Impolite Thai people

[Central Scrutinizer]

KS,

 

Just back from a couple days up the village. I'll have to ask my wife and Sis. They'll know. I thought it was more than 7 though. I remember thinking "Shit! That's a lot of wives!" And the amount of kids was high, or maybe the 24 number that sticks in my mind is the amount of kids he has?

 

So, Mormons might do well to just move their big ass religious center from Utah to Utahratchatani maybe? :-) I might actually become a religious man in that case! Although I don't know how the old guy did this. Build each one a seperate house for a seperate family? Or one huge family compound for all!? :-) Either way keeping the wives sexually satisfied would be a daunting task, and keeping the peace as well with all that pooying. :-o

 

Cent

 

p.s. How's things going for the writing contest judging? How many "celebrity" judges will be attending besides Tsow? I'm fairly certain I'll be coming down just for that Friday night.

[Old Hippie]

That is the funny thing about women, sometimes 1 is too many, other times 20 isn't enough...wasn't there a guy in OZ someplace, had a ton of "wives" or women around, fathered like 30 kids, worked and was getting tons of government aid...I recall the story, just not all the details...in any event, I wonder what drives these guys...?

[Old Hippie]

"...Hey! Wait a minute! Mormons! Aren't they the ones who..."

 

Cent,

 

You know not to get me started on the fucking mormons! :banghead: :cussing: :cussing: :onfire: :banghead: :censored: ::

[Old Hippie]

Neo said:

I am afraid it is not limited to Bangkok, nor even Thailand. I remember my first rude reminder in Laos standing in the visa window line when a Laos local cut in front right to the window just like they do in Thailand at McDonalds or buying train tickets. Like in Thailand, the Laos lady behind the window accepted it as normal and didn't send him back to the end of the line. Of course I also remember the years before this there was a time people didn't even line up for visa's in Laos. The group of people waited surrounding the window and the sharpest elbows made their way first. Just like the sky train used to be. Thai's are learning how to behave politely and form lines, but this is all new to them. Before it was rather chaotic. There are signs things are changing for the better, but very slowly.

 

 

I am solomly convinced that this line cutting crap is an Asian trait, I see it everywhere, no sense of waiting your turn at all, just push your way to the front, and demand service...I see this all the time in the Asian markets here, really pisses me off, I mix it up with them just for fun...Take a number? what is that for? wait your turn? why? god it pisses me off...

:banghead:

[Chlp]

Over the weekend I went to Central at Chitlom. I had lunch at the foodcourt on the top floor (they have decent pizza) and when I was finished I took an elevator down.

 

Behind me there was a farang woman with a kid in a stroller. She looked inside the elevator and saw there was not enough room for the stroller, so she backed out.

 

Before the door had a chance to close, a well-dressed middle-age Thai woman appeared with a shopping cart and started pushing the cart against the people inside the elevator.

 

I shifted slightly to protect a little girl who was in the trajectory of the cart, extended my foot, stopped the card, and I smiled and said politely, "There isn't enough room here."

 

The woman pulled the cart back a little bit, picked up momentum, and pushed the cart inside again. Once again, the cart came to an abrupt stop on my foot. Moreover, the cart, aided by my foot, started moving out of the elevator despite the middle-aged woman's efforts.

 

Now the woman pulled the cart about 2 feet and literally shoved the cart inside. Except this time the cart magically bounced off my foot and moved backwards with the same force, as though trying to do the the woman what she was trying to do unto others. "See ma'am, I told you there wasn't enough room here for ya," I said, with a big smile.

 

I'm with Pattaya127 on this. It is a cultural thing. It is absurd to label any behavior as "impolite" within a scope of a culture where this is a common and acceptable behavior. However, it may not be very flattering for the given culture if you think it through. These types of social behaviors and standards reflect how the culture views other people.

 

In Thailand, it's easy to get fooled by the airport, skytrain, Durex condoms, and other amenities that we associate with modernity. Underneath all that, Thailand is a very tribal society and consideration for another human being - who is not part of the tribe - is a rare commodity.

[Guest lazyphil]

I posted elsewhere about the most revolting behaviour of the chinese tourists at the dining hall at phuket fantasea, frankly they were vile and made the Thais seem like perfect gentleme/women, which mostly they're. By and large IME i find americans the most polite people i've come accross, especially in rural parts of america.

[Nervous_Dog]

Have to agree, while ignorant, they are very very polite people, A friend once pointed even racist americans are very polite to other races. A very polite society

 

I have never been fooledd into thinking Thai's are nice, it's just propaganda by the ruling class to keep them intheir place

 

DOG

[jitagawn]

I'm with Pattaya127 on this. It is a cultural thing. It is absurd to label any behavior as "impolite" within a scope of a culture where this is a common and acceptable behavior. However, it may not be very flattering for the given culture if you think it through. These types of social behaviors and standards reflect how the culture views other people.

