What happened to you, Thailand?

[charmonman]

I tend to agree with you in general though my experience is not as bad as yours. It WAS better years ago even accounting for the fact that I am older now and my personal experience is bound to be different now. Most of the people who disagree with that statement weren’t actually here then so really have no basis for making the comparison.

There’s just too many of us around now so it’s too be expected that some Thais are a bit sick and tired of us. Also, unlike years ago when the majority were of modest means but also reasonably content with what they had, now Thailand is a middle class consumer society and the poorer classes are always having images of an upper middle class lifestyle that they can’t afford shoved in their faces constantly. It’s bound to make them a bit grumpy.

 

Even so, I still have plenty of friendly interactions with Thai people every day and I would still rather be here than most other places.

[AsiaTraveler1234]

My observation is that the thais all seem smiley and happy, while it is the farangs who seem angry and miserable.

 

I actually mentioned this to some thai people yesterday, and they agreed with me.

 

They think we farangs drink too much, which is the reason why 🤣 I think it it is due to the Eastern religious philosophies of the country which keep the thais happy with simplicity.

 

We even did a test where we observed the percentage of thais and farangs walking by with "at least some facial indication of happiness," and the thais beat the farangs by a large margin. I dont recal observing a single smiling farang in our 1 minute experiment.

 

I joke with the local population and tell them that I'm half thai since, like them, I am always happy and smiling 😄

 

For context, I am in Jomtien Beach (nice area).

 

[susanlea]

3 minutes ago, AsiaTraveler1234 said:

My observation is that the thais all seem smiley and happy, while it is the farangs who seem angry and miserable.

 

I actually mentioned this to some thai people yesterday, and they agreed with me.

 

They think we farangs drink too much, which is the reason why 🤣 I think it it is due to the Eastern religious philosophies of the country which keep the thais happy with simplicity.

 

We even did a test where we observed the percentage of thais and farangs walking by with "at least some facial indication of happiness," and the thais beat the farangs by a large margin. I dont recal observing a single smiling farang in our 1 minute experiment.

 

I joke with the local population and tell them that I'm half thai since, like them, I am always happy and smiling 😄

 

For context, I am in Jomtien Beach (nice area).

 

Thais think a lot of farangs are bad. Probably right.

[RSD1]

7 minutes ago, Yellow Fever said:

even the farang that have lived here for years.. I consider myself above them

Out to lunch without even a fork and a spoon. 

[thailand49]

15 hours ago, bob smith said:

..a friendly word of warning, this is going to be a long winded post. mods, before you close my thread please remember that these are my own experiences that I am posting about and that they are valid, even if they do not align with your own!

 

With that out of the way, let's get down to it.

 

When I first moved to thailand many, many moons ago, it was a vibrant place, full of happy go lucky people enjoying themselves. It was such a blessing to be here and I thoroughly enjoyed the first few years in (what was back then worthy of the name) the land of smiles.

 

I started to notice some big changes around 2013, especially with regards to peoples attitudes toward farang.

Then when the coup hit things slowly started going downhill.

 

Now the Thailand that I live in is unrecognizable to me.

everyone seems stressed, nobody is smiling and the locals seem to have zero patience for farangs in general.

 

Just today I was in a tourist ghetto meeting a friend of mine I haven't seen in a while.

I was sat at my table enjoying a nice cold beer when a hawker walked past and plonked her stuff on my table.

I politely said no thanks in english and smiled.

She persisted.

Then I said the same in Thai, to which she reacted angrily, and gave me the 'oiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii' and stormed off.

I did nothing wrong, other than said no thank you.

 

what has happened to the Thai people?

are they all stressed out because of money?

is it because their politics are a mess?

is it social media that is influencing how they feel about us?

It certainly is not the place that I remember when I first came here. It has now changed beyond almost all recognition. 

Most thais on the street completely avoid eye contact when they see a farang walking without their mask on.

some even cross over to the other side of the road, or at the least move as far away from them as possible.

 

my honest opinion is I think they are terrified of us.

a combination of negative media portrayals recently and the fact that farangs don't like to wear masks has shaped their current perception of us.

 

Pre 2013 I can count on one hand the amount of times I had a bad experience in Thailand,

now it is almost daily..

 

Also It seems that the economy is in dire straights. So many closed shops, roller shutters down, boarded up buildings etc. Once bustling areas of famous tourist hot-spots now seem to be on their knees. Something just doesn't seem right.

 

How about you? do your experiences align with mine? if not, then do tell me where you are having positive encounters with locals because, as someone who travels around Thailand a lot, I would love to know where this utopia is.

 

bob.

 

 

Ive learned the grass is never greener it takes work lots of it or it turnd brown.

[Thingamabob]

15 hours ago, bob smith said:

..a friendly word of warning, this is going to be a long winded post. mods, before you close my thread please remember that these are my own experiences that I am posting about and that they are valid, even if they do not align with your own!

 

With that out of the way, let's get down to it.

 

When I first moved to thailand many, many moons ago, it was a vibrant place, full of happy go lucky people enjoying themselves. It was such a blessing to be here and I thoroughly enjoyed the first few years in (what was back then worthy of the name) the land of smiles.

