Living In Thailand Blog
Wednesday 17th January 2007
These are some of the ingredients that go together to make one of my favourite Thai snacks. I'm not sure what plant the leaves are from but the idea is to make each leaf into a parcel to hold everything else.
Inside the leaf you add the other ingredients which includes shredded coconut, onion, ginger, green chilies, small dried shrimps, peanuts, fresh lime and a sweet sauce. Fold the leaf into a parcel, pop it into your mouth and wait for the flavours to explode.
With Thai food it's important to have ingredients that provide different flavours and this snack is a good example. The lime is sour, the chilies spicy, the shrimps salty and the sauce sweet.
In Thai it is called เมียงคำ (miang kum). I don't see it that often but was very happy to see the ingredients being sold in packs in Carrefour. The English translation in Carrefour is simply 'Vegetable Snack' which is a little boring. The taste is definitely not boring.
If you haven't done so already, it's well worth trying if you get the opportunity.
Here we go again. Where does every child sex offender escape to when on the run from the law? And how do they support themselves while on the run? If you answered Thailand, Bangkok or Southeast Asia and 'teaching' English, well done.
The first I heard of this story was when I spoke to my mother yesterday. It's been quite a big story in the UK apparently. Every time I read these stories it makes me cringe thinking what my friends and relatives might be thinking about me living in Thailand and teaching English part-time.
I hate to say it but there is a lot of farang scum in Thailand and part of the problem has to lie with Thailand for allowing them to set themselves up so easily in the country. Things are changing slowly but the sooner the Thais remove this cancer from society the better.
I wonder just how many hours and minutes elapsed between this statement about Thaksin: (He has) "Agreed to stop all political activity and wants to help facilitate trade with foreign businesses while he is abroad," and him arriving in Singapore to meet with the Deputy Prime Minister, talk to the media (CNN, CNBC, and The Wall Street Journal) and use the trip as a political platform to criticise the Thai government?
The best thing I can say about him is that he is entirely predictable and consistent. Ever since he has been a public figure he has consistently said one thing and five minutes later said or done the complete opposite.
The Thai government are absolutely livid with Singapore and have cancelled all high level meetings with the Singapore government. Thailand is particularly sensitive about the relationship with Singapore as a result of the Shin Corp/Temasek deal and many Thais I have spoken to now have negative feelings about the small, but wealthy, island state.
Thaksin would not be welcomed back to Thailand at the moment but there are probably quite a few government ministers who would like to see him back in the country where at least they can put him somewhere where he can't make trouble. Having him wandering around the world like a loose canon taking potshots at the government isn't doing anyone any good. He's one of the biggest nightmares Thailand has ever had and he continues to be so - even now.
Tuesday 16th January 2007
A few days ago the BBC published another scare story about how current events in Thailand are concerning foreign investors. Unfortunately, Western capitalist countries are so blind to the truth about capitalism they have problems understanding that not everyone thinks the same and - when they see another country thinking differently - they panic.
In this respect, Thailand, I believe, is at least 20 years ahead of the rest of the world. For reasons I will explain in a moment, I actually believe that at the current time Thailand would be better off going back to a system of absolute monarchy but, for reasons that are completely irrational, this would not be seen as an acceptable move by the rest of the world and lovers of so-called democracy (which, in its current guise, is farcical).
What I think we are seeing is the next best thing. What seems to be happening is that the current government are starting to introduce some of the King's theories; a man who is one of the greatest thinkers of our age. I think that what we are seeing in Thailand is a move away from unchecked capitalism towards the Sufficiency Economy that the King has been advocating for many years.
The BBC article was quite telling of how capitalists think, in that success or failure of a country's policies is only ever measured by economic factors such as the stock market index. When Thaksin was in power he was always quoting GDP figures but what do these figures really mean to the average rural Thai? They mean nothing.
Capitalism is fatally flawed. The system relies on perpetual growth from the investment of capital. It is also a very greedy and inequitable system. In order to achieve constant year-on-year growth, more consumer markets have to be opened up. The only problem is that there are a finite number of consumers in the world.
More and more consumer goods need to be produced to sell to those consumers - and that process uses up natural resources - but there are a finite amount of natural resources on the planet. It takes 75kg of natural resources just to make a single mobile phone - which nowadays are almost throwaway consumable items. How many natural resources does it take to make a BMW?
This isn't rocket science. Also, in the case of cars, once they have been built they continue to use natural resources in order to work and whilst doing so they create pollutant gases which damage the atmosphere further.
The capitalist model as it exists can only survive up until the point where consumer markets are saturated or natural resources are depleted. At the current rate of economic growth the world is experiencing - especially since the economies of China and India (the two most populous countries in the world) took off - that time isn't very far away.
Capitalism isn't good for everyone. We all understand that it makes wealthy people who have capital even richer. Besides that, many ordinary Westerners have bought into the system and have a vested interest, having invested in stock markets directly or they rely on pension funds to grow to provide for them in retirement. They are therefore both consumers and investors and, as investors, they have a desire to keep the system going.
