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

[thaibeachlovers]

12 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

  Wouldn't it have sense for an intelligent person like yourself to make enquiries about the location of a place before you went there instead of blaming a taxi driver and some local for not knowing one specific restaurant that they would probably never even dream of patronising? 

 

 

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I once wanted to go to a very famous restaurant in Bkk that served so many people every night that the waiters had to use roller skates. Given it was back in the olden days before internet, I obtained the address and checked the road in a map.

Set off in a taxi with my Thai GF that spoke perfect English to find that place, but despite driving several times up and down the road, a huge restaurant was no where to be found.

Turned out that the road in question is called a different name in the middle, and we were on the wrong end. Taxi driver had no clue as to where this very famous restaurant was.

I do blame the taxi driver for not knowing, but TiT. If I didn't need to have someone take me to a famous restaurant, I'd have taken a bus.

 

Then there was the taxi driver in Jeddah that didn't know where a famous and huge hotel was, despite it being visible from where he picked us up from, but that's another thread.

[thaibeachlovers]

11 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........

Back in my early days in LOS, I went on many tours. I never experienced one where the tour guide ( taking all English speaking tourists ) could speak proper English.

Hasn't changed much, given my last, and recent, tour in Chiang Mai, and why is it that they always pick everyone up in a brand new van and then make us transfer to a clapped out old banger with dodgy AC for the actual tour? Now that really makes me PO.

 

My worst ever tour though, many years ago, and still seared in my mind, was the private tour for myself and Thai GF to the palace and Doi Suthep temple in Chiang Mai. Despite me turning up in shorts, the English speaking "guide" failed to mention I could not go into the palace in shorts, thus not getting half of my tour, and spent the entire time talking to my GF in Thai.

I don't need to mention what I thought of Thai tour guides after that.

Edited February 2, 2018 by thaibeachlovers

[Just Weird]

4 hours ago, Thian said:

But if even taxidrivers can't speak english, don't know the roadmap and try to cheat me all the time you still expect me to show respect and decency?? Even on the Thai airports the staff can't speak english, also not in Paragon/Central World and so on....

"Even on the Thai airports the staff can't speak english, also not in Paragon/Central World and so on....".

 

They do speak enough English to do their jobs.  And taxi drivers do not try to cheat you all the time, what you claimed means that every taxi driver you taken a ride with has cheated you, every time.  They haven't if you've ever used more than a handful of them.

[Thian]

38 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

LOL. I never had that sort of problem in my 1* hotel stays.

IMO the only thing better about a 5* hotel than places I stay is that the room is bigger. I've read the reviews of every 5* hotel near where I live in Chiang Mai, and most western tourists are unhappy with their experience, while I'm very happy with my hotel which charges me 1/6th the amount.

 

Re nasty staff; I once ( before tsunami ) stayed in a well known resort on Phi Phi. In the reception an elderly tourist tripped and fell on the floor. Not one of the many staff came to help her up, and they all laughed openly at her.

TiT.

One night in Chiang Mai my wife told the tuktuk driver to bring us to a certain hotel...later we stopped at a 5* hotel which had another name..my wife asked him why he brought us there and he replied: Oh i always bring farang to this one, you no stay here?  Nope, so he brought us to the right hotel after that...

 

He didn't even listen to the hotelname my wife told him in Thai...

[Just Weird]

3 hours ago, Odysseus123 said:

 

The guy was a tourist.

The poster that Easy Come Easy Go was responding to isn't a tourist.

[Just Weird]

3 hours ago, Tchooptip said:

Many westerners working as tourist police volunteer do not speak Thai at all...I thought that would be a basic requirement of that job.

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?

[Thaidream]

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.

[Thian]

28 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

5555555555555555555555

I once wanted to go to a very famous restaurant in Bkk that served so many people every night that the waiters had to use roller skates. Given it was back in the olden days before internet, I obtained the address and checked the road in a map.

Set off in a taxi with my Thai GF that spoke perfect English to find that place, but despite driving several times up and down the road, a huge restaurant was no where to be found.

Turned out that the road in question is called a different name in the middle, and we were on the wrong end. Taxi driver had no clue as to where this very famous restaurant was.

I do blame the taxi driver for not knowing, but TiT. If I didn't need to have someone take me to a famous restaurant, I'd have taken a bus.

 

Then there was the taxi driver in Jeddah that didn't know where a famous and huge hotel was, despite it being visible from where he picked us up from, but that's another thread.

One day i took a taxi to Mo-Chit BTS...the driver brought me to the bus terminal though....so i told him again to the BTS please...he went pedal to the metal full speed to the BTS-station, even going through red lights which scared me a lot.

