14 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

1. Yes, I have. What has that got to do with anything? Are you using a bad behaviour as an excuse to engage in the same yourself?

2. Around 23 years living in Thailand ful time. First time in Thailand 1989.
3. Yes, I do.

So, @Liverpoolfan. You are laughing at my answers. How would it be if you answer some?

Have you ever tried to understand the Thai culture and how things are done here?
How long have you been living full time in Thailand?

Are you speaking Thai fluently?

One maybe - but as he keeps threatening to kill my sister in law if she ever gets a new man - and she had just got a new younger man - I'm not sure how long he'll be around

 i don't need genuine friends.  In about 10 minutes i need a genuine bottle of beer .....

5 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

 You probably can´t se the forest, because there is too many trees in the way. ????????????

Mate, you are lost in the forest!

Hopefully never to be found.

Don't worry, I won't be sending a search party out anytime soon.

 

-most acquaintances are Thai, i am not the social type no matter what there nationality is.

Have a Dutch 'friend' which i like to talk to as i find realty and intelligence in our conversations no strings attached when we visit each other and in times of need we both are present.

Just how i like it.

5 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

Have you ever tried to understand the Thai culture and how things are done here?

Yes, I did try once.

Worst 5 seconds of my life ????

Just now, Liverpoolfan said:

Mate, you are lost in the forest!

Hopefully never to be found.

Don't worry, I won't be sending a search party out anytime soon.

 

I leave you with that. Not have the time it takes to make you understand. Neither did the people responsible for your education, as you clearly prove.

Have a nice day. Don´t forget you flag and football if you go somewhere. ????????

all the thai friends we have are the wife's friends from her school/uni years and those she knows through her work. I find them all to be really nice people(all from the south) and I am made to feel part of everything we do with them, even when invited to things they always insist I go, even on the govt paid trips through her work and they always make me feel more than welcome but I do not consider any of them as good/close friends. A good/close friend to me is like family but they may be just my aussie upbringing, friends are a dime a dozen, close friends are family. I find I can get along fine here without having to go out looking for friends, even other westerners here can be a pain, have one I like talking too but most are either drunks, womanizers or too far up themselves to consider friends or wanting to hang out with

1 minute ago, Liverpoolfan said:

Yes, I did try once.

Worst 5 seconds of my life ????

There is the explanation for no Thai friends, you have answered your own question.

39 minutes ago, Denim said:

Just the 1.

 

I married her 14 years ago.

Just my daughter Mildred. Could not count the wife as friend.

7 minutes ago, Liverpoolfan said:

Mate, you are lost in the forest!

Hopefully never to be found.

Don't worry, I won't be sending a search party out anytime soon.

 

I like you Liverpoolfan,  your funny guy. ????

I read someone comment before about they are more friendly if we don't think we are better or above them or something.

Have you seen how the average Thai treats a Cambodian or a Burmese? 

Have you heard the way they speak to those they consider less than? Laos people as well?

 

Man, bullying would be an understatement!

Define a "friend" ?

i literally have 1 person i consider a true friend
as in someone i can trust (with my money and my wife)
everyone else are just acquaintances or people i know
i would have the same trust for them as someone i did not know
which is absolutely zero

7 minutes ago, Liverpoolfan said:

I read someone comment before about they are more friendly if we don't think we are better or above them or something.

Have you seen how the average Thai treats a Cambodian or a Burmese? 

Have you heard the way they speak to those they consider less than? Laos people as well?

 

Man, bullying would be an understatement!

you just won the most ironic post of the year award
congrats
????

10 years in Thailand, 0 I can actually trust. They just don't seem to like falang. I travel Vietnam, walk into a bar etc, within seconds they are calling me over to come sit with them, drink and eat with them at their expense.  Totally different. Wonderful friendly people. Thais love  you if you have money. 

