Odd behavior at a theater.

[Somjot]

3 hours ago, Felton Jarvis said:

I recently attended a movie at a local theater, here in Pattaya and noticed that during the King’s Anthem, many remained seated.  I was under the impression that this was legally actionable. From what I could tell, those who remained seated were both young and Thai. One guy actually smirked at me as I stood. I have never seen this before. If I am going to have to go to jail, it will damn sure be over something other than failing to stand for the anthem. I try to obey local laws wherever I am.  Any input on this would be welcome.

I haven't been to the movies in Thailand since Star Wars VII was released which was something around 2015 and I remember very well that everybody stood up.

 

A few years before that there was an incident reported by the media: a group of 4 to 5 young Thai people in their early 20s refused to stand up, which caused a lot of people swearing at them, threatening to call the police, which finally happened.

 

The young men argued that this was only tradition and not a law, so they did not break any, which was later actually confirmed by the officials and as far as I remember no one went to prison.

 

That led to many discussions in the media with some groups even demanding to make it an official law.

 

Another incident I remember, which happened years before that and in which I was involved, happened in Pattaya.

 

Everybody stood up except one elderly guy who was sitting at the end of the row of seats. It didn't take long, and people started swearing at him. He tried to say something, but it was too loud to understand him and the first popcorn flew in his direction followed shortly after by food rests other kinds of garbage.

 

Lucky as I usually am, I was sitting just two rows behind that guy and remembered very well the difficulties he had to get out of his wheelchair which he afterwards folded and had put next to him.

 

At that time, I was in my late 30s or early 40s and hitting the gym 4 to 5 times a week, 6 foot tall and 105 kilos of body weight.

 

I had been learning to speak, read and write Thai for quite some time, considered myself good at it, and was going to stand up to tell the angry crowd to stop, as the man came here with a wheelchair and is not able to stand up, but no matter how intense I thought, I could not recall the bloody word for “wheelchair”.

 

Then something hard hit my head and seconds later melted vanilla ice cream ran down my face.

 

Germans have this saying: “Leichte Schläge auf den Hinterkopf erhöhen das Denkvermögen" which could be translated ("soft blows to the back of your head will increase your intelligence" although there is no equivalent in English.

 

In Navy CIS, Gibbs did this so many times to Dinozzo, every time he said something stupid, that it is widely known as the Gibbs slap.

 

However, I can confirm that the German saying is not true.

 

Not only couldn't I remember the Thai word for wheelchair, suddenly I couldn't remember any word in Thai and all I felt was anger and rage.

 

I stood up while tiny rivulets of vanilla ice-cream crawled their way down my now red face.

 

I lifted the old guy´s wheelchair up and screamed at the crowd: “wheelchair! wheelchair you morons! The next guy, who throws something at me, will get this wheelchair up his ass. You understand? Wheelchair up your ass!”

 

Everybody, except me, immediately calmed down and their faces looked embarrassed, as they had thought they were defending the honour of the most respected person but all they did, was to wrong an elderly guy, who most likely would have stood up, if he only could.

 

Seconds later the disabled guy whispered to me: “Thank you. But please not do that with my wheelchair. I need for go back home.”

 

That day I learned one thing:

 

The Thai word for wheelchair is actually wheelchair, although it is pronounced like “Weed share”. 

 

Edited October 16, 2023 by Somjot

[Denim]

It's been a long time since a new movie came out that I wanted to see so can't remember last time I went. In fact , I don't even watch television anymore . Prefer reading these days.

[Somjot]

8 minutes ago, kwak250 said:

Careful there!

For the forum's sake, somebody cancel that post, you cited.

Edited October 16, 2023 by Somjot

[connda]

3 hours ago, nikmar said:

My family have stopped going together to the cinema for a while now, ever since my son started gaining his own opinions on a subject. Last movie we saw as a family was “Creed 2” I think. During the “anthem” my son, along with about 80% of the cinema didn’t stand but my wife, a staunch royalist, did. It wasn’t pretty. All through the movie my wife snapped at our son who, unwisely, argued back to his Mum. We had to leave in the end.

