Why do Thai people do this?
You know I love living in Thailand, sure is far from perfect but it beats living back in the west. Though every day there is something that kinda annoys me. Sure there are things that annoy me back in the west but it's these little things that just gripe me. Most of the things i'm talking about arn't anything to do with the infrastructure or government in Thailand. Honestly I don't care about those things anymore because there's really very little I can do about it anyway. But what I'm talking about here is how Thai people interact with me almost on a daily basis.
The following is a list of things that annoy me about Thai people and how they interact with me and things that they do to piss me off. I guess I am complaining a little bit and well that's what this post is about. Why do Thai people do this?
1. When I ask a waiter a question let's say I ask for an itemized bill (I ask this a lot because I'm a numbers freak and want to know the cost of everything) and the waiter will turn to the Thai person nearest me and reply "what do you want the bill for?". I asked the question and if you have a question about what I asked why would you turn to the Thai person next to me and question what I've said? I mean it's not like that they don't understand the words I'm saying. This shit really annoys the hell out of me because mostly the person I'm with has no idea what I asked for in the first place so why would you turn and ask them a question. Can you imagine how disrespectful that would be if I was a Thai person who asked a question to the waiter and the waiter (male) turned to my girlfriend and asked "why does he want the bill for?".
2. When I pay for something they give the change to my girlfriend! OMG this annoys the hell out of me because once she gets the change it never comes back to me lol. But seriously I'll go get gas doubling a girl on the back and the attendant always hits me up to pay but then hands the money to the person I'm with. Why do they do this? It's a complete mystery to me. Maybe they think she's too thin and needs the change to buy some chocolates or something I dunno, but I do know they don't do this to Thai people. Whoever pays they get the change.
3. When taking the order they never ask me but always hands me the bill. Your probably thinking i'm overreacting on this one but really it is annoying especially when you speak Thai as well as I do. See in Thailand when you go to a restaurant it's the guy who typically orders not the woman. If it's a family it's normally the woman that pays. So you can see no matter how much you want to assymilate into the country they will forever treat you differently.
4. You start talking Thai to someone and they speak English back to you. This would have to be the most annoying of all the things that Thai people do that annoy the hell out of me. I get this mostly if I go somewhere and the person doesn't know me. But either way even if they don't know who I am as soon as I start talking there English should cease especially since it's rare that I'll meet any Thai person that speaks English better than I speak Thai. I've tried all things to stop this from annoying me and I don't know why it bothers me it just does. Things I've done are: Tried speaking English back to them but then they don't understand so i'll have to keep repeating myself, then revert to Thai and then they continue speaking English OMG how annoying! I've continued to speak Thai they speak English. The only thing that seems to work for me lately is instead of saying anything ask the person if they speak Thai. "khun phoot pasah thai ben mai". This is the only way I can stop this from ever annoying me. It sounds rather obnoxious to ask though the fact that they are assuming I speak english is just as much. Asking a Thai person if they speak Thai the answer you get will always be in Thai thus starts the dialogue in a language we both understand and won't have any problems from there on out. Yes I'm over reacting but it's better than a conversation in broken English when I speak Thai perfectly fine.
5. Your waiting in line and someone who came after you will get served first. If I had a dollar for every time someone did this to me I'd have a lot of dollars lol. Fact is Thai people don't seem to care about who comes first in line. Even servers say the clerk at 7 eleven don't care who ever says they want something in there face will serve them first knowing full well that you've been in line waiting. If you had someone push in line in the US or Australia that person would get knocked out unless they complied and went back to the end of the line. But it's that whole selfish attitude that Thai's seem to have is why you can just cut in front of lines, don't think it's true? Then ask yourself this, when was the last time you saw a car pull to the side when an ambulance came blaring down the street? hmmmm
Now if I complained about this list to Thai people they would immediately tell me I don't understand their culture, that things here are different than my own country. Bullshit. All these gripes I have in this article are never witnessed by Thai people, it's only Thai people acting like this to me because I'm a farang. Maybe the pushing in line thing is the only cultural thing here and even Thai people would say it's rude but probably do it all the time all the same.
As much as these things tick me off I don't let it get to me too much so if you feel the same just let it go, can't change the way Thai people are it's just how they are. Always ask a Thai person if they speak Thai before engaging in a conversation and walk right up to the teller in the bank to make a deposit withough getting a cue card. We're in Thailand after all.
