I've never thought of dating a farang. I've never thought of getting married to a farang.I've never thought of staying abroad with a farang husband.
But I'm by no means romantically xenophobic and I do understand why an increasing number of Thai women prefer Westerners to Thai men. It is also easily understood that Thai women are a popular choice for foreigners seeking help from Internet matchmakers.
What I doubt is the research finding by Khon Kaen University which suggests that Isaan women who marry foreigners cause major social changes, as they adopt their husbands' customs and lifestyles. The research, led by Asst Professor Supawatanakorn Wongtha-nawasu, on the effect of cross-cultural marriages on families in the northeast of Thailand made headlines and caused hot discussions in Internet chat rooms.
Well, it is just too hard to swallow when the study says that Isaan wives are more fond of Western fast food like pizza or hamburgers rather than their staple somtam (papaya salad) and pla-ra (fermented fish).
I guess the research methodology was a questionnaire. If it was, why don't we adjust a question and ask the 231 respondents in the same study: "What would you choose if you had to eat the same food for a week?" We'll give them choices of somtam, hamburger or pizza. We shall see if somtam has lost its charm and whether foreign husbands make the spicy yet delicious dish dull.
With a spouse, regardless of nationality, a woman will always adapt, more or less. Compromise is the route to the goal of a smooth relationship. If you are dating an Indian, you would gradually get used to the smell of masala, and the same applies, with other nationalities, to getting familiar with the likes of blue cheese or anchovies.
Isaan wives are just like us when it comes to relationships and friendships. So it is not strange to see they celebrate Christmas in a joyful way. If foreigners make sacrifices to stay with them in Thailand and take care of their families, making sure that they have a good time on Christmas Day is just part of the couple's effort to keep their marriage on a rosy path - particularly when the foreign husband is the breadwinner.
It may be too simplistic to read from the same research that the foreigners' wives in the Northeast are not so enthusiastic about traditional Thai holidays like Buddhist Lent and Makha Bucha Day. It is unfair to them to arrive at such a conclusion. Try inquiring of city women and see which day is celebrated more: Makha Bucha Day or Christmas Day? Get my point?
Ironically it is Isaan women who have married foreigners and lived abroad who maintain the spirit of Buddhist holidays and festivals like Songkran by frequently visiting Thai temples. Fortunately, we haven't heard any complaints that they have caused changes in their new society by going to the Thai temples too often. No one petitions us that tom yum goong has become too popular because of Thai wives living in foreign countries.
The Isaan women in the study were an easy target for stereotyping. True, they are more exposed to foreign culture through their other halves, and they may have adopted some Western ways of life. But are they really different from city women who carry Louis Vuitton, wear Prada shoes and dine out at Western restaurants?
Perhaps the way the Isaan women have started enjoying pizza is just the same as city women who worship foreign designer brand names. The real difference is that women in the capital need not date a foreigner or marry one to adopt his culture. And even when a city woman starts seeing a Westerner, she probably doesn't need to change a thing, for she has already been Westernised enough.
And if one wants to target an Isaan women for marrying a foreigner for economic reasons, please think again. Do not forget that many wealthy Thai women, and especially those in the middle-classes, also take economic reasons into consideration when they choose their life partner.
As for Thai men, they may have realised by now that cross-cultural marriages are on the rise. Thai men have to ask themselves why - since they come in a good, compatible package and appreciate the taste of somtam?
Some women are finding foreigners more dependable? I bet the answer is not all about money!
Published on December 2, 2006
Showing posts with label society. Show all posts
Showing posts with label society. Show all posts
Sunday, December 31, 2006
So, who wants to be a coyote girl anyway?
If you surveyed young women around the country and asked them for their choices of career, the so-called "coyote dancer" wouldn't make it into the top 10, or even the top 20.
Dancing erotically in skimpy outfits in front of men is by no means the job of a woman's dreams.
Many students become coyote dancers to finance their studies. Some are fortunate enough to carry on their education while a few become university drop-outs thanks to their part-time dancing work.
Like other employees, they are working legally. They believe dancing, even in front of drunken men, is far better than selling their bodies, but deep in their hearts they know that this is not their career and they prefer not to talk openly about it.
Despite unfavourable work conditions, the number of coyote girls is growing. As they become a favourite entertainment at various events, their performances have extended from nightclubs to temple grounds. They are increasingly visible, and society is getting worried.
Following HM the Queen's recent concern about sexy dancing at a Buddhist event in Nong Khai province, Thai authorities are now seriously looking into ways to curb the sky-rocketting growth of coyote dancers. The Interior Ministry has already asked provincial governors to curb inappropriate performances, especially at Buddhist sites and public events.
