Me No Ingrish: Travel blogger’s offensive post generalizing Thais sparks conversation

[Just Weird]

38 minutes ago, hellohello123 said:

I never said the taxi had no meter. The drivers all refused. 

"I never said the taxi had no meter".

Really?  From your post..."When taxi arrives. No meter". 

[DM07]

1 hour ago, Just Weird said:

But those "assembled governments" do not comprise Thai taxi drivers and randomly selected locals. 

So here we have the usual apologist, who defends everyone and everything Thai!

 

So...it makes no sense to you, that people in a tourism- related job, that requires interacting with people from foreign countries, should speak English or very little of it?

You think, that taxi- drivers don't need to know places of interest or -if they really don't know- should be able to request said information from a source like GPS or a headquarter?

You think "service" is merely a thing, Thais should delve into if they so wish, even if they work in a service- related job?

You think the "I have lived here for 20.000 years and I know my way around", is actually valid, when it comes to the needs of a tourist, who comes to Thailand for the first time?

 

Yup...you da' man! 

Edited February 2, 2018 by DM07

[Just Weird]

30 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Got nothing better to do than insult other posters?

It was around the corner but not visible from where I was. 

Yes, I do have some better things to do but I'll defer them and give you a little more of my time to explain something.   I'm not insulting other posters, I'm responding to the daft and untrue things so many post in their continued efforts to bash everything Thai so needlessly.

 

"It was around the corner but not visible from where I was".

So it wasn't visible to the person who you were asking either?  Why have a go at her, then, did you expert her to have the x-ray vision that you hadn't been blessed with?

[Thian]

5 minutes ago, DM07 said:

So here we the usual apologist, who defends everyone and everything Thai!

 

So...it makes no sense to you, that people in a tourism- related job, that requires interacting with people from foreign countries, do not speak English or very little of it?

You think, that taxi- drivers don't need to know places of interest or -if they really don't know- should be able to request said information from a source like GPS or a headquarter?

You think "service" is merely a thing, Thais should delve into if they so wish, even if they work in a service- related job?

You think the "I have lived here for 20.000 years and I know my way around", is actually valid, when it comes to the needs of a tourist, who comes to Thailand for the first time?

 

Yup...you da' man! 

He's just trolling the forum...i put him on the ignorelist..get tired of his nonsense every day.

[DM07]

2 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

Yes, I do have some better things to do but I'll defer them and give you a little more of my time to explain something.   I'm not insulting other posters, I'm responding to the daft and untrue things so many post in their continued efforts to bash everything Thai so needlessly.

 

"It was around the corner but not visible from where I was".

So it wasn't visible to the person who you were asking either?  Why have a go at her, then, did you expert her to have the x-ray vision that you hadn't been blessed with?

Ah....no...that is not what you are doing!

You clearly have no hobbies and just berate other people for asking for a bare minimum of service, in a country, that postures itself to be the hub of this, the hub of that when it comes to tourism!

 

Your interaction with the bloke on the metered taxi- issue speaks volumes!

You understand very well, where the problem was, and if you are really that dumb, to bring up the "you wanted a taxi with a meter - every taxi has a meter"- excuse, it really makes no sense to get into any conversation with you!

 

Rose tinted glasses much?

[Just Weird]

4 minutes ago, DM07 said:

So here we the usual apologist, who defends everyone and everything Thai!

 

So...it makes no sense to you, that people in a tourism- related job, that requires interacting with people from foreign countries, do not speak English or very little of it?

You think, that taxi- drivers don't need to know places of interest or -if they really don't know- should be able to request said information from a source like GPS or a headquarter?

You think "service" is merely a thing, Thais should delve into if they so wish, even if they work in a service- related job?

You think the "I have lived here for 20.000 years and I know my way around", is actually valid, when it comes to the needs of a tourist, who comes to Thailand for the first time?

 

Yup...you da' man! 

"So here we the usual apologist, who defends everyone and everything Thai!".

Why not defend somethings that are being attacked so inaccurately (beautifully illustrated by your very first sentence! Thank you!).  Do you have a problem with that and with someone having a different view to you?  This is a forum, you know.

