BD, I talk down Thailand, sure. That's because Thailand kids are pissing away their opportunity here. They don't know how good they have it with us white native speakers coming here, and that pisses me off.

However, there is some good in this place.

For one thing, I don't notice much crime. Crime in the states, at least the non-white-collar crime, is mainly caused by the deprivation people feel. Yes, thanks to the advertising the average US whitey is is constantly exposed to, Americans are made to feel that 'luxuries' are really 'needs'. Some folks can't afford what they see in advertisements and feel deprived, so they resort to crime to get what they want. Thais aren't exposed to the advertising bombardment, so they never really feel deprived or inadequate. No, you don't see many Crown Vics topped with expensive lightbars prowling around waiting to capture criminals or even speeders, for that matter.

Another thing I don't see much of is chronic depression. When I tell my Thai colleagues about how good the 'good life' is in America, they are blown away by the idea that most Americans aren't satisfied with what they have. They always want more, and if they can't get it, the get depressed. This is partly due to the advertising/programming (luxuries become NEEDS) I mentioned above. Yeah, Thai people can not BELIEVE that in America, the supposedly best country on Earth, people take fucking Prozac! Thais don't know what Prozac is. Hopefully, they never will.

Finally, there is the 'slackness'. I rail against this, but there may be some good in it. These folks don't let someone else dominate their lives like we do. We Americans rush-rush-rush because we've been programmed to do that. If one isn't 'successful', he is somehow inferior in our eyes. You know what I'm talking about. If one wants to play in corporate America, and maximize its rewards (mainly winning 'approval' from peers), he must play by certain rules. Deadlines and meeting those deadlines are acceptable to us. Not to Thais. They don't need to win anybody's 'approval'. Success is a good rice crop, not a more efficient production process that benefits a bunch of absent, slave-driving stockholders.

So, it's not ALL bad. Just the education system, not to mention some hygiene issues. Unfortunately, I have to lock horns with both these daily. If I can get some money together, I'll move to someplace like Krabi and never leave. I'll be fixing my own food and teaching my own kids in year-round good weather.

And I'll never have to meet a deadline, read an advertisement, or take a happy pill.