Anything gripe you about Thai's or wonder why they do the things they do let us know by commenting below.
Queue jumping is the only one I’ve experienced from that list but my other ones would be blocking doorways by just standing there, getting in lifts/trains before letting people out and stopping at the end of an escalator and causing a pile up.
But what can you do? I guess it’s better than back home where you run the risk of getting mugged or burgled everytime you go out!
I have witnessed some of this, and have thought about why it occurs, since as you point out there is an underlying disrespect. I asked my gik the other day which countries / nationalities that Thai people look up to and respect — she did not even understand my question at first, but then replied “none of them – we see them all as the same”. That sounds enlightened, but I honestly think Thais feel superior in their culture, (a little bit like the French) and resist interacting with farang on an equal footing with language, money etc. However, that is in sharp contrast to the real friendliness they show to strangers – so it is an enigma. I have never been asked by a Thai if I like Thailand – they assume everyone loves and admires their country – and so we must feel lucky to be here. Hmmmm…some days I do….
“Mai pen rai” is probably the best attitude. Luckily there are plenty of Wats to go to and de-stress! lol!
6. Parking wherever they want to – on pavements – anywhere! ‘mai pen rai’ who cares about anyone else?
7. Not indicating when turning – a major irritating and stupid thing to do
8. Letting their dogs out in the soi unattended – ‘mai pen rai’ who cares if the dogs get pregnant, go into other people’s gardens and frighten people – it’s Thailand!
9. A farang – not tip? – Keenow! Thai not tip? ‘mai pen rai’
10. At the golf club – why can’t we not use caddies? and go around in 5s or 6s? slow other players? ‘mai pen rai’ they have to wait – it’s Thailand!
That always bugged me when shop assistants would give change to the girl I was with.
One time, I was at the checkout at Big C, handed a couple of 1000 Bt notes to the cashier and put the bags into my trolley. I turned back to the cashier, held out my hand and asked for the change and she looked at me as if i was stupid. Turns out that she had given my change ( nearly 900 Bt) to the next customer in line who was nothing to do with me. Amazingly this woman said nothing and had pocketed the money.
I also find the practice of answering you in English annoying at times. Especially when they cannot speak more than a few phrases. One time in a shop, I asked the assistant if they had any football boots. She practically barked “NO” in English, obviously not realising how rude she sounded. “Mai mee Ka” would have been polite and not rankled me so much. The other thing that really annoys is when they shout “YOU YOU YOU!” when trying to get your attention.
One time when I had a Thai try to speak English to me, I said “Pom cheu arai?” the answer was “Mai roo” I followed that with “Luuk keun, Nang long, Groongtayp, Chiang Mai” He looked confused and obviously thought that I was mad. He still didn’t quite get it when I explained that this is what he had said to me. What is MY name?, Stand up, sit down. Mancheseter, Liverpoon”
A funny thing I came across a few times. The first time was with a girl called Samlee and when she was taking about friends she would always say “My friend Samlee” At first I was surprised that so many of her friends had the same name as her. I knew nothing then and it was only later that I realised that she was using her name as the personal pronoun, Isaan style.
Not had this, or I have lived here too long to think about it…. or my wife pays for everything… 🙂
I understand the whole responding in English thing, but honestly. I am new here and try and speak thai when I go out. It is required in some place’s. So ill ask tow rai : “how much” , then they respond in Thai and I give them that stupid look like ……. English please. So it goes both ways. Prob over 90% of white people they run into don’t know Thai as well as you Chris. But I can imagine that shit would get old quick. I have only been here 2 months.
Cutting you off on the road. This shit is so irritating. You know when you can see them in your mirror. Then they speed past you, cut in front of you to turn left. Like they in that big of a hurry ? Seems weird when they are slow as fuck at everything else they do. Just driving here in general is like playing Russian roulette.
Little fuckers cutting in line ? Have not seen them do it to other Thai people, but it has happened to me many times. Especially at 7/11. I would love to see them try that shit anywhere else on the planet.
Its funny seeing people from Thailand back home. They are nothing like the Thais that live here. Culture or not, “respect” is the key word they seem to lack.
Cutting me off on the road, cutting me in front of lines, I swear sometimes it gets too much. In stead of getting in a punch up I’ve taken to embarrassing the fuck out of the people who do this to me but saying loadly “Hey! You know I was here first right?”. Rarely will I ever get a Thai person say, “oh excuse me, are you in line” or “excuse me, were you here first?”, were the hell do they learn there manners from I don’t know actually I do but you wouldn’t believe it.
