Thailand is no longer the Land of smiles.

[StayinThailand2much]

1 hour ago, jaywalker2 said:

It's not just a Thai phenomenon. Depression and anxiety are rising all over the world. Birth rates are plunging, young people aren't having sex, anti-depressants are commonly used. At the moment, the world is not a happy place.

Sad, but my impression too.

[aussienam]

My subjective general observation based on my experience coming to Thailand over 20 years.  I am a mere snippet of much broader opinions that could greatly vary from my own. 

I've mostly stayed in areas considered tourist zones.  I have noticed a decline of perceived happiness amongst locals, yes what seems less happiness, less friendliness. 

I am throwing a guess that post-COVID people have been given a really hard reality check.  Inflation, cost of living pressures occurring right now can't be helping. 

 

I observe a change in the younger generation of people if we are talking about interactions with them too.  I make a guess that social media has had a lot to do with a generational change of attitude, an erosion of traditional culture.  Most are engrossed in their mobile phones, necks craned over, absorbed in the social media platforms where they desperately seek endorphin rushes from people commenting on how beautiful,  clever, wonderful (etc) they are, love hearts, emojis, taking selfies - vanity and narcissism has skyrocketed.  I am sure a new condition needs to be added to the DSM manual of psychiatric disorders.

 

And I see it especially the young Thai pretties. A huge amount of the time at the gym they are staring at themselves in the mirror, posing and taking photos.  Completely in love with themselves.  Even the out-of shape ones, as they get influxes of vanity fuelling comments on chat apps, Tik Tok etc. Delusional. 

 

The smiles from these women have turned into the familiar scowls and snarls I thought familiar in the West.  I am not a perv and don't flirt with them either (plenty of dumb old blokes still try it on them though with their badly dyed hair rinses and ridiculous swagger 555). Social media access means online financial sponsors (dumb fools) easier and less need to interact personally with foreigners. Less need to put on a fake smile for a farang. 

 

I don't really care personally (except when they hog gym equipment and waste time on their phones), just my observation. Others obviously have different opinions and experiences. 

 

But then I also interact with some friendly folk, familiar street cart food sellers, and some other locals I know. But overall, a decline in smiles/happiness - it seems.  

[BE88]

Strange but where do you all live?

 

I must be in the wrong place in Thailand because I don't see any smiles because everyone is wearing a mask.

[ChipButty]

Never had a problem infact I always tell our guest you smile they smile, In the soi we live everybody always speaks Morning Papa, even the workers on a site near me always stop to say hello, 

Them sour faced Russians you are not getting a smile out of them, 

[BangkokReady]

37 minutes ago, aussienam said:

I am throwing a guess that post-COVID people have been given a really hard reality check.  Inflation, cost of living pressures occurring right now can't be helping. 

I think the covid border closure was a pretty rude awakening.  Some Thais (and many foreigners) have often claimed that Thailand doesn't actually need foreigners, that it could close the borders and be completely self-sufficient, and so on.  The suspension of international tourism and the associated effect on the Thai economy has pretty much shattered this illusion, and I think that's a very bitter pill to swallow for some.

 

That being said, I do think that Thai people are actually starting to get a little happier now.  I've been going maskless a lot lately outdoors and while previously they often seemed scared even while I had my mask on, they seem a little more cheerful when I am maskless.

[ChipButty]

10 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

Thailand doesn't actually need foreigners,

I think during covid it mad many of them realise they cant do without us, I know many locals who suffered, some builders I knew had to go back to Nakorn Nowhere because the farangs had gone home, 

[BangkokReady]

4 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

I think during covid it mad many of them realise they cant do without us, I know many locals who suffered, some builders I knew had to go back to Nakorn Nowhere because the farangs had gone home, 

Exactly.  And for a people raised very much on nationalism and "Thai Supremacy", I think it's left a bad taste in some people's mouths.  Unfortunately, when faced with accepting the truth or projecting the anger onto another, most choose the latter.

