How do you react to Thais who do not respond to greetings?

[Neeranam]

56 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

 

Almost all Thais in any social situation outside of basic commerce like buying rice. In fact, Thais wai to all their acquaintances on first encounter for the day.

 

Whenever I go to my gym, all ther PT's there wai to me every time. Without fail. So much for beign bottom of the social rung. BS.

Farang are not bottom rung of social ladder. We don't get on it.

 

[transam]

4 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

I have that guy on ignore, can't remember why but probably sill posts like that.

I paid 5,500 baht to get my Thai ID. 

And invest 17,000,000 bht, wasn't it.............?  🤗

[spidermike007]

I don't think it's a matter of being rude, I think it just a cultural thing. For the most part Thais don't acknowledge strangers unless there's some sort of interaction beyond someone saying hello to them in an elevator. They tend to be a little bit on the shy side, I wouldn't read any more into it than that. 

 

Often times I will make eye contact and nod to a Thai stranger, and they will usually nod back or smile. I find them to be fairly friendly people. 

[Neeranam]

1 minute ago, ozimoron said:

 

Thais do it so I do too. No rationalization needed.

One a doctor waied me first. he had been my student and uni. 

Thais place importance on who wais first, as different langauge(pronouns) are used to higher and lower people.

[n00dle]

On 2/19/2024 at 11:49 PM, Mark Nothing said:

You have committed a social faux pas.  They interpret your cordial, pleasant greetings as offensive behavior.  You are not on the same pecking order as them, in their eyes and cultural hierachical rules, and you have no right to interact with them, as they are "superior". 

 

Far cry from the land of smiles facade isn't it?  Only the possibility of a payday will temporarily trump the thai hierachical rules which has ensnared so many.  Develop a thick skin.  I ignore them completely as if they don't exist and eventually they won't. 

I'm a cynical and sarcastic prick most days but, my man, you are just bitter and sad. 

I suppose it's all in the name tho innit?

[ozimoron]

1 minute ago, Neeranam said:

One a doctor waied me first. he had been my student and uni. 

Thais place importance on who wais first, as different langauge(pronouns) are used to higher and lower people.

 

I also notice another thing. If a Thai doesn't wai to me first they always do if I wai to them. Without fail.

 

I don't use "meung" when I talk to a doctor 🙂 Or anybody else for that matter.

[Neeranam]

Pronouns are very important. If you learn Thai, you can spot what Thais use to refer to farang if they think they can't hear or can't understand. 

I have often heard bar girl types use 'mun'(the pronoun 'it') when talking about their b/f and even husband!

 

[n00dle]

5 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

One a doctor waied me first. he had been my student and uni. 

Thais place importance on who wais first, as different langauge(pronouns) are used to higher and lower people.

 

Can always count on you to be the most Thai fellow in the room.

[Liverpool Lou]

30 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

56 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

For the benefit of the rest of us, could you enlarge on that assertion?

I have that guy on ignore, can't remember why but probably sill posts like that.

I paid 5,500 baht to get my Thai ID. 

There must have been more to it than just buying a legitimate Thai ID card for B5,500 or we'd all be doing it!

[JimTripper]

1 hour ago, BigStar said:

Depends on how you say it. Quickly, with a perfunctory businesslike tone, doesn't signal further interest. I usually get the same back or nothing, as it's clear I don't expect any response. I think it helps always to give a pleasant sawadee krub at the beginning of any business transaction, even at supermarket checkout.  

 

The OP may expect further discussion, however, and that might be part of his problem. Ordinarily, there's no reason to imply or expect that.

On 2/20/2024 at 5:34 AM, scubascuba3 said:

they would ignore you and keep walking 

 

I think the Op is misinterpreting the silence or avoidance as a negative, when it's just disinterest. I just interpret it as disinterest.

 

You never want to put off people however, especially if you're not interested or don't want further interaction.

 

You are spot on then. The best thing to do is the common courtesy greeting and then walk if you don't want to take it further. Subsequent silence is not viewed negatively because the initial greeting was offered.