 

In Thailand, it's easy to get fooled by the airport, skytrain, Durex condoms, and other amenities that we associate with modernity. Underneath all that, Thailand is a very tribal society and consideration for another human being - who is not part of the tribe - is a rare commodity.

 

I think this is a very lucid explanation of the actual situation. Its just the way they are ...very clan like.

What one needs as a counter balance is a powerful clan... ::

::

[David_66_UK]

No real point to this story, but anyway.

 

Was in a Bank with TG who was very very keen to withdraw some money from her account (no idea how it got there ).

 

It was a Branch she was not familiar with so she looks around a few minutes trying to work out which cashier she needed to see and "annoyingly" they were all occupied, but their was one of those "mono queue sysetms" with fortunately only 1 person in it, a middle aged Thai lady (smartly and conservatively dressed - ie probably respectable rather than a Mamasan dropping off the bar takings : who was waiting patiently for her turn.

 

Of course TG marches around the queue lanes........and barges straight in front of the Thai Lady and looks around impatiantly for a free cashier and seeing none just stands there, hopping impatiantly from foot to foot.

 

I was sitting down 30 odd feet away, out of polite earshot. I have seen TG act like this before, especially when she has set her mind on something, so I am not overly surprised at her behaviour - and is part of the reason I am sitting 30 feet away, as well as being lazy. Although it is behaviour which is out of place in this Bank.

 

The middle aged Thai Lady is left looking around in a confused manner for some support from someone......and of course there is no one around...... and I could see written on her face that she couldn't really beleive what had just happened and I could also see that she felt that she should say something but she was also clearly too intimidated by TG to say anything (she had a point! - TG does act kinda aggessively especially when she has decided she wants something).

 

Of course during this TG is studiously ignoring Thai Lady, whilst continuing to hop around from foot to foot impataintly.

 

As I said, I am quite used to this (indeed it's an improvement from attacking the cashiers glass and calling the cashier, and magically appeared Security Guard all the names under the sun - for saying that "money not come").............but I do feel sorry for Thai Lady.

 

The bank is not busy so I stay sitting and growl TG's name accross the banking hall. TG ignores me, but I KNOW she has heard me. (and Thai Lady certainly has and turns towards me) So I growl TG's name again deeper and louder and more insistently.

 

TG turns around (she KNOWS I am not going to stop calling her name and what I am going to say) and she looks at me quizzically and as innocently as she can muster (which is admittedly usually never a lot, but god bless her for at least trying occassionaly).

 

As I am out of polite earshot I signal for her to come towards me with my hand (in the usual Thai fashion), she looks quizzically again (still hopping from foot to foot), but I can see she knows what I am about to say, I smile whilst also giving her an exagerated frown and indicate with my finger that she should stand behind Thai Lady.

 

TG is not happy, but she knows she jumped the queue (although she doesn't actually care about this) but she can see that I am not happy (for some strange and probably Farang reason) so she needs to weigh up keeping David happy against being delayed in getting served.

 

Obviously their is some thinking time to get though here (just enough for the 3 of us to wonder what she will do), but she eventually gives me an exaggerated pout and swaggers back behind Thai Lady and then turns away from me whilst somehow still managing to studiously avoid making any acknowledgement of Thai Lady's presence.

 

Only took 10 seconds - took longer to write!

 

Thai Lady meanwhile has been looking on at this strange looking Farang, who looks like he sleeps under a railway arch, first in horror that I may be indicating to her and then in concern that I may be about to get her involved wth TG in a disagreement - which would probably not turn out well for her.

 

When TG has turned away from me I catch Thai Lady looking at me with a puzzled and relieved expression as I don't think she expected any politeness from this Strange looking Farang, let alone any help with her predicament.

 

I give her a smile, and a roll of my eyes and my best "what can I do shrug" which to my surprise Thai Lady responds to with a smile, slight nod of the head and a mouthed or very quiet "thank you". (I am guessing it was a "thankyou", as if she had whispered "Fuck off Farang" in Thai......... then TG may well have seized on the excuse to hit her).

 

As I said, no real point to this story - apart from maybe that I have found wherever I go in the world that unexpected acts of politeness or kindness tend to be appreciated, especially when they confound people's perceptions and expectations.

[AF16]

Once I were taking a local bus outside of the tourist sections in BKK. Upon entering an old Thai man got up and offered me his seat

 

I declined as I could perfectly well stand while he looked like needing a rest.

 

Here is my objection to P127 cultural relativism. While I agree that there are diffrent cultures around the world, like allowing slurping or not, holding the door for elderly is about simple emphaty. You don't have to accept everyting just because you recognize that there are diffrances and that it in it self is ok.