Thread: The Things I LUV About Thailand

Originally Posted by Loner

not the pseudo-westerned wealthy Bangkokian Thais

Yeah I hate them. How dare they like Western culture and how dare they be wealthy.

I don't dislike anyone for being wealthy. We can only work within the system we are living in and I don't think it is the duty of every wealthy Thai to try and change their country. Also, the distribution of wealth is uneven in all countries, not just here. A report from the World Institute for Development Economics found the richest 10% of adults accounted for 85% of the world total of global assets.

If you do think wealthy people have a duty to try and change the system to help those with less then shouldn't we also, as global citizens, have been trying to improve the lot of rural Thais, African refugees etcetera for a long while?

I would have thought that by working here as a teacher, it would help Thailand a lot and would show a certain amount of awareness of good global citizenship. Admittedly not the poorest and neediest, but overall I had imagined teaching here would have been welcomed by fellow teachers and by the education workers generally as a benefit to the country. Oh well.

Originally Posted by robitusson

overall I had imagined teaching here would have been welcomed by fellow teachers and by the education workers generally as a benefit to the country.

I never thought about it like that when I came over here. I just treated it like doing any other job - I never thought of myself as being here to help as such, but rather providing a service for an agreed price (a pretty crappy price but then it was a pretty crappy service too).

That's how I view it too. But on occasion I also thought that there can be an element of altruism about it.

Originally Posted by SageAndOnion

If you do think wealthy people have a duty to try and change the system to help those with less then shouldn't we also, as global citizens, have been trying to improve the lot of rural Thais, African refugees etcetera for a long while?

Err, a lot of us have.

Originally Posted by WilliamBlake

Err, a lot of us have.

What percentage of the western population do you think has been actively involved in trying to improve wealth distribution to poorer countries then, over the last, say, 20 years?

Originally Posted by SageAndOnion

What percentage of the western population do you think has been actively involved in trying to improve wealth distribution to poorer countries then, over the last, say, 20 years?

I guess you missed Band Aid, Live Aid, USA for Africa, Medicines sans Frontieres, Oxfam, Red Cross, St Vincent de Paul, Unicef, Save The Children Fund, et al, while you were busy arguing on the Internet with people you don't know.

Originally Posted by WilliamBlake

I guess you missed Band Aid, Live Aid, USA for Africa, Medicines sans Frontieres, Oxfam, Red Cross, St Vincent de Paul, Unicef, Save The Children Fund, et al, while you were busy arguing on the Internet with people you don't know.

I didn't miss them, but I didn't contribute either. I meant taking action to change the imbalance long term, not remedial fund raising for desperate causes though (re band aid, live aid type of thang).

Originally Posted by Loner

teaching us falangs in the Thai Culture Course about traditional Thai values. Then driving off into the sunset in her shiny new benz!

I don't really follow your reasoning here. Are you saying driving a Mercedes is a rejection of Thai culture?

Originally Posted by SageAndOnion

I didn't miss them, but I didn't contribute either.

Hence your rather fervent lack of support for altruism among the elite classes.

I meant taking action to change the imbalance long term, not remedial fund raising for desperate causes though (re band aid, live aid type of thang).

Yeeeeeesssss.....riiiiight.

(What do you think teachers DO?)