A few weeks ago I got a message from a Thai girl telling me my blog is the best thing on the inter-webz since Google and most of what I say is true. Well no shit, this isn’t the best Thailand travel blog for no reason. Since I’m getting lazy to write content myself these days I went ahead and asked a Thai girl questions I think the farang would like to know.
You should prepare yourself before before you go any further, it is around 5,300 words long, all written in Tinglish with no edits from me coz aint nobody got time for dat! It’s actually a pretty good read and gives the newbie visiting Thailand some knowledgeable and ideas on how Thai culture and ideals. I re-arranged the questions and put the smutty stuff you dirty f***s like in the middle. The interview talks about drugs, bar girls, farang guys, relationships, why Thais dont like Indian, Turkish or black men etc.
Enjoy!
Can you tell us a little bit about your self?
I’m a native Thai who live in Thailand ever since I was born. I just graduated a bachelor degree in Biomedical Engineering. Now I’m waiting for the open semester on August for study my master degree.
In my leisure time, I like to sit on my favorite sofa watching television and make crochet dolls at the same time which I found thoroughly rewarding and enjoyable. and the doll can be sold afterward. Moreover I love reading books.
I live in Kamphaengphet which is about 5-6 hours by car far from Bangkok or 358 kilometers. This province is one of a countryside province of Thailand. I live in the capital of province I can say here is a very peaceful province; no tall building, no traffic jam, you will never experience a crowd like in Bangkok. What I like the most about my province is the people. People here are very kind and friendly. They have a generous mind and big smile. The main career in this province is farmer. They plant many kind of plant; rices, cassava, sugar cane, taroes, dragon fruits, oranges, mangoes, and the most famous agriculture product are bananas. Thailand has a lot variety of bananas, the famous bananas here literally translate is egg bananas.
The other thing that I like about my province is culture and Nature. When the civilization does not come here much, the old traditional festivals are still in held. And some believe about ghost rite in old people. Here is full of forest and nature, we have 3 national park located in this small province. Each park are full of nature, trees, waterfalls, wild animals, and camping area.
What is your profession in Thailand and how much do you earn per month?
My profession is student. And student doesn’t get paid from studying. But I am not from the rich family so I have been working with a part time job since 2010. I use to work in many type of job. I use to be a home tutor but I quite it because of the long hour I have to travel. I start with making crochet dolls made to order doll and selling crochet patterns. Moreover I do a trivial jobs like decorated the board, help my adviser prepare power point, being a department webmaster for extra money. And lately I do a translated job too; I translate many things, first some document from my acquaintance, banners, text, crochet pattern. The income per month is about 5,000-6,000 depending on how much I work.
I just graduated a bachelor degree and decide to continue in master. The reason that I don’t working in the professional because my field of study, biomedical engineering in very new to this country. I am the fourth generation that graduates in this area. And the starting salary is 13,000-15,000 baht with the work place are in the middle of Bangkok and nearby around that have a very high cost of living. This salary is enough if you already have a house in Bangkok. For the countryside girl like me it’s impossible to stand by my own feet without my parent’s money.
In Thailand we have been taught since the elementary school that you have to be grateful for your parents. Parents raises you up, they have to work hard and spend a lot of money for you. In Thailand parent take care of their children until they graduated from university. Most of my friend didn’t do any part time job while they were studying.
Then it come to conclusion that if you have a chance, you must pay it back, if you have more than enough money don’t forget to send it to your parent. When we grow up, our parent grow older, they cannot work as hard as they use to, they cannot help themselves as they use to be. Even if your earning is very low just send a little part of them to your parent so they can save it up for unexpected situation in the future. Lately I have a chance to talk to senior that working for 1-3 years, the average earning is about 20,000-25,000 that is just enough for living by themselves but not left much for saving. And some of them are still need support from their parent.
With my income around 5,000 and living in my home town that have a low cost of living and do not have things to spend much. Even if I do not have much money for giving to parent at least I can pay my own living cost while I wait for the open semester.
