Cultural Cringe

[terry57]

I'm sure that you are right Terry, but whenever I visit a small Thai town with no foreigners, I see guys like this running across the street and murmering to themselves so they won't have to say hello to another Farang.

maybe im just a friendly sort of guy mr G, but if some farang wants to talk to me i'll engage them until they convince me that there a complete flogger.

i mean some of the strangest looking cats ive ever met have turned out to be the most interesting people.

we got to give people a chance dont we. ?

anyway the hippo dont want to play, but thats his choise i suppose.

me and you will have a lager one day and thats a promise.

[Old Croc]

My sentence 'I cross the street to avoid them' seems to have been taken too literally. What gives any Westerner the right to come up to me, a complete stranger, and ask me where am I from, how long have i been here and other banalities? Would you approach a stranger in your home town and ask him? Am I racist? No, very selective about the company I keep.

I am pretty sure that Mr. Hippo is taking the p*ss.

cricky's MR G,

you dont have to be a brain surgeon to realise that the bloody hippo is having a top laugh.

i just wish a few other people could see that.

maybe me and you just have an advanced sense of humour.

Sorry, both wrong! No p1sstake, no joke.

So Hippo, you don't align yourself with the fireman or his disciple.

If you are simply avoiding people, Thai or westerner, who want to talk to you in the street then you are simply antisocial, not racist.

My apologies.

[Goshawk]

I am from WNW of BKK. I do not mix with any Westerners, I cross the street to avoid them. When i was teaching, I was often invited to go out for drinks after work - Sorry, but I have been here with you for the past 8 hours and that's enough for me. Anti-social? No, very, very particular!

You don't mix with any westerners, you cross the road to avoid them. "Anti social? No, very, very particular."

Sounds racist to me.

You've made up your mind about everyone from western countries without even treading the same side of the street!

Interesting, Mr Hippo.

Once a while i see these sort of folks in my local dept. store. Usually they don a yellow shirt, and stare at my as if i am an alien invader into their fantasy when i smile at them.

My cultural cringe are both the louts with beach dress in the middle of Bangkok, and farang who are more Thai than the Thais - both extremes to be avoided at all cost.

Well said..!!! There is nothing more cringe-worthy than farangs who wear 'The Yellow' t-shirt..

Yes, we are aware of it's significance.. but i personally find it very embarassing to see an overweight, balding, lout sporting this particular attire in the feeble hope of gaining some kudos with the general Thai population.. 'It don't work.. you look stupid..! ' and most Thais do actually find it rather offensive.

If they stuck to their footy shirts (yep, UK'ers) then yeah, most Thais would love 'em.. and if they really must wear yellow, well there's always Norwich City..!

so long as they're prepared for all the... "arai na's"

[Jonson83]

From the U.K. ....enough said.

Always good to see other brummies about though.

Why is it like every other Brit you see is from the south though,Southern tos....

[mr_hippo]

I'm sure that you are right Terry, but whenever I visit a small Thai town with no foreigners, I see guys like this running across the street and murmering to themselves so they won't have to say hello to another Farang.

Are you getting paranoid? "Running across the street and murmuring to themselves" - are you sure that they do this just to avoid you? Do you think they are talking about you? Could they be speaking on a hands-free mobile phone?

[keenok]

I am from WNW of BKK. I do not mix with any Westerners, I cross the street to avoid them. When i was teaching, I was often invited to go out for drinks after work - Sorry, but I have been here with you for the past 8 hours and that's enough for me. Anti-social? No, very, very particular!

You don't mix with any westerners, you cross the road to avoid them. "Anti social? No, very, very particular."

Sounds racist to me.

You've made up your mind about everyone from western countries without even treading the same side of the street!

Interesting, Mr Hippo.

Once a while i see these sort of folks in my local dept. store. Usually they don a yellow shirt, and stare at my as if i am an alien invader into their fantasy when i smile at them.

My cultural cringe are both the louts with beach dress in the middle of Bangkok, and farang who are more Thai than the Thais - both extremes to be avoided at all cost.

Well said..!!! There is nothing more cringe-worthy than farangs who wear 'The Yellow' t-shirt..

Yes, we are aware of it's significance.. but i personally find it very embarassing to see an overweight, balding, lout sporting this particular attire in the feeble hope of gaining some kudos with the general Thai population.. 'It don't work.. you look stupid..! ' and most Thais do actually find it rather offensive.