However, in Thailand - a country with a predominantly agricultural economy - that is not the case. Not many rice farmers or fishermen have stock portfolios or pension funds and most Thais are just consumers. Their consumption of foreign goods benefits capitalists in Thailand and abroad but all that happens to the Thai consumers is they get into debt.
The capitalists don't care about the fate of other people; they only concern themselves with getting returns on their investments at other people's expense.
In recent years this system has caused big problems for ordinary Thais. They have a lot more debt than they did and they are a lot more dependent on external factors for their survival. For example, they rely a lot more on export and tourism than they used to.
The problem (well known to Buddhists) is that this is known as attachment, which is not good, especially when combined with impermanence. Nothing ever stays the same. Events can - and do - happen to screw things up if people have a dependency on something (or somebody, for that matter).
Trade wars or commodity markets can kill export markets or an event such as the Asian tsunami can reduce tourism to nothing. Basically, the capitalist system that has been rampant in Thailand for a few decades is good for foreign investors and a few Thais but not for the majority of Thais.
Any government that really cares about the country will do what is best for the majority of the population and not what is best for the minority of rich and powerful people who run the country and foreign investors. That, I believe, is what we are starting to see post-coup and post-TRT.
There has been a lot of confusion about the King's theory of Sufficiency Economy. The BBC article I have given a link to above makes the classic mistake of describing it as 'self-sufficiency' which is not the case. It is not about Thais becoming Tom and Barbara in the Good Life and planting vegetable gardens. The King himself has described this as a Stone Age Economy.
From the King's 1999 birthday speech:
"The Sufficiency Economy has been interpreted as the community economy, meaning the village or local sufficiency, which aims at enabling the local people to have just enough to survive. It begins with having just enough to eat. Many years ago - ten or more years ago - I talked about the sufficiency quality of living. But sufficiency is only the beginning of economy. Last year, I stated that self-sufficiency is not Sufficiency Economy; it is the Stone Age Economy. Stone Age Economy is a kind of Sufficiency Economy, but it must gradually develop; there must be some exchanges; there must be cooperation between villages or between the so-called districts, provinces and countries. There must be some barter or some insufficiency; that is why I said that if we only have one fourth of the Sufficiency Economy, it will be satisfactory.
... to say that Sufficiency Economy should be one hundred percent self-sufficient is not possible. There must be exchanges and cooperation. If there is cooperation and barter, it cannot be called self-sufficiency. Sufficiency in the royal theory means to be able to make a reasonable living."
I will take the liberty of interpreting the King's use of the words barter and insufficiency as alluding to capitalism. Countries can't stand as islands. We need to trade but by believing in sufficiency and moderation we can make the system fairer and more just for more people. We can also ensure that our natural resources are sustainable which, currently, they aren't. And surely, that can only be a good thing?
The King has frequently given an example about electricity and how everyone is totally dependent on it these days. When cities lose their power supply everything stops and people even die as a result. It's rare but even as I write some cities in the US have no power as a result of ice storms. The same thing happened in Canada a few years ago.
Electricity is just an example but Sufficiency Economy is really about being less greedy and having less dependence on external factors that can hurt Thailand. In recent years the country has been hurt badly by greedy people (both Thais and foreigners) who have just used the country to make themselves rich. Thailand doesn't want to allow this to keep happening.
Allowing a capitalist system to continue unchecked would hurt the country again. The first problem the country had was having a massively rich, out-and-out capitalist running the country but that problem was fixed in September.
There are still problems with foreign investors using Thailand purely as a consumer market for their own benefit without Thailand benefiting. A 'Foreign Business Act' exists but foreigners used loopholes to get around it. All that is happening now is those loopholes are being closed. There is nothing wrong with that.
The BBC report uses emotional language such as 'protectionist' and 'nationalist' but there is nothing sinister about what is happening. I wish my own country would do a little more to protect its own citizens' interests but in this era of 'Political Correctness' gone mad it won't happen.
The report also mentions that, "Other countries in the region such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and China are choosing to open up their doors and their economies as never before." That's up to them but, as I said, capitalism is doomed eventually and when every consumer market is saturated and every natural resource depleted, what will they do then?
My theory, of course, is just a theory but I like what I think I am seeing in Thailand. It's brave to do the opposite of everyone else but - at the same time - it is foolish to blindly follow everyone else if something is plainly wrong. It is also highly commendable to do what is right for the majority of the country's population and not be slaves to political correctness, foreign capitalists and stock markets.
Buddhism is all about seeking the truth of existence and not blindly following what other people do. I have often said that other countries should be following Thailand and not the other way round. This is a great example.
There is also a huge amount of common sense involved. Who can deny that a system that requires infinite resources when resources are finite will fail eventually? I hope that what I think is happening is correct and I also hope that other countries will begin to see the light and follow Thailand's lead before it is too late.
