On The Bkk - Pattaya Bus

[Lancelot]

I rode the bus from BKK to Pattya recently and the trip was uneventful untill the last half hour of the journey.

I was in the very last row and daydreaming when two rows up I heard a "Thai girl shout I can't sit here!" A farang girl immediately in front of her had reclined her seat and encroached on the Thai girl's space. In fairnes maybe the Thai had politely asked the Farang to adjust her seat upwards but I only took notice when the Thai lady started shouting. She then got out of her seat, stood in font of the Farang and started berating her in passable english. The Farang girl said something to the effect that she did nothing wrong and then put on her MP4 player head phones and ignored her. That really infuriated the Thai and she started saying "This is Thailand, you are not in your country, go back home repeatedly. The Thai girls friend, also female, stood up and also contributed to the tounge lashing, although in a more reserved manner. The lady bus conductor came back and asked the Thai what happened. The angry girl (Thai) unleashed a torrent of abusive thai about how the Farang was annoying her. The lady conductor really didn't want to be involved and just stood there with that Thai smile that says "I'm not happy and I want all this unpleasantness to go away" Another Farang guy in the row opposite politely motioned to the farang girl to adjust her seat upwards and she complied. The Thai girl stood there for another few moments glaring at the farang, then her friend got her by the arm and pulled her back to her seat.

All was well until we arrived in Pattaya. The Farang girl wisely remained in her seat, yielding the right of way, but in passing the Thai girl stopped and pointed her finger at the Farang, clearly wanting to resume the fracus, itching for a fight. Again her friend grabbed her arm and husteled her off the bus. She was even waiting for the farang outside the bus and had the Farang made the slightest impolite gesture, I have no doubt that the Thai girl would have become physically violent.

I did notice that prior to the disturbance, the Farang girl was accompanied by a Thai guy and they appeared to be boyfriend - girl friend. But when Thai girl became aggressive, the Thai guy clearly wanted no involvement and looked out the window, ignoring it all.

I'll have to say that 98% of the Thais are very unconfrontational and will usually go to great lengths to avoid an argument, but that 2% minority can be really aggressive and confrontational. Sure, there are idiots in every nationality, but looking back, I have ridden on many busses in many different countries but this is the first time I've seen such a facas over a reclined seat.

By the way, both girls were very pretty, but man, I pity the poor guy that wins the heart of that little Thai tigress

Perhaps the real reason was that the Farang girl had a Thai boyfriend?!?

[Mobi]

One of the banes of my life is selfish people who insist on reclining their seat when there is obviously minimal space for the person behind. Typically it happens on planes, and makes me very uncomfortable, and not a little upset.

I cannot comment on why this girl became so hysterical - maybe it was the presence of a Thai boyfriend - but if this has happened to her many times before (as it has me) I can certainly sympathise with her loss of control.

There but for the grace of God.....etc

[Mid]

Typically it happens on planes, and makes me very uncomfortable, and not a little upset.

agree and confess upfront that the reason your seat doesn't recline properly is that my knees are blocking it ...............................................

[madjbs]

Don’t they realize they have their own reclining seat to recline, there is always some selfish people on airplanes that think because they don’t want to recline their seat everyone in front of them should have their seat upright and uncomfortable. If everyone reclines they all have the same space. However I have noticed on some buses that the occasional seat is wrongly adjusted and is able to recline too far, probably squashing anyone behind.

Edited August 16, 2007 by madjbs

[kmart]

I was pulled over by Police the other day for a motoring offence and I stopped kerbside but the officer took a couple of minutes to approach my car. During this time a couple of mobile food vendors were approaching along the kerbside in the opposite direction of traffic. They took umbridge to the presence of my pick-up with the blinkers on just sitting there obstructing their path. As I sat there motionless observing in my mirror one vendor completely lost the rag, shouting obscenities at me in Thai and threatening to damage my vehicle. I was under no illusion it was primarily because I was a foreigner and not Thai. It was lucky the Policeman approached when he did as one weapon-wielding moron was working himself up into a frenzy. A couple of times he banged his hand on my vehicle in an attempt to intimidate me into a confrontation.

As usual when I can't be bothered to give these morons the time of day I just sat doing nothing. Giving them any sort of reaction whatsoever would probably have led to an escalation of events.

Sounds like a double-whammy there, m8. Pulled by the cops, and threatened by fried-maggot vendors? Sounds like a good excuse to go postal to me.

Seriously though, a lot of Thais (and Westerners) express themselves through either silence or rage in regards to confrontation or invasion of personal space, when normally a polite query or request would sort things out.

[Mobi]

Don’t they realize they have their own reclining seat to recline, there is always some selfish people on airplanes that think because they don’t want to recline their seat everyone in front of them should have their seat upright and uncomfortable. If everyone reclines they all have the same space. However I have noticed on some buses that the occasional seat is wrongly adjusted and is able to recline too far, probably squashing anyone behind.