Every now and then, Thai society appears to fall into a period of moral panic. We've experienced it before - teen sex, Internet chat sites, under-age night owls and violent computer games. This time round it is the invasion of the coyote girls. The police, too, respond to the panic. This year, apart from their usual Loy Krathong routine of checking on the sexual behaviour of youngsters, they have instituted checks for undesirable dancing.
Many restrictions may have the effect of making coyote dancing fade from fashion. The Culture Ministry has proposed a restriction banning those under 20 from working as coyote girls and stopping all such performances in some places.
Coming to the rescue of the coyote girls are a few officials who look at the picture in a broader perspective. Fortunately not all officials are suffering from this moral panic. Labour Production and Welfare Department Chief Padungsak Thephasdin na Ayutthaya and Education Minister Wijit Srisa-an have expressed concern on the rights issue: the age restriction could be a breach of the right to work, they say.
The education minister said: "A lewd dance is a lewd dance, regardless of age." In other words, the lewdness of the dance should not be the basis of discrimination.
The Culture Ministry may think the restrictions on ages and venues are the right medicine for the increasing number of coyote girls, but they may be hitting where it doesn't hurt. If a coyote-dance troupe performs at an inappropriate place, it is the organiser who should be blamed. This would make everyone aware of cultural sensitivity rather than singling out the dancers. For they are just employees, and whenever or wherever they are employed, they will do their job. As to whether or not their bodily movements are in good cultural taste, we can again point the finger of responsibility at their employers.
It is about time that policy-makers looked at possible "threats" to our norms and values in a broader perspective instead of panicking. The Religious Department can ask all Buddhist temples to avoid inappropriate performances. The coyote dancers are just a tiny part of the overall problem, and the tip of the problem at that, not its root. The policy-makers should go back and try to answer all the basic questions. What is the target audience of coyote dancers? Why has coyote dancing become popular?
They may also find out why, if it is not a dream job, girls take it."
More importantly, after gathering the information, they should find out whether the dancing is the thing we should be panicking about. Does society really collapse because of dancing girls?
Dancing erotically in skimpy outfits in front of men is by no means the job of a woman's dreams.
Many students become coyote dancers to finance their studies. Some are fortunate enough to carry on their education while a few become university drop-outs thanks to their part-time dancing work.
Like other employees, they are working legally. They believe dancing, even in front of drunken men, is far better than selling their bodies, but deep in their hearts they know that this is not their career and they prefer not to talk openly about it.
Despite unfavourable work conditions, the number of coyote girls is growing. As they become a favourite entertainment at various events, their performances have extended from nightclubs to temple grounds. They are increasingly visible, and society is getting worried.
Following HM the Queen's recent concern about sexy dancing at a Buddhist event in Nong Khai province, Thai authorities are now seriously looking into ways to curb the sky-rocketting growth of coyote dancers. The Interior Ministry has already asked provincial governors to curb inappropriate performances, especially at Buddhist sites and public events.
Every now and then, Thai society appears to fall into a period of moral panic. We've experienced it before - teen sex, Internet chat sites, under-age night owls and violent computer games. This time round it is the invasion of the coyote girls. The police, too, respond to the panic. This year, apart from their usual Loy Krathong routine of checking on the sexual behaviour of youngsters, they have instituted checks for undesirable dancing.
Many restrictions may have the effect of making coyote dancing fade from fashion. The Culture Ministry has proposed a restriction banning those under 20 from working as coyote girls and stopping all such performances in some places.
Coming to the rescue of the coyote girls are a few officials who look at the picture in a broader perspective. Fortunately not all officials are suffering from this moral panic. Labour Production and Welfare Department Chief Padungsak Thephasdin na Ayutthaya and Education Minister Wijit Srisa-an have expressed concern on the rights issue: the age restriction could be a breach of the right to work, they say.
The education minister said: "A lewd dance is a lewd dance, regardless of age." In other words, the lewdness of the dance should not be the basis of discrimination.
The Culture Ministry may think the restrictions on ages and venues are the right medicine for the increasing number of coyote girls, but they may be hitting where it doesn't hurt. If a coyote-dance troupe performs at an inappropriate place, it is the organiser who should be blamed. This would make everyone aware of cultural sensitivity rather than singling out the dancers. For they are just employees, and whenever or wherever they are employed, they will do their job. As to whether or not their bodily movements are in good cultural taste, we can again point the finger of responsibility at their employers.
