1 hour ago, CallumWK said:

Not many Israelis in Pattaya, but Israelis/Jews are easily recognisable, and there is a lot of bad news about them these days.

You can spot them by the yellow star on their chest?

4 minutes ago, TedG said:

You can spot them by the yellow star on their chest?

No but I can spot baiting trolls on this forum by your posts

11 minutes ago, CallumWK said:

No but I can spot baiting trolls on this forum by your posts

Show me on the doll where my post hurt you.

20 minutes ago, Toc-Toc said:

Fourteen years in Thailand, and I have noticed a single change in the incredible kindness of the Thai people towards us.

There's now a brief observation phase to make sure we're not one of the rude, arrogant, and condescending visitors they've inevitably encountered before.

From my perspective, a humble smile is the sesame that opens every door without exception.

Yes, still applicable to rural Thailand. Reverse a smile, don't talk loud, learn to speak basic Thai. Combine "assertiveness" with "humble pie". Thai's know what to make of it.

Attention: If a failed "lady of the night" has decided to return to her village, it may spoil the harmony of a Farang/Thai "togetherness". Involving the entire village.

3 hours ago, CallumWK said:

Not many Israelis in Pattaya, but Israelis/Jews are easily recognisable, and there is a lot of bad news about them these days.

Jews are easily recognisable (sic). Wow. You missed your calling by about 90 years.

And no, there is not a lot of bad news about them in Thailand. On the contrary, they still have one of the lowest crime rates per foreign nationalities. It goes hand in hand with the the idiocy of the bigots of Asean Now, who have singled out Indians, Israelis, and Russians as being savage criminals, when the actual crime data shows the opposite. The crime crown for people outside of the immediate region remains with Europeans (including Irish and UK nationals) and Australians. The Europeans include the ethnic North Africans .

It's most definitely a reflection of the very low quality tourism that Pattaya attracts these days. And the fact that the locals are very jaded and sick of all the nonsense that these obnoxious tourists bring to the table.

I have noticed that in general the locals in Pattaya, Phuket and Samui are some of the least friendly in Thailand. In Samui part of the reason is that the locals are not really locals, but rather transplants as most of the locals have moved a long time ago. That's likely the same in Phuket but I'm not sure about Pattaya as I don't really know the place well. But there are obviously good reasons why it's constantly in the news, and it's very rarely ever good news.

The warm hospitality, gentle friendliness, deep-rooted cultural emphasis on harmony, earning Thailand the famous nickname "the Land of smiles, and the '' mai pen rai'' attitude

used to be so many years ago, now days, are all gone,

I don't want to live like a "King"

This idea has been promoted on American TV starting in the 80s (Dallas, Falcon Crest, etc)

Glorification of the Rich & Famous

I prefer eating for 50b than 10,000b tasting menus

Shopping at the big local market instead of Big C, Tops, Villa

That being said, love the 🇺🇸 Alaskan Flash Frozen Salmon from Lotus, top shelf

Other than that, live a very local life

Walking everyday

People are friendly

Unlike Mexico "Gringo! Guerro!" shouts from random people across the street

Respectful.

You're in the wrong place, wrong time. 🫡

Edited August 26Aug 26 by SiSePuede419
80s TV propaganda

Can't say as I've noticed.

But if Thai social media is as negative on foreigners as what I read on this forum one can hardly be surprised.

They always were quite rude behind the wheel of a car!😄

I remember when i first came to Pattaya in the early 2000s, i was talking to a thai vendor on the beach and she described most farangs as bird<deleted>. She was probably right, and it's got worse since the stoners and Russians invaded.

" A dramatic increase ". I'd be genuinely interested to know how this perception by the OP has played out in real world interactions.

Observing the OP's posts and replies to others over the years he comes across to me as a bit of a drama queen who doesn't take differing opinions to his own very well. Dismissive, rude and a bit arrogant. I could see situations where he might bring out the worst in locals if they are becoming less tolerant.

Can't see I've experienced anything noticeable to make it thread worthy.

I agree with the opening statement. My belief is that there is now anti-farang sentiment prevalent in tourist areas. I pin much of this on Anutin & his War on Foreigners. Unpopular leaders often pander to their country by whipping up xenophobia in the name of War. After 20 years of Golden silence, during which he did nothing/said nothing (except to label us 'dirty foreigners), he's finally discovered the Nominee Scam and sent in the troops to close businesses & repossess houses of the victims. He helped lying lawyers sell this scheme to farangs; now he's changed his tune. He'll be telling us next that the cheating/bribery in the Civil Service exam scandal has also only happened this year.

