't spend any and no one will for you!".

 

Not sure if she had a point, and not sure if we have a point either about thais. Everyone thinks about money, even if in different approaches to it.

[MrX]

Very little "old" money in Thailand I suppose..meaning the majority of Thais have some ancestral/current knowledge of poverty... ............plenty of bank notes slake the pain!

[Guest]

>>>>>a 20$ sex pop would not be enough to drag guys across oceans, over and over again.>>>>

 

555555555555555555555

 

Oh my God P..... Maybe you might want to re-think that statement?

 

HT