I'm not looking to criticise or make comparisons.  I'm simply curious.

 

It seems that many Thais, young and old, are glued to their smart phones for much of the day.

 

To the foreigners that have been here long enough to remember: what was Thailand like before smartphones?  What did people working in shops, waiting at bus stops, on a break from their job, etc., do before the smart phone?

 

What did it look like walking down the street, waiting for the BTS, or sitting in a café in Thailand before the smartphone?  Were people reading?  Talking?  Staring at the palm of their hand wishing that something entertaining was visible there?

Not just Thailand, it's the whole world.

When the BTS first opened I recall people would read books...  most commonly ‘comic type’ books... 

 

Rather than the magazine type comics we are used to in the West, they are actual books... with story-board type layout. These are also very popular in Japan. 

 

 

I recall going to Au Bon Pain and reading the paper... Bangkok Post... The Nation and also BK Magazine and The BigChilli magazine (stocked in some areas). 

 

 

I used to take trains on a particular line for years up to 2008 and when I went back on it, not that long ago, there is a totally different atmosphere. Everyone seemed a bit bent, many with eyebrows slightly furrowed, pondering the phone instead of looking into space, thinking, talking or reading a book. 

One of best progressing tech ever.  Can carry you phone, instant telegraph, computer, scanner, newspaper, camera better than most point & shoots, all your maps, GPS, compass, encyclopedia, weather report all in a hand held device.

 

What's not to like ... lets be honest, is it really that different ?  Or just easier, and cleaner.

15 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

what was Thailand like before smartphones?

Snooker halls and computer shops. I forgot Sepak Takraw. Never see it played these days.

''What did Thais do before smart phones?''

 

Normal people not entranced zombies !

well for one the bar girls sure seemed to spend a lot more time talking with you, some trying to learn English and more because they were bored and sometimes a farang could be funny..

 

..i used to just pull out a piece of paper with a few dozen thai words i was trying to learn and very quickly the gals would get curious to see what i was looking at and once they saw it often they would want to practice their English on me while i practiced my thai on them...good fun that i miss as now everyone is too busy putting up pics of what they ate for lunch.

''What did Thais do before smart phones?''

 

Same as everyone else I guess...

9 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

''What did Thais do before smart phones?''

 

Same as everyone else I guess...

Why would you assume that?

 

Many, probably most, Thai pastimes are very different to what we see back home.

40 minutes ago, Thailand said:

Not just Thailand, it's the whole world.

Thailand love your sense of humour and agree with you 200 per cent.
Even when out in the car the youngsters still on their phones and never take in the beautiful places and not just in Thailand but even when younger family and friends would not speak much but remember people talked a lot in the pubs and yes we also found out things by enquiring.
Ask the younger ones what is happening in Country and overseas they probably could not answer.

In these days of course modern technology and personal contract is not in evidence at all and get any customer support and actually talk to a human being very very rare, if at all.
But to be fair the older person put their mobile phone on (if it is not on already) first thing in the morning and yeah on loudspeaker.!!!

38 minutes ago, Thailand said:

Not just Thailand, it's the whole world.

Sure, the whole world has been changed by smartphones. But Thai people even now have different pastimes to what we have back home. Safe to assume the things they did before smartphones were different also.

32 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

One of best progressing tech ever.  Can carry you phone, instant telegraph, computer, scanner, newspaper, camera better than most point & shoots, all your maps, GPS, compass, encyclopedia, weather report all in a hand held device.

 

What's not to like ... lets be honest, is it really that different ?  Or just easier, and cleaner.

Yes, love the phtograph and then talk to friends and family what they have already seen before but a talking point.

When I came 1999 there were flip mobile phones that you email on. 

 

Before smartphones you could walk past bars and all you could hear was Connect 4 tokens dropping, it was foreplay with farang

47 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

One of best progressing tech ever.  Can carry you phone, instant telegraph, computer, scanner, newspaper, camera better than most point & shoots, all your maps, GPS, compass, encyclopedia, weather report all in a hand held device.

 

What's not to like ... lets be honest, is it really that different ?  Or just easier, and cleaner.

This thread is showing the generational divide.

The old men are sitting at home chained to their desktop/laptop and complaining about people being out and about reading their mobi instead of a book.

1 hour ago, Thailand said:

Not just Thailand, it's the whole world.

Correct. Many use it to pay bills. Book flights etc.

 

 

6 minutes ago, HighPriority said:

This thread is showing the generational divide.

The old men are sitting at home chained to their desktop/laptop and complaining about people being out and about reading their mobi instead of a book.

It's probably the opposite. The older guys are marvelling at not having to carry their book, newspaper and camera around and the ease at which they can contact their family, while the younger people are probably more aware of what smartphones are more often used for and the many negatives.

I'll ask my GF.

