“Saving Face”, Lies and Deception
For me the most frustrating part of living in Thailand is the fact that you can not trust ANYONE!
All foreigners (falang) are considered to be rich. Therefore, there is a generally accepted double pricing policy. To enter National Parks, a resident pays about 40 baht. That is just over $1.00 A foreigner is charged 400 baht. This pricing scheme continues for most types of amusement such as zoos, the Night Safari and other attractions.
What for me is most appalling is the clear deception. There are Thai language numerals that are little used in modern Thai society. However, they will post prices at entrances to many locations showing the Thai fees in these numerals so that the unknowing foreign tourist will remain oblivious to what is really occurring.
Now Asians also do not like to be wrong or to admit not knowing something. If you ask someone for directions or where to buy something you will almost never get an “I don’t know”. Instead you may be sent on a wild goose chase somewhere totally different than where you wanted to go. It is always better to ask a few people and take the answers that seem most alike.
Any dealings with the government, especially the police, usually involve bribes or what is referred to as “tea money”. If you need to have something accomplished and it is moving very slowly it is usually because the “tea money” wasn’t paid. There are horror stories involving items being held up for weeks at Thai Customs until the proper palms were greased.
Quality doesn’t exist. Shoddy workmanship and an I don’t care attitude abound. If a workman says he will show up on Monday at 10AM that can mean anytime that day, the next day or not at all.
In the Thai language “Arroy maak” means something tastes very good. I was taught that if something does not taste good it cannot be said it is bad. Instead you must say “Arroy nidnoy”. It tastes good a little bit.
“Mai pen rai” is the most popular phrase here. It means a combination of don’t worry, it doesn’t matter, it is OK. This is considered quaint and idiosyncratic of Thailand when one first comes here. Later it becomes irritating and for me has taken on the connotation of “Too bad, we don’ t give a shit!” To show anger here is also to show very bad manners and not a sign of a good person. You must always be “Jai yen-yen”. Cool heart. This whole concept is not easy for me.
I wont even go into a discussion of the Jackals. The Thai girls who stalk the foreigner to milk them of anything and everything they can. Fortunately this is a small minority of the women as most are very proper and traditional and don’t even want to be seen with a foreigner. Unfortunately, the Jackals are also the most visible and the most talked about. They are probably the most dangerous part of life for a foreigner in Thailand. Many savings accounts have been ravished by the best cons in the world.
The all important phrase here is “saving face”. It is very bad if you make someone lose face by pointing out their errors or criticizing them. If you do they will just stand there with a forced smile, but inside they will be steaming and they won’t forget. Pushed too far they may finally explode. I was once advised by a Thai; “Remember, falangs fight to win, Thai fight to the death!”
I try to respect the Thai culture as there are many good things or obviously I would not be here this long. What brings me to write about this now is the article below. This is at least the third time I have read such a survey showing the same results.
I remember a quote from a previous story where a Thai incredulously stated; “If there was not corruption and tea money in government, why would anyone want to do it?”
I write this as I await the arrival of some workers who are supposed to repair the roof on my house and do some other things around the property. They were due at 9:00AM. It is now 9:45.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Amazing Thailand: A corrupt government is OK
Posted by Veera Prateepchaikul , Reader : 8598 , 07:36:13
by Veera Prateepchaikul
I really don’t know I should cry, laugh or just join the mai pen rai (it does not m atter) bandwagon about this latest Abac Poll about Thai people’s perception towards the scourge of corruption.
The opinion survey which was conducted on 1,228 household respondents in 17 provinces across the country shows that 84.5 percent of them accept corruption as a normal practice in business and 51.2 percent of them admit they don’t mind if a government is corrupt so long as it manages to bring about prosperity to the country and to improve the livelihood of the people. Amazing?
Here is some information about the respondents. 31.6 percent of them are in the farming sector, 27 of them entrepreneurs, 15.2 percent of them employees and 11.5 percent government officials. Of these, 75 of them have under-graduate level of education.
Although it is a common knowledge here that corruption is deeply-rooted and widely practised especially in government bureaucracy to the extent it has been accepted as a “way of life”, the findings are troubling, shocking and a big letdown. One does not need to be an astrologer to make a forecast about the future of this country if most of its people feel that it is OK to have a corrupt government if it can make them eat and sleep well and can make the country move forward.
Filed Under: Daily Blog • General Info • Southern Thailand
Well Done Dave, Bloody Brilliant and So TRUE!!! The Sad part is It is really Hard for Foreigners or People New to Thailand to Believe this or be able to See anything You have Talked about till They have actually Experienced it for Themselves, Sometimes with Dire Consequences!!! Keep Up the Great Work!
Cheers Ian.
Yes, unfortunately as a recent “victim” of Thai guile in the workplace, I have to mostly agree with your opening observation that you can’t trust anyone.