 

That's probably my problem with the lobby staff/security. They don't get that greeting every time, misinterpret it as hostile or at least abnormal, then stare and act weird. If they get the hello each time it diffuses the interaction so there is no tension there. It's easier to just do the greeting then to worry about the staring.

[Neeranam]

4 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

There must have been more to it than just buying a legitimate Thai ID card for B5,500 or we'd all be doing it!

Of course, there are other things needed like passing a Thai culture test. I was just saying that as someone said I bought it, this is the fee. 

[Neeranam]

Many farang in Thailand have a need to be loved. I'm really surprised there is not Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous meetings in places like Pattaya.

[ravip]

On 2/19/2024 at 9:17 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

I don't think this is especially a Thai thing.

In my condominium building are many nationalities from all over the world. Some say hello, some not, some like to chat, some pretend another person doesn't exist. And it seems all this happens with any nationality.

 

I don't think about if anybody wants to say hello or not. Some people like to talk and make new contacts and maybe new friends. Some don't. Ok, I can live with that. 

Absolutely right. 

It's not only in Thailand.  In some other countries too this is the 'new normal'!

I guess, humans are more interested in burying their face in a phone screen, than looking around and enjoying the scenery or of other fellow beings!

[MikeUdon]

It is not Thai culture to greet each other all the time. Same as in all other countries around planet Earth as well.

[BigStar]

46 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

I have often heard bar girl types use 'mun'(the pronoun 'it') when talking about their b/f and even husband!

 

Bar girls understandably have no respect for the idiots they have to deal with. They probably did, on average, before they entered the profession. Bar girls go back to villages and spread the word, too.

 

I could see using "it" myself.

 

That's one reason I learned to start every transaction with a Thai in Pattaya with a pleasant, polite, sawadee krub and a smile. Immediately lets them know you're not one of the idiots. Works well even with the toughest old tourist-shocked vendor.

[Sheryl]

It is  not normal to say "hello" to total strangers just because they are on the same elevator as you, or seated next to you in a public spot. Thais do not say hello to each other under this situation either.  Nor do people where I come from back in farang-land.

 

Not sure where OP is from but this is far from a universal custom and would strike Thais as very odd -- and intrusive -- behavior. Strikes me that way too.

 

Some exceptions e.g. if the elevator is in an apartment building where you live and the people on it are also building residents...but even then a brief nod would be more appropriate than an actual hello.

[Gecko123]

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

Pronouns are very important. If you learn Thai, you can spot what Thais use to refer to farang if they think they can't hear or can't understand. 

I have often heard bar girl types use 'mun'(the pronoun 'it') when talking about their b/f and even husband!

 

This is, again, total and utter misinformation.

 

To one and all who have bought into the ASEANOW myth that 'man' [มัน] only means 'it' and is used in a dehumanizing manner to refer to foreigners, please review the below dictionary entry from Mary Hass's Thai-English Student Dictionary.

 

Interpretation of the entry for 'man' [มัน]:

 

common language as opposed to elegant language. The first (most common) usage translates to: it, they or them (with NO derogatory connotation!) The second usage translates to: he, him, she, her, they, them (and can EITHER have a derogatory or intimate connotation!!! Therefore 'man' [มัน] does not have an inherently derogatory connotation!!!! A wife or girlfriend using [มัน] to refer to her husband or boyfriend or son does NOT mean she is referring to him as 'it'!!!  The takeaway here is that while 'man' [มัน] can carry a derogatory connotation, it is frequently used in common language to simply refer to other people or a group of other people with absolutely no negative or derogatory connotation.

 

I would also like to point out that this word is spelled with mai hanaghat [ั,] which is a short 'a' vowel. It never ever has a 'u' sound. While I am well aware that some beginning phrase books transliterate Thai 'a' vowel sounds into English with a 'u', (for example spelling 'man' as 'mun') in my opinion, no advanced student or anyone who has reached a high level of fluency in written Thai would ever transliterate 'man' [มัน] as 'mun' because it would make transliteration of any words with a 'u' vowel impossibly confusing. NO advanced dictionary or grammar book would ever do this. The fact that the above poster transliterated the word 'man' as 'mun' raises deep suspicions in my mind about his true level of proficiency in the Thai language. 