40 minutes ago, Wingate said:

Methinks you're projecting your own hatred on to others.

AN is a place to vent about the Angriest Clown in the World, who is Trump (46 rage Tweets in his latest mental breakdown). Vent a little, and it's done for the day. The remainder for those of us who are actual patriots, despite being expats, is about living the nice life Thailand offers...start the day in the gym, and then it's time for business and working with my Thai staff. I leave the anger to the cult on AN, and one particular former truck driver, supposedly living happily with his "cashier" in Isaan somewhere, but who originates more angry posts than anyone.

What I see on AN among those disgusted by the corrupt moron that is Trump, is humor. The righties and the cult are devoid of anything approaching humor. They take criticism of their messiah as a personal insult, as they are confronted with their own failure and mediocrity, try as they might to live vicariously through the bozo trying to put his name everywhere, the way a stray dog lifts his leg to leave his scent everywhere. It's not us "libtards" fault that Trumpers are life's failures, still trying to deal with the fact the "cool kids" ignored them in their youth. Trump cannot fix what was broken at birth, but the cult hangs on Trump's coat tails, still hoping against hope he can free them from the yoke of mediocrity.

In Bangkok I see the Trumpers. Barking away about "lefties" and "libtards" and "woke", after they've waddled up to a barstool, their spare tires flopping half way to the floor, their beer belly keeping them almost arm's length from their draft beer. Not a one of them looks happy. The good news is they've taken such poor care of themselves, their angst will soon end as they depart this Earthly plain and move six feet under it.

In my business and among my staff, my thoughts re the clown that is the corrupt moronic Trump remain my own. Not so surprisingly, my staff express their own views, which I would guess come from the Thai media they absorb. High fuel prices? Trump's fault. A slowing economy? Trump's fault. True, that.

The trick to not being a target of any building frustration is to not look like a MAGA. Be fit, dress neatly, smile, treat service staff nicely, and certainly avoid those stupid red hats, and life is ducky.

You should try it.

Yup. There it is again.

Enjoy the next 2 years.

13 hours ago, mfd101 said:

Fine here in Isaan (Prasat Surin). All the locals know me & my b/f - jokes & giggles & thanks at PTT brunch for passing them coins rather than electronic payment. The only people who stare - more curiosity than anything (Gay!) - are the strangers passing through on their way back to BKK.

In some 12 years of living here permanently I've never encountered hostility or rudeness. Nor (I think) in BKK.

Same here in Khao Yai. If you are the same as everyone and integrate with local society there will be little difference in how your treated. Yes, at first your the new Foreigner and they are trying to decide if you will fit in and assimilate or what Foreign attributes you will bring and how it may conflict with Thai culture and society.

18 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I live in Jomtien.

These negative experience are mostly in Jomtien.

I just said Pattaya to imply I was talking about the metro area.

If it's bad in Jomtien, it would be logical to think it would be even worse in Pattaya.

They're used to dealing with Russians now. That's how they get treated so they respond in kind. Lots of Russians in jomtien.

1 minute ago, gargamon said:

They're used to dealing with Russians now. That's how they get treated so they respond in kind. Lots of Russians in jomtien.

Now they are dealing with Chinese and Indian individuals who are not exactly known for their pleasant demeanor.

It's anecdotal. I've noticed a real upswing in farangs believing that Thais don't like them and somehow that something new. Thais are highly nationalistic and a subset of the population don't particularly care for foreigners. But that's nothing different than it was 20 years ago.

8 minutes ago, connda said:

Thais are highly nationalistic and a subset of the population don't particularly care for foreigners. But that's nothing different than it was 20 years ago.

And pretty much the same in every country.

IMHO... most Thais are up to their ears in debt, they can conceal the stress with their smiles.

Sometimes the safety valve blows and they will of course vent. The Pattaya videos show it's usually mob handed.

I live in my own little local world in the Darkside, where basically as long as I'm buying stuff.... I'm treated as a valued customer.

Maybe just play humble? It works for me.

7 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

Jews are easily recognisable (sic). Wow. You missed your calling by about 90 years.

You know very well what I meant with that, without the need of trying to bring antisemitism in it, you <deleted>in Israeli puppy.

7 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

And no, there is not a lot of bad news about them in Thailand. On the contrary, they still have one of the lowest crime rates per foreign nationalities

Yeah just my imagination of course

14 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Weird, I've found them friendlier when you get out the cities

Me, too.

Roadside vendors in the sticks, especially, are very very pleasant. Be it hammocks, khao lam, klua, makham, or new windscreen wiper blades, all very polite and what I was used to when I holidayed here (predominantly Phuket with my wife) annually 16 years ago.

