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the friendliness of Thai people

Replies: 61 - Last Post: 27-Sep-2007 03:25 Last Post By: Kananga

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Chiquitio

Chiquitio avatar

22-Sep-2007 22:39
Posts:  8

the friendliness of Thai people

Hi all,

I'll be in Thailand in a few days for a month. I plan to explore the country by walking on every sstreet in the major cities. I've seen some travellers talking about a few places in Thailand many local people are hostile toward white travellers. Please tell me, where ? what kind of unfrienliness I might encounter ? is it worth to avoid the place ?

Thank you in advance.

Irishrover

Irishrover avatar

22-Sep-2007 22:52
Posts:  2,709

1

Only place to avoid is the deep south .The 3 provinces bordering Malaysia ,have political unrest ,resulting in bombings and shootings .

Now in Thailand

khunjimbo

khunjimbo avatar

22-Sep-2007 22:53
Posts:  662

2

It is very unlikely you'll face hostility for just walking around. If you're in a major market/vendor area, then you'll be hit by sellers & touts. That's no big deal; happens all over the world.

You hurt my feelings...both of 'em!

boaby

boaby avatar

22-Sep-2007 23:42
Posts:  47

3

been there last month, like filipino's they are also very friendly....just a minor discount on them is that not many of them can speak english...but you'll get a way to communicate and understand them and you understand by them.
enjoy!

TattooFarang

TattooFarang avatar

22-Sep-2007 23:45
Posts:  67

4

thailand is the least of places where you need to worry about local friendliness.

thai people are really welcoming and friendly - anyone will tell you that.

more so than any other country ive ever been to, including australia where im from.

girllrig

girllrig avatar

23-Sep-2007 00:15
Posts:  2,722

5

even thais who don't like you will usually fake that they do. they are a non-confrontational society. the worst people i have met are teenage shopgirls who don't give a crap about anything, let alone another farang. i just leave their shop, simple as that. this is in the touristy areas like bangkok and koh samui. most thais are very welcoming and friendly, at least on the surface.

Samsalami1

Samsalami1 avatar

23-Sep-2007 01:17
Posts:  108

6

There are a-holes all over the world. Sometimes when a farang encounters a bad thai, they just badmouth the entire race as if they're not allowed to be a-holes. I find thais to be generally friendly people. If you compare them to the Burmese or Lao, Thais are more "in your face" type, although I don't mean it in a very bad way. They're more like Vietnamese. Lao/Burmese people are so much more passive. Although I don't think you can compare Thais to the Filipinos. Filipinos are well known for their short fuse. Giving in to anger is a sign of saving face to the filipino culture, it's like gaining an upper-hand..... totally opposite from the rest of the asian cultures.

Kananga

Kananga avatar

23-Sep-2007 01:25
Posts:  2,316

7

Quote

Sometimes when a farang encounters a bad thai, they just badmouth the entire race as if they're not allowed to be a-holes.

Heh, I find Thais do that with foreigners too.

If you can't beat em, delete em.

callippo

callippo avatar

23-Sep-2007 01:33
Posts:  6,464

8

Thais are probably a bit more violent than Filipinos, but with Thais you won't see them pull the gun or knife before they use it. Just be polite, make a bit of an effort, spend your money, be generous, and try to remember you're a guest and enjoy yourself before you move on.

dingest

dingest avatar

23-Sep-2007 01:39
Posts:  158

9

Booze in the brain of a farang can be the most dangerous place. just don't go down south and don't get drunk and agressive... no ploblum.

here, now

Samsalami1

Samsalami1 avatar

23-Sep-2007 02:13
Posts:  108

10

Speaking of bad farangs, I've been hearing a lot of locals complaining about Israeli backpackers. This was when I was backpacking around SEA. Filipinos, Vietnamese, Thais... they all have something interesting to say about the Israelis they've encountered. Most of the complaints is about their rude behavior and how menacingly cheap they are. Sometimes it seems like they regard the locals as irrelevant.

Emperor_Tud

Emperor_Tud avatar

23-Sep-2007 03:13
Posts:  1,211

11

There's a lot of animosity towards foreigners around at the moment. I notice it now wherever I go more than before.

Thais are a very xenophobic people, but don't expect that to affect you if you are on holiday.

For Gun Lover in Thailand

VanDalen

VanDalen avatar

23-Sep-2007 06:41
Posts:  784

12

#11 agreewith Tud I think political and economic reasons Thai media has become inward looking.

All part of the self suffiency modde all you need to own is one BanK!

Short term punters seem to think that because people smile they are friendly.Not an unnatural mistake as so different from White cultures where snarls indiffrence and loss of face are everyday occurences.

Altho not as passive as Lao the average clean polite tourist will think smiling bowing people are happy to see them .
Nearly always in acommercial transcation Shop,hotel,tiket tours etc.
The skytrain is alittle more revealing

Anyone familiar with the racial pecking order here and visa dept knows its the cash they like to see and would be delighted if all non Japanese went home.
They like light skin Asian rich Bhuddists and supported their regimes just see todays Bangkpk Post or read about collaboration

I am not saying Thai people are are unfriendly but neither uniform
Thanfully they are not as as boorish as the middle easty as rude as my fellow Celts or as drunk as the English and Australians wandering into wats in shorts and sitting on relics for foto ops.
Most locals see us arich stupid smelly disrespectful of Thais superior Bhuddharma realm and just plain ignorant if hey give toss at all.
To most of them the nice friendly 99% who are not touts or bargirls or tuktukistas we are as invisble as dog or bird is to you

PS its much safer than Sydney Dublin or LA

Fringe Rug dealers Plan Persian Carpet Bombing

dgwooster

dgwooster avatar

23-Sep-2007 06:51
Posts:  58

13

Thais are probably the genuinely friendliest I've seen all in my travels except for maybe Turkey. The only place I've seen animosity after several months here was at Sukothai where the business people (mostly guesthouse owners) seemed tourist-weary.

Eastsea

Eastsea avatar

23-Sep-2007 09:35
Posts:  87

14

Animosity and tourist-weary guest house owners in Sukhothai? Damn..... go figure! Sukhothai has to be one of the most laid back places in Thailand in relation to its historical and touristic importance and compared to the other top ten spots in the country, says I. Maybe I had a different experience in my several times there over the years.

What's the frequency, Kenneth?

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