I'd like to hear comments from Thai members of this forum.
I've lived in Thailand for almost 7 years. I've also lived in Singapore, Malaysia and even India.
I know the Thai people are not stupid but I don't understand why they practice to prove they are. I'm talking in this thread about how to run a business. A Thai business doesn't seem to understand that without customers, they have no business. Their attitude is that they are God and customers are priveledged to be customers.
I'm sure that you've seen my other thread about EGAT. Well it appears that it's a common attitude in Thailand where customers are subserviant to the company.
I have a problem with UBC caused by EGAT. EGAT of course accept no responsibility. UBC will come and look at your problems with no guarantee of being able to fix them and will charge a call-out regardless.
I'm not singling out companies per se as they all seem to have the same outlook. No free helpline for any company. If you have a problem with a product then you call, and you are charged. Sometimes quite a lot as you are put on 'hold'.
I recently had a problem with TOT/Maxnet. No telephone line and no internet. After spending money on calls to the help line, I got a call back from TT&T in Hua Hin telling me that a standard call-out is 3 days!!!
I mentioned India because the Thai's would never consider themselves worse than in India. The fact is that they most definately are a lot worse.
I had DSL in India and enjoyed a very good service. The speed was much faster than here and the cost was minimal. Problems? They were on to it very quickly. Call-out charge ---- didn't exist. Helplines --- free.
I'm sure we all know that in Europe (can't comment on USA, Canada etc), service is part of the price you pay for the product.
I sometimes wonder that the fact that Thailand was never colonised (a proud boast) has left them short!!
I know from teaching and from my own family that the Thai people already know everything so don't need to learn. Reminds me of my kids when they were teenagers.
I love Thailand but.......
Sounds like your having a bad day Tel... I think you should have a beer! 
HHTel -
I can attest to you your frustration after twenty years of marriage to my lovely wife. There are just some things you will go to your grave never knowing.
No point in talking about it further because it just is what it is......
We might be better off wishing God would actually show up so we could all know the answers to the mysteries of the universe, as Thais are one of them.
I can attest to you your frustration after twenty years of marriage to my lovely wife. There are just some things you will go to your grave never knowing.
No point in talking about it further because it just is what it is......
We might be better off wishing God would actually show up so we could all know the answers to the mysteries of the universe, as Thais are one of them.
Good business sense is left to the Chinese, they're usually the ones backing all successful big biz in LOS aside from the odd entrepreneur here and there.
Business people in HH tend to be affluent anyway which could explain their lack of concern about customers.
Business people in HH tend to be affluent anyway which could explain their lack of concern about customers.
Last edited by buksida on Tue Jul 08, 2008 6:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
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sandman67
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HHTel
like you I also have spent time here and in India and would tend to agree with your post.
I think the "Mai pen rai" attitude of Thais doesnt help...it lends itself to inactivity and slow progress. Funnily enough there was a letter to the Bangkok Post recently written by a Thai that said the same.
The "know it all already" attitude also stumps me. When other states have problems they tend to look at other states with the same problem and borrow or share ideas....here when faced with a crisis the nation just hunkers down into a bunker mentality...mostly embodied by its myopic government.
The non colonised boast just makes me laugh. If it were used in a positive way to show clever management of politics by the then Kings then that would be good. Instead it is translated into some form of twisted nationalism that results in bunker mentality and the stupid "not one centimeter" arguments like the present one over Preah Vehar temple. It also lets Thais treat Burmese, Kymer and Lao economic or political refugees like shit.
Sometimes it all makes me feel like grabbing the place by the neck and giving it a shake to wake it up.....
Then again I am a stranger in a strange land... a guest in their house. Its not my place to go round clearing up.....
I just try to give my kids a perspective their schools fail comprehensively to engender in them....one where hopefully they will end up with a higher IQ than 80 for a start off. As HH the Dalai Llama says the children of today are the leaders of tomorrow.
Through papa they see a whole big world out there now......hopefully in a few years i will take them and show them what its all about
I think then maybe they can come home and start to make the changes to Thailand they will see as useful.....
like you I also have spent time here and in India and would tend to agree with your post.
I think the "Mai pen rai" attitude of Thais doesnt help...it lends itself to inactivity and slow progress. Funnily enough there was a letter to the Bangkok Post recently written by a Thai that said the same.
The "know it all already" attitude also stumps me. When other states have problems they tend to look at other states with the same problem and borrow or share ideas....here when faced with a crisis the nation just hunkers down into a bunker mentality...mostly embodied by its myopic government.