Well I'm six feet tall, which is not particularly tall in this day and age, and I can assure you that if I also recline my seat it does not solve the problem of my knees being jammed aginst the seat in front of me. My back is in a reclining position, but my knees remain where they are - jammed.

In fact there have been a few occasions when I have had my knees injured by a sudden reclining of the seat in front of me.

A slight reclination (Is there such a word? - not according to Google spell check ) is usually OK - it's when they put it right back that it creates a major problem.

Edited August 16, 2007 by Mobi

[Mobi]

One of the banes of my life is selfish people who insist on reclining their seat when there is obviously minimal space for the person behind. Typically it happens on planes

Fly Business or First then!

I do for most journeys. Didn't want to mention this as I will be dumped on by all and sundry as being a supercilious braggart who doesn't understand how the other half live

[dave111223]

Don’t they realize they have their own reclining seat to recline, there is always some selfish people on airplanes that think because they don’t want to recline their seat everyone in front of them should have their seat upright and uncomfortable. If everyone reclines they all have the same space. However I have noticed on some buses that the occasional seat is wrongly adjusted and is able to recline too far, probably squashing anyone behind.

I agree.

I do however find it annoying when someone reclines their seat, but at the end of the day I accept that they have the right to do so seeing as the seats are designed with this feature.

Maybe if you were on a 8hour+ trip and the person infronts seat was broken and reclining too far, and after some times of polite asking the person still refused to adjust the seat I could understand a few harsh words.

But the ride to Pattaya is like 2 1/2 hours! Come on! Anyone can tolerate a reclined seat for that long!

The Thai girl was way out of line.

What annoys me more than someone reclining their seat too far is the people who continual kick the back of your seat throughout the journey; that really gets me.

[Mobi]

But the ride to Pattaya is like 2 1/2 hours! Come on! Anyone can tolerate a reclined seat for that long!

The Thai girl was way out of line.

In that case, why didn't the farang girl show some consideration and leave her seat in the upright position?

[JimmyTheMook]

By the way, both girls were very pretty, but man, I pity the poor guy that wins the heart of that little Thai tigress

Should have offered her a seat on your lap.

Edited August 16, 2007 by JimmyTheMook

[dave111223]

But the ride to Pattaya is like 2 1/2 hours! Come on! Anyone can tolerate a reclined seat for that long!

The Thai girl was way out of line.

In that case, why didn't the farang girl show some consideration and leave her seat in the upright position?

I agree that if the Farang girl had been asked politely to adjust the seat slightly it would have been the civil thing to do so.

But if all of a sudden the girl behind just started yelling i would not have been inclined (no pun intended) to put the seat up either.

And at the end of the day i still hold that each customer has the right to choose whether or not to recline their seat (if they didn't why would the bus manufacturers continue to build reclining seats?).

Edited August 16, 2007 by dave111223

[madjbs]

I am 6'3" and I dont have any knee jamming problems (although on planes I dont exactly have a load of room), perhaps it depends on your belly size and which airline.

[Mid]

(if they didn't why would the bus manufacturers continue to build reclining seats?).

and the last row ?

barrel , fish ,in

[lazeeboy]

I rode the bus from BKK to Pattya recently and the trip was uneventful untill the last half hour of the journey.

I was in the very last row and daydreaming when two rows up I heard a "Thai girl shout I can't sit here!" A farang girl immediately in front of her had reclined her seat and encroached on the Thai girl's space. In fairnes maybe the Thai had politely asked the Farang to adjust her seat upwards but I only took notice when the Thai lady started shouting. She then got out of her seat, stood in font of the Farang and started berating her in passable english. The Farang girl said something to the effect that she did nothing wrong and then put on her MP4 player head phones and ignored her. That really infuriated the Thai and she started saying "This is Thailand, you are not in your country, go back home repeatedly. The Thai girls friend, also female, stood up and also contributed to the tounge lashing, although in a more reserved manner. The lady bus conductor came back and asked the Thai what happened. The angry girl (Thai) unleashed a torrent of abusive thai about how the Farang was annoying her. The lady conductor really didn't want to be involved and just stood there with that Thai smile that says "I'm not happy and I want all this unpleasantness to go away" Another Farang guy in the row opposite politely motioned to the farang girl to adjust her seat upwards and she complied. The Thai girl stood there for another few moments glaring at the farang, then her friend got her by the arm and pulled her back to her seat.

All was well until we arrived in Pattaya. The Farang girl wisely remained in her seat, yielding the right of way, but in passing the Thai girl stopped and pointed her finger at the Farang, clearly wanting to resume the fracus, itching for a fight. Again her friend grabbed her arm and husteled her off the bus. She was even waiting for the farang outside the bus and had the Farang made the slightest impolite gesture, I have no doubt that the Thai girl would have become physically violent.