I also hope for one more thing. I would like to see King Bhumibol recognised globally for being the great thinker he is. The Thais already understand this but I'm not sure the rest of the world do. This will happen eventually but history has shown that it is not unusual for people who think so far ahead of their time not to be understood by their contemporaries.
Saturday 13th January 2007
I have just returned from Thale Noi in Phattalung province where I went on another futile trip attempting to photograph birds. The fact is, they don't like humans and whenever they sense any they fly off. The only way to get close enough to birds to photograph them successfully is to conceal yourself in a hide but it's virtually impossible on the wetlands of Thale Noi.
We couldn't get any closer than about 60 yards and in my viewfinder the birds were about the same size as the centre focus point. I bumped up the ISO to 400 in order to keep shutter speeds fast but with such small images they are too grainy and there isn't enough detail for any keepers. It was disappointing but it just increases my admiration for good bird photographers.
This photo of a blue-tailed bee-eater (Merops philippinus) was about the best I could manage - which doesn't say a lot. My favourite birds are probably Kingfishers and we saw some magnificent ones of the white-throated variety (Halcyon smyrnensis) but I didn't get one decent photo.
It's Children's Day in Thailand today and it's great that the kids - many of whom get very little in life compared to their Western counterparts - have a special day to themselves. They get dressed up, taken out for lunch and given treats.
The emergency services and many Thai companies lay on activities for the kids on Children's Day. I spent the morning at Thale Noi and the afternoon travelling so haven't seen many kids today but snapped these two at Thale Noi before we left. I think I will stick to photographing people - it's a lot easier than birds.
Thursday 11th January 2007
One of my New Year resolutions was not to be so lazy with my Thai language studies. I've had two lessons this week and it's proving to be a challenge. Palm, the girl who is helping me (more about her in a moment), brought in a Thai weekly news digest. Reading it turned out to be a tad more difficult than reading menus or bus destinations.
The first problem is separating words in sentences and syllables in words. Identifying inherent vowels is a problem; these are vowel sounds that remain unwritten. As an example, if English used inherent vowels, the word 'lot' would be written 'lt' and the word 'canon' would be written 'cnn'. I can't always work out if two consonants together form a consonant cluster or whether there is an inherent vowel in the middle.
The vowel and vowel combinations continue to be difficult but at least they are consistent in Thai whereas that definitely isn't the case in English. Remembering the rarely used Thai consonants when they pop up occasionally adds to the challenge but that is a minor issue comparatively. Palm tells me words of pure Thai origin are easy but the difficult ones are all those from Pali or Sanskrit origin. These are the ones that crop up frequently in matters related to royalty and religion.
My vocabulary is still very limited so even after reading a word I don't always know what it means. On top of all this, even when I know what all the words in a sentence mean, the sentence still doesn't make sense.
When Palm translates sentences she might use an English modal verb that doesn't exist in the Thai sentence. For example, she might say that something should happen because of something else but there is no equivalent Thai word in the sentence for should.
My Thai students (using Thai logic) tell me that Thai is easy and English is difficult which is why they have problems learning English. Yes, of course, Thai is easy. It is only duffers like me that have problems learning it.
Palm, my student-turned-teacher, is a highly intelligent girl. She sailed through her Bachelor's degree using a fraction of her brain power and has applied to do a Master's degree in biochemistry at Mahidol. It is a very tough programme apparently, at one of Thailand's top universities. She won't have any problems though.
Knowing people like her (and I know quite a few) is one of the reasons I get upset when I hear crass generalisations about the Thais from farangs who only ever associate with bar girls and tuk-tuk drivers.
She has an aunt who lives in Betong which is in Yala province. She told me that lots of people down in the three deep-southern provinces are flying flags to indicate their desire to form a separate state.
There's an old saying about being careful what you wish for because you might just get it. Over the years, the Thai government has pumped a lot of money into the region to develop it. However, the separatists seem to think the best way to improve their lot is to set fire to schools and murder teachers.
The government will never be able to reason with these people. Perhaps the best thing would be to give them what they want and at the same time remove all central government funding and subsidies?
I got an update on the shooting victim yesterday. Lodged inside her leg still is a .38 calibre bullet that the surgeons cannot remove because it is very close to a major artery. That being the case, it is probably lucky she didn't bleed to death after the shooting.
It wasn't a 'direct' shooting. The person with the gun fired it into the air at New Year but what goes up must come down and gravity did the rest. It could be described as a freak accident but the more guns there are around in society (and there are far too many in Thailand), the more chance there is of them getting into the wrong hands and misused, or accidents happening. That's just an obvious piece of common sense even though the gun lobby in the US would argue it isn't the case.
I am a great believer that proverbs and sayings give interesting insights into culture. I have taught my students some English proverbs in the past and enjoy trying to learn Thai ones. Very often they are remarkably similar. This goes to show how human nature all over the world is basically just the same.
