Have people in Thailand gotten less friendly/happy overall, or is it me?

[andux]

Not too many years ago, whenever I interacted with a stranger at a 7-11, pharmacy, or similar, people were almost always friendly, smiled a lot, etc. I remember that sometimes I left my house in a bad mood, but a quick stop to buy something at any store put me in a great mood almost instantly because store clerks were happy, smiling, friendly, etc.

 

Nowadays, I don't get too many smiles from strangers anymore, especially from store clerks, even if I'm being friendly and smiling myself. Most don't reciprocate anymore and work silently and without showing any expression. Many don't even bother to talk at all and don't tell me the price anymore (I'm supposed to read it on the screen, I guess). I speak Thai, by the way, so it's not a language issue.

 

This doesn't apply to everyone, of course, but I noticed that I don't receive even basic politeness in at least half of my interactions.

 

The land of smiles seem to be a thing of the past in my experience, except from those who are trying to sell me something. Now, when someone approaches with a smile, I know they are coming to sell me insurance or are looking for donations.

 

I don't seem to have changed much myself. I dress the same, I weigh the same. But maybe I'm just a few years older and uglier and people want to avoid me? But the thing is that I was in Europe recently and people seemed much happier and polite, when in the past I always perceived this as being the other way around (Thai people being more friendly and polite).

 

Could it be that people in Thailand nowadays are generally less happy than before? Inflation, low salaries, debt, the political situation... I wonder if these things have erased the smiles from a lot of people's faces.

 

Anyways, interested to know about others' experiences.

 

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

9 minutes ago, andux said:

I was in Europe recently

Thailand is big, Europe is even bigger. IMHO it's not the same anywhere in the whole country or the whole continent.

 

I live since almost 30 years in Thailand and in general I think people are still friendly. But we are no exotic creatures anymore like we used to be many years ago. So, there is less curiosity involved. And then there are mobile phones. Many employees in shops and restaurants and bars are much more interested in their little phones than in people.

And then it depends on the area. It makes a difference if you are in an area which is full of tourists or somewhere where foreign visitors are still the exception.

 

 

 

[bob smith]

it is not just you.

 

your observations are valid.

 

It's rough out there in 2024.

 

bob.

[save the frogs]

maybe because covid hurt a lot of businesses?

[bob smith]

2 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

maybe because covid hurt a lot of businesses?

...so shouldn't they be happy to have customers (farang) back?

 

we are the ones with the dough after all..

 

bob.

[scubascuba3]

Depends where probably, i noticed Rayong much friendlier than Pattaya, maybe they are fed up with farang, many unsavoury characters here who tarnish all of us

[freeworld]

The days of foreigners thinking Thais dote on them are over. In todays monied world, most are trying to get by working to earn money. The world has changed from the 70's, 80's or 90's when there were far less foreigners roaming about. Since the advent of the internet it has made everyone well aware of each others peculiarities. But the Thais still have this mysterious aura about them and that is what attracts foreigners to the country.

[marin]

15 minutes ago, bob smith said:

t is not just you.

 

your observations are valid.

 

It's rough out there in 2024.

 

bob.

 

4 minutes ago, bob smith said:

.so shouldn't they be happy to have customers (farang) back?

 

we are the ones with the dough after all..

 

bob.

It seems you have little to no interaction with Thai's unless they are serving you. Telling.

 

All fine on my end with Thai's other than the fact we are all sick of the relentless heat. 

[KhunLA]

It's you ...

... If I had to deal with some the these idiot foreigners all day, I wouldn't be happy either.

 

I receive what I project.  Expect others to get the same results, so a bit of .... som nam naa

[VinnieK]

Short answer...yes.

 

[SAFETY FIRST]

55 minutes ago, andux said:

 

The land of smiles seem to be a thing of the past in my experience

You can blame the all the nasty, miserable, moaning foreigners that are coming to Thailand. 

 

Have a look at most of the AN threads, so many comments are coming from HATERS. 

 

Sadly we have too many Thai bashers, they spread their evil within society. 

 

Thai's aren't stupid, they see these foreigners and their hate daily, they're fed up with it. 

 

[save the frogs]

18 minutes ago, bob smith said:

...so shouldn't they be happy to have customers (farang) back?

 

we are the ones with the dough after all..

 

bob.

how did you get back on here? i thought they got rid of you.

conspicuous timing just as they changed servers.

let me guess. mrs bob smith is a hacker?

 

[KhunLA]

13 minutes ago, marin said:

 

It seems you have little to no interaction with Thai's unless they are serving you. Telling.

 

All fine on my end with Thai's other than the fact we are all sick of the relentless heat. 

I don't even think he's in TH.  Just another foreigner that thinks their existence, if in TH, is relevant, and supporting all Thai society 

[ezzra]

The world use to be much nicer before all those crooks, charlatan, fraudsters and criminals got into our lives

via all those digital media cheating and stealing their ways in the billions, to me, the trust we used to

enjoy has gone...

[Dcheech]

Did a month long vacation down south, escape from the smoke. I cannot recall a trip where I interacted less with Thai people.  It is not like I have great language skills, but I do have them and I enjoy talking with people. I chalk this up to recent events on Phuket, and the Thai media, which has got the ok from the powers that be, to go after farangs westerners. In fact my wife got asked (in thai) point blank if I was Swiss (!)  I am not joking. I was less than diplomatic. I got in their face, and told them exactly where I was from, loudly. Not proud of that moment, BTW, but yab to my wife, like I have no clue what pucky you are spilling, you are not going to get a positive response.