 

I started to notice some big changes around 2013, especially with regards to peoples attitudes toward farang.

Then when the coup hit things slowly started going downhill.

 

Now the Thailand that I live in is unrecognizable to me.

everyone seems stressed, nobody is smiling and the locals seem to have zero patience for farangs in general.

 

Just today I was in a tourist ghetto meeting a friend of mine I haven't seen in a while.

I was sat at my table enjoying a nice cold beer when a hawker walked past and plonked her stuff on my table.

I politely said no thanks in english and smiled.

She persisted.

Then I said the same in Thai, to which she reacted angrily, and gave me the 'oiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii' and stormed off.

I did nothing wrong, other than said no thank you.

 

what has happened to the Thai people?

are they all stressed out because of money?

is it because their politics are a mess?

is it social media that is influencing how they feel about us?

It certainly is not the place that I remember when I first came here. It has now changed beyond almost all recognition. 

Most thais on the street completely avoid eye contact when they see a farang walking without their mask on.

some even cross over to the other side of the road, or at the least move as far away from them as possible.

 

my honest opinion is I think they are terrified of us.

a combination of negative media portrayals recently and the fact that farangs don't like to wear masks has shaped their current perception of us.

 

Pre 2013 I can count on one hand the amount of times I had a bad experience in Thailand,

now it is almost daily..

 

Also It seems that the economy is in dire straights. So many closed shops, roller shutters down, boarded up buildings etc. Once bustling areas of famous tourist hot-spots now seem to be on their knees. Something just doesn't seem right.

 

How about you? do your experiences align with mine? if not, then do tell me where you are having positive encounters with locals because, as someone who travels around Thailand a lot, I would love to know where this utopia is.

 

bob.

 

 

OK Bob.

Boring history from yours truly, another Bob.

First arrived on these Thai shores in 1962, on holiday.

Business visits to PTT throughout the 1970s.

Lived and worked in Thailand during the 1980s.

Married my now wife, a Thai lady, in Taiwan in 1990.

Retired to Thailand, where we have houses in both Bangkok and Rayong, in 1993.

Thailand has changed enormously over all those years. Many more people, hitherto quiet beauty spots now swamped by visitors, traffic appalling in Bangkok. However, the food is still great, the girls are still lovely, and the famous Thai smile still exists. All things considered I would rather be here, in my old age, than anywhere else.

 

[zyphodb]

14 hours ago, connda said:

I'd say pre-2019 was Ok.  2020 and beyond have seen the beginning of the end for Thailand. 
Small and medium businesses decimated by their own government.
Factories closing.
Inflation making life hard for everyone except the uber-wealthy.
Government promising to raise taxes and seek more things to tax as well.
The rich get richer and the poor (and middle-class and even the upper middle-class) get poorer.

In the meantime, in between time, Thais ain't got fun.  Not!  🙄
So gotta agree with ya on this one bob smith, yeah I've noticed as well.  Just on a slightly different timeline.

 

I do agree with this, but I'd say it's happened worldwide, not just in Thailand...

[Furioso]

I think a lot of the problem is the "food".  Everyone is eating ultraprocessed junk it messes with their heads. They get an immediate high, then back down to reality of being obese. It wasn't like this 15-20 years ago.

[2baht]

You've killed it again, Bob! Nobody draws a comment like you can, is that not what general forums are for. Before you criticize Bob, think about what he offers here! Good on you Bob! 

[bob smith]

6 minutes ago, 2baht said:

You've killed it again, Bob! Nobody draws a comment like you can, is that not what general forums are for. Before you criticize Bob, think about what he offers here! Good on you Bob! 

thanks mate, more to come soon!

 

bob.

[thasoss]

A smile goes a long way to breaking the ice.Try empathy, for some thais trying to earn a living going around bars selling flowers etc.maybe they've not enough money for food or for their children,put yourself in their place,no government assistance like back home,life is difficult for many,and here we are enjoying life with a pension from back home,no need to work.Be kind to people who are less fortunate.

[2baht]

9 minutes ago, thasoss said:

A smile goes a long way to breaking the ice.Try empathy, for some thais trying to earn a living going around bars selling flowers etc.maybe they've not enough money for food or for their children,put yourself in their place,no government assistance like back home,life is difficult for many,and here we are enjoying life with a pension from back home,no need to work.Be kind to people who are less fortunate.

Oh boo hoo!

[bob smith]

13 minutes ago, thasoss said:

A smile goes a long way to breaking the ice.Try empathy, for some thais trying to earn a living going around bars selling flowers etc.maybe they've not enough money for food or for their children,put yourself in their place,no government assistance like back home,life is difficult for many,and here we are enjoying life with a pension from back home,no need to work.Be kind to people who are less fortunate.

How far should that kindness stretch?

 

I provided a smile and a polite no thank you to the female hawker yesterday but that wasn't enough.

She walked away in a huff and said some not very nice things about me in Thai.

 

Is that acceptable behavior because I didn't want any of the cr@p she was sellin?

 

These people only want our money.

If I don't want what they are sellin how kind should I be?

