Humble Westerner Part 2
It is great when you are about to quit your job because I can sit here and write to Stickman. I would like to continue from my other post on some thoughts and maybe someone can give their opinion. Just friendly banter to stir things up. This website saved
me from days of boredom at my job. THANKS STICK!
Here I thought I was very clear. Actually, I wrote it while I was at work, maybe not too clear. I understand that Westerners stick to each other, and it gets old post after post, one westerner complaining after the other. The point is that
westerners think we are superior to Thais and that our ways are better. Is that clear enough? You read the posts and they say "well well, of course we are not perfect and westerners do wrong things also, BUT!!! If Thais would be more like
us then it would be better". If I’m making "generalizations" that's what everyone else is making, plain generalization. At least is a breath of fresh air to read when a westerner tells other westerners that they are
full of shit.
In "14 Years" the westerner DID fight about 20 baht <I thought he fought over principle – Stick>. If he would have paid the 20 baht, the fight never would have happened. What did they fight about then? Shaq moving to
the Miami Heat? Can I get an AMEN!! from SOMEONE OUT THERE!? Of course some westerner would say "well, its not the 20 baht, it's the principle". The principle of what? Of course you will be ripped off in Thailand, and more so if
you are a foreigner. But, we have to beat up Taxi drivers to see if we can change their ways so that way it will "benefit both, westerner and Thai"?. What a crock of shit!
If one is walking down BKK and a tuktuk driver wants 20 baht for a 10 baht ride, the choice is as follows: pay the 20baht or smile and get another tuktuk. At no time should ANYONE punch someone over 20 baht, even if the Thai tuktuk driver
puts his hands on your chest to stop you after you tell him you won’t pay him. I would have done the same. No one is getting ripped off, not over 20 baht, specially a guy with 176,000 baht in his pocket. We have to learn how to watch our
manners and PICK OUR BATTLES.
How many times have we read posts of westerners getting into fights with Thais for this sort of thing. Every time you lose your cool, you prove them right, that westerners are loud, stupid, and impolite. If the bank was only a 2 minute ride
and so close by, then take your superior western ass and walk yourself to the Bank if you think tuktuk drivers are ripping you off. These are NOT generalizations, these are very clear opinions. We don’t have to teach the Thais anything.
Living in ANY country is frustrating. Why is it our job to teach Thais how to live a better life? If you take away all the politically correct things that are being posted by westerners here, and you strip down their comments to their essence,
they are basically saying that westerners are superior to Thais. Good thing he did leave Thailand. One less asshole the Thais have to put up with. Yes there are Thai assholes, and yes they rip off their own, but my beef is with Westerners, not
Thais. WOW, can you smell the fresh air here? A westerner that has no frustration with Thais but with other westerners. My views are considered generalizations, but in the "14 years" post, all his generalizations, were not generalizations,
as a matter of fact it was a "good read". What can one think of someone who says that Thais are "in need of western ways and western thinking". But of course, he is not putting anyone down, just wanting to help Thais in general.
The Great White westerner to the rescue, and all other westerners sucking his dick and saying how good a "read" it was.
Maybe some things may change that would benefit everyone in Thailand, but my point is, BENEFIT ACCORDING TO WHO? Maybe, if we tell a Thai how we think some things might benefit everyone in Thailand, they will not agree it will benefit them at all. I’m
not saying that westerners are openly abusing Thailand, but I do believe that westerners think they are superior and have all the answers. Are Thais and their ways holding them back? Holding them back to go where? To go where Westerners think
Thailand should go? Or where Thais think Thailand should go? We all wish to get rid of corruption, but we never will. It will always exist, because the nature of man is to seek power, and once he has it he wants more of it. No one wants to get
ripped off, but over 10 baht? Is that really getting ripped off? Well, at least I don’t think so. If you have to go long distance, take one of those Toyotas that say "Taxi-Meter" on top and you don’t have to bargain anything.
If I want to know where to get the good deals, my Thai fiancée knows where to get them. Usually, if you are friends with a Thai, they know someone that knows someone, etc etc. and you can get great deals, and of course I let her talk and
the foreigner stays in the back smiling, either way, I got the bargain. But no no no. We need to teach them!
P.S. Does anyone know about a good place around BKK-Nonthaburi area to get good prices on diamond rings? Anyone angry don’t say "ask your fiancée", it's supposed to be a surprise. I promise to beat up the jeweler
if he tries to rip me off!! BASTARDS! hahahahaha……..
Stickman’s thoughts:
This time you REALLY missed the point here. There are certain things in life that I think we can consider as givens. Example: If you buy a product that you are specifically told meets specifications and then later finds out that it doesn’t, then you have every reason to feel bitter, and to complain. When we know the price for something and someone tries to charge us more, we have every right to be angry. It doesn’t matter if it is the East or the West, people wish to be treated with basic respect and dignity.
Almost all readers to this site do NOT say that the West is better (actually, a good number, perhaps even a majority, much prefer Thailand overall,) but rather that they believe that that certain situations are handled better in the West than they are in the East. Remember, these same people will complain about things in their own corner of Farangland too. These people are NOT Thailand bashers. These are people from every corner of the earth who like Thailand and would like to see small improvements made that would benefit EVERYONE in Thailand.
Finally, as Dana said, you REALLY should allow me to publish an email address so readers can send you feedback directly