It is about time that policy-makers looked at possible "threats" to our norms and values in a broader perspective instead of panicking. The Religious Department can ask all Buddhist temples to avoid inappropriate performances. The coyote dancers are just a tiny part of the overall problem, and the tip of the problem at that, not its root. The policy-makers should go back and try to answer all the basic questions. What is the target audience of coyote dancers? Why has coyote dancing become popular?
They may also find out why, if it is not a dream job, girls take it."
More importantly, after gathering the information, they should find out whether the dancing is the thing we should be panicking about. Does society really collapse because of dancing girls?
What the poll for favourite writers tells us
The Suan Dusit poll on the most popular novel writers offers few surprises. But that serves as a good reflection of Thailand's literary reality: Who can break the virtual decades-old monopoly of Thommayantee and her classic "Khoo Kam"?
The fact that Thommayantee is the most favourite writer and Sophak Suwan came in the second shows that the choices of readers have hardly changed.
According to the poll's history, the two writers - whose works have won the hearts of readers since the 1960s - have been voted among the top five authors in Thailand for many years.
Why is that? Okay, we all agree that the two authors deserve the votes but the stagnant development of readers' tastes is very suspicious. How many works by Thommayantee do we remember? What about Sophak Suwan: do we Thai readers recall most of the writer's works?
Thommayantee seems to be the name on most people's lips - especially those who are non-readers. This is because a number of her works have been repeatedly made into TV series and movies, including "Khoo Kam" and "Tawipop".
Despite the poll, we can't be positive that people actually read the books by the authors or happen to appreciate the works only after seeing Thongchai "Bird" McIntyre in the role of the Japanese soldier Kobori in "Khoo Kam".
How about Sophak Suwan? Although the name is very familiar, most people don't recall the writer's works at all. That is pretty strange and sad for all Thai writers and our literary community in general.
No, we're not going to try to pick on the poll or its 1,000 sample interviews. We know the scientific study is right but somehow the respondents' choices make us aware that we are in danger of slower-than-expected development in literature.
Our understanding of literature is also doubtful. And that's why National Artist Naowarat Pongpaiboon, who is known as a great poet, appears as a favourite writer. There are two cases: either the respondents mix up the poems with books or they pick the name of Naowarat without really appreciating his work.
The only excitement this year is the new entry Prabda Yoon who is ranked third, thanks largely to the respondents' praise of his unique writing style. The result is rather positive that there is a new development of choice and taste although we can't be sure that the respondents really admire his writing or simply come up with his name because they have heard about him via various media. Whatever the reason, we accept that there is no doubt that Prabda has revived the literature community this year but his phenomenon is exceptional. It doesn't guarantee that Thai people read more and are geared toward more quality writing.
It is intriguing that many new-generation writers did not make it to the top 10. Take two- time Seawrite Award winner Win Leowarin, for example. His award-winning work "Pracha Tippatai Bon Sen Kanan" (Democracy on a Parallel Path) has been a best-seller for the past few years. But the voters did not pick him as a favourite.
Most of the writers in the top 10 share one thing in common: they write books that are made into TV soap operas or movies. For example, Kingchat, Wor Winichaikul, and Prapatsorn Saevikul all have had their books made into TV series.
But when we think interesting, quality books can be made into TV series and movies, another question arises: why are there fewer and fewer choices that we can pick for TV or film productions?
Supon Wichienchai, a producer with Channel 3, once voiced his concern that there are few works that can be adapted into TV series, so few that producers struggle to write their own stories and cultivate a new crop of TV series writers. Supon doesn't mention it but audiences can notice that we have been watching a great many copy-cat versions of Thommayantee's "Khoo Kam" and Wor Na Pramualmak's "Baan Sai Thong".
Does TV have something to do with the slow evolution of Thailand's literature? A lot of producers nowadays don't really believe that complicated plots will attract a mass audience, and are not economically viable as well. The latest sign is when RS Promotion recently announced its ambitious plan to launch 30 tele-movies to be released on VCD and DVD this year. The company's policy is to produce simple plots that are easy to understand for most Thai audiences.
Their belief, as suggested by ratings of TV soap operas, is that complicated plots and sophisticated production values don't always win over Thai audiences.
Classic works don't die, and the enduring popularity of "Khoo Kam" is solid proof of its magical appeal. Our problem is how to create alternatives for readers, or - maybe this is the heart of the matter - how to make readers want to read them.
Published on May 10, 2003
The fact that Thommayantee is the most favourite writer and Sophak Suwan came in the second shows that the choices of readers have hardly changed.
According to the poll's history, the two writers - whose works have won the hearts of readers since the 1960s - have been voted among the top five authors in Thailand for many years.