I want specific examples of what you would have done differently.

 

bob.

Edited June 29 by bob smith

[bob smith]

16 minutes ago, thasoss said:

and here we are enjoying life with a pension from back home,no need to work

You worked hard for that pension.

 

Don't forget that!

 

bob.

[ravip]

TBH it's not only in Thailand. In many countries the locals are getting fed-up of foreigners - especially immigrants. The simple fact is, that the locals lifestyle is disrupted by the foreigners. Rising rents, job availability, congestion of the public transport system etc.

Generally, tourists are well accepted, but it's difficult for the locals to differentiate one from the other immediately.

[BangkokReady]

14 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

Thai's are not racists

 

This is provably false.

[2baht]

8 minutes ago, bob smith said:

I want specific examples of what you would have done differently.

Nothing wrong with what you did, Bob, I would have done no differently!

[ravip]

4 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

 

This is provably false.

Thais are not racists. But most foreigners in Thailand are.

They act as if they are way superior to the locals.

[bob smith]

6 minutes ago, ravip said:

job availability,

...ahhh, the old 'foreigners are steling our jobs' line...

 

not that I am looking for a job, but when I was all I ever saw was 'Thai Nationality Only.'

 

Your argument falls flat right there.

 

bob.

Edited June 29 by bob smith

[bob smith]

2 minutes ago, ravip said:

Thais are not racists.

Mrs. Smith is a Thai and even she openly admits that Thai people, on the whole, are a very racist bunch.

 

is she wrong?

 

bob.

Edited June 29 by bob smith

[BangkokReady]

4 minutes ago, ravip said:

Thais are not racists.

 

As I said, this is provably false.

[spidermike007]

I would ask a more serious question. What happened to you, Bob? You post consistently bizarre stuff on this forum.

 

Of course the Thai people have changed. The world has changed. Covid changed everything, and mankind did not react well to it. I cannot imagine how the world would react to something truly catastrophic. However, the Thai people are still quite lovely. They are still lighthearted and most are fun to be around. Many are still optimistic, cheerful and kind. I would rather be here, than just about anywhere else. Every day here is a good day for me and my lovely Thai gal. 

 

Alot of what we see in this world is filtered through our own hearts and minds, and pre-conceived notions. I would have a serious look at that, Bob.

[bob smith]

1 minute ago, spidermike007 said:

You post consistently bizarre stuff on this forum.

If my own personal experiences are bizarre then so be it!

 

I can't help that.

 

bob.

[ravip]

13 minutes ago, bob smith said:

...ahhh, the old 'foreigners are steling our jobs' line...

 

not that I am looking for a job, but when I was all I ever saw was 'Thai Nationality Only.'

 

Your argument falls flat right there.

 

bob.

 

12 minutes ago, bob smith said:

Mrs. Smith is a Thai and even she openly admits that Thai people, on the whole, are a very racist bunch.

 

is she wrong?

 

bob.

Please Bob, look at the 'big picture'.

Many Thai ladies married to foreigners, act as if they are superior to other locals  (sort of a pseudo foreigner - obviously due to access of more wealth - this falls flat with them where educated, rich hi-so Thais are concerned.

The age old proverb comes to mind... Set a beggar on horseback, and he'll ride to the Devil

Edited June 29 by ravip

[ravip]

4 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

I would ask a more serious question. What happened to you, Bob? You post consistently bizarre stuff on this forum.

 

Of course the Thai people have changed. The world has changed. Covid changed everything, and mankind did not react well to it. I cannot imagine how the world would react to something truly catastrophic. However, the Thai people are still quite lovely. They are still lighthearted and most are fun to be around. Many are still optimistic, cheerful and kind. I would rather be here, than just about anywhere else. Every day here is a good day for me and my lovely Thai gal. 

 

Alot of what we see in this world is filtered through our own hearts and minds, and pre-conceived notions. I would have a serious look at that, Bob.

100% 

[novacova]

4 minutes ago, bob smith said:

If my own personal experiences are bizarre then so be it!

Bizarre people have bizarre experiences and are prone to be in the company of other bizarre people, quite bizarre.

[bob smith]

5 minutes ago, ravip said:

this falls flat with them where educated, rich hi-so Thais are concerned.

Mrs. Smith is fairly well off.

 

Nothing to do with me.

 

She is a successful woman in her own right.

 

bob.

[bob smith]

1 minute ago, novacova said:

Bizarre people have bizarre experiences and are prone to be in the company of other bizarre people, quite bizarre.

 

[marin]

16 hours ago, bob smith said:

I thought more foreigners would mean a happier populace, given that more foreigners = more money and Thais love money...

 

bob.

News flash for you bob. It may give you in insight as to why life is not easy for you here. The majority of Thai's have nothing to do with the tourist trade, nothing at all. 

[bob smith]

2 minutes ago, marin said:

News flash for you bob. It may give you in insight as to why life is not easy for you here. The majority of Thai's have nothing to do with the tourist trade, nothing at all. 

if that's the case then they shouldn't be affected either way and should remain neutral? 

 

correct?

 

bob.

Edited June 29 by bob smith