connda

They just don't say please.

In China they are rude to each other.

It's the norm.

...and there you have it. That's good to know. I've never been to China. Hong Kong? Yeah, but I know for a fact that HK is different.

jesus talk about racial slurs

I'm judging that at your end of the political correctness spectum, saying "Farang" should be a racial slur. But I bet you don't think it is?

Obnoxious Farangs.

Sex-crazed Farangs.

Loud Farangs.

Drunk Farangs.

Impolite Farangs.

All racial slurs? I'm a Farang. Personally I could care less what people call me. I've been called worse in my home country simply based on my skin color. You learn to develop a thick skin and let the stupid comment roll off your back. Racism abounds everywhere; it's only an issue with those who attempt to control the social narrative.

>I dont care if they say thank you, please or anything,, as long as they stop cutting in line

At BKK airport a Chinese woman tried to push to the front, I stood in front of her so she could not move, finding no room to move, she went to the back of the queue.

That's nothing that I haven't seen a multitude of Thai do too.

So 600-700million Baht with 100,000 visitors to CM, that's 6000-7000Baht of revenue per person, hardly what you would call big spenders especially if that includes hotel costs!

You are so right !

I have said it before the face of Thailand will change forever. Thais may rue the day that they started to bring such huge numbers of these people into Thailand. Thailand has already changed enormously in the last 20 years. Their culture, temples etc. are now under threat and only some can see it, TAT does not give a damn. Big numbers of Chinese tourists means that the TAT sycophants will be "rewarded" with higher salaries by their bosses, at the expense of Thailand.

Since the debate of increasing the numbers of mainland Chinese came up more and more Thai are realizing its a mistake. Particularly in Chiang Mai, this is where the trouble started first a couple of years ago. These people a loud, rude, dirty (in their spitting), and trample over Thai culture, which is being felt now in Chang Mai. They have had the hide to walk into lectures at the CNX University, disrupting them. And look at the trouble they also caused in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha recently.

They are ignorant of Thai culture and certainly couldn't care less. These people who coming from China are the first generation of international tourism travelers, their parents are still on the farm, in the noodle shop or on the factory floor. The access to money for this Generation Z has done this, and given that they are spending money (and on average per head, its not much), they think can do whatever they want. The Chinese Z generation has a definite sense of entitlement and narcissism.

Another Question: Why does the Thai administration now discouraged Western tourists and want-to-be expats from staying or coming to Thailand. This has been occuring now for years before the average Chinese even left the farm or the noodle shop. I cannot figure out why Thailand is offering free visas to the mainland Chinese. They only stay for a few days then leave. Per capita they spend a pittance, it is only because they are invading the country in huge numbers that they are worthwhile to the economy. On the other hand Europeans, Australians, the English, Americans etc, spend larger amounts and stay longer, and were once the powerhouse of tourism in Thailand, sadly not anymore. They have been discouraged in so many ways over the last 20 years. And if you think about it a lot of the falang money goes directly into the hands of Thais in the lower income brackets, not the wealthy as does the Chinese money through five star hotels and big travel agencies. As in all countries, governments look after themselves, numerus unus prior.

I am very skeptical of a promotion campaign that specifically targets one population. It is skewed too much to be politically correct, as most other nation's tourist bureaus would see it (I will temper my words here).

If the Chinese are so rude, than why is it that farangs are still the primary target of beatings, assaults, and outright murder. If Chinese are 'trampling over Thai culture', you'd think the average, easily-engaged-to-the-point-of-violence Thais would be kicking Chinese butt left and right -- but I don't hear that in the news. Maybe it's just not being reported? Or maybe they give their fellow asians the benefit of the doubt. Honestly, I don't know.

They are rude. They go to 7/11, point and say "Give me".

I want to nudge them saying "Say thank you to the nice lady behind the counter who is serving you so nicely."

Different culture I guess.

Is that like a Thai Tuk Tuk driver saying, "You! Where you go!". It sounds blunt, overly direct, and somewhat rude. But, if you understand Thai sentence structure, then that sentence translated into English makes perfect sense (it's essentially, "Khun bpai nai?", and that's perfectly proper colloquail Thai).

