Why do people on here call Thailand the land of smiles?

[OneMoreFarang]

32 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

IMO won't be many smiles for the first one by any hetero farang that gets her bikini bottom off.

I think it's always amazing how many people see something suspicious when there is nothing suspicious. 

[bignok]

5 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I think it's always amazing how many people see something suspicious when there is nothing suspicious. 

Maybe they want a sausage

[puck2]

LOS? Many members don't want to confirm it. I guess it depends on where you are living and on yourself.

 

Our village is a VOS = Village of smiles, one of many reasons I feel so well here in the remote North.

 

When I go down to the village all the people - Lisus, teachers, people from shops and the young children  etc. on my way down or upwards ever answer with a real smiling, seeing each other.

 

Even the dogs smile at me, when I return from the foodstalls in the village. I recognise their smiling when they wag their tails.

Edited October 1, 2023 by puck2

[Reginald Prewster]

3 hours ago, marin said:

• Yim thang nam taa: The “I’m so happy I’m crying” smile.
• Yim thak thaai: The “polite” smile for someone you barely know.
• Yim cheun chom: The “I admire you” or “I’m proud of you” smile.
• Fuen Yim: The stiff smile, also known as the “I should laugh at the joke even though it’s not funny” smile.
• Yim mee lessanai: The smile which masks something wicked, such as bad intent.

Actually I have never combined this with the slogan but it is somehow a good fit...

 

But to be honest:

Yim mee lessanai:  Is the most common one in Pattaya and as I moved to Isaan another smile came up.

"I didn't understand a fecking word what you said (Lets laugh this comminication knot away)"

but it is one of the most honest ones... 

But has not every country is own "LOL" = in Thai 5555555 = in spanish jajajajajajaja.....

[Bangkok Barry]

3 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Thai's are crap at giving directions, dont ask better

They'll tell you how to get there though, even if it's in the opposite direction, so they don't lose face. They translate that to trying to be helpful anyway. A Thai will never tell you they don't know something.

[novacova]

1 hour ago, freeworld said:

Think your outlook on Thais has become jaded. Most Thais dont think like that.

 

Anyway one would not find anywhere else in the world a unique friendly welcoming people, country and culture accepting and adapting to many different foreigners interacting with them.

+1…I think many come here for the wrong reasons carrying presumptions and explanations. What one exudes is reciprocated, no different than anywhere else in the world. 

[ravip]

Another opinion...

 

The nickname was first dubbed in a promotional sense, hoping to lure visitors in with its promise of white sand beaches, affordable travel costs, and the extreme hospitality of the locals. This, in a sense, is all very realistic. The coastlines of Southern Thailand are some of the most stunning in the world. The cost of accommodation and food remain extremely low in comparison to Western countries and even those surrounding the Land of Smiles. Last but not least, the locals are, for the most part, helpful, courteous, and kind.

 

Full article

[Mavideol]

4 hours ago, bignok said:

Ive never heard anyone in person say that.

smooth as silk used by Thai airways... flew with them many times but never had a "" smooth as silk "" flight

[ravip]

40 minutes ago, novacova said:

+1…I think many come here for the wrong reasons carrying presumptions and explanations. What one exudes is reciprocated, no different than anywhere else in the world. 

Agree 100%

What one exudes is reciprocated - how many would understand this?

Many people think the locals are obliged to 'serve' them.

No, arrogance will beget arrogance, throwing money will attract fake characters.

 

Edit

Many here are accusing all the Thais about 'Face saving' issues - has anyone noticed the reasons for many arguments and calling names here in the forum?

Edited October 1, 2023 by ravip

[bignok]

21 minutes ago, ravip said:

Agree 100%

What one exudes is reciprocated - how many would understand this?

Many people think the locals are obliged to 'serve' them.

No, arrogance will beget arrogance, throwing money will attract fake characters.

 

Edit

Many here are accusing all the Thais about 'Face saving' issues - has anyone noticed the reasons for many arguments and calling names here in the forum?

If too friendly they think you are into them

[novacova]

35 minutes ago, bignok said:

If too friendly they think you are into them

“They” who are they? Those that one differentiates themselves from?

[fredwiggy]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Because it is, compared to back in the US. Thais are very intuitive. They sense your mood and are receptive to your demeanor. Usually, when I display light heartedness, humor, a nice smile, and a pleasant attitude, I get that back big time. And I find that invigorating. Especially from very cute, young waitresses! 