The non colonised boast just makes me laugh. If it were used in a positive way to show clever management of politics by the then Kings then that would be good. Instead it is translated into some form of twisted nationalism that results in bunker mentality and the stupid "not one centimeter" arguments like the present one over Preah Vehar temple. It also lets Thais treat Burmese, Kymer and Lao economic or political refugees like shit.
Sometimes it all makes me feel like grabbing the place by the neck and giving it a shake to wake it up.....
Then again I am a stranger in a strange land... a guest in their house. Its not my place to go round clearing up.....
I just try to give my kids a perspective their schools fail comprehensively to engender in them....one where hopefully they will end up with a higher IQ than 80 for a start off. As HH the Dalai Llama says the children of today are the leaders of tomorrow.
Through papa they see a whole big world out there now......hopefully in a few years i will take them and show them what its all about
I think then maybe they can come home and start to make the changes to Thailand they will see as useful.....
"Science flew men to the moon. Religion flew men into buildings."
"To sin by silence makes cowards of men."
"To sin by silence makes cowards of men."
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Guess
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I do not defend the attitudes, and many, including "this is our country", do Thailand no favors at all.sandman67 wrote:...................... It also lets Thais treat Burmese, Kymer and Lao economic or political refugees like shit......
If you study the history you may understand some of the strange attitudes. Firstly Thailand has never been a commercial oriented country. They have had no reason to be so. Historically trade has been bater and Thailand has always had more that it needs of everything. The opposite applies to China.
Additionally history will tell you that Thailand have been at war for the best part of the last millennium with Burma, Cambodia and the northern kingdoms which now form Laos and Vietnam. In most cases the neighbors have been the aggressors. Ancient history I know but it is deeply rooted in Thai culture as we have seen in the recent and ongoing dispute over the temple.
[color=blue][size=134]Care in the community success story.[/size][/color]
HHTel wrote
" will charge a call-out regardless. "
I have never experienced this with UBC,IPSTAR,electric people,water people,swimming pool people,aircon people etc,etc,etc.... not once in many years here, including today for 2 different services .Perhaps someone has educated them to the effect that callout fees are applicable in the case where the call out is outside the terms and conditions of the legally binding written agreement made at the time of installation to cover maintainance contracts and warranty conditions ? Sounds like you have been taken for a ride me old china .Try giving the boys a couple of dollars each and a can of soft drink (most will not accept beer) they will happily help you out with a few odd jobs on top in my experience .Including aircon problem of a neighbour, due to low electric today, after which the guy spent 2 hours helping me with some plumbing I was doing at my place round the corner.Gave him a WHOPPING 200 Bt which he said was too much ??????
Crazy 88
" will charge a call-out regardless. "
I have never experienced this with UBC,IPSTAR,electric people,water people,swimming pool people,aircon people etc,etc,etc.... not once in many years here, including today for 2 different services .Perhaps someone has educated them to the effect that callout fees are applicable in the case where the call out is outside the terms and conditions of the legally binding written agreement made at the time of installation to cover maintainance contracts and warranty conditions ? Sounds like you have been taken for a ride me old china .Try giving the boys a couple of dollars each and a can of soft drink (most will not accept beer) they will happily help you out with a few odd jobs on top in my experience .Including aircon problem of a neighbour, due to low electric today, after which the guy spent 2 hours helping me with some plumbing I was doing at my place round the corner.Gave him a WHOPPING 200 Bt which he said was too much ??????
Crazy 88
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Vital Spark
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Interesting comments; here's my angle on it:
The 'mai pen rai' attitude is one of the reasons why I love living here. However, it's one of the attitudes that drives me crazy when it comes to work or something seriously going wrong.
I was having a good chat with one of the Chinese teachers at the university the other day. She's here teaching Chinese, yet her English is far superior to the Thais that teach English. We agreed that the Chinese would rather spend money on educating their children than a fancy car or house. They invest in the future, and they think about the next years or decades - they don't just live for today. I think that the same goes for India. The Thai's 'live for today' mindset is great in some respects, but it doesn't bode too well for a country that wants to develop and become part of a global economy.
HHTel: It was courteous of you to invite comments from Thais. Unfortunately, they are few and far between on this forum. The Understudy is your only hope, but I think he will agree that he has been 'Westernised' because of his education and location.
But, hey, I'm going to shoot myself in the foot here by saying that I rather like it the way it is. I don't really want to live in a competitive, go-getting, rigidly structured society. However frustrating it is at times...
VS
The 'mai pen rai' attitude is one of the reasons why I love living here. However, it's one of the attitudes that drives me crazy when it comes to work or something seriously going wrong.