In english the word Manners means the unenforced standards of conduct which demonstrate that a person is proper, polite, and refined. If you look the same word up in a Thai dictionary it simply says the physical expression of courtesy. It kind of sounds the same but it isn’t. You see we THINK what is good manners, they don’t THINK about having manners they simply use gestures, the wai is a perfect example. Bowing the head when passing someone older, placing hands in the right position when pooring a drink. They arn’t thinking about the other person, they are simply thinking about how they will be percieved. When we THINK about manners we are actually thinking about the other person. Letting an older person take the last seat on the bus, biting our tongue or agreeing with someone to make them feel better or rather not feal bad. Not cutting in line because the person the other person came first.
The word for manners in Thai is มารยาท mah-ra-yaht. Now I just went to google and typed in “Manners for standing in line” in both Thai and english, in English i found like a billion pages on queue jumping and manners for standing in line, yet would you believe that when I typed the same thing in Thai I came up with nothing. After 15minutes I was sure I did something wrong or typed it in wrong. So I left it to my girl for another 15 minutes who couldn’t find one reference to bad manners for standing in line when making a purchase, and about queue jumpers. Apparently it’s not a concern. Wow. So i’ll type here การเข้าแถวอย่างมีระเบียบ just in case a thai person comes and finds this page and tells us how wrong we are and that we don’t know thai people.
Oh yeah, the ministry of culture has a whole section on manners here, they have things on manners when sleeping at other peoples houses. Manners on how to walk, how to talk, how to sit properly at a bus station. But what about standing in line, driving. You’d think they’d have something on driving at least.
This one is less annoying than just confounding: It is considered rude to use a toothpick without covering their mouth but perfectly acceptable to pick their nose for extended periods in full public view, even during a normal conversation! WTF?!
well this is interesting… the point is that many Thais really do think they are superior to farangs – I remember well Suteph saying he didn’t ‘respect’ farangs and didn’t need their help – so let’s take away the pricks
car
childrens school
medical facilities
tv and electronic equipment
cinema
airplanes and travel
you get the idea… I like living here and i like many Thais – but take away the cheap living and girlies and 95% of farang would be outta here!
Oh i read this page, and i should just stop readig ur fucking blog!
I thk ur just the ont who got skip in line caus ure a farang. They hate u.
I KNOW GO BACK TO UR FUCKING COUNTRY AND DONT EVER COME BACK TO THI S FUCKING THAILAND AGAIN…
This is the best solution
Dude, why would I leave! I can deal with the cutting in line, the maniacs on the road, even you dissing me. But maybe when Thai women stop providing free and cheap sex and until this place gets too expensive I’ll stay where I am. But don’t worry I’ll leave you some girls left over k!
Oh and btw my girl came home today pissed because she was waiting in line when some bitch cut in front of her, she said to her friend that was with her “what the hell I was here first” the bitch who cut in line heard but didn’t give a shit. So how could you say they cut in front of us because we’re farang they do it to Thai’s too. Your just angry because your Thai and that we’re making generalizations about Thai people. I know plenty of Thai people that agree with me. So if you don’t, you must be a one of those line jumpers who cut in front of lines, cut people off at traffic, don’t pull to the side for ambulances and throws their trash on the side of the main road so you don’t have to pay the 50 baht a month for the government to pick up!
You know what sans, why don’t you give us a list of things you hate about farang, maybe you could write a post and I can let all my readers read it then we can know exactly what a Thai guy feels about us.
I think this is a great idea – let sans give us a list of what he hates about us ‘horrible’ farang – to be fair there are some pretty miserable farang around too and stupid with it so it shouldn’t be too difficult.
I like living here and love the girls especially – and have many Thai friends – but i don’t see Thailand through ‘rose coloured glasses’ there is good and bad here and back in ‘farangland’ but Thais are, quite basically, selfish people – even many of my Thai friends recognise this national trait.
‘mai pen rai’ actually means ‘I don’t give a shit’
lol dude i’m gonna use that ‘mai pen rai’ actually means ‘I don’t give a shit’ or as they say in the US ‘Whatever’
Exactly. Another thai coming in to voice his high values. Look, the problem is too many of you think you’re Einstein. I guess after years of nationalism being pounded into your brains like papaya salad, it’s inevitable. Amazing, hypocrite-infested, double-standard bearing, selfish, siam.