Why is that? Okay, we all agree that the two authors deserve the votes but the stagnant development of readers' tastes is very suspicious. How many works by Thommayantee do we remember? What about Sophak Suwan: do we Thai readers recall most of the writer's works?
Thommayantee seems to be the name on most people's lips - especially those who are non-readers. This is because a number of her works have been repeatedly made into TV series and movies, including "Khoo Kam" and "Tawipop".
Despite the poll, we can't be positive that people actually read the books by the authors or happen to appreciate the works only after seeing Thongchai "Bird" McIntyre in the role of the Japanese soldier Kobori in "Khoo Kam".
How about Sophak Suwan? Although the name is very familiar, most people don't recall the writer's works at all. That is pretty strange and sad for all Thai writers and our literary community in general.
No, we're not going to try to pick on the poll or its 1,000 sample interviews. We know the scientific study is right but somehow the respondents' choices make us aware that we are in danger of slower-than-expected development in literature.
Our understanding of literature is also doubtful. And that's why National Artist Naowarat Pongpaiboon, who is known as a great poet, appears as a favourite writer. There are two cases: either the respondents mix up the poems with books or they pick the name of Naowarat without really appreciating his work.
The only excitement this year is the new entry Prabda Yoon who is ranked third, thanks largely to the respondents' praise of his unique writing style. The result is rather positive that there is a new development of choice and taste although we can't be sure that the respondents really admire his writing or simply come up with his name because they have heard about him via various media. Whatever the reason, we accept that there is no doubt that Prabda has revived the literature community this year but his phenomenon is exceptional. It doesn't guarantee that Thai people read more and are geared toward more quality writing.
It is intriguing that many new-generation writers did not make it to the top 10. Take two- time Seawrite Award winner Win Leowarin, for example. His award-winning work "Pracha Tippatai Bon Sen Kanan" (Democracy on a Parallel Path) has been a best-seller for the past few years. But the voters did not pick him as a favourite.
Most of the writers in the top 10 share one thing in common: they write books that are made into TV soap operas or movies. For example, Kingchat, Wor Winichaikul, and Prapatsorn Saevikul all have had their books made into TV series.
But when we think interesting, quality books can be made into TV series and movies, another question arises: why are there fewer and fewer choices that we can pick for TV or film productions?
Supon Wichienchai, a producer with Channel 3, once voiced his concern that there are few works that can be adapted into TV series, so few that producers struggle to write their own stories and cultivate a new crop of TV series writers. Supon doesn't mention it but audiences can notice that we have been watching a great many copy-cat versions of Thommayantee's "Khoo Kam" and Wor Na Pramualmak's "Baan Sai Thong".
Does TV have something to do with the slow evolution of Thailand's literature? A lot of producers nowadays don't really believe that complicated plots will attract a mass audience, and are not economically viable as well. The latest sign is when RS Promotion recently announced its ambitious plan to launch 30 tele-movies to be released on VCD and DVD this year. The company's policy is to produce simple plots that are easy to understand for most Thai audiences.
Their belief, as suggested by ratings of TV soap operas, is that complicated plots and sophisticated production values don't always win over Thai audiences.
Classic works don't die, and the enduring popularity of "Khoo Kam" is solid proof of its magical appeal. Our problem is how to create alternatives for readers, or - maybe this is the heart of the matter - how to make readers want to read them.
Published on May 10, 2003
Violent youths spring from poor parenting
The tragic story of the murder and suicide involving a Trium Udom Suksa Pattanakarn student has sparked off a bitter debate across the country about violence among Thai children.
The incident really serves as a wake-up call for the whole society. The message is clear: young people are becoming increasingly violent in their behaviour and thinking. And before anyone can put the blame on young people, they have already voiced their opinions. They are hitting back by blaming society and their own families for the violent behaviour of some of their friends.
If you don't quite understand their statements, just take a look at the findings from a study that is part of Chulalongkorn University's Child Watch Project. Conducted by Amornwich Nakhornthap, the study polled 1,000 children in each of 12 provinces (no sampling representation in Bangkok) before coming up with the following interesting conclusions:
l About 10 per cent of teenagers are addicted to computer games. Some 25 per cent of them play computer games regularly.
l Some 45 per cent of Thai children have never given food to monks. And some 65 per cent have never listened to a religious sermon.
l About 40 per cent have not gone out with their parents or sisters and brothers in a month. They are left to face the world by themselves.
l There are about 220 places of sin (brothels or night clubs) in each province on average. On the contrary, there are only 26 public parks and playgrounds. Lampang has the least of all: only seven public parks for the young people to spend their leisure time.