I was having a good chat with one of the Chinese teachers at the university the other day. She's here teaching Chinese, yet her English is far superior to the Thais that teach English. We agreed that the Chinese would rather spend money on educating their children than a fancy car or house. They invest in the future, and they think about the next years or decades - they don't just live for today. I think that the same goes for India. The Thai's 'live for today' mindset is great in some respects, but it doesn't bode too well for a country that wants to develop and become part of a global economy.
HHTel: It was courteous of you to invite comments from Thais. Unfortunately, they are few and far between on this forum. The Understudy is your only hope, but I think he will agree that he has been 'Westernised' because of his education and location.
But, hey, I'm going to shoot myself in the foot here by saying that I rather like it the way it is. I don't really want to live in a competitive, go-getting, rigidly structured society. However frustrating it is at times...
VS
"Properly trained, man can be a dog's best friend"
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sandman67
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yet again VS hit the nail on its head.....
c'mon cough guys.....we love it the way it is...thats why we are here! Yeah yeah sometimes it all just gets too much but what the hell....
I change Thailand by eductaing my kids AFTER they come home from that joke clownshoes college they call school. We watch the news with an atlas and papa's traveling experience......thats REAL learning.
At home I teach that asking questions is good not bad....HOW and WHY are essential questions.....and that being clever means you get ahead, and that when faced with stupidity then find a way around the problem....a bit like a river and a rock.
I also teach them that the mouthy "cool guy" with the hairdo at the back of the class will be sorting rubbish in 10 years or maybe working at the gas station..... I teach them to quietly smile at his jibes and wait. I teach them that Buddhism is about enlightenment...teaching and gaining experience....not stupidity, ignorance, nationalism and "Mai pen rai".
What I hope one day is that in some small way one of the nippers rips a red stripe through this countries complacency and arrogance...... makes some small change.
Im clever enough to know no matter how clever I am and how experienced.... Thais wont listen cos Im a Farang!
My kids are really smart tho....they listen to papa.
c'mon cough guys.....we love it the way it is...thats why we are here! Yeah yeah sometimes it all just gets too much but what the hell....
I change Thailand by eductaing my kids AFTER they come home from that joke clownshoes college they call school. We watch the news with an atlas and papa's traveling experience......thats REAL learning.
At home I teach that asking questions is good not bad....HOW and WHY are essential questions.....and that being clever means you get ahead, and that when faced with stupidity then find a way around the problem....a bit like a river and a rock.
I also teach them that the mouthy "cool guy" with the hairdo at the back of the class will be sorting rubbish in 10 years or maybe working at the gas station..... I teach them to quietly smile at his jibes and wait. I teach them that Buddhism is about enlightenment...teaching and gaining experience....not stupidity, ignorance, nationalism and "Mai pen rai".
What I hope one day is that in some small way one of the nippers rips a red stripe through this countries complacency and arrogance...... makes some small change.
Im clever enough to know no matter how clever I am and how experienced.... Thais wont listen cos Im a Farang!
My kids are really smart tho....they listen to papa.
"Science flew men to the moon. Religion flew men into buildings."
"To sin by silence makes cowards of men."
"To sin by silence makes cowards of men."
I'm with Vital Spark in liking it just the way it is. Sure some things could be changed that would be nice but the side effect is many more things might change that you don't like.
If you change it to be like Australia, USA or UK I'm outta here. In the meantime I'll just enjoy myself and let others solve the world problems.
I'm particularly fond of the Thai tax system. If you start changing things that cost lots of baht you will find the money has to come from somewhere and you can bet taxes are where it comes from.
If you change it to be like Australia, USA or UK I'm outta here. In the meantime I'll just enjoy myself and let others solve the world problems.
I'm particularly fond of the Thai tax system. If you start changing things that cost lots of baht you will find the money has to come from somewhere and you can bet taxes are where it comes from.
I think it's good to expend 'mai pen rai' to also mean 'what's easiest for me'. Business or personal, you see it many times a day regardless of what the rules, laws or simple common sense say. I didn't come up with the above, a Thai said it....LOL. PeteVital Spark wrote:Interesting comments; here's my angle on it:
The 'mai pen rai' attitude is one of the reasons why I love living here. However, it's one of the attitudes that drives me crazy when it comes to work or something seriously going wrong....
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Source
Glad they haven't sorted it out properly. I enjoy the fact that there is so many baht in the pound. If they got their act together, many of us would have to move someplace else, suppose that's why we come, it's good for us too. Wherever you go, it's always the pros vs the cons and here the pros outweigh the cons, for now.
However fustrating it can be, long live the status Quo!
However fustrating it can be, long live the status Quo!
Resolve dissolves in alcohol