LOL,,,, remember the golden rule,,,, do unto them first, what they would do to you. Stop the frustrations,,,, it’s bad for your health. Have fun, be funny and charming and do it to them before they do to you.
Take no notice of Sans, he is a typical ignorant Thai who lives in Kalaland (coconut shell).
I’m Thai and I can list a 100 things that is fucked up about my country, but the average Thai don’t see or acknowledge because of ignorance, can’t blame them really it the brainwashed education we have, worst in Asia and worst in the World, and one thing I notice is that Thais won’t admit that they are the roots of all fuck up in this country but like to blame other like farang for PatPhong and Soi Cowboy, you know the saying “if you build it, they will come” and Thai are real hypocrite when it comes to this because it still amazes me is that for a Buddhist country like Thailand and not to mention that prostitution is illegal here in Thailand, we are internationally famous for it… in fact a survey was done and found the country that has most Infidelity is Thailand with Thai men coming in 1st place and Thai women coming in 2ed.
And one more Thai claim to be more civilized then others in fact it makes me sick how Thais treat there fellow country men. Thailand did not invent the word civil or civilized in their vocab not until the early 20 century sometime in the late1900 so yeah my fellow country men learn your history, never been occupied/ WW2 japan we were apart of the Axis Nippon Siamese army, Ayutthaya lost to Burma 3 times, 1st time lost an elephant (no big deal) 2ed lost the capital ayutthaya was under Burmese rule forgot about that? but Thais will say shit like we lost the capital but not the country WTF!? and 3rd the Burmese just burned down Ayutthaya for being a annoying fucking prick lol thats why we have the Rattankosin dynasty here in Bangkok or Krungthep as we Thais call it. and don’t let me started the fucked up Thai Buddhist practices Buddhist my ass more like “Prahm” (a SE Asian cult equivalent to paganism)
@Sans I understand that Thais can go around talking shit with no reason, logic or facts and and Thai people would believe the fucker this is because of education (most Thais don’t even know their history let alone traditions), but other countries with a more develop scientific understanding don’t work like that. “I pity the fool who is illogical” and that Thai fool is you bro… so if you have no reason or logic in your argument plz STFU you are making us Thais look bad and there is already shit load of Thais with occupation so don’t exacerbate things. remember this video https://youtu.be/v3_tZm84AMI yeah that is you on the bus.
Well this is ‘sanuk mak’ – if all the farang left (because Thais hate us) I do not think this country would last very long – and while we are at it let’s take all those ‘farang things’ Thailand has benefited from? like medicine, transportation, education (non-Thai), science, finance, computing, manufacturing and all the rest?
Yea they ‘hate us’ especially all the foreign aid they get – the point is (and WE ALL KNOW it) is that it is cheap and sex is plentiful and mostly free – as Chris says – take that away and 95% of farang would leave – so you now you know why we are here – it isn’t Thai manners or Thailands wonderful advances in the sciences etc.
we all love the girls (or whatever), the cheapness, the weather, the decent shops and the fact that Thais really love us – they must do because they call me ‘hansom man’ and ask ‘where you go’ so they must love me right?
ไอ้ยิว Ai Jew perfrom
nobody knows what this means including my Thai friends
That’s not very nice and that is not true
The truth is Thai people are just too relaxed
They don’t take life or anything too seriously
That’s why they replied “don’t worry about it to every thing”.
Not because they are racist.
Most of Thai people believe in peace and love.
I hope you all fucking farang will go back to your fucking country and die there hope when you die your body will not be here as a rubbish for Thailand. Anyone who are farang and know you are not a fucking one don’t get mad with me, if you are get mad you are really fuck one. ไอ้ฝรั่งขี้นก
Wow! khun Wow!
at least you learnt one farang word ‘fucking’ so your education was not wasted – I was going to say two words but ‘fuck’ is a shortening of ‘fucking’ so doesn’t count ‘mai pen rai’
I think your being a bit precious if all these things upset you so much. If you speak Thai so well, this could easily be handled with a few corrective words or actions. Just speak up ….
I find your list quite trivial and the other habits already listed are more annoying.
It is also sad to read some of the over-reaction from people who were obviously offended by your blog.
Sure these things piss me off but certainly no deal breaker for living here. Only in some circumstances would “speaking up” actually work. I mean I can’t exactly walk around paying for things and say “make sure you hand me the change” or “please only speak Thai with me” or “please wait your turn in line”.