Thailand has a unique language and culture and up until the time of Rama IV was isolated from the West but people everywhere are the same.
In a little bout of self-mockery this week, regarding their inability to remember anything, a few of my students taught me this one:
เข้าหูซ้ายทะลุหูขวา - kao huu saay ta-lu huu kwaa
An alternative is:
เข้าหูซ้ายออกหูขวา - kao huu saay okh huu kwaa
The translation is roughly, "Goes in the left ear, comes out the right ear," or, as my teachers and parents were always telling me years ago, "It goes in one ear and straight out the other." In fact, based on my attempts to learn Thai, nothing has changed much. I have just as many problems remembering Thai as my students have remembering English.
There is now no doubt who the interim Thai government sees as being responsible for the current unrest in the country (as if we didn't know already). They have finally revoked Thaksin and his wife's diplomatic passports. It's not before time, if anything, it's a move that is well overdue.
It seemed crazy that after being forced into exile on massive corruption charges he was allowed to retain his diplomatic passport and that none of his assets in Thailand were frozen (most of them being held in tax-free offshore accounts anyway). The first thing he did after the coup was go on a world tour, attempting to set up a number of credibility meetings with foreign leaders still, presumably, in a semi-official capacity.
What didn't help was foreign countries' complete ignorance of the situation in Thailand and the resultant negative comments about the coup and its affect on so-called 'democracy'. What they didn't seem to realise was that Thaksin had very craftily got himself into an unassailable position and was free to do as he wished - at the expense of Thailand.
Elections in the country were a complete waste of time because there was only ever going to be one outcome. Towards the end, there were only two ways the responsible people of Thailand could get rid of him. Perhaps, therefore, the coup was a mistake after all?
The government are also having a purge to root out Thaksin's supporters in the civil service and they have asked local media not to report his comments. All good moves. This man's influence has to be removed from Thai politics completely.
Meanwhile, according to The Nation, he has, "Agreed to stop all political activity and wants to help facilitate trade with foreign businesses while he is abroad," - so he says. This is so typical. His rhetoric is always flawless. According to what he says he only ever wants to help Thailand, the Thai people and especially the poor Thai people. Unfortunately, his actions never match his words and the person he always helps most is himself. Do not be deceived by empty words.
Wednesday 10th January 2007
Dontcha just hate mission statements? I do. The problem is they typically come from corporate America and are full of buzz words and idiot-speak. 'Adhering to Six Sigma principles, being customer-centric, and being evangelical about the corporate direction,' is all crap I am happy to have left behind me.
However, I came across what could be described as a mission statement at a Thai dental hospital that is magnificent. It is along the lines of how every mission statement should be worded and - what's more - it is a mission statement that is followed by the people who work there.
This is about as perfect as a mission statement can get and it's another example of how and why Thailand should be influencing Western countries in certain aspects, and not the other way round. It also follows on from what I said earlier about how honest and honourable the medical profession is in Thailand.
I spoke to my student yesterday whose daughter was shot in the leg over New Year. She's a lovely lady: pleasant, mild-mannered, kind and softly-spoken who herself has been through a lousy time recently. She had an abdominal problem which kept her in pain constantly. At the end of last year she had an operation and I believe the pain has eased but now she is hurting because of what happened to her daughter.
Her 21 year-old daughter seems to be in quite a bad way. She is out of hospital now but can't walk as a result of the bullet going into her calf. It was a group of young boys who were responsible, apparently (no surprises there). The police haven't apprehended anyone and it is unlikely that any action will be taken against the perpetrator even if he can be found.
I wrote a piece that I called Responsibility, Accountability, Liability. Partly, it was based on observations that some people act irresponsibly here and don't seem to care that their actions might endanger other people. Even if someone gets hurt, nothing happens to the person responsible.
I see it all the time. Most commonly it is young males driving cars and motorbikes around recklessly at breakneck speed but it doesn't stop there. Last week we had lots of fireworks being set off irresponsibly and - in the case of this young girl - guns being fired.
Street vendors set their stalls up with poles sticking out at eye level and footpaths are a constant hazard. It's not unusual to see red-hot charcoal burners left out where young children are or to come across very slippery areas where people have been peeling fruit of shaving ice and have just left the path in a dangerous condition.
It's necessary to watch out all the time and - if you do have a problem - forget about any multi-million dollar law suits. This isn't the United States. There was an incident a few years ago where a young child was savagely attacked by a Rottweiler and the owner offered Bt500 in compensation.
I agree that it's good to have some freedom in life and we don't want to live being constantly monitored by CCTV cameras and/or police but if we live as part of a greater society we have to take responsibility for our own actions to safeguard other members of that society. If we don't, then we should be held to account.
Tuesday 9th January 2007
Yesterday, I found the perfect antidote to all the political shenanigans that are currently going on. I had to go to the eye clinic at the local public hospital to get some contact lens solution as none of the opticians around here carry what I wanted.
