Strangers talking on baht buses in these "interesting" times

[IAMHERE]

26 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I would not conflate opposition to the president with hatred of Americans in general. Though of course both can exist concurrently.

First time I encountered foreigners attitude towards America the President was Bush the second, didn't start the conversation, three commonwealth codgers heard my accent as I ordered a G&T, they couldn't wait to stop by on their way out and give me their opinion of America and Bush. I didn't have a cell phone at that time or I'd quickly called up Bush and told him their concerns.

I tend not to give out too much information about myself online or in person. Just too many crazies out there, especially in Chon Buri.

 

 

 

[balo]

Nobody ever talks to me on the baht bus. Maybe because I'm tall and looks a bit suspicious. I don't know , I hear a lot of Russians chatting, but I rather just listen to some music on my head phones.

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, balo said:

Nobody ever talks to me on the baht bus. Maybe because I'm tall and looks a bit suspicious. I don't know , I hear a lot of Russians chatting, but I rather just listen to some music on my head phones.

Sure but it's not only about whether you talk to strangers on the baht buses. It's also largely about conversations that you OVERHEAR of strangers talking on the baht buses. I'm on the main tourism route so often non-Thais dominate that crowd. Many of the people are in a cheery mood, often drunk, on holiday, and start these conversations on the baht buses. I've noticed a marked increase in the topic being what's happening in the USA. 

[meechai]

15 hours ago, Jingthing said:

So is this thing that I think is going on now because I have personally noticed it, is that my random experience, or have other's noticed it?

No but I will say when someone is more involved in something (and judging by your posts your pretty obsessed) then they tend to "notice" more of what their involved  with.

 

Folks who buy a red VW suddenly notice every red VW on the road thinking "wow I suddenly notice there are so many red VW's on the road"

 

[Jingthing]

No but I will say when someone is more involved in something (and judging by your posts your pretty obsessed) then they tend to "notice" more of what their involved  with.
 
Folks who buy a red VW suddenly notice every red VW on the road thinking "wow I suddenly notice there are so many red VW's on the road"
 

That is true but you need to qualify your assertion by telling us whether you ride the grand old baht busses often in Pattaya or not. If not I deeply discount your assertion.

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[Rimmer]

Some off topic posts and replies have been removed,  this is the Pattaya forum and US politics are not on the agenda

[rumak]

3 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I'm perfectly OK with these "interesting" encounters happening on baht buses, or anywhere else. But as I said in the OP personally I really have noticed an INCREASE.

new hearing aid possibly ?

[BTB1977]

I say if you can't vote in America your opinion doesn't count. Best to keep your mouth shut. Americans really don't care about yours and are tired defending your freedom with American lives and tax dollars. 

[KittenKong]

2 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Do you always take your car around Pattaya? All I see is constant traffic jams, surely you would be better with a motorbike, you would still avoid the daft conversations and be able to keep on the move.

I did consider motorbikes but rejected the idea quite quickly. Too dangerous for my taste. I do tend to avoid busy traffic times and as I live in Jomtien it's usually possible to bypass the worst of it.

[joecoolfrog]

2 hours ago, IAMHERE said:

OP, most of the world hates America and by extension hate Americans. Anymore, I keep to myself; I don't talk to strangers on baht buses, stores, bars, etc...

The  upside is that experiencing these foreigners prepared me for the current  Democrats in the USA.  Hate knows no bounds among them.

The world hates the type of ignorant person who stereotypres as you have just done.

[Patriot1066]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Sure but it's not only about whether you talk to strangers on the baht buses. It's also largely about conversations that you OVERHEAR of strangers talking on the baht buses. I'm on the main tourism route so often non-Thais dominate that crowd. Many of the people are in a cheery mood, often drunk, on holiday, and start these conversations on the baht buses. I've noticed a marked increase in the topic being what's happening in the USA.

Most conversations I 'over hear' concern about drinks costs, whether the girl was good and what she would do, food poisoning, price of Tuk tuk, cost of two girls etc etc, cost of room, 'bargain' they negotiated in the market, best bar, how pi££sed they got.

 

Mostly normal stuff no real political debates about Trump, Brexit, Gender politics etc.

[observer90210]

Funny...I watch Thai TV.....always updated on the new malls opening or food festivals....but no idea if it's gonna rain in NYC tomorrow !

[Jingthing]

new hearing aid possibly ?

No need. Stupid insult.

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[Tariya]

I'm American, speak five languages including Russian, and I ride the baht buses often. I agree with the OP: lately, overheard more conversations about the U.S., not just about the maniac president but also the gun violence, the crazy news coming out of American news outlets, the sexual harassment stuff. Not alot, just more. Seldom hear about other countries' politics. Always hear about the Thai price of beer and tourist complaints. Interesting: also hearing foreigners talking about Thai politics and American politics in the same sentence.  Has little to do with American hegemony and more to do with the never-ending mish mash of social media.

Edited November 9, 2018 by Tariya

[Jingthing]

Oh good. I'm not the only one that has noticed. Life is good.

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[Jingthing]

Funny...I watch Thai TV.....always updated on the new malls opening or food festivals....but no idea if it's gonna rain in NYC tomorrow !

