Some Pointers For Tourists

[chiang mai]

We see lots of posts in this forum from tourists and casual visitors to Thailand complaining about this and that, “I found a cockroach in the hotel bathroom”, “I got ripped off for 100 baht by a taxi driver” and “this local man was so rude and completely ignored me, even though I was speaking English to him”. Fair enough I suppose, we all have things that annoy us from time to time but what strikes me is the extent to which people travel from the West and other locales to Thailand for a holiday and the degree to which they are completely unprepared for the experience – pity the poor locals is my immediate thought. My second thought is to think how much western tourists annoy me sometimes so I thought I’d have a not so quick rant about them. So, dear tourist, please take note of the following:

Do not try to ride your rented motorbike as dangerously as the locals appear to do. They’re skilled in ways of riding motorbikes that you cannot imagine and you will never be as successful - locals on motorbikes are a hazard, you are dangerous.

When you find cockroaches, ants or mosquitoes in your hotel room do not be too surprised and don’t complain too much. Thailand is in the Tropics and these things abound here naturally and it’s almost impossible to keep them out of your space all the time.

When your taxi driver overcharges you by 100 baht on your 250 baht journey, don’t be surprised – most people in Thailand are very poor. Remember that even including the additional 100 baht, you just travelled 20 kms for a price equal to that of opening the passenger door of a black cab in London.

Do not look at all western males who are with local females and think that the girls are all bar girls and the men are all sex tourists. If you do think those things you should definitely not verbalise your thoughts as this annoys those of us who are happily married to Thai’s and may well earn you a slap.

Do not think for one moment that every Thai female you see will welcome your offers of money in exchange for sex because this is simply not the case and putting such thoughts into action will deeply offend and potentially earn you another slap.

Do not arrive at your holiday destination and complain that it is very hot or it’s raining. If you didn’t know that it would be very hot or wet before you arrived it’s your own fault for not checking the weather sites when you were planning your holiday.

Just because you are used to “things” being done a certain way back home, do not assume that those same “things” will be or must be done the same way here. Thailand is not your home country and probably does not have much in common with it. Nobody really cares that Thai’s play 8 Ball differently here from the way you do back home and frankly we get tired of hearing about it.

Do not wei to everyone you meet meet, including the doorman at the local Tesco, it identifies you as a tourist and some who is very slow to catch on.

It is illegal for women to bare their breasts in public, for example at the beach. Have you ever noticed how many Thai females sunbathe topless? Almost none. The Thai authorities allow western females to do that because, well, they are tourists and also a bit odd in their eyes. Regardless, topless sunbathing is against the law and is thought to be offensive by native Thai’s.

Do not get annoyed when sitting in the bar and young attractive girls asks you to buy them drinks. This is how they earn their living and their entire months salary is likely to be the equivalent of two nights of your bar bills. You should think of yourself as extremely fortunate that young attractive girls will even talk to you.

Having met the girl of your dreams, given her the equivalent of one day of your wages back home and then left at the end of your holiday to return to your home, work and family, do not be angry that your Thai “girlfriend” has found another man. You chose to leave, not her.

Try not to begin every sentence with, “well, back home in (insert the name of your country here) we do it this way”. Both locals and ex pats find it really troubling that you are thinking of home all the time and wonder why you came here in the first place, apart from which we really don't care how you do things in your country.

Just because you have spoken a grammatically correct sentence in English in clear tones do not think that just because the local person who is smiling and nodding at you has understand a word you have said. It’s especially important that you not get angry when you realize this is the case.

Do spend some time before your holiday trying to understand and learn about your holiday destination and the culture of its people. Above all, please don’t post problems relating to any of the above on this forum again because there’s no excuse for not knowing or understanding these things.

Above all, have an enjoyable holiday.

[Jingthing]

That sounds like so much work, why bother?

Could someone explain the Thai 8 ball rules?

Edited November 3, 2007 by Jingthing

[chiang mai]

That sounds like so much work, why bother?

Could someone explain the Thai 8 ball rules?

Two shots on a fouled ball is not the American way to play the game or so I am told repeatedly!.

Don't you ever get fed up with tourists here, I do?

