Thai Women - Opinions & Advice

[QUOTE=Tansak KTV]You work in this field so you know most so I got some questions...

Rangsit is also decently expensive for thai standards from what I understand, it's private is it not (non govt.)? And while Ramkhamhaeng is dirt cheap and anyone who can breathe can get in, some of their studies are hard to finish. Meaning it's a piece of cake to get in but hard to finish and complete some of their programs. That's a Govt. run university is it not?

Mahidol is one of the higher govt schools yes or no? That is where I have lectured at times and do some work at as well as Mekong Institute. Ramkhamhaeng I've done some items with the Sports Authority of Thailand over that way so I know some about that one on a larger scale and they are completing a whole new business building now.

I've just dated girls from Rangsit and Ramkamhaeng. :D[/QUOTE]


The saying about Ramkhamhaeng is that it's easy to get in, but hard to finish. I'd say that has more to do with the personal motivation of their students, than the difficulty of the coursework. It is a government open university.

Rangsit is private and a middle ranked school. Many of its Thai programs, especially in Communication Arts are quite good.

Mahidol, a government university is in the top 5 unis and is very difficult to get into. It has probably the best medical school in Thailand.

All government universities are moving towards becoming autonomous, which is scaring the shit out of a lot of the Thais because suddenly they will leave the safety of lifetime government employment and will now be held accountable (to a point). A lot of incredibly incompetent people who shouldn't go anywhere near a university are now likely going to lose their jobs because they can't hide anymore.

[QUOTE=Terry Terrier] are you suggesting that things may be about to move beyond the control of the local mafiosa/old money? There doesn't appear to be any faction pushing for this inside Thailand. The push in Yugo came from the outside. What are you suggesting? [/QUOTE]You got IT ALL WRONG. Check the facts of history first before speaking up. The former republic of Yugoslavia did break up because of the independence declaration of Slovenia that got borders with Italy and Austria, very soon after followed by Croatia and the wish of Macedonia to leave the union of Yugoslavia. If not check a bittorrent download like tpb and download the BBC squeal of six documentary of the breakup of Yugoslavia to sort out the facts.

And yes, OTH, are not completely wrong on this issue. My wife have been watching it too. All six. And her conclusion as a High School teacher are the same. She says this could be Thailand one day.

[QUOTE=Terry Terrier]:eek: are you suggesting that things may be about to move beyond the control of the local mafiosa/old money? There doesn't appear to be any faction pushing for this inside Thailand. The push in Yugo came from the outside. What are you suggesting?[/QUOTE]You got IT ALL WRONG. Check the facts of history first before speaking up. The former republic of Yugoslavia did break up because of the independence declaration of Slovenia that got borders with Italy and Austria, very soon after followed by Croatia and the wish of Macedonia to leave the union of Yugoslavia. If not check a bittorrent download like tpb and download the BBC squeal of six documentary of the breakup of Yugoslavia to sort out the facts.

And yes, OTH, are not completely wrong on this issue. My wife have been watching it too. All six. And her conclusion as a High School teacher are the same. She says this could be Thailand one day.

[QUOTE=Terry Terrier]:eek: are you suggesting that things may be about to move beyond the control of the local mafiosa/old money? There doesn't appear to be any faction pushing for this inside Thailand. The push in Yugo came from the outside. What are you suggesting?[/QUOTE]

No. I merely meant that like Yugoslavia, Thailand is an artificial entity made up of ethnically diverse peoples and what were, not that long ago either semi-autonomous regions or completely independent kingdoms.

The central Thais, like the Serbs in Yugoslavia hold it together by 1/ money and economic control, 2/ military power, 3/ political control 4/ educational control.

There exists a considerable undercurrent of resentment among the groups who are not part of the ruling class. The recent unrest is only the tip of the iceberg.

But, there is also considerable antipathy between ethnic groups and regions.

The most obvious example is the on-going war in the south: Muslim, ethnically Malay vs. Buddhist, ethnically Thai elite. Part of the root of this war goes back centuries to the old southern kingdoms like the Kingdom of Pattani, forceably subjugated by the current Chakri dynasty.

