Why do Thai people ignore Foreigners when they are speaking and begin speaking over them, interrupting them?

[1FinickyOne]

3 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

let's turn this around, you are in your home country, your thai wife doesn't speak your language, or speaks it equivalent to your thai, how much notice would your countrymen and women take of her? if you dont want to be ignored learn to speak thai, and, of course, have something interesting or amusing to say.

Been there.. my Thai wife attracted enough attention as she was really beautiful back then... also, she was 32 and looked like she was 14... 

 

And yes, I agree, I find Thai people in the countryside very engaging and even more so when they discover I can speak with them... 

[Isaanbiker]

5 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

no it was Berlin. for years. and then all over the place.

Kommune 1 in Berlin Kreuzberg with friendly people like Ulrike M, Baader M.......okay, i get it. .

[Isaanbiker]

3 hours ago, SunsetT said:

Try holding your hand up to the interrupting person and saying Diaow Diaow! Kap! which means Wait Wait! Please! I have found these to be very useful Thai words that I use frequently since I have learned them.

"Benn Jang" in Isaan does help a lot, or simply "Bhenn arrai?"

 

   If it's really getting on your nerves a short "Ngiap", of course with a smile! It's the Land of Smiles. 
 

[Yinn]

8 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

Yinn, you need to travel more. 

 

Western countries have very diverse populations including immigrants.

Yawn. I come from Rayong which is diverse population and many immigrants.

 

 

8 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

Many of the immigrants speak very little English (or whatever the national language is). And, yet most Westerners are polite to these immigrants and make effort to communicate with them anyway.

Yes i I see about the nazi gang, Donald trump with the wall, brexit to keep immigrant out etc. so wonderful.

 

Most Thai are very polite to immigrants, that is why we the famous tourist place.

 

You think Thais not polite to you. I do believe you. Because the same reason you have NO friend.

Yesterday you make “joke” about thai die in the flood. 

 

 

8 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

 

I have immigrant friends from the countries I lived in all over the world.

You said on another thred you have NO Thai friends. And you live in Thailand. 

 

 

 

8 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

The fact that you don't understand this might be the reflection of your isolated Thai worldview.

The fact that you don’t understand this might be the reflection of your isolated life living in Pattaya with your wife and no friend. (The wife you cheat)

 

i see you like change what you claim, always try make you sound so good.

Yawn.

[mahjongguy]

My complaint is somewhat different. Turned around a bit.

 

My Thai partner of 14 years speaks decent English. Several times a week we are out shopping for something. I ask him to translate something for me to the clerk, but he doesn't translate in an interactive way, he just starts a conversation with them, doesn't report what he hears until it's over and I get a short reply. Have. No have. Whatever. 

 

As this goes on, if I get the impression that it's all gone off the rails, I try to barge in but get ignored by my partner. It's not disrespect, just that he can't switch gears fast enough between Thai and English.

 

And yes, he and the clerk will interrupt each other to a degree that you would not see in Western cultures between two unacquainted people.  

 

[rumak]

47 minutes ago, kenk24 said:

And yes, I agree, I find Thai people in the countryside very engaging and even more so when they discover I can speak with them.

+1

[NightSky]

Quote

But as soon as I begin talking to answer, they begin talking again as if I am not even there or as if I am not talking.

 

Did someone hear a noise?????

 

 

 

(sorry couldn't resist)

????

[jvs]

8 hours ago, Yinn said:

i tell her “If can speak English well, he will have better job than just the taxi driver.”

I have to disagree with you,i have a very good Thai friend,he is 55 years old and he can only get low paying jobs but his English speaking ability is exellent.

No diploma ,no good job.

 

[sanemax]

42 minutes ago, Yinn said:

 

Yes i I see about the nazi gang, Donald trump with the wall, brexit to keep immigrant out etc. so wonderful.

 

Most Thai are very polite to immigrants, that is why we the famous tourist place.

 

 

Errrmm, Brexit and the Trump wall are nothing to do with Nazism , but thats a different topic .

  Thai people are very friendly , nice , polite and friendly , when they want something .

  Although they can be very unfriendly and heartless , when they stop wanting what you've got .

  They dont seem to be friendly because they like you as a person , they are polite and friendly because you've got something that they want to have and soon as they either get it or dont want it anymore , you become surpass to requirements 

[Destiny1990]

Dont try to take it personally.

[sunnyboy2018]

10 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

I think a few of the responses above are correct.

 

My trick has been to simply ignore them like other Asians do.

 

It is our Western instincts to be polite and respond when someone talks to/at us. 

 

But, here in Thailand, a sales person is regarded as 'lower' than you the customer and as such is not entitled to acknowledgement.

 

Just ignore them until you need something from them, at which time there is a high likelihood they will demonstrate their uselessness.