Edited November 3, 2007 by chiang mai

[JiveTalker]

Can I just add:

Unless you're on the beach or in your house please wear a t-shirt of some kind. I don't need to be seeing half undressed dudes everywhere I go, it's not pleasant and you wouldn't do it at home.

This applies to some residents as well as tourists.

Thanks.

[JiveTalker]

That sounds like so much work, why bother?

Could someone explain the Thai 8 ball rules?

Two shots on a fouled ball is not the American way to play the game.

Don't you ever get fed up with tourists here, I do?

Two shots is the correct English way to play the game.

[fennielyn]

Two shots is the correct English way to play the game.

And just about everywhere else in Asia too.

[IgnacioE]

So, dear tourist, please take note of the following:

I might add:

If you do meet a Thai girl and hang out with her for more than one night, you don't need to paw her, hold her hand, and put your arms around her waist every second when together in public like you are going to lose her if you don't physically touch her every moment. It is in very poor taste and embarassing for the lady.

[chiang mai]

So, dear tourist, please take note of the following:

I might add:

If you do meet a Thai girl and hang out with her for more than one night, you don't need to paw her, hold her hand, and put your arms around her waist every second when together in public like you are going to lose her if you don't physically touch her every moment. It is in very poor taste and embarassing for the lady.

You know I was going to put that one in myself after seeing an older farang tourist with a middle aged local lady today in Jungceylon. We were sat having lunch in the Thai restaurant there and they walked by and stopped and his hands were everywhere that you might expect them to be in the bedroom but never in public. She was clearly very very embarrassed and I was outraged. The farang behaved in a way that he would never have been able to do in his own country without being arrested for lewd behavior or sexual assault. I'm actually annoyed with myself for not doing something to help the girl but I'm afraid it's a fine line here as to when you should or should not mind your own business.

[BIGTOE3]

Just want to say GREAT POST

BT

[Super Hans]

That sounds like so much work, why bother?

Could someone explain the Thai 8 ball rules?

Two shots on a fouled ball is not the American way to play the game or so I am told repeatedly!.

The one shot, ball-in-hand, rule is not American per se - it's THE rules. It drives me mad this - everyone on the planet knows the rules of snooker (or at least those that play), but hardly anyone knows the rules of pool, which deviate from country to country, pub to pub. It's high time people learnt the official rules and standardised them.

[Super Hans]

When your taxi driver overcharges you by 100 baht on your 250 baht journey, don’t be surprised – most people in Thailand are very poor. Remember that even including the additional 100 baht, you just travelled 20 kms for a price equal to that of opening the passenger door of a black cab in London.

Being ripped off is being ripped off, in any country.

I'm all in favour of the two tier pricing structure. Actually, I'd extend it to 3 - dirt cheap for Thais, dead expensive for tourists and plain old market rate/value for money for ex-pats.

[wileycoyote]

Tour Operators should include it in the Do's & Don't.

The only problem is that most of the members of Thai Visa know etiquette .

Very Good Posting

Wiley Coyote

[Singha Gold]

If you do meet a Thai girl and hang out with her for more than one night, you don't need to paw her, hold her hand, and put your arms around her waist every second when together in public like you are going to lose her if you don't physically touch her every moment. It is in very poor taste and embarassing for the lady.

If only she would keep her hands off me.

[chiang mai]

When your taxi driver overcharges you by 100 baht on your 250 baht journey, don’t be surprised – most people in Thailand are very poor. Remember that even including the additional 100 baht, you just travelled 20 kms for a price equal to that of opening the passenger door of a black cab in London.

Being ripped off is being ripped off, in any country.

I'm all in favour of the two tier pricing structure. Actually, I'd extend it to 3 - dirt cheap for Thais, dead expensive for tourists and plain old market rate/value for money for ex-pats.

I like that idea.

[chiang mai]

That sounds like so much work, why bother?

Could someone explain the Thai 8 ball rules?

Two shots on a fouled ball is not the American way to play the game or so I am told repeatedly!.

The one shot, ball-in-hand, rule is not American per se - it's THE rules. It drives me mad this - everyone on the planet knows the rules of snooker (or at least those that play), but hardly anyone knows the rules of pool, which deviate from country to country, pub to pub. It's high time people learnt the official rules and standardised them.