From 2010 to 2014 my wife and I noticed the changes in attitude towards tourists in Phuket. There was a marked increase in Cyrillic lettering on businesses during that time and the iconic Little Mermaid restaurant (and the extremely dodgy one-star guesthouse adjoining it) in Karon was sold after 30-odd years of same ownership as they said the tourist demographic had changed for the worse.

Since 2016, during my six-monthly drives to Pattaya, and annual flights to Phuket to catch up with friends, the "sparkle" isn't there. It all seems to be a drudge; even the faces of tourists seem unwelcoming, looking as if they wished were somewhere else. Maybe it's a cultural thing for some Eastern European countries' peoples. But there's no laughing in pubs.
And, of course, people don't have actual "fun" in the moment anymore - it's all on their phone.

Oh! and farang-run bars in Khon Kaen and Udon Thani? The hostility comes from the foreigners in the place as if you've invaded their house and tried it on with their teenaged daughter in front of them.
So when travelling up north, I go to Thai-run bars so the angry-faced 65 year-old white guy at the front of the pub can glare at someone else.

38 minutes ago, johnnybgood said:

IMHO... most Thais are up to their ears in debt, they can conceal the stress with their smiles.

Yeah, I've heard that theory a bunch of times.

Drowning in debt.

There was a Youtuber who just put out a video claiming he saw a farang woman order a Pad Thai off a street vendor after the vendor clearly stated it was 50 Baht, and then once the dish was prepared, tried to haggle it down to 30 Baht.

Very insensitive to the fact that street vendors are not raking in millions.

This is the type of thing that probably pisses off the locals more than anything. Cheap Charlie westerners haggling and nickle and diming street vendors.

If you cannot afford street food at going rates, you shouldn't be traveling.

Southeast Asia is already the cheapest place in the world for travel.

You don't tug on Superman's cape.

And you don't haggle with street food vendors.

Edited August 27Aug 27 by save the frogs

off topic posts and replies removed

14 hours ago, Jingthing said:

That's your experience.

Such things are anecdotal. but you're being a presumtive moron assuming there is anything objectively wrong with my behavior among Thais.

Admittedly, it's a bit of a stretch to draw conclusions from your behavior on here that I've had the fortune to witness for a good many years.

If I had ever gotten the impression that you can be agreeable, social and cheerful, at least "on a good day", I would be convinced that you can also put those traits to good use when dealing with Thais.

However... I've mostly seen you in an agitated state, often paranoid and unreasonably dramatic. Those are definitely not traits that tend to endear you to Thais.

So, yes. There's my experience. There's your experience. Both are anecdotal. And most likely a reflection of our own behavior to a certain extent.

10 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

Jews are easily recognisable (sic). Wow. You missed your calling by about 90 years.

And no, there is not a lot of bad news about them in Thailand. On the contrary, they still have one of the lowest crime rates per foreign nationalities. It goes hand in hand with the the idiocy of the bigots of Asean Now, who have singled out Indians, Israelis, and Russians as being savage criminals, when the actual crime data shows the opposite. The crime crown for people outside of the immediate region remains with Europeans (including Irish and UK nationals) and Australians. The Europeans include the ethnic North Africans .

The 3 groups that you feel have been singled out, could it possibly be due to a tendency to inconsiderate and even boorish conduct. Plus a seeming reluctance to support the local economy.

9 minutes ago, Caldera said:

Admittedly, it's a bit of a stretch to draw conclusions from your behavior on here that I've had the fortune to witness for a good many years.

If I had ever gotten the impression that you can be agreeable, social and cheerful, at least "on a good day", I would be convinced that you can also put those traits to good use when dealing with Thais.

However... I've mostly seen you in an agitated state, often paranoid and unreasonably dramatic. Those are definitely not traits that tend to endear you to Thais.

So, yes. There's my experience. There's your experience. Both are anecdotal. And most likely a reflection of our own behavior to a certain extent.

My online persona is one thing.

My IRL persona is another.

Believe it or not, I am very respectful and polite to Thai strangers.

If they're rude to me, I become less polite.

I'm not a wet noodle.

I am talking about business transaction situations.

Also to remind you, I have seen no spike in rudeness from Thai people who have known me for years.

But I get it. You are getting pleasure from blaming this on me and even some morons are blaming me for noticing something differebt and talking about it.

The best of all possible worlds expats in Thailand.

Nothing to criticize here at all! Yeah, that's the ticket.

16 minutes ago, saintdomingo said:

The 3 groups that you feel have been singled out, could it possibly be due to a tendency to inconsiderate and even boorish conduct. Plus a seeming reluctance to support the local economy.