 

"So...it makes no sense to you, that people in a tourism- related job, that requires interacting with people from foreign countries, do not speak English or very little of it?".

No I don't have a problem with that, what I have a problem with is your wildly inaccurate generalisation. 

 

"You think, that taxi- drivers don't need to know places of interest or -if they really don't know- should be able to request said information from a source like GPS or a headquarter?".

No. I don't think that is necessary even though most of them probably do if it's well-known enough, they are drivers, not tour guides.  Many taxi drivers who own their own taxis do not have an HQ to refer to anyway but I do think that if you want to go somewhere it's not unreasonable for you to find out the address or just the name of the road that you want to go to.

 

"You think "service" is merely a thing, Thais should delve into if they so wish, even if they work in a service- related job?'

No, I neither said that nor suggested it.

 

"You think the "I have lived here for 20.000 years and I know my way around", is actually valid, when it comes to the needs of a tourist, who comes to Thailand for the first time?

No, I didn't say that either,  nor did I suggest it.

 

"Yup...you da' man!"

I appreciate that.

[Just Weird]

32 minutes ago, Thian said:

He's just trolling the forum..

That's just your opinion, try quoting some actual facts for a change.

Edited February 2, 2018 by Just Weird

[hellohello123]

27 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

"I never said the taxi had no meter".

Really?  From your post..."When taxi arrives. No meter". 

Taxi arrives. Driver says no meter. 

[DM07]

8 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

"So here we the usual apologist, who defends everyone and everything Thai!".

Why not defend somethings that are being attacked so inaccurately (beautifully illustrated by your very first sentence! Thank you!).  Do you have a problem with that and with someone having a different view to you?  This is a forum, you know.

 

"So...it makes no sense to you, that people in a tourism- related job, that requires interacting with people from foreign countries, do not speak English or very little of it?".

No I don't have a problem with that, what I have a problem with is your wildly inaccurate generalisation. 

 

"You think, that taxi- drivers don't need to know places of interest or -if they really don't know- should be able to request said information from a source like GPS or a headquarter?".

No. I don't think that is necessary even though most of them probably do if it's well-known enough, they are drivers, not tour guides.  Many taxi drivers who own their own taxis do not have an HQ to refer to anyway but I do think that if you want to go somewhere it's not unreasonable for you to find out the address or just the name of the road that you want to go to.

 

"You think "service" is merely a thing, Thais should delve into if they so wish, even if they work in a service- related job?'

No, I neither said that nor suggested it.

 

"You think the "I have lived here for 20.000 years and I know my way around", is actually valid, when it comes to the needs of a tourist, who comes to Thailand for the first time?

No, I didn't say that either,  nor did I suggest it.

 

"Yup...you da' man!"

I appreciate that.

"Yup...you da' man!"

I appreciate that.

 

Note to self: also has no idea, how sarcasm works....

 

I also think, it is not unreasonable, to bring your own knife and pig, if you want to buy a sausage!

 

Great talking to you!

Bye!

Edited February 2, 2018 by DM07

[Just Weird]

 

20 minutes ago, DM07 said:

Ah....no...that is not what you are doing!

You clearly have no hobbies and just berate other people for asking for a bare minimum of service, in a country, that postures itself to be the hub of this, the hub of that when it comes to tourism!

 

Your interaction with the bloke on the metered taxi- issue speaks volumes!

You understand very well, where the problem was, and if you are really that dumb, to bring up the "you wanted a taxi with a meter - every taxi has a meter"- excuse, it really makes no sense to get into any conversation with you!

 

Rose tinted glasses much?

"Ah....no...that is not what you are doing!"

Yes, it is.

 

"You clearly have no hobbies and just berate other people for asking for a bare minimum of service, in a country, that postures itself to be the hub of this, the hub of that when it comes to tourism!"

No, that's not what I do.  I have been commenting on glaring, deliberate inaccuracies and accusations and some people don't approve of that for some reason.  Hobbies do not come into it!

 

"...it really makes no sense to get into any conversation with you!

So don't if you can't back up your assertions, it's not compulsory to respond.

 

"...and if you are really that dumb..."