Now, I watch a movie with my son, we both don’t stand. I go with my wife, we watched “Oppenhiemer” recently, I stand with her. Just to keep her company ????.

 

Its not illegal. Some time ago, Prayut advised young Thais to be brave against their peers and stand in support of the institution, even if they are bullied for it.

 

I'm not sure if my wife would stand now or not.  She was deeply committed and respectful to Rama 9 and Rama 5.  Now?  ???? "Hummmmm." 
We haven been to a movie since before the death of King Bhumiphol and considering that I can't stand movie theaters, we may never find out. 

[mrwebb8825]

4 hours ago, clokwise said:

This is a touchy subject to address publicly, I hope you catch my drift. Let's just say for the last four years many Thais have chosen to no longer honor the tradition of standing when they hear a certain song. Don't worry, no one is gonna haul you out of the cinema and off to jail.

This ^^ except the "tradition" was out of a deep love and respect that didn't get passed along

4 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

Protesting for chickensh*ts.

 

It's like taking a knee at a ballgame.  

Not even close - Taking a knee at a ballgame is disrespecting the country as a whole because someone's great granny didn't get "40 acres and a mule". I say, give 'em all 40 acres and a mule and cutoff the welfare checks. They can start with all the national parks in CA. That's 6,240,000 acres - much cheaper than the $103 Billion paid per year just in CA.

Bet they'd start getting down on both knees begging to have it reversed. Even better, they (the overnight millionaires taking a knee) could just share their combined yearly take of $43 Billion income (again, just in CA for relevance) with all those they're protesting for but you won't see THAT happening either.

Edited October 16, 2023 by mrwebb8825

[PJ71]

i'm surprised cinema's still exist worldwide tbh with the availability of downloads etc.

 

a cinema and a theatre are completely different btw - just sayin.

[Oink]

standing is all about respect

[Somjot]

54 minutes ago, connda said:

I'm not sure if my wife would stand now or not.  She was deeply committed and respectful to Rama 9 and Rama 5.  Now?  ???? "Hummmmm." 

Rama V passed 1910!!

 

Jesus, how old is your wife??

????

[Somjot]

14 minutes ago, PJ71 said:

i'm surprised cinema's still exist worldwide tbh with the availability of downloads etc.

 

a cinema and a theatre are completely different btw - just sayin.

The cinemas themselves were surprised in the early 80s when the first video tapes came on the market, as they were sure their business has come to an end.

 

At that time, we had VHS, Beta and video 2000; only the first survived.

 

However, the reason for cinemas still being there is quite simple:

 

no matter how big your screen is and how sharp the image, there is nothing like this cinema experience where you`re basically sitting in the middle of the action together with many others and just forget the world around yourself.

[PJ71]

5 minutes ago, Somjot said:

The cinemas themselves were surprised in the early 80s when the first video tapes came on the market, as they were sure their business has come to an end.

 

At that time, we had VHS, Beta and video 2000; only the first survived.

 

However, the reason for cinemas still being there is quite simple:

 

no matter how big your screen is and how sharp the image, there is nothing like this cinema experience where you`re basically sitting in the middle of the action together with many others and just forget the world around yourself.

Does not appeal to me and many i know, i much prefer to sit in my house and watch on the telly, no other people, no travelling to and from cinema and no cost.

 

To each their own i guess.

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, mrwebb8825 said:

This ^^ except the "tradition" was out of a deep love and respect that didn't get passed along

Not even close - Taking a knee at a ballgame is disrespecting the country as a whole because someone's great granny didn't get "40 acres and a mule". I say, give 'em all 40 acres and a mule and cutoff the welfare checks. They can start with all the national parks in CA. That's 6,240,000 acres - much cheaper than the $103 Billion paid per year just in CA.

Bet they'd start getting down on both knees begging to have it reversed. Even better, they (the overnight millionaires taking a knee) could just share their combined yearly take of $43 Billion income (again, just in CA for relevance) with all those they're protesting for but you won't see THAT happening either.

Racist much?

[Jingthing]

33 minutes ago, Oink said:

standing is all about respect

I say respect what the Thais are doing or not doing. 

 

Next

 

...

