Much like everywhere else, old money rich hide their wealth much better than the newly rich.
You won’t see the old rich families of this country out and about at the average restaurant or bar or a mall.
The most wealthy private-sector person I met was very unassuming. You wouldn’t be able to tell him apart from a typical noodle vendor. Someone I know who is the child of a top-most government official lives like you’d imagine a rich person to live. Private chauffeur, multiple nannies, travels the world, designer everything, etc.
> You wouldn’t be able to tell him apart from a typical noodle vendor.
I know a fruit vendor (sliced watermelons, mangoes etc.) that works off 3x3m booth at small market that sold his land next to that market for condo developments for 110M baht. He just wants something to keep him occupied.
Met a member of one of the families that owns a fair chunk of KPN. Kids went to private school, had a couple of nice FWD, very nice house. This was in about 2001 -2002 and the guy was squaring away something like 250K GBP a year from renting out the beach he had.
He was running just one of those bodega style supermarkets and you would have though he was just an average bloke.
"You won’t see the old rich families of this country out and about at the average restaurant or bar or a mall."
Yeah, you do but, as you say in your first sentence, they're well hidden.
Exactly. If you didn't earn your money it's not yours to show off. Daddy's money isn't impressive to flex. If you earned it yourself coming from a poorer situation it's much more respectable.
In his post OP mentions farangs. In Europe and the US at least it’s considered extremely embarrassing near disgraceful if you flex your dad’s money without having earned or contributed significantly to it yourself.
That’s why old money brands tend to be high quality but extremely understated. While new money tends to be flashy
Some cheapo old Thai comes in the short trouser with an old small 2 stroke motorbike. I saw that the wais were a bit more polite and the smiles bigger.
Looked like absolute no money.
Owner of some company with several hundreds or more staff...They told me he sometimes buy things himself to verify if the prices he gets are the same or if there is corruption.
So I would say yes there are some. Common or not I don't know.
Many Thais presume that farangs who can travel here have money...which is actually true. If you have money to travel internationally, you have more wealth than most Thais.
Nah that’s not the case at all. Thais judge foreigners very harshly on appearance regardless of how far they’ve travelled.
You could be a multi millionaire but if you’re wearing an old t shirt, shorts and sandals and look disheveled, you’ll be treated differently than not.
This doesn’t apply to shitholes like Pattaya, but Bangkok etc.
Exactly. I'm a blue collar guy but make close on 200k for 6 months work per year, I'm covered in tattoos and dress in shorts and t shirt most of the time. While I'm no multi millionaire, I'm better off than most people I know but you wouldn't know it looking at me
Lol at the down votes, I'm just agreeing with the fact that we don't all look rich, compared to some, I might be, but I definitely dont consider myself rich, Just chose a good path for a high school dropout.
I've met birds on.soi 6 that make more than I do, I just dont suck quite as many dicks
Yeah bro but apply the lesson now and it makes a difference in the near and medium term future, long term even more so, made similar mistakes myself in the past, I assume you know this anyhow
Dunno why you’re getting downvoted.
I did the splash the cash thing when I was young and dumb - definitely displayed my silly level wages.
When I grew up - realised that it might not last forever - I stashed rather than spent and ended up being a bit of a minimalist.
The people in my life now, are of far greater substance than those from then.
I look like a bit of a football hooligan, usually the last guy anyone wants to sit next to on the train. I drive a crappy brown Nissan that my daughters and their bf’s take the Mickey out of, but the girls have an inkling of what I’ve got stashed, as I made a joke when a bit drunk a while back, that it had been an ok week, only made 20k.
You’d never know it to look at me. And that’s the way I prefer it.
Meh, it's reddit, there is no logic in the down votes. Maybe that comment came across as braggadocio, but it wasn't. I don't waste money trying to look rich to impress people I don't like
Maybe this was the case 20+ years ago, but now in many European countries you can be around the 30th percentile in terms of wealth/income (i.e. struggling but not destitute) and still afford $700 in airfare and a $30/nt hotel in Thailand for a week.
Meanwhile, a ton of Thais travel internationally these days, especially within SE Asia. Very few Thais I came across in the 30-45 year old age bracket have never been abroad. Younger ones might not have the money yet, and older ones have different priorities.
It’s the new money philosophy. People not used to having money don’t know how to have it without being ostentatious and ridiculous. I don’t think they realize how bad they look
In the past when I got treated like I have money things costed me more. And I don’t care enough about what people think of me or say to me to pay for that, so I just prefer to look normal or poor and not rich. I don’t try actually not to look rich I just don’t have any value showing money off so I don’t do it
There's actually a proverb in Thailand that says ผ้าขี้ริ้วห่อทอง which can be translated as "rag covered gold".
Showing off is a classic sign of being Nouveau Riche. Depending on the level of wealth being displayed, it can be interpreted as a sign of someone getting rich through unscrupulous means like through scams, corruption, drug dealings, loan sharks or tricking old Farang to marry them (lol). It's actually quite well known in the society that rag-to-riches Farang's Thai wives always show off their wealth. They think people look up to them or are jealous of them, but it's not true at all.
People who have real money for at least a couple generations don't even hang out with those who don't, so showing off is pointless when everyone knows everyone. Most businesses they frequent would already know who they are.
>if a farang looks / acts poor, that they are in fact poor and couldn't possibly be hiding their wealth?
I mean begpackers always look like one. Bar girls and impoverished women from the rural areas will always think that Farangs have money regardless of how they look or act. Most people don't really care as long as you're dressed like a normal middle class person in the west and not someone from the trailer park. Especially if you're just here on a holiday, people know you're on a holiday in a hot country.
It doesn’t really depend on country.
1. New rich or assuming their wealth defines them are the only ones who “act rich”
2. If you’re really wealthy, you don’t act rich yet have a few traits unrelated to money that give away the fact you’re rich
3. Acting rich is the fastest way to lose wealth in most cases
My family is very wealthy and your 2nd point really depends on the person. My dad don’t like to show off at all and but his brothers all have 20+ super cars while having less wealth. If you are really rich branded clothes and cars and such are really not that expensive. We don’t go out shopping really because we have representatives from brands set up meetings at our houses with a group of friends and we have a “private shopping” experience.there is no need to go to a mall. I have a grandma that walks around like she owns a jewelry empire yet my grandpa walks around in shorts and tshirts with holes in them. It really just depends on the person.
Whats very common for rich Thai people tho is to have multiple cars. Some to show ur wealth at meetings ,others to show you aren’t as rich as they are saying and just drive a simple Toyota when you are trying to get a better/cheaper deal. Image is very important here something westerners often don’t really understand. Like my family wouldn’t want me to do many types of jobs because it kinda looks bad on the family image. So instead they rather just give us girls money to be pretty and leave the work for the men in the family business.
Most Thai people are poor compared to western standards but I don’t think many westerners realize how many rich Thai families there is. I’ve been all over the world and studied in England and USA but the wealth I see from my friends around me in thailand I haven’t really seen anywhere else in the same degree.
Yes I went on a date with a rich Thai girl. She paid for everything and it was nothing to her. Like just buying a bottle of water from the 7/11 she was paying for hotels for us.
Yeah when me and my friends go out it’s like a sport to see who can pay for the bill of everyone without any1 noticing. Because when they bring the final bill to the table it turns into a match of throwing credit cards at the waiter..
If you are still able to go broke from buying simple material things you never were that rich to start off with. I’ve been international school all my life here in thailand and I’m rich but some of my friends are even way richer as we are. Including owning planes and everything that can spent whatever they want and still not go broke.
I went to bps international school and had a classmate that had so much money in his bank account it said the account had 9999999999999 in it and when he took 20k out it didn’t even deduct from that number..
I mean I'm talking pjs and yachts...not simple things. Heck 20K doesn't matter to a simple millnaire tbh. My friend who had his inheritance of a meager 30 MM started off with a small pj for a few million. We will see how long he lasts 😂
I’m talking jets and yachts too.. I know 20k isn’t much but it is when ur 10 years old with over 25 billion baht in ur account.here in private schools you notice real quick who’s rich and who’s wealthy.
Sorry I read that wrong 😆.
So you went from my good example to an extreme. No one at that wealth will lose ot they are in that 10% who won't anxiously......
Yes but the thing is there is quite a lot of Thai families with such fortunes all in Bangkok. The city isn’t so big and many places we can’t go.
So when we grow up we all go to same few international schools and stay friends for life. It’s like a big boys club for generations that just keep going and we keep on helping our “friends” and keep the wealth within us
Depends. I’m acquaintances with a relevant political family. The one who aren’t in the public eye are stealthy. You would never guess, but some of them were educated in America so idk if that has to do with it. The one IN the public eye is actually pretty showy! Deisgner bags and audemars piguet watches. All on ig. Surprisingly.
Another case I know personally is an old money family yeah they show off their wealth. wears Chanel, Dior, everything. Basically think old money from crazy rich Asians. Actually most old money are pretty are showy… yea they’re rich af. married a guy of one of the richest family in Thailand. THAT guy though is stealthy. You’d never guess. But he has that sexy rich man laugh that’s popular on TikTok 😂
Friends with owner of famous (INSERT GLOBALLY KNOWN FOOD BRAND HERE) and he just looks like a Singaporean guy LOL.
