Existing Beyond Their Means...

[ted]

A rather recent phenomenon of this last generation....
Easy to secure bank loans have made it quite possible to live beyond your truer means for the everyday average Thai [95% of the population]....the idea of indebtedness forever never occurs to them. Image and present time takes precedent.

Where did this mental state derive from [asking rhetorically}?

A loan to look after everything:
   A larger than life house [that they don't need and can't afford]
   A brand new motored vehicle [down and monthly payments are out of reach in mormal circumstances]
   Tamboons [wouldn't want to lose face amongst the community at large]
   Sin Sot [naturally....image raises it's ugly head]
   Most everything else that they don't require nor can afford

Even an honest, simple and humble lifestyle can't be afforded anymore.

[Prakhonchai Nick]

A rather recent phenomenon of this last generation....
Easy to secure bank loans have made it quite possible to live beyond your truer means for the everyday average Thai [95% of the population]....the idea of indebtedness forever never occurs to them. Image and present time takes precedent.

Where did this mental state derive from [asking rhetorically}?

A loan to look after everything:
   A larger than life house [that they don't need and can't afford]
   A brand new motored vehicle [down and monthly payments are out of reach in mormal circumstances]
   Tamboons [wouldn't want to lose face amongst the community at large]
   Sin Sot [naturally....image raises it's ugly head]
   Most everything else that they don't require nor can afford

Even an honest, simple and humble lifestyle can't be afforded anymore.

If it were bank loans they were obtaining it would not be so bad. However, in the villages the vast majority are not eligible for bank loans (no or insecure work, no assets etc) that they resort to borrowing from loan sharks at 5-10% interest a MONTH! Once in the system, they cam never get out. The interest charges are crippling, and they invariably have to borrow more just to to pay them.

Your list is spot on. Even when the new house starts to deteriorate due to lack of maintenance, the vehicles are re-possessed, and there is no money for  special medical treatment they will always find money for their tamboons. The Monks take precedence over everything!

Brain washing and indoctrination are 2 words that spring to mind.

[ted]

The tamboons are killers...
Social & community obligations can create financial hardship on good hardworking folks with little means - a couple hundred baht here and there. It ads up. Certainly when there seems to be a run of tamboons in any given month.

Our good neighbor, who fits this category above, whines over the series of tamboons she's expected to attend [forking over the probverbial cash].

My suggestion of "taking a raincheck" goes unnoticed.

[urleft]

I'm not familiar with the term "tamboons".

Is this the money, food, etc. given to the Wat? 

The Catholics have nothing on the Buddhists when it comes to collecting money.  Not a criticism, just amazement. 

[lays]

I am lucky Mrs Lays is from a good hardworking family and her parents are the 'salt of the earth' type. Hardworking but poor, they do not drink or expect anything from us. We do however give them a wage as our daughter stays with them in the week when at the village school and it works out fine. I do not get involved with anything that will not impact on my (happy) lifestyle.

I find you NEED very little here in Thailand to be happy. Greed is a state of mind that is 100% self inflicted and some farangs show it far worse than Thai's. Sometimes, I feel that certain types resent anyone who is happy.

[Jetmickey]

As Charles Dickens said " Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pound ought and six, result misery.

I have a budget and try to stick to it,so far so good 

[ted]

I am lucky Mrs Lays is from a good hardworking family and her parents are the 'salt of the earth' type. Hardworking but poor, they do not drink or expect anything from us. We do however give them a wage as our daughter stays with them in the week when at the village school and it works out fine. I do not get involved with anything that will not impact on my (happy) lifestyle.

I find you NEED very little here in Thailand to be happy. Greed is a state of mind that is 100% self inflicted and some farangs show it far worse than Thai's. Sometimes, I feel that certain types resent anyone who is happy.

 

[Big Ears]

I am lucky Mrs Lays is from a good hardworking family and her parents are the 'salt of the earth' type. Hardworking but poor, they do not drink or expect anything from us. We do however give them a wage as our daughter stays with them in the week when at the village school and it works out fine. I do not get involved with anything that will not impact on my (happy) lifestyle.

I find you NEED very little here in Thailand to be happy. Greed is a state of mind that is 100% self inflicted and some farangs show it far worse than Thai's. Sometimes, I feel that certain types resent anyone who is happy.

 

But everybody knows that for the Thais there is nothing more disgusting than a poor farang 

[Nobby]

But everybody knows that for the Thais there is nothing more disgusting than a poor farang 

That is true, can you blame them? Same applies to the variety too.
They know very little about life outside LOS and think we all lay golden eggs.

[ted]

But everybody knows that for the Thais there is nothing more disgusting than a poor farang 

That is true, can you blame them? Same applies to the variety too.
They know very little about life outside LOS and think we all lay golden eggs.

...and some just lay eggs [figuratively]

[Nobby]

But everybody knows that for the Thais there is nothing more disgusting than a poor farang 

That is true, can you blame them? Same applies to the variety too.
They know very little about life outside LOS and think we all lay golden eggs.

...and some just lay eggs [figuratively]

 

[candy]

Just had a look at my unreads.Amazing how some out there want so much to change this place because they think they're better.But when it comes to the knocking shops, oh no,they are spot on.Where else could the sad fuks get their leg over.I suppose they got tired of curb crawling in their own country or the price was too much.So everything here is wrong except the dirt.

[ted]

Just had a look at my unreads.Amazing how some out there want so much to change this place because they think they're better.But when it comes to the knocking shops, oh no,they are spot on.Where else could the sad fuks get their leg over.I suppose they got tired of curb crawling in their own country or the price was too much.So everything here is wrong except the dirt.