Hi
I have been here a few years (10) and was beginning to think I knew the ropes. Low profile and all that sh1t.
Now I have been hit
Politics (so called) has led to my downfall. Isaan support an x PM and as such are open to financial rewards particularly if you are connected to a farang as International support for the x PM is sort after
My experience is as follows:
Wife is offered money for a vote
Headman of the village asks for my wifes name in English
Placard displaying her name is paraded roung the village
I am therefore implicated
Options? Scrap the sign and fall out with the family, headman and local police or go along with it and be perceived as a redshirt
Farang cannot win
Please dont reply saying argue the toss. We do not live in a logical society TIT
Best bet is to get out or move up or down country
MODS edit as you think appropriate
I am totally pi**ed off
Sad Sad Sad
Farangs beware
Farangs beware
RICHARD OF LOXLEY
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
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sandman67
- Rock Star
- Posts: 4398
- Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2007 6:11 pm
- Location: I thought you had the map?
Paint your house yellow?
Ban your wife from voting?
Remember where you were born, regain that Northern spine you had hammered into you as a lad of the moors, and tell the stinky little scruffy peon headman where to get off?
Or have you assimilated so far we should rename you Bounty? Time to turn the flat cap in ... no real Yorkshireman would type your OP.
Ban your wife from voting?
Remember where you were born, regain that Northern spine you had hammered into you as a lad of the moors, and tell the stinky little scruffy peon headman where to get off?
Or have you assimilated so far we should rename you Bounty? Time to turn the flat cap in ... no real Yorkshireman would type your OP.
Last edited by sandman67 on Thu Jul 23, 2009 6:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"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."
sad
Sad situation really.
Can you distance yourself from it by doing something like hanging your own national flag on your house and pointing out to all that Thai politics is not your business . . .maybe a sign in Thai saying just that?
And making it clear that in the West, a husband and wife are allowed to have different political opinions and vote for different parties . .which is true. (I know couples where one is a Dem and the other a Republican.)
It is the danger of assimilation though. I ran into exactly the same thing in Belize and ended up nearly being deported because of it. Ruling party at the time were complete idiots . .uneducated morons really . .and the educated people in town, who were my friends, were on the side of the opposition. The mere fact of my hanging around with these people tarred me. It finally blew over in time . .and I left the country.
.
Can you distance yourself from it by doing something like hanging your own national flag on your house and pointing out to all that Thai politics is not your business . . .maybe a sign in Thai saying just that?
And making it clear that in the West, a husband and wife are allowed to have different political opinions and vote for different parties . .which is true. (I know couples where one is a Dem and the other a Republican.)
It is the danger of assimilation though. I ran into exactly the same thing in Belize and ended up nearly being deported because of it. Ruling party at the time were complete idiots . .uneducated morons really . .and the educated people in town, who were my friends, were on the side of the opposition. The mere fact of my hanging around with these people tarred me. It finally blew over in time . .and I left the country.
.
“This year, we Americans have a Fourth of July we can truly celebrate. We did it! We survived eight years of Republican rule and that idiot Bush in the White House.”
Richard, I would just let them get on with it and stay aloof to the whole thing. Causing problems with the locals will get you a whole lot more grief and if you just let the thing blow over I can't see it causing you any harm as long as you do absolutely nothing political in person.
My partners family are politically active for the same crowd, but I've found that the locals don't expect you to have any interest in Thai politics and if I was in the same situation I would cultivate that believe as much as I could.
Just try to get your wife to not get you involved again.
My partners family are politically active for the same crowd, but I've found that the locals don't expect you to have any interest in Thai politics and if I was in the same situation I would cultivate that believe as much as I could.
Just try to get your wife to not get you involved again.
Richard,
Sorry to hear about it. Agree with Buksi in that you're in a place that is a different ball-game to your big tourist resorts, where even here we're easy targets.
Is their red and yellow supporters in the area, in other words are you potentially a target for the opposition party supporters ?
Or is it a red area only and you're just not happy, principle wise, being associated with them. If this is the case I would just swallow it and let it ride. You slap these people in the face by withdrawing your sign/wife's support etc and they'll slap you with a machette if they feel like it.
Good luck,
SJ
Sorry to hear about it. Agree with Buksi in that you're in a place that is a different ball-game to your big tourist resorts, where even here we're easy targets.
Is their red and yellow supporters in the area, in other words are you potentially a target for the opposition party supporters ?
Or is it a red area only and you're just not happy, principle wise, being associated with them. If this is the case I would just swallow it and let it ride. You slap these people in the face by withdrawing your sign/wife's support etc and they'll slap you with a machette if they feel like it.
Good luck,
SJ
The sum offered was 150 Bht
Basically she was promoting the local Thaksin bigwig
No idea what the placard said but I have diffused the situation now after talks with the local police and village headman.
I said I was farang. No right to vote so therefore no political opinions
Basically she was promoting the local Thaksin bigwig
No idea what the placard said but I have diffused the situation now after talks with the local police and village headman.
I said I was farang. No right to vote so therefore no political opinions
RICHARD OF LOXLEY
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