Maybe its your personality. Perhaps your Thai is not very good. Perhaps you have a strong accent and dont speak english clearly. Perhaps you have an angry face. You sound a bit rude. I have rarely had useless treatment.  Usually polite and efficient,  especially as my Thai is poor. I have also found staff often to be light hearted. The girls are charming. But regarding the OPs query about interrupting: this was very common in Saudi and Libya. Its partly to do with different ideas and conventions of politeness, partly  to do with not having linguistic strategies for politely interrupting and also linked to the prosidic features of language. If the OP did not go shopping with his wife he might get a different response.

[grollies]

1 hour ago, Yinn said:

Most Thai are very polite to immigrants, that is why we the famous tourist place.

Funniest thing I've read on TVF for a while, cheers.

[Bluespunk]

10 hours ago, villagefarang said:

Quite simply, the sounds coming out of your mouth are just noise and have no meaning because you don't speak Thai.  I would suggest you bring your wife up to speed before you go shopping, so she knows what you want and why.  If a young child was crying or talking, adults would simply talk over them, ignoring what to them is a useless interruption.  They may see you in a similar light.

 

I am sure it is frustrating for you, but you are the one who needs to adapt, not the other way around.  You are of course free to completely disregard my advise as I do not fit your criteria of being unable to converse in Thai and needing an interpreter.????

I listen when children are talking and try to find out what is the matter when they cry.

 

I certainly don't talk over them.

[grollies]

1 hour ago, mahjongguy said:

My complaint is somewhat different. Turned around a bit.

 

My Thai partner of 14 years speaks decent English. Several times a week we are out shopping for something. I ask him to translate something for me to the clerk, but he doesn't translate in an interactive way, he just starts a conversation with them, doesn't report what he hears until it's over and I get a short reply. Have. No have. Whatever. 

 

As this goes on, if I get the impression that it's all gone off the rails, I try to barge in but get ignored by my partner. It's not disrespect, just that he can't switch gears fast enough between Thai and English.

 

And yes, he and the clerk will interrupt each other to a degree that you would not see in Western cultures between two unacquainted people.  

 

..............is the correct answer, nicely observed.

[sunnyboy2018]

15 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Errrmm, Brexit and the Trump wall are nothing to do with Nazism , but thats a different topic .

  Thai people are very friendly , nice , polite and friendly , when they want something .

  Although they can be very unfriendly and heartless , when they stop wanting what you've got .

  They dont seem to be friendly because they like you as a person , they are polite and friendly because you've got something that they want to have and soon as they either get it or dont want it anymore , you become surpass to requirements 

Are they friendy to Burmese and Rohingya? They are foreigners. We are travellers here not immigrants. There are not many immigrants in Thailand. Those who have been allowed in over the centuries such as the Issan people are held in contempt by the lighter skinned central Thais. The dark skinned Issan people of Lao and Kymer origin are only seen as idiots on TV programmes,  rarely have jobs in hospitals,  airlines, F&B etc. They provide manual labour for the lighter skinned Thais as cleaners, agricultural work, factory work etc. It is ironic that the hi so promiscuous whore like educate thai girls who drink, smoke, take extacy look down on the massage girl most of whom dint smoke, rarly drink, dont go out much and send most of their money back home. I admire them and found them to be good hearted. The hi so pale skinned so called educated central Thais are frequently judgemental and snobbish. Of course there are exceptions but race, class and skin tone issues make Thailand a brutal,  impoverished and unjust place for half the population. I have only met one educated Thai who was not a dreadful snob and she hated Thailand because of the lies and corruption of the power elite, the lack of free speech and the brainwashed nationalism.

[Dnyy]

10 hours ago, villagefarang said:

Quite simply, the sounds coming out of your mouth are just noise and have no meaning because you don't speak Thai.

That's nonsense. Even foreigners speaking Thai, that's still happening.

[villagefarang]

1 minute ago, Dnyy said:

10 hours ago, villagefarang said:

Quite simply, the sounds coming out of your mouth are just noise and have no meaning because you don't speak Thai.

That's nonsense. Even foreigners speaking Thai, that's still happening.

Doesn't happen to me.

[Dnyy]

13 minutes ago, grollies said:

1 hour ago, Yinn said:

Most Thai are very polite to immigrants, that is why we the famous tourist place.

Funniest thing I've read on TVF for a while, cheers.

Certainly because the majority of foreigners are not immigrants but expats.

[sunnyboy2018]

14 minutes ago, grollies said:

Funniest thing I've read on TVF for a while, cheers.

It is unclear if some comments are troll posts, naivety or sarcasm.

[villagefarang]

8 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

I have only met one educated Thai who was not a dreadful snob and she hated Thailand because of the lies and corruption of the power elite, the lack of free speech and the brainwashed nationalism.