[QUOTE=Terry Terrier]:eek: are you suggesting that things may be about to move beyond the control of the local mafiosa/old money? There doesn't appear to be any faction pushing for this inside Thailand. The push in Yugo came from the outside. What are you suggesting?[/QUOTE]You got IT ALL WRONG. Check the facts of history first before speaking up. The former republic of Yugoslavia did break up because of the independence declaration of Slovenia that got borders with Italy and Austria, very soon after followed by Croatia and the wish of Macedonia to leave the union of Yugoslavia. If not check a bittorrent download like tpb and download the BBC squeal of six documentary of the breakup of Yugoslavia to sort out the facts.

And yes, OTH, are not completely wrong on this issue. My wife have been watching it too. All six. And her conclusion as a High School teacher are the same. She says this could be Thailand one day.

[QUOTE=Old Thai Hand] Mahidol, a government university is in the top 5 unis and is very difficult to get into..[/QUOTE]

Both of my 'real girlfriends' in Thailand studied at this one.

[QUOTE=Old Thai Hand]The saying about Ramkhamhaeng is that it's easy to get in, but hard to finish. I'd say that has more to do with the personal motivation of their students, than the difficulty of the coursework. It is a government open university.

Rangsit is private and a middle ranked school. Many of its Thai programs, especially in Communication Arts are quite good.

Mahidol, a government university is in the top 5 unis and is very difficult to get into. It has probably the best medical school in Thailand.

All government universities are moving towards becoming autonomous, which is scaring the shit out of a lot of the Thais because suddenly they will leave the safety of lifetime government employment and will now be held accountable (to a point). A lot of incredibly incompetent people who shouldn't go anywhere near a university are now likely going to lose their jobs because they can't hide anymore.[/QUOTE]

I teach at two of the (perceived superior) Bangkok universities. While I would like to think that there is this amount of change coming, I just don't see it.

Likewise with the comment that there is "an undercurrent of resentment" among the disenfranchised. Maybe I am spending my time with "the haves" but I see little change coming in Thailand. I wish I felt otherwise, but the peasants here are pretty conservative.

More likely, in my view, is the other countries in the region will leave Thailand further and further behind as development and change happen there. I hope that my sense of things is wrong, but Thailand and change do not fit in my mouth at the same time.

[QUOTE=Biz99]I teach at two of the (perceived superior) Bangkok universities. While I would like to think that there is this amount of change coming, I just don't see it..[/QUOTE]

I don't get why you and OTH are so eager to see your workplaces become more demanding. Working for the government, in a bureacracy, with little accountability is [i]a dream job[/i].

[QUOTE=Biz99]More likely, in my view, is the other countries in the region will leave Thailand further and further behind as development and change happen there. I hope that my sense of things is wrong, but Thailand and change do not fit in my mouth at the same time.[/QUOTE]
No worries about the Philippines leaving Thailand behind. It's more corrupt and, with 7,000+ islands, there are huge difficulties in mobilizing any sustained political movements. The people are equally or perhaps more passive, poverty more rampant, and nothing ever changes.
GE

[QUOTE=Opebo]I don't get why you and OTH are so eager to see your workplaces become more demanding. Working for the government, in a bureacracy, with little accountability is [i]a dream job[/i].[/QUOTE]


If you can leave your standards behind, it is a dream job. The big problem is when you measure things against what they could be, as opposed to what they are, and if you set the bar at any height you will be frustrated.

[QUOTE=Biz99]I teach at two of the (perceived superior) Bangkok universities. While I would like to think that there is this amount of change coming, I just don't see it.

Likewise with the comment that there is "an undercurrent of resentment" among the disenfranchised. Maybe I am spending my time with "the haves" but I see little change coming in Thailand. I wish I felt otherwise, but the peasants here are pretty conservative.

More likely, in my view, is the other countries in the region will leave Thailand further and further behind as development and change happen there. I hope that my sense of things is wrong, but Thailand and change do not fit in my mouth at the same time.[/QUOTE]

I basically agree with you. I've spent far too much time with the 'haves', as well, in the last 5 years, to believe that major change will come anytime soon. But, nevertheless, there still is "an undercurrent of resentment" and it's huge. There isn't the harmony in this country that the 'haves' would have everyone believe, despite their best efforts to keep the masses sedated and under control through mind-numbing pseudo-nationalism. There's also a lot of regional and ethnic racism and resentment despite the best efforts of the institutions of this country to create a national identity. The whole notion of "Thainess" is just a facade.