You should be very careful with flaming/personal attacks.

Edited February 2, 2018 by Just Weird

[Just Weird]

8 minutes ago, hellohello123 said:

Taxi arrives. Driver says no meter. 

"When taxi arrives. No meter" is what he said.

[Just Weird]

5 minutes ago, DM07 said:

"Yup...you da' man!"

I appreciate that.

 

Note to self: also has no idea, how sarcasm works....

Re sarcasm, neither do you!  You didn't really think that I was thankful for your remark, surely?

[Golden Triangle]

1 hour ago, Thaidream said:

As much as I like Thai people; Thailand and it's culture and having spent a better part of almost 5 decades in Thailand- I must admit much of what the poster blogged is accurate.

 

1.  For me, places like Pattaya; Phuket; Samui or any place similar that has massive amounts of foreign tourists are no go zones.  The locals are surly; the scams are evident and the areas ruined by over development.  There are just too many tourists coming to Thailand and the infrastructure is not able to handle the numbers.

In addition,  places like Pattaya, Samui and the others have been hotbeds of prostitution and drugs for decades drawing  mongers from around the World whose sole purpose is to stay drunk or drugged and take advantage of the 'entertainment'.  They are often foul mouthed; in a fighting mood; and treat the locals as indentured servants.  It is no wonder that all this has rubbed off on the locals who show no respect for tourists. Both sides are to blame and these areas need to be 'cleaned up'.

 

2.   While I do not go to 5 star hotels and am quite happy with the 1 star- the level of English can be an issue,  Most Thais can actually converse somewhat in English and can read it but most Thais are afraid to do it lest they make an error and people laugh at them and lose face. In addition, look at the English instructors that have been hired- young backpackers who know nothing about teaching or non native speakers who have a poor accent and can't actually converse well in the language.

However, a Five star Hotel should have a Native in house speaker who provides constant training for hotel staff and works in conjunction with the hotel training department.  Many of these places refuse to spend the money and thus end up losing business,

 

3.  I agree that the bad behavior exhibited on Island beaches are 100% foreign acting act.  I have never seen a Thai- in public- even kiss -let alone engage in sexual conduct.  It's foreigners attempting to act the same way in Thailand that they act at home.  The problem is the lack of police involvement giving warnings; showing that this behavior will not be tolerated and generally doing their job.

 

4.  Unfortunately, the issue of double pricing has been an issue for eons- Thais continue to believe that all foreigners have more money than them and therefore foreigners should pay more than Thais.  My solution is simple- don't pay it. Walk away.  When enough people do it- this may have an effect- but I doubt it- most likely they will just raise the price to make up for any loss.

The only real way to combat it is for the Government to educate its citizens of why they should not do it and enforce it.

 

5.  As far as never having an accurate bill in a restaurant- much of this is true- if you go to a typically Thai restaurant you will notice 2 things-  whoever pays the bill checks the bill carefully and many times will question the bill as Thais are very aware of the practice- so it's not just foreigners who are the targets. The second things is that most restaurants leave all the dishes on the table until the end- as some patrons become drunk and refuse to pay claiming they never ordered the dish.

As a longtime patron of Thai restaurants- I always check the bill and match it with what I ordered- and if a difference get it corrected.  It doesn't actually bother me as I am used to it but I can see where a tourist who is not familiar with Thai customs could become irritated.

 

6.  Asking Directions- it is almost comical to me how difficult it is to get good directions in Thailand and I think part of it has to do with the fact that the Thai language is not direct  and accurate itself.  For example- I asked for directions to the Water Department speaking Thai.  The answer in Thai- Was go straight on the road and turn left you will see it.  When I started out- I didn't realize the road had several stop lights and eventually the road ended with either a left or right turn- Once left- the water department was another 5 km but could not  be seen from the road.  I had to ask others how to finally find it.  All directions are inaccurate-always- it's just the Thai way.

In other situations- a Thai will say they don't know even if they do- because they are afraid to speak English and even afraid to speak Thai... It's the same reason why when my wife is accompanying me- they always speak to her and not me...they are certain I won't understand.