Years ago on Issan my first bike ride I found a man who explained to me the concept "GO HOME",

I also found some of Thais friends who all want to become my "wife's brother". The concept is clear ?

Will you be my friend? Mr Rogers.........

 

Kum Bah Yah America...

23 minutes ago, innosiem said:

you just won the most ironic post of the year award
congrats
????

Every time I meet a Thai person I am polite and cordial.

i don’t wai because I’m not Thai and don’t want to show myself up by doin it wrong, 

i smile, bow my head and give them a genuine sawasdee kap.

 

what more do you want from me?

should I grovel at their feet?

2 minutes ago, ICELANDMAN said:

Years ago on Issan my first bike ride I found a man who explained to me the concept "GO HOME",

I also found some of Thais friends who all want to become my "wife's brother". The concept is clear ?

No, explain ????

Perhaps the Thais you've met only understand English.

Not sure what all the fuss is about. I just treat Thais I meet as I would treat anyone, regardless of race or ethnicity.  Just be polite, friendly, smile, speak with respect and you will get respect and friendliness back.  They don't have to be your bosom buddies. 

7 minutes ago, Liverpoolfan said:

Every time I meet a Thai person I am polite and cordial.

i don’t wai because I’m not Thai and don’t want to show myself up by doin it wrong, 

i smile, bow my head and give them a genuine sawasdee kap.

 

what more do you want from me?

should I grovel at their feet?

i only commented about your previous post, nothing else.

they don't call it the land of smiles for nothing. many who think they have solid thai friends will be disappointed one day. 

 

 

4 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Not sure what all the fuss is about. I just treat Thais I meet as I would treat anyone, regardless of race or ethnicity.  Just be polite, friendly, smile, speak with respect and you will get respect and friendliness back.  They don't have to be your bosom buddies. 

Exactly, people are people, the world over.

You'll never  know  how genuine ANY friends  are until you really need  them, so my answer.......I don't  know. I'd  count  my Wife in but others  I don't  know. I don't have many friends  anyway and that includes the whole  world.

After 20 years of living here I too have zero Thai friends despite prolonged effort across several major cities all with a Thai wife beside me. 

I have always fornd that sad as I have always prided myself on being adaptable & open having spent a good deal of my life travelling across this great world of ours.

Not just Thais but also Farang too-so guess I'm too crusty for anyone now .....where's Tonto when you need him?!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Liverpoolfan said:

they like to keep everything on the surface,

they don't like to show their true feelings really and get close to a foreigner.

anybody know why this is?

It can take time anywhere to make new friends... and it doesn't always pan out...

 

How good is your Thai? That would show an effort to assimilate.. Thai don't tend to complain, maybe until you know them better and they open up, but they do open up.. some more easily than others. I would say w/o speaking Thai, unless their English is excellent, it is not going to easily happen. I have Thai friends and acquaintances and farang too... the amount of 'real feelings' exchanged tends to be individual... most of my Thai friends consider me to be Thai, in my attitude as much as anything else... 

 

and of course, a lot depends on what you have in common.. and where/how you meet them and the 'why' of your interactions... 

21 minutes ago, Liverpoolfan said:

Every time I meet a Thai person I am polite and cordial.

i don’t wai because I’m not Thai and don’t want to show myself up by doin it wrong, 

i smile, bow my head and give them a genuine sawasdee kap.

 

what more do you want from me?

should I grovel at their feet?

A wai is no more grovelling than is a hand shake grovelling... not returning a wai is similar to holding out your hand and someone refuses to shake it.. it is the opposite of assimilating and is rude... no wonder you don't make friends... 

6

4 minutes ago, kenk24 said:

A wai is no more grovelling than is a hand shake grovelling... not returning a wai is similar to holding out your hand and someone refuses to shake it.. it is the opposite of assimilating and is rude... no wonder you don't make friends... 

possibly more acceptable to return wai with a deep nod slow nod, its better than nothing and simple as it may seem, its pretty easy to cock up a wai.