danish30 Posted November 16, 2003 Report Share Posted November 16, 2003 Hello, I remember there was a thread on this subject some time ago. To me new heights were reached the other night when I went with gf and a couple of friends to one of my old favorite Thai restaurant/bars. This place is a kind of a student hangout with live music and usually a pretty good place. What happened was that the band had to stop playing 3 times within 1 hour because the lead singer had to answer his phone, not just a short message, he kept talking for maybe 5-10 minutes each time while the place went silent and everyone had to wait for him to finish. Now if it was some kind of emergency, then ok, no problem, but it looked like smiles and laughs while he chatted away with one of his mates. I have kind of gotten used to the phones ringing and people talking in the theaters or watching a Thai couple having dinner in a restaurant while one of them are talking on the phone during the whole dinner or having to wait at the bank or another place while the person who should take care of customers are busy with a personal phone converstation. Guess I could go on and on But just talking away on your phone while lots of people are waiting for you, thats over the top I think. I used to think it was related to some kind of a status thing, talking on the cell phone all the time and feeling important, but now that the phones are cheap and even most of the bak soi motobike drivers has a cell phone, it can't have much status attached anymore. Just my thoughts and rant Best regards, Danish30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
think_too_mut Posted November 16, 2003 Report Share Posted November 16, 2003 Pure rudeness, multiplied by Thainess, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo Radley Posted November 16, 2003 Report Share Posted November 16, 2003 Hi, I heard that the same can happen during meetings in mutinational companies in Thailand. Proceedings are interrupted while the Thais take calls on their mobiles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palatkik Posted November 17, 2003 Report Share Posted November 17, 2003 Happens when doing a ST with a slapper as well. Another case of TIT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khwaimaisabai Posted November 19, 2003 Report Share Posted November 19, 2003 Says Boo Radley: I heard that the same can happen during meetings in mutinational companies in Thailand. Hi boo, Happens all the time. Khwai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torneyboy Posted November 19, 2003 Report Share Posted November 19, 2003 Hi To me it is rude. Good thing you were not paying for the music. I frequent this type of restaurant/bar as well...they are all on the phones from time to time..so not just a LOS thing. My wife talks to her sisters at least twice in the mornings between ..say 8.30am and 9.30am..then we go to our jobs..buddha only knows how many more per day. Now 8.30 Pm Sydney time ...on the phone to one of the sisters Hey what about the movies in BKK...talk all the way through the movie on the phones Only place worse would be Hong Kong IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danish30 Posted November 22, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2003 I heard that the same can happen during meetings in mutinational companies in Thailand. Proceedings are interrupted while the Thais take calls on their mobiles. I was kind of afraid this was the case. In the west unless you are the CEO, any phone conversations without excusing yourself and leaving the room, is absolutely out of the question. I hope most people here with adapt to just some basic ethic guidelines very soon. At least for their own good. Best regards, Danish30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 22, 2003 Report Share Posted November 22, 2003 The chances of that happening are just about nil I'm afraid. Thai's just don't seem to have much in the way of consideration for others. Some stop and plan off the last step off the escalator, ignore lines and cut to the front of everyone, barge into the elevator before anyone can get out, dig for gold in public, and so on. I read this comes from the fact they are very spoiled as children and grow up thinking of everything in terms of themselves rather than stepping back to consider others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danish30 Posted November 22, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2003 The chances of that happening are just about nil I'm afraid. Yeah, I know what you are talking about.. I mean the skytrain, or just about any queues anywhere. but I hope they will adapt some manners somehow soon. Doesn't have to be over polite like in the US where they can't pick the phone without asking how you are doing today. Just a bit of normal concern about the people they interact with. I do find that most Thai who has spend some time studying or working outside Thailand are very polite. Best regards, Danish30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted November 22, 2003 Report Share Posted November 22, 2003 I read this comes from the fact they.... grow up thinking of everything in terms of themselves rather than stepping back to consider others. -------------------------------- Not sure if you live in LOS, I wonder ::, but I am afraid it is actually the contrary: thais are raised minding constantly their place in society at large, family, work, etc..... The difference with us is that we are basically educated or raised to apply good rules of behaviour in every situation, and thais are basically taught how to act given a certain situation or hirerarchy. If the situation is not requiring assessing how to act or give precedence, then they can act freely, because there are no rules really. So, in the case with farangs, or strangers in elevator, or phones in movies, or throwing trash wherever, that's what we find happen. I know you and i will react to this as rude and inconsiderate, and definitely your prerogative if you want, but IMO, one of the "on principle" things that keep begrudged or befuddled farangs out of the thai loop, no matter the years in LOS. Of note, when an individual starts thinking individually, as a thai may, then his conduct will chnage in these matters, but no big incidence in the population at large. IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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