The conclusion? The study shows that young people are physically surrounded by places of vice more than places of morality. A teenage forum held recently at Chulalongkorn University brands Thailand now as a "sick and violent" society.
Nowadays, our young children tend to live their lives in a violent world without parental guidance. Verbal abuse from their parents and other forms of domestic violence have also combined to create a sense of insecurity, leading to violent behaviour.
On the psychological side, the children are either raised protectively or negligently. By now, we realise that the two extremes bring about the same tragic results. The fact is nothing new: we have been told that a spoiled child is never happy. It's a universal truth but somehow the parents tend to forget this truth.
Teen psychologist Dr Prasert Palittapolkarnpim has a very good point. He observes that parents neglect children not only because of economic factors. Parents of all socio-economic levels share the same behaviour: they are striving for a higher standard of living. At the same time, they have become "low-quality" parents and have little time to pay attention to their children.
Supawadee Hanmethi, publisher of a wide range of family magazines including Life &Family, has been advocating the strengthening of family ties for years. The mother of two sons, Supawadee repeatedly writes that family members must be close to each other and every family should create an atmosphere of open discussion that allows children an equal chance to voice their opinions.
She also points that "children with good grades are not always good children". By now, enough examples show that not every good student is a successful or happy child. Recall the case of a top student at Thammasat University who jumped from a building just because she got a B in one subject, destroying her chance to get a gold medal.
Too much love can prompt parents to pressure their children for academic success which, in turn, can kill them. At a forum of young people at Satri Witthaya School, student Wimwipa Pumee noted that "parents are cruel for they always tell us that our destiny is to secure a seat in a prestigious university."
That's why Supawadee warns parents: "Never ask a child, 'Did you get a good grade?'" Smart parents should not narrowly define a child's success by only academic reports.
Parents tend to think that a good academic record shows their success in child raising. But many people no longer agree with that idea. The education system forces students to compete fiercely, producing selfish children who aim at nothing but climbing to upper status in grades. No need to mention what kind of adults they will become when they enter the workplace.
There is a saying that "Children are like white cloth. It depends on what the artists will draw or paint on them." The parents are no doubt the artists of this great project of child rearing. Or if the kid were a building, the parents would be the architects. It's time we rethink what kind of design we want for the building.
If we excuse ourselves and insist that we have no time, our building will only become a rotten concrete structure with no character. The parents, not the kids, must take the credit or blame for their creation.
Chanachai Srichaphan showed us that when he put his life into his son, the result was a state-of-the-art work. Paradon may be an exceptional case in Thai society but let that be our inspiration to make every parent realise that their child can be successful in many ways apart from acting like a robot to produce good grades.
If we can't do anything about our education system (is education reform still on track?), all parents can start by giving time to their children, staying close to them, and give them love.
Perhaps that is the simplest solution and the good thing about it is that you don't need to pay for it. It's God-given. Don't let evil take it away.
Published on Jun 21, 2003
The incident really serves as a wake-up call for the whole society. The message is clear: young people are becoming increasingly violent in their behaviour and thinking. And before anyone can put the blame on young people, they have already voiced their opinions. They are hitting back by blaming society and their own families for the violent behaviour of some of their friends.
If you don't quite understand their statements, just take a look at the findings from a study that is part of Chulalongkorn University's Child Watch Project. Conducted by Amornwich Nakhornthap, the study polled 1,000 children in each of 12 provinces (no sampling representation in Bangkok) before coming up with the following interesting conclusions:
l About 10 per cent of teenagers are addicted to computer games. Some 25 per cent of them play computer games regularly.
l Some 45 per cent of Thai children have never given food to monks. And some 65 per cent have never listened to a religious sermon.
l About 40 per cent have not gone out with their parents or sisters and brothers in a month. They are left to face the world by themselves.
l There are about 220 places of sin (brothels or night clubs) in each province on average. On the contrary, there are only 26 public parks and playgrounds. Lampang has the least of all: only seven public parks for the young people to spend their leisure time.
The conclusion? The study shows that young people are physically surrounded by places of vice more than places of morality. A teenage forum held recently at Chulalongkorn University brands Thailand now as a "sick and violent" society.
Nowadays, our young children tend to live their lives in a violent world without parental guidance. Verbal abuse from their parents and other forms of domestic violence have also combined to create a sense of insecurity, leading to violent behaviour.
On the psychological side, the children are either raised protectively or negligently. By now, we realise that the two extremes bring about the same tragic results. The fact is nothing new: we have been told that a spoiled child is never happy. It's a universal truth but somehow the parents tend to forget this truth.