I did notice that prior to the disturbance, the Farang girl was accompanied by a Thai guy and they appeared to be boyfriend - girl friend. But when Thai girl became aggressive, the Thai guy clearly wanted no involvement and looked out the window, ignoring it all.

I'll have to say that 98% of the Thais are very unconfrontational and will usually go to great lengths to avoid an argument, but that 2% minority can be really aggressive and confrontational. Sure, there are idiots in every nationality, but looking back, I have ridden on many busses in many different countries but this is the first time I've seen such a facas over a reclined seat.

By the way, both girls were very pretty, but man, I pity the poor guy that wins the heart of that little Thai tigress

Perhaps the real reason was that the Farang girl had a Thai boyfriend?!?

its just over an hours ride ,why recline your seat anyway ,not like its an over nighter is it ..........

[dave111223]

(if they didn't why would the bus manufacturers continue to build reclining seats?).

and the last row ?

barrel , fish ,in

On most (half way decent) buses the last row can also recline; they leave like a foot of space between the last row and the back wall.

P.S. I prefer the back row as it is "guilt free" reclining

Edited August 16, 2007 by dave111223

[Mobi]

I am 6'3" and I dont have any knee jamming problems (although on planes I dont exactly have a load of room), perhaps it depends on your belly size and which airline.

Hm...

Maybe you have a large torso and short legs - a sort of larger version of Ernie Wise

My belly size is fine thanks - I only look about 2 months pregnant

[DirkGently]

How would you have reacted if the Thai lady was yelling at you?

Not sure what I would have done. Maybe a big show of how sorry I was and then incline my seat by less than centimetre.

[madjbs]

Probably because im overly skinny then

[Scott]

Wow! I thought everyone just had to tolerate things like reclining seats, people crawling over you to go to the toilet etc. I never thought about asking them not to--it's their seat, so they can recline it. I certainly never thought about getting all worked up over it.

It can be damned uncomfortable on an overseas flight, but I can't quite see getting worked up going to Pattaya.

I wonder what bar she works in (just joking)!

[Mobi]

How would you have reacted if the Thai lady was yelling at you?

I might have got quite excited - especially if she was as good looking as the op suggests

[JimmyTheMook]

its just over an hours ride ,why recline your seat anyway ,not like its an over nighter is it ..........

Closer to 2 hours and that is w/o traffic

[Payboy]

too bad we cant access you tube in thailand - otherwise we have a potential hit here = bus aunty

[RogueLeader]

What annoys me more than someone reclining their seat too far is the people who continual kick the back of your seat throughout the journey; that really gets me.

Don't recline your seat then.

I have noticed that people who recline their seats do tend to be shorter and just making more room to stretch out.

[ColPyat]

In the recent year i have seen on many occasions tempers flaring at minor occasions that previously were no issue at all. And not just between Thais and Foreigners, even more so between Thais themselves.

Personally, i believe that the present uncomfortable political and social climate leaves an impression on people here. I am a lot more careful nowadays in potential conflict situations than i was previously.

[Mobi]

Wow! I thought everyone just had to tolerate things like reclining seats, people crawling over you to go to the toilet etc. I never thought about asking them not to--it's their seat, so they can recline it. I certainly never thought about getting all worked up over it.

It can be damned uncomfortable on an overseas flight, but I can't quite see getting worked up going to Pattaya.

I have to make a confession.

I recently took an economy class flight to Sydney with my wife on Thai Airways.

Half an hour into the journey, the guy in front reclined his seat fully.

I groaned to my wife about my discomfort. She asked me why I didn't ask the man to raise his seat.

Like you I felt that he had right to recline it if he wanted to and really didn't want to start a hassle with another passenger on a 9 hour flight. So I declined.

So my wife, whose English is usually extremely limited, lent across and in almost faultless English asked the guy if he would mind lifting his seat up as her husband had long legs and was very uncomfortable.

The guy didn't say a word, but the seat went up and remained there for the remainder of the flight...

... to my eternal shame.....

[thaiflyer1]

Here's the answer to all your problems (or potentially the start of them )

http://www.kneedefender.com/

[DirkGently]

Yes, PAYBOY, it's a good job we can't access youtube in Thailand the Gov made it impossible

[Sanpatong]

They made it less straightforward, there's no such thing as impossible.

[Jingthing]

I think reclining on a long flight is perfectly acceptable, except during meals. For a short ride during the day, it is borderline rude.

Edited August 16, 2007 by Jingthing

[Payboy]

Yes, PAYBOY, it's a good job we can't access youtube in Thailand the Gov made it impossible

yes, i think that was done when they also eliminated corruption, drugs, prostitution, etc.