I explicitly excluded Thais from this. Of course they're not talking about the USA.
Duh.

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[Nyezhov]

22 minutes ago, Tariya said:

Not alot, just more. Seldom hear about other countries' politics. Always hear about the Thai price of beer and tourist complaints. Interesting: also hearing foreigners talking about Thai politics and American politics in the same sentence.  Has little to do with American hegemony and more to do with the never-ending mish mash of social media.

Its great to be so important that folks spend time talking about you. No publicity is bad publicity! ????

[BritManToo]

10 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Its great to be so important that folks spend time talking about you. No publicity is bad publicity! ????

There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about and that is not being talked about.

[Jingthing]

There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about and that is not being talked about.

So true. So true.

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[RoadWarrior371]

48 minutes ago, Tariya said:

conversations about the U.S., not just about the maniac president but also the gun violence, the crazy news coming out of American news outlets, the sexual harassment stuff...

 

Yeah, the sexual harassment in the US is out of control.  Thank goodness I am in Pattaya. 

[Odysseus123]

56 minutes ago, Tariya said:

I'm American, speak five languages including Russian, and I ride the baht buses often. I agree with the OP: lately, overheard more conversations about the U.S., not just about the maniac president but also the gun violence, the crazy news coming out of American news outlets, the sexual harassment stuff. Not alot, just more. Seldom hear about other countries' politics. Always hear about the Thai price of beer and tourist complaints. Interesting: also hearing foreigners talking about Thai politics and American politics in the same sentence.  Has little to do with American hegemony and more to do with the never-ending mish mash of social media.

You must ride some of the most interesting baht buses on the planet..

 

The one's I rode in had a sort of cosmic balloon floating over them.."Are we gonna crash..yeah we're gonna crash..sure to crash..missed crashing by that much.."

[Jingthing]

2 hours ago, BTB1977 said:

I say if you can't vote in America your opinion doesn't count. Best to keep your mouth shut. Americans really don't care about yours and are tired defending your freedom with American lives and tax dollars. 

You don't speak for all Americans, sorry to inform you.

Many Americans do care about our credibility and the kinds of VALUES we are projecting on the world stage and with good reasons. 

That is certainly part of what people are talking about on the baht buses.

[Patriot1066]

3 hours ago, rumak said:

new hearing aid possibly ?

Nope that's not nice the chap has made an interesting post so should be applauded. Absolutely nothing wrong with Jingthing's hearing either he has an endless supply of hearing episodes which many of us don't get!

 

Therefore, perhaps we need a hearing aid not him to hone in on the many conversation about American politics on the bhatt bus!

[mauGR1]

Well, one reason why i live in Thailand, i can meet and speak with people from every part of the world.

I met quite a few Americans in these years, and my impression is that the travelling Americans are very nice, open minded, intelligent people.

Still, when talk goes into politics, they always seem to be rather uncomfortable about their country politics.

But that's just my impression, of course.

[Jingthing]

7 minutes ago, mauGR1 said:

Well, one reason why i live in Thailand, i can meet and speak with people from every part of the world.

I met quite a few Americans in these years, and my impression is that the travelling Americans are very nice, open minded, intelligent people.

Still, when talk goes into politics, they always seem to be rather uncomfortable about their country politics.

But that's just my impression, of course.

Well stereotypically Americans are friendly and outgoing but it's often a superficial kind of friendliness that lacks substance. But stereotypes are meant to be broken. 

[mauGR1]

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Well stereotypically Americans are friendly and outgoing but it's often a superficial kind of friendliness that lacks substance. But stereotypes are meant to be broken. 

I get that, but i get ( and i give ) about the same kind of superficial friendliness to and from strangers from every country.. Although the Russians, for example, may seem quite rude on the surface.

My point was that America was very much divided before T. came into office, and, in my view, travelling Americans may be (in general) very different from non-travelling Americans.

[Jingthing]

Just now, mauGR1 said:

I get that, but i get ( and i give ) about the same kind of superficial friendliness to and from strangers from every country.. Although the Russians, for example, may seem quite rude on the surface.

My point was that America was very much divided before T. came into office, and, in my view, travelling Americans may be (in general) very different from non-travelling Americans.

I think it's much more divided now though, historically so, more than the Vietnam war era, perhaps comparable to the civil war, and again, that's part of what people are talking about on the baht buses. A most powerful country that has been seen as the most stable now looking as if it might actually be falling part (from within). That's a big deal. 

[mauGR1]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

I think it's much more divided now though, historically so, more than the Vietnam war era, perhaps comparable to the civil war, and again, that's part of what people are talking about on the baht buses. A most powerful country that has been seen as the most stable now looking as if it might actually be falling part (from within). That's a big deal. 

Well, in Italy and many parts of Europe we are seeing something similar, although in Europe we have a longer history, and one might think that common sense could prevail...

But, to be honest, i am afraid that we are heading into dark times..

[Jingthing]

Yeah, UNITED we stand, DIVIDED not so much standing. 

[mauGR1]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Yeah, UNITED we stand, DIVIDED not so much standing. 

But, in the end, it is as it should be, so, as you say, enjoy each miserable day !