Meet A Foreigner

[amphur]

I walk anywhere in Thailand and meet a foreigner.

Why do they (almost all) acknowledge their presence?

I mean they say hello while I really do not know this person.

When I am in Europe/America I never meet people saying hello to strangers.

Why do they do that?

[Etrigan]

It's called having good manners and being civil.

It happens all over the world.

I hope you find some soon.

[MSingh]

It's called having good manners and being civil.

It happens all over the world.

I hope you find some soon.

Around od applause for that Man/Woman right there. OP is another prime example of how Thai's have ZERO civilised society manners & ............. Oh i won't even go there.

[Tagaa]

I'm from a small town in the States. Everybody (well almost everybody) says hello there. I do the same here, sawadde kop to the locals, hello to the farang. And especially to farang. Sometimes I even make a new friend that speaks English& lives close by. I didn't come here to live in an unfriendly bubble.

I suppose if someone ( like you) doesn't want to be friendly, they can say nothing & go about their business, or be crude & say "PISS OFF!" So far, I have never had that response.

If you don't want a greeting from another farang, just don't make eye contact with that person & they will probably go about their business.

In the movie "Harvey", Jimmy Stewart had a line..."I can be oh so smart, or oh so friendly. I prefer the later."

[tracker]

ever seen a thai reacting to another strange thai in a strange land, germany for instance? They say hello and in no time there is a bond between them beyond any western understanding.

There are all kinds of reasons to think why it is like that, but the most important part is that there is something for us "falangs" to learn here (or maybe I should say to "relearn").

[tuky]

ever seen a thai reacting to another strange thai in a strange land, germany for instance? They say hello and in no time there is a bond between them beyond any western understanding.

Absolutely, when I have taken my wife with me for work she can sniff out another Thai a mile away, before you know it they are eating somtam together each day.

Coming from a small Aussie country town (Perth) saying hello, nodding or other forms of acknowledgement is natural to me, so I always try.

Funnily enough, I remember a thread some time ago the exact opposite of the OP of this thread, "why do foreigners never acknowledge each other in Thailand" or something like that.

[PeaceBlondie]

In tourist towns, there is less inter-farang conversation between strangers. But in out of the way places, it must be more common.

[KhunDtaa]

What's wrong with saying hello? You sound like a grumpy old man. Goodbye

[PhilHarries]

What a strange topic. The OP is complaining that people are being friendly and polite but only the farangs. Does he/she also have a problem with the Thais saying sawasdee khrap? Loosen up a bit you might find you enjoy life more.

[Shotime]

Are there any similarities in the type of furiner that says hi to you? Are they m/f, gay, what? Where u from anyway?

[Peterpan]

I walk anywhere in Thailand and meet a foreigner.

Why do they (almost all) acknowledge their presence?

I mean they say hello while I really do not know this person.

When I am in Europe/America I never meet people saying hello to strangers.

Why do they do that?

Its called communication, something that most of the West has forgotten about.

Would you prefer if they sent you a text on your mobile.

When I was in Houston, I found it fantastic how friendly they all where and anywhere.

Even in supermarkets everybody saying good day.

Europe a bit of a cold shoulder, but out here most will say Hi How are you doing.

Would you prefer this !!!!!!!

What you get these days is, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT. shame shame

[billd766]

In tourist towns, there is less inter-farang conversation between strangers. But in out of the way places, it must be more common.

[/quote

Hallo Peace Blondie

To be honest I cannot say about tourist towns as I live waay out in the sticks 6km from the local village but I always so hallo to farangs I meet and also to a lot of Thais who make eye contact. Mostly I get responses from farangs but there is one younger guy who doesn't respond and after a few tries I have given up on him.

Live and let live.

Market days I usually meet a few and I have even met some farang couples which is a bit unusual and they respond so I must have some social skills left.

[backflip]

"I...meet a foreigner...they say hello while I really do not know this person.

Why do they do that?"

It is not clear to me why anyone would say "hello" to you.

[MSingh]

It's called having good manners and being civil.

It happens all over the world.

I hope you find some soon.

Around od applause for that Man/Woman right there. OP is another prime example of how Thai's have ZERO civilised society manners & ............. Oh i won't even go there.

I should clarify & say that it is not only in Thailand where there is a serious lack of manners, even in my own Country ( England ) the problem is rife also, the US is no different..