[Jingthing]

2 hours ago, Denim said:

It's been a long time since a new movie came out that I wanted to see so can't remember last time I went. In fact , I don't even watch television anymore . Prefer reading these days.

Weirdo!

[Somjot]

3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Weirdo!

I´d rather say retiree.

 

Don`t worry. You`ll get there. It`s inevitable.

[metisdead]

Some posts contravening our Community Standards have been removed:

• Always respect His Majesty the King of Thailand and the Thai royal family

[Denim]

9 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Weirdo!

Why. I'm that old that hardly any movie I have seen has a new plot. Seen it all before. Also, a lot of movies are made to appeal to the generation with a lot of disposable income , no mortage or children etc. So they mostly appear to younger rather than older people. Hence, a lot of gratuitous violence and excessive bad language. Last  good movies I can remember watching were Sideways , Missisipi burning and the Great Kowalski. 

 

The world would be a boring place if everyone enjoyed the same things and had the same taste.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 16, 2023 by Denim

[Jingthing]

11 minutes ago, Denim said:

Why. I'm that old that hardly any movie I have seen has a new plot. Seen it all before. Also, a lot of movies are made to appeal to the generation with a lot of disposable income , no mortage or children etc. So they mostly appear to younger rather than older people. Hence, a lot of gratuitous violence and excessive bad language. Last  good movies I can remember watching were Sideways , Missisipi burning and the Great Kowalski. 

 

The world would be a boring place if everyone enjoyed the same things and had the same taste.

 

 

 

 

 

I was just joking around.

More about not watching TV.

That is unusual.

[Denim]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

I was just joking around.

More about not watching TV.

That is unusual.

I watch the news and thats about it. If I don't feel like reading then youtube is my go to entertainment. This I can do in my man cave leaving the wife to watch her Korean or Chinese soaps. Dreadful things.

[jacko45k]

14 hours ago, Will B Good said:

Wow.....long time since I sat in a theatre.......10 years?.....but everyone almost jumped to attention at that time.

Yeah, me too. 

[Jelli]

14 hours ago, Jingthing said:

This shouldn't be any surprise to anyone at all that has spoken to a few Thai people that are willing to talk in the last decade. Of course understandably Thai people don't usually want to talk about such things with f-rangs.

Nor should they. What the the benefit? Nothing. What is the cost? Depending on what's said can be absrdly serious

[Jingthing]

7 minutes ago, Jelli said:

Nor should they. What the the benefit? Nothing. What is the cost? Depending on what's said can be absrdly serious

Not saying they should!

[brewsterbudgen]

13 hours ago, Oink said:

standing is all about respect

I guess so.  Before 2017, I would always stand out of respect to the Thais in the cinema.  Now, I remain seated for the same reason!

[EVENKEEL]

We all do things here in LOS to get along because the positives outweigh the negatives. Standing for 2 minutes doesn't seem out of line or difficult.

[proton]

8 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

We all do things here in LOS to get along because the positives outweigh the negatives. Standing for 2 minutes doesn't seem out of line or difficult.

But it's not necessary, would you stand if you were the only person there doing it thinking you were doing something positive?

[Wuvu2]

I'm disappointed. From the title I was expecting a story about politicians groping each other ????

[brewsterbudgen]

19 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

We all do things here in LOS to get along because the positives outweigh the negatives. Standing for 2 minutes doesn't seem out of line or difficult.

What's the point if no one else is doing it?

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, EVENKEEL said:

We all do things here in LOS to get along because the positives outweigh the negatives. Standing for 2 minutes doesn't seem out of line or difficult.

Sure if that's what Thaus are doing. 

If they aren't it's easy to stay seated too!

 

[Felton Jarvis]

2 hours ago, Wuvu2 said:

I'm disappointed. From the title I was expecting a story about politicians groping each other ????

Wuvu2 wins the Internet.  I laughed like a hyena.  ????

[billd766]

16 hours ago, Oink said:

standing is all about respect

Respect is earned, and not to simply be assumed or demanded, as it seems to be here in Thailand. Also it should never be assumed simply because of your name or wealth.

[KhunBENQ]

When did you last hear the anthem at 6 PM and people "freezing"?