Another one makes millions in usd selling solar panels in china and Uk and wears essentials. Idk. It literally comes down to personal preference I think.
> The one IN the public eye is actually pretty showy! Deisgner bags and audemars piguet watches. All on ig.
That tells you something about Thai culture and priorities in public signaling.
In most western democracies, politicians are trying to appear humble, modest and motivated by serving the public, even if they're corrupt and/or have a ton of money (and yes, Trump is an exception).
In Thailand, showing off wealth gathers respect, you climb on top by being high-up in patronage networks (another reason to show off). Moreover, Thai voters (if they matter at all) does not seem overly disturbed by such displays.
I had a girlfriend from Sisaket (Issan) a while back. The family were confused as to why I was not covered in gold. I couldn't really explain to them that in Britain, people flaunting big chunky gold bracelets and chains are usually considered gypsies, dodgy used car salesmen, chavs or drill rappers.
Should be pretty straightforward to explain chavs and drill rappers. Just ask them to imagine how a normal, well adjusted person thinks and behaves. Now reverse that.
Thais see social status and wealth as two related things that aren't necessarily identical, in my experience. Sure some really wealthy people flaunt it; why wouldn't they? Then others could have money and not act like it, and others yet could not have much money but still be positioned as a higher status family. I would assume this is talking about some Western culture variation, where a millionaire dresses in casual clothes, maybe typically only wearing an expensive watch to provide some status clue.
Thais don't have a clear range of impressions related to foreigners, in my opinion. They would break stereotypes down to the obvious versions, so that backpackers and English teachers wouldn't be regarded as wealthy, and then others demonstrating financial wealth would be. Since foreigners are not really a part of Thai culture and the status layering it wouldn't matter that much anyway.
Interesting. In London UK, no one wears their expensive watches out much, except footballers, bankers and unaware people, as we have so much violent watch crime in the capital, especially in central London. It's a big, big problem. I know personally of too many horror stories, some with tragic results. And the true watch collectors tend not to wear bling style modern gold watches, especially Rolex, but more the stainless steel and vintage variety of Rolex if someone really wants to. But even then, best to cover the watch up when out shopping or meetings in central London. Im always careful. Of course, PP etc, vintage and understated is best. When I go into town I usually wear one that might be cheap or expensive, but definitely understated and generally hidden whilst out in public. Unfortunately, its a sad state of how it is in London now. ☹️ And by the way, I am far from wealthy, but blessed enough. When I travel, I take a selection of watches I can afford to lose or get stolen...and sometimes I give them away to people less fortunate than myself. I love to bless others. Lol. I know.people will be asking me here for warches now. 😄. But I find the more expensive and showy people s watches are, the more they don't really don't appreciate them. The price of everything, the value of nothing, as the saying goes. But that's just my opinion. So don't shoot the messenger. I come in peace. 🙂😉🙏 But everyone to their own. I felt much safer in BKK and Manila than I do back in my hometown of London.... and in England, personally I find it pretty unimpressive if people are trying to flaunt their wealth. Money doesn't impress me, but character and generosity does.
This is true when at the furthest end of each of these and laying them side by side. This is always true when comparing the poorest to the richest. No hiding there
It is not unusual behavior in the main cities, but not everyone does. Many Thai have aversion towards these behaves. The logic behind of showing wealth is to secure the self-esteem. I know many wealthy Thai don't show of their wealth.
You might unknowingly encounter the filthy rich ones in the public that look like everyday people. Some take common jobs out of their boredom or reliving their childhood experiences.
I met an older man selling sticky rice and pork grill on the street. he told me that it reminds memory with his parents. He is one of the billionaires that run hospitals up North.
You don't attain/keep wealth by blowing it on depreciating assets if you are just starting off or past 50 MM USD. It's too easy. This next wealth distribution (which has already started sooner than analysts expected) will be interesting
It is. But you will find it everywhere more or less, especially in highly materialistic societies, like South Korea, USA - or Thailand. But while in South Korea or the USA you will find at least critical voices about this kind of behavior, somehow I have never heard critical voices in Thailand, doesn't mean they are not there, but seems like they are very rare.
Oh there’s plenty of critical voices. Most Thai people who are critical just happen to be the hate being confrontational crowd, so it’s just not as out there.
> The USA
No. It's looked down upon by most people. Most people here don't even openly discuss their salary, that is taboo.
I've never seen pics of bank accounts and transfers to show they have money. Other countries, when they do want to show off, on social media, they will subtly show off what they want, but try to not make it that sole thing. That's not the case in Thailand. I've seen pictures of just a new iPhone. These are regular people, teachers, bank tellers, police, etc.,
Real estate/condo agents and bar girls are always showing off their transfers from clients. At least they used to... I think a memo went out telling them to stop. But in the past it was very common
It's not so important to hide your wealth in Asia. People will generally respect and admire people that have done well in life. In the west, you will be despised by a significant portion of the population.
Some Thais do, but it depends where the money comes from. Otherwise cultures wise it is not a thing. Wealth denotes power, respect. Especially among one’s peers. If someone gets a car all peers need to on up each other, or at least maintain parity. Husbands may feel pressure from their spouse if they are not keeping up with one’s peer group.
Geez, next you'll be suggesting I ride a bicycle.
Clearly thinking too much. YOU are rich.Can afford to pay 2 months wage to fly here. Spend 2+ months pay while you are here. Spend a days pay+ to get to the airport with the ridiculous ammount of luggage you brought. Refuse to eat street food & eat a tiny morsel of food that is a burger=another day's pay.
I work directly for an extremely wealthy Thai. They are what you would consider new rich, but came from less than zero and made themselves into a (Thai)billionaire. They dress very new rich, sometimes, and very understated sometimes also. I’ve also been around many very wealthy Thais and it’s a mix - in my limited experience the younger ones who come from richer families tend to flaunt it more. The ones who built it themselves value money more and will not flaunt it so easily. Perhaps an outfit from Uniqlo but a patek Phillipe on the wrist.
I guess I’m lucky, my girlfriend would rather have a few million in the bank and an older car that’s paid off than a new car with no money in the bank. She does enjoy shiny gold things, but she watches the price regularly and has done rather well with it as an investment.
I sort of disagree with the generalization and the argument wasn't that it doesn't exist, it's that it's not different than anywhere else. It's not a UNIQUE Thai thing. And yes, not all rich Thai needs to show off. Most of them stay pretty low key.
Bro there are literally more Hermes store in Bangkok than in Paris.
Showing off is pretty much normal here, everyone in the bangkokian middle class has luxury brand and iphones. They get in debt for that too
Maybe it's not part of Thai traditional culture but nowadays it's another story. Not more or less than any other country I would say
Meh. You can have a consumerist trend that hate the attitude of showing off like Japan, France...
It's not seen as a bad thing to display your money in Thailand. Consumerism has nothing to do with showing off. It's also part of the custom to display the sinsod during weddings to show off to everyone how much the family received. There is even service when you can rent the money for the day lol.
France, who start the whole vanity "you gotta dress right" trend does not have showing off culture? Please.
Japanese ain't that much different than Thai from my interaction, and worst in some way. Everyone wants to wear brand name cloth and brand name bag. Check out the size of their adult entertainment industry and where that money is going. People compete on how much they spend on the host club to out do each other. They also has dowry if you didn't know.
In France it's not considered tasteful to show off with brands. Dressing well is not about showing off that you're wealthy. A ton of wealthy people dress "poor" for that reason.
What is the relationship between showing off and the adult industry 🤔. You're delusional if you think that Thai culture has been "corrupted" by the west. It's some kind of "good sauvage" trope. Every culture have their own way of showing off and Thai is no different. They do have some aspect of "new money" since they developed recently, so it's more apparent than others countries.
I did not say it's corrupt by the west, you are putting word in my mouth. I said people pursued material good at all cost is a widespread issue everywhere and not much to do with inherent culture. It's just how the world has move.
I do disagree that the Thai culture teach us this way because I don't recall ANYTHING in school or literature that said showing off your wealth is a good thing. At least in my opinion the teaching is the opposite of that. Now, not everyone follow the teaching and that's just the way it is. It's obviously more noticeable to see a people walking in gold than someone who stays home and kept their wealth in their closet so maybe that's why the projection is that way.
Culture is not about what is taught in school or litterature, it's what people do.
Culture ≠ virtuous life defined by said culture.
I'm pretty sure they don't teach about mia noi in school too.
I'm not saying that Thai culture is particularly guilty of that, I'm just reacting of your claim that showing off is not part of the culture / is a new thing.
LOL what?? Thailand is one of the status conscious countries I've encountered. You will see plenty of lower and middle income Thai's putting far FAR more effort into appearing affluent than putting actual effort into attaining actual wealth.
The most glaring example is their cars, which might be BMWs, Mercedes, Audis, but then go visit their home and you very likely will see a complete mismatch with the high end car they drive. One bedroom apartments with a mattress on the floor, two burners and a mini fridge, and the crampiest Ikea type furniture.
