sargeant wrote:2 two thai wives and they always eat on the floor i agree richard we must be only 2 of very few that are not trying to kill of the thai culture SAD SAD SAD
i'm in your club!!
maybe your average thai in the sticks has never been able to afford a dining table or possibly viewed one as an unnecessary luxury
the question of social classes & 'jungle girls'? just more hogwash from the colonial history of the western world
Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Jaime wrote:
Are you saying that Thailand is a classless society then?
no, not at all jaime.
class society exists all over the world, its all just bullshit to me!
it doesn't matter where people come from, its who they are that really counts
Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Jaime wrote:
Are you saying that Thailand is a classless society then?
no, not at all jaime.
class society exists all over the world, its all just bullshit to me!
it doesn't matter where people come from, its who they are that really counts
That, in itself, is a concept derived from a liberal Western humanist outlook.
When two Thais meet, they suss out who is to defer to the other, whether it be as a result of age or social/financial status. Unpalatable as it may seem, status, class and social origins are VERY important in most Asian cultures.
This is particularly apparent in countries with an agricultural or subsistence economy or ones, like Thailand, that are making the transition to a more industrial one.
Well you've lost me Sarge. What Jaime says is right, Thailands class structure is worse than the UK.
Ive seen it 1st hand. A reasonably wealthy Bangkok Girl (Friend of a Friend,owns a bar on Suk 22,amongst others) playing Pool with my GF, 2nd Question after "whats your name" was "are you from Isaan" shes slightly darker than most (most Thais think shes southern) but its definitely an issue with the Bangkokians.
Does one not take note of smilies i do wish people would let me know when things are in or out.
So i will spell it out IT WAS a JOKE on the quote Liberal western humanist to me liberal would have surficed but i thought it was funny overkill psycobabble.The only word missing was psuedo
P.S. i have 24 years of the thai class system under my belt and know it in shovels
Jaime wrote:
That, in itself, is a concept derived from a liberal Western humanist outlook.
When two Thais meet, they suss out who is to defer to the other, whether it be as a result of age or social/financial status. Unpalatable as it may seem, status, class and social origins are VERY important in most Asian cultures.
actually from a personal humanist outlook
the respect shown to elders is commendable & something that should be implicated more in our own fair nation.
the social/financial status though doesnt hold much sway with me. i do
though accept it as part of thai society & culture & respect that.
that doesnt mean i agree with it.
Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
OK, I'll spell it out as there were obviously too few words in my sentence of 'overkill psycobabble.' I always prefered brevity myself but here goes nothing:
On the one hand a group of posters in this thread (i.e. anyone outside the commendable party of three who are actively and laudably seeking to preserve the purity of Thai culture) are dismissed as colonialists trying to 'kill off the Thai culture' for having the audacity to mention social classes or, horror of horrors, eating with a knife and fork.
At the same time, a point is made that it doesn't really matter where someone comes from, it's who they are that counts. Well of course, that is a wonderful sentiment and one that I, as a comparatively well educated westerner fully understands. I'm pretty certain that most Thais do not believe that - even if they wished it to be true - despite whatever anyone tells you about loving you because you are 'jai dee!' As we all seem to agree, status, wealth and class structure are extremely important in Thailand and Asia as a whole. The idea that underneath we are all equal does not seem to be a Thai concept but a (*shock*) western one. Obviously that mode of thinking must, by extension, make it a colonial one.
How can you pass judgement on what constitutes an acceptable level of western interference in Thai culture when the very thought processes, morals, ethics and standards you apply are western?
Or aren't things that clear cut?
See the contradiction yet? If not, let's just forget about it, I've got better things to do!
But going back to an earlier point about shouting or speaking loudly and writing from experience, this seem to be a 'peasant' trait, common across the globe. This is simply the way rural people speak because they are unfettered by etiquette or other social constraints.
Hmmm... I'll have a steak - with knife and fork please, and one for Mrs Jaime too. Bring some chopsticks for her just in case though. Make sure it's all brought to the table by a social inferior though as I feel the need to patronise someone by giving them a tip....
Jaime wrote:
On the one hand a group of posters in this thread (i.e. anyone outside the commendable party of three who are actively and laudably seeking to preserve the purity of Thai culture) are dismissed as colonialists trying to 'kill off the Thai culture' for having the audacity to mention social classes or, horror of horrors, eating with a knife and fork.
& so we shall bow to your superior knowledge & intelligence
Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
great oak trees grow from acorns at least i hope so 