Whereas the political arena might sum up all that is bad about Thailand, the medical profession encapsulates all that is good in Thailand. It was a heartwarming experience to be in an environment where so many people work hard to help other people and greed is nowhere to be seen.
The hospital is always very busy. It serves a large geographic area and many of the patients have little money. Some of the poor souls you see there are in a sorry state and it is especially sad to see very young children with serious medical problems.
The nurses obviously work extremely hard. As I sat and waited they flew around without a second to relax. I don't know what they are paid but in provincial Thailand a nurse in a public hospital won't earn very much.
Apart from rice farming, there can be no more honest and honourable profession in Thailand. For little financial gain they study and work hard to ensure that the rest of the population can have better lives. Buddhism advocates selflessness and you can't get much more selfless than that.
I idolise Thai nurses. The way they have their hair tied back in little buns emphasises the high cheek bones the girls have and all it takes is the minimum of eye contact for them to break out in big smiles. During the times when I've been looked after by nurses in Thailand it has just increased my respect and admiration for them.
The dental and medical professions in Thailand are dominated by females. Many doctors and dentists are female and I don't think I have ever seen a male nurse. There are male doctors, of course, but a lot of female ones. By contrast, there are very few females involved in Thai politics.
The crazy behaviour over New Year involved only young Thai males. While they were getting drunk and racing around on motorbikes the restaurants I ate at were packed out with polite, well-mannered girls, none of whom smoked or drank, and all of whom were behaving maturely and responsibly.
Some years ago, I attempted to teach at all all-boys school but had to give up as it was an impossible task. I have had very few male students who were at all interested in learning English but the girls are generally very attentive students.
These observations got me thinking about Niels Mulder's book - 'Inside Thai Society' - and after reading some sections again, it's all there. Some of Mulder's theories were written a long time ago but they are as accurate today as they ever were. It is probably the definitive book on Thai cultural behaviour.
Here are just a few extracts:
"In Thailand, the competition for status and power appears to be intense, often giving rise to a lively political spectacle. Beyond the smile and female gracefulness, one finds the authoritarian ethos of a highly hierarchical society characterized by the struggle for power and personal prestige. It is conflicts of interest, and the fact that face can so easily be lost, that make the country a rather violent place, with an unusually high murder rate."
"The male world means risk, politics and prestige. Men are consequently vulnerable, easily offended, liable to loss of face in their quest for glory."
"Where many men often appear to be wishy-washy, spoiled, cocky, and carried away by the greatness of their schemes, the women are generally hard-working, responsible and conscientious. They can, and do, take a lot. In spite of this, they normally maintain their good humour and their grace, contributing to the mystique of Thailand as The Land of Smiles."
"Which is why it is women who are at the heart of Thai life."
The longer I remain in Thailand, the more I realise just how accurate Niels Mulder's analysis is. If you are interested in Thai culture and only want to buy one book, then this is the one you should buy. If you live in Thailand, or visit frequently, you should already have a copy on your bookshelf if you are the least bit interested in Thai culture and people (and not just the local bar girls).
Also, the more I realise just how wonderful the women of Thailand are. A few female politicians might actually be the answer to the country's political problems. However, what happened in the UK; what has happened in Germany; and what is currently happening in the US would probably never be allowed to happen in Thailand. At least, not for a very long time because the culture is just too powerful.
Some of the above sounds really bad as if all Thai men are bad but that is certainly not the case. Quite the opposite. Most I meet are very pleasant men but there are two groups I have found to be troublesome.
Young males before they are married and have a Thai woman to keep them in check are often immature and irresponsible (but I guess that applies to young - and sometimes not so young - males the world over). The other group are those higher up in the social hierarchy who have a little (or maybe a lot of) power, money or prestige and will stop at nothing to get more.
Monday 8th January 2007
The struggle for political power in Thailand continues unabated but who knows how far the participants will go to achieve victory and what will happen next as a result? There was another article on the BBC web site today. Kate McGeown, the BBC correspondent in Thailand (whose reporting I quite like), gives some more analysis - "Thai bombs raise political stakes."
When it comes to money and power in Thailand, you can forget every Buddhist teaching that you ever learnt. It's a nasty business with some nasty players involved and - as I said before - it worries me.
Sunday 7th January 2007
For the first time since I started living Thailand, I felt cold today. The rain woke me up early this morning and at 7pm it is still raining. The rain hasn't stopped once and shows no sign of letting up. I have not seen the smallest piece of blue sky all day. It is grey and miserable ... just like the UK, in fact.
A low pressure front came in from China yesterday and the met office tell us it will be around until Tuesday. The temperature across the whole of Thailand is expected to dip by two to five degrees. That doesn't sound much but it makes a big difference.
When I say cold, I mean relatively, of course. My room thermometer is showing 25°C which wouldn't be cold for London but it is cold for southern Thailand and my blood has thinned since living here.
