Thomas Wanhoff in Thailand

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

5 reasons why all Thais don't like foreigners

It is time to be clear and frank: There are reasons why Thai people don't like foreigners, and I would like to list the 5 reasons I think are most important.

Thai people do not like foreigners because:

1. They make lists why Thai people don't like this and that
2. They generalize all Thai people as if they were all the same
3. They don't even specify what like actually mean (Facebook like?)
4. They like to read lists like that a lot, and lists about 5 ways to date Thai girl even more
5. They don't speak the language.

Oh, there could be a misunderstanding with the least point: It is actually that many foreigners don't really speak Thai much (I have to admit, my skills aren't as good as I wish for).

And in case you haven't noticed yet: Lists like this are BS, of course. Even IF all Thais do not like foreigners, there would be more than 5 reasons. Lists are the opposite of a differentiated view. Reality isn't black and white, it comes in many grey shades and even colors.

So, it isn't even a question if Thais like something unless you make a survey with a representative number of randomly selected participants and unbiased questions.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

10 reasons why I am blogging less about Thailand

I am blogging since at least 15 years I think. I was always a writer and journalist. Blogging gave me the freedom to write whatever I want. Not just to speak out, but just write about any topic I want and can. Because, I can. It is my server, my blog, my home. No editor in chief, no publisher, just me and my readers. Ok the latter aren't that many, but hey, at least some.
Since I moved to Asia, blogposts for my German blog faded. More and more I was shifting to my Blogs about my life in Asia. That was 9 years ago. My problem is: I don't know what to say anymore. All of the countries I lived in Asia so far have no or very restricted freedom of speech. So nothing political, in Thailand not even some complains about customer service – you can get sued for defamation (and many companies just love to do this).

Market in Samrong Nuea

Another food blog? No. Another secret places in Bangkok? No. More stories about my life? Not really, but some, just to keep friends up to date.

But keeping in touch with friends isn't working with blogs anymore. We have Facebook and Instagram. No need to write 6000 words about my trip to Hua Hin. Nobody wants to read this anyway.

So, just to feed the search engines, ten reasons why I am blogging less:

1. Most about Thailand as a tourist destination is written already, from diving spots to coffeshops
2. Most about Thailands culture is also written
3. I can't really write about politics in Thailand
4. I am not experienced enough to make a proper analysis about Thailands society
5. A picture says more than thousand words (what is the excuse of the lazy guys, of course)
6. My daily life here isn't that exciting, since I don't party all night
7. I am not getting paid for it
8. But I can get paid for other articles on other platforms
9. That's why I just ignore the numbers here and end with the fact
10. that lists are just a dumb way to attract readers :-)

So, expect more pictures with some notes in the future. There are still great bloggers here, Karsten Aichholz is a great source for living in Bangkok, www.ajarn.com is a must for teachers, and Richard Barrow is still mandatory for expats.