 

 

[shackleton]

A 😃 smile  does not cost much or even a hello or Hi 😁

[OneMoreFarang]

54 minutes ago, ravip said:

Absolutely right. 

It's not only in Thailand.  In some other countries too this is the 'new normal'!

I guess, humans are more interested in burying their face in a phone screen, than looking around and enjoying the scenery or of other fellow beings!

And obviously some big headphones.

 

 

[Neeranam]

44 minutes ago, BigStar said:

 

Bar girls understandably have no respect for the idiots they have to deal with. They probably did, on average, before they entered the profession. Bar girls go back to villages and spread the word, too.

 

I could see using "it" myself.

 

That's one reason I learned to start every transaction with a Thai in Pattaya with a pleasant, polite, sawadee krub and a smile. Immediately lets them know you're not one of the idiots. Works well even with the toughest old tourist-shocked vendor.

I meant bar girl types. I heard it last week at a golf driving range.

The woman was talking to the coach about her husband, they both used the pronoun 'it', which is extremely rude unless with close friends, similat to close UK friends call each other a 'c*nt'.

 

[BigStar]

9 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

I meant bar girl types.

 

Who, as I noted, may have been influenced directly or indirectly by bar girls.

 

Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, your claim to authority on the Thai language has also been shredded:

 

 

[Neeranam]

37 minutes ago, BigStar said:

Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, your claim to authority on the Thai language has also been shredded:

I've not claimed any such thing, it's all in your head. 

[Neeranam]

1 hour ago, Gecko123 said:

I would also like to point out that this word is spelled with mai hanaghat [ั,] which is a short 'a' vowel. It never ever has a 'u' sound. While I am well aware that some beginning phrase books transliterate Thai 'a' vowel sounds into English with a 'u', (for example spelling 'man' as 'mun') in my opinion, no advanced student or anyone who has reached a high level of fluency in written Thai would ever transliterate 'man' [มัน] as 'mun' because it would make transliteration of any words with a 'u' vowel impossibly confusing. NO advanced dictionary or grammar book would ever do this. The fact that the above poster transliterated the word 'man' as 'mun' raises deep suspicions in my mind about his true level of proficiency in the Thai language. 

 

Both transliterations, "man" and "mun,"   represent the Thai pronunciation using Roman letters.

 

Man: This transliteration reflects the pronunciation more accurately for some speakers, particularly those from central Thailand or speakers of the Bangkok dialect. In this pronunciation, the vowel sound is closer to 'a' as in 'father.' Therefore, "man" might be preferred to represent this pronunciation.

 

Mun: Some speakers, especially those from regions outside central Thailand or with certain dialectical variations, might pronounce the vowel closer to 'u' as in 'sun.' In such cases, "mun" may seem more appropriate as a transliteration. 

 

Transliteration is not an exact science, and variations exist. Different authors, language learners, or even native speakers may prefer one transliteration over the other based on personal preference, convention, or the phonetic nuances they hear. Also, as a Scot, I pronounce 'man' differently to a yank, or a Londoner, or a Geordie.

 

[Gecko123]

7 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

I've not claimed any such thing, it's all in your head. 

You have posted comments on the usage of words such as 'farang' and 'man' which have implied you see yourself as a scholarly authority on the Thai language. You have also posted comments about Thai culture, Thai attitudes towards foreigners, and Thai social etiquette (pecking order, wai-ing) that further suggests you see yourself as an authority on the Thai language and culture.

[Neeranam]

1 hour ago, Gecko123 said:

This is, again, total and utter misinformation.

 

To one and all who have bought into the ASEANOW myth that 'man' [มัน] only means 'it' and is used in a dehumanizing manner to refer to foreigners, please review the below dictionary entry from Mary Hass's Thai-English Student Dictionary.

 

Interpretation of the entry for 'man' [มัน]:

 

common language as opposed to elegant language. The first (most common) usage translates to: it, they or them (with NO derogatory connotation!) The second usage translates to: he, him, she, her, they, them (and can EITHER have a derogatory or intimate connotation!!! Therefore 'man' [มัน] does not have an inherently derogatory connotation!!!! A wife or girlfriend using [มัน] to refer to her husband or boyfriend or son does NOT mean she is referring to him as 'it'!!!  The takeaway here is that while 'man' [มัน] can carry a derogatory connotation, it is frequently used in common language to simply refer to other people or a group of other people with absolutely no negative or derogatory connotation.

