Do They Really Teach Thais Not To Complain

[Travel2003]

This was the point I almost reached for a bottle, as I honestly wanted to crush it into his head.

Why was your first thoughts to stopping the problem violently attacking the dude with a bottle?

Why didn't you speak to the dude, maybe he would have just been more careful? Or better still moved to one of the other 500 tables!

Oh believe me, it was my absolute last and desperate thought.

Besides my gf gave me the do not do anything look.

I turned around several times trying to make his friends understand my frustration.

Everything was just smile and he is a bit drunk, thats all.

The place was packed with people.

rgds

Sailor

[meemiathai]

A few years back, me and my GF (future wife) went to a big place at Happyland, Bang Kapi, Bangkok.

Probably 500 tables there.

At the table behind me there was this guy that pumped into me all the time.

All the time!

He was so pissed, and had problems standing when he tried to dance.

My GF notice my face changed.

This kept going on for a good 45 minutes, as he pumped more and more into me.

Absolutely nobody did anything.

My gf sat there, hoping I would not create a scene, just trying to ignore the drunk.

People on all the other tables around clearly thought this was embarresing, but did nothing.

He then fell down, almost taking me with him in the fall since he grabbed my shoulder.

This was the point I almost reached for a bottle, as I honestly wanted to crush it into his head.

The Security guys finally took action and escorted the guy out of the place.

I looked around and could see a lot of people looking at me with the "we are so sorry for this face".

They all were happy that I kept cool, and were embarresed abouth what one of their own had done.

Again, it surprised me that nobody took any action before this guy fell on the floor.

My gf just said, he was very drunk, mai pen rai.

As my adrenaline was pumping, I remember saying, mai pen rai my a..!

rgds

Sailor

Do they actually teach in farangland that it is not one's own responsibility to take care of one's own problem?

What are you expecting others to do when it is you yourself who is having a problem?

Is this a thread complaining about people not complaining?

[Travel2003]

TRAVEL2003! "there was this guy that pumped into me all the time" and "as he pumped more and more into me ".

What exactly was the drunk guy pumping into you? How was he able to pump into you in front of people? Did you feel that he had not pumped enough into you? Is that the reason you wanted to scar the guy forever?

I feel that we should all be told!

Hi

You have obviosuly never been out on a regular Thai place.

Try it and you will learn some about the locals, by the locals.

Not many Thai places have the regular dance floor. They like to dance by their tables.

Sometimes people get drunk, and will bang into each other when they try to either move around or dance between the tables.

Normally people will say they are very sorry when they do this. This, as as we all know is common politness in Thailand.

Thais are in general much more polite then us visitors, which is one of the many reasons why I love this country.

Regarding the bottle,

well, I have never done that in my life, and honestly do not know if I would have.

But I wanted to.

Guess it is the same feeling when we hate someone, or when one say "Im gonna kill him", but we actually do not do it.

Having explained the bottle issue, lets go back to the main issue.

Absolutely nobody in the place did anything to stop this guy, even though they saw that I did not enjoy it.

mai pen rai, he just drunk.

rgds

Sailor

[qwertz]

I guess Maigo's wife is noticabley quiet.

Probably can't get a bloody word in.

[mogoso]

Do all Thais really just suffer in silence.

I think the Thai wives and girlfriends of many Farangs suffer in silence.

Maybe your Thai wife will suffer in silence, (oh don't I wish ) mine makes her point to those whom dare cross her path. She will be soft spoken and polite, but she does not suffer fools gladly, and will make her point. It's ok with me unless I'm the target

[Maigo6]

She will be soft spoken and polite, but she does not suffer fools gladly

Like I say, many suffer in silence..........................

[terry57]

Why was there need to complain, it's Koh Phangan, lots of people doing drugs there, if they aren't causing trouble and still spending there cash then no problem.

well that was the problem maddy,

they were only spending there money on smack and bugger all in the bungalow restaurant.

the dude and his scanky girlfriend were just very sleasy nasty nutters and were being very recalcitrant to the locals and us other farang.

as far as doing drugs go, there's a huge difference between pot smokers and smack heads, dont you think.?

let me answer that for you maddy.

yes terry,

you are right as most junkies would kill there mother for a needle full of smack and a pot smoker just wants to give you a big hug.

thank you very much.

terence.

[terry57]

This was the point I almost reached for a bottle, as I honestly wanted to crush it into his head.

Why was your first thoughts to stopping the problem violently attacking the dude with a bottle?

Why didn't you speak to the dude, maybe he would have just been more careful? Or better still moved to one of the other 500 tables!

Oh believe me, it was my absolute last and desperate thought.

Besides my gf gave me the do not do anything look.

I turned around several times trying to make his friends understand my frustration.

Everything was just smile and he is a bit drunk, thats all.

The place was packed with people.

rgds

Sailor

did it ever occur to you to pick your chair up and move away from the dude.?

i know what your on about regards the thais dancing around the tables all pissed up but a smart man moves away and let the thais sort it.

not very hard is it. ?

thank you very much.

terence

[LinkPopularity]

not complaining ?

my GF constantly complains that I complain too much

[PRGUY]

Things are rapidly changing in the Thailand now especially with the younger and new generation. When I first came to Thailand 16 years ago, they were all this stupid concepts of Krieng Jai, Face-Saving, Mai-Pen Rai, "The Feudal System of Phu Yais", etc but with the newer generation middle and lower classes, they are beginning to realise that all this leads to no where and that is why i differ to say that it is not true that Thais do not complain, the younger generations do and are also reacting these days which is good.