I’ve always tried to make my own judgements when meeting people, independent of any tittle-tattle I may have heard and generally believe most people are good-hearted souls and have treated them as such unless I experienced different first-hand. However, the Thais have a great knack of smiling and feeding you candy whilst at the same time royally shafting you up the arse! Be aware!!!
Cheers,
Pikey.
I would like to share your optimism Jeff, but I find even Westerners over here must be approached with caution. I too like to give everyone a fair chance and not rely on forming opinions from the gossip which may precede them. Unfortunately, I have been let down a number of times, so caution must prevail. Certainly the goods friends I have made since living here far outweigh the negative.
And it continues………
Vote rigging rampant in local polling: EC
By The Nation
Published on September 7, 2009
The nationwide turnout for local elections yesterday reached a record high of about 70 per cent on rampant vote-buying, the Election Commission said yesterday.
“Voters were enthusiastic in casting their ballots regardless of the election fraud detected in several places like Udon Thani, Buri Ram and Chiang Rai,” EC secretary-general Suthiphon Taveechaiyagarn said.
Elections were held for 2,939 tambon throughout 74 provinces.
In Nakhon Ratchasima, officials were investigating some cases where, on the eve of balloting, canvassers were said to have paid Bt100-Bt500 per vote, he said.
Polling station officials said many voters were confused about the two ballots – one for the president of the tambon administration organisation and the other for the TAO’s members.
In Buri Ram, a voter was detained for tearing up the ballot after making a mistake in marking the number for a candidate.
Buri Ram election director Thawee Chunkoh said the balloting took place without a glitch although officials have yet to sort out the myriad complaints about vote buying.
In constituencies witnessing a tight race, the bribes reportedly soared to Bt2,000 per vote.
Some candidates handed out pre-paid telephone cards in lieu of bills.
In Trang, Ban Khlong Then police rounded up independent candidate Thawee Phuagphet on suspicion of buying votes.
Confronted by evidence seized from his home, including Bt39,300 in cash and a list of voters, Thawee admitted he was preparing to distribute the funds in order to sway votes.
In Ayutthaya, election officials were checking into about 20 complaints related to vote buying.
A loan shark testified that a candidate borrowed Bt500,000, probably for a war chest to lock up votes.
In Satun, about 60 inhabitants of an island could not travel to the polling station on another island due to stormy seas.
This is true Dave, it’s also sad.
As you say most women are decent, well behaved and probably in Thailand the hardest working part of the society. Unfortunately the jackals is what many face first, and many foreigners behave as all women are easy objects, and truly misunderstand that they are just polite and friendly as been beaten into their head from childhood. Be nice to men…
The corruption is tragic and all consuming sometimes, it’s so rooted in the society they seems to accept and even support it… They don’t know anything else…
Maybe been here to long, I don’t get too upset anymore. The wrong directions, the zero help in governmental offices unless you help them. The lies “Yes I know”, “Sure I come”, “I do good” all these things are trivial.
What upset me last time was when I went into a shop, I had some oddball bolts which came with an ebay thing, no nuts, never mind went to the hardware shop, had the bolt with me. Do you have nuts for these bolts? I asked in Thai, first a lot of cosy remarks over my Thai, then a trivial game of asking what I would use it for, lot of question, how much I bought it for etc… This took 30 minutes then I politely asked, ohh I must go so can I have the nuts? Answer… Ohh I don’t have them…
This happens sometimes and is annoying, or when you sit down with your friends at a restaurant, order your food. Everyone is served, eat finish and you ask… Where is my food? Ohh we don’t have it anymore…
Sometimes you get something else than you ordered, hey I did not order this… Ohh we don’t have what you ordered but this is good also…
Thailand takes patience, lot of coolness and you cannot vent your frustration, it’s bad mannered.
I see myself very lucky I have Thai friends who I can trust, my wife have never done something behind my back with money, her family never ask for money, I have western friends I trust. So I am lucky, meet a lot of bad apples tho and it normally cost me money, seems like the society find it acceptable to cheat, steal or blackmail a falang. So I am very careful, then again every now and again there is a new trick or person with a brilliant side who suddenly turn. Luckily my Thai friends are normally ahead and recover for me when I get tricked.
What I see as the BIGGEST problem in Thailand is the way they deal with police. If someone hold a grudge they may report you to the police, as we know the western law we are not worried over this. Well be worried, if someone falsely report you, you are guilty until proven innocent, I have experienced this first hand and believe me it’s true. Only way out is either settle, manage to make them withdraw the case or go to court. Court might take 2 years, and you will loose the permit to work, travel out of the country etc. SO you are locked from making money, wait 2 years, deemed innocent, guess what there is no, absolutely NO punishment for claiming a fake case, they simply mai ben rai and end of story…
Anyone think this is uncommon, it’s not it really hits the Thai society a lot, go anytime to the Police and you’ll find it filled with people claiming cases. The police execute the cases, as soon as it’s on paper you have to solve it. Very very annoying and very dangerous, so unless you have powerful friends be careful to make people hold grudges against you.
Cheers Bard