On 10/24/2025 at 11:07 AM, Nickcage49 said:

Maybe it's because I'm an American. Many people around the world resent Trump. I do too. Sometimes I don't even want to admit where I'm from. Canada, eh?

Well done you managed  to mention Trump 

But ,  It might surprise you , and a few others on here to know that the Thais do not generally  negatively obsess about  President Trump. In fact he is currently held in quite high regard following his input regarding ending the recent hostilities with Cambodia 

2 hours ago, actonion said:

My Thai Mrs is an ex Government worker   she talks down to most everyone, including me , but with me she's met her match, she gets a good as she gives, if not more so. 

Its probably what attracted her to you, despite what the wokies say , women do prefer an alpha male and need standing up to.   No woman respects a submissive doormat

First, separate the experience with government officers from Thai people in general. I don't go to immigration often as I am a permanent resident, but when I have gone, I have seen the stress in the faces of those serving westerners.

 

I can imagine how Thais feel the stress of any failure to communicate. No point in saying that English is a universal language as it isn't. I have been to French and German restaurants in Europe where the waitress couldn't speak English.

 

In high school most Thais are taught not to question authority, hence the waving out of the room when they are in the middle of something. Best advice is to smile and say sorry for interrupting and asking if you may ask a question. Politeness works wonders in Thailand. 

 

I guess there are people who go to government offices thinking they are entitled to great service. 

 

 

Look. If you’ve been here for 15 to 25 years then you should be able to speak a bit of Thai. Just trying goes a long way. Unfortunately many Thais get a Bachelor degree, but can’t speak English and instead of losing face they will avoid you. 

Some contemptuous posts were removed. Please debate the subject politely, without resorting to insults. Thank you. 

Meanwhile; i have been riding my Bike around all the Local Villages in my area of Chiang Mai for 20 years now and every day i get lots of nice smiles, some grimaces, the odd 'stare at the Alien' stuff and now and again the positively evil look.  In the Local Shops, Markets, Banks etc i am always treated well and with respect because that is the way i treat everyone i meet.

 

At Chiang Mai Immigration Office i have always received polite and reasonably effiecient Service year in and year out, my only complaint being the accute lack of Parking Space for us, 'The Customers'.   However; if you look around places like Supermarket Car Parks you will almost always see that all the spaces nearest the Entry Points are filled with the Cars belonging to Staff, who should be told to leave their Cars furthest away to enable Customers first Parking Priority.   It has always seemed to me that most Service Establishments here consider themselves to be more important than the Customers that they need, a kind of 'Reverse Mentality'. !

 

Such is Life; nobody is ever coming to save us, so it's a case of 'Like it or Lump it'....or.....Leave it !

On 10/22/2025 at 6:31 PM, Nickcage49 said:

I don't feel like I should have to take the abuse. If someone is very rude I get even. It's the American in me.

Being a yank, I thought being rude was part of your culture...you should be used to it, or did you make the Thai's feel disrespected.

9 minutes ago, Aussie999 said:

Being a yank, I thought being rude was part of your culture...you should be used to it, or did you make the Thai's feel disrespected.

Demanding respect seems to be part of the American culture, earning it however appears to be a different matter, It always seems to be those least worthy of respect who demand it most vocally, often with menaces.   

We have all seen the miscreants with their pants halfway down their buttocks demanding it or indeed threatening violence or in some cases actually murdering those who they consider to have "dissed" them in some way  

I think of what it would be like if I had to actually work there and come out laughing.

       I can't say I have ever had a problem, its 30 years since I first came here and I can't say I have noticed a change in attitude towards foreigners at all. 

       Immigration, Banks, Hospitals both private and government, Shops, Police etc etc all fine with me . There does appear to be a small number of people who seem to have issues on a permanent basis with all aspects of life here,  I would suggest a bit of introspective self scrutiny, the problems they encounter invariably  originate very close to "home"

        It is not just the Thai language that some people are unable to grasp, basic cultural sensitivities seem to be beyond the scope of many foreigners here, and that includes those who consider themselves "quality tourists"

4 hours ago, SOTIRIOS said:

...One Factor, I Have Learned, Is 'Volume'...

...Speaking 'In A Normal Tone'. For Me, Has Been Considered 'Yelling'...