 

While most of us who live here  have adapted to the oddities that are in Thailand- tourists have not and cannot -  if I was in the Thai Tourism industry- I would use this bloggers narrative as an example of what to improve so tourists leave Thailand with a positive image and want to come back.

This is probably the number one post on the whole thread.

 

I agree wholeheartedly with all you say, I thought the guys blog was an honest assessment of the situation, which  is why I highlighted that particular sentence. There is a vast difference to having a holiday in Thailand to living here full time, I now have more time to see the news, read stories from the main newspapers and read peoples personal experiences on forums like this one. When I see the results of Thai ignorance/arrogance/stupidity/greed etc I am disappointed, the point I am trying to make is that in the 6 or 7 years that I came here on holiday was a completely different experience to the life I now have, I am more aware of Thai culture and psyche and the fact that I am a legitimate target for their money making schemes. 

 

I still thoroughly enjoy living here and will continue to do so, for all its faults it beats the hell out of the UK 

 

And as a last point, I have tried to learn Thai, unfortunately I can get neither my brain or tongue around it, just one of those things I'm afraid. 

 

 

 

 

[Krataiboy]

Interesting to see how many posters rallied behind BlueSpunk's damning verdict on the complaining tourist. My guess is that most of them are long-stayers who, like me, regard Thailand as home and instinctively leap to its defence.

 

Having read the complete version of the blog, I have to admit many of the criticisms seem legitimate and conform to those one hears from many Western tourists these days. 

 

Over the two decades I've lived here,  mass tourism has inevitably changed the character of the country and its people - and in many ways, unfortunately, for the worse. But name me any holiday destination on the planet which has improved since it became more popular.

 

 Personally, as a tourist I don't think I would enjoy the LOS today as much as I did in the late Nineties. But as a place to live it is still hard to beat.

[gerritkaew]

Getting ript off at a resturant or bar,, all the time??

I'm going to thailand tor 24 years and staying there for more then 15 years, it hapened to me 2 times there was a mistake in the bill..

 

Sex on the beach,, go to Spain or France somewhere in Europe , people do it everywhere loser!!!

 

I was interested in buying a pair of second hand, or second foot, water shoes.

He's ( shop owner )   thinking by himself, what kind off loser buy second hand shoes, poor basterd...

 

Its easy, the ( Thai ) look at you people and think, the so sad, lets just make fun off them.  thais are smart, good actors and the can see when idiots passing by and fool them, in this case, YOU People...

 

Only one things is chancing , more criminals and scum ar coming to thailand and make the Thai chance ...

 

Correct me iff i'm wrong.

Edited February 2, 2018 by gerritkaew

[Sandy Freckle]

It's often been stated(and for good reason)..., there's good and bad in all countries. If you look for negatives you'll doubtless find negatives to winge about..., especially if you go to a transitioning 3rd world country and look at it through your 1st world biased eyes. In my opinion the blogger and his lady friend are just more soft, winging poms who can't cut the mustard when the going gets a bit dodgy. What is National Health doing ..., mass cloning these softies ?

Edited February 2, 2018 by Sandy Freckle

[DM07]

21 minutes ago, gerritkaew said:

Getting ript off at a resturant or bar,, all the time??

I'm going to thailand tor 24 years and staying there for more then 15 years, it hapened to me 2 times there was a mistake in the bill..

 

Sex on the beach,, go to Spain or France somewhere in Europe , people do it everywhere loser!!!

 

I was interested in buying a pair of second hand, or second foot, water shoes.

He's ( shop owner )   thinking by himself, what kind off loser buy second hand shoes, poor basterd...

 

Its easy, the ( Thai ) look at you people and think, the so sad, lets just make fun off them.  thais are smart, good actors and the can see when idiots passing by and fool them, in this case, YOU People...

 

Only one things is chancing , more criminals and scum ar coming to thailand and make the Thai chance ...

 

Correct me iff i'm wrong.

"Correct me iff i'm wrong."

 

I wouldn't know, where to start....

