was_usvirgin Posted June 18, 2007 Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 Great story! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Central Scrutinizer Posted June 18, 2007 Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 Carew and all, This happens all the time here in Surin to me. What pisses me off a bit is when you give a friendly nod to the guy and he totally ignores this, no return acknowlegement, no smile, no 'hey, how ya doin'?'. I think many of these guys are antisocial, to the point of being rude. Maybe it is why they are here? I try to be polite and friendly to everyone I run into, and we are farang so it is a 'commonality'. It's not like you are trying to borrow money or get their life's story from them. Maybe they think I'm out to steal their wife, or scam them somehow by giving a nod, a smile, and a good day to you sir? Some of these guys are just plain weird. Mai-sanuk dopes with no class, no clue, and no manners or personality at all. Luckily there are some decent sorts around you can have a chat with and possibly befriend to some degree. Either that, or some of these guys are painfully shy and introverted and maybe need psychotherapy. :smirk: Unfriendly farang cunts the lot of them! I always wonder what the Thais think when they see this antisocial non-interaction between the farangs. I smile and say a sawadee krup to the Thais I see giving me the eye (men and women you wankers-not just the pooying). They almost always smile back, give the nod, and Sawadee krup back. They seem pleased you took notice and said hello. I find the Thais much friendlier and polite than many of the farangs. And no, none of them are out to have me buy them their beers or whatnot. Nothing behind it but the fact they are a friendlier lot than many of the farang races. We farang are a suspicious bunch. It's a shame. The world would be a lot nicer place if we could loosen up a little and smile once in a while. What are these guys afraid of really? I blame it on the western news media! They have us all scared of our own shadows. Cent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YimSiam Posted June 18, 2007 Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 Nice post, Fiery! I'm also in the school of fuck, yeah, a couple of co-outsiders meeting in the middle of nowhere should at least make eye contact and smile or say hello -- maybe not in Bangkok, because that's hardly middle of nowhere, and anyway, I don't trust farang in Thailand (don't take offence, I don't trust myself when I'm there, either). I've been in a lot of situations in various countries where I could use a little help or where I could offer a little help - not that eye contact commits one to anything, of course, but pretending the other one is not there is just plain prickish. Usually with pretenders, it's a case of the guy who thinks - or would like to pretend - that he's a special case alone on his little adventure, like Sandals man, or that he's no longer a farang, barang or local equivalent. Wait 'til he's in a spot of trouble, and see how long it takes for him to come slithering on his belly for some help... YimSiam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitelotuslane Posted June 18, 2007 Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 I do say hello. Just common politeness. Most people return the courtesy, sometimes have a bit of a chat. Everyone else, feel free to ignore me and be your usual obnoxious selves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted June 18, 2007 Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 When I lived upcountry (decades ago), there were only a handful of Farangs in my small city; we all knew each other and got along well. We were either British, American or German volunteers or US military advisors. There was one Finnish gal for a while, and she was sweet as could be (even if she did look like she could pin me in Greco-Roman style wrestling). In Bangkok, however, there seem to be any number of surly types who seem to think their farts don't smell. A few will smile or nod, but others act as if they were Brahmans and you an untouchable. Even at work there are a couple of foreign lecturers who are as friendly as a mama cobra defending her nest. Oddly enough, these seem to be those who are barely qualified (if at all) for their jobs and almost seem to be hiding something. Makes you wonder. Is Thailand attracting a different type of expat these days? When I came here, we all played around in the bars and visited the MPs, but that wasn't the main reason we were here. We may have been a randy lot, but we hardly fit the description of "sexpats". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted June 18, 2007 Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 p.s. I got one job because my predecessor had been sent back to the US in handcuffs as a child molestor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted June 18, 2007 Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 Hi, Ok, can someone please explain why I need to approach / get friendly with someone just because they happen to be non-Thai? Oh, and does this also apply to Japanse, Koreans, Africans, etc, or only to Westerners? I'm sorry, but while I would not have a problem returning a nod, I see no reason what so ever why I should hook up with someone just because we are both non-Thai. Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Privatebk Posted June 18, 2007 Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 Why should I approach someone I do not know??? (and none of the board member would approach me genuinely as although european I look like a japanese or korean.....) :hubba: To give another example: In Africa (I lived there for some time) there was usually a few hundreds foreigners in one given city and people were not saying "hello" to a complete stranger. (by foreigners it includes all people not citizens of the said country, so embassy staff from china, japan etc... too) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Central Scrutinizer Posted June 18, 2007 Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 I don't think that is what is being said/asked here. The OP was in Surin when this happened to him. Let me ask this, if a farang guy nodded to you in passing and said hi ... would you ignore him, or would you acknowlege his greeting and say hi back? Plus, what is asked is about farangs living away from the normal farang haunts and tourist areas where there are plenty of farangs about. Places where you don't see many farangs usually. Two farangs see each other, one gives a smile and a nod, maybe says G'morning. We're not talking about him chatting you up, he just says a polite hello. Ignore him? Or smile back and say hi and on you go ... usually. Living in Bangkok or say Pattaya is quite different to living elsewhere in the country away from the big city and all the other foreigners that come here to holiday or work. Cent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
was_usvirgin Posted June 18, 2007 Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 Hi KS, Not being an expat, I don't have the same experience as you, but I think we are talking about politeness here. Smiling or helping someone out with some simple advice is not the same as "hooking up with them." If you, or anyone, are wary of meeting farang strangers in Bangers, I understand. But Fiery Jack pretty much captured the spirit of the thread, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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