[ProThaiExpat]

While I believe complaining when something is not right is an option with merit, we should also consider the other side of the equation.

Most Thais are not accustomed to be complained to. They have no clue what to do about a complaint. Managers are not trained to deal with dissatisfied customers since there are so few.

My Thai mate used to work in a five star hotel and the most difficult thing for him to do in training the Thai staff was to teach them to listen to the complaint completely, with a sympathetic attitude and then announce the no refund policy or whatever.

When I received delivery of a new dishwasher from Nyom Panit in Chiang Mai, another thread, it had no utensil basket. Next day, back to the store and spoke to manager through Thai mate. Manager had no clue other than to ask sales girl who insisted that the basket was in the machine. I knew the machine was a floor model so we all know what happened to the basket.

As my Thai mate made his way up the chain of command, he finally reached the Director of Personnel who took us back down to the same manager and told him to follow our suggestion, order another utensil basket from BKK. That was done and we were asked politely by the same manager when we went in to pick up the basket, would we like to pay for it? You guessed the answer since we didn't lose it. He accepted out reply and all was well.

Most of the people we complain to don't have the authority to remedy our complaint, assuming they understand our dissatisfaction. Well trained staff, on the other hand, do know how to deal with complaints and are quick to accommodate.

I remain convinced that Thai management has not learned what management in the west know now, that it is all about "service" and "customer satisfaction" and that the companies that provide it are successful and those that don't, aren't in most cases.

[sukanyacondo]

Things are rapidly changing in the Thailand now especially with the younger and new generation. When I first came to Thailand 16 years ago, they were all this stupid concepts of Krieng Jai, Face-Saving, Mai-Pen Rai, "The Feudal System of Phu Yais", etc but with the newer generation middle and lower classes, they are beginning to realise that all this leads to no where and that is why i differ to say that it is not true that Thais do not complain, the younger generations do and are also reacting these days which is good.

Yes Im sure of this too, hopefully Thais will aslo learn that if they take care of their condos and the upkeep they will reap the rewards when they come to sell instead of the buy it new and give it away as a dump in 10 years syndrome they could be making big money. Im sure this is happening to a degree and if prices keep on going up they will see it themselves.

[sukanyacondo]

While I believe complaining when something is not right is an option with merit, we should also consider the other side of the equation.

Most Thais are not accustomed to be complained to. They have no clue what to do about a complaint. Managers are not trained to deal with dissatisfied customers since there are so few.

My Thai mate used to work in a five star hotel and the most difficult thing for him to do in training the Thai staff was to teach them to listen to the complaint completely, with a sympathetic attitude and then announce the no refund policy or whatever.

When I received delivery of a new dishwasher from Nyom Panit in Chiang Mai, another thread, it had no utensil basket. Next day, back to the store and spoke to manager through Thai mate. Manager had no clue other than to ask sales girl who insisted that the basket was in the machine. I knew the machine was a floor model so we all know what happened to the basket.

As my Thai mate made his way up the chain of command, he finally reached the Director of Personnel who took us back down to the same manager and told him to follow our suggestion, order another utensil basket from BKK. That was done and we were asked politely by the same manager when we went in to pick up the basket, would we like to pay for it? You guessed the answer since we didn't lose it. He accepted out reply and all was well.

Most of the people we complain to don't have the authority to remedy our complaint, assuming they understand our dissatisfaction. Well trained staff, on the other hand, do know how to deal with complaints and are quick to accommodate.

I remain convinced that Thai management has not learned what management in the west know now, that it is all about "service" and "customer satisfaction" and that the companies that provide it are successful and those that don't, aren't in most cases.

100% correct and this is what I have taught my wife and why our business is doing so well.

[thohts]

It's not that Thai people, generally speaking, don't feel the 'same way'. In private (to one-another), I believe Thais complain quite a bit. Perhaps more than a lot of farang.

How far will Thailand be behind in 10 years without its people being constructively critical?

[bina]

well, maybe my husband has been too long in israel, but he definately is more of a complainer and less patient then me (i'm the 'let it slide, may pen rai' person and have always been so, even after 24 years in a land full of complainers)....

i sit and wait patiently while on hold for the computer telephone services to give me a real person, i wait quietly for immigration to sort out a visa which takes 15 minutes to actually do but we wait for hours, i wait in lines without elbowing my way forward, and i let cars in when sitting in heavy traffic. in other words, i am a 'frier' (sucker) and he, my thai husband, goes ballistic, pushes, elbows, mouths back, etc. (he actually told his last boss, the day he finished work, that he, the boss, was 'ci nieow' -- in hebrew-- and that all the thai workers think that about him but no one had the guts to say it but him...

he doesnt hesitate to correct other peoples' mistakes (no greng jai for the farang trying to speak thai, i get corrected all the time), and in general seems to be able to out israeli the israelis in the complaints and lack of greng jai department.

BUT, in thailand, he was very very THAI and greng jai and polite and very 'pom banork' subservient when in bangkok with bangkok immigration et al..... and never complained to anyone anywhere about anything even when we had cause to complain.

i think he enjoys the freedom of lack of 'greng jai' and hierarchy that he has here, where the motto is In your face or u lose face.

go figure....

bina

israel