gobbledonk Posted December 2, 2009 Report Share Posted December 2, 2009 Sure, the clowns trying to sell me a suit really piss me off (they are everywhere in SE Asia - Thailand isnt 'special' in that regard), but it would be useless for Thais to deny the massive influence India has had on their country. Here in Oz, we usually dont include India/Pakistan etc in the term 'Asia', but geographically and culturally I guess it is Asia. No-one here seems any happier with the Chinese influence in Thailand, but they are both economic drivers, for better or worse. Thailand would be poorer without them, IMO. The Indians have certainly moved into my town en masse in the space of 3 short years. Many of them are students, but they seem to stay on after finishing their studies : progression seems to be from driving cabs to running a 7/11. One of the cab drivers told me that he actually has it good back in India - lives in a modern city, family has money etc - but his father insisted he come to Oz to study and learn what life is like without having it handed to him on a plate. His attitude was that this was just a brief detour before he can go back and resume his privileged existence : it was a bit like a Singaporean telling you that he didn't plan to do 12 hour days when he finished his degree : surreal. Have to admit that I've never seen a more carefree cabbie though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen4dummies Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 "I have read that since the land was granted by a King, it can not be sold; only leased long term" The British Embassy on Ploen Chit/Tanon Wittayu was to be reduced in size a few years ago but, as a Brit told me, it had been given to the British by a Thai King and could not be resold. It is not clear what the status is now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zen4dummies Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 "just offer your hand shake when they approach, grab hold and drag them along a bit, they never try it agin" I have had tailors in Phukett stick out a hand and then attempt to drag me into the store. This does not work very well for them and I have not seen it for sometime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 Can you imagine if you tried to drag someone into a store in Farangland ? India must be a very 'interesting' place ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 "I have read that since the land was granted by a King, it can not be sold; only leased long term"The British Embassy on Ploen Chit/Tanon Wittayu was to be reduced in size a few years ago but, as a Brit told me, it had been given to the British by a Thai King and could not be resold. It is not clear what the status is now. My understanding is that the land had belonged to Nai Lert, the Chinese-Thai who started the white bus company (Bangkok's first) and got wealthy, even receiving a royal title. Nai Lert marked his land with odd concrete sculptures, the buried "cannon" at the corner of the embassy being one that remains. The Brits would have had to buy the land from Nai Lert, and thus it was hardly granted to them by a King. I'm also told the embassy has indeed sold the land on that corner to a developer. A huge high rise is to go up (maybe is already going up) there. The embassy is not very happy about that, but is stuck with it now. Be easy for a terrorist to fire on the embassy from that high rise. p.s. The Indian-snake tale is told in Malaysia and Singapore too. I've heard they say the same thing in Burma. The Indians certainly gained a reputation in SE Asia. Wonder what they did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pasathai1 Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 " The Indian-snake tale is told in Malaysia and Singapore too. I've heard they say the same thing in Burma. The Indians certainly gained a reputation in SE Asia. Wonder what they did. ' probably because they ( indians) have better business sense than thais. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jao_Choo Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 When the Tailors put their hand out to shake mine I do likewise, but just before contact is made I raise my hand to my nose and wiggle my fingers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torrenova Posted December 11, 2009 Report Share Posted December 11, 2009 I just try to knock the buggers over in my truck in Pattaya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lusty Posted December 12, 2009 Report Share Posted December 12, 2009 Just as a matter of interest.The Indians and Bangaledeshis have round eyes and the Burmese have slanted eyes. Where does the domain of the round eyed people end and the slanted eyed people start and visa versa? I doubt wether it starts either side of the countries boarders as there must have been some hybridisation through the years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted December 12, 2009 Report Share Posted December 12, 2009 " The Indian-snake tale is told in Malaysia and Singapore too. I've heard they say the same thing in Burma. The Indians certainly gained a reputation in SE Asia. Wonder what they did. ' probably because they ( indians) have better business sense than thais. It's worth noting that the same term - Khaek - is used for both Hindu and Muslim Indians. In fact, I've been told by Thais that if you should encounter a Khaek ghost at night, just throw a piece of pork at it. This suggests the Indian-snake tale began from the Muslim Indian advisors in the Siamese royal court. One reason the Greek adventurer Constantine Gerakis (Constans Phaulkon) made himself so unpopular in 17th century Ayutthaya is that he proved to King Narai how much his Khaek (Persian actually) finance minister was cheating him out of money and got him fired. Persians had been the equivalent of finance minister for some time in LOS. History speculation over and back to our normal programming ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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