Appropriate response to a bar girl's

[shygye]

A smile and nod of the head works for me.

[BJ_Blackowitz]

In my Golfclub ( #1 in Hua Hin) I was told by the Senior staff that I made perfect wais and on perfect occasion, even bette rthen most thais.

 

I follow the following rule.

In NORMAL society or HiSo

Med-Hich Class: if they wai 1st, return with hand never higher then chin ( remember I am customer and paying).

Low class Personell: Return with a Nodd of the head and a Smile (rember the smile) maybee with hands @ chest level depending on their wai !!

 

in p4p:

NEVER EVER WAI. utmost nodd the head and walk on. Let them know YOU are in charge and know your stuff.

The minute you wai a hooker you are dead meat or was it dick meat ??

 

 

 

[Old Hippie]

So should you wai a cop in the police station when he is done taking a police report?

[shygye]

Only if you have a purple between your fingers.

[sayjann]

'Waiing is used to show respect to someone of higher or equal status, and on that basis i dont think you should wai a BG'

 

so why do you think a BG is not your equal?.

if you are so superior why do you even talk to them?,i have more respect for BG's then i have for many people i work with.

 

Cent made some good points about what his wife said.

she should know what the Thai's feelings are and if they are happy that you return a Wai than why not be polite?.

[buddha]

It all boils down to personal preference, there are people who wouldn't think to actual smile or acknowledge a waiter in NYC. They are snobs. Snobbery exists eveywhere....I'm not saying that if you don't wai you are a snob, I like the head nod and smile thing myself, but if you don't wai because you acknowledge the class system that 'exists' - that is straight up snobbery.

[sayjann]

i am an occasional visitor to LOS and while i know how the Thai's feel about the social status i do not .

 

i know the Thai's will Wai someone with a higher status but i believe everyone is equal.

if i get the Wai i will return it,but if i do not get it i have no worries.

i have been wai'd by little kids and i have returned it and they have loved my actions.

 

i would never do it 1st as i do not know the custom exactly and would not want to upset someone if i got things wrong.

 

i have been to Thai Restaurants in the UK and the USA and have always been greeted with the Wai and returned it.

later i have been told that they appreciated my actions and knew i was familiar with Thailand.

i would imagine many of their customers have no idea what a Wai is..........

[Guest]

Why do people worry so much about having a few people poke fun at them getting it wrong? Weird.

 

The only time i've worried was when i met my girlfriends mother as i wanted to get it right, as it meant a lot! Otherwise i've never worried, never cared if others thought i was a dick as a wai'ed at the wrong time...

 

What about wai's when apologising? Whats the deal with that? It's not in the authoritative guide.

[the_numbers]

I disagree with you buddha, unless as I specified in an earlier post you are a tourist and headed back home on a jetplane wais do matter. If you are on holiday having the run of the bars then it is no skin off your back who is taking the piss and what have ya...

 

If you wanna survive in Thai business and culture and not acknowledge the class structure, or try to oppose it. You will not last long, or go too far IMHO I've seen farangs and still do often who don't even realise that their cultural faux pas limited their success or ascension in business.

 

I'm not flawless, but "ignorance is bliss" has never been one of my favorite catch phrases.

 

Cheers,

 

the_numbers

 

 

[AF16]

i am an occasional visitor to LOS and while i know how the Thai's feel about the social status i do not .

 

i know the Thai's will Wai someone with a higher status but i believe everyone is equal.

if i get the Wai i will return it,but if i do not get it i have no worries.

i have been wai'd by little kids and i have returned it and they have loved my actions.

 

i would never do it 1st as i do not know the custom exactly and would not want to upset someone if i got things wrong.

 

i have been to Thai Restaurants in the UK and the USA and have always been greeted with the Wai and returned it.

later i have been told that they appreciated my actions and knew i was familiar with Thailand.

i would imagine many of their customers have no idea what a Wai is..........

 

I agree with this. I detest the class system and I respect everyone as my 'equal' in terms of 'human worth'.

 

However I would not want to offend someone the wrong way. In other words if some Hi So think he is not paid proper due, I do not care. I don't do bussiness in Thailand and do not need their approval.

 

However I were in a position where I on a strawl met the local crazy woman. I had 'talked' to her before but my wife wanted to move on. I works with mentally ill individials so I found it interesting.

 

Anyhow, she recognized me and waided and I waided back. She were a bit upsett gesturing me to stop. Whether she did not like it or she wanted to inform me, or if she actually apreciated it but did not want me to show I did not understand the culture I do not know, but something I will have in the back of my mind.

 

My desire not to play a part in a class system should not come at the expense of others.