Understanding Thai society and behaviour

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Re: Understanding Thai society and behaviour

Post by caller »

To be honest, I don't really understand all there is to know about my own Countries culture, yet alone someone else's, but I am aware there are regional variations. Is that not the case with a Country the size of Thailand as well?

I agree with Takiap about the 'me first' attitude that to my eyes is prevent here, but again, that could be because I am from elsewhere and missing something?
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Re: Understanding Thai society and behaviour

Post by Vital Spark »

From my personal experience, the less wealth the person has, the nicer they are. Some of the rich people I know have all the nasty traits, egos as big as barrage ballons (which, when pricked, turn them into monsters). And they certainly have ME ME in spades.

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Re: Understanding Thai society and behaviour

Post by migrant »

Vital Spark wrote: Mon Oct 23, 2017 4:28 pm From my personal experience, the less wealth the person has, the nicer they are. Some of the rich people I know have all the nasty traits, egos as big as barrage ballons (which, when pricked, turn them into monsters). And they certainly have ME ME in spades.

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I agree, although many of the wealthy that earned their money can be decent, it's the further generations that live off the family money I have experienced as jerks
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Re: Understanding Thai society and behaviour

Post by RCer »

The me first fits nicely into the Ego category and pretty much matches any other place in the world.
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Re: Understanding Thai society and behaviour

Post by STEVE G »

RCer wrote: Mon Oct 23, 2017 5:48 pm The me first fits nicely into the Ego category and pretty much matches any other place in the world.
Yes, I've worked and lived with people from many different nationalities and they're more similar than different to be honest. Those who want to see anything else generally have an agenda that wants to highlight the differences for nationalistic reasons.
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Re: Understanding Thai society and behaviour

Post by Takiap »

RCer wrote: Mon Oct 23, 2017 5:48 pm The me first fits nicely into the Ego category and pretty much matches any other place in the world.

Well, I must have been heavily sedated during all the years I live in my own country and in the UK because never before have I witnessed the sort of "me first" attitude I witness here numerous times a day. Driving on the roads here is just one glaringly obvious example.

And for the record, I don't have any sort of agenda and I am most definitely not nationalistic. I have long since accepted the Thai way of life, and as I have said so often on here, I would hate to see Thailand, or the Thai people change. After all, the Thai way of life is the only reason why I am still here.


Anyway, the point I was actually trying to make is that I don't think the study mentioned in this thread is of any great significance unless you a closet shrink. :thumb:

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Re: Understanding Thai society and behaviour

Post by RCer »

Takiap,

I think the driving is more a result of a complete lack of training. They just don't know any better.
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Re: Understanding Thai society and behaviour

Post by caller »

STEVE G wrote: Tue Oct 24, 2017 12:56 amThose who want to see anything else generally have an agenda that wants to highlight the differences for nationalistic reasons.
That's a pretty loaded, catch-all barbed comment.

As I said in my response, I see what I perceive as a 'me first' attitude here, but am also conscious I might be missing something in translation. Care to tell me what that is?

Because when I learn a mayor won't pay to finish a half-built 2km stretch of road that is basically a dust bowl, causing massive problems for those living along the road, food vendors, restaurant and those riding bikes and the like, all because he wants a bigger kick back, I'm not sure what I am meant to think?
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Re: Understanding Thai society and behaviour

Post by Spitfire »

Not just the selfish "me first" thing, I also often sense a disproportionately large empathy with others deficit on an individual level...to a point where people are not even aware that what they are doing is unacceptable behaviour.
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Re: Understanding Thai society and behaviour

Post by 404cameljockey »

caller wrote: Tue Oct 24, 2017 2:17 pm
STEVE G wrote: Tue Oct 24, 2017 12:56 amThose who want to see anything else generally have an agenda that wants to highlight the differences for nationalistic reasons.
That's a pretty loaded, catch-all barbed comment.

As I said in my response, I see what I perceive as a 'me first' attitude here, but am also conscious I might be missing something in translation. Care to tell me what that is?

Because when I learn a mayor won't pay to finish a half-built 2km stretch of road that is basically a dust bowl, causing massive problems for those living along the road, food vendors, restaurant and those riding bikes and the like, all because he wants a bigger kick back, I'm not sure what I am meant to think?
I really don't think that has anything do to with a study on the general psyche of Thai people. Anyone sitting on the 'gravy train' can start to show signs of corruption in most countries around the globe.