My Thai friends are not dreadful snobs and they are well educated and well traveled. 

[bluesofa]

9 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

25 minutes ago, grollies said:

Funniest thing I've read on TVF for a while, cheers.

It is unclear if some comments are troll posts, naivety or sarcasm.

Gives us all something to do, trying to work out which they are.

 

[fhickson]

i never get talked over, but regularly people will begin to talk to other thais in thai before completing a simple transaction that requires no language skills.

 

its like they need to verify or ask someone else in thai about the smallest thing before dealing with me directly. very annoying.

[Isaanbiker]

5 hours ago, Naam said:

i disagree respectfully but totally. i hate to cross the property lines and when we lived in the U.S. of A. my wife to used buy technical items in hardware stores based on a broken part, a description or a drawing i made. she was usually greeted mit a broad smile and "and what does he want today?"

 

here in Thailand i do some shopping in hardware stores and use my Thai assistant/handyman/service engineer as my Thai is virtually not existent. but even if i was the Thai expressions for most technical items are so multivalent and unprecise that they are useless. english words for technical itmes are used in Thai language too. try to find Thai words for capillary injection or expansion valve and retranslate into English for a roaring laughter.

 

if we encounter a salesperson who's English is rudimentary the solution of the problem is "you talk to me or we go!" if my assistant is not faster with "you talk to him or we go!"

 

works since 15 years. as simple as that. case closed!

Naam, please start to learn technical Thai and you'll find out that it's easier than one might think. 

 

   It's fun for me to go to my shop where mechanics from several provinces get their parts and it's great when I tell them what I want once and they go and get it.

 

  I'm treated as a Thai customer, I do not pay more, I don't wait longer than a Thai does.

 

    Sad is that not too many really know the whole litany of words, but it's cool to catch up.

 

  I know that we're both from the same country and you're an intelligent guy, always appreciate your posts. 

 

BTW, Thai use our word for technology- Technologie ( so different!) and pronounce it as a German would. But I've met Germans in Thailand who couldn't pronounce it properly, pretty strange to me. 

 

But not only Thai, also German, English, French and other languages are so called " word borrowing languages" but they never give the words back...lol 

 

 

[Yinn]

15 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

Are they friendy to Burmese

I live in Ranong. I have many Burmese friend. Why not?

 

 

15 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

 

and Rohingya? They are foreigners. We are travellers here not immigrants. There are not many immigrants in Thailand.

64 group

15 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

 

Those who have been allowed in over the centuries such as the Issan people are held in contempt by the lighter skinned central Thais.

No. 

 

15 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

 

The dark skinned Issan people of Lao and Kymer origin are only seen as idiots on TV programmes,  rarely have jobs in hospitals,  airlines, F&B etc.

Where you get your information. Khon Kaen and Mahasarakam university train doctors, engineers etc etc. 

issan people are famous on TV, music etc.

There are many success Issan people. I go the Issan restaurant today, they have good money, sure.

 

 

15 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

They provide manual labour for the lighter skinned Thais as cleaners, agricultural work, factory work etc.

They good worker.

 

15 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

 

It is ironic that the hi so promiscuous whore like educate thai girls who drink, smoke, take extacy look down on the massage girl most of whom dint smoke, rarly drink, dont go out much and send most of their money back home. I admire them and found them to be good hearted.

Oh you talk about the sex worker? Yes, everybody look down on that.

most issan woman is NOT massage worker. I think you go massage a lot right?

You don’t see the issan people who work in the office, bank, management, company etc, only the massage one.

 

Yes you right, Central woman smoke and drink more than Issan. But only SOME people. 

 

15 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

 

The hi so pale skinned

I know farang like have the suntan. Up to you.

 

15 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

so called educated central Thais are frequently judgemental and snobbish. Of course there are exceptions but race, class and skin tone issues make Thailand a brutal,  impoverished

Impoverished? Maybe my dictionary wrong, but I don’t think thailand is like that.

Africa, Cambodia, not same as Thailand.

Have hospital, school, good society, so much food, job for everyone (and 3 million Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar people)

 

15 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

and unjust place for half the population. I have only met one educated Thai who was not a dreadful snob and she hated Thailand because of the lies and corruption of the power elite, the lack of free speech and the brainwashed nationalism.

Sound like it you look down on educated people. 

You only talk about Central and Issan.

What about the lovely North people and most wonderful South people? 

The North have the most white  skin, the south very dark.

You think north people “hold me in contempt”? They not. Sure.

 

Also people from Nongkai (Issan) have white skin more than some central. 

Skin color is important for beauty, not the real job. If I go doctor I not care about the skin color of the doctor, I care about the education.

 

Thailand is a good country, have a lot of the opportunity. If work hard, study hard and make your own business, can be success.

 

If lazy, then somnam naa. If lazy to study, train yourself, maybe you must work massage shop. Up to you! 

