Cool Thailand Moments

[daveh]

Great story! It is sad how our perception of Thai's get prejudiced by a few bad apples.

After being away from Hat Yai for nearly a year, I was walking down the street when a guy on his motorcycle came up to me and said, "Hello, hello." Having had this happen to me dozens of times from guys that wanted to bring me someplace so they could get a commission from whatever establishment they brought me to, I politely said, "Hello" and continued walking along, pretty much ignoring him.

Then he said, "Are you going to drink at the beer garden?" Again, I assumed this guy wanted to bring me to a pub where he would get a kickback from the owner, so I said, "No, I'm just going for a walk." Which was the truth. And again, I kind of ignored him.

Then he said, "You don't remember me?"

I looked at him and then he said, "We meet in the beer garden." Then I remembered who he was. One time nearly a year before, I was sitting alone having a beer and he came over to chat a bit. He was a really nice hard working guy.

After chatting a bit more on the street, he gave me a ride to the beer garden and ordered a jug of beer. I offerred to pay, but he declined insisting that he would pay. So I figured I would get the next round. But when the beer arrived, he said he wouldn't drink as he was about to go home.

We chatted a bit more and he went home and left me to finish the jug he purchased for me.

You know, sometimes they are just being nice when they say hello. Unfortunately, past experience tells me this is a rarity.

[Spee]

A little different tact, but my coolest Thailand moment was when my fiancee's daughter started calling me "Papa!" She totally surprised me and just melted my heart with that one.

[Jockstar]

One thing that springs to mind is. The kids i teach. We were doing a song for the end of semester. I was going to teach them a Beatle song. So i played a few songs to them to see what they liked. It got to Yellow Submarine and they started to sing the chorus. With no prompting from me. I didn't know that they knew it. That for me was cool. Anyway i ended up teaching Obla Di Obla da. They now love that too.

[Gazza]

A little different tact, but my coolest Thailand moment was when my fiancee's daughter started calling me "Papa!" She totally surprised me and just melted my heart with that one.

Kinda like my step-daughter when she was six. It took a while for her to accept me as her new father and she usually shyed away from me most of the time. Then while walking along one day at a fair she just slipped her little hand into mine. Don't know why it had to be at that particular moment but I didn't care. I didn't care either that something must've got into my eyes to make them watery.

Felt just like being presented with a new born child of my own.

[daizeez]

Once, I was quite desperate to find an internet cafe on the outskirts of Chiang Mai. I was in a rush, and I could find internet access anywhere! i went into a shop to ask where I could find a cafe, and a woman shoo-ed a young boy in my direction, talking to him in Thai(which I couldn't understand). The boy, about 12 years old, drove about 5 minutes with me on the back of his motorbike, taking me to a place with internet access. He didn't speak a word of English...He waited by my side while I quickly typed my message and drove me back to the shop afterwards. I tried to offer him some money, thanking him profusely, but he wouldn't accept. At the time, I was so surprised by their kindness because things like that just don't happen where I come from.

[DJ Pat]

I once left a bag containing 5,000,000 Baht on a non-aircon green bus and a week later it was returned to me with not a satang missing.

[tutsiwarrior]

I had an experience like Gazza's with my thai daughter-in-law who was about 8 at the time. She also shied away most of the time then one day she was looking at me as I came down the stairs like she had just realized something. I came up to her and looked back then bent down to smell her face. It has been a regular parent-child relationship since.

[jennscoot]

i was teaching m.o.e. officials from country provinces at a seminar in a hotel. like i didn't know better, i left my bag in the room while we went for lunch and when i came back my purse was gone, and the money i'd been paid for that week (although i couldn't be sure i didn't drop it getting out of the taxi in the morning). i didn't mention it to my students and continued with afternoon classes as usual. however, somebody must have told them because they presented me with an envelope containing contributions from everyone in the group and wouldn't take no for an answer - the full amount.

when i went back to the same hotel the next year, to take part in a seminar myself, i got very warm service from the staff who remembered me and seemingly appreciated the fact that i didn't make a fuss that might have caused an innocent person to lose their job over that incident.

[Dr. Burrito]

I did it again, and again, a nice surprise cam to the rescue. Hopped in a taxi and trundled off to the shed. I was speaking my very limited Thai with the driver. He thought it was cool I could speak it at all and we got on well for the 20 minutes it lasted.

He dropped me off at my shed and took off. About twenty minutes later, I'm there making little Intern Burrito giggle his fool head off when the mother-in-law races over and tells me someone is at the door.

It's the taxi driver with my waller that fell out. I hadn't even realized yet it was gone and here he was bringing it back to me from where ever he had gotten to.

I didn't have more than a 100 baht in it, so I gave it to him. He was hesitant to take it at first, but did then was on his way. Credit cards, ID, all that good stuff was still there.

Thinking I need to talk to the doctor about some memory pills though.

[toastwars]

One thing that springs to mind is. The kids i teach. We were doing a song  for the end of semester. I was going to teach them a Beatle song. So i played a few songs to them to see what they liked. It got to Yellow Submarine and they started to sing the chorus. With no prompting from me. I didn't know that they knew it. That for me was cool. Anyway i ended up teaching Obla Di Obla da. They now love that too.