 

Not the case in the US. Service staff are heavy hearted, and most do not even detect that you are joking around, that is how seriously they are taking themselves. And few smile back. The US these days is like the new Moscow. Well, that is an exaggeration.

 

Not here. Not at all. 

Never had a problem getting a smile back from people in the US, 62 years there, and last year visiting. In NYC it seems many are cold, but if you get to know them, along with others nationwide, they open up. Here, those 13 smiles, which means nothing as you can't tell the difference anyway, can be real or fake. When I first came here, it seemed everyone smiled at me, especially the young girls who already had some interaction with farangs. The ones that didn't, the good girls, won't look long and won't smile as they are protecting themselves. If you started a conversation, they will open a little , but remain guarded.                                                                                       Now, that I've been here, seen a lot, and heard more of the same, most don't smile back and a lot give you a look of disdain. Much of it comes from the lies they have been told, that all of us are rich. It takes a lot of teaching them before they start to realize that most westerners are living month to month, are heavily in debt, lose their houses and cars daily, don't have much in savings,  and thousands are homeless. I have seen this to this day, as my girlfriend is only starting to understand what really goes on worldwide, but her family and others she works with, all adults in their 40's to 60's, still think we are all rich.                       Relationships here falter because of prejudiced and wrong thinking. Greed and unrealistic expectations. Thinking brought on by one or two well off farangs, who give their very young wives a lot of money, which they parade around and show off to their "friends", friends who in reality are jealous and hate them for having more than they do. This thinking has the rest of them looking west for a husband, thinking, in reality true, that they will have a better life with a farang. Many of them have already had children with cheating, abusive, neglectful or absent husbands or boyfriends, and want better, not understanding that many farangs are as bad as their local men. But it's a fantasy that has come true for many of them. Some of which has taken that extra money for granted and cheated on their husbands when they returned to their native country for work. Some of them think they deserve more because they are young and , for now, attractive. This, after they wasted their earlier days having babies with boys who had no intention of staying. This brings on bitterness and those feelings of , "I deserve more".  Smiles have lessened over the time I've been here, and I'm sure many can attest to this happening that have been here longer.                                                                                      In reality, if you took away the possibility of westerners having younger Thai women , meaning more independence and less naivete of local women, better wages and more money for their work, had prostitution made illegal, and enforced, Thai men being more responsible and held responsible for the kids they make,  you would have a country of women who would favor their own, and would only marry for love. That would show how many would smile at you from attraction and kindness, and not to see what they could gain knowing you. Like the western women do when they smile back. I'm not including the greedy back home , because they are everywhere and not just here. But back home, women gravitate towards old men mainly because of either money or power, but they aren't the good women but the users.                                                                                                                              

[ravip]

2 hours ago, bignok said:

If too friendly they think you are into them

It all depends on the people you associate with. 

I have never experienced what you say, util now, and I hope I never will. 

I always am myself with every one - if I don't like,  I avoid that person. I guess it's the same with the other person. 

[sidjameson]

16 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Let me know if you need more reasons. ???? 

The most truthful part of this pic is the old guy looking miserable or even asleep in the background.

The few times I've been in these places it's so easy to see thru the plastic smiles and see lost broken people.

Just my limited experience though.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

19 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I think it's always amazing how many people see something suspicious when there is nothing suspicious. 

Not suspicious at all. I've seen enough of them to have a pretty good idea when I see one.

Doesn't bother me if they are- just saying it might be a surprise for the unwary.

[bignok]

Just now, thaibeachlovers said:

Not suspicious at all. I've seen enough of them to have a pretty good idea when I see one.

Doesn't bother me if they are- just saying it might be a surprise for the unwary.

Thin hands and arms. Ladyboys have thick ones normally

[thaibeachlovers]

 

 

3 hours ago, sidjameson said:

The most truthful part of this pic is the old guy looking miserable or even asleep in the background.

The few times I've been in these places it's so easy to see thru the plastic smiles and see lost broken people.

Just my limited experience though.

I guess we see what we want to see. You go to a gogo ( or do you just look at photos? ) and see lost broken people. I see the same photo and see ordinary people doing a job that they may or may not enjoy. I don't see "broken" people.

 

I went with many and none of them could be described as "broken". Most were very nice people and most were just doing it to earn a bit of money before moving on to another occupation. My first Thai "GF" did it for 6 years and then left to go to college. She ended up marrying a rich guy. Not bad for a poor girl from Buriram.

