Have you noticed random Thais being friendlier to f-rangs in the current abnormal?

[Jingthing]

22 hours ago, Jack Hna said:

No way, very odd comment and says a lot. I was in a mall last week eating japanese food with Mrs and I told her to watch when farangs walk past and cross a Thai. Each time the Thai will check there mask or put it on quickly.

 

7 occurrences in an hour. Zero farangs walked past with this incident occurring each time by different Thais.

 

 

 

 

Your post deserves a response.

I want to make it clear that I wasn't suggesting that every encounter I've had has been pleasant or that unpleasant ones don't still happen. I was only talking about my personal OVERALL impression of the current situation and also why I asked others if they are feeling the same thing as the experience of only one person is obviously limited.

I do think fear of being infected by the virus is not really the same thing as showing hatred and hostility towards people based on their race and blaming another race for the pandemic problem (as is happening in the U.S. against Asians). 

People putting on masks because they think you are a higher risk aren't committing a hate crime. They are either being irrational or more likely they are just not informed about the virus risk of the f-rang population here now, which is basically the same as Thai people that have been living here.

Fearing infection and trying to prevent it is certainly not irrational or hateful in itself. 

Personally I haven't experienced Thais masking up upon seeing me as you reported but I do believe your experience happened. However, I have experienced some random incidents that are similar. Like Thais clearly giving me more distance than Thai strangers. But again I don't think that's necessarily about blaming f-rangs -- more about fear. 

 

I did have a recent related experience that I'll mention. I was entering a mall and just before me three young Thai men just sauntered in without a temperature check or signing in with phone or paper. I don't really mind those measures although I question their effectiveness. I'm not an anti-masker and I'm happy to comply with mitigation measures here, even when just theater. But that kind of <deleted> me off seeing those Thais walk in like that, so I did try to walk in without signing in as they did and the guard had a hissy fit. I must sign in! I tried to refer to those Thai that just didn't as it was clearly discrimination but as long term residents here will expect, my objection to blatant racial discrimination did not compute.

Edited February 17, 2021 by Jingthing

[jacko45k]

17 hours ago, Ireland32 said:

Everybody who walks into Starbucks takes their mask off immediately, especially Farang goofs 

Probably easier to drink coffee that way.

[camble]

I made a visit to MBK mall in Bangkok recently and felt like a rock star.  Staff were warmly greeting me walking by their shops even when I had no interest in buying anything.  Farang purchasing power helps the local economy and I think Thais appreciate there are still some of us around. 

[Hanuman2547]

In the malls about the same.  I noticed some friendly Thais on Sukhumvit Sois 4, 5, 7, 11, 22, & 23.

[Ohyesuare]

Yes I've noticed it. Not a big surprise when there's less <deleted> tourists around, making us all look bad.

[ChakaKhan]

On 2/16/2021 at 2:28 PM, Jingthing said:

Pattaya is a tourism city.

There aren't tourists now.

Huge numbers of Thai tourism workers have left.

We all know that.

When it was packed the local Thais often tended to be rude or worse to f-rangs unless there was a direct money motivation to be fake nice. All stranger f-rangs considered to be tourists.

But not now.

Those left here, Thais and f-rangs, are really here. 

So I've noticed a difference in attitudes of local Thais. Have you? 

Even the baht bus drivers have been friendly! 

A while back there when the pandemic in Europe was in the news more (now it's global of course) I was feeling some anti f-rang xenophobia, sadly similar to the anti-Asian xenophobia flaring up in the U.S. Maybe incited by some officials calling f-rangs dirty and mask shirkers.

But things don't seem to have progressed that way. 

A small bit of a silver lining?

Learning the lesson of Dont bite the hand that feeds?...Truth is singular----lies are plural(TAT)

[BigStar]

8 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I did have a recent related experience that I'll mention. I was entering a mall and just before me three young Thai men just sauntered in without a temperature check or signing in with phone or paper.

Could have been a double standard. I'll just throw this out, however. Consider Thais' gift for economy of effort. It may be possible these Thais had been checked earlier (maybe much earlier, LOL) and were coming back in. I've done that sometimes: got checked, walked around & found something to buy then realized I'd left my carry bag in the bike. Walked out, retrieved the bag, then walked back in w/o a check. 

[ChakaKhan]

19 hours ago, Ireland32 said:

I have been Tipping More , because business is Down and they certainly show their Thanks , espy on return visits they certainly remember you 

Hurry Back Teerak! Joop Joop! ????

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, BigStar said:

Walked out, retrieved the bag, then walked back in w/o a check. 

Both the foldable shopping bag and facemask keep being left under the bike seat.... I really need to nail them to my head. 

[kingofthemountain]

22 hours ago, Pravda said:

just maybe all the rude scammers have gone back to Isaan? 

Most of them were in fact from the south part of Thailand

particularly the jet ski mafia

[swissie]

Over the years, my observations as far as this is concerned have produced the following results:

- about 25% of Thais like Farangs genuinely.
- about 25% of Thais dislike Farangs genuinely.
- about 50% of Thais are indifferrent/neutral as far as Farangs are concerned.

 

The "neutral" Thais can be influenced on a short term basis. For best results: Be a generous tipper. Constantly display a broad smile (with or without reason). Step on your balcony and sing the Thai National Anthem accent free twice a day.

For worst results: Do the opposite of the above and sing from your balcony the old AC/DC tune: "Thais are on a highway to hell" twice a day.

Who says you have to be on You-Tube to become an "influencer".

[ChakaKhan]

22 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Both the foldable shopping bag and facemask keep being left under the bike seat.... I really need to nail them to my head. 

Room for your keys and a few extra..