Why We Reject Our Hosts

I have read the subs on this site for nigh on 7 years and been an occasional contributor for perhaps 3 years.

I have, with regret read so much in the way of complaints about the Thais in the recent past that it is not funny any more.

I would remind the reader that even if I use the handle the Frenchman, I am in fact an Anglo American living in a French community for years and I have absorbed the culture of my hosts.

In this sub I would like to take the defence of the Thai country as a whole compared to 2 that I know well, USA and UK.

Let's consider some different perspectives on living and the general economy.

Industry

Who makes more TVs?
Thailand!

not one TV has been made in USA since 1980s.
not one TV is made in the UK since the 1990s.

Who makes more motorcycles?
Thailand is the biggest producer of bikes and cycle parts in the world after China.
In fact the Triumph Bonneville is made about 60 km outside of BKK.

Who makes more pickups and car parts?
Thailand is the biggest exporter of pickups and Jap car spare parts in the world!

Which currency has been going up over the last 3 years?
Thailand's

The US and UK currencies are now zombies and the so called QE tactics are just a money ponzi scheme (like the housing and stock market bubbles before that).

Let's look at the cost of living

Where can you live comfortably on 1000 Euro / month?
UK => you would be starving!
USA => you would be dead (no healthcare).
Thailand – cheap healthcare and food and lodging!

Let's look at the police.
Say you blow through a red light by accident.

USA handcuffs / blood test / perhaps prison for a day and a fine of USD 200 and loss of points.
UK breath test / fine of 200 GBP and loss of points.

Thailand => 200 baht please, sir!

Let's say you are caught picking up a young professional girl (if that is your thing),

USA => depending on the state, prison, ad in the paper with your name and address, so called re-education (sounds like the good ole commies!), loss of everything you own possibly and your job!
UK => arrest, fine, possible re-education.

Thailand => 200 baht pls sir, or even nothing.

Let's say you are caught drunk in the street (quite common for Brits)

USA => arrest, prison / re-education etc

UK same

Thailand => 200 baht pls sir (as long as you are still capable of smiling and not aggressive).

Let's say you want to stay in a nice hotel near the sea.

UK you will freeze your goolies off and pay ca 100 GBP / night in Brighton and be surrounded by gays.

USA warmer area: Key West you will pay 200 USD / night and be surrounded by gays.

Let's say you want to cruise the bars and pick up a freebie and you are 50 like me.

USA you will be snarled at by the feminisitas or be hit upon by lonely gays.

UK you might get a whale to look at you.

Thai disco => you will get at least 3 hits and phone numbers.

Chance of being attacked by a unknown local

USA downtown => rather high

British down town on a Friday night => quite possible

Thailand => almost never unless you are a fool and have razzed them up

Let's do " democracy" if anyone can believe that really exists (unless you are Swiss)

USA

You vote for a president
If you are lucky your vote is counted by the machine
If you are black, the chance is that you do not exist on the rolls (especially in FLA)
If you were ever convicted you have lost all chance of ever voting
again

Even if you vote is counted, it goes through a "big elector" which will supposedly register your vote in an unproportional way
Even if your guy gets more votes than the other guy, the other guy, because he has some friends in
the courts (who his friends appointed) will get the decision
You get a failed baseball manager to run the country

UK

You vote
There is no PR and so your vote is mostly meaningless
You get a party that will sack 800,000 people in the name of economics

Thailand

You vote
Some village heads get new pickups, some don't
Those who don't put on red shirts and close the city center
At the end they clear off as the army walks in with hardly a shot fired

Who is smarter??

Let me guess…..

Have fun and smile in this lovely country they are smarter than they look!

The Frenchman