I find a lot in the study that chimes with my experience of interacting with everyday Thai people; not police, not government officials, not HiSo's with their own set of social rules (what is usually called 'the don't you know who I am' complex).
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Re: Understanding Thai society and behaviour

Post by 404cameljockey »

Takiap wrote: Tue Oct 24, 2017 8:46 am
RCer wrote: Mon Oct 23, 2017 5:48 pm The me first fits nicely into the Ego category and pretty much matches any other place in the world.

Well, I must have been heavily sedated during all the years I live in my own country and in the UK because never before have I witnessed the sort of "me first" attitude I witness here numerous times a day. Driving on the roads here is just one glaringly obvious example.

And for the record, I don't have any sort of agenda and I am most definitely not nationalistic. I have long since accepted the Thai way of life, and as I have said so often on here, I would hate to see Thailand, or the Thai people change. After all, the Thai way of life is the only reason why I am still here.


Anyway, the point I was actually trying to make is that I don't think the study mentioned in this thread is of any great significance unless you a closet shrink. :thumb:

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Driving is easy, and nothing to do with Thai mentality, only to do with accepted local standards (I was going to say "not European", but I've driven on the insane roads of Rome, Paris and Bari). I think maybe you're a little sheltered). If you are first to a junction or if you are in front on a road then you have right of way. Not hard to get a grip on. You do know about the '30 percent field of responsibility' (or something like that, I forget the precise detail), which I believe is even understood by the police as a rule of the road? Most people won't take responsibility for anything happening outside of their immediate field of view (forget wing mirrors). The people they can't see should be responsible for dangers in their own field of vision, and so on going back down the road.

I'm not saying I don't get furious occasionally, but I understand that I need to calm down. :D
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Re: Understanding Thai society and behaviour

Post by 404cameljockey »

Spitfire wrote: Tue Oct 24, 2017 2:27 pm Not just the selfish "me first" thing, I also often sense a disproportionately large empathy with others deficit on an individual level...to a point where people are not even aware that what they are doing is unacceptable behaviour.
Empathy means you understand an emotion/feeling and feel it too. It's sympathy plus feeling the same yourself 'by proxy'. I don't think that was your intention.

I'm guessing you mean that because they see others behaving badly, they feel that it's OK for them to do the same?

"Monkey see, monkey do"? (it's a general saying in the UK, meaning aping/imitating another's behaviour without thought; I am not calling Thais monkeys....).
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Re: Understanding Thai society and behaviour

Post by Spitfire »

Empathy means you understand an emotion/feeling and feel it too.
Haha...yeah, which they don't. And also can be applied regarding how if they did have an ounce of empathy they might realise how these emotions might make others feel or how their 'me first' actions affect the emotions of others in the aftermath of given situations (positive or negative). Incapable of putting themselves in someone else's shoes. So, yes, there is an general empathy deficit and woeful lack of thought on such a subject.
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Re: Understanding Thai society and behaviour

Post by 404cameljockey »

Spitfire wrote: Tue Oct 24, 2017 3:20 pm
Empathy means you understand an emotion/feeling and feel it too.
Haha...yeah, which they don't. And also can be applied regarding how if they did have an ounce of empathy they might realise how these emotions might make others feel or how their 'me first' actions affect the emotions of others in the aftermath of given situations (positive or negative). Incapable of putting themselves in someone else's shoes. So, yes, there is an general empathy deficit and woeful lack of thought on such a subject.
In fact the study says clearly straight off the bat: "Thai people have a very big ego".

As I understand it, the reason for them to be good to others is (1) for their own face/esteem amongst others; (2) self-esteem; and definitely (3) to make merit in a Buddhist sense (that's a big one). Actually wanting to help others in a philanthropic way is usually in no way the primary reason.
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Re: Understanding Thai society and behaviour

Post by STEVE G »

caller wrote: Tue Oct 24, 2017 2:17 pm
STEVE G wrote: Tue Oct 24, 2017 12:56 amThose who want to see anything else generally have an agenda that wants to highlight the differences for nationalistic reasons.
Because when I learn a mayor won't pay to finish a half-built 2km stretch of road that is basically a dust bowl, causing massive problems for those living along the road, food vendors, restaurant and those riding bikes and the like, all because he wants a bigger kick back, I'm not sure what I am meant to think?
You don't have to go back that far in British history to find that kind of corruption going on, in the 19th century it was quite normal. I don't think there is any national trait that makes one nationality more corrupt than another.
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