On The Bkk - Pattaya Bus

[Lancelot]

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.

Agreed. Seems that the famous thai smile is seen less and less, especially in BKK...

[Jingthing]

Ditto Pattaya.

Are there messages coming from the Thai media and/or military government that add fuel to this?

[popshirt]

If it is sleepy time after dinner on a long flight, recline the seat as much as you like.

But I sympathize with the Thai woman on the Pattaya bus. Having someone else's hair practically in my mouth is very distasteful to me.

To the best of my recollection, it has always been a woman who reclines fully as soon as the seat belt sign is off, I don't know why this is, maybe just random chance.

But I do not suffer in silence.

People are likely to be cranky on the Pattaya bus anyway because they know at the other end they will have to deal with the baht busses.

[uptou]

at 6ft tall,i sometimes get a bit annoyed at having no warning of the seat being reclined.no slow action, just bamm,its on my knees,but trying to explain this to a thai in english may be more painful than the crime itself.

i always give a look behind & lower the seat slowly as a sign of respect.these natives need educating on alot of things.

[DP25]

I think the OP nailed it with the Thai boyfriend thing. Thai woman are normally small and I can't see them being so bothered by the reclining seat, unless they were already angry for another reason and spoiling for a fight. If the Thai guy was handsome, young, or rich looking that's probably the reason she flipped out. If it wasn't because the Thai boyfriend was handsome or rich and she's off to sleep with strangers twice her age for cash, she was probably just pissed off for some other reason and this was a good excuse to throw a tantrum.

[madjbs]

or maybe she was having a bad day, or maybe the girl reminded her of someone she didnt like, or maybe her pet girafe died.

[Jimjim]

Maybe the berating girl just wanted to practice her English.

[JimmyCA]

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?!?

Typical racist angry anti-farang behavior. Have seen similar on the BKK - Pattaya bus and from low class black trash women in NYC.

[Ulysses G.]

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

Last time that I went to Pattaya on the bus, some older, dirt-bag farang got on in Nachon Nowhere in the middle of the night with his skanky girlfriend and immediately put his seat back all the way so that it was crushing my legs. I gently jerked my legs a little to let him know how uncomfortable it was, but he completely ignored me.

Luckily, one of the Thai staff noticed and forced him to move it up about 3 inches.

I expected him to try putting it back again, but he was a good boy the rest of the way to Pattaya.

[soundman]

I think the OP nailed it with the Thai boyfriend thing. Thai woman are normally small and I can't see them being so bothered by the reclining seat, unless they were already angry for another reason and spoiling for a fight. If the Thai guy was handsome, young, or rich looking that's probably the reason she flipped out. If it wasn't because the Thai boyfriend was handsome or rich and she's off to sleep with strangers twice her age for cash, she was probably just pissed off for some other reason and this was a good excuse to throw a tantrum.

Thai man and thai girl maybe boyfriend & girlfriend with unresolved business about how they go about their repective jobs?

[howtoescape]

But I sympathize with the Thai woman on the Pattaya bus.

Thats ridiculous, how can you in any way shape or form sympathise with someone who will start a fight about such a minor thing.

If it was males involved in something so small it could escalate into serious violence

[crewcut]

The opposite happened to me on the old X99 bus from BKK to Udon, the guy behind me with his mates continually kicked and pushed my chair for at least 5 or 10 minutes before I turned around and told him to **** ***. I turned back around sat down and nodded more or less straight off to sleep, not forgetting to put all of my valuables (didn't take long!) down the front of my pants. Was shaken awake just as the bus approached the Udon station, got off grabbed a coffee and went on my way.

[dave111223]

But I sympathize with the Thai woman on the Pattaya bus.

Thats ridiculous, how can you in any way shape or form sympathise with someone who will start a fight about such a minor thing.

If it was males involved in something so small it could escalate into serious violence

Agreed.

I'm guessing the popshirt would also sympathize with some hooligan bottling some guy in the face for spilling his beer?