I am talking about Thais calling foreigners 'mun' not Thais to Thais. Did you watch the video?

I suspect you have no close Thai friends who will tell you the truth. 

An experience I had, my 'hi-so' friend invited me to the RBSC and when we were eating told me about many of the members there using 'mun' to talk about foreigners and how they didn't really accept them as full members, which really annoyed her as he husband was a Yank. He was second in command a the US embassy and had the 5th Order of the White Elephant from HM the King. It is a derogatory term with foreigners unless close family in certain areas of Thailand, full stop.

[Neeranam]

1 minute ago, Gecko123 said:

You have posted comments on the usage of words such as 'farang' and 'man' which have implied you see yourself as a scholarly authority on the Thai language. You have also posted comments about Thai culture, Thai attitudes towards foreigners, and Thai social etiquette (pecking order, wai-ing) that further suggests you see yourself as an authority on the Thai language and culture.

I'd love to see such a post on me seeing myself as an authority on Thai language. 

Maybe you could quote it. 

I do have a thread pinned on the Thai language forum about learning one word a day  

[Gecko123]

5 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

 

Both transliterations, "man" and "mun,"   represent the Thai pronunciation using Roman letters.

 

Man: This transliteration reflects the pronunciation more accurately for some speakers, particularly those from central Thailand or speakers of the Bangkok dialect. In this pronunciation, the vowel sound is closer to 'a' as in 'father.' Therefore, "man" might be preferred to represent this pronunciation.

 

Mun: Some speakers, especially those from regions outside central Thailand or with certain dialectical variations, might pronounce the vowel closer to 'u' as in 'sun.' In such cases, "mun" may seem more appropriate as a transliteration. 

 

Transliteration is not an exact science, and variations exist. Different authors, language learners, or even native speakers may prefer one transliteration over the other based on personal preference, convention, or the phonetic nuances they hear. Also, as a Scot, I pronounce 'man' differently to a yank, or a Londoner, or a Geordie.

 

But as I correctly pointed out, NO advanced dictionary or grammar book would use 'mun' as a pronunciation guide for the word man [มัน].  The fact that you have retained 'mun' for transliteration purposes suggests to me that your exposure to advanced dictionaries and grammar books which, as I said, would never use 'mun' to transliterate [มัน] may be limited. Regardless of the native tongue of the student, a transliteration guide is intended to approximate the Thai sound in the English alphabet, which is frequently only a rough approximation. As I said in my earlier post, anyone progressing past an elementary level would have quickly realized how imprecise 'mun' as a transliteration for 'man' [มัน] is, and quickly dropped its usage, if for no other reason than it makes transliteration of any words with a 'u' sound impossibly confusing. 

[maximillian]

On 2/19/2024 at 10:39 PM, jak2002003 said:

Sometimes I wonder what country some of you guys live in. 

 

I have never met anyone thai or farang that did not at least smile or nod if I smiled or said a quick hi to them

 

 

Op must look very scary or like some idiot who want to start a conversation with a total stranger. 

 

Maybe your appearance is very pleasant. My smiles and hi's were more often replied when I was young and handsome. But now ?  old bum of 75, pah...

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, Neeranam said:

5 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

There must have been more to it than just buying a legitimate Thai ID card for B5,500 or we'd all be doing it!

Of course, there are other things needed like passing a Thai culture test. I was just saying that as someone said I bought it, this is the fee. 

You've got me...what exactly was it that you got for B5,500 that included a Thai ID card to which BenStark initially referenced?

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

You've got me...what exactly was it that you got for B5,500 that included a Thai ID card to which BenStark initially referenced?

Love to know also, please share.

 

And do you mean the purchaser is a farang or a Thai?

 

And what is the background colour on the card?

 

And if it's your name (assuming that it's a non-thai person) is the name written in:

- Thai language

- English language

- Both Thai and English languages? 

 

And is there an expiry date on the card? What language?