[2baht]

20 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

It really was "the land of smiles" but that was long ago,

Bangkok was known as The City of Angels......I guess that has changed too!

[steven100]

land of fake everything including smiles. I'd call it something else but swearing isn't allowed here.

[2baht]

22 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Thai's are crap at giving directions, dont ask better

Don't you know where nooooooooon  is???

[fredwiggy]

20 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

 

 

I guess we see what we want to see. You go to a gogo ( or do you just look at photos? ) and see lost broken people. I see the same photo and see ordinary people doing a job that they may or may not enjoy. I don't see "broken" people.

 

I went with many and none of them could be described as "broken". Most were very nice people and most were just doing it to earn a bit of money before moving on to another occupation. My first Thai "GF" did it for 6 years and then left to go to college. She ended up marrying a rich guy. Not bad for a poor girl from Buriram.

Anyone who sells their body for money is broken. Their thinking is wired differently than a normal woman who has sex for love, security and being a partner. A transaction isn't love. They might end up with a rich man who wants a girl that's been with a hundred, or maybe way more guys. A girl that dances in a gogo with a bikini on and never goes for paid sex, and has a boyfriend is a different matter entirely. When someone has paid sex with  many men, then gets married, do you think she looks at him as anything but a permanent john? You don't live with anyone besides yourself,and maybe a wife and kids, and don't know what goes on in those homes. If you take sex out of the picture, what does that leave you? Sex doesn't last forever,and when people get older, what has them stay is companionship. Maybe in time some can adjust to that, but maybe when the man isn't interested in sex any more, he starts looking at that woman as just what she was before, someone he paid for sex that never was a wife and companion, but only there for his cash. Or sometimes that woman gets older, and the man wants a younger body, so she gets tossed out like the trash.

[Middle Aged Grouch]

They call it LoS because they smile when they are able to cheat the naive farang.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, fredwiggy said:

Anyone who sells their body for money is broken. Their thinking is wired differently than a normal woman who has sex for love, security and being a partner. A transaction isn't love. They might end up with a rich man who wants a girl that's been with a hundred, or maybe way more guys. A girl that dances in a gogo with a bikini on and never goes for paid sex, and has a boyfriend is a different matter entirely. When someone has paid sex with  many men, then gets married, do you think she looks at him as anything but a permanent john? You don't live with anyone besides yourself,and maybe a wife and kids, and don't know what goes on in those homes. If you take sex out of the picture, what does that leave you? Sex doesn't last forever,and when people get older, what has them stay is companionship. Maybe in time some can adjust to that, but maybe when the man isn't interested in sex any more, he starts looking at that woman as just what she was before, someone he paid for sex that never was a wife and companion, but only there for his cash. Or sometimes that woman gets older, and the man wants a younger body, so she gets tossed out like the trash.

 

Sex is not the same as making love, sex is just sex.

 

It's entirely possible for someone to have sex for money ( what else are gold diggers doing if not exchanging sex for goods? ) and still fall in love.

 

Your view point IMO is too narrow and humans are not bound by such narrow boundaries. We are all different and while we may conform to some rules, we make our own way mentally. I have known prostitutes that were lovely human beings and women that never got paid for sex that were loathsome people.

 

BTW a vagina does not wear out no matter how many times it gets used.

[fredwiggy]

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

 

Sex is not the same as making love, sex is just sex.

 

It's entirely possible for someone to have sex for money ( what else are gold diggers doing if not exchanging sex for goods? ) and still fall in love.

 

Your view point IMO is too narrow and humans are not bound by such narrow boundaries. We are all different and while we may conform to some rules, we make our own way mentally. I have known prostitutes that were lovely human beings and women that never got paid for sex that were loathsome people.

 

BTW a vagina does not wear out no matter how many times it gets used.