[Heng]

I think she was just angry about having to ride the bus. 20+ strangers in a confined space and no champagne or meal service? I probably would have shot the driver and took us all over the Bangpagong bridge.

[Jersey_UK]

I think she was just angry about having to ride the bus. 20+ strangers in a confined space and no champagne or meal service? I probably would have shot the driver and took us all over the Bangpagong bridge.

It is folk who recline their seats 30 seconds after boarding that annoy me, it's not as if they are really going to be sleeping

Whilst I accept they are perfectly entitled to recline their seat, for me etiquette dictates that this is not done until sleeping, and then reclined slowly........those that annoy me suffer the penalty of my knee "accidently" jarring the seat back. Frequently. and when leaving my seat I like to give the seat back a good clout with my ar#e - especially in the middle of the night. Sometimes with an innocent apology

My pet hate on an aeroplane is Fat people, it is not so much that they do intrude on my space - it is just nauseous for me to see parts of them poured over the armrest

[zamp]

Slightly off topic but have a look at these for when you are on a plane if it pisses you off that people recline there f**king seats .aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh

http://www.kneedefender.com/

[solent01]

I read this yesterday and decided not to post, yet this is still running so....... here goes......

Get a f.ing life. seats recline, people use them, grow up and get real, who has a right to complain to anybody else about how they use that. If you don't like the fact, don't travel with that type of transport, or at least pay the price and travel in comfort..... It's not that hard really.

[popshirt]

But I sympathize with the Thai woman on the Pattaya bus.

Thats ridiculous, how can you in any way shape or form sympathise with someone who will start a fight about such a minor thing.

If it was males involved in something so small it could escalate into serious violence

Agreed.

I'm guessing the popshirt would also sympathize with some hooligan bottling some guy in the face for spilling his beer?

I don't condone her behaviour but I sympathize with her plight.

(Edit) I'm travelling from Bkk to Jomtien on Saturday and I've hired a car and driver......if I had to face that bus crowd, I'd rather not go at all.

Edited August 17, 2007 by popshirt

[November Rain]

Typical racist angry anti-farang behavior. Have seen similar on the BKK - Pattaya bus and from low class black trash women in NYC.

So, the girl on the bus was being racist, in your opinion? (Very possible) But the second part of your statement isn't racist? How can you deride (possible) racism in another, yet practice it yourself?

Lancelot, I think you may have hit the nail on the head. Thai reactions to a farang female/Thai male relationship can be very varied. I've come across it myself - including unwarranted near violence from a particular Thai female friend of my BFs. Luckily, my BF did take my side & told her what he thought in no uncertain terms. From then on we avoided her.

I actually think the farang girl behaved very well in this (from your account). As a woman, it can be very scary having an angry woman "in your face". I find angry women to be very unpredictable sometimes. To completely ignore the rant & also hang back when getting off the bus seems to have been the best reaction she could have made. Yes, perhaps she could have adjusted her seat a little, but as said before, if someone was ranting at me, I wouldn't either, whereas a polite request would have made me instantly comply.

Perhaps, as you said, she did ask politely first. But the sort of people who will ask politely are more the sort of people who will sit & silently seethe, if not complied with, rather than the type that will go ballistic, in my experience.

[tropo]

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

I'll bet anything they were bar girls.

[Lancelot]

Typical racist angry anti-farang behavior. Have seen similar on the BKK - Pattaya bus and from low class black trash women in NYC.

So, the girl on the bus was being racist, in your opinion? (Very possible) But the second part of your statement isn't racist? How can you deride (possible) racism in another, yet practice it yourself?

Lancelot, I think you may have hit the nail on the head. Thai reactions to a farang female/Thai male relationship can be very varied. I've come across it myself - including unwarranted near violence from a particular Thai female friend of my BFs. Luckily, my BF did take my side & told her what he thought in no uncertain terms. From then on we avoided her.