Do you know the cultural background of Chinese and their colloquail sentence structure? I don't, but I can give the "Give me.", statement at least the benefit of the doubt. If you do understand Chinese cultural and language, then let us know that "Give me" is being rude or not. Do you know for sure? Just saying.

"Please dont walk in the middle of the road"

My favorite in the Darwin Award classification: Group of Chinese tourist gather at edge of Thapae Road, and then stepped right out into oncoming traffic with the 'alpha male' putting his hand up in the air, palm toward traffic, given oncoming vehicles a command to 'stop for the Chinese pedestrians! That's gonna work until it doesn't.

My knowledge of Thai traffic, Thai drivers, and my personal survival instincts make me cringe every time I see that. And I've seen some really close calls and near accidents.

Then don't even get me started with Chinese on any form of two wheel vehicles. Thai's I can generally anticipate even when they drive erratically. Chinese and some Farang drivers scare the crap out of me with some of their sillier moves like pulling u-turns in the middle of the road without looking or signaling, slowing down, speeding up, slowing down, speeding up while veering across multiple lanes of traffic, etc.

It's a culture course, not a language course. There should be no requirement to speak Thai if you're teaching English, in fact the classroom should have a strict "English only" rule to be effective. Your GF's son's teacher may indeed be hopeless, but it may be more to do with the students than the teacher!

What a load of crap,,,,Try and get a teaching job in the UK or Germany without being able to speak the local lingo. Just trying to keep your job?

TEFL teachers work throughout Europe without the need to speak the local language. Every school I have worked in has forbidden me from speaking Thai with the children.

I gotta admit, that's pretty tough, especially when the only language that 98% of those kid's speak is Thai. Sure, they can say, "Hello Teacher.", but then again, so can both my dogs. What a joke. The only way I can get a 'level one' rank beginner Thai speaker with no English language skills actually conversing in English is to explain English grammatical and pronunciation concepts using the Thai language. If you can't read, write, and speak Thai to get the base concepts across to students who are functionally English illiterate, you're just adding to the problem. Like I said before, nothing is going to change until Thailand starts to loose major large chunks of market share to countries who can run their business units using English as their base language. Hubris and nationalism. What a waste.

Thailand is already weak at English and they are screaming for more foreign teachers, WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS! they've totally lost their marbles.

they should get someone who speaks English and is motivated and give him a 42 hour speedcourse how to teach without a lesson in "thainess" or need for paperwork if they want more teachers. They are digging a grave for Thailand.

Nothings changed since I arrived in 2550. FUBARed then; FUBARed now. Actually, if anything, it's worse. ASEAN is gonna be the quinessential 'wake-up' call, and Thailand is gonna be caught napping with their pants around their ankles.

Boo hoo. Go hire a 22 year old backpacker fresh out of uni that's never taugh a day in they're life, and doesn't plan to teach any longer than their own narrow attention span. Best of luck LOS. See how far 'Thainess' gets you in the global business community, especially when the best you can speak is broken pidgin English.

So we have yet another hoop to jumo through, with very little detail of costs etc, it is hard to see how attending a course on 'Thainess ' will improve the situation. Lately I have been trying to find out about the course, but as yet this year NONE are being held, but as that wonderful office in Bangkok insists on sending out letters to those that can teach with the requirement of a pass on this course, no course no letter or should I say no licence no letter with one fell swoop thay will denude Thailand of many many qualified teachers because they haven't taken a test they have not held.

Thsi is typical Thai logic and will not further their educational qualifications when even a professor is spouting complete nonsense, Ever since ASEAN decided English would be the 'lingua franca' of ASEAN, Thailand has done very little to address the shortfall of GOOD English teachers and this is yet another nail in the coffin. They do not like being told what to do and their ( Thailands ) failure to address the problem will leave their workforce with distinct disadvantages.

BUT the so-called educated elite fail to see that, rather follow the party line that Thainess is far more important than educational expertise.