 

 

[Just Weird]

3 hours ago, Thian said:

Japanese will even walk with you to get to your destination, they are extremely willing to help a foreigner.

 

And they will rather commit suicide than scamming a person.

 

And sex in public also is a no go for them.

 

I think you better remove Japan from your list. They even give you free wifi so you can use Google all day long, give you discount on the bullet trains, have tax free cash refund for tourists the same moment you buy.....they do it all perfect...

"Japanese will even walk with you to get to your destination, they are extremely willing to help a foreigner".

Some Japanese may do that, all Japs do not.

 

"And they will rather commit suicide than scamming a person".

Ridiculous.  There is no scamming crime in Japan?  Really?  Where do you get your information from?

 

"And sex in public also is a no go for them".

That is even more so in Thailand so what's your point there?

 

"I think you better remove Japan from your list. They even give you free wifi so you can use Google all day long, have tax free cash refund for tourists the same moment you buy.....they do it all perfect..."

Lot's of free Wifi in Thailand so you can Google all day long (geez...), tax free cash [sic] VAT refunds are provided for tourists here also.  

[Just Weird]

3 hours ago, watcharacters said:

What would you say "qualifies" a person to be a seasoned traveler?

Condiments.

[thaibeachlovers]

8 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

For me, places like Pattaya; Phuket; Samui or any place similar that has massive amounts of foreign tourists are no go zones.

So, don't go there. More interesting places all over LOS.

 

10 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

The problem is the lack of police involvement giving warnings; showing that this behavior will not be tolerated and generally doing their job.

I like that LOS isn't a police state.

Bad behavior only happens in a few places. Easily avoided.

 

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, sanemax said:

English is the International language though , its the language that two people who cannot speak the same language speak in

How do they do that if they can't speak the same language?

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, Odysseus123 said:

Indeed.

 

I believe that the assembled gov'ts comprising ASEAN also agree with your statement.

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

[Tony125]

34 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Back in my early days in LOS, I went on many tours. I never experienced one where the tour guide ( taking all English speaking tourists ) could speak proper English.

Hasn't changed much, given my last, and recent, tour in Chiang Mai, and why is it that they always pick everyone up in a brand new van and then make us transfer to a clapped out old banger with dodgy AC for the actual tour? Now that really makes me PO.

 

My worst ever tour though, many years ago, and still seared in my mind, was the private tour for myself and Thai GF to the palace and Doi Suthep temple in Chiang Mai. Despite me turning up in shorts, the English speaking "guide" failed to mention I could not go into the palace in shorts, thus not getting half of my tour, and spent the entire time talking to my GF in Thai.

I don't need to mention what I thought of Thai tour guides after that.

Your  "story" is a little suspicious. I have been to Doi Suthep many times in the past  and  since you had a Thai GF with you she  should have explained you could rent pants/coverings at the top of the Dragon stairs. Even at the Gran Palace and other temples around Thailand you can rent or buy pants/covering at the place or as in case of the palace I went down the street and bought a pair I might actually wear later.

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, hellohello123 said:

I am not a resident of Thailand and have never been. 

I visit once per year for about 8 yrs now. 

 

I don't expect everyone to speak English as it's frigging Thailand. But it's nice when someone does. So sometimes when I ask in English and they say sorry no English. It's not a big deal. 

 

But what really got me last time last month is getting lied to or ignored. 

 

This happened a lot at even 5 star hotels. And it's not to do with lack of English. 

 

English for example 

Asking concierge. Can you please get me a metered taxi to so and so. Please make sure it's metered. 

"oh so you want metered taxi to bla bal?" 

"yes pls" 

 

When taxi arrives. No meter. 

I ask same concierge guy. Why it wasn't meter 4 times. 

 

Reply

"oh taxi sir" 

"I don't know" 

"traffic" 

"smile" 

"pretends to not understand English" 

 

Another example. 

I tried to. Pay my hotel mini bar bill with the amex card I used to pay the deposit. 

Got told they don't accept amex. 

I reply " I just used my amex card yesterday to pay the mini bar bill" 

"no we never accept amex" 

"well that's the only. Card I have" 

"I not check you in for the next night (even though I had another night booked and was fully prepaid) 

 

And this was a 4 star hotel. 

 

 

This sort of behaviour made my blood boil 

If you were in Bangkok then the taxi that he got you was metered, if it had no meter it wasn't a taxi.  There are no taxis in Bangkok that are not equipped with meters and all that you asked for was a metered taxi. If the taxi doesn't want to use the meter just get another of the 100,000 that are available

 

Which 4 star hotel was it?