It’s typically the Thais that are offended write a comment on this blog, but for every one of them there is another person who agrees that doesn’t reply. Most of the Thai’s that read my blog come from a website called ladyinter.com This is a bunch of women and some guys who have snagged a farang man/woman and have a superiority complex think they are the best and anyone who doesn’t pay to be with a Thai woman is cheap. Actually a whole bunch of them tried to get my site shut down but i’ve done nothing wrong so now their even more pissed. Should see the things they write about me there, wow.
Thai people are, for me, better than my own people back home. Maybe because they don’t really show arrogance, selfishness, discrimination in a more vocal or expressive way. One of my american friends said they are just subtle. I think he is right. Sometimes, it hurts when I detect the real color especially when I expect less.
It hurts me when in the middle conversation, my friend answers the phone in front of me without a signal of excuse. Back home, it’s a disgusting manner to answer phone while in a conversation without signaling for halt and excuse oneself apologetically.
Anyway, the champion of bad mannered group in thailand are the bus drivers, taxi drivers and bus or songteaw conductors. I would love to skin them and dry them under the sun with sprinkle of salt.
If I encountered the first about an itemized bill, I simply say, because some bars overcharge farang’s particularly, some don’t, and I haven’t been here much/don’t know you yet. I think lots of times these sorts of practices are done in reliance on your being socially embarrassed to state the obvious upfront. I wouldn’t be embarrassed.
As for the change, if I encountered that frequently, I’d simply say when handing over the bhat notes, and give me and not my friend my own change please. Again, no embarrassment. How much I give a girl who’s accompanying me is my business, not the waitress’s.
Them giving me the bill automatically wouldn’t bother me in a country like Thailand. A certain amount of pay for play is expected even when it’s a genuine long time gf sort of thing in Thailand with farang
It would be some time before I have the language issue you do.
As for the line jumping, yeah if that’s common then I’d just do it too. Esp. if I spoke adequate Thai.
Yeah I’ve been meaning to ask you about tipping. Do Thai’s tip? Are farang expected to? I’d tend to think I wouldn’t tip, since I’d figure I’m already getting charged inflated farang prices. I might tip in a restaurant though, at least if Thais do.
It’s not part of Thai culture to tip.
I’ve never seen a Thai give a tip, but I don’t mix with Hi-So Thais, maybe they are different?
Funny thing is I typed in “obnoxious white people in Thailand” and I think that it literally did me to a poster child of obnoxiousness. For every country you will always find that person who felt belittled and ignored enough to try to get themselves on a perch do the same to others. What chris described can probably occur anywhere. Like the time my friends and I got harassed by marauding white teenagers in Washington dc, or when a black woman cut in front of me at Popyes fried chicken. I mean would I go and blame the entire United States of America for that, nope. But I would blame the parents that raised the ignorant SOB. At the end of the day Chris is not just giving us a lecture why Thai people suck, but also how he gets his ego boosted by cheap and stupid women, who also exists through out the world. I don’t want to look down on the women who suck you Chris, but seriously, if you can’t afford to live anywhere else then she probably struck out on the expat dream, and two you probably are also not one of the glorious white people who invented the medicine or technology, as your compatriot have mentioned in subsequent comments.
Honestly Thailand ain’t the greatest. But at least we didn’t start any world wars or the global financial crisis. We just give Americans and Brits access to cheap health care that their government failed to provide, we only lend to these governments when they can’t afford to borrow elsewhere, and we try to make their obnoxious citizens a place to feel like a man again.
Your blog is very entertaining, and I want to thank google for it.
Interesting that the same search righ under my link shows a blog by some racist Thai who hates white people. Now that you’ve let out my secret for total Google domination I’ll tell you another truth, the ignorance is yours he who fails to see the truth behind what I’m trying to say, generalisations are such because there is an overal truth to it:
Black guys have big dicks
Americans are annoyling loud
Asians drive like crap
and Thai people don’t know how to stand in line.
“We just give Americans and Brits access to cheap health care that their government failed to provide” George
George, don’t include ‘Brits’ in your analysis of ‘cheap health care… bla bla’
The British have the best health care system in the world which is ‘free at point of delivery’ and Brits DO NOT come to Thailand because of any failure of the NHS that I have heard about which really shows your lack of knowledge in lumping Brits with Yanks (whose health care system is shit). Some people may come here for certain procedures because they have the money and prefer not to wait – that is different.