This isn't an opinion but facts gained from reading about, listening to, trying to understand, and wanting to, know what makes a woman do what she does. I therefore don't have a narrow viewpoint but see things as they really are from experience and researching the subject for over 30 years.                                                                                                                                                     Many relationships fail because a woman has no father figure, and low self esteem from that. They go out into the world looking for that perfect man that doesn't exist, and some let themselves be used for attention, even if that means lowering yourself through a transaction. It's true that some hookers can be nice people, but why are they being nice? You have to understand a person's motives and wants before you understand why they do things.                                                                                                                Women who are loathsome people are usually damaged goods, bringing past hates to their relationships, especially with men. Look to their main male role model. If they had an absent or abusive, non loving dad, they will always have low self esteem and bring that into their relationships with men. Some might separate themselves from that past bad behavior and look for a man that's the opposite of their dad, wanting love for once in their lives. Many go the other way.                                                                                    As far as gold diggers, they are not normal either, so you can't bring them into the realm of normal women. Falling in "love" with someone because of what they have or can give you isn't love but another transaction, and many times when that money runs low, they run away. They will never be happy, because they don't look at men as a partner but as an ATM, which as many know here, isn't a good thing. I don't get what you're meaning from your last sentence, unless it means you can always have sex with a woman because they have a vagina. That doesn't mean they want to just because they have a female organ. Many women, especially here, get bored with sex when they get older. They had the kids, did their thing, and now sex is for the man if he needs it. In fact, many here go along with the sex just for the man anyway, because not ever having a partner that understood making love starts way before the actual act, and isn't just for him to get off, but a shared experience both should be happy about. Foreplay isn't on the agenda of men here as much as the act of sex itself. This I've been told by many women, here and back in the states. And also heard it from various forums, where men have stated the same thing. She just wants to get it over with. I'm talking about a normal relationship, not one where money can buy anything you ask for, which is fake anyway.

[bignok]

5 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

This isn't an opinion but facts gained from reading about, listening to, trying to understand, and wanting to, know what makes a woman do what she does. I therefore don't have a narrow viewpoint but see things as they really are from experience and researching the subject for over 30 years.                                                                                                                                                     Many relationships fail because a woman has no father figure, and low self esteem from that. They go out into the world looking for that perfect man that doesn't exist, and some let themselves be used for attention, even if that means lowering yourself through a transaction. It's true that some hookers can be nice people, but why are they being nice? You have to understand a person's motives and wants before you understand why they do things.                                                                                                                Women who are loathsome people are usually damaged goods, bringing past hates to their relationships, especially with men. Look to their main male role model. If they had an absent or abusive, non loving dad, they will always have low self esteem and bring that into their relationships with men. Some might separate themselves from that past bad behavior and look for a man that's the opposite of their dad, wanting love for once in their lives. Many go the other way.                                                                                    As far as gold diggers, they are not normal either, so you can't bring them into the realm of normal women. Falling in "love" with someone because of what they have or can give you isn't love but another transaction, and many times when that money runs low, they run away. They will never be happy, because they don't look at men as a partner but as an ATM, which as many know here, isn't a good thing. I don't get what you're meaning from your last sentence, unless it means you can always have sex with a woman because they have a vagina. That doesn't mean they want to just because they have a female organ. Many women, especially here, get bored with sex when they get older. They had the kids, did their thing, and now sex is for the man if he needs it. In fact, many here go along with the sex just for the man anyway, because not ever having a partner that understood making love starts way before the actual act, and isn't just for him to get off, but a shared experience both should be happy about. Foreplay isn't on the agenda of men here as much as the act of sex itself. This I've been told by many women, here and back in the states. And also heard it from various forums, where men have stated the same thing. She just wants to get it over with. I'm talking about a normal relationship, not one where money can buy anything you ask for, which is fake anyway.

You cannot speak for all people. Just your opinion not facts at all.

[thaibeachlovers]

Just now, fredwiggy said:

This isn't an opinion but facts gained from reading about, listening to, trying to understand, and wanting to, know what makes a woman do what she does. I therefore don't have a narrow viewpoint but see things as they really are from experience and researching the subject for over 30 years.                                                                                                                                                     Many relationships fail because a woman has no father figure, and low self esteem from that. They go out into the world looking for that perfect man that doesn't exist, and some let themselves be used for attention, even if that means lowering yourself through a transaction. It's true that some hookers can be nice people, but why are they being nice? You have to understand a person's motives and wants before you understand why they do things.                                                                                                                Women who are loathsome people are usually damaged goods, bringing past hates to their relationships, especially with men. Look to their main male role model. If they had an absent or abusive, non loving dad, they will always have low self esteem and bring that into their relationships with men. Some might separate themselves from that past bad behavior and look for a man that's the opposite of their dad, wanting love for once in their lives. Many go the other way.                                                                                    As far as gold diggers, they are not normal either, so you can't bring them into the realm of normal women. Falling in "love" with someone because of what they have or can give you isn't love but another transaction, and many times when that money runs low, they run away. They will never be happy, because they don't look at men as a partner but as an ATM, which as many know here, isn't a good thing. I don't get what you're meaning from your last sentence, unless it means you can always have sex with a woman because they have a vagina. That doesn't mean they want to just because they have a female organ. Many women, especially here, get bored with sex when they get older. They had the kids, did their thing, and now sex is for the man if he needs it. In fact, many here go along with the sex just for the man anyway, because not ever having a partner that understood making love starts way before the actual act, and isn't just for him to get off, but a shared experience both should be happy about. Foreplay isn't on the agenda of men here as much as the act of sex itself. This I've been told by many women, here and back in the states. And also heard it from various forums, where men have stated the same thing. She just wants to get it over with. I'm talking about a normal relationship, not one where money can buy anything you ask for, which is fake anyway.