[sean420]

Would love for him to visit Mexico.Him have a problem with languages he will hit the floor.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, Thaidream said:

 

The statistics I have seen over the years have shown a decline in Western tourists and an increase in tourists from other countries.  In addition, during  my visits over the last few years to Immigration- there have been much less Westerneers applying for long term extensions as opposed to other nationalities from places like China; India and similar areas.

 

Most likely- the decrease in Western tourists/residents can be attributed  to falling exchange rates; home country economic issues; higher prices in Thailand and  more access to other countries like Vietnam; Philippines; Cambodia etc.

 

IMHO while Thailand has it's issues- it is still  the preferred place in Asia for long stay foreigners but everyone to their own opinion.  I would suggest learning Thai- it really helps to avoid any obstacles and makes one aware of what is really happening.

higher prices in Thailand

I don't see excessively higher prices here, unless one thinks one can only live a posh western life style. Accommodation still very cheap, public transport cheap in most places, food extremely cheap- I can get a ready to eat meal from Big C for 30 baht. Higher prices only affect those that are not prepared to live cheaply, or want to rent women.

Even movies only went up 30 baht since the 90s- now that's really good value.

[Tchooptip]

2 hours ago, Just Weird said:

The people that they are employed to assist are not native-Thai speakers, why would they need to speak Thai when their employer is a section of the RTP that has better English speakers than the rest of the RTP overall?

OK so they will not understand anything every Thai implicated have to say, eventually the witnesses, the Thais with whom the western tourist could have had a problem, or any police officer not from the tourist police, I won't discuss that any further have a good day!

[bkkcanuck8]

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

higher prices in Thailand

I don't see excessively higher prices here, unless one thinks one can only live a posh western life style. Accommodation still very cheap, public transport cheap in most places, food extremely cheap- I can get a ready to eat meal from Big C for 30 baht. Higher prices only affect those that are not prepared to live cheaply, or want to rent women.

Even movies only went up 30 baht since the 90s- now that's really good value.

My rent (outskirts of Bangkok - skytrain extension pending opening) 12,000 baht / month for 3 floor new townhouse.  Food, inexpensive.  "Small town feel" of around 60,000.  Dual pricing none.  If you travel to any country and you chose to go to tourist trap areas -- you will inevitably be targeted by touts.  Worst rip off as a tourist that I have run into was in Paris (my spider sense was tingling but I did not speak up while with my mates).   Even when living in the CBD area of Bangkok, never had much of an issue with dual pricing -- or being ripped off -- but then I was never silly enough to listen to touts.  If you cannot adjust to a local menu / lifestyle -- it will be more expensive since you are importing everything.  Not a problem for me since I prefer Thai food, and when I do have western food like pasta -- it is homemade since that is something I can do better than any silly foreign oriented restaurant.  Summary, silly tourist goes to foreign country wants everyone to speak a foreign language and is upset when they can't (like a majority of the English world).  Travels to tourist traps full of tourists and is surprised to be targeted by local criminal type element.  Instead of taking responsibility for his poor choices -- he blames the country at large.   

[spidermike007]

3 hours ago, Thaidream said:

As much as I like Thai people; Thailand and it's culture and having spent a better part of almost 5 decades in Thailand- I must admit much of what the poster blogged is accurate.

 

1.  For me, places like Pattaya; Phuket; Samui or any place similar that has massive amounts of foreign tourists are no go zones.  The locals are surly; the scams are evident and the areas ruined by over development.  There are just too many tourists coming to Thailand and the infrastructure is not able to handle the numbers.

In addition,  places like Pattaya, Samui and the others have been hotbeds of prostitution and drugs for decades drawing  mongers from around the World whose sole purpose is to stay drunk or drugged and take advantage of the 'entertainment'.  They are often foul mouthed; in a fighting mood; and treat the locals as indentured servants.  It is no wonder that all this has rubbed off on the locals who show no respect for tourists. Both sides are to blame and these areas need to be 'cleaned up'.

 

2.   While I do not go to 5 star hotels and am quite happy with the 1 star- the level of English can be an issue,  Most Thais can actually converse somewhat in English and can read it but most Thais are afraid to do it lest they make an error and people laugh at them and lose face. In addition, look at the English instructors that have been hired- young backpackers who know nothing about teaching or non native speakers who have a poor accent and can't actually converse well in the language.