I hope not turn this into a "the rules of pool thread" but what you said is exactly my point. Walk into any bar in Thailand and play a regular game of pool with a local, not eight ball and the local will understand the rules to be, two shots to the opponent on a foul. But it never fails, every time I visit Bangkok and go to play pool in the Hillary Bar or similar and wind up playing against an American/Brit/Aussie I am lectured about the "correct way to play pool". I am also tired of hearing about US standards for electrical wiring, building codes and everything else that is standardized in the US and is not so here. And let's be perfectly clear, this is not a rant against Americans or any single nationality because I get the same drivel from other nationalities also and I find it really tiresome.

[fiddlehead]

Funny how many of us are attracted to Thailand because the rules are lax or many times there is no rules.

Back home, it's rules, rules and more rules.

So, we come here and live for awhile and next thing you know: Hey we need some rules around here.

I love Thailand the way it is.

Sure there's stuff to bitch about.

But there's much less to bitch about in Thailand than there is back home.

Jai Yen Yen!

[annetta]

VERY GOOD POST, CHIANGMAI!

Fully agree on your view and also Fiddlehead summed it up very nicely.

I don't understand why people travel so extensively just to criticize every single thing......We should appreciate every moment of our holiday in Thailand, I go often to Phuket myself, but sometimes some farang attitudes are really funny....the whole topless thing (I cannot believe there is still people that don't know is an absolute no-no in all South-Est), people eating in the restaurants without a t-shirt on (but the staff could at least ask to wear a tshirt or not?), and I could go on for a while.....

Take it easy, as shortly you'll be back at YOUR rules......

[Kimera]

Yes good post However. 2 points. Thai. drivers are on the whole useless most have no skills no sense of danger many have no licence and at weekends and after school many are under age. 2 Thai girls want to be white why would you think they want to sunbathe they are brown already Bless em....

Edited November 4, 2007 by Kimera

[donna]

you could also add that people should cover their chests, knees and stomachs when in a temple. i went to the tiger temple in kanchanaburi a few times, and on one occasion there were two young tourists wearing skimpy shorts and bikini tops 'because they were hot'. i told them that they may want to consider putting their shirts on as they were actually in a temple, but they basically told me to f*&^ off.

[Super Hans]

That sounds like so much work, why bother?

Could someone explain the Thai 8 ball rules?

Two shots on a fouled ball is not the American way to play the game or so I am told repeatedly!.

The one shot, ball-in-hand, rule is not American per se - it's THE rules. It drives me mad this - everyone on the planet knows the rules of snooker (or at least those that play), but hardly anyone knows the rules of pool, which deviate from country to country, pub to pub. It's high time people learnt the official rules and standardised them.

I hope not turn this into a "the rules of pool thread" but what you said is exactly my point. Walk into any bar in Thailand and play a regular game of pool with a local, not eight ball and the local will understand the rules to be, two shots to the opponent on a foul. But it never fails, every time I visit Bangkok and go to play pool in the Hillary Bar or similar and wind up playing against an American/Brit/Aussie I am lectured about the "correct way to play pool". I am also tired of hearing about US standards for electrical wiring, building codes and everything else that is standardized in the US and is not so here. And let's be perfectly clear, this is not a rant against Americans or any single nationality because I get the same drivel from other nationalities also and I find it really tiresome.

I know and grudgingly accept the rules here, it's just the rules are absurd - they make no sense whatsoever. They can penalise good play and reward bad play, making them fundamentally unfair. There would be less arguments - and Aussies are the worst for that I've found - if they were standardised across the world. Australian rules are even more crazy, with fouls going unpunished and a foul on the black meaning loss of game.

It's my crusade to spread the message about official rules of pool. Well someone's got to do it!

[Super Hans]

you could also add that people should cover their chests, knees and stomachs when in a temple. i went to the tiger temple in kanchanaburi a few times, and on one occasion there were two young tourists wearing skimpy shorts and bikini tops 'because they were hot'. i told them that they may want to consider putting their shirts on as they were actually in a temple, but they basically told me to f*&^ off.

Why do lots of Thai men show off their bellies? Is there a reason?