 

I speak from my own actual real life experience in which prostitutes can be nicer than non prostitute women, and being paid to have sex is no worse than some of the jobs that I did. I also have over 30 years worth of actual real life experience of the world of prostitution.

If having non loving sex is a problem, just about every man on the planet probably has that problem, and any woman that had a shag after a night at the pub as well.

 

As far as gold diggers, they are not normal either, so you can't bring them into the realm of normal women. Falling in "love" with someone because of what they have or can give you isn't love but another transaction, and many times when that money runs low, they run away.

IMO almost every woman on the planet that has a say in her sexuality would be a gold digger to some extent or has transactional sex in exchange for a ring, house, children etc.

In my experience, for most "love" is just lust .

[bignok]

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

 

I speak from my own actual real life experience in which prostitutes can be nicer than non prostitute women, and being paid to have sex is no worse than some of the jobs that I did. I also have over 30 years worth of actual real life experience of the world of prostitution.

If having non loving sex is a problem, just about every man on the planet probably has that problem, and any woman that had a shag after a night at the pub as well.

 

As far as gold diggers, they are not normal either, so you can't bring them into the realm of normal women. Falling in "love" with someone because of what they have or can give you isn't love but another transaction, and many times when that money runs low, they run away.

IMO almost every woman on the planet that has a say in her sexuality would be a gold digger to some extent or has transactional sex in exchange for a ring, house, children etc.

In my experience, for most "love" is just lust .

Everyone over 60yo has over 40 years experience. Fred seems to think he's an expert on relationships yet he married a dud from Sisiket.

[thaibeachlovers]

12 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

I don't get what you're meaning from your last sentence, unless it means you can always have sex with a woman because they have a vagina.

The comment refers to the fact that even a prostitute can fall in love, get married and have a good life with a partner.

Doesn't matter how many men she has sex with, she can always make love if she chooses to. Having sex does not per se make anyone hard. IMO the prostitutes that fit your opinion are already damaged before they become prostitutes, and probably became prostitutes BECAUSE they were already damaged.

 

NB my discussion of prostitutes refers only to those working in the farang scene in Thailand, not forced drug addled whores that one might meet in such places as London.

[bignok]

All human beings are flawed. Find someone with 3 or 4 common interests. Best you can hope for.

[fredwiggy]

6 minutes ago, bignok said:

You cannot speak for all people. Just your opinion not facts at all.

An opinion is what you believe in your mind to be true. A fact is knowledge gained from years researching a particular subject. Research from those professionals that write books, and interview hundreds of thousands of couples and learned what helped them with problems. Some make statements garnered from that research and others might think it's an opinion. If you read 65 books on relationships, depression, narcissism, and raising children from known experts in the field, along with thousands of articles on the same thing, you gain knowledge in those subjects, just like those that go to college and learn from teachers.                                       Teachers are those people who read books, articles and listened to professional  teachers on subjects. Online use has helped many separate the facts from the bulls**t. Some things just work because they have been researched. You can't fly to the moon without researching everything you can about space flight, then applying that knowledge.                                                                                    You can't be a surgeon without reading and listening to other surgeons before you to understand what works. Human psychology is no different. All people do things for a reason. If they were raised in a bad environment from birth, they will be doing things that they think is normal, because that's what they saw growing up. If you're not a reader and researcher but someone who just takes what someone said as gospel because they were attractive to you, or it just sounded right at the time, you might be taking a person's opinion that knew very little about a subject, and thought it was true. When you research a subject, and see that many say the same things, that people act a certain way because of the way they were raised, then you can see them as facts and not just one person's opinion. It is what it is.                                                                                                                                                                                             You can argue the point just to argue, or you can do research on your own to find out the truth. You have proven here, to the observant, to argue just to get a response, although you might agree with what they said. Or you might not know about a particular subject, and argue it because it didn't fit in your world's views, which might be skewed.