I'm all about being as honest as possible. with human limits as people who are 100 percent honest have a mental illness.

Jews being an ETHNORELIGIOUS group are sometimes easy to identify and sometimes not. Jews themselves call those who are -- VISIBLE JEWS.

They're the ones who go in public wearing kippahs, star of David jewelry or traditional concervative Jewish female attire. They may have a name like Moishe Goldberg or look a lot more like Woody Allen than Mel Gibson. In that case I'm talking about Ashkenazi ethnicity. Some appear very much as Ashkenazi and others might not at all. But those some that do are part of visible Jews.

As far as Israeli Jews, when they speak Hebrew that is easy to spot them for many, and also the Israeli accent in English is easy to tell as well. OK, I'm not sure that's so true for Thai people though.

The visibility thing is a global issue now, as with a global dramatic spike in violent attacks on Jewish people, many Jewish people have decided that they want to be safer to be less visible, not wear the kippah etc, but in many cases they can't really make themselves invisible.

Cheers.

22 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I don't know if this is anecdotal or not but what I've noticed to me is clear and unmistakable.

Not talking about a change in behavior with Thai people that I know, but with random new to me Thais generally in business situations. Not all of them but a good percentage and a noticeable increase.

I'm not talking about normal big city indifference and brusqueness that as an urban American doesn't phase me in the slightest.

I'm talking about very aggressive explicit rudeness. speaking loudly, barking orders at me, etc. In some cases, it feels as if they're trying to actively provoke a fight.

I've found this really shocking.

I know trolls will say it's all about me and my attitude, maybe I don't smile enough

If that's the case I would have had to have changed my own behavior radically in recent months.

That is very doubtful.

This a new thing. Where does it come from? Increased xenophobia? Economic stress? Government and media criticism of foreigners, including so called crackdowns? Viral social media stuff like the infamous Italian kids on a train? Some kind of toxic combination.

I don't know but I really don't like it and I don't believe any amount of SMILING is gonna stop it.

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“I'm talking about very aggressive explicit rudeness. speaking loudly, barking orders at me, etc”

Sounds like a kink fetish. Dom/Sub Master/Slave. Where is this abuse towards you taking place? A bar? Your room?

Appears only you have this problem. I’ve never experienced or witnessed this.

5 hours ago, Wingate said:

Methinks you're projecting your own hatred on to others.

AN is a place to vent about the Angriest Clown in the World, who is Trump (46 rage Tweets in his latest mental breakdown). Vent a little, and it's done for the day. The remainder for those of us who are actual patriots, despite being expats, is about living the nice life Thailand offers...start the day in the gym, and then it's time for business and working with my Thai staff. I leave the anger to the cult on AN, and one particular former truck driver, supposedly living happily with his "cashier" in Isaan somewhere, but who originates more angry posts than anyone.

What I see on AN among those disgusted by the corrupt moron that is Trump, is humor. The righties and the cult are devoid of anything approaching humor. They take criticism of their messiah as a personal insult, as they are confronted with their own failure and mediocrity, try as they might to live vicariously through the bozo trying to put his name everywhere, the way a stray dog lifts his leg to leave his scent everywhere. It's not us "libtards" fault that Trumpers are life's failures, still trying to deal with the fact the "cool kids" ignored them in their youth. Trump cannot fix what was broken at birth, but the cult hangs on Trump's coat tails, still hoping against hope he can free them from the yoke of mediocrity.

In Bangkok I see the Trumpers. Barking away about "lefties" and "libtards" and "woke", after they've waddled up to a barstool, their spare tires flopping half way to the floor, their beer belly keeping them almost arm's length from their draft beer. Not a one of them looks happy. The good news is they've taken such poor care of themselves, their angst will soon end as they depart this Earthly plain and move six feet under it.

In my business and among my staff, my thoughts re the clown that is the corrupt moronic Trump remain my own. Not so surprisingly, my staff express their own views, which I would guess come from the Thai media they absorb. High fuel prices? Trump's fault. A slowing economy? Trump's fault. True, that.

The trick to not being a target of any building frustration is to not look like a MAGA. Be fit, dress neatly, smile, treat service staff nicely, and certainly avoid those stupid red hats, and life is ducky.

You should try it.

Have you told this guy to lose weight? Illinois Governor. Democrat leftists. Just like you. You must resemble him.

So you frequent the same barstools as the people you’re talking about.

Just to be clear.

This seems like one of those:

“ i have seen this happening and want to know why ?, i don’t want any negativity towards me and will stamp my feet and start the name calling if that happens , in fact i don’t want to know the reason i just want praise “

: sort of threads .