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**Yswxomvy** · 09-21-2012, 03:38 PM

if you have been living around here for a while, you certainly find your behaviour, habits and even personality have changed slightly - my questions are simple,
- how has living in Thailand changed you as a person? your priorities, your thinking?
- what is still very farang in your thinking or behaviour?
- what is Thai in you?
- what are the things you wish you could adopt, but you can't?
- what are the things you don't want to adopt, and you are determined to keep your farang ways?

I will think a little more about my own responses

Technically, I am not a farang. But as those who know me closely note (including the thread starter, Betti), I demonstrate some amount of farang orientation. (Actually, there is a reason for that.) Thus, she urges me to reply.

A Thai women's tendency that I have difficulty internalizing is their view about money. I have quoted in this forum a foreigner who had crystallized this orientation. I am quoting him again: "The root of the conflict lies in the 'money culture'. The Westerner thinks that a woman who truly loves him will not ask him for money. The Thai woman thinks that a man who truly loves her will show it with money."

I admit I have strong Western influence about this matter. I am in that stage where cognitively I am trying to understand it, but on the affective level my value system is rejecting the idea. It is just against my grain. Let us just say I am still working on accepting it on a full scale.

A related cocept, the sin sodt, has the same effect on me--especially when I hear how some families abuse this practice.

But thank God I am not a guy who will need to be bothered about this matter!

The practice that gets my admiration is how Thais take care of their old family members. Since many of the old folks do not have solid social security to fall back on, the family support system is much needed.

09-21-2012, 03:38 PM	#7
Yswxomvy Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 523 Senior Member	if you have been living around here for a while, you certainly find your behaviour, habits and even personality have changed slightly - my questions are simple, - how has living in Thailand changed you as a person? your priorities, your thinking? - what is still very farang in your thinking or behaviour? - what is Thai in you? - what are the things you wish you could adopt, but you can't? - what are the things you don't want to adopt, and you are determined to keep your farang ways? I will think a little more about my own responses Technically, I am not a farang. But as those who know me closely note (including the thread starter, Betti), I demonstrate some amount of farang orientation. (Actually, there is a reason for that.) Thus, she urges me to reply. A Thai women's tendency that I have difficulty internalizing is their view about money. I have quoted in this forum a foreigner who had crystallized this orientation. I am quoting him again: "The root of the conflict lies in the 'money culture'. The Westerner thinks that a woman who truly loves him will not ask him for money. The Thai woman thinks that a man who truly loves her will show it with money." I admit I have strong Western influence about this matter. I am in that stage where cognitively I am trying to understand it, but on the affective level my value system is rejecting the idea. It is just against my grain. Let us just say I am still working on accepting it on a full scale. A related cocept, the sin sodt, has the same effect on me--especially when I hear how some families abuse this practice. But thank God I am not a guy who will need to be bothered about this matter! The practice that gets my admiration is how Thais take care of their old family members. Since many of the old folks do not have solid social security to fall back on, the family support system is much needed.
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