What do you think about dating sites in Thailand and the farangs that use them? Do you think they use them to find romance or just to have a one night stands?
Thai dating sites are the places that contain lonely and single persons together. Men and women come to the site to find someone to be their friend, lover or even one night stand relationship. I think it not wrong for using the site like this to find friend for talk and if this friend is really suit you then the relationship can be developed.
But all I can say about Thai women that may use this site I category them into 3 types.
First this type sign in to the site just for fun, most of them just want to know how this site works. What is mens attitude toward the women? Are they good enough for finding someone in real life?
The second one is the woman that wants to be a foreigner’s wife. In the country side, if you have a farang husband, all neighbors will be jealous. They believe that farang will give them a luxury and comfortable life. Then they don’t have to work as hard as they use to. Third is a really lonely woman that really wants to find someone cure their loneliness and hope that the relationship can be developed.
For me, the foreigners that use this site some may be serious about finding someone and have a good attitude toward the site. Or maybe they just use it for killing their free time. But I think most of women, not only the one that use the site, most of Thai woman especially the educated one think of those foreigner who use this kind of site are seeking for the one night stand.
The western loves tan skin and with the sun in Thailand, most women have a tan skin. You have to know that there is one traditional attitude toward lover relationship, like in many Asian countries; woman must not sleep with anyone except her own husband after marriage. Compare to the western that think sex isn’t that much of a big deal. Nevertheless not everybody thinks like this, Thai people nowadays receive many thing form western including their attitudes about sex.
Not only that because of the news about the dangers of online meeting, most of them are afraid that some of the people in this site are involved with criminals, they may be tricked for money, selling drugs or even human selling things. There is news about the victim of the site like this several time a year. I can say that if there are any suspicious things occur during the dating time, the wise women will step back or even dare to abandon the relationship.
But when it comes to the dating site, and really wants a relationship. They know they have to take a risk, and believe there would be someone that match for you. The good point of the site like this is they consist many kind of people that have the same purpose as you. And if he agrees to date you then there are only part of ‘learning each other’ left.
The dating site has a good point and also a bad point, you have to use it wisely. Even if you cannot find a lover at lease you can have more friends.
What is your opinion on Farang guys?
The word ‘farang’ in Thai mostly means the foreigners that have light hair and coloured eyes. No matter where they come from we also call them all ‘farang’. I do not know why we call them this, it is a long long time ago story.
I think farang guy and Thai guy do not have much different. The different is may be the attitude toward the surroundings. Because they growing in the different environment, I think western people look to the girl in quite equal in status but most of Thai guy are still believe that they are better than girl. The old believe about only man can be the leader. Even if this day everybody is talking about the equal between two gender, most Thai man still think that they are the king of the house. The other good point of farangs is they are more serious about their work, they know it time to work so they work they have more responsibility. In other hand Thai guy that was raise by their parent until they graduate or sometime after graduated university. They have less responsibility and many of them don’t even plan for their 1-2 years future time, it’s just let it be, don’t be worry, take it easy, everything is gonna be fine. Many Thai guy are like this, I know that this type of guy occur in the foreign land too, but believe me not as much as Thailand have. Luckily there still good Thai men left.
I also think some farang are butterfly and playboys, I think these type of guy happen all over the world not only in foreign country but also in Thailand too. I think it about luck and fate to meet someone really good or really bad. In Thailand we have a phase that say “It is up to your old sin, if in previous life you doing something bad, this life maybe unfortunately one”, I don’t blame either farang or Thai guy to be playboy because if the girl did not respond to them, nothing can happen right?
I can say every women like a good looking guy, same as the man that like good looking girl. If it about going to marry I don’t care what national he is, it just about I love him and he loves me and we are get along very well. I do not have a specific type of guy, it just he is not obese is okay. And this day Korea and Japan have a lot of influence on Thais. First is Japan, they really boom in Thailand many year ago but the population has been dropping compared to Korea. Personally, I do not like Korea that much.
