Farang Acknowledging Farang

[Mango-Guy]

Just wondering, say you're on a skytrain or some other public place, will you acknowledge another solitary farang with a nod, hi, or smile ? Or do you just ignore them. Could be a Thai Visa counter-part, who knows?

Maybe it is a root cultural thing, with Americans doing so and Brits remaining overly reserved ?

[Bluecat]

I actually smile to many many people.

But not necessarily the farangs.

But I have to say quite a few of them make me laugh, not smile,...

[KevinN]

I might nod, but that is all cause most do not speak english that is understandable,,they either speak german ,Swiss, Dane, Swede , Brit or Dutch and I can't understand any of em. I do ok with aussie's,Kiwi's and americans.

[Totster]

I always try to smile and be friendly with everyone..... however some of the blank stares I get back from some farangs can be a bit annoying ! Maybe they're better than me !!

[Dutchy2]

I might nod, but that is all cause most do not speak english that is understandable,,they either speak german ,Swiss, Dane, Swede , Brit or Dutch and I can't understand any of em. I do ok with aussie's,Kiwi's and americans.

Let me guess KevinN, you're an old Ausie, Kiwi or American and don't speak any foreign languages and have a hearing disability?

I tend to nod and be friendly to other farang but am surprised by the characters that roam the streets in Bangkok.

Dutchy

[kat]

I tend to nod and smile, especially at other women. Sometimes it elicits no response. I now practically ignore most farang men, because many of them seem to go out of their way to ignore farang women. Is it just me?

[KevinN]

I might nod, but that is all cause most do not speak english that is understandable,,they either speak german ,Swiss, Dane, Swede , Brit or Dutch and I can't understand any of em. I do ok with aussie's,Kiwi's and americans.

Let me guess KevinN, you're an old Ausie, Kiwi or American and don't speak any foreign languages and have a hearing disability?

I tend to nod and be friendly to other farang but am surprised by the characters that roam the streets in Bangkok.

Dutchy

Wrong on most of it cept I do not hear as well as I used to,get by with mexican,and have done OK with arabic,korean,tagalog,Viet,but been many years since I had to use any of it,cept the mexican.

But that is not the main reason that I do not speak to farang,,I didn't come here to associate with farang,I came here to enjoy myself and I get all the farang I need on a daily basis on TVF,some good humor,but I do not care to speak with others,I have lived by my self on cruising sailboats for months at a time and in the high mountains for months with out seeing anyone else and I am OK with me and I like me and so I am what you might call a loner I guess. Others pobly do not feel this way about me,but that is OK.

[PvtDick]

"Mexican"? Would that be "Spanish", to the rest of us?

[autonomous_unit]

"Mexican"? Would that be "Spanish", to the rest of us?

I've heard more than one Spaniard refer to "Mexican" in much the same way some Brits think American is what is spoken in the US.

[autonomous_unit]

I think I subconsciously avoid eye contact with unknown farang here despite doing the opposite in the US. I tried to think figure out why, once I noticed it... I think there are two conflicting feelings for me. Firstly, I want to integrate and not feel that I am grasping at any "lifeline", no matter how futile that aim might be in Thailand, and making contact with farang strangers can feel like grasping. For similar reasons, while traveling in Europe, I think I tend to ignore those I have identified as fellow Americans.

Secondly, I get tired of all the Thais staring at me (in BKK, where I am relatively certain they've seen a farang before) so my empathetic response is to give other farangs some space. Who needs yet another pair of eyes following them around?

The latter point is related to how I feel sometimes when hiking or backpacking even in the US. Sometimes it's fun to chat up others I meet on the trail, but often kindred spirits will discretely ignore each other to preserve the illusion of being alone in the wilderness. I think this might be similar to what KevinN was describing...

One time I was very appreciative of an American foreign exchange student who helped me get some lunch in a back alley of Kyoto, so I understand that no approach works ideally at all times!

[Spee]

"Mexican"? Would that be "Spanish", to the rest of us?

Many many different ways to do Spanish depending on where on the rock you happen to be.

Mexican or Central American Spanish is quite a bit different than southern California "Spanglish" or various South American Spanish dialects (e.g., Chilean, Colombian, etc.).

Altogether different are Castillian Spanish (e.g. central regions of Spain like Madrid), Andalusian (southern coastal regions), and Las Canarias (Canary Islands). While one can get by, all of these regions have very different phrases and pronounciations.

Catalan spoken in northeastern Spain cities like Bilbao and Barcelona is a whole different animal altogether. It is often difficult even for Madrid Castillians to understand Catalan if they have never studied it or used it.

Hasta lluego mis amigos y amigas !!!

[john b good]

I would acknowledge them with a g'day, hows your day, or something like that.

If they don't respond I think OK, well <deleted> you too.

[PvtDick]

Well...duh! I think we all know that Spanish is spoken differently around the world -- different accents and some different vocabular/grammar, but still the same language.

But to my ears, when someone says they speak "Mexican" (or "talk Messcan", more often than not), it sounds like they're an uneducated yokel. (And, coming from Texas, I should know a little about yokels).

[davethailand]

i will sometimes, but not alot.

you usually get the feeling when the other person will respond, instead of looking at you like a piece of siht.

[Boon Mee]

Thais don't acknowedge other Orientals when they're overseas. Strangers are strangers in a big city. Different if you're up-country in the states for example. You can give a friendly wave to a stranger but try that in LA or NYC and you'll get arrested!

