Nervous_Dog Posted October 29, 2004 Report Share Posted October 29, 2004 Jasmine, maybe I am not reading this right, but you say <<All my Thai male friends are very protective to their mothers, sisters and friends like me. It is a shock when I see parents as you mentioned. However, I also have met a few Isaan men who are very loving to their sisters and mothers.>> Kinda sounds like Isaan peaople aren't Thais? The ones I see working hardest are those from very poor isaan families, who borrow money at stupid rates, send their kids or husbands overseas to work in factories or such in Taiwan etc. Sometimes they make money, often they seem to loose. But I do see them TRYING to make a living, hard as it may be. DOG DOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torrenova Posted October 29, 2004 Report Share Posted October 29, 2004 I don't think the Thais graduating from Kings will be staying long. Back to LOS, perhaps via a USA graduate programme and into whatever LOS business daddy has his (political) fingers into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 29, 2004 Report Share Posted October 29, 2004 What is wrong with helping the family out? Just all other cultures, one time or another, has done it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJsushi Posted October 29, 2004 Report Share Posted October 29, 2004 Nervous_Dog said: Kinda sounds like Isaan peaople aren't Thais? I know quite a few Isaan people who do not consider themselves "Thai". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJsushi Posted October 29, 2004 Report Share Posted October 29, 2004 Most Thais I have met here in the US work to earn their living. The women are usually in the restaurant or small(cell phones, gift shops) business and the men work all different types of odd or menial jobs to make the ends meet. The others that I know are studying in various universities pursuing their undergrad or graduate degrees. Some are also working part time in Thai restaurants and shops. most of them want to stay in the US to work profesionally but fear that they will not acquire the necessary visas to stay. Others are purposely staying enrolled and working on their 2nd or 3rd degrees so that they do not have to return to Thailand but their parents support them and are pretty wealthy so they can afford to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torrenova Posted October 29, 2004 Report Share Posted October 29, 2004 MightyMouse said:What is wrong with helping the family out? Just all other cultures, one time or another, has done it. Nothing at all in general. the scenario I don't agree with is a girl earning Bt5k sending Bt1-2k home and then moving into P4P and earning Bt20-30k and then the family wanting Bt10k+ per month to upgrade their lifestyles. Investing in the family farm, buying land etc. has a future to it but if it is just so the boys back home can have a new motorbike or sit around drinking whisky all day then no, the girl should keep the money either for herself or her baby if she has one. You can see a picture of a girl going back to her parents house after working for say 5 years in the P4P industry and expecting the family to have saved her donations or invested it and all she finds is that not only have they spent it but that they have gotton themselves into debt because they thought the gravy train would never run dry. Result: the girl has to go back to P4P to clear the family's debt. Had she sent some home but kept the rest herself, then she would at least have something to build upon once out of the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJsushi Posted October 29, 2004 Report Share Posted October 29, 2004 The sad thing torre is that you cannot even accurrately describe the scope of the situation. I have met far too many P4P chciks who work literally their asses off sending money home and when you ask them if the family has improved the house, bought more land, invested in the education of the children or even saved money, the answer is always sadly "NO". they can tell you about the motorbikes, gold buying or paying the police but when it is all said and done there is nothing substantial to show for their efforts and it the family's situation is about the same as bfore the girl entered the P4P scene. I have met some exceptions to this but not enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thalenoi Posted October 29, 2004 Report Share Posted October 29, 2004 jjsushi said:The sad thing torre is that you cannot even accurrately describe the scope of the situation. I have met far too many P4P chciks who work literally their asses off sending money home and when you ask them if the family has improved the house, bought more land, invested in the education of the children or even saved money, the answer is always sadly "NO". they can tell you about the motorbikes, gold buying or paying the police but when it is all said and done there is nothing substantial to show for their efforts and it the family's situation is about the same as bfore the girl entered the P4P scene. I have met some exceptions to this but not enough. Not my experience though, Gf and two sisters worked to: a) reimburse loan for land earn 200k Baht to build house c) earn some more to offer water pump d) pay 30k to offer motorbike for youngest brother, brother hanging around the land, did not give me the impression to "work" gf worked from age 13 to 31 for parents, now she is fed up with that. After we met 3 years ago request came for more money to pay for addional 8 rai of land, which we paid for together with remaining sister working as a maid in Bangkok. Strangely enough we learned that sister bought a second hand pick-up for 200k Baht, paid a first installment of 40k Baht and brought the car to their home village for the family to use. And no we are not contributing for the car. I asked the gf what the idea was about with this car, and she also does not get it (why the sister is doing that) I do know of many houses built with P4P money though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted October 29, 2004 Report Share Posted October 29, 2004 the sons when married have to move in with the wife's family -------------------- But that is when they get married, and I think KS was talking of sons per se, as they can be working and helping before they get married after all. I am sure many do, but i am sure too that in today's thailand as i have witnessed in the GF's family, often daughter gets married and goes to live with her hubby outside of the village, district, region. Let's face it, to be a boy is better than being a girl in poor families of the 3rd world. That's the bottom line. Which is not say that some guys don't work really hard, of course. The only real example i have is again in GF's family. The son went to work in taiwan, sent money home, then came back, and not making a lot here, also got married. I often heard from the Gf how he has been great for helping Mom, got hurt doing so , how courageous, etc... Now, the other sisters, and herself, helped a lot too, but somehow, I never heard them being lauded and quoted as courageous for doing so, normal duty I guess.... This guy now has been back for 3 years, and as i said, not doing great things, often coming home not working, hanging around, while his wife (with a kid now) is criticized for not helping more. It really seems that for that year spent in taiwan, he's got eternal recognition, and the sisters are just not on the same level of recognition. My Gf is always finding excuses for him (but his wife is labelled "lazy") I definitely think a son will not be too criticized if lounging around and not bringing the bacon home, but the daughter(s) will be shamed if they do not, and not getting much honor for doing so. Nothing written in marble of course, but not quite IMO, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasmine Posted October 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2004 [color:"red"]Kinda sounds like Isaan peaople aren't Thais? [/color] No that is what I meant. Perhaps I should use Central Thais, Northern Thais, Southern Thais? Good way to practice my typing eh? I post several times that I feel the Isaan Thais are the most industrious and very grateful to their families. I have no prejudice where they are from, actually, am quite partial to the Isaan Thais. I am from up-country myself, even though it is not Isaan. But I have no intention to work that hard nor to be that grateful to my family Jasmine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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