[bogozy]

18 hours ago, Thian said:

Well this guy is obviously not used to Asian standards...he thinks everyhing here is the same as back in Europe which is sure not the case.

 

And even when 2 thai tell eachother the route it goes wrong all the time..if he stayed in the Lebua he probably is too hi-so for BKK and better goes to Singapore where they all speak english and know the roadmap...

A lot of times I went various places with my thai wife. I studied the map, she asked  the local people. Her method perform far better, we went on the short way to our destinations :) Ok it is true, she is a kind lady, and speak thai well.  :)

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, Thian said:

What nonsense is this?? The whole world knows that in touristic places the spoken language is english...except you it seems. Why do you think i had to learn that at school?

Because you went to a European school not an Asian school perhaps?

 

"What nonsense is this?? The whole world knows that in touristic places the spoken language is english...except you it seems".

Indeed, what you said was nonsense.  The whole world does not apply that mantra.

[hellohello123]

1 minute ago, Just Weird said:

If you were in Bangkok then the taxi that he got you was metered, if it had no meter it wasn't a taxi.  There are no taxis in Bangkok that are not equipped with meters and all that you asked for was a metered taxi. If the taxi doesn't want to use the meter just get another of the 100,000 that are available

 

Which 4 star hotel was it?

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

 

That's the thing. 

In past years maybe one in every 3 taxis would use the "traffic" or "too far" too close excuse. And it's pretty easy to find a metered taxi. Unless you were smack bham in the middle of the red light district or peak times or 3am.

 

This time we stopped each time at after about asking 5 different taxis. 

 

Before they'd try to give the excuse and some would. Give up some wouldn't. 

 

This time. You say csn I get to bla bla. Meter. 

And then they would simply drive off rudely

 

Seems to have gotten significsntly worse 

 

 

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, Thian said:

One day my keycard in a 5* didn't work, my wife was in a friends room at a party. I went to the reception and they made fun of me not knowing how to use that crappy card...finally i got one assisting me and nope, it didn't work so we went down again and i got a new card. An hour later again , card didn't work...i went down again, 5 of them were laughing about it and gave me a new keycard which worked once...so later again i had to go for a new card and they told me i should not use it anymore and stay in my room....Like i'm too stupid to open my 5* hotelroomdoor.

"Like i'm too stupid to open my 5* hotelroomdoor".

Hmm...

[thaibeachlovers]

Responding to the blogger:

1/ Rubbish. I've been in thousands of Thai restaurants and price has been same on bill as on menu.

2/ Goes to Phi Phi, a hole of badly behaved bagpackers and then complain there was bad behaviour 555555555555555

3/ Stolen goods on sale- that's what you get if you stay on Khao San Rd, a zoo where bagpackers hang out

4/ New people in tourist info office on Khao San Rd. Probably can't keep staff because of the sort of people that stay on Khao San Rd.

5/ Combi ticket from Khao San Rd worked out badly. Surprise surprise surprise. I spent years on a travel forum telling people to never ever get tourist buses from Khao San Rd.

Complains that they missed the boat, but wasn't prepared to pay the quite low price for another boat and had to wait 5 hours. So, intrepid traveller, use the 5 hours to see a place you would not otherwise have visited. You claim to be a photographer, so go take photos. If you can't adapt to circumstances beyond your control, you are just a tourist and NOT a traveller.

6/ Surprised that massage girls don't come onto guys holding hands with a girl. OMG, I never would have considered that. Does this guy realise what he looks like with that?

7/ Comes to a country where the best educated people do not take employment dealing with bolshie bagpackers, and then wonders why the peasants that left the rice fields for the streets of gold don't speak perfect English.

 

Complains that LOS sold out to tourism. Perhaps he'd prefer everyone he met worked for a pittance in the rice fields, in sweat shops so he can buy cheap t shirts, and as maids that work for sod all and lots of abuse.

He even mentions ping pong shows, when he obviously never went to see one. The guy apparently doesn't have a clue about anything in Thailand outside the well worn bagpacker trail of Khao San Rd and Phi Phi. He may have gone elsewhere in his 3 weeks, but he doesn't mention it. However, if I was looking to discover everything bad about tourism in LOS I would go to Khao San Rd and Phi Phi.

 

I wonder if he gets the irony of complaining about overtourism in the places he went?

Had he asked me when I was on that travel forum, I could have given him a really great tour of LOS where he would see not a single tourist behaving badly and the restaurant bill would always be the same as on the menu.

[Just Weird]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

 

There is no doubt, that the english skills of alot of Thai people in the hospitality industry is lacking. That is one of the reasons they are losing so many Western (English speaking) tourists. 