Actually, my wife and none of her friends pay a passing thought to another Asian on the street - that's the way it is...

[Padkapow Guy]

I still do they head nod and smile but I don't know why most farangs look at you like you are stealing their territoryor bg. I forget that some of farangs do not speak engish and I will say hello to them and get a strange look because they do not understand me.

greeting people is a hard habbit to break,so I guess I have to live with the looks.

[Totster]

greeting people is a hard habbit to break,so I guess I have to live with the looks.

It's a good habit.... it's the people with the looks that have the problem, a smile or acknowledgement isn't hard whatever the language difficulties.

totster

[Thaicoon]

In the provinces i will nod or try to make conversation with ferangs, and usally find them ok, in Bangkok bit of a different story, you try to pass the time of day with them and they look at you if you are weird, maybe some of them work in the BRITISH EMBASSY as they are all weirdos in there, typical public servants, paid by the taxpayer,

Met some good guys in Bangkok, and good mates.

[cobra]

will you acknowledge another solitary farang with a nod, hi, or smile ?  Or do you just ignore them.

I never make eye contact ..... one of your associates may have sent me there to terminate you, don't panic, we're kidding, (plus I haven't been paid yet),

Sober, I think most stay fairly reserved,

If drinking we tend to become a little more out going.

... what your name ...where you stay ... gets old quick.

Occasional I need to come up for an intelligence fix, if I hear someone speaking my language fluently I'll usually engage them if I get the sense they want to talk.

[Spee]

Well...duh!

Sorry ... wasn't tryin' to preach at you or anyone else ... was actually obsessing with something at work and took a breather to break up the thought pattern and got carried away a bit ...

[Darknight]

So i'm the only one that Wai's them

[KevinN]

Well...duh!  I think we all know that Spanish is spoken differently around the world -- different accents and some different vocabular/grammar, but still the same language.

But to my ears, when someone says they speak "Mexican" (or "talk Messcan", more often than not), it sounds like they're an uneducated yokel.  (And, coming from Texas, I should know a little about yokels).

Especially if you come from West Texas, Now from the eastern part of the state they are a little more civilized and educated and really hard to believe they are Texans if you have been around them in other parts of the USA.

Seems that the Eastern part of Texas is where the people tend to stay and the Western part is where the immigrants come from that spread out across the country, good place to be from apparently.

Spanish and Mexican are like going to Vientaine and trying to speak Thai to them or understanding what they say.

Spee was just being nice and didn't know that you were so intilligent and would take offence.

[penelope]

I generally don't give a rats ass about other farang in public.If I want to initiate any sort of contact with other LOS farangs it is through existing social/business circles where character/personal history is more endowed and vouchable.And after 11 years here, my wife and my network is diverse enought to keep on meeting good people and developing friendships(farang,thai,asian etc...).Call it self protectionism if you will, but there are a ###### of a lot of deadbeat losers in LOS that I don't have any desire to know.

[Khutan]

In the provinces i will nod or try to make conversation with ferangs, and usally find them ok, in Bangkok bit of a different story

I couldn't agree more.

[ProThaiExpat]

My guess, after three years here, is that most expats are here to get away from western society and everytime I have nodded, smiled or acknowledged a falang encountered in the street, an elevator or a mall, they have ignored the greeting, thus I no longer due it.

On the other hand, when acknowledging Thais with a smile, I always get a favorable and appreciative reply or return smile. Speaking Japanese to Japanese always results in a pleasant exchange, perhaps due to the rarety of their experiencing a falang abroad speaking their language.

I had a close friend who said hello, how are you or good morining to everyone he encountered in the U.S. and got a reply about 30% of the time.

BoonMee hit it on the head when he suggested the remoteness of the encounter from any dense population center increased the chances of a reply.

[Horizontalbiker]

Depends on where I see 'em. If I see farlang in an isolated and possibly stressful situation I try to catch their eye with a simple nod hello just to let them know their not completely alone. Unless it's one of the big-bag people, then I just let them experience the wonderful culture they've traveled so far to see, and give me a good laugh at the same time, border crossings are fun for this

[fatter than harry]

I say hello to everyone, I'm just addicted to being polite in public, except to people who wear camoflage trousers, I'll normally walk up to them and kick them in the back of the leg and say "Sorry, I didn't see you there" I never saw the point of camoflage clothing, unless say, you were in an army.

[mickmac]

Personally I will always nod back, and if someone "puts the talk on me" I will usually talk back politely.

Penelope:- While I understand where you are coming from, please realise that not everyone outside of your little cadre is a loser, as intimated in your submission.

Try having some manners, you might be pleasantly surprised.

[bluebear]

I dont acknowledge or smile to people I dont know at home so why should I do it here?

If I was on the Skytrain and a lot of people suddenly started smiling at me I would get very paranoid.

[Amyji]

I tend to nod and smile, especially at other women. Sometimes it elicits no response. I now practically ignore most farang men, because many of them seem to go out of their way to ignore farang women. Is it just me?

I agree with you, Kat. I think many of the western men have something against us, so I don't bother with an acknowledgement of their existence, as they don't with mine. Anyway, I'm always with my husband, and why would I want to be looking at other men anyway, farang or otherwise? So I smile at the ladies.