However, a Five star Hotel should have a Native in house speaker who provides constant training for hotel staff and works in conjunction with the hotel training department.  Many of these places refuse to spend the money and thus end up losing business,

 

3.  I agree that the bad behavior exhibited on Island beaches are 100% foreign acting act.  I have never seen a Thai- in public- even kiss -let alone engage in sexual conduct.  It's foreigners attempting to act the same way in Thailand that they act at home.  The problem is the lack of police involvement giving warnings; showing that this behavior will not be tolerated and generally doing their job.

 

4.  Unfortunately, the issue of double pricing has been an issue for eons- Thais continue to believe that all foreigners have more money than them and therefore foreigners should pay more than Thais.  My solution is simple- don't pay it. Walk away.  When enough people do it- this may have an effect- but I doubt it- most likely they will just raise the price to make up for any loss.

The only real way to combat it is for the Government to educate its citizens of why they should not do it and enforce it.

 

5.  As far as never having an accurate bill in a restaurant- much of this is true- if you go to a typically Thai restaurant you will notice 2 things-  whoever pays the bill checks the bill carefully and many times will question the bill as Thais are very aware of the practice- so it's not just foreigners who are the targets. The second things is that most restaurants leave all the dishes on the table until the end- as some patrons become drunk and refuse to pay claiming they never ordered the dish.

As a longtime patron of Thai restaurants- I always check the bill and match it with what I ordered- and if a difference get it corrected.  It doesn't actually bother me as I am used to it but I can see where a tourist who is not familiar with Thai customs could become irritated.

 

6.  Asking Directions- it is almost comical to me how difficult it is to get good directions in Thailand and I think part of it has to do with the fact that the Thai language is not direct  and accurate itself.  For example- I asked for directions to the Water Department speaking Thai.  The answer in Thai- Was go straight on the road and turn left you will see it.  When I started out- I didn't realize the road had several stop lights and eventually the road ended with either a left or right turn- Once left- the water department was another 5 km but could not  be seen from the road.  I had to ask others how to finally find it.  All directions are inaccurate-always- it's just the Thai way.

In other situations- a Thai will say they don't know even if they do- because they are afraid to speak English and even afraid to speak Thai... It's the same reason why when my wife is accompanying me- they always speak to her and not me...they are certain I won't understand.

 

While most of us who live here  have adapted to the oddities that are in Thailand- tourists have not and cannot -  if I was in the Thai Tourism industry- I would use this bloggers narrative as an example of what to improve so tourists leave Thailand with a positive image and want to come back.

 

Great observations. Thanks for such an articulate and well thought out post. Wholeheartedly agree.

[spidermike007]

2 hours ago, Just Weird said:

Where did that information about losing so many western tourists come from?

 

Take a look around. I have many friends in the hotel and restaurant business. Other than the regular crowd in Pattaya, and alot of businessmen, quality western tourists have fallen off the map, in the past 5 years or so. The couples or small families who used to come here and spend anywhere from $250 to $2,000 a day, are few and far between. There are simply too many alternatives now, and all of them offer better food service, better wine service, better entertainment, far more sophistication, better public safety, less craziness on the roads, and better english. Except maybe the Philippines, except for the English part. 

[tonyjimmac]

I think Mr Bolshaw should take a long hard look at himself. If he's so concerned about Thai people only speaking Thai in their own country. If he intends visiting the country perhaps he should snap out of his laziness make the effort to learn at least a little Thai... If he is from the UK then his extreme stupidity is no surprise. The UK is now visited by hundreds of thousands tourists. I doubt any of them ever get an answer in their own language.

[ourmanflint]

I actually read the original blog post, (weird I know, and a most un TV thing to do)  and found everything in it was pretty much spot on.

 

I have always recommended Thailand to friends to have never been, some come and love it, some absolutely hate it, mostly for the same reasons as those in the blog post. And when they hate it, they really hate it, especially when they compare it to nearby countries like Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

 

[Russell17au]

15 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

It does surprise me... well it used to, how many Thai people that work in tourist or immigration jobs.. full time, for years on end, can not speak English.  I thought that would be a basic requirement of that job.