 

As stated, I put this on the current media circus. As I have done a couple road trips up north, both early this year and last, which was about the same as years before in terms of interacting with locals. Up here it is about the same. However I am talking with people who for the most part know me. Still, I reckon the longer it goes the more long term damage will be done. Obviously the government is ok with that, which should give you a good idea how much they think of you.  
 

 

[jaywalker2]

It's true that the days of the Land of Smiles are over but that's the nature of the modern world. Everything is about money now. Most Thais, except the rich, are deep in debt, the cost of living has gone way up, the sense of community has been lost, people are living in isolation, they're not getting married, they're not having children. It takes a psychological toll.

[bob smith]

6 minutes ago, jaywalker2 said:

Most Thais, except the rich, are deep in debt,

who's faults that then?

 

rule number 1 to becoming rich : never live beyond your means.

 

I used to sleep on a wooden floor with no furniture when i first moved here.

Now I am rolling in it.

 

I don't owe a single cent to anyone.

bob.

 

[JimTripper]

It's getting worse. There are a lot of low class india people and chinese coming in with poor manners. When you let too many people in it changes the culture and responses you get.

[bkk6060]

Yes location. I am in Hua hin and people are much friendlier then Pattaya.  Even Bangkok is better then Pattaya.

[TheAppletons]

My experience lately - when I smile and say "please" and "thank you" I receive the same in return.

 

 

[JimTripper]

Just now, TheAppletons said:

My experience lately - when I smile and say "please" and "thank you" I receive the same in return.

Another take on it's the Op's problem.

[ArnieP]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

… we are no exotic creatures anymore like we used to be many years ago. So, there is less curiosity involved.

That is exactly right.

[Hellfire]

34 minutes ago, bob smith said:

 

 

rule number 1 to becoming rich : never live beyond your means.

 

 

 I like to see something like this being often advertised as a rule number 1 for getting rich. Because I know that 99% of people who will follow it are not my competitors in a race for big money. They are doomed. 

[kinyara]

14.4 million wanted and voted for a systemic change to the old order but look at what they got, an anti-democratic coalition of the same old faces who represent no-one except their own economic self-interests. If I was in their shoes I think I'd feel robbed of hope for the future and more than a little downbeat given the tough economic environment they are experiencing.

[Hellfire]

 If only we had more filthy rich foreigners committing suicide in Thailand and leaving all their money to dirty poor (they always are, aren’t they?) Thais - we would get tons of smiles from these people. 

[proton]

I never interact with anyone so have not noticed, fake smiles and chit chat with shop assistants? no thanks.

[mancub]

1 hour ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

You can blame the all the nasty, miserable, moaning foreigners that are coming to Thailand. 

 

Have a look at most of the AN threads, so many comments are coming from HATERS. 

 

Sadly we have too many Thai bashers, they spread their evil within society. 

 

Thai's aren't stupid, they see these foreigners and their hate daily, they're fed up with it. 

 

Forget your apologetic agenda for a moment and consider all the stories related to Thai family/friend feuds etc. Many  a wedding or religious occasion results in violent confrontation. 

You can blame society in general if you like, but you can't blame it all on foreigners.

For every "nasty" foreigner a local encounters there will be hundreds who will show respect . Don't restrict yourself to these click=bait headlines of foreigners behaving badly.

[retarius]

I don't think it is you. I live in a rural area with a small town close by. There are few farangs here and the farang community has gotten quite a bit smaller over the time I have been here. When I came here 15 years ago, everybody smiled, girls used to flirt on the tills or behind the counters and any lady who had some English seemed anxious to speak and practice it. In the supermarket there were a lot of farangs who all nodded or said hello.

 

Now is totally different, no one smiles, no one speaks much simply the least they can get away with, and none of the younger girls flirt (there is the occasional manageress that flirts with me) but not the girls on the tills. As I am typing this, it strikes me that I haven't met any new (new to me, that is) Thais in years. The strange thing is that this cold-shouldering didn't seem to happen gradually, it seems to have happened rather suddenly. But my other observation is that when we pull up to have the tank filled the pump attendants don't strike up conversations with my wife either, so I'm not sure if it is aimed at farangs. The other odd thing is that when I go to the doctor's office or the bank, I get priority service, in and out very quickly ignoring the queueing system and all the Thai patients sitting there. To be honest, I dislike this as I am sure it creates unwanted hostility in the people waiting, seeing a faring get priority service like a hi-so. 

[ChaiyaTH]

Try not speaking your version of Thai and try to do English again, it likely will see you change 30-40% back to positive. It's the same when on dating sites, girls prefer a guy who is new and doesn't know too much, even it's all pre-judgement.

Being a male + older than young age + trying to speak half baked Thai / coming over as living here a long time = a bad combination. This group has a bad reputation, even without the Thai speaking part of it. If you are in that group, you have to make the difference, for how you are being seen, most times.

 

It's the same when being a Russian or Chinese. Thais think black-white and these groups + old ones have many bad news histories.

Aside from that, the reason people are like this, globally, is due to smartphones. Most people are all half baked zombies.

[Chris Daley]

The first time I met a Thai face to face it was the Airport staff.  It was my first time travelling alone and I needed some help with the form so I approached one of the airport staff.  She pointed and screamed at me ''GO!!!'' and then turned back to chat to her friends.  Nothing but downhill from there.