I'll sum your post up. It's called 'Thainess'. There! You didn't even have to take a 21 hour course, and you just nailed it right smack on the head. Kudos!!!

Just 19 posts I see. Haven't been in country too long yet. Don't worry, you'll either get with the program or you'll leave. Best of luck.

Wow, what a "news". A passenger tried to pay the taxi driver less than what was promised and ended up paying the full amount. He was lucky the taxi driver didn't carry a machete in his trunk.

Obviously Mr Farang hadn't seen the video of Troy Lee Pilkington getting hacked to death with a machete by a well-mannered, kind-hearted Bangkok taxi driver who lost face over getting stiffed for 50 or so baht (so he said). Mr. Farang should be happy. God only knows what fate would have awaited him for stiffing this taxi driver for 360฿. Possibility a short flight off a tall building - of course - ruled as a suicide. <sigh> I've lived here too long.

Of course, then again, try doing that at LAX or JFK with a local cabbie and you're going to get you butt kicked, or arrested, or both. Probably both.

Wow, what a "news". A passenger tried to pay the taxi driver less than what was promised and ended up paying the full amount. He was lucky the taxi driver didn't carry a machete in his trunk.

Obviously Mr Farang hadn't seen the video of Troy Lee Pilkington getting hacked to death with a machete by a well-mannered, kind-hearted Bangkok taxi driver who lost face over getting stiffed for 50 or so baht (so he said). Mr. Farang should be happy. God only knows what fate would have awaited him for stiffing this taxi driver for 360฿. Possibility a short flight off a tall building - of course - ruled as a suicide. <sigh> I've lived here too long.

Then there would just be 50% Thai unemployment while all beauacrats will be imported from India or the PI. But at least all the government agency will then be speaking fluent English. Sounds good to me.

I never remembered so many people diving off buildings in the US.

Maybe TAT could work this up as a promotion. Come to Thailand and learn to fly in less then 10 seconds. <*Disclaimer: soft landing lessons unavailable at this time due to lack of qualified instructors>

Well, they could just fight, instead. Violence would be another way to vent, instead of hugging and kissing.

Either that, or birth control. But boys and girls are going to be exactly that.

No physical contact on Valentines Day.

No Lanterns on Loi Krathong Day.

No Beer Sales Most of the Day.(and most holidays)

No Border Runs for Tourists

The Hub of "No"

I was thinking exactly the same... Perhaps the Junta is introducing Sharia law, bit by bit on the quiet?

Hummm???

Try educating young couple of use proper sized condoms, because a few hundred thousand years of evolution has pretty much proved that you're not going to stop the sex. So, try actually embracing reality. Anyway, I wonder how many of these Thai Officials have giks and mia nois, or just like to pass the time at the local karoake bars or 'shower massage'. No,no,no -- I'm sure they'll all spend Valentine's day helping clean the local temple and making bun.

Thais seem to think that valentines day is all about sex. It's not, it's about doing something special for someone you love and that is exactly what I'm doing. I'm giving her the day to herself because she will like that and I'm off to see Aust v England in the cricket world cup with the mates.

Ahhh, the epitomy of Jai Dee. I gotta put that one in my tool box for future use. lol

So much for taking the wife for a hot-tub, a rub-down, and some exercise. "You have 50 year old lady with you. She must be drugged. Old women no have boom boom. We call police."

Think we'll just go out for dinner and try for some cosy togetherness in our own aap naam. Cheaper that way. Just wish we had better water pressure. And I know the bed is clean. Lol.

Just curious, but I wonder if she'll server her term in a 'nut house'.

If they iron out the bugs and it works by the end of 2015, I'll be a happy camper.

In Chiang Mai, at Rim Ping Markets. Plenty of baking supplies, although pricy.

Damm, I thought it was fight volunteers wanted.

Yeah, for a split second I thought it was an advert for the BKK Chapter of Fight Club.

The USA has plenty of abandoned dogs already, why send more? Take that airfare money and spay/neuter the soi dogs.

Excellent idea. Nothing works better than simple common sense. Occam's Razor.