Being scared to talk to other farang

[georgegeorgia]

I always wonder what this fearful myth is of " be careful" acknowledging other farang ...they want something whether to borrow money from you or tell you a sorry story or whatever ...be careful saying don't hello back...they will bite you etc etc ..they re obviously after something 

 

I recall once walking with a newly arrived friend in Pattaya and we are walking in East Pattaya and I'm buying a coconut he is standing on the street a taxi pulls up and the farang passenger is seen talking to him my stupid friend is ignoring him before it drives off...I asked him what was going on..."oh he was pretending to ask for directions to a hotel...but probably wanted money ...I read it on the internet .. don't talk to stranger farangs !!

 

Just bloody bizarre some of you lot ...fearful and anxious over oh they could ask to borrow money ...oh they could tell me a sorrowful story ...in reality they probably won't ...you know why . Because it's a urban fear myth 

 

Now as I'm getting older and some farang talks to me or acknowledge me passing by or whatever I will talk or acknowledge back ...so what if they ask to loan money I will say no...there's no need to ignore someone ...just because they could ..they might...possibly ask for a loan ....just ridiculous.. some of you must walk around Thailand with your head down making no eye contact hyper vigilant to other farang !

I remember being in a small beer bar in about 2010,in jomtien and saw a wallet in the toilet ..I knew it was the guy that was sitting with his mates nearby so I walked up politely ..hi ...I said .. I was just about to tell him before he looked at me with a sour arrogant  look.. and said " do I know you !!!

 

I recognised his accent as my own Australian and I stopped for a minute before his friend sitting next to him said something like I was trying to sell real estate... before this old C used his hand to shoo me off .

So I walked back in the toilet and took the wallet 

Moral of the story don't be arrogant 

Edited September 30, 2021 by georgegeorgia

[gk10012001]

well, percentage wise the odds on my 15 trips have been pretty good for running into some odd jobs.  One Thanksgiving while I was eating at Tequila Reef in Pattaya, this black guy asked if he could share the booth and I said sure. The place was a bit crowded.  He could not stop bragging about who he knew, how connected he was, and if I needed any recreational drugs, etc.  I don't do any of that so I was polite and just quickly finished eating and left.  Another time, as I got off the bus from BKK, this American guy, maybe in his late 20s startet talking to me.  His accent, similar to mine gave him away as from New England, Boston area.   A few minutes in and I get the sob story about wallet lost, will take a few days for money to be wired from home, etc. He said his hotel had no issues and was letting him stay but he needed some spending money. Now I have traveled in every state in the USA and having once been broke, I will usually give a guy the benefit of the boutn. So I gave him 2000 baht which is plenty to eat for a few days.  I figured if I get it back, great.  If no, well, I get karma points.  So I told him I was at the Flipper and give me a call in a few days to pay me back.  Surprisingly two days later my room hotel phone rang and he was in the lobby.  I said, great, you have my money I will be right down.  He said, no money yet, but wanted to know if I wanted to go out and eat.  So much for that.  I suspect some of you may have run into that middle aged skinny Indian guy on soi bukhao that used to hit people up with a money story.  Heck, one year, he hit me up on both of my trips.  He did not recognize me.

 

   Every now and then I had some good chats.  One American was an overseas worker and we were chatting at the old FLB bar on walking street.  It was October.  He was hanging out a few more months to qualify for overseas tax exemption on his money. His GF was nice and my GF and her seemed to chat quite a bit.

 

  One other guy was a chip runner from the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles California.  Me and my buddy both went over to say hi to him and it turned out he was broke and begging.  If nothing else I learned early on in my travels there to not be stuck and always have access to funds if needed.

 

  

[eliassfeir]

I don't ignore other farangs because they may ask to borrow money from me - I'd refuse them anyway. 

 

If some farangs says 'hello', or 'good bye' to me I will reply back - but that's about it. If they get nagging I will just talk to them in my own language and pretend "I no speak English".... 

 

Why? Because 75% of the farangs in Thailand are not the kind of people I would want to be friends with, or even talk to. 

 

You go to Pattaya, and you will see several farang well into their 80s hugging and kissing girls that could very well be their great granddaughters... Do I wanna talk to them? Hell no, I don't even wanna acknowledge them. Just in case they infect me and I become a degenerate like them. 

 

Others are just con artists, drug addicts, sex addicts, the list goes on...

 

Let's face it boys, Thailand frequently manages to attract the "very best" from farangland.... The sort of people that will bring nothing in positive into your life, and heaps of trouble...

