From: ssg9328@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Samart Srijumnong)
Subject: Is Thailand that terrible, Khun Laurence?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 08:07:44 GMT
Keywords: Thailand


In responding to Khun Sripen, godfrey@sscvx1.ssc.gov (LAURENCE GODFREY) writes:

>.............................

>One reason why farangs get paid more is that Thai people frequently charge
					      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>them at least twice as much (and often 5 times as much) as they charge each 
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>other for the same : housing, taxis, renting cars and motorbikes, food on
>the street etc.  Do you, for example, know of ANY 
>hotels in Thailand (other than the very smallest) that do not operate a two-tier
>price structure, charging less than half the price to Thais?  Even the airport
>hotel at Don Muang does this.

I am not sure this is a valid observation. I assume Khun Laurence used his 
own feeling and put it into numbers (more scientific?). 

It is true that most of the services provided to farangs are charged higher
than to Thais but they GET BETTER SERVICE.  I am not sure about the Airport
Hotel case. If it is true, Khun Laurence should have files a complain to the
authority. Probably he did not trust them. To him, all Thai authorities would
have been equally corruptible. What an experience to live in such barbaric
country like Thailand!

Concerning double price structure, I believe there are two prices for two
different quality of services. Of course, farangs pay more for housing but
could they live in the same quality of house their Thai counterparts do!
There had been a farang couple who went on Fulbright to CMU where I taught, 
no matter how easy they tried to be, they could not stay in a house that
did not have airconditioner. The couple could not even wash their dish with 
Thai pipe water. I learned this on the day they were about to leave when 
they gave us a party. I asked them how they took a shower, they said they
had to close their mouth neatly. They use bottled water for dish washing and
mouth cleaning. We are still good friends despite their attitude. They didn't
not look down at Thai society and I am not raising their case to say they
are good or bad. I simply want to exemplify a case which requires better
standard of living in a poor country like Thailand. 

>a Thai Assoc Professor, but the Thai gets free housing, a permanent job rather
>than a short-term contract, earns extra from corruption, bribes etc.  There
			     ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>is no doubt that the average Thai professopr has a far higher standard of
>living than his farang equivalent in Thailand, despite being paid half
>as much.  In addition, the family of the farang are not entitled to work
>while in Thailand.

Again, I am wondering what field Khun Laurence had studied or engaged in his
postdoctoral training. It is apparent that he could easily come up with any 
observation without any reference. I begin to feel a bit worried about whom
his service had been done to (teacher, faculty members, etc). I just hope he
does not represent the whole class of farangs in Thailand. Otherwise, I
would have to agree with Khun Sripen.

>........................

>I would take the opposite point of view to you on the whole - I don't
>believe the Thais pay higher salaries to farang because they think the
>farang are better, they pay them because they think they get more than
                                  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>their money's worth out of the farang and they frequently laugh behind 
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>the farang's backs because they are taking
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>advantage of them.
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Here in the US, women are complaining that they are paid less than men of 
the same competence. Yes, your observation could also apply in their case
too that it is because their employers "think they get more than their money's
worth out of" men. That's the point, my dear friend Laurence! It is the
perception of the employer that is the central issue of debate here. 

The second obervation that we, Thais, will laugh behind their back as we
are taking advantage of them is purely illogical given the fact that
Khun Laurence has argued all along that farangs are paid better because
they (the farangs) are smarter. How could the Thais be smart enough
to take advantages of the farangs, then?


>...........................

>to go to work in Thailand - it's a very interesting experience.  However,
>I personally would never again work for a Thai university or a Thai company,
>only a foreign-run outfit.  

I envy you, Khun Laurence, that you have such a high degree of freedom. 
You can go any place you want. You can leave it any time you wish. As Thai
citizens, however, we cannot HATE it (Thailand) that much! 





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