Teen psychologist Dr Prasert Palittapolkarnpim has a very good point. He observes that parents neglect children not only because of economic factors. Parents of all socio-economic levels share the same behaviour: they are striving for a higher standard of living. At the same time, they have become "low-quality" parents and have little time to pay attention to their children.
Supawadee Hanmethi, publisher of a wide range of family magazines including Life &Family, has been advocating the strengthening of family ties for years. The mother of two sons, Supawadee repeatedly writes that family members must be close to each other and every family should create an atmosphere of open discussion that allows children an equal chance to voice their opinions.
She also points that "children with good grades are not always good children". By now, enough examples show that not every good student is a successful or happy child. Recall the case of a top student at Thammasat University who jumped from a building just because she got a B in one subject, destroying her chance to get a gold medal.
Too much love can prompt parents to pressure their children for academic success which, in turn, can kill them. At a forum of young people at Satri Witthaya School, student Wimwipa Pumee noted that "parents are cruel for they always tell us that our destiny is to secure a seat in a prestigious university."
That's why Supawadee warns parents: "Never ask a child, 'Did you get a good grade?'" Smart parents should not narrowly define a child's success by only academic reports.
Parents tend to think that a good academic record shows their success in child raising. But many people no longer agree with that idea. The education system forces students to compete fiercely, producing selfish children who aim at nothing but climbing to upper status in grades. No need to mention what kind of adults they will become when they enter the workplace.
There is a saying that "Children are like white cloth. It depends on what the artists will draw or paint on them." The parents are no doubt the artists of this great project of child rearing. Or if the kid were a building, the parents would be the architects. It's time we rethink what kind of design we want for the building.
If we excuse ourselves and insist that we have no time, our building will only become a rotten concrete structure with no character. The parents, not the kids, must take the credit or blame for their creation.
Chanachai Srichaphan showed us that when he put his life into his son, the result was a state-of-the-art work. Paradon may be an exceptional case in Thai society but let that be our inspiration to make every parent realise that their child can be successful in many ways apart from acting like a robot to produce good grades.
If we can't do anything about our education system (is education reform still on track?), all parents can start by giving time to their children, staying close to them, and give them love.
Perhaps that is the simplest solution and the good thing about it is that you don't need to pay for it. It's God-given. Don't let evil take it away.
Published on Jun 21, 2003
Get your money the old-fashioned way: win it!
A friend of mine complained recently that she was feeling bloated as a result of drinking too much of a certain well-known brand of bottled green tea. To my surprise, her motive had nothing to do with any health benefits to be derived from the drink – she just wanted to win the jackpot of Bt1 million allegedly hidden under some of the bottle caps. She is but one of millions of consumers who I’m sure have been taken in by a simple and yet very clever marketing ploy: you buy the tea, look under the cap and if you’re real lucky, you win Bt1 million!
As recent sales figures show, the brand (which is offering Bt30 million in all underneath a total of 30 lucky bottle caps) sells an average of 20 million bottles a month. So the probability of winning is just about more than one in a million. Easier to bump into George Clooney and get invited on a hot date!
The craze to buy the green tea has intensified since a number of fairy-tale stories about winners have come out, most notably one where three “rag pickers” went from rags to riches.
The story of these three is very touching and reads better than most best sellers. A low-income civil servant found the lucky cap among plastic bottles she collected at Chatuchak Weekend Market to resell for Bt13 a kilogram, which is how she and her two friends regularly supplemented their low monthly salary of about Bt5,000. She said she had no idea how many decades it would have taken her to save the same amount of money. That struck a chord among all consumers who dream of snagging some instant cash just by drinking some green tea.
Marketing mavens know very well that such stories sell and that the media cannot afford to ignore such real-life fantasies. So, all of the winners have received prominent coverage in the media, especially in the Thai-language press.
It would have been a different story had the winners already been wealthy. The green-tea manufacturer would probably have received very little publicity then. But as it turns out, the manufacturer has been very fortunate – the winners have all had perfect story lines to date.
For instance, that story about the rag pickers, unofficial pillars of Thailand’s recycling industry, received massive publicity. What would a company get in return from spending Bt30 million on television commercials? Pretty limited mileage once the costs of producing the commercial were deducted. The same amount would have been spent in vain if used for advertisements in mass-circulation newspapers. When was the last time you were so impressed with a print ad that you went right out and bought a product off the shelf? So far, the bottle-cap campaign must be succeeding beyond the maker’s wildest dreams – almost as if it were being plotted and directed. In fact, cynics have already suggested it would make for the perfect Hollywood flick, a conspiracy theory involving manufacturers who go and dump the lucky caps in rubbish piles around town.