You say ‘we’ are you Thai? you mentioned Washington so I doubt you are? Thailand is a great place to retire and holiday in but I can’t think of ONE thing Thailand has contributed to the world apart from pooying, beautiful weather and more 7/11s than anywhere else 😉
Have to agree with you here, Thailand does have some great health care but you have to pay for it big time and it’s probably still sub-par to western countries. Where do you think all those doctors trained anyway.
“But maybe when Thai women stop providing free and cheap sex and until this place gets too expensive I’ll stay where I am. But don’t worry I’ll leave you some girls left over k!”
I think this says everything about you and your entire blog. Sentences like this render anything remotely debatable you say as void. Moreover, the fact you can’t get sex in your own country, free, or afford to pay for it there, only serves to further the Thai view that you are a true Farang Keenock.
you’re welcome
Don’t blame the act on the ethnicity. They do it because many of them have a six grade education. Just like people used to cut in elementary school, the social skills and ability to put youself in another’s shoes are not as developed as people in countries where people are highly educated or have job experience working in professional environments.
I honestly think that Thais are some of the rudest people i have ever met. I really have no idea where this whole “land of smiles” and “they are so friendly and kind” bullshit comes from cos it ain’t showing! Ive never been to a country where people so quickly cast you the “go get fucked look” when you don’t cough up the goods!> $$ I have been to over 45 countries and lived and worked in at least five of those!
I will admit my Thai is not so good, but it is getting better and i will have to agree with Chris on his peeves. I honestly just think as a whole Thais do not like white people, they are arrogant and yes, think their shit does not stink. If i get cut in a line at 7/11 one more time i am gonna shoot someone!
Yes they think we are a never ending money pit and yes lack of education is the leading cause for what i believe to be the number one reason that the Thais really seem to be a bunch of simpletons. Not that the west or any other country for that matter is really winning any medals in that department either!
Thailand at the moment is not really winning me over as anything special, more so the contrary! I see most Thais as uneducated,lazy, money hungry, materialistic, self absorbed bored simpletons who lack the ability to express themselves in a courteous and intelligent manner.
As a general rule> that applies not only to Thailand “Most people are never gonna be intelligent enough to realize how stupid they are!”
oh god! so true! especially stupid thai youtubers on youtube! they’re acting like they just came off the cave and like to comment on american’s or other country videos things like, ‘I AM THAI’ and those shit, and it pisses me off. I mean, they act like attention whores! maybe some of them are nice, but some are so fucking annoying.
Never saw one person on the train reading a book ,all of them showing off they mobil phone ,,u know what i think thai tv Program and gov make them like this ,,When you talk to them about politics, or a serious issue,they do not look ,Meaning is shut up ,,,,,,,,,,,,
Read my 1 to 10..bottom of the list. .they are arrogant pigs..users, liars,thieves and out for a thing they can get.
I think the reason when you speak to them in thai and and they reply you with english is because they’re trying to respect your country.
How can it be respect for your country?
That would mean that they are so ignorant that they think all Farangs have English as their native language.
no ,is not ,they try to tell u your thai is suck ,but when u speak eng they respact u ,never sperak thai ,,
You start talking Thai to someone and they speak English back to you??what “s this ,,,:)
it’s rude when people do this start and end a conversation in the same language please.
All you ladies complaining so much about Thailand need to live in other countries in Asia. Your provincialism is showing. (And by the way, blogger, speaking of annoying habits, it is “you’re” not “your.”). Line-breaking happens constantly in every Asian country besides Japan. I spent 8 years in China before coming here, and the rudeness and uncivilized behavior there dwarfs Thais’ bad habits. Lying, cheating, looking at your local friend for responses instead of you, ignoring your Mandarin, picking noses, screaming into cell phones, screaming across aisles in stores, spitting constantly (men and women), children being allowed to shit on the sidewalk, snot-rocketing on restaurant floors, the list goes on and on. Cattle are more polite than so many Mainland Chinese. Come on, wussies, this place strikes me as very well-mannered compared to the more famous and important country to the north. I don’t feel sorry for any of you.
All things are relative. Well put. I spent most of the last year in Thailand but started to be driven crazy by the heat, pollution, bad side walks, dogs, drivers etc. So I left and am now back in the US.
Both good and bad can be found anywhere. When I found myself focusing more on the bad than on the good things, like cheap living, then I knew it was time to do the right thing and go home.