If they stuck to their footy shirts (yep, UK'ers) then yeah, most Thais would love 'em.. and if they really must wear yellow, well there's always Norwich City..!

so long as they're prepared for all the... "arai na's"

yeah,the yellow t shirt is a bit cheesey,only surpassed if worn with the buddha "medallion"

[ColPyat]

Well said..!!! There is nothing more cringe-worthy than farangs who wear 'The Yellow' t-shirt..

Yes, we are aware of it's significance.. but i personally find it very embarassing to see an overweight, balding, lout sporting this particular attire in the feeble hope of gaining some kudos with the general Thai population.. 'It don't work.. you look stupid..! ' and most Thais do actually find it rather offensive.

If they stuck to their footy shirts (yep, UK'ers) then yeah, most Thais would love 'em.. and if they really must wear yellow, well there's always Norwich City..!

so long as they're prepared for all the... "arai na's"

You would then enjoy to hear my wifes opinion on yellew shirts in general, and yellow shirts on farang in particular... her comments keep me sane...

[Goshawk]

Well said..!!! There is nothing more cringe-worthy than farangs who wear 'The Yellow' t-shirt..

Yes, we are aware of it's significance.. but i personally find it very embarassing to see an overweight, balding, lout sporting this particular attire in the feeble hope of gaining some kudos with the general Thai population.. 'It don't work.. you look stupid..! ' and most Thais do actually find it rather offensive.

If they stuck to their footy shirts (yep, UK'ers) then yeah, most Thais would love 'em.. and if they really must wear yellow, well there's always Norwich City..!

so long as they're prepared for all the... "arai na's"

You would then enjoy to hear my wifes opinion on yellew shirts in general, and yellow shirts on farang in particular... her comments keep me sane...

pray tell...

[ColPyat]

pray tell...

Well, the only comment that won't get me banned here, the way how people in her village describe them yellow people is: egg-yellow mushrooms ("het kai lueang")...

[Goshawk]

pray tell...

Well, the only comment that won't get me banned here, the way how people in her village describe them yellow people is: egg-yellow mushrooms ("het kai lueang")...

Agreed..!!

[qwertz]

I can never relate to individuals who seem to think Britain is a place to be ashamed of and unique in the way of anything anti social.

I am a frequent traveller abroad but i have always been proud of my country of origin.

The United Kingdom

I cringe not at my culture but at the fact that i am lumpted together with all the nationalites of the world due to the fact that i am white ( not a racist observation. ) and we all get classed under one umbrella with all the low lifes of the globe, due to this, especially in Thailand.

marshbags but

Amen to that MB. I'm another kind of expat , a Brit living in east Germany. I can assure the board, in case some of you didn't know this, you don't have to fly so far as LOS to rub shoulders with louts. I have the same here and these louts are not on holiday. I've just cancelled all the government retraining classes I've been teaching for over ten years here because I've had it to the eyes with disrespect and bad manners. The people here think I'm too polite. I haven't yet worked out how you can be "too" polite. And I don't have such a sensitive nature as many of you seem to. But if you hold a door open here for someone loaded with shopping bags, don't wait for a "Thank you", you'll be there a long time. As for bullet headed, tattooed louts and their floozies spitting on the pavement and tossing beer cans, drop in to Hamburg or Berlin sometime. You'll wish you were back in LOS with the relatively sedate slobs and fruitcakes.

Slobbism is nothing new.

Edited February 8, 2007 by qwertz

[tijnebijn]

For some reason,I do not intent also to spend any times with countrymen or even fellow farang.

I just spend enough years allready in farangland and enjoy my time more with thai folks anyway.But still offcourse,so time in time I do have contact with other expats,the holiday tourist,especially the guys "who know Thailand"I disgust,and do not show them I even come from the same country,bored with them.

[Jet Gorgon]

one thing that really does make me cringe is listening to farang who resort to speaking bar girl english (i use the word bargirl to avoid being told off by bronco) complete with ommited words." dahleeng we go buy potayyto" i know a guy who has been here for a few years and now even speaks this way to other english speakers,and yes i cross the street to avoid him !!

Right on, Keenok. I know several well-educated farang in Thailand that try to use garbled baby talk with me. I always tell them I speak English perfectly well, thank you. I never speak garbled English to Thai people either. If they do not understand my poor Thai, I repeat what I thought I said in straightforward English.

And if I see anyone bearing a mini Canadian flag, I run the other way. Bleeding heart, patronising liberals who want to save the world, when most of them know nothing about what's really going on. If they sit near me, I light up a cig and blow smoke in their faces. A sure way to get them to move.