 

... So you're better off "social distancing" from them forever.

 

Obviously, standing out from the sort of farangs I've described before, albeit a minority, you will find farangs, which are here because of work, or because they married, or because they own company, in other words, normal people with noble reasons to be in Thailand, not because of cheap sex with extremely young girls (sometimes probably underage).... You'll eventually find and befriend these sort of farangs, just they probably won't approach you in the streets or in bars...

Edited September 30, 2021 by eliassfeir

[thaibeachlovers]

2 minutes ago, eliassfeir said:

I don't ignore other farangs because they may ask to borrow money from me - I'd refuse them anyway. 

 

If some farangs says 'hello', or 'good bye' to me I will reply back - but that's about it. If they get nagging I will just talk to them in my own language and pretend "I no speak English".... 

 

Why? Because 75% of the farangs in Thailand are not the kind of people I would want to be friends with, or even talk to. 

 

You go to Pattaya, and you will see several farang well into their 80s hugging and kissing girls that could very well be their great granddaughters... Do I wanna talk to them? No, I don't even wanna acknowledge them. Just in case they infect me and I become a degenerate like them. 

 

Others are just con artists, drug addicts, sex addicts.... 

 

Let's face it boys, Thailand frequently attracts the very best from farangland.... The sort of people that will bring nothing in positive into your life, and heaps of trouble...

 

... So you're better off "social distancing" from them forever.

Excellent post.

I had few conversations with farangs in LOS. One interesting guy I bought a cup of coffee for and had a long chat with said he was a reincarnation of the Dali Llama and asked for money. Another farang that I chatted to in a Walking Street bar turned so vicious that when he went to the loo I paid my bill and left hastily. On a flight from Bkk the farang next to me was so nasty I had to move to a different seat.

If a passing farang smiled and nodded head or said hi I'd respond with similar, but many were obviously trying to ignore me.

Anyway, the best conversations I had with westerners were with tourists.

[thaibeachlovers]

40 minutes ago, eliassfeir said:

, not because of cheap sex with extremely young girls (sometimes probably underage)...

You base that statement on what factual source? IMO it's not true.

Edited September 30, 2021 by thaibeachlovers

[eliassfeir]

13 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

You base that statement on what factual source? IMO it's not true.

Well when it comes to the underage thing, it’s really hard to tell, so that’s why I said probably. I would hope that that’s not the case, and that despite being probably 50-60 years younger than the one they are “together” with, at the very least, the girls are not underage. 
 

I know it’s not very related to this topic, but I am of the opinion that prostitution should be something a girl chooses because she freely wants to, provided she has other options… In the case of Thailand, many girls are forced into the job, not particularly by anobody, but by the conditions. It’s either prostitution or poverty and living in the streets. 
 

And so yes, I see those farangs, specially the old ones that get extremely young girls and take advantage of their situation just for their sexual please as not much less than devils… Hence I want them far far away from me.

Edited September 30, 2021 by eliassfeir

[CharlieH]

One of the reasons I chose to live up country was to stay away from some areas and well trodden paths of alot of these characters that do tend to give the rest of us a bad name.

 

Where I am, I rarely see other Farangs unless its on a shopping trip to Makro etc. I dont frequent  bars or similar venues as I dont drink.

When i do see another one I usually smile and nod and keep walking. A few times over the years I have helped them in the Post Office when they were having difficulties but thats about it.

 

There was one in my village, i forget how we met, but we would sort of check on each other about every 2 weeks, have a coffee and natter and go our seperate ways til next time. Sadly he had a AAA and died age 62.

Now I know a few others  as time marches on and see then every few months for a catch up.

 

[zzaa09]

Not scared or hesitant, just couldn't be bothered. 

Nothing special.

[ColeBOzbourne]

My mother always told me, "Don't talk to strangers."

[georgegeorgia]

1 minute ago, ColeBOzbourne said:

My mother always told me, "Don't talk to strangers."

But as you get older it seems to be different eg you don't really show as much hyper vigilance I guess you could say because your much wiser 

I'm really talking about these farang say shopping in Khon khaen Tops supermarket or somewhere and they are waiting for their wife & another farang says hello to them and they ignore them because of fear they could be asking for money or trying to con them in some way....that's a extreme example but it happens

 

 

[BritManToo]

8 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

I always wonder what this fearful myth is of " be careful" acknowledging other farang ...they want something whether to borrow money from you or tell you a sorry story or whatever ...be careful saying don't hello back...they will bite you etc etc ..they re obviously after something 

I didn't talk to random people in the UK.