Thai women especially teenagers they are really crazy about Korea singer because they are good looking and some of them are cute. The trend makes them to be cuter everyday not handsome. But we all know that before they become good looking like this they pass through a lot of plastic surgery. So for most of Thai girls these guy are idol that cool dancer, good, but are not real. For me I think Japanese guy happen to be more real face but less guy are real handsome. I think the reason why these two nations guy are popular in Thai because of their skin. Same as the western that have white skin want to have tan skin, in Thailand we have tan skin and we really want to become white. That makes the white guy quite popular.
What do you think about Thai girls that work as bar girl?
In my opinion Thai bar girl is not a wrong job, but this job have a risk and is dangerous. So some of the girl that chooses this job come from a poor family and come to Bangkok to find a job from Isan. A girl that really want to have money for any purpose, including some run away girl. If you ask this question to the elder they will say that this job is surrounding by a wolves as long as you are working there you will never have true success in your life. Although this job have a quite good earning but you are surround by the stranger who hungry in alcohol, cigarette, sex, and sometime drugs. My mother use to say it a dark area.
If they said that the job is just serving some drink and dancing on the stage with a bar and after that they are just go straight to their home? I can say that some girl can do like this but this is a very few of them and this girl will never have much earning like hundred thousand per month.
If you want more money from this job you must risk yourself more. Dressing in a little piece of cloth, open more skin to the air. I forgot to mention that in the traditional way, good girl should not be touched by the opposite sex and should not open their skin much. It’s not like we have to dress like a Muslim girl but if you want to be precious you should at least cover all your body part. If you ever come to Thailand you will see that even if the sun is so hot most people are wearing t-shirt and trouser while the foreigner girl wear a tank top or camisole with shorts. This is the reason why many people saying that bar girl is a not a pride job. And if a wise girl with pride is trapped in a corner, she will never do this job.
Of course not every bar that the bar girl have to dress less but I won’t mention about it. And even if this bar girl are working very hard and send the money back to their home in the country side, I can guarantee that her parent did not know what kind of work that she do. She may lie that she having quite a good job so she can send back this much money.
And the case that farang guy gives bar girl money to be his girlfriend when he back in home country and she still in Thai. For that girl I think she is feeling very lucky. Because when farang went home she can work and have extra money from him. As you know the baht money has less value than dollar, this makes a little money from foreigner become a very big among of money to Thai people. If you come to travel for a girl in Thailand you will see that you will have a very good welcome that normal Thai guy will never have.
Why doesn’t most Thai girl like Indian, Turkey and black men?
For me most Thai are not racist and it true that we have a negative reaction to them. But it doesn’t mean that we are racist.
I will talk about Indian first, the only reason that we really have a bad reaction to them because of the smell. Thai people can’t stand the smell from their body and we don’t even understand why most of them have this mixture of smell that happen to be really bad for Thai’s nose. There are rumors that I don’t even know if this true, the smelly body of Indian comes from things they ate and they don’t like to take a shower! I can smell them even they are stand quite far from me.
One of my acquaintances has an Indian friend, he said at first his friend is smelly too but after he talks to him open mind, his Indian friend do something (he said he took more shower) and never smell that way again. Another case, I went to see a movie and happen to sit near Indian family, OMG I try to get use to their smell but I can’t. Some of the people including me were changing to the empty seat far from them and there are many people who leave the theater while the movie just starting. For most Thai we didn’t have severely bad attitude about Indian people, we even have ‘Phahurat’ that is like an Indian town in Bangkok. Believe me the ONLY reason is smell. If you don’t have this unpleasant smell we will be more welcome to you. And if you are Indian and not smelly but Thai girls are still avoid you, may be about your personality. And Indian have a tradition that man can have many wife, that most Thai girl can’t stand it so Indian guy not quite popular.