After going out today and getting drenched by cold rain I had to take a warm shower when I got back to get some warmth back into my bones. I really fancied a hot bath but I don't have a bathtub in my apartment. Now, where around here can I find somewhere to have a hot bath - and maybe a massage afterwards? Let me think .....
I went on a small clothes shopping trip and actually found a genuine sale. The 'sales' here are a joke. The department store where I went has a permanent sale on 365 days a year. Items with regular prices that are 25% too expensive have a 25% discount and items with regular prices that are 50% too expensive have a 50% discount. They are not sales at all but little scams to try to encourage buying.
However, the Camel shop really did have clothes at half price. I know because I have checked their prices before. I don't like buying tobacco-branded goods but the Camel logos are discrete and the shirts are very well made out of strong 100% cotton.
I like my shirts to be practical and I'm not concerned about fashion. For travelling I like shirts with two passport-size top pockets that can be fastened with buttons, Velcro or zips. The ones I got today should serve me well for a long time.
English is a very idiomatic language. Listen to any native speakers talking and within a few minutes the conversation will be littered with idioms. We might be over the moon about something or perhaps it was a nightmare. Idioms are such a normal part of speech that we don't think anything of using them.
But this is not so for ESL speakers. Even the best ESL speakers will not have a clue (there's another one) about a real life conversation between native speakers without some knowledge of idioms.
For this reason, I always include at least one lesson on idioms in any course I run but it normally falls completely flat. The majority of Thai students I have taught just don't seem to be able to grasp the concept.
The glazed expressions and frown lines between their eyes appear as they look completely puzzled and bewildered. I normally end by telling them just to be aware that not all phrases are meant literally and if something sounds strange, it could be an idiom.
What puzzles me though is that the Thais themselves are always using idioms so they have exactly the same concept. They have as many - or maybe more - idioms in their language so why can't they understand idioms in English?
If a Thai tells you, "ngoo ngoo bplaa bplaa" (snake snake fish fish) it could mean that someone is talking about something without knowing anything about the subject.
To further my Thai studies I bought a book of Thai idioms and proverbs last week. It's in Thai so makes for good reading and vocabulary practice. It's been hard going so far though and I think I will need to enlist some help.
Last year I helped a couple of very bright undergraduates prepare for a TOEFL examination. They were such pleasant and hard-working girls I couldn't bring myself to take money from them. Whenever Thais hand over money for payment it is always in an envelope. They tried to give me an envelope but I refused to take it. Anyway, to repay the debt one of them is going to start helping me with my Thai.
One of the problems I've been having is understanding the definitions in my Thai-English dictionary. Verbs are a problem. There are often several verbs for one action in Thai. For instance, there are at least three verbs 'to wash' depending on what you are washing. To wash your hands, hair or laundry require the use of different verbs.
By contrast, a single verb in Thai (according to my dictionary) can have several meanings in English. The Thai word รับ (rup) can mean: to receive, to take, to get, to bear, to suffer, to accept, to agree, to admit, to answer, to meet.
One of the possibilities is 'to meet' but I know of at least three other verbs in Thai which mean to meet: หา (haa), พบ (pohp), เจอ (jeuh).
When you factor in slang, abbreviations, nicknames for places, and the fact that the four different Thai dialect groups use completely different words and phrases, it starts to get tricky at times.
Saturday 6th January 2007
Regarding the current political turmoil and behind the scenes military power struggle, The Nation reports, "Sources say the situation is not drastic enough to see the outbreak of civil war." Phew, no civil war, what a relief. Everyone can go back to the beach and relax now.
More from The Nation. "All government agencies nationwide were put on high security alert yesterday," and "Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla said he had ordered his staff and all hospitals nationwide to prepare their personnel and equipment for any emergency situations created by political upheaval."
This is starting to worry me now (if the truth be known) and I'm not the only one apparently as the Thai stock market continues to fall. As we saw with the bombs in Bangkok last week, the lives of innocent people are meaningless as rival political groups fight among themselves for power.
For the most part, Thai society works very well - if a little frenetic and chaotic at times - but I have always maintained that the country is about two steps away from complete anarchy. What we are seeing now could take the country one step closer. The other factor I can't discuss here.
I will be monitoring the situation very closely and deciding what to do on a day-by-day basis. I would suggest that others with an interest in Thailand do the same. The Nation is about the best source, provided Internet sites in Thailand with political content remain operational.
Friday 5th January 2007
Rumours are circulating that another coup is set to take place; a counter-coup after the one that took place in September. According to The Nation's report, "Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said the country should be on alert as more chaos is expected within one or two months." Great.
I sincerely believe that this country could be one of the greatest on earth. The Thai are an extremely clever race of people (when they want to be) and they have a big advantage over the rest of the world; they have Thai culture.
The country has a pleasant climate, is full of natural resources and has a talented workforce. By picking and choosing the best elements of Thai culture and Western ideas and technology, Thailand would be unbeatable.
Instead, any ambitions the country may have are continually wrecked by a handful of power and money crazed soldiers and businessmen turned politicians who seem hell bent on pushing the self-destruct button to further their own, selfish causes.
