Airmail

Reading the recent submissions by Airmail it is obvious that this bloke has a few unresolved issues. From what he says he went to Thailand sometime in the late 70's and lived here for a few years. Then he married a woman from Esaan and
fled back to Australia, where he sits today crowing about what a smart bloke he was to leave a country he was unable to fit into.

Read his articles and all he does is accuse the men who go to Thailand of being mentally deficient, socially irresponsible, dole bludgers, or unable to have a normal relationship with a Western woman. Take your pick. He seems to have covered
the gamut of reasons. Please let me know if I missed any.

It is obvious that he doesn't have a clue what he is talking about, but he loves to generalize because this strokes his own inadequate ego.

Now, I don't know this tosser from a log of wood, but I can read behind the lines and this is what I see.

This Airmail bloke went to Thailand because the women back home wouldn't have a bar of him. This is obvious because he belabors this point all the time. He probably didn’t have any qualifications that would have enabled him to
be successful in Thailand, even though back in those days the only qualifications he needed was to be able to speak English to teach it.

Then he rails about the inadequate farungs who have 'given up their social responsibilities' back home to go and live in a society that is open, free and easy to live in. Even more upsetting for Airmail is the fact that these farungs
are getting more sex than he will ever get where he is, even with a woman beside him in bed every night!

I bet he is also an old, old man with nothing better to do than dribble drivel all over his keyboard. He keeps repeating himself in each submission. A sure sign of senility.

From his description of his surroundings he lives in Australia, so where does he get his information from? Does he read the Stickman submissions and form his opinions from them? If so, that would explain his jaundiced view of those brave
enough to go to Thailand, live, and make lives for themselves. Sure, a lot of the submissions in Stickman complain about the unfair treatment they have received at the hands of Thai women, or from the immigration department. But let’s face
it, at least these guys have had the guts to stay here and make a go of it. Nowhere is perfect, not even the wonderland Airmail would have us believe he lives in.

Airmail complains that these farung deliberately put themselves into a difficult situation, with no civil rights, and a hard life resulting from their inability to make a decent wage. His view might well apply to a few men, who, like him
came to Thailand with stars in their eyes and were disappointed when the only job they could get was teaching English at a 3rd rate language school in Nakhon Nowhere. But I have lived in Bangkok for a number of years and I know literally dozens
of farung like me who have achieved a very good lifestyle here. We own our own business, or we have high paying jobs in good companies. We have married well and have beautiful smart kids. Many of us own our own houses or condos and we live very
comfortable lives. We know the people, the language and the culture and we feel comfortable in it. So what if we don't care about politics back home? Politicians are the same the world over — self-serving sycophants who don't give a
damn about the people who elected them. Are we fools for giving up the right to participate in the political process back home?

We can't stroll down the road to a park for a bar-b-q, or a swim in a clean ocean like Airmail? So what? We can stroll down to our favorite bar and have a beer while being massaged by a couple of beauties. When we have had enough we
can return home to our beautiful and caring wives and kids and live the good life. We can go swimming in our clean swimming pool and enjoy a bar-b-q on our terrace. Is this the yardstick of 'sensible’ living as defined by Airmail?

Airmail claims that the Thais treat the farung among them with disdain? He is probably right — about himself. When he was in Thailand he probably strolled around in shabby shorts and a navvy singlet and sandals — just the type of farung
that the Thais do treat with disdain. But me and my mates wear smart clothes. We are well groomed. We speak enough Thai to impress the Thais we meet and they treat us with the respect this engenders.

Sure, there are a lot of farung coming to Thailand these days that I wouldn’t piss on if they were on fire. But these blokes don’t stay long. They have nothing to do with the expats I know. So where does Airmail get off tarring
us all with the same brush?

If Airmail wants to criticize Thailand and those who choose to stay in the country then I suggest that he grow a pair and come live here. That won’t happen, of course. He couldn’t make it in this country when he lived here so
unsuccessfully all those years ago and had to flee back home. Thailand has grown up since then and those of us who have decided to live here have helped make that happen. We have brought in the business that has helped Thailand become an economic
powerhouse and we have made the money. In many cases we have shown the Thais how to deal with us farung and do a good deal for both sides. And we have made a good life for ourselves in the process. The economy might be staggering somewhat, but
there is still plenty of gold on the streets if you are willing to make the effort to pick it up.

So, here’s a challenge, Airmail. Instead of writing your condescending submission of so much hot air and generalizations, why don’t you come here to live for 2 years? Then you will qualify to comment on the people who have made
a conscious decision to live and work here and to make something of our lives. You might also be in a position to judge others better according to a different yardstick than your own warped and out of date view.

Stickman's thoughts:

Everyone is different for sure and different people have different expectations. I think what Airmail wants from life can best be had in his native Australia whereas others find Thailand more to their liking. I guess the trick is to find the place that is best suitable to us personally and pursue a happy life there.

One point I think is worth making – and Airmail touches on this – is that a lot of Westerners in Thailand seem to put up a front and suggest that life is a lot better than it really is. I can only speculate that they don't want to lose face after burning their bridges in the West.