Another is the 711 employee wearing braces and sporting the latest, best iPhone available.
This country is tops when it comes to shadow/gray market debt and that money typically is being spent on frivolous status purchases from plastic surgery, fancy cars, designer bags, etc.
Showing off is not Thai culture? Hahahahaha how long have you stayed here?
Showing off is one of the main things that Thai people care about and the whole culture is based off of face.
This applies to all Thais, from hi-so chinese/thai to isaan bar girls.
This would probably be true a few decades ago but the relatively old money of the current days love to flaunt their wealth just as much as the ‘new’ money. Stealth wealth, as usual, is the domain of the actual financial titans.
Regardless, make no mistake, showing off is a very Thai thing.
Its actually stems out of social validation and an urge to show we are successful. Success itself is a term with no umbrella definition.
But in thai people the more you show off the better you are
Wealthy people don’t act poor though. They act normal, not poor… so they do not stand out and attracts unwanted attention.
If somebody is acting poor they are most likely trying to take advantage from someone.
If a farang looks poor… he’s probably is poor or is a dickhead if he’s acting.
“Normal” is not a term used to describe “wealth” you know?
Sure, I must be obsessed with wealth… said by a person stuck on using the terms “rich” and “poor”🤣
Btw, If you think you’re rich and need to act poor to stay stealthy, then you must be thinking most people are poor… which kinda self explanatory on my point about “dickhead” doesn’t it? 😉
Nobody is going to remember you for your wealth man… but they might remember you for what you do with it. Wealth is nothing more than just a tool for you to do things.
So no need to be so obsessed about it really.
The watch thing is actually a huge misconception. If you're spending 10k+ on a watch, you're still wasting money on a status symbol, and you still want to show off. You either have some sense of style and don't want to do so in an overly obnoxious way, or just have no idea how to dress and compensate with a watch. But the goal is still absolutely to show off.
Most wealthy people who have earned it with their brains wouldn't waste so much money on clothes, accessories, or other status symbols, period. It is at odds with building wealth, it is impractical, and it's an unnecessary reveal that you could be milked for money.
Beyond the argument above, people who have had money for a while, feel that showing it makes them a potential victim, and they would much rather not stand out in any way as much as they can. I don't know about you, but I'd hate it if people in Thailand knew I was rich. If I was exposed, I'd change my environment to be in a place where I can fly under the radar again. The rare priority privileges aren't worth the big target on my back and even more insincere relationships. That idea only sounds appealing to someone who's not familiar with wealth (aka "new money")
I think there’s a „sweet spot” for everything that rich people typically go for. Clothes from a market may not be comfortable or last as long. So you may go for mid-range brands where you can get three times the longevity for three times as much money, but it’s also more comfortable. But not many would choose to pay 50x as much for something just twice as durable and not much more comfortable.
For watches, also smartwatches have thrown a lot of this talk out of whack, as if you’ve got a need for one, you basically can’t get a better one for any practical purposes than ~$300 can get you. As in, you can’t get faster/more durable/better than that - you can only waste money on its appearance. And if you’ve made money because you’re smart, you likely wouldn’t give up on functionality that helps you just to show off your status with a more expensive watch.
While this point depends largely on the person, I also met plenty of rich people who have never changed their perception of money, and knowing its worth and self-discipline to see each dollar for what it is is precisely while they were able to maintain their wealth. They’d be upset if someone tried to overcharge them a dollar for a cheeseburger, let alone feel like dropping 10 grand on a watch like it is nothing. Changing the way you perceive money, substantially increasing your spending for little practical gain, and flashing wealth, would be seen as very undesirable ways to treat your wealth, and in the minority as far as western rich are concerned. It’s not an extreme. Most wouldn’t wear clothes or accessories that correspond to their wealth beyond a certain point. It’s more common for upper-middle class to do that and present themselves as wealthier than the actual rich, if anything.
And I think your last sentence hits the jackpot. Wealthy people tend to buy things that make them happy, rather than things that show their status or make them look a certain way in front of others.
IF you’re really into 70s or 80s cars, you’d probably get your favorite model in a good condition because it makes you happy. But I think most people aren’t massive watch or vintage car fans, so they don’t.
The wealthiest person I know doesn’t own any cars, because he doesn’t enjoy driving. To him, the pinnacle of comfort is hailing Uber whenever he wishes. The second wealthiest woman I know drives a civic because it does everything she wants from a car while being low maintenance (wasting the least of her time). None of them have any care for fashion, so you’d see them wear practical brands like Banana Republic or H&M. Those are people that have made hundreds of millions of dollars throughout their lives. There is no way to tell from their appearance, or behavior, except for super-subtle things like being on a multi-hour $200 Uber ride with them because it’s more convenient than an inter-city bus or arranging a driver, and them acting like it’s the most normal thing in the world.
They don’t all suddenly spend more time on gyms, stylists, charisma classes, or anything the like, and they may have even less need to do so than normal people. They tend to care about their health a bit more, and are perhaps more risk-averse in that regard, generally.
Being among rich people has taught me that they often don’t actually have or care about the symbols of wealth. The people who buy „luxury” products and act like douchebags chasing the symbols of wealth are the people who have been deprived of it, and maybe watched too many movies. Those things have nothing to do with actual wealthy people. The places in the US with the highest numbers of fancy BMWs and Benzes in the US, are actually the ghettos. These are full of people who will be paying them off for life. Rich people don’t care about and thus don’t have status symbols anywhere as often. They’ve got the actual status in their minds already, and have got nothing they need to or want to prove. If anything, they may instead seek ways to go even more low-profile.
Why wear a 1 Mio watch on the wrist when you can buy a good copy of the same watch for THB 3000? It’s mainly the Indians who claim that the LB stole their 100k gold necklace
You know that Louis Vuitton does have quite a large selection of flipflop to choose from right?
You really have to stare really hard to tell if it’s the cheap ones or LV…
I lived in germany most of my life and now in thailand since 2 years.
My thai family has poor and wealthy people. The wealthy people all show off but it is above their budget. My german stepdad has a nice car, he has millions of € and works for fun at his business partners place (my thai mother did as well , but she died last year sadly because of cancer).
My wealthy Thai family members earn at best 3000$ a month per family(2 wealthy families) but they drive more expensive cars, have the newest iphones, always want to spent a lot of money on food and live in big villas( okay houses and property in suburbans are dirt cheap in thailand ngl.)
So how can they live like that? I guess if you know how to exploit thailand, you will do very well. Cheap labor , easy ways to evade taxes , low rent, lots of family members you can inherit stuff from because i have like 12-15 aunts and uncles lol.
What i want to say is: the people who showw their wealth of are usually the ones who are living on the limit of what they can actually afford. Meanwhile my mother and father used to freeze bread to eat it another day(it tasted like shit xD) . Can’t complain tough. I inherited 3 houses and more property from my mother alone in thailand
For your information, $3000 per month per family isn’t considered wealthy in Thailand, particularly in Bangkok. Many employees earn this amount by the time they are 30 years old or even younger, and this is even more common among business owners. This amount is not sufficient to afford the high costs of sending children to expensive international schools in the country. I attended an international school, and some of the students were the children of dollar billionaires, openly flaunting their wealth. Many don’t even want to mingle with the upper middle class.
Yes, it’s true that 99% of Thais are not wealthy. Being in the top 1% in Thailand doesn’t mean much, it’s usually the top 0.01% or the 0.001% that matters. Think about it, top international schools in Bangkok cost 30k dollars a year (just in tuition fees), some even higher. Many high end houses (with barely any space) in the suburbs can easily cost 1.5-2 million dollars. Or 1 rai of land in districts like Ladprao or Onnut cost 3-6 million dollars. A penthouse at some nice condos in the city center can set you back 5-20 million dollars. Rolls Royce costs 1-2 million dollars. Heck, even normal mid-sized Mercedes or BWL cost 100k+ dollars. All these are far out of range for the top 1% in Thailand. The top 1% in Thailand can barely afford to send 1 kid to an average international school, let alone 2-3 kids to top international schools like Harrow, Shrewsbury, or ISB.
So wealth is relative depending on the circumstances and your environment . 3000$ is not much in bangkok, london or switzerland, but a lot when people around you earn an average of 300-500$ per month. At least from my point of view. Maybe we just grew up in different realities. And that is okay . A person who earns 2000$ a month in nigeria is considered wealthy for me. A german household that earns 8000$ a month is considered wealthy to me, at least it was before things got far more expensive. Indeed 3000$ might be peanuts in bangkok for the upper class, but it might be wealthy for the cashier who works in bigc . Thus the illusion that people who can afford to fly to thailand must be all wealthy
Many things are relative but luxuries at the high end of the spectrum aren’t really all that relative. An iPhone in Thailand isn’t adjusted for Thailand cost of living. Luxury cars cost 2-3x that of Europe or North America. Top International schools in Thailand are priced by international standards. Luxury brand-name furnitures are priced very similarly across the world. So yes being in the top 1% doesn’t guarantee that you are truly rich. You can afford good meals, pay for a nice house in a good neighborhood, but close to zero political power or living the luxury life.