When I say a handful, I mean a handful. From The Nation: "Thailand is a country that is ruled by not more than 100 members of three rival groups: the military, the police, and the old-time political elite." This is so-called democracy in Thailand; a country of more than 60 million people.
I honestly think at times the best thing that could happen to Thailand would be to return to a system of absolute monarchy. Yes, elections are held every few years and because of that Thailand can claim to be a 'democratic' country but it is anything but. The dream that Pridi had all those years ago still has not come to fruition.
I bumped into a Thai friend today who drove through Laos up into Vietnam over Christmas. He said the driving in Vietnam was crazy. I've heard this several times before but, coming from a Thai, it makes you wonder just how bad it can be?
Vietnam currently has the fastest growing economy in Southeast Asia, with Singapore number two. Despite this, it sounds impossible to cross a road. I am told that when crossing the road there you just walk across without looking at any vehicles.
If you wait for a gap in the road you will never get across and if you look at the vehicles you will probably get run down but if you just walk while looking straight ahead the theory is that cars and motorbikes will drive around you.
I also discussed the current political situation with him. He told me that 'everyone' knows who was behind the bombings in Bangkok over New Year. The finger is being pointed at factions close to Thaksin and there are rumours that Thaksin is financing the trouble-making from his lair in China.
There is still a lot of bitterness about the coup from certain groups and it would appear that these groups are trying to discredit the new government by creating panic and unease in the country. They are then conveniently blaming it on southern Muslims and, by doing so, have upset PULO. What an almighty mess.
The Nation's analysis regarding the power struggle that is currently taking place is quite frightening. "With these bombs, the old power and the new power are engaging in a very sophisticated power play. It could become a pretext for another coup or counter coup. If both sides do not handle the situation well, Thailand may turn into another Iraq."
I do not believe this is hyperbole. The small number of people in Thailand's rival ruling groups have far too much to lose and will want to retain or reclaim power - as the case may be - at all costs. It's unpredictable what will happen but 2007 is set to be a critical year for Thailand. I hope that I am not forced to leave but if the country cannot sort itself out I may have to.
Thursday 4th January 2007
Armed with more suitable lenses, I decided to go back to Phattalung today to photograph the cattle egrets but it wasn't a successful day. On the way, I was followed and barked at by lots of stray dogs. They ignore the Thais but go crazy at me. Fortunately, I was wearing my snake boots which also double as good weapons for use against stupid dogs.
The cows must have been grazing in a different pasture because there were none where I saw them last time. Some locals - inquisitive as to my presence - told me where to find egrets and sent me off over several fields of long grass (I was glad about having my snake boots), two klongs and a railway line.
Getting over both klongs was precarious. The first involved climbing up and down steep concrete slopes while the second had me walking across a rickety 'bridge' made of stout bamboo.
I couldn't get anywhere near the egrets. No matter how slowly, quietly and carefully I approached them, they would always fly further away to maintain a safe distance.
I hid in some bushes near a small herd of cows surrounded by cow shit, mosquitoes and huge red ants hoping that the birds would return after a while. However, it was then the cows' turn to take objection to me. They stared at me for a while before deciding I was too ugly to have as a neighbour and moved off into the next field.
I am now considering trying to obtain a pantomime cow outfit to use as a disguise. With the panto season almost over there should be a few available soon. I just hope the locals bulls aren't in season otherwise that could create a few different problems.
Today I saw three farangs in Phattalung which is a record. One was a Thailand newbie and didn't know the rule that farangs in remote areas of Thailand are supposed to completely ignore one another.
As I attempted to walk past him avoiding eye contact, I heard, "Hello, hello." Oh no. He was an Irish guy who had been in Thailand for two months. He was bright red and covered with mosquito bites. With him was a Thai girl he told me was his wife.
Everything I said about different parts of Thailand seemed to be new to him. I think it was his first time in the country and he had only ever seen Phattalung. His girlfriend gave me his e-mail address which was obviously very familiar to her.
Iss wouldn't have a clue what my e-mail address is. I think therefore that their 'courtship' had been carried out online. This doesn't seem to be unusual these days. Farang men have e-mail relationships with Thai girls before coming to marry them without ever having met.
The Irish guy wanted to know how I stayed in Thailand. He was on his second 30 day stamp and didn't realise that the next one would be his last. I told him what I know about non-O visas but it surprised me that he wasn't already completely up to date with what was required.
He is now married, has sold up back home and has started building a house to begin his new life in Thailand but at the moment won't be allowed to stay in the country for more than 90 days in any six months.
It's interesting how different people think so very differently. One of my e-mail correspondents who wants to move to Thailand thinks about absolutely everything and analyses every small detail. I also think things through a lot before making any big decisions.
This guy though had just flown over; starting his new life with a 30 day passport stamp and was figuring out how to overcome obstacles as he came to them.