I don't talk to random people in Thailand.

 

It must be sad to be that lonely!

[BritManToo]

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

You base that statement on what factual source? IMO it's not true.

Beware of new incarnations of previous posters.

[georgegeorgia]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

I didn't talk to random people in the UK.

I don't talk to random people in Thailand.

 

It must be sad to be that lonely!

Some people are like that though they just wanna talk 

I was walking here in Sydney yesterday and walked up to the harbour foreshore area about 6am and a old  American guy came past me walking too and he said to me beutiful day and I replied back..he then stopped and started talking about the lockdown and did I get a vaccine etc.....now thought silly thoughts from Pattaya( even though I'm in Sydney)  are going thru my head... is he trying to con me etc ...well after 5 minutes or so talk he walked away and I noticed him walkon and  into a probably 10 million dollar house by the harbour 

Now I know it's not Thailand/Asia but would it make a difference if he said hello to me say in Pattaya or Khon khaen or whatever should I ignore him

 

 

[bobandyson]

I've only been S*at on twice in Thailand and it was by farangs. Thais, never.

[georgegeorgia]

1 minute ago, bobandyson said:

I've only been S*at on twice in Thailand and it was by farangs. Thais, never.

And that wasn't from strangers it was from ones U knew ...eg money lent? 

[connda]

8 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

I always wonder what this fearful myth is of " be careful" acknowledging other farang ...they want something whether to borrow money from you or tell you a sorry story or whatever ...be careful saying don't hello back...they will bite you etc etc ..they re obviously after something 

I've lived here close to 15 years and have never heard of "the fearful myth of 'be careful' <when> acknowledging other farang."

First off, I don't 'acknowledge' farang on the street anymore than I 'acknowledge' a native Thai or Indian or African or Asian or Islanders who just happen to be walking in my vicinity.  Why?  Well sometimes I do and sometimes I don't.  It really depends on context.  In the city on the city streets - probably not.  In the village on the village roads - probably so.  It's my community. I'll exchange pleasantries with anyone regardless of ethnicity.  However while touring in tourist location (like Pai) I may strike up a conversation while at a bar (remember those things pre-Covid) because bars and alcohol tend to lead to interesting conversations.

However with that said -  I have never had anyone other than Thais try to hit me up for money.  Not one.

Edited October 1, 2021 by connda

[brewsterbudgen]

Lao girls are better than both.

[georgegeorgia]

1 minute ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Lao girls are better than both.

I think you meant to write that in the Filipino vs Thai lady thread ??????????

[bobandyson]

5 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

And that wasn't from strangers it was from ones U knew ...eg money lent?

Yes, I knew them. I worked with them. They stole from me. So how do you think I treat strangers?

????

 

[ColeBOzbourne]

28 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

32 minutes ago, ColeBOzbourne said:

My mother always told me, "Don't talk to strangers."

But as you get older it seems to be different eg you don't really show as much hyper vigilance I guess you could say because your much wiser 

Yes, and made much wiser by experience. And not just in Thailand. I've traveled in many countries over the years and most, not all, of the time a stranger approaches me out of the blue and wants to start a conversation it turns out to be a negative situation. Not a big deal, just negative. He either wants something, or wants to talk my ear off about himself, or wants to brag about his accomplishments. In your OP  you said this was all an 'urban fear myth'. Based on experience I don't agree with that. Also, I'm not naturally a social person and I prefer to keep to myself. If I want something I will approach the appropriate person. I don't want them to approach me.

[bbko]

Here's how I react when a stranger approaches me in Thailanld;

555, Joking, I'm not scared to talk with farangs, but if after a minute or two I start to smell a B.S. story I'll move on.

Edited October 1, 2021 by bbko

[thaibeachlovers]

6 hours ago, eliassfeir said:

I am of the opinion that prostitution should be something a girl chooses because she freely wants to, provided she has other options… In the case of Thailand, many girls are forced into the job, not particularly by anobody, but by the conditions. It’s either prostitution or poverty and living in the streets. 

Wrong. There are millions of poor Thai women that have hard lives, children with lousy husbands etc, and they don't go to Pattaya. They work in the rice fields, they work in sweat shops, they work as maids, they work as hotel cleaners. They do anything BUT work as a prostitute.

