Are Thais still searching for an identity?

[Nereus]

Just about all the comments on this thread are skewed towards Farangs with Thai wives, and or family. What about the thousands of Thai Nationals that have migrated overseas, usually with their Thai family, or partner. Go into 90% of Thai restaurants in an overseas country for example, and you will find that the owners are a Thai family without a Farang in sight. Do you find them coming back to Thailand to live? Maybe they do, but I doubt that there are many of them.

As for the younger ones I am convinced that the proliferation of absolutely ridiculous Thai TV programs contribute to a lot of the childish behaviour displayed. They are brainwashed into believing that is the way the rest of the world behaves!

[richard]

Here in HH enclaves are rife to the point of certain estates are restrictive on who moves in

You have to be kidding! Tell us more...

Hearsay but believable. Heard of a place up Palu road where it is necessary to hold a German passport to rent or live there

[Big Boy]

Go into 90% of Thai restaurants in an overseas country for example, and you will find that the owners are a Thai family without a Farang in sight. Do you find them coming back to Thailand to live?

That has certainly not been my experience in the West of England. There's always been a non-Thai sugar daddy financing the business. However, I am sure there will be some.

Of the restaurant owners I've known, 2 are now living back in Thailand, and another spends 8 months a year here. The others have not yet achieved the right circumstances (enough money).

[Bristolian]

I agree up to a point Bristolian. However, it would take something pretty major to get me back to the UK. I don't miss it at all. Having said that, I guess the difference is that it's easy, if you have the cash, for British friends and family to visit. For Thais, unless you put in a lot of time and money (with no guarantee of success) it is difficult for them to visit the UK.

It would also take a major upset in my life for me to consider moving back to the UK. There are still elements of the UK that I miss but looking at the overall picture, life in Thailand is on balance the better place for me to be.

Many of the Thais that I have met overseas travelled, in search of opportunity and a better life. Some have made it but many have returned, not because they were not successful but simply that they missed Thailand and now had the cash behind them to afford a better life at home.

My earlier point, which Richard picked up, was that we, the foreigners in Thailand, are similar in many ways and that often we are also looking for an identity in Thailand. Maybe we are here because our finances stretch further in retirement, the weather suits us better, the reduced restrictions etc etc. But then....many want to change Thailand to be more like their home countries.

Back to Topic
I believe that the Thai’s do have a very strong identity and we should not measure that identity by the youth of the country in a specific snapshot in time. If we look back at our own youth, were we not influenced by music trends and fashion from other countries? The Thai youth is no different.
The fundamental culture, language, traditions, religion etc is strongly underpinned and whilst of course change is inevitable it will be a Thai compromise change and not the desire to be a copy of another culture.