I guess that either extreme is not good and somewhere in the middle is best - the Middle Path as Buddhists would say.
Wednesday 3rd January 2007
A couple of my students were missing today. One had been involved in a motorbike accident and the other one's daughter had been shot in the leg over New Year.
Motorbike accidents are as common as som-tum in Thailand so I didn't think much about that but the shooting intrigued me. To welcome in the New Year, someone had fired a gun in the air (as you do) and as the bullet came down it went into the girl's leg.
I don't know what kind of gun it was but guns being fired typified the general level of anarchy that was present last week. Thankfully, things have calmed down again now. The next period of anarchy will be in April over the Songkran festival. I can't wait.
I am always interested to test my observations with the locals to see if I am close or whether I am imagining things. More often than not, I am close. My students are all middle-class adults and told me they were scared to go out in the evenings over New Year. There were also comments about the general absence of any police.
A few weeks ago I was browsing through a copy of Readers' Digest for the Asia region and there was an article about the things Asians get upset about. What was interesting was reading that Thai participants in the survey got upset about all the things I do.
Just like me, they don't like blocked sidewalks, queue jumping, smoking in public areas or Thai road manners either. The difference is that outside of Readers' Digest surveys they don't say anything. Maybe it's greng jai? Maybe it's the Thai culture of avoiding conflict? All I know is that no one ever says anything against what other people are doing, no matter how obnoxious their behaviour might be.
Tuesday 2nd January 2007
As I have grown older I have begun making more sense of life but I still occasionally find myself asking the same questions that the great philosophers of ancient Greece asked themselves thousands of years ago.
In the space of two weeks, how can you beat Man U and then lose 6-0 to Reading? Any ideas, Democritus? If so, can you give Alan Curbishley a call.
Monday 1st January 2007
สวัสดีปีใหม่
Not a great start to the year with bombs going off in Bangkok yesterday which resulted in many New Year parties being cancelled. The last I heard, three people had been killed and several had sustained injuries with one tourist needing to have a leg amputated.
No one seems to know who is responsible. The government is saying it has nothing to do with the southern insurgency problems but is related to the coup, with Thaksin supporters being responsible. Meanwhile, Thaksin's supporters are claiming it is all part of the southern insurgency issue.
When the problems in the south flared up again three years ago at the beginning of 2004 Thaksin claimed then that it had nothing to do with a separatist movement. He said it was just common bandits and drug dealers. It's difficult to know what (or who) to believe in Thailand.
All that is clear is that Thailand still has many political problems, none of which are going to be easy to resolve. Despite many rumours, I am not aware of any terrorist incidents occurring in the south over New Year but my Thai friends continually tell me to be careful in shopping malls.
I heard that an explosive device was discovered in the Hat Yai branch of Big C last week but was defused before it went off. What seems rather insensitive at the moment with all the fear about explosions is that for the past week people have been letting off loud fireworks almost constantly.
When I was a kid they were called 'bangers' but I have an idea they may have been banned in the UK now. They are certainly not banned in Thailand and the Thai versions are extremely loud.
As I was walking along yesterday one went off and I almost jumped out of my skin. Two young Thai males with stupid grins on their faces were walking along with a pocketful of them, lighting the fuses and throwing them around to make people jump.
There has been a lot of drunkenness as well and the roads at night after about 8pm have been no-go areas with thousands of young Thai males racing around on motorbikes trying to kill themselves. I've seen a lot of ambulances on the streets and no doubt the hospitals have been busy.
I really don't care if they kill themselves but by increasing the ratio of females to males in the country further than it already is by their idiotic behaviour I am probably going to be stalked by even more Thai girls in future because there just aren't enough men to go round as it is.
Thailand - the land where men of all nationalities never grow up.
The Nation ran an article on Thailand's dual pricing policy which is something that really pisses me off. As I have said elsewhere on this site, there is no justification for it, it's a rip off, it isn't fair, and how would the Thais feel if countries they visited as tourists had reciprocal agreements?
I do my bit for Thailand, I pay taxes and I earn a Thai wage but if I want to visit a local waterfall with my girlfriend - which happens to be inside a National Park - I have to pay 10 times as much as her for the privilege. It's the same if we go to the local zoo (but I 'only' pay double there), the museum at Ko Yo, the historical parks at Ayuthaya and Sukhothai, Thai boxing, the list goes on...
It's a disgrace and even more so when prices for Thais are posted in Thai letters and numbers so that 99.99% of foreign visitors don't even realise they are being ripped off.
The Nation's piece gives the impression that the problem is widespread around the world and that Thais are subject to dual pricing when they travel abroad. I would be interested in a few examples. I have travelled a fair amount on several continents and Thailand is the only country where I have experienced dual pricing to the extent that exists in Thailand.
I admit that at one hotel in Penang, I discovered Malaysian nationals got a discount for rooms but as a tourist in Malaysia I only ever noticed one price at tourist attractions. Where is the evidence that other countries are just as guilty as Thailand?