 

I have friend from south, central, north and Issan. Muslim and Buddhist. No problem.

 

And woman, very success in Thailand (I think because like study well more than man)

Thai woman is number one in the world!!!

 

https://www.thailand-business-news.com/news/top-stories/29585-thailand-has-most-women-in-top-management.html

[Yinn]

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

Errrmm, Brexit and the Trump wall are nothing to do with Nazism , but thats a different topic .

They all anti no-white foreigner. 

 

 

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

  Thai people are very friendly , nice , polite and friendly , when they want something .

  Although they can be very unfriendly and heartless , when they stop wanting what you've got .

  They dont seem to be friendly because they like you as a person , they are polite and friendly because you've got something that they want to have and soon as they either get it or dont want it anymore , you become surpass to requirements 

Ok, your experience. Thai people don’t like you.

[sanemax]

1 minute ago, Yinn said:

They all anti no-white foreigner. 

 

 

Ok, your experience. Thai people don’t like you.

Are you aware that Europeans are generally White ?

Many White Eastern Europeans arrived in multiracial UK and turned the UK towns a little bit whiter .

  Thais dont like me much now , as the Pound is 37 to the Baht , although they adored me when the Pound was 55 to the Baht

[Yinn]

1 hour ago, Dnyy said:

Certainly because the majority of foreigners are not immigrants but expats.

I think more tourist than expat?

[cranki]

15 minutes ago, Yinn said:

I live in Ranong. I have many Burmese friend. Why not?

 

 

64 group

No. 

 

Where you get your information. Khon Kaen and Mahasarakam university train doctors, engineers etc etc. 

issan people are famous on TV, music etc.

There are many success Issan people. I go the Issan restaurant today, they have good money, sure.

 

 

They good worker.

 

Oh you talk about the sex worker? Yes, everybody look down on that.

most issan woman is NOT massage worker. I think you go massage a lot right?

You don’t see the issan people who work in the office, bank, management, company etc, only the massage one.

 

Yes you right, Central woman smoke and drink more than Issan. But only SOME people. 

 

I know farang like have the suntan. Up to you.

 

Impoverished? Maybe my dictionary wrong, but I don’t think thailand is like that.

Africa, Cambodia, not same as Thailand.

Have hospital, school, good society, so much food, job for everyone (and 3 million Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar people)

 

Sound like it you look down on educated people. 

You only talk about Central and Issan.

What about the lovely North people and most wonderful South people? 

The North have the most white  skin, the south very dark.

You think north people “hold me in contempt”? They not. Sure.

 

Also people from Nongkai (Issan) have white skin more than some central. 

Skin color is important for beauty, not the real job. If I go doctor I not care about the skin color of the doctor, I care about the education.

 

Thailand is a good country, have a lot of the opportunity. If work hard, study hard and make your own business, can be success.

 

If lazy, then somnam naa. If lazy to study, train yourself, maybe you must work massage shop. Up to you! 

 

I have friend from south, central, north and Issan. Muslim and Buddhist. No problem.

 

And woman, very success in Thailand (I think because like study well more than man)

Thai woman is number one in the world!!!

 

https://www.thailand-business-news.com/news/top-stories/29585-thailand-has-most-women-in-top-management.html

PM sent instead...

[Yinn]

6 minutes ago, cranki said:

อะไรและครอบครัวพ่อแม่ของคุณสอนมาอย่างไรคุนถึงได้เหยียดหยามคนและดูถูกคนไทยด้วยกันเองทั้งที่รู้ว่าทุกคนก็เป็นคนเหมือนกันสงสัยว่าคุณคงจะวิกลจริตที่ไม่รู้ว่าคนไทยพยายามทำทุกอย่างดีที่สุดเท่าที่ทุกคนจะทำได้

Maybe my English sound rude. 

Mum and dad don’t teach me that.

is what I see. I have a brain.

Some people are drunk and lazy. Up,to them.

I say I can be friend anyone. If polite person. I don’t care skin, where from.

[kevozman1]

9 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Are you aware that Europeans are generally White ?

Many White Eastern Europeans arrived in multiracial UK and turned the UK towns a little bit whiter .

  Thais dont like me much now , as the Pound is 37 to the Baht , although they adored me when the Pound was 55 to the Baht

Meanwhile I assume that poster (judging by the overly complimentary comments about Thailand) is currently living in Thailand, a highly nationalistic, xenophobic, pretty much mono-ethnic country, that doesn't allow foreigners to purchase land, dual pricing based is supported by the authorities, where obtaining permanent residency as a foreigner is almost unicorn status. Honestly I don't care about any of that too much, some of I agree with, but don't live in a country like Thailand and then whine about 'wascyst' Western countries where the authorities and population are the most tolerant to foreigners, at least at present.