I appreciate the US more now but feel more sorry for the people here who are stressed and worried constantly while being surrounded by so many wonderful conveniences.
There are pluses and minuses everywhere. When I find myself focusing on the minus side then I know it is time to move on again.
Chok dee
My dad is not the hi-so type, just your average Joe with below average income, but he always leaves a few bahts as a tip when we dine out.
Gotta say, if you got treated badly, you’re so out of luck. There are ignorant people everywhere on planet Earth, and by the way you look in Thailand, you’re probably either ignored verbally or thought to be a chance for them to practice their English. I’ve done the latter before, and I wouldn’t change a thing because if I got discouraged from the first attempts my English would still suck (referring to your #4), and, plus, I have to say it’s a rare occasion for me to meet a foreigner who is really fluent in Thai in real life. As for the girlfriend or money situations, I lack knowledge and experience on the matters so I can’t really argue. For Thais, too, it’s sad that sometimes foreign visitors better are treated like gods just because they bring money tourism and the locals are treated like subhumans (i.e. some hotels, shops and restaurants prohibit Thai guests). I have to agree that the inferiority complex play a huge role in the society like the skin colors, social statuses, etc., and not only people from other countries are affected, but also the Thais. Only if more Thais realize that those are all piles of bull and that people, regardless of origin, should be treated as equals, always.
This is a little out of context, and maybe it’s what you already know and can learn from: being passive is our way of dealing with confrontations, even when we think the other person is truly an asshole. Unless you’re looking to stir the pot, of course.
P.S. I now live in the country where the way I look makes some of the locals think I don’t speak their language well, so I get the frustration of being sometimes ignored or spoken to like a retard.
Oh my God all of this. What’s even more annoying in my case is that I am half Thai (Thai mother, English father). I get treated like a foreigner despite the fact that I speak Thai, in fact I grew up speaking it with my mother, along with English. Whenever I go out with my mother, people assume that I am her girlfriend *vomits* OR that she is my tour guide just because, and I quote “she doesn’t look like you” for fuck sake! It’s so rude and offensive.
Never been to Thailand, but I am sharing a flat with one of them in England. I know how bossy and annoying it could be.
yes David, from what I’ve heard of others having lived in China, it is far worse there…which makes me never want to go! The funny thing is, a lot of Asians think that Westerners are barbaric and unclean etc….but I’ll take barbaric and obnoxious over boring and rude any day, and they may obsessively keep their bodies clean but they certainly don’t make the same efforts for their streets what with all the sewerage and rubbish around!
Yes it happened to me today. I Thai woman cut in front of me at a phone bill paying place in Pattaya. It was not that she was unpleasant, she said the clerk told her it was OK. Then he BF chimed in that I should be quiet. I asked him where he was from he said ‘Holland.” I said then you should know about a Q! but her bf from Holland was a rude obnoxious jerk, who when I told her to go behind me to the back of the line and wait her turn: The BF from Holland told me to shut the f**k up. I thought most people from Holland were pleasant not this jerk!
What an asshole.
You need to quit your whining. All of your ‘issues’ come from an entitlement attitude typical of farang.
Also, you should realized the Thais treat you and other farangs far better than you deserve to be treated – often with an over abundance of patience.
A Thai person, let alone any other minority living in the US, would experience far worse treatment daily than you will ever know.
Grow some skin and be a man.
So when a person speaks on an issue that affects another person negatively (which most on this blog agree on) such as when a Thai cuts in front of a person in line, thats now called whining?
Treating other people with some courtesy is not an entitlement. So if you had a small emergency and had to rush to the hospital, and i cut in front of you to pay my for my bill while LINING my friends, I can assume you will shut the hell up and not care, correct? Otherwise you would have a feeling of entitlement?
As for Thais treating farangs better than we deserve, using “often with an over abundance of patience”….UMMMM…they are not being patient for us. They are doing that to save face or to prevent embarrassment upon how they are perceived. They do it to themselves and this insecurity starts to dominate their lives/culture. Cutting in line is not showing patience, in fact its quite the opposite. They want to get things done faster over our expense so I dont see how what you are stating fits with that line of reasoning.
I was friends with a half Thai and he said the same thing I did. Yanks are loud and obnoxious and Thais are selfish, fake and are dimwits
Try this one……to 10
1..When you buy something have a Thai with you..no…have the Thai go inside and ask for you because once they even see your face the price goes up..with a Thai or not..look at what you want. .get the price then have your thai friend go in later and buy-in for you..Thai price..it’s all just discrimination.
