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Thailand is no longer the Land of smiles.


bob smith

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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, 

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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.

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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. 

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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. ????

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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. ☺️

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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. 

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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.

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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.

Edited by LaosLover
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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????

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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" ????????

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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.

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