Photos of Thailand

[frogblogger]

Yes it's inevitable I suppose, that Thailand will change too. But kids still have the respect for their parents that is severely lacking back home. I took my then 3 year old daughter and two older children of a friend to a traditional Laos wedding in France about 18 years ago. I've never been so embarrassed in my life. All those beautifully behaved, kind Laotian kids (about 20 of them) going out of their way to integrate the English into their games and conversations, with no prompting at all from their parents... and all the two older Brits (7 and 10) could do in return was sneer at them, ignore them, or be as rude as possible. I was b....... furious.

I've noticed the difference in behaviour in Thailand too - you rarely hear a Thai child crying, or hear one answer back, or shout. But grumpy, rude, smug farang kids make their presence felt all the time.

It's one of the things the farang expats sometimes complain about, of course - the way they are asked by their gf or wife to find some cash occasionally for family needs. But that's just the culture difference as much as anything - Thais consider it an honour and a duty to look after their parents into their old age. (Ok a few girls will exploit their farang partners using this argument, but that's where the lack of gullibility comes in!)...

[frogblogger]

More smiles...

[Hephesus]

Originally Posted by frogblogger

Yes it's inevitable I suppose, that Thailand will change too. But kids still have the respect for their parents that is severely lacking back home. I took my then 3 year old daughter and two older children of a friend to a traditional Laos wedding in France about 18 years ago. I've never been so embarrassed in my life. All those beautifully behaved, kind Laotian kids (about 20 of them) going out of their way to integrate the English into their games and conversations, with no prompting at all from their parents... and all the two older Brits (7 and 10) could do in return was sneer at them, ignore them, or be as rude as possible. I was b....... furious.

I've noticed the difference in behaviour in Thailand too - you rarely hear a Thai child crying, or hear one answer back, or shout. But grumpy, rude, smug farang kids make their presence felt all the time.

It's one of the things the farang expats sometimes complain about, of course - the way they are asked by their gf or wife to find some cash occasionally for family needs. But that's just the culture difference as much as anything - Thais consider it an honour and a duty to look after their parents into their old age. (Ok a few girls will exploit their farang partners using this argument, but that's where the lack of gullibility comes in!)...

SO you think the brits are bad, come for a taste of the greek brats, I know of 2 cases where underage boys had taken dads car and killed tourist, and then got away with it. I wil concider it an honour and a privilage to look after the less well off. Lucky for me though mum and dad are taken car off already.

[frogblogger]

Originally Posted by Hephesus

SO you think the brits are bad, come for a taste of the greek brats, I know of 2 cases where underage boys had taken dads car and killed tourist, and then got away with it. I wil concider it an honour and a privilage to look after the less well off. Lucky for me though mum and dad are taken car off already.

Worth a separate discussion, perhaps, all this. In the meantime, back to photos. It's inevitable that the pics will provoke some chat about other issues of course!

Another smile from an alms-gathering celebration of 11,250 monks last November in Chiang Mai...

[Hephesus]

Originally Posted by frogblogger

Worth a separate discussion, perhaps, all this. In the meantime, back to photos. It's inevitable that the pics will provoke some chat about other issues of course!

Another smile from an alms-gathering celebration of 11,250 monks last November in Chiang Mai...

I think that chrisianity and catholicism has a lot to learn from these guys. come to that maybe the word does also.

[frogblogger]

Originally Posted by Hephesus

I think that chrisianity and catholicism has a lot to learn from these guys. come to that maybe the word does also.

Me too, something I've felt for a long time.

But the Thais are incredibly superstitious though, and mix in a lot of animism and shamanism into their lives, one way or another. I've got some pics to illustrate this, I'll add a few when I can dig them out...

[frogblogger]

Some of those superstition photos added in this thread...

But even with mainstream Buddhism superstitious practices are regularly included -
here the Number 1 Bar in Chiang Mai is receiving the 'Kuen Ban Mai' Buddhist blessing for the opening of a new bar over the road...



There's something special about the tolerance of Buddhism ... if you can spot it in this photo, taken during the ceremony

[Hephesus]

Is it the electric bill he is holding

[frogblogger]

Originally Posted by Hephesus

Is it the electric bill he is holding

He looks a bit worried, maybe he's just come across his bar tab from the night before...



(No comment about the thickest bunch of N°1 Bar bills amongst that lot )

[Serendipity2]

Originally Posted by frogblogger

Worth a separate discussion, perhaps, all this. In the meantime, back to photos. It's inevitable that the pics will provoke some chat about other issues of course!

Another smile from an alms-gathering celebration of 11,250 monks last November in Chiang Mai...

frogblogger,

This photo and the following photo of the Buddhist monks blessing a new bar are very good. I think you mentioned you're using a Nikon digital D2 or was that a D300? Whatever, they're exceptional. What image size are you set at? I would think medium. Are you set at 'fine' or 'normal' image quality? They are really excellent and you're depth of field is exceptional. I still think you missed your calling!

Serendipity2