 

Maybe I will go and apply to be a German Language Translator... even though I can't speak any German........

Why must they be able to speak English because there are many other farangs come here that also do not speak English (Germans, Austrians, Swedes, Belguims, Americans, Australians, New Zealanders, Irish, Scots, Liverpuddlyens. ETC)

[jak2002003]

5 minutes ago, Russell17au said:

Why must they be able to speak English because there are many other farangs come here that also do not speak English (Germans, Austrians, Swedes, Belguims, Americans, Australians, New Zealanders, Irish, Scots, Liverpuddlyens. ETC)

Because they are working for tourists and internationals, and the common languages used to communicate between them is usually English.  

 

Most other Europeans and Americans can communicate at least at a basic level in English.  They are far more likely to be able to understand a few words of English than Thai, Spanish or otherwise.

 

I don't know what nationality you are, but the above countries you mention, most of them can speak English.  Most of them can't speak Thai!!!  

[Russell17au]

1 minute ago, jak2002003 said:

Because they are working for tourists and internationals, and the common languages used to communicate between them is usually English.  

 

Most other Europeans and Americans can communicate at least at a basic level in English.  They are far more likely to be able to understand a few words of English than Thai, Spanish or otherwise.

 

I don't know what nationality you are, but the above countries you mention, most of them can speak English.  Most of them can't speak Thai!!!  

I'm Australian, but there are many nationalities that come here that do not speak English.

I think you will find that the biggest tourist groups that come to Thailand at the moment are Chinese and they do not speak English, so the Thais who work in the tourist industry should be made to speak that language.

This is Thailand and the language here is Thai.

[Odysseus123]

7 minutes ago, jak2002003 said:

Because they are working for tourists and internationals, and the common languages used to communicate between them is usually English.  

 

Most other Europeans and Americans can communicate at least at a basic level in English.  They are far more likely to be able to understand a few words of English than Thai, Spanish or otherwise.

 

I don't know what nationality you are, but the above countries you mention, most of them can speak English.  Most of them can't speak Thai!!!  

There is a simple way to cure all this angst and curb the frothing asinine outrage of Thai netizens.

 

Just ban any tourist from entering the country who cannot speak Thai.

 

Ta...da..problem solved!

[bkkcanuck8]

35 minutes ago, ourmanflint said:

I actually read the original blog post, (weird I know, and a most un TV thing to do)  and found everything in it was pretty much spot on.

 

I have always recommended Thailand to friends to have never been, some come and love it, some absolutely hate it, mostly for the same reasons as those in the blog post. And when they hate it, they really hate it, especially when they compare it to nearby countries like Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

 

I have always recommended Thailand as a good place to visit/live.... but Vietnam and Laos are also great regional countries.  My younger sister was posted to Vietnam for 3 years and if a post opened up there again, she would jump at that opportunity again.  My eldest sister would travel frequently to Thailand, as it was her local escape (posted to Indian subcontinental area) -- in fact that is the reason why I first started visiting Thailand.... we use to meet up over the Christmas holidays here since it was always a good choice.  Every country I have visited (except of course my country Canada the good  ) has less desirable areas -- areas that you are more likely to be a target to be scammed (as tourist newbie) -- you have to take some responsibility and do a little research yourselves on where you should avoid, what you should avoid.  I have visited first world countries like Japan and been to areas where hotel staff do not know english either (none of them) - yes they might have taken english, but if you live in a country and do not work at a foreign language -- you will not retain any of it.  Add to that the mix of "loss of face" (or just introvert) and the fear of making a mistake - makes you avoid practicing.  This is not an English country, this is not a former English colony.  You will have communications problems if you have no foundation in Thai.  If you have a problem with eventually having communications difficulty you should stay with former colonies that are 1st world countries.  

 

My take from the article is the heading "ME NO INGRISH".  That in itself tells you something about the article... mimicry of common mispronunciation by asians who immigrated to my country (grew up in a WASPy city of maybe 70,000) was not to uncommon form of racist humour (if you ran into someone 'oriental').   It is the prism of how how I view the whole article...