A Letter From W.
W. just spent a few days in Thailand – her first since many years.
After the half business, half leisure trip, she sent us this letter.
Some serious food for thought:
“Dear BangkokDan
My stay in Thailand, especially Hua Hin, was very nice. Back home it’s foggy. But I still do carry the sun in my heart.
Most interesting, that Land of the Free, how Thailand works at first glance. Human manpower obviously is worth nothing. And don’t dare to expect too much. The question is: What was there first?
I was amazed how excessively resources are squandered in Thailand. One could do much more out of it. But obviously what is, is enough.
Tell me, what are all the many young people doing actually? And are the people really as happy as it is said?
To me it looks like this isn’t the case. But perhaps it is much better in Thailand because there aren’t that many options, there isn’t too much that’s desirable and worthwhile.
Looks to me that this can be rather pleasant in comparison to the many (alleged) challenges we’re facing here in the West.
I leave Thailand after my short visit with more questions than answers.
Yours -
W.”
What to make of W’s letter?
After many years in Thailand one may not see the wood for the trees.
She got some clear points we easily oversee after living for a while in Thailand.
Not easy to keep your mind sharp and alert amongst all the neglects around you and all those temptations.
The big negative of Thailand being that there is hardly any negative.
Take other countries, where the scarcity of resources and harsh climate force the people to think more and struggle to survive.
In Thailand you throw away a seed. Next day it will grow.
There’s plenty of everything.
Or were you ever that silly trying to, let’s say, properly dispose of a battery in Thailand? You’d be considered a freak.
Just throw those things away!
There’s too much of everything.
For now.
Well, not really a thought about the squandering of resources here, but gosh, what a dangerous Loy Krathong!
Spent it at the beach. The morning after those krathongs were littering the beach – broken up, with nails sticking out of those leaves.
Nicely hidden in the sand.
Quite some people got bloody feet that morning!
At least Samak’s plastic krathong were nowhere to be seen. Seemed to have been quite a “green” event this year. Except for those bloody nails.
Hi BangkokDan
I’m working my way through this website and I’m hooked. Especially by the articles that relate to Thai/farang interaction and differences in culture & values and ways to deal with it. As a farang living in Thailand I have gone through phases were I went from being overexited, through being disenchanted, through being kind of fed up, through being angry, through being struggling to find a state of mind where I accept and enjoy the Thai culture. This is where I am now (struggling).
I think it is a very worthwhile exercise as it allows me to look at my own values and ingrained ways of life and gives me the opportunity to question them. Being a German makes it particularly hard as I take it that we are the most stubborn guys on this planet.
It is refreshing to read snippets from other “strugglers” and articles that find a balance between stating farang views and their Thai counterpart and putting them up for thought. Excellent!
PS: What triggered my comments here was BangkokDan’s statement on “Battery Disposal”. It’s a small thing but in some way it captures a lot. I tried to get rid of 2 batteries yesterday in my office. In the end I kicked them in the paper basket. But the things that went through my mind and the way I felt whilst I did it (ashamed to do it, ashamed to feel ashamed …) indicated to myself that I’m not there yet. Don’t get me wrong, this is not about the “crime” to kick chemicals into the normal waste. No – it’s about understanding that different parts of the world have different priorities and realizing that it is foolish to judge things without knowing and understanding the value system of the society in question. The picture is always bigger than it seems.
I will keep reading – thanks!
Cool, we got a reader!
Thanks for your input and most welcome on board Axel.
BangkokDan