 

I think that it won't take long to get back to normal though.  Thai people have short memories.  Some people claimed the whole "fight for democracy" thing was a watershed moment and Thais had changed for good, but that seems mostly forgotten now.

[earlinclaifornia]

I do not notice Thai's having any lack of smiles where I exercise, maskless each morning. Most of them project a friendly sort of community grounding. I look forward and appreciate.

[Moonlover]

'Smile and the whole world smiles with you'.

 

You're obviously a very sad individual Bob Smith.

[Furioso]

Also during Covid they may have suffered financially but their workload was drastically decreased. Once Covid restrictions ended the country was invaded by millions of tourists.

 

Going from virtually zero work to 10x more work is very unpleasant, even for the Thai's. 

[Kwasaki]

36 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

Exactly.  And for a people raised very much on nationalism and "Thai Supremacy", I think it's left a bad taste in some people's mouths.  Unfortunately, when faced with accepting the truth or projecting the anger onto another, most choose the latter.

 

I think that it won't take long to get back to normal though.  Thai people have short memories.  Some people claimed the whole "fight for democracy" thing was a watershed moment and Thais had changed for good, but that seems mostly forgotten now.

Buy democracy is wonderful to have look at the UK. ????

[proton]

3 hours ago, jesimps said:

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.

Just got in from an hour and a half in Krungsri bank getting the app to work on new phone, last time it was over 2 hours. Lots of confusion, 8 forms to sign which had to be re done for some reason and a big problem as they had an old passport number on the system, went on and on about that. No smiles, strangely enough my PW did not work and they insisted I forgot it. Then 45 mins in AIS trying to get an internet problem sorted, blamed on the bloke who saw me last time, no smiles there either. ☺️

[proton]

5 hours 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.

Had passport thrown, no shouts, apart from people complaining once in 2019 at luggage collection when it took 2..5 hours for the bags to appear. 

[Stocky]

1 hour ago, BE88 said:

Strange but where do you all live?

 

I must be in the wrong place in Thailand because I don't see any smiles because everyone is wearing a mask.

Hat Yai mask wearing has dropped to about 2 thirds out and about, whilst most people still do in shops, banks, malls etc. However, you can see from someone's eyes when they smile.

[OneMoreFarang]

6 hours ago, bob smith said:

I see it everywhere I go. nobody is smiling.

Maybe they were all smiling before you arrived. 

[LaosLover]

Muslim-wise, pop down to Malaysia.

 

I'm dodging Chiang Mai smoke in Kuala Lumpur. These are the happiest, most helpful Asian people I have ever encountered. Would live her, but no weed and no sanuk.

 

I live in the Nimman section of Chiang Mai, prob as touristic as Suk Road or Phuket. It's like land of smiles meets valium. No complaints.

[NoshowJones]

7 hours ago, persimmon said:

I always admire the Thai ability to keep smiling despite adversity . We have a lady who works for us , still laughing and joking with the gf , even after a full day in the baking heat ( 39 degrees here ) .

Sometimes I watch Thai Rat News Show where the police re-enact a crime with the culprit , both parties seem cheerful , despite the crim facing a long stretch behind bars .

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 . 

So , the Thai smile , can be so deceptive ...

A Thai fighting one on one????

[Tropposurfer]

8 hours ago, biervoormij said:

I smile a lot in Thailand and find most of the time I get a smile in return.

Me too

 

[cmjl]

If you are pleasant and smile at people they will generally smile back.

 

I flew into Bkk,handed my passport to the lady IO,did all the security things I was asked to do and,with a big smile on her face as she then handed me back my passport wished me a Happy Birthday - LOS

[NorthernRyland]

8 hours ago, bob smith said:

I see it everywhere I go. nobody is smiling. Nobody seems happy.

What did you expect in Maskland? I have barely seen a face in 3 years now let alone any smiles.