[QUOTE=Biz99]If you can leave your standards behind, it is a dream job. The big problem is when you measure things against what they could be, as opposed to what they are, and if you set the bar at any height you will be frustrated.[/QUOTE]

You also have to swallow your pride and kiss a lot of Thai ass, never rock the boat and watch quietly as they take credit for your accomplishments.

This is why I've switched to part-time from being full-time at these "venerable" (tongue firmly placed in cheek) institutions. You can just go in, teach and leave without getting dragged down by the pettiness, gossiping, and back-stabbing politics. You make more money this way, as well and as long as the students like you, they pretty much leave you alone.

[QUOTE=Old Thai Hand]I basically agree with you. I've spent far too much time with the 'haves', as well, in the last 5 years, to believe that major change will come anytime soon. But, nevertheless, there still is "an undercurrent of resentment" and it's huge. There isn't the harmony in this country that the 'haves' would wish for in order to keep the masses sedated by pseudo-nationalism and under their control. There's also a lot of regional and ethnic racism and resentment despite the best efforts of the institutions of this country to create a national identity. The whole notion of "Thainess" is just a facade.[/QUOTE]

Shoot, there is huge resentment and racism going on. Basically I think it is more of a powder keg then you folks do. The High Society and Bangkok Elites will do what they can to hold onto power but as some stated, maybe it was FonTok, most isaan people consider up north a separate country. Down south is a totally different story and country in itself. NorthWest is a totally separate issue.

With the work I do, I see thailand holding together on a shoe string and we are afraid to enter into any agreements for the last year, and when we are close to any agreements there is a change in political leadership so we have to start all over. Look at the turmoil in the government over the past two years to see who can remain in control, there is way too many interests for one group to run the country right now.

[QUOTE=Opebo]I don't get why you and OTH are so eager to see your workplaces become more demanding. Working for the government, in a bureacracy, with little accountability is [i]a dream job[/i].[/QUOTE]

While I cannot speak for OTH and the other Thai univ profs, it can be rather disappointing for those who love working in academia to be stuck in universities that lack standards and support students who feel entitled to degrees their low-achieving records notwithstanding. Now, I would rather work at a univ than not; however, I have had my share of the student who should not be there. Also, you learn much when you work with good students who want to learn and share their knowledge. This is a universal thing, not limited to Thailand. Believe me.

[QUOTE=Old Thai Hand]You also have to swallow your pride and kiss a lot of Thai ass, never rock the boat and watch quietly as they take credit for your accomplishments.

This is why I've switched to part-time from being full-time at these "venerable" (tongue firmly placed in cheek) institutions. You can just go in, teach and leave without getting dragged down by the pettiness, gossiping, and back-stabbing politics. You make more money this way, as well and as long as the students like you, they pretty much leave you alone.[/QUOTE]You can quote me on this OTH.

The Thais fuck up everything, yes everything.

So, think about it, all business is simply wrapped around "Find a need and fill it", right? So, the Thais try to have the Thais fix it, but then it just gets much worse. After letting them try to fix it 3 times, it is totally FUBAR.

Therefore, if you are the REAL "fixer", you become god. Get in, fix it, get out. Don't make friends, don't let them call you in the middle of the night, and make sure they pay you at least 50% in a bank transfer up front. Cash ain't nothin but trash, they never cough up what they say they are. Also, make sure that you can fuck the thing up again real fast if they don't pay the rest, and, make sure that they know it too.

Learn how to make that face with a tight brow like you feel so sorry for them, and that tight little smile, you know, like: Jeezuz you people are sooo fucking retarded, I want to laugh at you, but I really just want your money. If you want it done right, shut up, pay up, and stay the fuck out of my way." Yeah, you know, THAT look. Just remember NOT to roll your eyes when they start with all of their lame motherfucking money excuses. Just say, "Oh, excuse me, I have a call about another contract, shall we talk again in a month or two? " Walk away and get in your car, then watch what happens. They'll call, they always do. They might hate you, but they will call.

Thais WILL NEVER EVER figure out that it's far better (and cheaper) to do it right from the beginning.