FIGJAM Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 FIGJAM: Yes they voted for this government... I just feel sorry for some Thais I know, I do not care about the society as a whole. Drogon, this government has very little to do with what I was talking about and regarding these poor Thais you know, if it depended on them would they be ready to give you and the rest of us "farangs" the same rights we give them in our homecountries? Owning land and houses, getting PR and citizenship, working any job, paying the same as them, being equal to them in the courts and before the police and so on and on? Would they do the same for, say, the Burmese, The Laotians and the Cambodians? Would they give the Thai women the same rights Thai men have? Would they, Drogon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drogon Posted June 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 They are not poor nor especially wealthy (except one but he moved to the US) and of course except the ex gf. The couples I know are decent middle class Thai who know perfectly that the country is not fair to foreigners. In both couples the woman earns the same or slightly less than the man. Their children went one year to Europe (like a few hundreds other young Thais each year). There is one couple in which the husband was a police general thus he was earning more than his wife. Great honest policeman. But, these educated middle class people are pretty much the exception compared to the vast majority of the population... So yes, Thailand might have its butt kicked, I just hope these people I like will not suffer from it too much. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FIGJAM Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 They are not poor nor especially wealthy (except one but he moved to the US) and of course except the ex gf. The couples I know are decent middle class Thai who know perfectly that the country is not fair to foreigners. In both couples the woman earns the same or slightly less than the man. Their children went one year to Europe (like a few hundreds other young Thais each year). There is one couple in which the husband was a police general thus he was earning more than his wife. Great honest policeman. But, these educated middle class people are pretty much the exception compared to the vast majority of the population... So yes, Thailand might have its butt kicked, I just hope these people I like will not suffer from it too much. Cheers I see no direct answers to my questions. Anyway, I would love to see a Thai Police General voting for giving Burmese immigrants to Thailand (oops, "migrant workers"! They aren't allowed to actually "immigrate") the same rights as his kids get in Europe... I would also like to see him subject the off-duty Police Senior Sergeant Major who yesterday in Pattaya, following a traffic accident, passively witnessed and allowed the beating by two Thai men of 2 farang pensioners (aged 80 and 71) later left unconscious on the road (both of them were photographed by the press STILL laying between 2 vehicles and one had his pants down! WTF?!? Just think what the national uproar would be if they were 2 THAI elderly!!!) to the same misures a cop would be subject to were the same to happen in the West... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bibblies Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 I tend to believe that a people in some way get the government they deserve. For example, there's something intrinsic in the Thai character that is non-serious, childish, cheating, playful, corrupt and short-term. Those characteristics and that culture are reflected in the type of government they have. How would it not be? I've been of the opinion for years that this 'growth' in Thailand and the rise in asset prices is driven by excess credit. Surely there aren't the numbers of rich people or the businesses to support such building expansion? Condos galore! And the gleaming new pickup trucks, the Mercedes, etc? While the average Thai joe is as uneducated and lazy as he ever was? (maybe worse compared to the more serious and better educated Vietnamese, Indians, Chinese, etc). I can't think that it's any different a story to the US or UK. Speculation and people buying shit on credit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tree187 Posted June 4, 2008 Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 Forget about what you read, especially from those with an agenda to make everyone believe there are no problems. Basically it's IMPOSSIBLE for any economy to do well when inflation is rampant and global inflation is certainly that. Plus of course real inflation, what the man on the street has to pay is normally always more than the bullshit govt stats. Everywhere is in shit right now and the Central Banks are a one trick pony. All they know how to do is to create liquidity (print more money) and you know what that fosters? Yep, more inflation.......... Batton down the hatches folks, watch your pennies and you'll be ok. If you live the lifestyle of a few years back then pain is very likely. Personally my spending has remained almost the same when I go to Thailand. Just gone down a notch on the Hotel (no more 1,000+ ones, more like 700 bht), far more thai food, far less buying drinks for all the hangers on, 1000-1500 MAX LT and if they want more then they can fuck right off. In fact when I cut down my spending I worked out that being cheaper means NO LESS FUN......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drogon Posted June 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2008 I live a better lifestyle than a few years back... And I intend to spend a bit more in Thailand this trip. If Thailand goes down the drain then I will have more spending power, as simple as that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coss Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 And that's how I monitor these things, since April the Bht/NZ$ has gone from 26 to 24 and back to 25.8 today. A baht or two per dollar may not sound like much but over a three week booze and tee rahk filled vacation it can ad up to several hundred dollars. Cheers Coss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardy641 Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 [Thailand's projected 2008 GDP growth keeps on being revised downward and already is amongst the lowest in the region. Comparing growth rates of 3rd world developing countries to 1st world developed ones is, at best, naive... Price rises as big and sudden as these we are witnessing coupled with stagnating wages have never been a sign of a good economy. FDI directed to Vietnam has for the first time surpassed that directed to Thailand (and Thai investors are among those investing in Vietnam and had even been encouraged by the previous govt to do so!). IIRC, 2008 FDI to Vietnam so far has been one third more than that Thailand got... I am going to sit back and enjoy the show of Thailand getting a long overdue and much deserved kick in the ass. Spot on. The whole world is holding breath in the fear of global downturn. Most governments are trying to implement counter measure to prevent or at least soften the impact of economic crisis. But in Thailand? These corrupt idiots are only concerned to change the charter to strengthen their power and to save Thaksin from being convicted for various crimes. Most other ASEAN countries are leaving Thailand behind on the fast track. Vietnam is only one example. Who would have sought 5 years ago that it will attract more FDI than Thailand. On top Thailand faces a severe education problem. Statistics shows they rock bottom even fallen behind Laos and Cambodia. It is much more difficult to recruit good people than 10 years ago. Instead of finally implementing long overdue and necessary changes, the authorities keep eliminate competition with more and more stringent rules for work permits. Well this will work for another few years but at the end Thailand will go down the drain. They soon will reach the point of no return as the Philippines already did (Remind you the Philippines have been the 2nd richest Asian country in 1970!!). And they fully deserve it as most of Thais â?? nice or not so nice â?? just donâ??t give a fuck; either because they donâ??t understand it or donâ??t care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 OK, so lets see if I get this right - you two want to see the Thai people, and the Thai economy, suffer because apathy, ignorance and corruption are widespread in the LOS ? You want to see many of the people that we cross paths with daily unemployed and miserable, because their leaders are arseholes and they dont have the ability (or will) to fix any of that ? With the exception of the depth of official corruption, Oz suffers from a lot of the same malaise, yet I rarely see anything (here or elsewhere) that expresses glee at the prospect of Australians losing their jobs and their homes (granted, some of the sub-prime scaremongering comes close ..) Guys, there are enough beggars on the streets of Bangkok - lets not pray for any more. Gobble Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khun_khon_neua Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 Good post. I continue to be amazed at people's bitterness about Thailand. I loved the comment that we should boycott Thailand just like was done to South Africa during the Apartheid era. This is because of perceived prejudice against farangs? "And thirdly, I think we should apply to countries like Thailand the same socio-economical-politica l pressure we put on South Africa." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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