[Tropposurfer]

I lived as a child, teen near Manly Beach in Sydney. The place was awash with Aussie and foreign tourists so I can understand the local folks becoming jaded and cynical and cranky.

Thank the gods for icy cold schooners of Tooheys New and cheap gunja back then lol ???? Took the edge of everything just nicely.

 

On the island I am now settling in as a long term retiree quite nicely and find myself avoiding the tourists as much as possible. Especially the large portly Eastern Europeans who shall not be named, overflowing in grotesque lardish ways from their way too small bikinis and Speedos hahaha ????

 

How is it my dear compadres that these folks don't seem to see that walking into a bank with your entire lunch showing isn't appreciated and way uncool?

 

Maybe I recoil to the uncluttered uncrowded quiet simply because I'm past 60 and am moving inexorably towards the abyss of becoming a grumpy old men as inexorably as cosmic matter is drawn into the event horizon of the black hole, or maybe its because I'm seeing the same crappy tourist attitudes and am once again recoiling from same.

Is it that the time? Oh my the sun gas been down for an hour already and way past my bedtime ! Time for my milk of magnesia and off to bed hahaha ???? 

[simola]

To be fair you can’t see most Thai peoples faces as they’re all covered with masks. 

[HuskerDo2]

"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.

Corruption, pollution, rising prices, lack of opportunity/career growth, no decent healthcare, crippling household debt, being led by a dictator turned politician".......

 

This is how you see things yet choose to stay there? Baffling!

[rose33]

7 hours ago, markclover said:

Yes, it starts at the airport with the disgusting treatment of arrivals.  If you're not being followed around you are being screamed at by immigration staff.  I've had my passport literally thrown at me more than one time.  Heaven forbid if you ask the staff for help.  They will scream at you and go back to chatting with their friends.  One of the worst airports I have passed through.  Certainly not a land of smiles,

+1

Went thru immigration line last week in Chiang Mai. Unfortunately, the IO was really rude and screamy. Having come from Australia and Taiwan where everyone is so nice (although in different ways)... It was a total shock to the system. I can't comprehend why you'd welcome a tourist to your country in that way. They make it so obvious that they think we are cockroaches. This will be my last time in Thailand. 

[The Theory]

8 hours ago, VinnieK said:

I'm in the deep south.

The only place I ever lived in TH.

Smiles are rare.

If you do smile first, they will reciprocate.

The only outwardly friendly ppl here are kids.. some of them. ????

Perhaps because they have never seen you in "masjid" ????????

[Kwasaki]

3 minutes ago, rose33 said:

+1

Went thru immigration line last week in Chiang Mai. Unfortunately, the IO was really rude and screamy. Having come from Australia and Taiwan where everyone is so nice (although in different ways)... It was a total shock to the system. I can't comprehend why you'd welcome a tourist to your country in that way. They make it so obvious that they think we are cockroaches. This will be my last time in Thailand. 

Well if you think that don't come, simple.

[rose33]

Just now, Kwasaki said:

Well if you think that don't come, simple.

Indeed ! ????

[JimTripper]

 

8 hours ago, Don Chance said:

Try India or Nepal.

 

8 hours ago, bob smith said:

what for?

not sure what the op is complaining about. We have just been through a worldwide pandemic, now global economy is in trouble, and they expect everyone to be cheery and smile everywhere. Get real.

 

To get an idea what it feels like to not be smiled at. ☹️

[persimmon]

I`ve come to the conclusion that the more foreigners a Thai has to deal with , the less friendly they become . Thais instinctively know how to act and show respect , contrast this with some ( not all ) foreigners who , for whatever reason ( cultural ? ) behave in a rude and aggressive way - spoils it for the rest of us .

[Mac Mickmanus]

The so called smiles were not real smiles anyway .

A Thai smile could mean "You've annoyed me and I am about to throw this bottle of Chang at you" , whilst smiling at you