sinsin2 Posted July 31, 2001 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2001 Zane May Regular Member # 540 adamsky Newbie Member # 1192 Guys my typing skills are not the best and every week I get a new (for me) Insight into the Thais. WRONG. They are not Thai but Lao. Just because the Thais conquered them two hundred years ago, And with US$ have tried(very successfully) to assimilate them.(because of Viet Nam) Does not make them Thai. Then the effect or lack of effect of Buddhism on them. WRONG. I have yet to met a Buddhist in Issarn.It is a mixture of Animism/ Numerology/Superstition and General Bulloxology. Go into any village on the last day of the month or the 15th. If you don’t recognise those dates you don’t know much about Thailand. You will see snakes/frogs being opened, cars being studied and your date of birth (if A visitor). Later as darkness falls,if you venture out you may see small groups huddled around trees. I,ll get to the point.One year and four months in a village,11 months spent there. 8.30 pm nobody around,so I go to the house next door. There are 40 people there ,with candles ,torches and some religious paraphenalia. They even have the ashes of dead parents. What,s going on I wonder thinking it was some profound religious ceremony. NO they were peeling the bark from a bannana tree and sprinkling talcum powder on it. For what. The Fucking Lottery Numbers. Included in this crew were the village head,a teacher and a policeman. Later after I had calmed down and analysed why after travelling the world, establishing a sucessful Business I ended up in a paddy field with a crowd of cunts looking at a banana tree for guidance. I asked my lady why that tree and she says,”Because that have baby banana tree.” AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH Somebody help me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 31, 2001 Report Share Posted July 31, 2001 Someone on one of these Sanuk boards said "Never underestimate the stupidity of the people you are dealing with" In Isaan? and who was it? [ July 31, 2001: Message edited by: Blackie ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 31, 2001 Report Share Posted July 31, 2001 sinsin, some things might look stupid in these modern times, but others... who looks stupid when going out hunting at night just armed with a torchlight and a slingshot. I am always amazed with the amount of food they are coming back with in the morning. The incredible knowledge of these people about nature never fails to amaze me. My wife's folks are from the north, there are constant get togethers for spirit posession ceremonies, and they can be mindblowing. I always think how funny it sounds when we western men call thai villagers stupid, but how many of us educated western men got very successfully scammed by same villagers daughters? never confuse lack of education with stupidity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted July 31, 2001 Report Share Posted July 31, 2001 Hi, Just my take on things... "1.land and property follow the maternal line. 2.daughters inherit,sons do not." Have no experience with this, so will take your word for it. Although, one of my male colleagues just received a (rather sizeable) plot of land from his Aunt. May be an exception though. "3.When a daughter marries a Thai ,They live in her family home. 4.When a son marries He leaves." Not what I have seen. My wife's brother-in-law moved in with her parents when he married her sister (seperate house though), but my wife moved out of the house to live with her husband's family. Same is true for a couple of her friends. "5.The Mother decides which daughter gets what." No experience with this. "6.The Thai son in law works like a dog for the Mother, while she plays one off against another." This I seriously doubt. I would say that a man will always put his *own* mother first. Any money left in the family will go to his parents before going to the in-laws. "7.The Mother pawns the land or house to send the son in law to work abroad and usually does well out of it.ie tricks/steals a substantial amount of his earnings." A very black comment. I will not believe that this is commonplace, probably not more than an isolated incident here or there. "8.The Mother dies great mourning. 9. Father dies nobody cares." My wife's parents are still both alive, but I have a feeling my wife would be more hurt when her father dies then when her mother dies. Although both deaths will hurt her tremendously. "10.After the death of the husband ,the woman if youngish /wealthy(5 rai,3 cows) takes in another man quickly." Again, no experience. "11.Many ladies in the villages are on 4th/5th husband.”He no good,He lazy." " Many? Again, I rather doubt this. Sure divorce happens (probably more than we know), but 4th/5th husband? BTW, maybe it would be worth pointing out that it is also those same mothers that will do practically anything to assure that her kids will have a better life than she has. And it is those mothers that take care of her children's children, when those children are out working in the big city. They are not as wicked as you seem to (possibly unintentionally) portray them. Sanuk! PS Aren't you contradicting yourself? In your reply to adamsky you say: "[adamsky] Guys my typing skills are not the best and every week I get a new (for me) Insight into the Thais. [you] WRONG. They are not Thai but Lao." Yet, you yourself stated in your first post "Here are some observations about the status of Thai women within the family and their relationship With their parents." So, are you talking about Thai or Lao? And is there really that much difference in their family relations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinsin2 Posted August 1, 2001 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2001 Blackie Regular Member # 264 Me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinsin2 Posted August 1, 2001 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2001 Khun Sanuk Administrator Member # 2 Don’t forget I prefaced my first post with “sweeping generalisations.” There are many exceptions to the rules. “one of my male colleagues just received a (rather sizeable) plot of land from his Aunt. May be an exception though” Many childless ladies. Ask your colleague. "6.The Thai son