 

...Then Again, Another Possible Factor Can Be Their 'Sense Of Guilt For Realizing They Are Wrong' ...

 

...Or Simply, 'Misunderstanding/Miscommunication/Misinterpretation'...

 

...Different Cultures Express & Understand Different Mannerisms In Different Ways...

 

...That Said, There Does Seem To Be A Lot Of 'Underlying Edginess' Going Around These Days... (?) 

"Different Cultures Express & Understand Different Mannerisms In Different Ways.."

 

You have nailed it , Losing one's temper ,  Waving ones arms around , Talking loudly , Grimacing and Frowning, and causing "loss of face" whilst perfectly normal in Liverpool where I come from , are considered unacceptable here. 

 Those who bother to  learn some Thai will also know that whilst the Thais are thankfully not infected with the woke virus (yet)  incorrect use of pronouns  can also be an issue, although most Thais will make allowances for foreigners their patience is not unlimited

There is a well established social hierarchy here,  Learn it  or ignore it  willfully at your peril, as they say  , "up to you"

I've been here for over 20 years! I believe that what goes around comes around...even in Thailand.

The best way is to try and let it go over your head. I will give you an example today, I was in a Thai office, first in queue, they saw me first and it was not difficult to complete, two and half hours later all the other people behind me had completed and gone. She just kept piling up the documents from other people on top of mine

On 10/22/2025 at 6:31 PM, Nickcage49 said:

I don't feel like I should have to take the abuse. If someone is very rude I get even. It's the American in me.

Not planning on invading Thailand are you?

On 10/24/2025 at 11:14 AM, Nickcage49 said:

I opened my mouth and she started yelling. I was about to ask a question and she yelled "sit down".

So you were sitting and to take up the superior position you stood up to ask your question.

3 hours ago, Keeenok Powell said:

Not planning on invading Thailand are you?

After coming to and living in Thailand for 35 years I seriously believe that some people should look elsewhere to live. However much you love Thailand, it just doesn't suit everyone has their home

On 10/22/2025 at 6:33 PM, Nickcage49 said:

But I wish a few more of them spoke English.

 

On 10/22/2025 at 5:01 PM, Nickcage49 said:

I've lived here about 25 years

There's the issue.

A while back, on my initial non 0 ext app, Jomtien Imm Office.  The female IO in the back office angrily shouts this at me: 

    "YOU DO WRONG"

She took all my paperwork and wadded up everything and and tossed the papers in the bin.  Gave me all new blank paperwork to start over.  Black ink and a google map.  Terrible first experience.  I no longer own black pens, and I doubt anyone could find my property on some hand-sketched map.  

I took my wife when I went back and got lucky again. I got to see the same IO, but this time my wife went in the office with me.  I didn't get a chance to speak, and the rest of the conversation between my wife and IO was all in Isan.  Everything was flawless, and what wasn't the IO fixed herself.

 

 The only other time a gov official was rude to me was when traffic cops handed out parking tickets in BK and put boots on car wheels. A newbie mistake...white, yellow and red parking curbs.

 

 

On 10/24/2025 at 11:04 AM, Nickcage49 said:

Perhaps you're right. But I opened my mouth and this chick started yelling...sooooo I didn't have a chance to set a tone.

 

I've noticed that plain or fat menopausal aged women nearly always give foreigners a hard time in gov. offices, certainly me anyway, maybe they think that they're missing out on something?

17 hours ago, Aussie999 said:

Being a yank, I thought being rude was part of your culture...you should be used to it, or did you make the Thai's feel disrespected.

I had a farang shouting at a till lady in Makro recently that the writing on his box of noodles wasn’t big enough.
Oh and yes he was a septic tank.

18 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

Meanwhile; i have been riding my Bike around all the Local Villages in my area of Chiang Mai for 20 years now and every day i get lots of nice smiles, some grimaces, the odd 'stare at the Alien' stuff and now and again the positively evil look.  In the Local Shops, Markets, Banks etc i am always treated well and with respect because that is the way i treat everyone i meet.

 

At Chiang Mai Immigration Office i have always received polite and reasonably effiecient Service year in and year out, my only complaint being the accute lack of Parking Space for us, 'The Customers'.   However; if you look around places like Supermarket Car Parks you will almost always see that all the spaces nearest the Entry Points are filled with the Cars belonging to Staff, who should be told to leave their Cars furthest away to enable Customers first Parking Priority.   It has always seemed to me that most Service Establishments here consider themselves to be more important than the Customers that they need, a kind of 'Reverse Mentality'. !