2..go to a disco..you pay thai doesn’t. .don’t like it. .just leave..they will tell you to leave
3..have an accident be 100 per cent in the right..no matter..you pay everything..that’s their law
4..Accept the French words..Allien or ferang. .but call them back thai..they don’t like it
5..get a taxi at the bangkok airport. .be ripped off by the taxi gang at 500 baht over a taxi metre.so what which floor you get your taxi from.the give your destination, while she gives it to the driver. .if not far enough the next taxi..keep waiting for the next taxi
6..when you go to big c or other shops and see no prices on goods.tablets cameras etc etc don’t ask why, the bitch will scratch your face..happened to me.there are not prices so they can rip ferang off..up the price then slowly down
7.never drink with the cops, when they get what they want free they will then ask for your passport and threaten you
8..never build a house for a Thai, as soon as the first brick is laid it’s their house, and you can lease back after paying them rent over the lease term, and it’s 30 years lesse, option to renew…not 20 0r 25 the govt liars will trick you into thinking
9..Thais spend half their time picking their nose and the other half grooming their friends hair from bugs or pulling out their grey hairs..very nice especially while you are eating and talking of eating.don’t eat anything unless they use gloves, that goes for hungry Jacks in thailand also, they are filthy places.oh $15 a berger drink and chips..wages are nothing..huge rip off
10. But could be 1000..gay thais are liars, thieves and UNTRUSTING. .if you are cooking a Thai to a hotel room, beware his mate has not booked the room for you and is waiting under the bed forvyountonshower..next..your monies gone and your so called thai lover meets up with his mate and they decide the takings…on and on and on
The skipping the queue at 7 Eleven, happens almost every time I go to 7 Eleven I drive in Bangkok everyday, and when a motorcycle cuts up in front of me without looking, or undertakes me on the inside when I’m turning left;
My Thai wife always gets angry with me, and SHOUTS!!!
“Why are you such a bad driver?” “Did you not see the Motorcycle?”
I have given up trying to argue the finer points of the ‘Right of Way’.
Now I just make sure that as I am driving along, I must remember that in Thailand,
(As a Farang)
I never have the right of way. Be it in 7 Eleven, on the road, or anywhere else for that matter.
i also hate about some other Thai’s attitude. They don’t seem to be nice at all in the workplace either. One of them tries to copy me anything, as he wanna be as I am (farang), but I have a privilege that I have got the residence till citizenship here as I lived here for a long time. I was also too nice to him by taking him to travel abroad, nearby countries. However, the way he responds back to me is only full of shit! He’s trying to argue everything even I drove off the car parked at the airport and he waited in some place for keeping up the luggages in my car, then there was another car rushing me up, and I said this was a bad habit of Thais and if he learns how to drive, he doesn’t have to be like this, but he turned to argue me and said I was wrong that I didn’t park at the right place, but I was picking him up and waited for him to put the luggages! There are also more shitty things about him, after I have posted some picture abroad (solo pic), I saw him post the same action of picture, he likes to imitate me, this shows that he has no brain. Moreover, he also posts some stupid messages like being Thai but not speak Thai, so ridicukous like pretending, and like being stupid bit not accept that one is stupid something like that, I think they are very uneducated to post that kind of messages in public, and I know myself even I granted the citizenship that I am originally not Thai and never wanna be coz they are envious, selfish and full of shit. Sorry to be impolite but that is what I really feel. They like to wear the mask and pretend to talk to each other too, nobody is sincere, I can say.
Lots of sympathy, Chris, just glad it isn’t worse. I remember coming here in the late 60’s, finding the people very pleasant; a gentleman who’d arrived in ’46 loudly lamented the absence of manners since he’d arrived. Then there was a dear lady who’d come with her family in ’49–she said things had changed (this was mid-seventies) because so many Occidentals had come in. Were the dear thing still alive, am sure she’d be horrified at the influx of so many, have pithy things to say.
Vasty numbers of foreigners from the West have certainly changed Thai perceptions, attitudes: went some couple of years by to downtown Chiang Mai, engaged a middle-aged Thai lady in conversation–we agreed that such numbers had effected great changes in Thai attitudes vis-a-vis farangs.
At least now there’s no longer need for Phoenix roundabout my shack in the sticks, so let us be glad grave issues of the past have been reduced to the irritants you’ve so rightly catalogued.