in law works like a dog for the mother, while she plays one off against another." This I seriously doubt. I would say that a man will always put his *own* mother first. Any money left in the family will go to his parents before going to the in-laws. "7.The Mother pawns the land or house to send the son in law to work abroad and usually does well out of it.ie tricks/steals a substantial amount of his earnings." A very black comment. I will not believe that this is commonplace, probably not more than an isolated incident here or there.” Where the son in law has money or his family helps him, yes. I am talking about the average Issarn man, who works for 250-400baht,farming or construction. When He marries He goes to the wives family and is dependent on his wife inheriting from them. “BTW, maybe it would be worth pointing out that it is also those same mothers that will do practically anything to assure that her kids will have a better life than she has. And it is those mothers that take care of her children's children, when those children are out working in the big city. They are not as wicked as you seem to (possibly unintentionally) portray them” There is another way of looking at it. The baby is a cash cow, relatively big money coming every month for support. Better than a pension plan. How many times have you come across situations where B/G finishes working and Goes home, only to come back quickly. Don’t underestimate the family pressure. I have witnessed it several times. Am I contradicting myself..yes. I realised ,I don’t know any Thais. My experiences are with BG’s,2 years based near Si Saket and 18 months in the North East. Si Saket spoke/were Khmer and N/E speak /are Lao. Ask any Central Thai and they will tell you. Just flying a kite here,I think when China opens up/collapses,there Is great potential for conflict across Asia,with many races,ethnic groups Asserting their nationhood after centuries of occupation. The Cold War has stopped this ieLaos partitioned between China,Vietnam,and Thailand. Large Muslim population with strong blood/language ties to Pakistan,Many other examples within China itself.. We call the BG,s Thai. The Irish were told they were British for 800 years. Look at the Russian/USSR Empire. India,Yugoslavia etc. Most of us know nothing about Thailand and its peoples. Bangkok/Pattaya is not Thailand. Mai Cowjai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinsin2 Posted August 1, 2001 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2001 flyonzewall Regular Member # 922 “never confuse lack of education with stupidity.” I agree 100% with you. I don’t mean to insult/belittle anyone. It,s just when you combine the cultural/religious/lack of education differences It is very hard for us to relate to. You understand what I am talking about,but how many city based board members don't Realise the importance of these things in their ladies life/background [ August 01, 2001: Message edited by: sinsin ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robaus Posted August 1, 2001 Report Share Posted August 1, 2001 Sinsin, ROFL at your description of the lottery number divination! Had a similar experience upcountry at the exorcism of a hungry ghost from Pattaya who was jealous of my gf's success and happiness. So the village witch channeled the ghost and while possessed helped herself to a bottle of whiskey, a few packets of smokes, a small wardrobe of clothes, and 1200 baht for her troubles ... not bad work if you can get it. A good time was had by all at this street theatre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 1, 2001 Report Share Posted August 1, 2001 quote: Originally posted by sinsin: It is very hard for us to relate to. You understand what I am talking about,but how many city based board members don't Realise the importance of these things in their ladies life/background [/QB] Yes, definately. Only after spending extended periods of time in village thailand i started understanding the bars and thailands problems in general. It doesn't matter how well you speak thai or if you are married to a citybased middleclass wife, my guess is that without experience in the village, Thailand will always stay a mystery. 60% to 70% of the population live upcontry, 40% of the population are small scale farmers with less than 10 rai of farmland or landless farmlabors (increasing rate). I always call these people the forgotten classes, people don't talk about them, don't write about them, don't want to hear about them.As if they don't exist. Being with these people gives a completely new angle on Thai politics in general, and the amphetamine issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted August 1, 2001 Report Share Posted August 1, 2001 Hi, "Don’t forget I prefaced my first post with “sweeping generalisations.” " Yes, you did, just that I thought you swept a bit too broad at times. " “one of my male colleagues just received a (rather sizeable) plot of land from his Aunt. May be an exception though” Many childless ladies. Ask your colleague." Yes, but then wouldn't she give it to a niece instead of a nephew? "Where the son in law has money or his family helps him, yes. I am talking about the average Issarn man, who works for 250-400baht,farming or construction. When He marries He goes to the wives family and is dependent on his wife inheriting from them." Sorry, just not my experience. But then again, I don't really know that many poor Thai men. "There is another way of looking at it. The baby is a cash cow, relatively big money coming every month for support. Better than a pension plan." But that money would be coming anyway in most cases, and the child potentially puts more strain on the family. "How many times have you come across situations where B/G finishes working and Goes home, only to come back quickly. Don’t underestimate the family pressure." This I will grant you, but this is hardly the norm. Looking at the numbers, how many families have a daughter in the flesh-trade? And I am fairly certain that those that do, change their expectations. To them it seems easy money, and mostly they don't see the other side. "Bangkok/Pattaya is not Thailand." This I certainly agree with. Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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