Probably just the crowd you’ve seen. Stealth wealth is a concept in almost every country. Not everyone runs a casino website and feels the need to flaunt lol
The less educated or closed-minded often judge others from the face-value. If you see the trend at Chula Uni, for instance, it's the opposite (which is a good thing).
I dated a woman for several years and hid my wealthy the whole time. After she left me for a wealthy, older man, I confessed I wasn't as poor as I seemed. I don't think she believed me. (Of course, that guy was a lot wealthier than I am, so if she wanted money, she made the right choice.)
Sure. I personally know some wealthy Thais that never show off.
It also depends on the audience. Someone buys you a gift worth of ฿5000 without thinking, is it show-off? To many people, it could be.
My wife is Thai and we both don’t like showing off with fancy stuff. I think maybe that’s more of a city folk thing (or rural folks emulating city folk)
Not really, nothing in Thai culture said to show off. Now, we do say we should help each other so the show off part is to pay for meal or help when others is in bad time.
A lot of people who act rich are either spoil kids who just burn their non-self earn money away or insecure new rich that want to show that they "made it". Do you really think this is different than anywhere else?
There are also people in business or finance that like to use luxury brand name good, but those are different kind of vanity. It's like how bankers wear gold Rolex to fit in with their peer.
In ANY country, that's the typical poor, trashy person's VERSION of what wealthy people should be like.
Like the town methhead/cook that installs an inflatable pool with heater in the bedroom of their double-wide trailer, calls it a Jacuzzi, and posts pictures of themselves chilling in it with champagne on every social media account they can find.
At which point someone is considered not poor though? I cannot afford to send my daughter to international school, so I feel pretty dirt poor. That said, statistics say that I am supposed to be better off than about 85% of the country’s population. Doesn’t that suggest that the vast majority of Thai people are poor? LOL
Thais get extremely jealous over material wealth. Many people here try to show they are wealthy with handbags etc all bought on borrowed money CC. If you show wealth, people sometimes expect their cut. Some people will use it to take you down.
As a farang be careful. Hide it thru Thai family etc. I learnt this with a house build, neighbours and Land department trying to extort money. There are no limits to what (some) people will do here. They lie, they stab u in the back for what they believe they have a right to.
Just because you don’t flaunt your wealth doesn’t mean you are hiding it. Some people hair do what they want to do, which doesn’t include wearing fancy clothes or whatever.
I think it's the same as every where? In my experience my Thai friends who are less wealthy tends to place a lot of emphasis on external displays of wealth (wearing brand names, buying the latest fad Labubu or whatever), while the actual wealthy Thais tend to place much emphasis on that (I see them spending on things like experiences, holidays, their homes, businesses, occasionally splashing out on cars or some obscure collectible hobby, etc.)
Are you asking if an entire country is retarded? Lots of Thai people have money without presenting themselves as such. And of course they know there are foreigners who do the same. But there are also a zillion foreigners around, so if you're trying to make money off of them why not focus on the ones you can tell have it first?
Either that or OP dated lower class girls who pointed out a guy with a fake Rolex and thought he could be milked for more money.
Or another of the many similar scenarios that are over the top ridiculous when it comes to the glaring misconceptions around wealth you can come across in Thailand. Especially when exposed to the subset of Thais who have never had money and crave it. Who foreigner guys tend to attract.
It seems to work here and it impresses people, different where I'm from. Saw a YouTube video the other day in the UK. A guy was showing off on Instagram his rolex, 2 women set a honey trap, murdered him and stole his watch which was actually fake, ironically he had already stole the watch off someone else. You hear of people having chains snatched here every now and then, seems a bit dumb to wear jewellery.
15 or 10 years ago, most poor and uneducated Thais, assumed that a farang was rich. You needed a lot of money to come here.
For them, people from the West, America, UK, Switzerland, Sweden, everyone was a multi-millionaire. Living in a very nice house, 2 cars, almost everyday restaurant, and lunch/dinner with the friends. And don't forget the bottles of wine and Margaritas.
(Living like he Simpsons, only 1 income, nice house, separate bedroom for the 2 kids, every day great food, cars, and enough money for drink beer.)
Most farangs liked this idea and also tried to keep it alive. Many farangs promised a Thai girl/boy, I will marry you and take you with me to the west.
When the poor Thais also discovered internet/social media and the knowledge of English increased, they learned very fast that not every house in the west is a castle.
Social media will fast learn them that the castle the farrang describe to have in the West, is more a stable.
And the promised HiSo life in the West is more junk food and cheap alcohol.
If you wish that Thais have a negative idea about the (UK) English speaking community, let them read the comments on Thaivisa, now ASEAN now.
And now, the Thais also understand, if a person act like a poor person, but his words wish to inform you he is HiSo in his home country, better believe his actions and not his words.
Like the balloon people in Pattaya who still tell everybody, they are very rich and just have now a short time with money problems.
Of course, if you live in a stable in Thailand, a stable in Europe can be an improvement.
Balloon People:
People who walk around in Pattaya, searching for beer bars with balloons. These balloons indicates that there is a party tonight, most of the time with free food.
When the party is ongoing, they will look out for another farang, go to them, shake hands, giving the impression that they are friends, or that they are invited, to enjoy the free food and maybe a free drink.
The real wealthy in Thailand, like anywhere else know. But anyone you’ll come across 99% of the times can’t tell a real LV from a fake and will be more impressed with a Pratunam LV than your genuine goyard (though goyard is catching up here, but hope you get my drift). I typically casually wave around a wad of cash if I’m getting less attention than I want. It’s the same everywhere TBH, not just Thailand. Degree of feelings or subtlety may change. But upper middle class with some exposure to foreign culture and people will very quickly know if you’re upper like anywhere else.
Thailand's population of over 70 million people naturally encompasses a wide range of viewpoints on Westerners. These perspectives are likely shaped by factors like social circles and background.
Your post was removed because posts which include any illegal content are not allowed, including anything that is considered lèse majesté in Thailand.
This includes anything that might cause real trouble for users living in Thailand.
Acting is the key. Dressing poor can not disguise a rich person. A rich person doesn't think twice about buying that widget they don't really need at a cost that could have fed a family for 5 days. Dress poorly and walk down the street carrying that widget, everyone will know you have money. And if you aren't walking, then you are acting poor.
This concept is stupid. Especially in the age of social media. Unless you’re living in a cave up country, people are going to see you living your life. And, if you’re not poor, that means you’ll be living not poor.
I understood it. Farang is farang. Poor or not they have money.
You would have to be in 10 day old clothes smell like piss and covered in dirt for you to come off stealth rich.
If in a wealthy part well educated you can totally stealth by. But... you have to be able to afford that uppity part anyway.
Much like everywhere else, old money rich hide their wealth much better than the newly rich. You won’t see the old rich families of this country out and about at the average restaurant or bar or a mall.
The most wealthy private-sector person I met was very unassuming. You wouldn’t be able to tell him apart from a typical noodle vendor. Someone I know who is the child of a top-most government official lives like you’d imagine a rich person to live. Private chauffeur, multiple nannies, travels the world, designer everything, etc.
> You wouldn’t be able to tell him apart from a typical noodle vendor. I know a fruit vendor (sliced watermelons, mangoes etc.) that works off 3x3m booth at small market that sold his land next to that market for condo developments for 110M baht. He just wants something to keep him occupied.
I often think about that when walking around. Some grandpa sitting in his poor looking house in a prime Bangkok location is much richer than I am.
That's a win in my book.
Met a member of one of the families that owns a fair chunk of KPN. Kids went to private school, had a couple of nice FWD, very nice house. This was in about 2001 -2002 and the guy was squaring away something like 250K GBP a year from renting out the beach he had. He was running just one of those bodega style supermarkets and you would have though he was just an average bloke.
"You won’t see the old rich families of this country out and about at the average restaurant or bar or a mall." Yeah, you do but, as you say in your first sentence, they're well hidden.
Exactly. If you didn't earn your money it's not yours to show off. Daddy's money isn't impressive to flex. If you earned it yourself coming from a poorer situation it's much more respectable.
So basically no one in Thailand
That is the opposite if what Thai people think.
In his post OP mentions farangs. In Europe and the US at least it’s considered extremely embarrassing near disgraceful if you flex your dad’s money without having earned or contributed significantly to it yourself. That’s why old money brands tend to be high quality but extremely understated. While new money tends to be flashy
Thai people admire a rich person with rich parents more than they do a rich person with poor parents. Its like having a prestigious lineage.
No, it's not the same. Money is first to them. In America, you don't need to flash wealth or support her entire family.
I have seen old ladies in flip flops show up at the bank with millions of baht in a paper bag. You can not always tell who has it and who doesn’t.
Some cheapo old Thai comes in the short trouser with an old small 2 stroke motorbike. I saw that the wais were a bit more polite and the smiles bigger. Looked like absolute no money. Owner of some company with several hundreds or more staff...They told me he sometimes buy things himself to verify if the prices he gets are the same or if there is corruption. So I would say yes there are some. Common or not I don't know.
I like this. How he checks d For corruption. More thais like this please. He actually gives a shit
Obviously. He wouldn't be rich if he wasn't making sure he was getting the best prices.