[dumspero]

Hippo- what do you think Thais do in a small town in the US when they see each other? Do they most typically avoid each other? Of course not, they look, evaluate whether Thai or some other East Asian, and then ask the person, generally in Thai, if they're Thai. If so, they typically chat and get together to eat, even if one is a former bar girl from Isaan and the other teaches Thai at the university.

You're just too cool. Sorry if the fellow farangs taint your experience.

The other kind that make my blood boil is the type that is ashamed to admit he's an American or who feels the need to apologize for America and Americans to help him fit in with other expats. Sad.

[glenbat]

We have an English friend who is known as "The Duke" and he only hangs out with Americans because he claims that he can't find anyone from England high-class enough to converse with.

[endure]

We have an English friend who is known as "The Duke" and he only hangs out with Americans because he claims that he can't find anyone from England high-class enough to converse with. He is rather prissy, but we put up with him because he is funny as he11.

He's a middle class phony prig. Genuine high class English folk are capable of and are interested in mixing with anyone, regardless of class.

[davidjtayler]

We have an English friend who is known as "The Duke" and he only hangs out with Americans because he claims that he can't find anyone from England high-class enough to converse with. He is rather prissy, but we put up with him because he is funny as he11.

He's a middle class phony prig. Genuine high class English folk are capable of and are interested in mixing with anyone,.regardless of class

Hear hear ... I mix with everyone

[endure]

We have an English friend who is known as "The Duke" and he only hangs out with Americans because he claims that he can't find anyone from England high-class enough to converse with. He is rather prissy, but we put up with him because he is funny as he11.

He's a middle class phony prig. Genuine high class English folk are capable of and are interested in mixing with anyone,.regardless of class

Hear hear ... I mix with everyone

Yes, the upper classes would undoubtedly be interested in meeting you

[davidjtayler]

We have an English friend who is known as "The Duke" and he only hangs out with Americans because he claims that he can't find anyone from England high-class enough to converse with. He is rather prissy, but we put up with him because he is funny as he11.

He's a middle class phony prig. Genuine high class English folk are capable of and are interested in mixing with anyone,.regardless of class

Hear hear ... I mix with everyone

Yes, the upper classes would undoubtedly be interested in meeting you

As long as they shout their share of the beers MR E then thats fine by me ...

[keenok]

Hippo- what do you think Thais do in a small town in the US when they see each other? Do they most typically avoid each other? Of course not, they look, evaluate whether Thai or some other East Asian, and then ask the person, generally in Thai, if they're Thai. If so, they typically chat and get together to eat, even if one is a former bar girl from Isaan and the other teaches Thai at the university.

You're just too cool. Sorry if the fellow farangs taint your experience.

The other kind that make my blood boil is the type that is ashamed to admit he's an American or who feels the need to apologize for America and Americans to help him fit in with other expats. Sad.

who cares what thais do in small town america? the question is cultural cringe.if hippo is embarrased by some farang here thats his business.most who live here will feel the same at certain times ( i certainly am),just that we all cringe at different things.as for americans apologising for america(i presume you mean your govt foreign policy)well that just shows youre not all stupid

[Ulysses G.]

We have an English friend who is known as "The Duke" and he only hangs out with Americans because he claims that he can't find anyone from England high-class enough to converse with. He is rather prissy, but we put up with him because he is funny as he11.

He's a middle class phony prig. Genuine high class English folk are capable of and are interested in mixing with anyone, regardless of class.

Heretic.

His is name is listed in Debrett's!

Edited February 9, 2007 by Ulysses G.

[Ulysses G.]

one thing that really does make me cringe is listening to farang who resort to speaking bar girl english (i use the word bargirl to avoid being told off by bronco) complete with ommited words." dahleeng we go buy potayyto" i know a guy who has been here for a few years and now even speaks this way to other english speakers,and yes i cross the street to avoid him !!

Me too!

[Ulysses G.]

I'm sure that you are right Terry, but whenever I visit a small Thai town with no foreigners, I see guys like this running across the street and murmering to themselves so they won't have to say hello to another Farang.

Are you getting paranoid? "Running across the street and murmuring to themselves" - are you sure that they do this just to avoid you? Do you think they are talking about you? Could they be speaking on a hands-free mobile phone?

Nope.

Such things weren't available then.

[richard10365]

I think if I look at my own country, USA, there are pleanty of examples of bad misbehaving people running around. To think they are going to behave just because they leave to visit another country is a little nieve.

Your example of how to behave in another country can be interpreted as snobbish by some. The police and immigration already have a job taking care of misbehaving foreginers.

