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Thailand is no longer the Land of smiles.


bob smith

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1 hour ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Did anyone ever really think it was more than a marketing slogan?

Not really. But it's a way of saving face.

 

Edit: If its a lady smiling at you, it's for a reason.

Edited by watchcat
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1 hour ago, persimmon said:

Last week on the Muay Thai channel ( 27 ) there was a match between a huge , mean looking Farang and a Thai fighter who seemed happy and smiling . The Farang guy only lasted a couple of rounds before before retiring with a smashed face . 

Bet the Thai guy was smiling even more.

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8 minutes ago, nickmondo said:

yes, a lot of thais smile, a lot are friendly.  but just as many are falsely smiling, and below the smile lurks a me me me personality.  Have you tried to get out of a side street in a car?  nobody lets you out.......also, so many lie about just about anything......so much <deleted> here.  been here 7 years now, and i have to say, it is starting to get on my nerves a bit here.  not enough to go back to UK, nothing will be bad enough to make me do that......but things have changed here....not the same any more.  maybe a month or two break somewhere else is the answer.......and then maybe i will find the Thainess funny and acceptable again.

shhhh, be careful....

 

you might get bashed on here for telling the truth!!!! ???? 

 

some great points there mate

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4 minutes ago, ignore it said:

Well, 

It is easier now that you don't have to wear the Chinese virus mask.

you mean you like breathing in pm 2.5 all day??

 

your damned if you do and damned if you dont mate.

Edited by bob smith
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What I've noticed over the years is any place that's nice, eventually will get ruined. I was in Thailand 10 years ago, Pattaya was way less crowded, less polluted. It was kind of boring and every Thai worker was nice/polite(with the exception of one guy at The Pizza Company). 

Coming here after 10 years I see quite a change. Much more crowded/polluted. I'm sure this, along with economic conditions like wage theft, is the reason for less hospitality than before. 

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There was no smiles from the lady at my bank this morning when I went in to report that my online banking login had for some reason been stopped. She insisted that I must have used the wrong password. I told her that I'd been using the same one for years and that my PW was unforgettable. After getting a new one for me she told me to remember it this time. Not one flicker of a smile all the time I was there.

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2 hours ago, bob smith said:

I see it everywhere I go. nobody is smiling. Nobody seems happy. attitudes of the locals must be at an all time low and its understandable why.

Seems like we are going the same places, I still live in Land-of-Smiles...????

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1 hour ago, josephbloggs said:

Weird, never been screamed at at the airport in 27 years. Never had my passport throw at me either.

Post Covid I have found the IOs to be genuinely friendly. Pre-Covid never found them unfriendly, just doing their job.

Not sure what you are doing to get screamed at.

I concur. And there even was that IO once. She had processed quite painfully a batch of elderly Chinese tourists who had struggled a lot with the fingerprinting etc. When it was finally my turn, she smiled and said "Sorry for the wait. Chinese people know nothing...".:)

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Thailand is often referred to as “The Land of Smiles.” It got this nickname because in Thailand, a smile is much more than just a smile…it is a form of subtle interpersonal-messaging. There are at least 13 different smiles that a Thai person may use, each one having a very specific meaning.

 

 

  1. Yim thang nam taa: The “I’m so happy I’m crying” smile.
  2. Yim thak thaai: The “polite” smile for someone you barely know.
  3. Yim cheun chom: The “I admire you” or “I’m proud of you” smile.
  4. Fuen Yim: The stiff smile, also known as the “I should laugh at the joke even though it’s not funny” smile.
  5. Yim mee lessanai: The smile which masks something wicked, such as bad intent.
  6. Yim yaw: The teasing, or “I told you so” smile.
  7. Yim yae-yae: The “I know things look pretty bad but there’s no point in crying over spilt milk” smile.
  8. Yim sao: The sad smile.
  9. Yim haeng: The dry smile, also known as the “I know I owe you the money, but I don’t have it” smile.
  10. Yim thak thaan: The “I disagree with you” smile, also known as the “You can go ahead and propose it but your idea’s no good” smile.
  11. Yim cheuad-cheuan: The “I am the winner” smile; a smile given to a losing competitor.
  12. Yim soo: The “smiling in the face of an impossible struggle” smile.
  13. Yim mai awk: The “I’m trying to smile, but can’t” smile.

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2 hours ago, Goat said:

Agree with that one. Thai Muslim villages are not smiley like other places. 

Probably even moreso right now. No food or drink during the hot days. Probably very thirsty. Plus waking up at 4am to eat doesnt put them in a particulary cheerful mood.

Ah you mean because it's Ramadan? A very tough call that one. 

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