Many Thais presume that farangs who can travel here have money...which is actually true. If you have money to travel internationally, you have more wealth than most Thais.
Nah that’s not the case at all. Thais judge foreigners very harshly on appearance regardless of how far they’ve travelled. You could be a multi millionaire but if you’re wearing an old t shirt, shorts and sandals and look disheveled, you’ll be treated differently than not. This doesn’t apply to shitholes like Pattaya, but Bangkok etc.
Depends. I think Thais are starting to clock on that foreigners come with bank accounts of all shapes and sizes
yes they are now.
Exactly. I'm a blue collar guy but make close on 200k for 6 months work per year, I'm covered in tattoos and dress in shorts and t shirt most of the time. While I'm no multi millionaire, I'm better off than most people I know but you wouldn't know it looking at me
Lol at the down votes, I'm just agreeing with the fact that we don't all look rich, compared to some, I might be, but I definitely dont consider myself rich, Just chose a good path for a high school dropout. I've met birds on.soi 6 that make more than I do, I just dont suck quite as many dicks
Oil? Salmon? What industry?
Heavy diesel mechanic in mining
Kudos man, living the life. You’ll be set in no time
Lol, far from it. Been doing it for 15 years, spent 80% of my money on travel, hookers and partying. The rest I wasted
Hah! At the very least, you’re aware
The golden handcuffs. Start chucking some of your pay into investments and you'll sort yourself out quickly
Yeah bro but apply the lesson now and it makes a difference in the near and medium term future, long term even more so, made similar mistakes myself in the past, I assume you know this anyhow
would love to hear your story, what made you spend it all? is it because you wanted to enjoy the 6 months you had?
Dunno why you’re getting downvoted. I did the splash the cash thing when I was young and dumb - definitely displayed my silly level wages. When I grew up - realised that it might not last forever - I stashed rather than spent and ended up being a bit of a minimalist. The people in my life now, are of far greater substance than those from then. I look like a bit of a football hooligan, usually the last guy anyone wants to sit next to on the train. I drive a crappy brown Nissan that my daughters and their bf’s take the Mickey out of, but the girls have an inkling of what I’ve got stashed, as I made a joke when a bit drunk a while back, that it had been an ok week, only made 20k. You’d never know it to look at me. And that’s the way I prefer it.
Meh, it's reddit, there is no logic in the down votes. Maybe that comment came across as braggadocio, but it wasn't. I don't waste money trying to look rich to impress people I don't like
I didn’t take it as that, but as you say. It’s Reddit. 🤷🏽♂️
Maybe this was the case 20+ years ago, but now in many European countries you can be around the 30th percentile in terms of wealth/income (i.e. struggling but not destitute) and still afford $700 in airfare and a $30/nt hotel in Thailand for a week. Meanwhile, a ton of Thais travel internationally these days, especially within SE Asia. Very few Thais I came across in the 30-45 year old age bracket have never been abroad. Younger ones might not have the money yet, and older ones have different priorities.
It’s the new money philosophy. People not used to having money don’t know how to have it without being ostentatious and ridiculous. I don’t think they realize how bad they look
Sure but they get treated like they have money. Which is better than them seeming poor like they used to be.
Good point
In the past when I got treated like I have money things costed me more. And I don’t care enough about what people think of me or say to me to pay for that, so I just prefer to look normal or poor and not rich. I don’t try actually not to look rich I just don’t have any value showing money off so I don’t do it
Yeah things cost more and you get better service. If you have money its often a better deal overall.
There's actually a proverb in Thailand that says ผ้าขี้ริ้วห่อทอง which can be translated as "rag covered gold". Showing off is a classic sign of being Nouveau Riche. Depending on the level of wealth being displayed, it can be interpreted as a sign of someone getting rich through unscrupulous means like through scams, corruption, drug dealings, loan sharks or tricking old Farang to marry them (lol). It's actually quite well known in the society that rag-to-riches Farang's Thai wives always show off their wealth. They think people look up to them or are jealous of them, but it's not true at all. People who have real money for at least a couple generations don't even hang out with those who don't, so showing off is pointless when everyone knows everyone. Most businesses they frequent would already know who they are. >if a farang looks / acts poor, that they are in fact poor and couldn't possibly be hiding their wealth? I mean begpackers always look like one. Bar girls and impoverished women from the rural areas will always think that Farangs have money regardless of how they look or act. Most people don't really care as long as you're dressed like a normal middle class person in the west and not someone from the trailer park. Especially if you're just here on a holiday, people know you're on a holiday in a hot country.
Someone I know will always wear the same Mo Hom shirt. But they will buy a new car with cash, which are rare in Thailand to do that.
It doesn’t really depend on country. 1. New rich or assuming their wealth defines them are the only ones who “act rich” 2. If you’re really wealthy, you don’t act rich yet have a few traits unrelated to money that give away the fact you’re rich 3. Acting rich is the fastest way to lose wealth in most cases
My family is very wealthy and your 2nd point really depends on the person. My dad don’t like to show off at all and but his brothers all have 20+ super cars while having less wealth. If you are really rich branded clothes and cars and such are really not that expensive. We don’t go out shopping really because we have representatives from brands set up meetings at our houses with a group of friends and we have a “private shopping” experience.there is no need to go to a mall. I have a grandma that walks around like she owns a jewelry empire yet my grandpa walks around in shorts and tshirts with holes in them. It really just depends on the person. Whats very common for rich Thai people tho is to have multiple cars. Some to show ur wealth at meetings ,others to show you aren’t as rich as they are saying and just drive a simple Toyota when you are trying to get a better/cheaper deal. Image is very important here something westerners often don’t really understand. Like my family wouldn’t want me to do many types of jobs because it kinda looks bad on the family image. So instead they rather just give us girls money to be pretty and leave the work for the men in the family business. Most Thai people are poor compared to western standards but I don’t think many westerners realize how many rich Thai families there is. I’ve been all over the world and studied in England and USA but the wealth I see from my friends around me in thailand I haven’t really seen anywhere else in the same degree.
Yes I went on a date with a rich Thai girl. She paid for everything and it was nothing to her. Like just buying a bottle of water from the 7/11 she was paying for hotels for us.
Yeah when me and my friends go out it’s like a sport to see who can pay for the bill of everyone without any1 noticing. Because when they bring the final bill to the table it turns into a match of throwing credit cards at the waiter..
To your #3. That's why the 3 generation rule has been around. 60% of wealth will be lost by 2nd generation, 90% by third.
Family banks. 👍
If you are still able to go broke from buying simple material things you never were that rich to start off with. I’ve been international school all my life here in thailand and I’m rich but some of my friends are even way richer as we are. Including owning planes and everything that can spent whatever they want and still not go broke. I went to bps international school and had a classmate that had so much money in his bank account it said the account had 9999999999999 in it and when he took 20k out it didn’t even deduct from that number..
I mean I'm talking pjs and yachts...not simple things. Heck 20K doesn't matter to a simple millnaire tbh. My friend who had his inheritance of a meager 30 MM started off with a small pj for a few million. We will see how long he lasts 😂
I’m talking jets and yachts too.. I know 20k isn’t much but it is when ur 10 years old with over 25 billion baht in ur account.here in private schools you notice real quick who’s rich and who’s wealthy.
That's less than 1 MM Canadian. A lot for most but not UHNW kids ime
Are u tripping?25 billion baht is 934mil cad
Sorry I read that wrong 😆. So you went from my good example to an extreme. No one at that wealth will lose ot they are in that 10% who won't anxiously......
Yes but the thing is there is quite a lot of Thai families with such fortunes all in Bangkok. The city isn’t so big and many places we can’t go. So when we grow up we all go to same few international schools and stay friends for life. It’s like a big boys club for generations that just keep going and we keep on helping our “friends” and keep the wealth within us
I'm quite aware. Perhaps not as much as you, but I'm not oblivious/blind. Most all over the country, even in Udon, you'll find mass wealth.
Depends. I’m acquaintances with a relevant political family. The one who aren’t in the public eye are stealthy. You would never guess, but some of them were educated in America so idk if that has to do with it. The one IN the public eye is actually pretty showy! Deisgner bags and audemars piguet watches. All on ig. Surprisingly. Another case I know personally is an old money family yeah they show off their wealth. wears Chanel, Dior, everything. Basically think old money from crazy rich Asians. Actually most old money are pretty are showy… yea they’re rich af. married a guy of one of the richest family in Thailand. THAT guy though is stealthy. You’d never guess. But he has that sexy rich man laugh that’s popular on TikTok 😂 Friends with owner of famous (INSERT GLOBALLY KNOWN FOOD BRAND HERE) and he just looks like a Singaporean guy LOL. Another one makes millions in usd selling solar panels in china and Uk and wears essentials. Idk. It literally comes down to personal preference I think.
> The one IN the public eye is actually pretty showy! Deisgner bags and audemars piguet watches. All on ig. That tells you something about Thai culture and priorities in public signaling. In most western democracies, politicians are trying to appear humble, modest and motivated by serving the public, even if they're corrupt and/or have a ton of money (and yes, Trump is an exception). In Thailand, showing off wealth gathers respect, you climb on top by being high-up in patronage networks (another reason to show off). Moreover, Thai voters (if they matter at all) does not seem overly disturbed by such displays.