The even more cynical among us have questioned the transparency of this type of campaign. Are there really as many lucky caps as are claimed? And could they actually be distributed in such a way so that poor scavengers could be sure to win and spark a fairy-tale media frenzy?
But for those who feel moved by the campaign, nothing else matters. Earning Bt1 million by drinking green tea is infinitely more attractive than working hard to earn it. Aren’t the chances of winning it rather far-fetched? Well, many don’t think so. The gullibility of the masses is a given. We have a prime minister who vows to eliminate poverty in four years, and very few people have any doubts about that, despite spiralling prices. So what’s all the fuss about drinking some green tea? After all, if you win, you don’t have to wait four more years for prosperity to come knocking at your door. It may be wishful thinking, but there’s just no stopping some people from dreaming. Having said that, I think I’ll go and grab one and see if I’m lucky today. Sorry, George, but I feel greedy today!
Published on Mar 19, 2005
As recent sales figures show, the brand (which is offering Bt30 million in all underneath a total of 30 lucky bottle caps) sells an average of 20 million bottles a month. So the probability of winning is just about more than one in a million. Easier to bump into George Clooney and get invited on a hot date!
The craze to buy the green tea has intensified since a number of fairy-tale stories about winners have come out, most notably one where three “rag pickers” went from rags to riches.
The story of these three is very touching and reads better than most best sellers. A low-income civil servant found the lucky cap among plastic bottles she collected at Chatuchak Weekend Market to resell for Bt13 a kilogram, which is how she and her two friends regularly supplemented their low monthly salary of about Bt5,000. She said she had no idea how many decades it would have taken her to save the same amount of money. That struck a chord among all consumers who dream of snagging some instant cash just by drinking some green tea.
Marketing mavens know very well that such stories sell and that the media cannot afford to ignore such real-life fantasies. So, all of the winners have received prominent coverage in the media, especially in the Thai-language press.
It would have been a different story had the winners already been wealthy. The green-tea manufacturer would probably have received very little publicity then. But as it turns out, the manufacturer has been very fortunate – the winners have all had perfect story lines to date.
For instance, that story about the rag pickers, unofficial pillars of Thailand’s recycling industry, received massive publicity. What would a company get in return from spending Bt30 million on television commercials? Pretty limited mileage once the costs of producing the commercial were deducted. The same amount would have been spent in vain if used for advertisements in mass-circulation newspapers. When was the last time you were so impressed with a print ad that you went right out and bought a product off the shelf? So far, the bottle-cap campaign must be succeeding beyond the maker’s wildest dreams – almost as if it were being plotted and directed. In fact, cynics have already suggested it would make for the perfect Hollywood flick, a conspiracy theory involving manufacturers who go and dump the lucky caps in rubbish piles around town.
The even more cynical among us have questioned the transparency of this type of campaign. Are there really as many lucky caps as are claimed? And could they actually be distributed in such a way so that poor scavengers could be sure to win and spark a fairy-tale media frenzy?
But for those who feel moved by the campaign, nothing else matters. Earning Bt1 million by drinking green tea is infinitely more attractive than working hard to earn it. Aren’t the chances of winning it rather far-fetched? Well, many don’t think so. The gullibility of the masses is a given. We have a prime minister who vows to eliminate poverty in four years, and very few people have any doubts about that, despite spiralling prices. So what’s all the fuss about drinking some green tea? After all, if you win, you don’t have to wait four more years for prosperity to come knocking at your door. It may be wishful thinking, but there’s just no stopping some people from dreaming. Having said that, I think I’ll go and grab one and see if I’m lucky today. Sorry, George, but I feel greedy today!
Published on Mar 19, 2005
Seeking the truth in a world of lies
Like it or not, Reader's Digest has documented certain aspects of our dishonesty. Thai people ranked first in an Asian-wide survey of nine countries in the category about the tendency to "exaggerate our personal qualities and abilities that appear in our resumes".
While we ranked high in three (out of 10) categories (returning excess change to cashiers, returning a lost wallet, and informing security guards if witnessing shoplifting), we fell below average in seven others. According to the survey, Thais habitually lie to tax-collectors, keep quiet if they know the lover of their best friend is being unfaithful, and steal towels from hotels.
Over-claiming your ability on a resume may be normal practice in today's society, but any which way you look at it, a lie is still a lie.
But the alarming issue here is not that we rank higher or lower than our Asian counterparts when it comes to honesty: perhaps a better question to ask ourselves is whether we as a society do enough to recognise and honour honest people.
We often praise people we deem successful but tend to ignore the means they used to achieve their prosperity. Too often we turn a blind eye to dishonest acts rather than show our disapproval.