There are pleanty of misbehaving Thai's running around too. Will you be their morality police as well?

Unless they directly interfear with your life, I wouldn't worry about them. Your life would be a lot less stressful and you might enjoy Thailand a bit more.

[marshbags]

We have an English friend who is known as "The Duke" and he only hangs out with Americans because he claims that he can't find anyone from England high-class enough to converse with. He is rather prissy, but we put up with him because he is funny as he11.

One time we were eating with him - at The Duke's Restaurant - and a buddy who was sitting at another table with an English couple yelled out, "Hey Duke, these people are from London - same as you". He slowly looked them over and then muttered, "so are 7 million other people" and went on to totally ignore them.

U.G.

I give you more credit than to give this armhole any of your time as he is obviously classless, going by what you post about him.

You mention the words High Class and yet you go on to describe someone who can only be asssociated with a low class attitude and is not worth a satang of anyones money.

I think you mis spelt his handle and meant to put " The Puke "by the way.

It just may be that you are on the other hand being a little fictitous, you rascal, you.

I am a working class hero and I am sometimes accused of being an inverted snob by so called self appointed highclass ( classless is more in line with their thinking. ) people who think they are truly better than others.

Why ? because they falsely, ( in many cases ), reckon they,ve had better opportunities, and, apart from a mountain of debt to front their phoney appearance, are not worthy of the respect they try to demand and in my case have to earn it as a human being and not because of status or materialistic appearances.

Class is / should be destinguished by your demeanour and nothing else should enter into it, socially or otherwise, when assessing someones character and worthiness.

Going again by you post this person is obviously at the bottom of the ladder were he belongs and shouldn,t be given the time of day.

It also speaks volumes as to why he cannot find anyone worthy of his self importance, except perhaps the odd individuals who get a laugh out of someone with such an obviously low self inflicted social attitude and lower circle of ????????????????

You can do better than this to get a few laughs, for a start reading some of the stuff we post on Thai Visa is full of fun and amusement, as we all observe from time to time.

If you don,t believe me scroll through some of mine, but only if you have the staying power as i tend to rabbit on a bit.

marshbags

Edited February 9, 2007 by marshbags

[Ulysses G.]

It just may be that you are on the other hand being a little fictitous, you rascal, you.

Maybe a little bit, but only a little bit. Of course, I'm never quite sure how serious he is about all this class stuff. I assume at least some of it is a piss-take and we - of course - encourage him to overdo it.

He is clever as heck when it comes to anything to do with politics or history and he is funny as heck pretty much all the time. He has to be the world's best dinner conversationalist.

What a character.

[Ulysses G.]

So Hippo, you don't align yourself with the fireman or his disciple.

How did I get elevated to "disciple"?

[mr_hippo]

Hippo- what do you think Thais do in a small town in the US when they see each other? Do they most typically avoid each other? Of course not, they look, evaluate whether Thai or some other East Asian, and then ask the person, generally in Thai, if they're Thai. If so, they typically chat and get together to eat, even if one is a former bar girl from Isaan and the other teaches Thai at the university.

How many westerners are in Bangkok?

How many Thais/Asians are in your average Podunk, USA?

[jdinasia]

Hippo- what do you think Thais do in a small town in the US when they see each other? Do they most typically avoid each other? Of course not, they look, evaluate whether Thai or some other East Asian, and then ask the person, generally in Thai, if they're Thai. If so, they typically chat and get together to eat, even if one is a former bar girl from Isaan and the other teaches Thai at the university.

How many westerners are in Bangkok?

How many Thais/Asians are in your average Podunk, USA?

Weren't you talking about a small town WNW of BKK? Your whole point was clearly met and countered.

Don't worry about it though! We all have our opinions and biases! Personally I'll pass on hanging out with teachers <western> that live in small places! Just too much of a cultural gulf to swim across!

Edited February 9, 2007 by jdinasia

[keenok]

Hippo- what do you think Thais do in a small town in the US when they see each other? Do they most typically avoid each other? Of course not, they look, evaluate whether Thai or some other East Asian, and then ask the person, generally in Thai, if they're Thai. If so, they typically chat and get together to eat, even if one is a former bar girl from Isaan and the other teaches Thai at the university.

You're just too cool. Sorry if the fellow farangs taint your experience.

The other kind that make my blood boil is the type that is ashamed to admit he's an American or who feels the need to apologize for America and Americans to help him fit in with other expats. Sad.

so did you enjoy your meal and chat with the university teacher ? or with the isaan bar girl??