For Turkish I’m not sure, but there are some bad rumors about them smell (again!), dirty, shouting and abnormal sex (with animals!?). Of course I don’t even know if this true or not. But for me the first reaction must because they are misunderstand as Indian or because of their smell. Thai people don’t have ability to tell that you are Turkish if you didn’t tell it out.
Smell is a serious topic in Thailand with hot and humidity. You will sweat all day and if you don’t take care of you smelly body everyone will avoid you not because where you come from.
As for black people, they don’t have any unpleasant smell. I have one black friend too and she is very good friend. But as you know Thai like white skin so black people are not quite popular as the white people, even though some black people are playing football in Thai league. The reason why Thai avoid black people is because we are not familiar with that black and tall and big white eyes, they look scary. And there are many news on TV that some of them are involve with drugs and some are come to selling sex (I don’t know the word) targeting the widows.
Of course not everyone are the same as above, there good and bad people mixing all around the world. To be welcomed in Thailand just make yourselves clean (not smelly), clean clothes and big smile. If you are foreigner and planning to go to Thailand, remember one thing if people staring at you, have a big smile to them.
If a farang wants to find Thai girlfriend where do you think the best places are in Thailand to find one?
If you want Thai girlfriend, just come to Thailand. And it depends on what kind of girlfriend you do like. How serious in relationship you look forward to. How long are you staying in Thailand? If it just one or two week, forget about the serious relationship with the right girl, it not impossible but extremely hard.
If you want a pretty neat quiet girl, it impossible to find one at night clubs, right? This type of girl just looking by the way she dress, not open to much skin. Shorts not shorter than knee level, quite sure that this girl is a neat one.
Malls are collection of all type of girls, but most single girls are coming here in group. And I can say if you find a very attractive girl in the mall and go straight to talk to her, she may be afraid of you.
If you are party’s lover and want to find the same type of Thai girl night club is the best place to go but be careful of the one night stand relationship, you may end up with losing all the money in the morning.
If you looking for working woman, the office area like Sukhumvit, Ratchada, or Sri Lom, In the early morning at the park or sport for sport lover girls.
One of my friends saying that if you are looking for a long term relationship go to the temple. I agree with her especially to a small temple a girl that went there with the happy face (make sure she didn’t be force to go there) is very helpful, steady and calm, never causing much trouble.
If you are working in Thailand, you’ve got a better chance for getting Thai girlfriends. Because you have much time to show her that you are sincerely to her.
In my opinion it better if you are living in Thailand. It won’t be that hard to find Thai girlfriend. You have to take a time, most Thai girls are afraid of foreigner and afraid of one night stand relationship (if you looking for a very good one). Be careful if you too straight it quite 50/50 to get this girl as a girlfriend or she will disappear and avoiding you. You better start with friendship and develop it little by little.
If you working outside the city, girl might be more skillful about house work and cooking than the city girl.
And yes if you have Thai friends you will have quite a good credit, your friend can help you better than you think. If your Thai friend (looking believable) saying that you are very good guy the girl is 80% believe that you are good guy. So you don’t have to work as hard as the foreigners that do not have any connection.
That all I can think of, the last thing I can mention is you have to make you self look clean. No smelly, no dirty crumpled cloth, style doesn’t matter. This will make you look more believable.
Do you think there is a big difference between hi so Thai and normal Thai people?
The word ‘hi so’ in Thai comes from high society. There is a very big difference between this hi so and normal Thai person. If you want to be Thai hi so, first you have to have a lot of money or you have to be born rich. Really rich so you can wear all brand names, buy expensive jewelry without thinking, traveling to Europe several time a year and having their own expensive car showroom (if you don’t know the car tax in Thailand is 300%, normal person have to work very hard to buy just one car). Only rich is not enough you have to be famous, appearing many in social party. Most of hi so in Thai are the president of some company, the family of the old nobleman. Imagine if I open the restaurant and become very rich, I am just a rich person not hi so one.
All these things that normal people like me cannot have or become. Normal people in Thailand have to work hard for saving money, only one brand name maybe equal to their earning. Thailand also has a gap between poor and rich like many other country, the very rich one like hi so and the very poor one that still don’t know if he has enough for eating today.