We don't need to look far to see obvious examples.
The news that dominates the front pages of our daily newspapers is largely about dishonesty. (Remember Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's famous "honest mistakes" and the countless corruption cases of various government agencies that are never resolved?)
Perhaps we are too familiar with such lies. Speaking about the news, how about the recent alleged leaks of the national university-entrance examination? And let's hope we have not already forgotten yesterday's outcome of the high-profile murder case of Duang(chalerm) Yoobamrung. The ruling should come as no surprise given the fact that the prosecutors and investigating police gave the court so little to work with.
Perhaps we are living in a world of lies? Morning to night we face situations that encourage us to tell lies. Parents lie to their children, managers lie to their staff, friends lie to each other, and politicians lie compulsively to the public. Perhaps there are occasions when we need to tell a little white lie, but the question is how far we stretch it and at what point we lose our sense of humanity and sell our souls?
To some people, exaggerating on a resume is not really lying, while others bluntly adopt a "so-what" attitude.
They may think that lying on a resume doesn't harm anyone and is therefore okay. This way of thinking becomes the norm in a society in which people are taught to achieve success at any cost. The end is to succeed, and the means don't really matter. We have too many "good" examples of businessmen who have cheated to build huge conglomerates, and there are so many liars in politics that it's beyond a joke: they outnumber the tiny community of the genuinely honest.
Children are taught to be good, but they hardly learn the meaning of goodness. All too often parents put tremendous pressure on their children to succeed using unhealthy benchmarks of success. And when children are told to succeed by any means, it should be no surprise that they adopt any means to do so.
It is a vicious circle: dishonesty breeds a dishonest society. No one will ever know how many lies were told in Duang's legal battle, though in that case it's not the lies that matter: it's the people in the justice system we trust to decide what is a lie and what is the truth.
Our besetting problem is not how many lies we tell others but rather how little time we spend being true to ourselves.
Published on Mar 27, 2004
While we ranked high in three (out of 10) categories (returning excess change to cashiers, returning a lost wallet, and informing security guards if witnessing shoplifting), we fell below average in seven others. According to the survey, Thais habitually lie to tax-collectors, keep quiet if they know the lover of their best friend is being unfaithful, and steal towels from hotels.
Over-claiming your ability on a resume may be normal practice in today's society, but any which way you look at it, a lie is still a lie.
But the alarming issue here is not that we rank higher or lower than our Asian counterparts when it comes to honesty: perhaps a better question to ask ourselves is whether we as a society do enough to recognise and honour honest people.
We often praise people we deem successful but tend to ignore the means they used to achieve their prosperity. Too often we turn a blind eye to dishonest acts rather than show our disapproval.
We don't need to look far to see obvious examples.
The news that dominates the front pages of our daily newspapers is largely about dishonesty. (Remember Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's famous "honest mistakes" and the countless corruption cases of various government agencies that are never resolved?)
Perhaps we are too familiar with such lies. Speaking about the news, how about the recent alleged leaks of the national university-entrance examination? And let's hope we have not already forgotten yesterday's outcome of the high-profile murder case of Duang(chalerm) Yoobamrung. The ruling should come as no surprise given the fact that the prosecutors and investigating police gave the court so little to work with.
Perhaps we are living in a world of lies? Morning to night we face situations that encourage us to tell lies. Parents lie to their children, managers lie to their staff, friends lie to each other, and politicians lie compulsively to the public. Perhaps there are occasions when we need to tell a little white lie, but the question is how far we stretch it and at what point we lose our sense of humanity and sell our souls?
To some people, exaggerating on a resume is not really lying, while others bluntly adopt a "so-what" attitude.
They may think that lying on a resume doesn't harm anyone and is therefore okay. This way of thinking becomes the norm in a society in which people are taught to achieve success at any cost. The end is to succeed, and the means don't really matter. We have too many "good" examples of businessmen who have cheated to build huge conglomerates, and there are so many liars in politics that it's beyond a joke: they outnumber the tiny community of the genuinely honest.
Children are taught to be good, but they hardly learn the meaning of goodness. All too often parents put tremendous pressure on their children to succeed using unhealthy benchmarks of success. And when children are told to succeed by any means, it should be no surprise that they adopt any means to do so.
It is a vicious circle: dishonesty breeds a dishonest society. No one will ever know how many lies were told in Duang's legal battle, though in that case it's not the lies that matter: it's the people in the justice system we trust to decide what is a lie and what is the truth.
Our besetting problem is not how many lies we tell others but rather how little time we spend being true to ourselves.
Published on Mar 27, 2004
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