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

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, Just Weird said:

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

Heaps of western tourists in Chiang Mai.

[Just Weird]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I was looking for a certain shop recently and had a general idea of where it was. Asked a person in a restaurant where it was but no idea. The place I was after was just around the corner from her. It was a very distinctive shop too.

Amazing ........................ indeed.

You were looking but couldn't find it even though it was also just around the corner from you?  Amazing indeed.

[thaibeachlovers]

4 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

You were looking but couldn't find it even though it was also just around the corner from you?  Amazing indeed.

Got nothing better to do than insult other posters?

It was around the corner but not visible from where I was. Even a kindy kid would understand that.

Bye.

Edited February 2, 2018 by thaibeachlovers

[Just Weird]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

LOL. I never had that sort of problem in my 1* hotel stays.

IMO the only thing better about a 5* hotel than places I stay is that the room is bigger. I've read the reviews of every 5* hotel near where I live in Chiang Mai, and most western tourists are unhappy with their experience, while I'm very happy with my hotel which charges me 1/6th the amount.

 

Re nasty staff; I once ( before tsunami ) stayed in a well known resort on Phi Phi. In the reception an elderly tourist tripped and fell on the floor. Not one of the many staff came to help her up, and they all laughed openly at her.

TiT.

"I once ( before tsunami ) stayed in a well known resort on Phi Phi. In the reception an elderly tourist tripped and fell on the floor. Not one of the many staff came to help her up, and they all laughed openly at her". 

Yeah, right, course they all did.  What was the name of that well known resort?

[Thaidream]

 

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.

[The manic]

19 hours ago, Thian said:

I agree about the not speaking english part....taxidrivers, staff in the big malls around Siam, the police in that area, the security...nobody can speak english while there are loads of foreigners around from all continents.

 

The rest of BKK also can't speak english but those tourists rarely go there....

 

Last week we went to a restaurant which is very highly mentioned at tripadvisor..

 

My wife told the taxi the name, he dropped us at a pier but there was no restaurant..we could see it over the water though, 10 meters away. So my wife asked some Thai how to get there....we followed the directions and couldn't find it....she asked again, we ended up in scary alleys which were under construction, totally dark and looked like a scary place you never wanted to be, we even had to walk over elevated planks without railing....

 

We just kept on walking since we got lost totally and after some more directions from locals we finally got there.....

 

I had to laugh so much about it, it's a famous restaurant and nobody in that whole neighbourhood can give directions how to walk to it, even when we are very close cause we see it....

 

Yes, that's thailand...nothing more nothing less.

Google maps. Restaurant telephone number to call them and speak to driver. Or just stay at home. You use YOUR imitative if you are so clever.

Edited February 2, 2018 by The manic

[The manic]

7 minutes 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.

Too many people come here who have no real travel experience and are a bit thick lacking in imitative and emotional intelligence.

[foxboy]

48 minutes 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.

Your 5 decades in Thailand have not been wasted... you clearly have a good understanding of Thailand and Thai culture. I've been coming for 19 years now and I am still learning. As you suggest, a tourist will never be able to "adapt to the oddities that are in Thailand" as they often come for short trips and all too often with a closed mind. To enjoy living here, you must first open your mind to, and appreciate, the differences between our cultures.

 

There is no right and wrong... just different.

 

[Just Weird]

1 hour ago, Thian said:

Even at the Mac or Burger King i can't order food, they constantly hire new staff which seem to be fresh out of the forest.

 

ALL the collegues of my wife (a few hundred) had to follow english lessons during worktime, the big boss hired an american private teacher for them and they all had to go to his lessons 4 hours a week. That's been going on for 6 months now but they still can't speak a word english...they have university degree's and work in the IT...with foreign customers/trainers/certifications and equipment. 

 

This week i was on the kasetsart university fair, loads of students there but NONE of them can speak english on a level that's acceptable. Also the vendors there have never heard of latin names for plants which are the standard internationally. 

 

"Even at the Mac or Burger King i can't order food..."

That confirms it, then, if you cant order from those places, it's you!

 

"ALL the collegues of my wife (a few hundred) had to follow english lessons during worktime, the big boss hired an american private teacher for them and they all had to go to his lessons 4 hours a week. That's been going on for 6 months now but they still can't speak a word english...they have university degree's and work in the IT...with foreign customers/trainers/certifications and equipment".

That sort of indicates that the problem was probably was the quality of the American English teacher.

 

"i was on the kasetsart university fair... the vendors there have never heard of latin names for plants which are the standard internationally. 

Thai vendors in a university fair have never heard of plants' Latin horticultural names?  Good god, the shame!  What is the place coming to?