 

Such is Life; nobody is ever coming to save us, so it's a case of 'Like it or Lump it'....or.....Leave it !

Must be just where you live, my local Makro, all the staff cars are right over the other side, the nearest parking spots are the disabled spots which are chained up, you need to ask the security unlock if you need, We also go to the main one on a Sunday never a problem, 

On 10/22/2025 at 7:00 PM, CharlieH said:

Reading your OP, it sounds like the issue lies more in how things were handled than in the staff themselves. Three similar incidents point to a pattern, something in tone or approach is setting people off.

People from the West play chess; Asians plays checkers. You can’t use the rules of one for the other. The way you deal with things “back home” doesn’t work the same way here.

 

And thinking it can’t be me, it must be them only confirms that the problem probably is you, because nothing changes until you do.😄

 

I would agree. I think the phrase about not being disrespected by these "Thai paper pushers" seems to show a glimpse into where the problem may stem. 

I've seen the same at immigration in Jomtien.  Just need to grin and bear it.  Literally, you should smile.  It seems to go a long ways but not always a solution.  In that case you just need to be patient and put up with it, even if they are not.  It's not unlike experiences I have had with gov't employees back in my home country sometimes.

On 10/28/2025 at 10:09 AM, chuang said:

Did you asked them rude questions...

Look at the Thais offen being bullied by farangs at walking streets in Pattaya and Phuket...

They don't allow themselves to be "bullied"  especially by "farangs"   They are not victims by any stretch of ones overly  woke imagination

5 hours ago, BillyBloggs said:

So you were sitting and to take up the superior position you stood up to ask your question.

I bet he sat down pretty damn quick though

On 10/22/2025 at 5:01 PM, Nickcage49 said:

Thai People Being Unfriendly to Foreigners 

Here's why. 

 

I see this poor behaviour regularly from foreigners. 

 

OK, today 

I was in Tukcom earlier shopping in Tops, downstairs.

I was lined up waiting for the cashier, there were around 4 in the queue, I'm just about to get served, a 30-year-old (maybe younger) foreign woman gets in the line, she starts yelling at the security lady, asking if they could open another checkout.
I softly laughed because of her disrespectful behaviour, she continued and continued, the poor security woman was helpless.

I had enough, I asked this crazy woman to calm down, I got a little angry, saying it's Thailand, we do things differently here and if you don't like it you can go back home or shop at the supermarket up the road 

Poor Pattaya, so many nasty, disrespectful foreigners arriving.

 

 

2 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Here's why. 

 

I see this poor behaviour regularly from foreigners. 

 

OK, today 

I was in Tukcom earlier shopping in Tops, downstairs.

I was lined up waiting for the cashier, there were around 4 in the queue, I'm just about to get served, a 30-year-old (maybe younger) foreign woman gets in the line, she starts yelling at the security lady, asking if they could open another checkout.
I softly laughed because of her disrespectful behaviour, she continued and continued, the poor security woman was helpless.
I asked this crazy woman to calm down, I got a little angry, saying it's Thailand, we do things differently here and if you don't like it you can go back home.

Poor Pattaya, so many nasty, disrespectful foreigners arriving.

 

 

No No...what you do is immediately agree with the farang girl tell her she's right ..and then as they open the check out ...you turn to the staff and start telling them the obnoxious behaviour of these farangs and you look at her and shake your head !

4 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

No No...what you do is immediately agree with the farang girl tell her she's right ..and then as they open the check out ...you turn to the staff and start telling them the obnoxious behaviour of these farangs and you look at her and shake your head !

Oh OK, sorry. 

 

Next time mate, there will be plenty more opportunities for me 🇦🇺

1 minute ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Oh OK, sorry. 

 

Next time mate, there will be plenty more opportunities for me 🇦🇺

And they do only have ONE check out at that Tops ,it's on the right side near the wall.

I often have to wait as far back where the fabric conditioners are on the wall

Open another bloody checkout 

 

3 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

I often have to wait as far back where the fabric conditioners are on the wall

That's less than 2 metres, around 4 deep. 

 

Next time let me know when you go shopping, I will yak, yak, management for you 😂