[Super Hans]

When your taxi driver overcharges you by 100 baht on your 250 baht journey, don’t be surprised – most people in Thailand are very poor. Remember that even including the additional 100 baht, you just travelled 20 kms for a price equal to that of opening the passenger door of a black cab in London.

Being ripped off is being ripped off, in any country.

I'm all in favour of the two tier pricing structure. Actually, I'd extend it to 3 - dirt cheap for Thais, dead expensive for tourists and plain old market rate/value for money for ex-pats.

I like that idea.

It's obviously unworkable, but does anyone think there's mileage in producing and selling an expat badge or wristband etc? It could be sold only to those that can produce local ID and be a sign for the pesterers to stop treating us like tourists and annoying the hel_l out of us.

[Shell]

Great Post.

I personally don't have much time for Touro's that go to another Country and spend all

their time bitching about the place and raving how great "home" is, if that is the case

piss off back home, no one will miss you

[annetta]

Regarding Donna's post, it happened the same to me outside Wat Phra Tong.

Two yong girls on their 20's were almost naked.I was inside praying together with other Thais and I cannot forget their faces when they saw them.....

[seonai]

guys can you start a new thread on football/pool and keep this on on the tourist thing as it's a good topic cheers

[chiang mai]

you could also add that people should cover their chests, knees and stomachs when in a temple. i went to the tiger temple in kanchanaburi a few times, and on one occasion there were two young tourists wearing skimpy shorts and bikini tops 'because they were hot'. i told them that they may want to consider putting their shirts on as they were actually in a temple, but they basically told me to f*&^ off.

Why do lots of Thai men show off their bellies? Is there a reason?

If you are referring to fat bellies I suggest the answer might lay in part in the fact that people in the Far East and parts of Asia regard being fat as a sign of good health, wealth and prosperity - he is fat so he eats a lot hence he must have a lot of money is the way the logic goes. That is certainly true of people in China. Of course the other possible answer is that they do it for the same reason that many Western men and women show too much of their overweight bellies and often overly large behinds and that's because they are basically slobs.

[chiang mai]

When your taxi driver overcharges you by 100 baht on your 250 baht journey, don’t be surprised – most people in Thailand are very poor. Remember that even including the additional 100 baht, you just travelled 20 kms for a price equal to that of opening the passenger door of a black cab in London.

Being ripped off is being ripped off, in any country.

I'm all in favour of the two tier pricing structure. Actually, I'd extend it to 3 - dirt cheap for Thais, dead expensive for tourists and plain old market rate/value for money for ex-pats.

I like that idea.

It's obviously unworkable, but does anyone think there's mileage in producing and selling an expat badge or wristband etc? It could be sold only to those that can produce local ID and be a sign for the pesterers to stop treating us like tourists and annoying the hel_l out of us.

A bit like having Silver, Gold and Platinum classes of air miles cards - I've been here two years and I'm Silver so I'm not a tourist. Yes well I've been here ten years and I'm Platinum, I'm almost a native Thai! I think that's probably unworkable also. If you get tired of being pestered by the hawkers et all simply say, Pom Bahn U Nee, (I live here) and they soon go away.

[chiang mai]

I know and grudgingly accept the rules here, it's just the rules are absurd - they make no sense whatsoever.

There are many things here in Thailand that don't make sense to Farangs but the trick is to learn to accept that it's the way things are without too much complaining - those things are only absurd because they are new to us. Another way to look at the issue is to turn it on it's head and try taking a local Thai who has never been outside of Thailand before, to your home country for a visit and see their reaction to things. I did this in May this year when I took my Thai wife to the UK for the first time - some of her observations made me stop and think about how absurd some rules are back home.

[IgnacioE]

I know and grudgingly accept the rules here, it's just the rules are absurd - they make no sense whatsoever.

There are many things here in Thailand that don't make sense to Farangs but the trick is to learn to accept that it's the way things are without too much complaining - those things are only absurd because they are new to us.

I think what endeared me to Thailand forever is that basically if you are tired and want to lay down on the floor and take a nap, you can do it any time any where and nobody gives a flying crap. My kind of place.

[LiveSteam]

So many times I have suggested to my Australian friends to please ware sandals or shoes in Thailand. It shows a sign that you have poor hygiene; even the poorest Thais can ware flip-flops.