It's not a new thing if we're honest but it does seem to be an unfortunate trend throughout the World & certainly including Thailand..

[geriatrickid]

Wow.

I am a cold, but I can manage a smile, especially when the really hawt scandanavian girls walk by. If you can't smile at a girl and you're a guy, well, maybe one has some closet space that needs cleaning. Cripes even the old grouches in the building where I stay always say hello/good morning etc.

Is it so <deleted> hard to be polite and civil? Who knows, maybe the person that you greet might just very well be someone special or in need of some cheer on that day. Wouldn't you want to be the person that made the day brighter and happier for someone rather than the constipated boor that cast gloom upon the day?

What's next? Agitating that laughing kids should be muzzled? That happy puppies be run down? That Couples in love be forbidden from holding hands in public? Perhaps you might be happier in a place managed by the Taliban?

[Tod Daniels]

I rarely say hello and am not prone to smile excessively for no reason. I am about as far from endeared to, enamored with or enchanted by these people as a person can be and still live in this shit-hole country. I am not the friendliest or the most approachable looking person in a crowd; so I am rarely greeted by anyone who doesn't already know me.

That being said; I usually return an acknowledgement received from foreigners passing me with a nod, or some other facial expression which lets them know I have heard and seen them as they tower above the ever smiling diminutive inhabitants here in the glorious "Land 'O Thais".

I will relate a slightly off topic yet quite humorous story which happened to me a few weeks ago;

I was sitting at a corner coffee shop near my soi in the early afternoon, sipping my coffee, when I saw a foreigner walking purposefully towards me on the sidewalk.

He approached me, and asked, "Can I ask you a stupid question?". I looked above my head, then back at him saying tongue in cheek, "Is there a sign above me that says ‘stupid questions answered here’?". I then smiled and said, "Okay ask away."

He said in a completely serious voice, "I'm looking for some thais."

I sat there a few seconds digesting this and then replied, "Sir this must be your <deleted> lucky day! You’re in thai-land, look around, you're surrounded by thais

He began laughing and said, "No, not thais, I'm looking for ties; neck ties." We both had a good laugh about it and I directed him down the Soi to the myriad of tailor shops selling thai ties.

As an aside; I have noticed there is mathematical formula about the number of greetings I receive from foreigners when weighed against the age of the female 'thai-in-tow' with said foreigner(s). The younger the 'thai-in-tow' looks, the less likely a foreigner is to greet or acknowledge someone in passing. It is only an observation.

[Sakeopete]

In Aranyaprathet I always say hello to foreigners I see that don't fit the tourist profile hoping to meet someone that lives near me that speaks English and maybe likes golfing. Some respond with a friendly hello back others act as if they are running from the law. I met a nice American that way once but unfortunately he moved back to the USA. I will keep trying because one never knows when they will meet a golfing partner.

[Shotime]

"I should clarify & say that it is not only in Thailand where there is a serious lack of manners, even in my own Country ( England ) the problem is rife also, the US is no different.."

Why do a lot of people feel they must throw the U.S. into everything negative? Does it somehow make it alright? Not saying you're wrong, just curious. We usually greet strangers in the U.S. a little different, but don't consider it a serious lack of manners. At least it's an acknowledgment of their existence.

[amphur]

It amazes me how some of you seems to know how I am by just reading 5 lines I wrote. Great work.

Open an on-line meet-the-shrink website would be my advise to you.

When I walk in LA I do not greet all the people I meet in a mall.

That was my point.

I like the people in USA more than in Europe! Yes I am from Europe.

[Pushit]

I walk anywhere in Thailand and meet a foreigner.

Why do they (almost all) acknowledge their presence?

I mean they say hello while I really do not know this person.

When I am in Europe/America I never meet people saying hello to strangers.

Why do they do that?

It's common curtesy!

[Who, me ?]

It amazes me how some of you seems to know how I am by just reading 5 lines I wrote. Great work.

Open an on-line meet-the-shrink website would be my advise to you.

When I walk in LA I do not greet all the people I meet in a mall.

That was my point.

I like the people in USA more than in Europe! Yes I am from Europe.

Hello Amphur..............

[toptuan]

In tourist towns, there is less inter-farang conversation between strangers. But in out of the way places, it must be more common.