I actually think the farang girl behaved very well in this (from your account). As a woman, it can be very scary having an angry woman "in your face". I find angry women to be very unpredictable sometimes. To completely ignore the rant & also hang back when getting off the bus seems to have been the best reaction she could have made. Yes, perhaps she could have adjusted her seat a little, but as said before, if someone was ranting at me, I wouldn't either, whereas a polite request would have made me instantly comply.

Perhaps, as you said, she did ask politely first. But the sort of people who will ask politely are more the sort of people who will sit & silently seethe, if not complied with, rather than the type that will go ballistic, in my experience.

Hi NR

Good for you that your Thai BF for stood up for you; he is a good guy. The poor Farang girl"s Thai BF totally ignored the situation; he wanted no part whatsoever.

FWIW, the Farang girl kept her seat fully inclined for 1.5 hous; she only reclined it about a half-hour before we arrived in Pattaya. I think the Thai girl was itching for a scrap and she finally had her excuse. I had to chuckle when the Farang girl tuned out the rant and donned her headphones. That was a classic

The scrappy Thai girl was pretty but man I pity the guy that becomes her BF.

Lion taming anyone ?

[Lancelot]

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

I'll bet anything they were bar girls.

Steady Tropo, we are close to being in agreement

[britmaveric]

Civilized people don't travel by Coach. We hire car services to take us from place to place.

[tropo]

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

I'll bet anything they were bar girls.

Steady Tropo, we are close to being in agreement

Sorry. Maybe we should get together for a cup of coffee... I'll pay.

[Lancelot]

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

I'll bet anything they were bar girls.

Steady Tropo, we are close to being in agreement

Sorry. Maybe we should get together for a cup of coffee... I'll pay.

Deal

[Sanpatong]

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

I'll bet anything they were bar girls.

I wouldn't.

What do you base that on? You think bargirls are more likely to be hot tempered arrogant fcuks than people (who think they are / want to be) middle class?

[Mobi]

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

I'll bet anything they were bar girls.

I wouldn't.

What do you base that on? You think bargirls are more likely to be hot tempered arrogant fcuks than people (who think they are / want to be) middle class?

Given they were very pretty, coming to Pattaya and one of them completely lost her cool over something relatively trivial, the circumstantial evidence points to the fact they were bar girls or at least 'good time girls' coming to Pattaya for a 'good time'.

Of course Thai ladies from all walks of life can go berserk at the slightest provocation - as I know to my cost, and as I see daily in the Thai soaps

So who knows? Maybe they were Hi So's slumming down, a la Paris Hilton

[CarlBkk]

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

I'll bet anything they were bar girls.

I wouldn't.

What do you base that on? You think bargirls are more likely to be hot tempered arrogant fcuks than people (who think they are / want to be) middle class?

Yes, they are much more likely to. Have you ever ridden on the BKK-Pattaya bus? Would you consider most of the girls on that bus to be officeworkers going for a weekend break? There are some tough little cookies on there, and the confrontation sounds very very typical of a bargirl. Public anger is a huge no-no for the middle and even lower middle classes. They just bitch or possibly get drunk and have a barney over a boy at RCA, not a lot else you'll find.

[tropo]

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

I'll bet anything they were bar girls.

I wouldn't.

What do you base that on? You think bargirls are more likely to be hot tempered arrogant fcuks than people (who think they are / want to be) middle class?

Yes, that's exactly what I think.

As Mobi said, there were other signs.

Pretty girls heading to Pattaya.

A reasonable command of the English language.

Apparent jealousy toward a farang chick.

I'll put money on it.

[Sanpatong]

Yes, they are much more likely to. Have you ever ridden on the BKK-Pattaya bus?

Yes, quite often.

Would you consider most of the girls on that bus to be officeworkers going for a weekend break?

No, those would have cars. It's a mix of people, working class people of every kind. It depends on the time of day I take the bus, but true/obvious bargirls are a minority. Often there's at least one or two, though.