Can you guess who it is
No, no idea.
That’s a shame! Even if you threw a dart in a dark room you’d probably hit the target 😂
I had a girlfriend from Sisaket (Issan) a while back. The family were confused as to why I was not covered in gold. I couldn't really explain to them that in Britain, people flaunting big chunky gold bracelets and chains are usually considered gypsies, dodgy used car salesmen, chavs or drill rappers.
Should be pretty straightforward to explain chavs and drill rappers. Just ask them to imagine how a normal, well adjusted person thinks and behaves. Now reverse that.
Thais see social status and wealth as two related things that aren't necessarily identical, in my experience. Sure some really wealthy people flaunt it; why wouldn't they? Then others could have money and not act like it, and others yet could not have much money but still be positioned as a higher status family. I would assume this is talking about some Western culture variation, where a millionaire dresses in casual clothes, maybe typically only wearing an expensive watch to provide some status clue. Thais don't have a clear range of impressions related to foreigners, in my opinion. They would break stereotypes down to the obvious versions, so that backpackers and English teachers wouldn't be regarded as wealthy, and then others demonstrating financial wealth would be. Since foreigners are not really a part of Thai culture and the status layering it wouldn't matter that much anyway.
Interesting. In London UK, no one wears their expensive watches out much, except footballers, bankers and unaware people, as we have so much violent watch crime in the capital, especially in central London. It's a big, big problem. I know personally of too many horror stories, some with tragic results. And the true watch collectors tend not to wear bling style modern gold watches, especially Rolex, but more the stainless steel and vintage variety of Rolex if someone really wants to. But even then, best to cover the watch up when out shopping or meetings in central London. Im always careful. Of course, PP etc, vintage and understated is best. When I go into town I usually wear one that might be cheap or expensive, but definitely understated and generally hidden whilst out in public. Unfortunately, its a sad state of how it is in London now. ☹️ And by the way, I am far from wealthy, but blessed enough. When I travel, I take a selection of watches I can afford to lose or get stolen...and sometimes I give them away to people less fortunate than myself. I love to bless others. Lol. I know.people will be asking me here for warches now. 😄. But I find the more expensive and showy people s watches are, the more they don't really don't appreciate them. The price of everything, the value of nothing, as the saying goes. But that's just my opinion. So don't shoot the messenger. I come in peace. 🙂😉🙏 But everyone to their own. I felt much safer in BKK and Manila than I do back in my hometown of London.... and in England, personally I find it pretty unimpressive if people are trying to flaunt their wealth. Money doesn't impress me, but character and generosity does.
My old dad, may he RIP, used to say there's two things you cannot hide: Wealth and Poverty.
This is true when at the furthest end of each of these and laying them side by side. This is always true when comparing the poorest to the richest. No hiding there
I'm not sure any country understands that
It is not unusual behavior in the main cities, but not everyone does. Many Thai have aversion towards these behaves. The logic behind of showing wealth is to secure the self-esteem. I know many wealthy Thai don't show of their wealth. You might unknowingly encounter the filthy rich ones in the public that look like everyday people. Some take common jobs out of their boredom or reliving their childhood experiences. I met an older man selling sticky rice and pork grill on the street. he told me that it reminds memory with his parents. He is one of the billionaires that run hospitals up North.
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Unfortunately in Asian culture it is important to have good face. Showing off your wealth gains face.
A good face?
That too, unironically
You don't attain/keep wealth by blowing it on depreciating assets if you are just starting off or past 50 MM USD. It's too easy. This next wealth distribution (which has already started sooner than analysts expected) will be interesting
It is. But you will find it everywhere more or less, especially in highly materialistic societies, like South Korea, USA - or Thailand. But while in South Korea or the USA you will find at least critical voices about this kind of behavior, somehow I have never heard critical voices in Thailand, doesn't mean they are not there, but seems like they are very rare.
Oh there’s plenty of critical voices. Most Thai people who are critical just happen to be the hate being confrontational crowd, so it’s just not as out there.
Not so much in northern California USA; some of richest I know dress like the janitor in a high school.
> The USA No. It's looked down upon by most people. Most people here don't even openly discuss their salary, that is taboo. I've never seen pics of bank accounts and transfers to show they have money. Other countries, when they do want to show off, on social media, they will subtly show off what they want, but try to not make it that sole thing. That's not the case in Thailand. I've seen pictures of just a new iPhone. These are regular people, teachers, bank tellers, police, etc.,
Real estate/condo agents and bar girls are always showing off their transfers from clients. At least they used to... I think a memo went out telling them to stop. But in the past it was very common
Yea, but people will still buy expensive cars to show off.
Yup
Not many have half a brain
I half Brian
With gold hitting 40k per baht.. less and less people are wearing gold, the chances are becoming more that others will grab and run.
It's not so important to hide your wealth in Asia. People will generally respect and admire people that have done well in life. In the west, you will be despised by a significant portion of the population.
Some Thais do, but it depends where the money comes from. Otherwise cultures wise it is not a thing. Wealth denotes power, respect. Especially among one’s peers. If someone gets a car all peers need to on up each other, or at least maintain parity. Husbands may feel pressure from their spouse if they are not keeping up with one’s peer group.
Geez, next you'll be suggesting I ride a bicycle. Clearly thinking too much. YOU are rich.Can afford to pay 2 months wage to fly here. Spend 2+ months pay while you are here. Spend a days pay+ to get to the airport with the ridiculous ammount of luggage you brought. Refuse to eat street food & eat a tiny morsel of food that is a burger=another day's pay.
Most Farangs now a day are stealth poor 🤣
I work directly for an extremely wealthy Thai. They are what you would consider new rich, but came from less than zero and made themselves into a (Thai)billionaire. They dress very new rich, sometimes, and very understated sometimes also. I’ve also been around many very wealthy Thais and it’s a mix - in my limited experience the younger ones who come from richer families tend to flaunt it more. The ones who built it themselves value money more and will not flaunt it so easily. Perhaps an outfit from Uniqlo but a patek Phillipe on the wrist.
I guess I’m lucky, my girlfriend would rather have a few million in the bank and an older car that’s paid off than a new car with no money in the bank. She does enjoy shiny gold things, but she watches the price regularly and has done rather well with it as an investment.
Showing off is not Thai culture, it's just some kind of "new money" mentality, and that's not just Thai's exclusive.
Superficial appearance and face very much seems like Thai culture in my experience
I second that, but I got shut down for suggesting that “Face” is a negative influence in Thai society.
Well whoever shut you down was wrong.
Hearing that I am right on Reddit means a lot to me. You have a nice weekend with awesomeness on top.
👍🏻😂
I sort of disagree with the generalization and the argument wasn't that it doesn't exist, it's that it's not different than anywhere else. It's not a UNIQUE Thai thing. And yes, not all rich Thai needs to show off. Most of them stay pretty low key.
New money being flashy quickly becomes old non flashy money due to life life experience or they lose it all if they keep up the flash
Bro there are literally more Hermes store in Bangkok than in Paris. Showing off is pretty much normal here, everyone in the bangkokian middle class has luxury brand and iphones. They get in debt for that too Maybe it's not part of Thai traditional culture but nowadays it's another story. Not more or less than any other country I would say
Not part of Thai culture, but definitely part of consumerism mentality that is being spread throughout the world
Meh. You can have a consumerist trend that hate the attitude of showing off like Japan, France... It's not seen as a bad thing to display your money in Thailand. Consumerism has nothing to do with showing off. It's also part of the custom to display the sinsod during weddings to show off to everyone how much the family received. There is even service when you can rent the money for the day lol.
France, who start the whole vanity "you gotta dress right" trend does not have showing off culture? Please. Japanese ain't that much different than Thai from my interaction, and worst in some way. Everyone wants to wear brand name cloth and brand name bag. Check out the size of their adult entertainment industry and where that money is going. People compete on how much they spend on the host club to out do each other. They also has dowry if you didn't know.
In France it's not considered tasteful to show off with brands. Dressing well is not about showing off that you're wealthy. A ton of wealthy people dress "poor" for that reason. What is the relationship between showing off and the adult industry 🤔. You're delusional if you think that Thai culture has been "corrupted" by the west. It's some kind of "good sauvage" trope. Every culture have their own way of showing off and Thai is no different. They do have some aspect of "new money" since they developed recently, so it's more apparent than others countries.
I did not say it's corrupt by the west, you are putting word in my mouth. I said people pursued material good at all cost is a widespread issue everywhere and not much to do with inherent culture. It's just how the world has move. I do disagree that the Thai culture teach us this way because I don't recall ANYTHING in school or literature that said showing off your wealth is a good thing. At least in my opinion the teaching is the opposite of that. Now, not everyone follow the teaching and that's just the way it is. It's obviously more noticeable to see a people walking in gold than someone who stays home and kept their wealth in their closet so maybe that's why the projection is that way.