I'm not talking about the very much larger THAI sex industry ( about which I know little ), but about the FARANG sex industry. The girls that work in the FARANG sex industry are free agents, and can leave anytime they want. I met enough of them in my time to know that. Tell me if you ever met a girl that was in a farang bar against her will, and being forced to have sex with farangs.

Seems that some want to believe the sob story version as presented by British red top papers, or by the girls themselves that will say anything to get a baht.

I'm glad you said it's your opinion, because my opinion is that they choose to do it, and deserve no sympathy for doing so.

Living in the streets?????????? In Thailand??????????? Those people begging in the streets are IMO not Thai women, but foreign and apparently being used by criminal gangs to make money. That the cops don't do something about it is a crime in itself, IMO.

Far as I know, any Thai can go live in a temple if things really get hard. Tell me if I'm wrong.

 

 

[BangkokReady]

Not scared per se, but Thailand does attract some oddballs.  One thing I notice is the number of foreigners who can get quite annoyed, almost hostile, when another foreigner is around.  Like you're mere presence is diluting their "specialness".  Then there are those that aggressively gatekeep Thailand and want to be the most Thai or whatever.

 

I don't go to tourist areas so perhaps it's different there.

[BangkokReady]

8 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Seems that some want to believe the sob story version as presented by British red top papers, or by the girls themselves that will say anything to get a baht.

Yeah, some people have this weird stance where all prostitution has to forced, the woman has to be being exploited and the men have to be predators taking advantage of women.  This will stand regardless of what evidence is presented to them (they will often change their story as each piece of evidence is debunked).

 

I think it comes down to them needing to paint men as bad and women as innocent victims because of some problem they have with men.

[473geo]

17 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Wrong. There are millions of poor Thai women that have hard lives, children with lousy husbands etc, and they don't go to Pattaya. They work in the rice fields, they work in sweat shops, they work as maids, they work as hotel cleaners. They do anything BUT work as a prostitute.

I'm not talking about the very much larger THAI sex industry ( about which I know little ), but about the FARANG sex industry. The girls that work in the FARANG sex industry are free agents, and can leave anytime they want. I met enough of them in my time to know that. Tell me if you ever met a girl that was in a farang bar against her will, and being forced to have sex with farangs.

Seems that some want to believe the sob story version as presented by British red top papers, or by the girls themselves that will say anything to get a baht.

I'm glad you said it's your opinion, because my opinion is that they choose to do it, and deserve no sympathy for doing so.

Living in the streets?????????? In Thailand??????????? Those people begging in the streets are IMO not Thai women, but foreign and apparently being used by criminal gangs to make money. That the cops don't do something about it is a crime in itself, IMO.

Far as I know, any Thai can go live in a temple if things really get hard. Tell me if I'm wrong.

 

 

This posts clearly shows you had little understanding of the immense pressures placed on your wife due to 'family obligations' in Thailand.

I suggest many farang are oblivious to the pressures their partner has to deal with.......makes me very proud of my wife who has worked hard to strike the right balance. It certainly ain't easy!! 

As for the topic unfortunate for those who are not able to control a conversation.

Edited October 1, 2021 by 473geo

[Will B Good]

It's a shame to think a 'normal' person might just want to have a chat with a stranger and you are so wary, but I am.

 

Have they been drinking, how are they dressed, how do they approach you, are they with anyone, if they turn nasty can you handle yourself?

 

Sad, in many ways that those things go through my mind.

Edited October 1, 2021 by Will B Good

[norfolkandchance]

OP. How much was in the wallet ?

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, 473geo said:

This posts clearly shows you had little understanding of the immense pressures placed on your wife due to 'family obligations' in Thailand.

I suggest many farang are oblivious to the pressures their partner has to deal with.......makes me very proud of my wife who has worked hard to strike the right balance. It certainly ain't easy!! 

Did you post in the correct thread? I don't understand what "family obligations" have to do with prostitution in Thailand. Are you saying that they forced my wife to marry me so they could get my money?

[ivor bigun]

The only farang that i dont know who has spoken to me recently ,saw me buying some butter in tesco ,and he asked if it was nice i replied yes ,he said thanks and picked one up,didnt try to borrow money or sell me anything.

[Will B Good]

1 minute ago, ivor bigun said:

The only farang that i dont know who has spoken to me recently ,saw me buying some butter in tesco ,and he asked if it was nice i replied yes ,he said thanks and picked one up,didnt try to borrow money or sell me anything.

Could be just trying to butter you up?