I’m in the middle level person, not poor but not rich. I know some of my rich friends but did not happen to be very close friend. They are not high so but they have money, and when they have money they can buy anything they want, any food they want. It’s hard to hang out with very often as I don’t have money. When I’m in university I use to ask how much you money that parent give you per month, they say 20,000!! Oh my god I have got only five thousand total and I try to save up each month.
The hi so have more opportunity because they have much money. One of my rich seniors starts work in the position of head of medical instrument in one of the very famous hospital. While other have to start at the beginning. What happens when you start at high position you can go higher and higher. And other normal people have to work several years to be in the same spot of his staring. I think this is the reason why hi so are more successful that normal person.
And if you want to become hi so too, just marry the hi so one but be careful they have money so they can choose. And all I know hi so like to choose the person in the same level or very good looking person especially the star, and actor/actress.
What is your opinion on drugs like marijuana?
This topic is really sensitive if you are talking with local especially talking to your parents. Even if in some Canada and some state of America(if I remember correctly) are allow to selling marijuana, but in Thailand marijuana is still illegal in every process. In my point of view I didn’t think that marijuana is bad as long as drug user doesn’t disturb or attack other people and did not ruin user’s life. I have one of my friends in high school that use marijuana too. He quite a misbehave one, didn’t study, just play around, skip school, and he repeat a year for already 3 years when I know him. That quite a problem isn’t it?
And how about using it in the small amounts, I can say it quite impossible at first it may be possible to use less. But Thai people are greedy especially about thing that made them happy. At last they will use it over weight and lost control.
This is a problem of Thailand, which nearly half of the people that use drug are still student in the teenage. We still cannot solve this problem why these students when they reach the rebellion age some of them start taking drugs. Some is because of the environment that surround by drug dealer in the slum. I think if the government cannot solve this problem, it still impossible for marijuana to be on shelf like in the USA.
I am very sure that when the time has come and this topic is discussing. There will be a huge impact from the people that anti this idea. You know just the topic about selling alcohol and cigarette they are argue with very serious from all over. I can imagine how it will be when we have to discuss about marijuana in Thailand.
If marijuana is going to be accepted in Thailand, it has to have someone that using marijuana and also can become highly successful in their jobs. But this day the entire drug users in every kind of drug including the marijuana have quite a bad ending. Or maybe if there are the doctors coming out and say that marijuana is a very good drug that can cure some severe diseases. I think these going to make marijuana possible become legal.
If you had the choice between living in Thailand for ever or America, which one would you pick and why?
If I have to choose between Thailand and America, I would say I choose to live in Thailand because this country have no severe disaster like tornado, earth quake, tsunami(if you live up north). The only nature disaster that I can come up is flood but if you know where to live you can avoid it.
Many variety of food that delicious and healthy. And if you want to eat western food there are variable on the mall. You can live peacefully with very kind neighbor (don’t bring up the political issue). The unemployed rate in Thailand is very low compare to America that have quite high rate. If I am going to live in America, it will be a temporary one for saving money. I have to make sure that my job there is stable that I can send back money to family.
But if I got a chance to travel abroad not only in America but all over the world. It will be really great. But travel across the continent like that waste a lot of money. Only the ticket price, the cheapest one to America is about 40,000 baht. That double of the average earning of the salary, not include visa cost, travel budget, insurance and etc. We don’t talk about people in the countryside that have more less earning. So if it come to about traveling abroad we might go to the nearby like Japan, China, Singapore. Nowadays there are low cost air tickets that very cheap, but many of Thai people are afraid of going because of the lacking skill in English.
Last year I won a free trip to travel to Fukui, Japan. It’s a very quiet and peaceful region with a people of good quality of life. And travel as much as I can, really impress with the combination of civilization and traditional culture. I hope one day Thailand can be like that. Now I plan of saving money after graduated for travel to Japan again, now with my family.