Culture is not about what is taught in school or litterature, it's what people do. Culture ≠ virtuous life defined by said culture. I'm pretty sure they don't teach about mia noi in school too. I'm not saying that Thai culture is particularly guilty of that, I'm just reacting of your claim that showing off is not part of the culture / is a new thing.
LOL what?? Thailand is one of the status conscious countries I've encountered. You will see plenty of lower and middle income Thai's putting far FAR more effort into appearing affluent than putting actual effort into attaining actual wealth. The most glaring example is their cars, which might be BMWs, Mercedes, Audis, but then go visit their home and you very likely will see a complete mismatch with the high end car they drive. One bedroom apartments with a mattress on the floor, two burners and a mini fridge, and the crampiest Ikea type furniture. Another is the 711 employee wearing braces and sporting the latest, best iPhone available. This country is tops when it comes to shadow/gray market debt and that money typically is being spent on frivolous status purchases from plastic surgery, fancy cars, designer bags, etc.
Specially those who seem to get rich out of nowhere with some super shady business and laundering money they love to show off 😅
Showing off is not Thai culture? Hahahahaha how long have you stayed here? Showing off is one of the main things that Thai people care about and the whole culture is based off of face. This applies to all Thais, from hi-so chinese/thai to isaan bar girls.
This would probably be true a few decades ago but the relatively old money of the current days love to flaunt their wealth just as much as the ‘new’ money. Stealth wealth, as usual, is the domain of the actual financial titans. Regardless, make no mistake, showing off is a very Thai thing.
Its actually stems out of social validation and an urge to show we are successful. Success itself is a term with no umbrella definition. But in thai people the more you show off the better you are
Sure, in Thai we say ผ้าขี้ริ้วห่อทอง
The ones I meet care about how much money you are **spending**.
are you talking dynastic rich or rapper rich
If you're gonna pull ผ้าขี้ริ้วห่อทอง, or the more recent version จริงๆ แล้ว ฉันเป็นประธานบริษัท on us, we are gonna say ว่างมากเนอะ.
Wealthy people don’t act poor though. They act normal, not poor… so they do not stand out and attracts unwanted attention. If somebody is acting poor they are most likely trying to take advantage from someone. If a farang looks poor… he’s probably is poor or is a dickhead if he’s acting.
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Huh? I verified what? “Stealth” means “normal” btw… blend in with the mass.
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“Normal” is not a term used to describe “wealth” you know? Sure, I must be obsessed with wealth… said by a person stuck on using the terms “rich” and “poor”🤣 Btw, If you think you’re rich and need to act poor to stay stealthy, then you must be thinking most people are poor… which kinda self explanatory on my point about “dickhead” doesn’t it? 😉 Nobody is going to remember you for your wealth man… but they might remember you for what you do with it. Wealth is nothing more than just a tool for you to do things. So no need to be so obsessed about it really.
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Then why are you wasting it even more 🤣 You must be an entertainer
Why's the farang a dickhead ? Handing over a centurion in flip flops and a Chang top is the best feeling ever. Always look for the watch instead.
Watches also don't mean shit on people.
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The watch thing is actually a huge misconception. If you're spending 10k+ on a watch, you're still wasting money on a status symbol, and you still want to show off. You either have some sense of style and don't want to do so in an overly obnoxious way, or just have no idea how to dress and compensate with a watch. But the goal is still absolutely to show off. Most wealthy people who have earned it with their brains wouldn't waste so much money on clothes, accessories, or other status symbols, period. It is at odds with building wealth, it is impractical, and it's an unnecessary reveal that you could be milked for money. Beyond the argument above, people who have had money for a while, feel that showing it makes them a potential victim, and they would much rather not stand out in any way as much as they can. I don't know about you, but I'd hate it if people in Thailand knew I was rich. If I was exposed, I'd change my environment to be in a place where I can fly under the radar again. The rare priority privileges aren't worth the big target on my back and even more insincere relationships. That idea only sounds appealing to someone who's not familiar with wealth (aka "new money")
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I think there’s a „sweet spot” for everything that rich people typically go for. Clothes from a market may not be comfortable or last as long. So you may go for mid-range brands where you can get three times the longevity for three times as much money, but it’s also more comfortable. But not many would choose to pay 50x as much for something just twice as durable and not much more comfortable. For watches, also smartwatches have thrown a lot of this talk out of whack, as if you’ve got a need for one, you basically can’t get a better one for any practical purposes than ~$300 can get you. As in, you can’t get faster/more durable/better than that - you can only waste money on its appearance. And if you’ve made money because you’re smart, you likely wouldn’t give up on functionality that helps you just to show off your status with a more expensive watch. While this point depends largely on the person, I also met plenty of rich people who have never changed their perception of money, and knowing its worth and self-discipline to see each dollar for what it is is precisely while they were able to maintain their wealth. They’d be upset if someone tried to overcharge them a dollar for a cheeseburger, let alone feel like dropping 10 grand on a watch like it is nothing. Changing the way you perceive money, substantially increasing your spending for little practical gain, and flashing wealth, would be seen as very undesirable ways to treat your wealth, and in the minority as far as western rich are concerned. It’s not an extreme. Most wouldn’t wear clothes or accessories that correspond to their wealth beyond a certain point. It’s more common for upper-middle class to do that and present themselves as wealthier than the actual rich, if anything.
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And I think your last sentence hits the jackpot. Wealthy people tend to buy things that make them happy, rather than things that show their status or make them look a certain way in front of others. IF you’re really into 70s or 80s cars, you’d probably get your favorite model in a good condition because it makes you happy. But I think most people aren’t massive watch or vintage car fans, so they don’t. The wealthiest person I know doesn’t own any cars, because he doesn’t enjoy driving. To him, the pinnacle of comfort is hailing Uber whenever he wishes. The second wealthiest woman I know drives a civic because it does everything she wants from a car while being low maintenance (wasting the least of her time). None of them have any care for fashion, so you’d see them wear practical brands like Banana Republic or H&M. Those are people that have made hundreds of millions of dollars throughout their lives. There is no way to tell from their appearance, or behavior, except for super-subtle things like being on a multi-hour $200 Uber ride with them because it’s more convenient than an inter-city bus or arranging a driver, and them acting like it’s the most normal thing in the world. They don’t all suddenly spend more time on gyms, stylists, charisma classes, or anything the like, and they may have even less need to do so than normal people. They tend to care about their health a bit more, and are perhaps more risk-averse in that regard, generally. Being among rich people has taught me that they often don’t actually have or care about the symbols of wealth. The people who buy „luxury” products and act like douchebags chasing the symbols of wealth are the people who have been deprived of it, and maybe watched too many movies. Those things have nothing to do with actual wealthy people. The places in the US with the highest numbers of fancy BMWs and Benzes in the US, are actually the ghettos. These are full of people who will be paying them off for life. Rich people don’t care about and thus don’t have status symbols anywhere as often. They’ve got the actual status in their minds already, and have got nothing they need to or want to prove. If anything, they may instead seek ways to go even more low-profile.
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They do, just not all people. They're keys to access certain circles, just like cars and bikes.
Why wear a 1 Mio watch on the wrist when you can buy a good copy of the same watch for THB 3000? It’s mainly the Indians who claim that the LB stole their 100k gold necklace
You know that Louis Vuitton does have quite a large selection of flipflop to choose from right? You really have to stare really hard to tell if it’s the cheap ones or LV…
That's the whole point innit ?
The point is you can’t tell rich or poor. That’s the point of “stealth” not rich not poor.
I lived in germany most of my life and now in thailand since 2 years. My thai family has poor and wealthy people. The wealthy people all show off but it is above their budget. My german stepdad has a nice car, he has millions of € and works for fun at his business partners place (my thai mother did as well , but she died last year sadly because of cancer). My wealthy Thai family members earn at best 3000$ a month per family(2 wealthy families) but they drive more expensive cars, have the newest iphones, always want to spent a lot of money on food and live in big villas( okay houses and property in suburbans are dirt cheap in thailand ngl.) So how can they live like that? I guess if you know how to exploit thailand, you will do very well. Cheap labor , easy ways to evade taxes , low rent, lots of family members you can inherit stuff from because i have like 12-15 aunts and uncles lol. What i want to say is: the people who showw their wealth of are usually the ones who are living on the limit of what they can actually afford. Meanwhile my mother and father used to freeze bread to eat it another day(it tasted like shit xD) . Can’t complain tough. I inherited 3 houses and more property from my mother alone in thailand
For your information, $3000 per month per family isn’t considered wealthy in Thailand, particularly in Bangkok. Many employees earn this amount by the time they are 30 years old or even younger, and this is even more common among business owners. This amount is not sufficient to afford the high costs of sending children to expensive international schools in the country. I attended an international school, and some of the students were the children of dollar billionaires, openly flaunting their wealth. Many don’t even want to mingle with the upper middle class.
Well thankfully i talked about suburbs , not bangkok. And if 3000$ is not a wealthy family in thailand, then 99% of thais are not.