Nope. Opposite.

The further out you go, the weirder we get.

[Dont Panic]

"I walk anywhere in Thailand and meet a foreigner.

Why do they (almost all) acknowledge their presence?"

Take a walk down Kho San and see how many people greet you.....

If ever I run into a fellow ‘falang’ in a far flung corner of Thailand….for instance my wife’s village 20km from Surin or at a friends wedding in the backend of beyond……I always feel that the correct response would be a friendly nod - if only to acknowledge the fact that here are two foreigners in a foreign land and perhaps we share some common interest.

The response is strange……the majority of people look at me with suspicion or just blank me.

This response always fascinates me and I now find myself second guessing people and blanking them instead of greeting……..terrible I know but I can’t help it!

My initial thoughts on the matter were that these people don’t want to be greeted by the foreigner as this diminishes in some way there position in the situation.

I call it the ‘I’m the only falang in the village’ syndrome.

Strange.

[chickenslegs]

It's called having good manners and being civil.

It happens all over the world.

I hope you find some soon.

Around od applause for that Man/Woman right there. OP is another prime example of how Thai's have ZERO civilised society manners & ............. Oh i won't even go there.

The PO was asking a question about something which, in his experience, seems odd. I don't think he was being ill-mannered about anyone.

MSingh - I'm sorry, but your post was OTT and rude. I find that most Thais (and foreigners) I meet are very civilized and well-mannered.

[liberty]

In my town back in UK, it's very common to say hello or good morning to someone whilst passing them in the street. I don't see what your problem is. Would you rather everyone walked round with their heads bowed making sure you don't make eye contact with anyone?

[StateSix]

If I were in the sticks I would certainly say hi to any non Thai I met, but I'm not going to start nodding at, and interacting with every farang/non Thai I pass in Sukhumvit. Sad as it may seem if one started trying to make small talk with me in the centre of Bangkok I would instantly start looking for what the scam was. Thats what happens when you spend too much time on ThaiVisa

[MSingh]

"I should clarify & say that it is not only in Thailand where there is a serious lack of manners, even in my own Country ( England ) the problem is rife also, the US is no different.."

Why do a lot of people feel they must throw the U.S. into everything negative? Does it somehow make it alright? Not saying you're wrong, just curious. We usually greet strangers in the U.S. a little different, but don't consider it a serious lack of manners. At least it's an acknowledgment of their existence.

How about because i lived there for 2 & a half years & experienced it first hand, is that a good enough reason for you ??? I included my own Country in it & included yours as i have experienced it in both & am not naive enough to think it doesn't exist in my own & am honest enough to say it & accept it so i will certainly say about yours where i, in fact, experienced it a little more..

[MSingh]

It's called having good manners and being civil.

It happens all over the world.

I hope you find some soon.

Around od applause for that Man/Woman right there. OP is another prime example of how Thai's have ZERO civilised society manners & ............. Oh i won't even go there.

The PO was asking a question about something which, in his experience, seems odd. I don't think he was being ill-mannered about anyone.

MSingh - I'm sorry, but your post was OTT and rude. I find that most Thais (and foreigners) I meet are very civilized and well-mannered.

I guess we meet different kinds of Thai's then as the one's i seem to meet have zero manners & are anything but civilised. But maybe that's the kind of Thai Samui attracts, i don't know..

[PeaceBlondie]

Recently, in what is essentially a missionary compound, a middle-aged, overweight, American woman-stranger practically came on to me, saying something very friendly on the spur of the moment. Not being allergic to American missionaries, I answered right back, just as friendlyly (I am from Texas, where the road signs say "Drive Friendly"). In fact, the word Texas comes from an Indian word that means friends. The lady missionary and I may become friends.

If you have friends, it is because they and you made the effort. Smile. As I type this, I am listening to my former next door neighbor (6 feet 3, Mohawk haircut, dreadlocks, black skin, heavy metal singer) - one of the best neighbors I ever had the pleasure to meet.

[Ijustwannateach]

It wasn't too long ago, was it, that we were reading one of the fairly frequent repeat threads on exactly the OPPOSITE question (why don't expats acknowledge each other). That one gets repeated more often, so this one deserves a couple of points for more originality.

Personally speaking, I don't mind it either way.