It is a very common discussion around the table at bars that are populated with mostly foreigners. After we talk about sports and current events and what we have been up to etc, the topic about characteristics of Thai people inevitably comes up and most of the time these attributes are not desirable and downright mean. I want to tell you about some of the ones that I hear about a LOT and they make me mad.
Thai women are only after your money
This one is extremely common because the expats, for the most part, tend to date Thai women and this is a big part of the reason why they are here. Most of these women come from very modest upbringings and you could even go as far as to say that some of them are poor.
Now if you see a 70 year old pensioner with a 28 year old wife hanging off his arm it is pretty safe to say that she is likely in this relationship almost exclusively for the cash. However, this is a very small portion of all relationships over here and this situation is not exclusive to Thailand. Think about all the people that Hugh Heffner dated that were in their 20's.... do you really think they were really into his amazing good looks?
source
this image gets distributed a lot in Thailand and although I don't know them, these ladies are almost certainly "ladies of the night and their relationship will end in a few hours
It is very unfair to suggest that anyone wouldn't be at least somewhat attracted to money and power as this is a pretty universal thing. Also, most couples have some sort of similarity in ages.
Thai people are addicted to gambling and are terrible at it
I hate it when I hear this being said about the Thai people because you know who else loves the thrill of gambling and is also terrible at it?.... Almost everyone else in the world.
I don't know why people continually bring this up because at the end of the day, gambling is fun and the system is always rigged in favor of the house so yeah, they aren't any more terrible at it than anyone else.
Thais are terrible drivers
This one may at least be partially true but at the end of the day this isn't entirely the Thai people's fault.
Imagine if you will that in your own country that getting a diving license consisted mostly of you simply desiring to have one. That is essentially the process here in Thailand as very little in the way of skill actually needs to be demonstrated in order to receive a license.
Then, add in the fact that there is almost no sort of law enforcement for moving violations. I don't even know why they bother putting speed limit signs up in this country and have heard of very few people ever receiving tickets for, well, anything other than not having a license.
A friend of mine (who is not Thai) got a ticket for doing double the speed limit on a highway. He had to pay a fine on the spot for 500 Baht (less than $20) and then was allowed to carry on. He receives no other penalty such as increased insurance rates or even points on his license. The ticket he received also protects him from getting another speeding ticket for the next 3 days. He could literally peel out and do double the speed limit immediately after getting the ticket and the police wouldn't even pursue him.
Twice I have received a ticket for driving without a license (I didn't have it with me, I do in fact have a license) and I just put funny fake names on the tickets... they don't care!
Imagine if this same situation existed in USA / Canada / Australia etc... how safe and "skilled" do you imagine your drivers would be?
Thais are constantly trying to scam foreigners
If you come over here with that attitude you are going to have a bad time. I consider, after more than a decade of living here, the Thai people to be some of the most genuinely kind and honest people on the planet. There are scams, sure; but these same scams exist all over the world.
Do taxi drivers refuse to use the meters at times? Sure, this exists in 90% of the rest of the world. Will the people at the markets start at a higher price in the negotiating process for a foreigner? Sure, but it is kind of on you to be reasonably good at negotiating, it's part of the process.
I have been ripped off a few times here for sure. I have also been ripped of far more times in USA and for much larger sums of money.
There are a few bad apples here but this is the case literally everywhere in the world and when i hear these embittered expats talking like this I want to slap them.
"They speak F**K all English at (insert whatever loacation)"
This one should be obvious. You are not in England / North America / Australia. The places that speak English do so as a courtesy. It is kind of ironic to me that the people who do the most complaining about this particular attribute tend to be long-term residents (like 5 years or more) that have managed to learn almost no Thai at all.
So, who is the real idiot in this situation? I know this one guy that has lived here for TWENTY YEARS and beyond "hello", "thank you," and asking for another beer (incorrectly, but understood) he knows how to say absolutely nothing else.
Rant over I guess. This was a hot topic at the bar last night and it really got under my tits. Have some frigging respect ya'll.