The Beatles were quite famous, do you sing Kum By yah with them too or ging gang gooley?, bet they love that!!

[Jockstar]

One thing that springs to mind is. The kids i teach. We were doing a song  for the end of semester. I was going to teach them a Beatle song. So i played a few songs to them to see what they liked. It got to Yellow Submarine and they started to sing the chorus. With no prompting from me. I didn't know that they knew it. That for me was cool. Anyway i ended up teaching Obla Di Obla da. They now love that too.

The Beatles were quite famous, do you sing Kum By yah with them too or ging gang gooley?, bet they love that!!

No. But the fact is. These kids are only 6 or 7.

The Beatles were quite famous,  do you sing Kum By yah with them too or ging gang gooley?, bet they love that!

I bet used to be a scout. So what Thai moment have you had? Obviously nothing or you wouldnt be having a go. Just trying to get your posts up? Nothing worthwhile to say?

[ProfessorFart]

*note to self* follow some of you lot around and I'll never have to work again

I like to think that incidents like these are the norm and the horror stories we hear all too often are the exception.

My own experience; I had to be at Don Meuang by mid day from Chanthaburi to meet a mate so it was imperative that I got on the 7:30 am bus to Mor Chit. The previous evening I'd sworn to go easy on the beer in my local but as happens I still managed to get pissed.

I woke up at 7 and raced into town only to learn the bus had just left.

When I explained that I really, really HAD to be on that bus, the uniformed geezer who blows his whistle a lot (I think every bus station and car park has one) bunged me on the back of his motorbike and we set off in pursuit of the bus. We finally caught up with it some 40 miles outside Chan well on the way to Klaeng and when I offered the guy some cash he refused it flatly with a smile as though it was reward enough for him to have got me on my bus.

Top Man!!

[sonthaya]

I guess this is why we love Thailand and the people, through my 12 years here, I have only had good experiences with the Thai People.

[Abandon]

yup, I'll be right behind the professor!

I know a woman who had her music system stolen from the house. Then she put the remote control which the thieves had missed in a bag and hung it outside the gate for them.

[drunken monkey]

This is one of the best topics in a long time. I think its about time we all should focus more on the things we like about this wonderful country.

And as for myself, cool thailand moments I get them everyday just going outside.....

[jtb]

This is one of the best topics in a long time. I think its about time we all should focus more on the things we like about this wonderful country.

And as for myself, cool thailand moments I get them everyday just going outside.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well said dm. I'll drink to that!

[cobra]

After being away from Hat Yai for nearly a year, I was walking down the street when a guy on his motorcycle came up to me and said, "Hello, hello." Having had this happen to me dozens of times from guys that wanted to bring me someplace so they could get a commission from whatever establishment they brought me to, I politely said, "Hello" and continued walking along, pretty much ignoring him.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This also has happened to me, I was so ingrained that any Thai stranger approaching me was either a tout or someone with a kick-back in mind.

Come to find out this was a gentleman that helped me with a SIM card issue and got my mobile working,

[Duality]

the old thai lady who sells pancakes near the chao praya river, one day i said to her i am very hungry so i will have 2 pancakes today instead of the usual 1. she smiled and gave me an extra 2 smaller pancakes for free. they are worth only 10 baht but its the little things like that which restore my faith in humanity

[drunken monkey]

This is one of the best topics in a long time. I think its about time we all should focus more on the things we like about this wonderful country.

And as for myself, cool thailand moments I get them everyday just going outside.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well said dm. I'll drink to that!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Cheers then..........

[donna]

I was on a train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok a few years ago. I had taken off my gold chain with a buddha on it (which I have been told is worth anywhere between 1000-10,000 Baht), as well as another lovely buddha, and didn't realise I had left it in the little basket until I had returned to my hotel about an hour later.

I rushed to Hualumpong station and went to the lost property office, hoping that I would get my items back.

After going to the office, the good were located and handed back to me with not a worry in the world.

I did not find out at the time who handed them in, but boy was I grateful to them.

A few weeks later I was in Chiang Mai and about to board the same train back to Bangkok when one of the 'bed boys' started to point to my chains. "Steady on. I nearly lost them a few weeks ago". It ends up that he was the one who found them and handed them in to the lost property department. (My job has me traveling on trains a lot and I have got to know many of the staff on the trains).

I raced back and thrust some money into his hand and he was ever so grateful. Needless to say, he bought beers later on and didn't want to know anything about me paying for them.

He is a great bloke and whenever I see him I always shout him a few beers.

[chonburi]

Not another case of having left something or lost something and having it returned though both have happened to me in Thailand. This is one of those 'aren't Thai people friendly sometimes'.

A few years ago I was sitting on my own on the platform in Chiang Mai waiting for the train back to Hualompong. About fifty yard further along the platform were a group of about 12 to 15 Thai's ages ranging from say 18 to 40 years all chatting and laughing away.

After about ten or fifteen minutes, three of them approached me and asked if I would like to come and join them and have some chicken and khao neow. I did I was fed and beered and questioned and talked to all the way from Chiag Mai to Bangkok by this wonderful group of Bank employees who had been on a trip together.

A lonely boring ride had been made into a holiday for me, with no reason other than their feeling for this lone falang who obviously looked as though he needed cheering up. Great!