10,000 Chinese teachers

[beijo]

Read today on Bangkog News that Thailand is importing 10,000 Chinese Teachers for a "cultural and educational" exchange. How about some english teachers ? Or is the Taksin government turning their back on the West ? Sure sounds like it if the Thais have to ask the Chinese for permission to allow NASA to fly some weather flights out of a Thai airport. What's your take on this

[Luung]

The Thai government recently made a statement that any Thai schools wanting to teach English as a second language will have to fund it themselves (Fuckin' unbelievable)!!!

The funny thing is, that in spite of their new position on the world stage the Chinese realise more than ever the need to learn English as it’s the lingua Franca for world business & commerce... And yet in spite of their tourist numbers etc, the Thais do not!.. In fact the well heeled are packing their kids off to go learn Chinese!

The Thais are just plain fuckin' arrogant, stubborn & stupid, especially those in the Taskin administration, they've all but written us off because our currencies haven't regained value yet... It’s both this & the fact that they are, in truth, incredibly racist towards us smelly, disrespectful Westerners.

BTW, did you know that the Shinawatra's use their Chinese name when they go to China (in spite of professing their Thainess to all n' sundry here). They want to get so far up the Chinese's aresholes hoping that some success will rub off on them, that it's untrue!

I live in Chiang Mai & the attitude towards us is really changing up here... They don't want us anymore! The place is becoming an overly polluted ugly, building site (a scar on the landscape) & it's all in expectation of a welcomed Chinese invasion of both ex-pats & tourists who don’t care about such issues & who look & behave somewhat like themselves.

[zaronxas]

I think this enthusiasm for China will be short-lived.

First, Chinese tourism and investment is a lot less generous and economically beneficial than its western version. China is still by and large a poor country and the Chinese are notoriuos for cutting corners.

Second, China's economic boom won't last. It's population is aging faster than even Japan's but it's still reliant on massive pools of cheap labor for its competitive advantage. In a decade or so, we'll probably be talking about China lost decade.

[Luung]

I take you point Zaronxas & I hope you're right, but the ever so short sighted 'TOT' are only really interested in bums on seats & hotel bookings, they really couldn't give a monkey's left bollock about what money gets spent on the ground as it's only going to small & medium sized local enterprises, that they don't give a fuck about!

Why do you think that they're so enamoured by the Indian, Arab & Ruskie hordes... They only spend in 7/11's & Family Marts, but the tourism figures don't half look good!

I figure China's boom won't last either as sooner or later they're going to have to bring in some social welfare reforms & when that happens they'll most certainly slide back down again. However, it's only a tiny percentage of China's population that has to be doing well for the country to be looking wealthy in terms of figures, because the population is so vast.

BTW, I think that you'll find that the Thai's have a reputation for cutting corners & skimping, plus there's a shared deep love of curuption too, so it might well be a marriage made in heaven?

[KenW]

Knowing fuck nothing about either Thailand or China I find this fascinating. Thanks to beijo for opening it. As always Lung's insights are valuable, forthright, and on the money.

One thing I do know is that the Vietnamese will be watching these developments with great interest. A strengthening Chinese ally to their west is a cause always for concern, and whatever moves Thailand makes towards sucking Chinese arses even more, will cause consternation in Hanoi.

As Lung says, so it could be said for Vietnam, that they have little need of us (except for Mr Gates and a swag of construction companies). VNese legislation and policing give us ordinary Joes a reasonably hard time, in regard to visa renewals, residence, ownership of property, etc. But unlike, apparently, the Thais, they much prefer us to the Chinese. (Us: I mean as does Lung, Westerners.)

Unlike the Thais, the VNese will never, in the conceivable future, suck Chinese arse. Since the 2 week war of 1979, the Chinese won't put shit on the VNese either.

(For those who don't know, in 1979, to punish VN for its incursion into Chinese backed Khmer Rouge atrocities, the Chinese invaded VN's northern border. They lost 20,000 men in 2 weeks (equivalent to 2 entire infantry divisions), went home with tails between legs and have not caused a murmur since.)