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Am I suddenly old? Everyone is smiling and helping me!


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Posted
1 hour ago, Expat68 said:

You know you are old when they start calling you Papa. Which they have😂😂

I'll never forget the first time that happened to me. I used to walk past bars and gals would call out "velly nie" or "hello sexy man" then one day about 25 years ago I walked past a bar at Ao Nang, Krabi and some bitch called out "hello poppa" and that was the start, a line had been crossed that day, it was like every bargal in Thailand had got together and decided that from that moment on I was now officially "poppa" 😄

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Posted
22 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

It's exactly opposite when I was in Thailand 

Even though I'm very fit for my age (in the gym most days of the week ) I still got people push in front of me etc 

Some people even walk into you in the street ,phone in hand not paying attention or the the gang of 4 walking side by side as you have to stop ! and go to the side to let THEM pass !

 

In Thailand and I don't know MYANMAR but in Thailand they have LESS respect that the West I believe to older farang guys 

 

I have NEVER had anyone hold a door open for me in Thailand like in the Western countries 

They just push in 

 

I remember in Thailand people barging into the lift BEFORE I got out !

 

I remember walking towards a glass door in the Condo I was staying in (Pattaya Arcadia Beach Resort) and I went to walk with my bags when Asian girls just barged in front of me letting the door slam in my face this is in Thailand !

 

Yesterday I'm in Brisbane Australia and several times young people held the door open for me in the Airbnb Condo I was staying in 

I was surprised,this is Australia yet they were more polite young people than Thailand!

 

Last night Im walking in Brisbane a young tattooed guy moved to the side to let me pass ,you wouldn't find that in Thailand 

 

Now MYANMAR I don't know ,I want to go ,and if I do I expect to stay with YOU Simon 

 

Anyone here saying people especially YOUNGER people in Thailand have more RESPECT and MANNERS towards older farang than in the WESTERN Countries is bull<deleted> ....maybe they did in the PAST but not now !

 

 

 

 

I can't say Thais are rude, often the opposite but they can be careless. Whenever I enter the bank I always hold the door open for people behind me, man or woman, and they seem pleasantly surprised as if that's unusual, in fact it has resulted in friendly conversations while waiting for my number to be called out by the cashier. The older I get the more respect is shown to me by my stepdaughters friends and boyfriends, the latest one shot out of his seat when I appeared to give me a wai, I thought at first he was going to salute me. what I find strange is the lack of formal introduction such as "Papa, this Somchai, Somchai this is Papa", when I mentioned it to my wife she said, "Why should that be necessary, it's obvious who you are",  "Do you know his name" I asked, "No, he's a colleague from her work place, he's not dating me why should I know his name, it will crop up sooner or later", I find that most strange.

Posted
On 11/17/2024 at 7:42 AM, simon43 said:

I jump into a taxi to go to the nearby shopping centre.  I pay the driver at our destination and he hands back the small tip that I gave him. I press the tip money into his hand and he is all genuine smiles.

 

I go to the supermarket, getting the items on my list.  As I push my trolley slowly down the aisles, women (young and old smile at me).  I check that my trouser zip is not undone!!

 

At the cashier payout, I pay the cashier and start to put my items into my backpack.  Several young women crowd round to help me, fetching extra bags from the cashier and packing my items.  All smile genuine smiles as they help me.

 

I go to the pharmacy and buy some cough syrup.  Again, as I put the purchase into my bags, 3 young staff help me to put my backpack on my back.

 

Throughout my shopping trip this morning, total strangers smile at me and say hello.

 

So...... what's happened?  Do I suddenly look decrepit?  Do I have $100 notes glued to my jacket?

 

No!  The only difference between my shopping trip last week and today, is that last week I went shopping in Thailand and today I am shopping in the city of Mandalay, in Myanmar, where civil war is rife and a white-skinned foreigner is rarer than a virgin in Soi Cowboy...

 

Perhaps they are smiling and helping out of pity for the foreigner who missed the last plane out of dodge 🙂  (An exaggeration actually, there are flights every day).

 

As to how I have ended up (AGAIN!) in Myanmar, let's just say that my sense of direction at airports isn't very good in my old age 🙂

 

 

So why were you there ?i know you lived there . I have friends there as I visited often over 20 + years. Love the people. They are kind hearted. So what is it like now? I hear the Thai immigration office still works?

Posted
On 11/17/2024 at 9:08 AM, Hummin said:

 

My two days last week in Bangkok, they opened the doors for me a few places. At our hotel and the restaurants we visited.

I’ve always found Bangkokians very polite and friendly. I love visiting there.

Posted
22 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

 

Then why conceal this important detail from the original post?  Sounds like you wanted to leave that out to encourage replies.  🙄

 

Good point. What was this doo about sense of direction and airports?

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