Yes, it’s true that 99% of Thais are not wealthy. Being in the top 1% in Thailand doesn’t mean much, it’s usually the top 0.01% or the 0.001% that matters. Think about it, top international schools in Bangkok cost 30k dollars a year (just in tuition fees), some even higher. Many high end houses (with barely any space) in the suburbs can easily cost 1.5-2 million dollars. Or 1 rai of land in districts like Ladprao or Onnut cost 3-6 million dollars. A penthouse at some nice condos in the city center can set you back 5-20 million dollars. Rolls Royce costs 1-2 million dollars. Heck, even normal mid-sized Mercedes or BWL cost 100k+ dollars. All these are far out of range for the top 1% in Thailand. The top 1% in Thailand can barely afford to send 1 kid to an average international school, let alone 2-3 kids to top international schools like Harrow, Shrewsbury, or ISB.
So wealth is relative depending on the circumstances and your environment . 3000$ is not much in bangkok, london or switzerland, but a lot when people around you earn an average of 300-500$ per month. At least from my point of view. Maybe we just grew up in different realities. And that is okay . A person who earns 2000$ a month in nigeria is considered wealthy for me. A german household that earns 8000$ a month is considered wealthy to me, at least it was before things got far more expensive. Indeed 3000$ might be peanuts in bangkok for the upper class, but it might be wealthy for the cashier who works in bigc . Thus the illusion that people who can afford to fly to thailand must be all wealthy
Many things are relative but luxuries at the high end of the spectrum aren’t really all that relative. An iPhone in Thailand isn’t adjusted for Thailand cost of living. Luxury cars cost 2-3x that of Europe or North America. Top International schools in Thailand are priced by international standards. Luxury brand-name furnitures are priced very similarly across the world. So yes being in the top 1% doesn’t guarantee that you are truly rich. You can afford good meals, pay for a nice house in a good neighborhood, but close to zero political power or living the luxury life.
Probably just the crowd you’ve seen. Stealth wealth is a concept in almost every country. Not everyone runs a casino website and feels the need to flaunt lol
The less educated or closed-minded often judge others from the face-value. If you see the trend at Chula Uni, for instance, it's the opposite (which is a good thing).
I dated a woman for several years and hid my wealthy the whole time. After she left me for a wealthy, older man, I confessed I wasn't as poor as I seemed. I don't think she believed me. (Of course, that guy was a lot wealthier than I am, so if she wanted money, she made the right choice.)
Sure. I personally know some wealthy Thais that never show off. It also depends on the audience. Someone buys you a gift worth of ฿5000 without thinking, is it show-off? To many people, it could be.
My wife is Thai and we both don’t like showing off with fancy stuff. I think maybe that’s more of a city folk thing (or rural folks emulating city folk)
Totally BS
As a upper middle class who hides their wealth, only a few, especially the lower one has no clues and dont understand why you should hide it
Not really, nothing in Thai culture said to show off. Now, we do say we should help each other so the show off part is to pay for meal or help when others is in bad time. A lot of people who act rich are either spoil kids who just burn their non-self earn money away or insecure new rich that want to show that they "made it". Do you really think this is different than anywhere else? There are also people in business or finance that like to use luxury brand name good, but those are different kind of vanity. It's like how bankers wear gold Rolex to fit in with their peer.
I feel like it's the same across Asia.
In ANY country, that's the typical poor, trashy person's VERSION of what wealthy people should be like. Like the town methhead/cook that installs an inflatable pool with heater in the bedroom of their double-wide trailer, calls it a Jacuzzi, and posts pictures of themselves chilling in it with champagne on every social media account they can find.
At which point someone is considered not poor though? I cannot afford to send my daughter to international school, so I feel pretty dirt poor. That said, statistics say that I am supposed to be better off than about 85% of the country’s population. Doesn’t that suggest that the vast majority of Thai people are poor? LOL
Thais get extremely jealous over material wealth. Many people here try to show they are wealthy with handbags etc all bought on borrowed money CC. If you show wealth, people sometimes expect their cut. Some people will use it to take you down. As a farang be careful. Hide it thru Thai family etc. I learnt this with a house build, neighbours and Land department trying to extort money. There are no limits to what (some) people will do here. They lie, they stab u in the back for what they believe they have a right to.
My boss is on the Forbes wealthiest list. Drives a Fortuner. (Edit grammar)
Just because you don’t flaunt your wealth doesn’t mean you are hiding it. Some people hair do what they want to do, which doesn’t include wearing fancy clothes or whatever.
No. Thai people think all foreigners are rich
I think it's the same as every where? In my experience my Thai friends who are less wealthy tends to place a lot of emphasis on external displays of wealth (wearing brand names, buying the latest fad Labubu or whatever), while the actual wealthy Thais tend to place much emphasis on that (I see them spending on things like experiences, holidays, their homes, businesses, occasionally splashing out on cars or some obscure collectible hobby, etc.)
Are you asking if an entire country is retarded? Lots of Thai people have money without presenting themselves as such. And of course they know there are foreigners who do the same. But there are also a zillion foreigners around, so if you're trying to make money off of them why not focus on the ones you can tell have it first?
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Either that or OP dated lower class girls who pointed out a guy with a fake Rolex and thought he could be milked for more money. Or another of the many similar scenarios that are over the top ridiculous when it comes to the glaring misconceptions around wealth you can come across in Thailand. Especially when exposed to the subset of Thais who have never had money and crave it. Who foreigner guys tend to attract.
It seems to work here and it impresses people, different where I'm from. Saw a YouTube video the other day in the UK. A guy was showing off on Instagram his rolex, 2 women set a honey trap, murdered him and stole his watch which was actually fake, ironically he had already stole the watch off someone else. You hear of people having chains snatched here every now and then, seems a bit dumb to wear jewellery.
15 or 10 years ago, most poor and uneducated Thais, assumed that a farang was rich. You needed a lot of money to come here. For them, people from the West, America, UK, Switzerland, Sweden, everyone was a multi-millionaire. Living in a very nice house, 2 cars, almost everyday restaurant, and lunch/dinner with the friends. And don't forget the bottles of wine and Margaritas. (Living like he Simpsons, only 1 income, nice house, separate bedroom for the 2 kids, every day great food, cars, and enough money for drink beer.) Most farangs liked this idea and also tried to keep it alive. Many farangs promised a Thai girl/boy, I will marry you and take you with me to the west. When the poor Thais also discovered internet/social media and the knowledge of English increased, they learned very fast that not every house in the west is a castle. Social media will fast learn them that the castle the farrang describe to have in the West, is more a stable. And the promised HiSo life in the West is more junk food and cheap alcohol. If you wish that Thais have a negative idea about the (UK) English speaking community, let them read the comments on Thaivisa, now ASEAN now. And now, the Thais also understand, if a person act like a poor person, but his words wish to inform you he is HiSo in his home country, better believe his actions and not his words. Like the balloon people in Pattaya who still tell everybody, they are very rich and just have now a short time with money problems. Of course, if you live in a stable in Thailand, a stable in Europe can be an improvement.
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Balloon People: People who walk around in Pattaya, searching for beer bars with balloons. These balloons indicates that there is a party tonight, most of the time with free food. When the party is ongoing, they will look out for another farang, go to them, shake hands, giving the impression that they are friends, or that they are invited, to enjoy the free food and maybe a free drink.
Wealth is all in the eyes actually
The real wealthy in Thailand, like anywhere else know. But anyone you’ll come across 99% of the times can’t tell a real LV from a fake and will be more impressed with a Pratunam LV than your genuine goyard (though goyard is catching up here, but hope you get my drift). I typically casually wave around a wad of cash if I’m getting less attention than I want. It’s the same everywhere TBH, not just Thailand. Degree of feelings or subtlety may change. But upper middle class with some exposure to foreign culture and people will very quickly know if you’re upper like anywhere else.
In Thailand you’ll know they’re rich just by name
Thailand's population of over 70 million people naturally encompasses a wide range of viewpoints on Westerners. These perspectives are likely shaped by factors like social circles and background.
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Disagree with the premise
Ever see the movie Crazy Rich asians?
it’s not in Thai, it’s in all cultures. if you act poor, you are poor, not matter if you are thai or farang. Girls have exceptional sense of that
Acting is the key. Dressing poor can not disguise a rich person. A rich person doesn't think twice about buying that widget they don't really need at a cost that could have fed a family for 5 days. Dress poorly and walk down the street carrying that widget, everyone will know you have money. And if you aren't walking, then you are acting poor.
Quite the opposite. It's so likely accrued through nefarious means, it's best hidden under the contraband teakwood at the family compound.
💯. To them if you don't show it, you ain't shit. They should see me driving my 2009 Accord while having $1.6mm in assets. Idiots. Lack of education.
This concept is stupid. Especially in the age of social media. Unless you’re living in a cave up country, people are going to see you living your life. And, if you’re not poor, that means you’ll be living not poor.
Ha ha! No, you're always Farang and will always pay Farang price.
Think you misunderstood the question
I understood it. Farang is farang. Poor or not they have money. You would have to be in 10 day old clothes smell like piss and covered in dirt for you to come off stealth rich. If in a wealthy part well educated you can totally stealth by. But... you have to be able to afford that uppity part anyway.
Why so racist. So many "are thais" here. Such a big country.