Job Discussion Forums

[AnchorMan]

If you have a 'security' facility (ie; various persons employed as 'security' working various hours of the 24 hr clock), consider them when purchasing a beer or two at the local distributer. You can be sure that the district police have cultivated a relationship with them - be careful what you say within earshot of such apartment employees. A beer or two (33 baht/ piece) will persuade such employees that you are one of the good guys. Not that you have anything to hide, of course (you shouldn't, under any circumstances, be thought of as an anti-buddhist, anti-royalist. or -dare I say it- as a sex tourist.) If you are a 'liberal' keep your liberal considerations to yourself. Thailand is, officially, a quite conservative country, but underneath I'm sure you'll find good degree of rauchiness.

[tedkarma]

I don't know . . .

Personally, I don't like the idea of making myself seen as a personal "Santa Claus" giving away things.

My experience, not just in BKK, has been that a regular friendly smile and a "Dee Kop!" as I walk by works just fine.

By giving things away - you further facilitate the idea that farangs have money dripping off of them.

The way to be considered a "good guy" at your apartment building might be to be polite, clean, quiet, and pay your bills on time?

Just my opinion.

[AnchorMan]

Well, perhaps you're right. But objectively speaking the fact that a
farang might only be bringing home a 'miserable' 25 to 30k a month
still puts that farang in a realm that a great many of the locals can
only dream about. Now, I know it's utter crap but the Buddhist perspective is that if you give things away you earn merit and good karma for your next life. So your accumulation of good karma from past lives is how you got to get the lucky breaks to be where you are and your apartment employee's accumulation of not as good karma is how he or she got to be where he or she is. I would say that setting aside a little percentage of your income for the express purpose of giving it away in one form or another might be considered a good marker as to your assimilation. Call it speculating to accumulate, but you will get noticed and you will get back more than you give out! When in Rome...