My smartphone is used for reading books, playing music and taking photos. It's also used to make YouTube videos. I occasionally use it to make LINE or DUO calls.

As Thais are probably the most socially connected nationality on the planet, it's not surprising they would regard smartphones as manna from heaven.

Well years ago in Phuket it was party, sometimes transferred to the beach to watch the sun come up, drink until you needed to sleep after a little light exercise, pool/snooker, dominoes, darts, yes and connect 4

Converse with the new arrivals, sort out food, never a phone in sight 

Good enjoyable times 

 

Now probably spend as much time on my phone as the kids do

 

"Chained to my desktop" ???? where do these Dreamworld ideas originate.

If I wasn't staring at my smart phone, I would never have found this topic to read in the first place. 

 

And I would have to make conversation with my grandson who would completely ignore me because he is too busy staring at his smart phone.

 

And my wife would ignore me because she is currently in deep conversation with her son via her smart phone.

 

So I'm now going to put down my phone and go and talk to the dog who doesn't own a smart phone.....yet!

 

52 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

Why would you assume that?

 

Many, probably most, Thai pastimes are very different to what we see back home.

And like everyone else, everywhere else, they probably did whatever they did before phones came about...talk, read, sleep, stare out the window, ignore all around them, play cards, etc...same as everyone else I'd imagine

The grapevine was perfect.

In 1996 I had a gf in G-Spot in Nana. She knew I was in Nana before I could make it to her bar which was maybe 100m away from the entrance. At that time the girls had the perfect communication network - without mobile phones or any technology.

 

I also remember my first visit in a Thai massage place with lots of girls in the fishbowl watching Thai soap opera. I picked a girl and we went up the stairs to a room. The first thing she asked me if I mind if she continues to watch the soap opera on the TV in the room while I f@$#%$ her...

 

And that was the time when we saw each other and agreed when we see each other again. Like: I see you tomorrow 2pm at the beach entrance of Royal Garden. And she was there, because there was no mobile phone to confirm or cancel or anything like that.

 

And last but not least: When the girlfriend was for a week up country she was there up country without any communication. We could go out and no phone calls or messages at night: where are you? And obviously also no updates to her from her friends that her boyfriend was just seen here and there.

 

Very different times.

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

One of best progressing tech ever.  Can carry you phone, instant telegraph, computer, scanner, newspaper, camera better than most point & shoots, all your maps, GPS, compass, encyclopedia, weather report all in a hand held device.

 

What's not to like ... lets be honest, is it really that different ?  Or just easier, and cleaner.

True

Book flight n hotel

Use map

Pay a bill

Camera

 

Post on a forum lol

 

I got a tablet too. Its just a big phone without the phone. Better for charts.

When I first came to Thailand in 1984 I lived in Prachinburi, near Khao Yai.

 

In the city center, there was one place that had a telephone (landline).

 

No mobile phones at all.

 

My first thought was this must be heaven on earth. (Long before Khao Yai was developed with footpaths)

 

This was long before western advertising and marketing set in.

 

Thai's were extremely curious and super friendly.

 

Always lots of people everywhere, meeting, chatting, eating together, etc.

 

In my area there was no negativity towards foreigners at that time.

 

I think in general, people were just generally out and about a whole lot more, visiting the sites and just being outdoors.

 

Was the most wonderful time to be in Thailand; nothing like today.

56 minutes ago, KIngsofisaan said:

When I first came to Thailand in 1984 I lived in Prachinburi, near Khao Yai.

 

In the city center, there was one place that had a telephone (landline).

 

No mobile phones at all.

 

My first thought was this must be heaven on earth. (Long before Khao Yai was developed with footpaths)

 

This was long before western advertising and marketing set in.

 

Thai's were extremely curious and super friendly.

 

Always lots of people everywhere, meeting, chatting, eating together, etc.

 

In my area there was no negativity towards foreigners at that time.

 

I think in general, people were just generally out and about a whole lot more, visiting the sites and just being outdoors.

 

Was the most wonderful time to be in Thailand; nothing like today.

The whole world is a lot different now. 38 years ago.

 

 

3 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

they probably did whatever they did before phones came about

I'm sure that before smartphones they did indeed do what they did before smartphones.  I was simply hoping to get a little first hand knowledge of what that was.

4 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

I'm sure that before smartphones they did indeed do what they did before smartphones.  I was simply hoping to get a little first hand knowledge of what that was.

Then why not focus on the replies given by those who claim to know?

2 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

Then why not focus on the replies given by those who claim to know?

How would you know how much focus I gave each comment?

 

I have read all the comments carefully and greatly enjoyed hearing about Thailand before smartphones.

4 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

How would you know how much focus I gave each comment?

 

I have read all the comments carefully and greatly enjoyed hearing about Thailand before smartphones.

And yet you are focused on this bickering exchange because my reply wasn’t what you wanted to hear.