Do You Offer Other Westerners A Friendly Smile (or Other Acknowledgement) When You Make Eye Contact?

[typhoon]

It states right here in the guide, ... never make eye contact ...

But I try to be accessible, really, and I do smile albeit in a Charles Manson-ish way,

and it probably doesn't help when I'm wearing my PLEASE F.. WITH ME tee shirt,

Nice one cobra

[siamamerican]

I don't initiate the smile in non social settings when back home and the same goes in Thailand. Social gathering I'll smlie at almost all. If I'm on the subway in Thailand and a farang smiles at me, I smile back and think nothing of it. I really don't see farangs ignoring fellow farangs in Thailand any more than back home.

[cloudhopper]

My experience has been that my usual brief eye contact and slight smile is returned far more often by Thais and foreigners alike here in LOS than back in the States, where it seems to be regarded as an almost hostile gesture.

[mr_hippo]

I can't remember the last time I saw a farang.

[wolfmanjack]

I usually…..

First make the eyes contact, …..freeze the moment of 2 secs, ….then curl my right corner lip upward by 1 cm.

Could that be mistaken for a snarl or sneer ??? I just tried it and curling only one side of the lip does not resemble a smile.

[Kerryd]

I usually…..

First make the eyes contact, …..freeze the moment of 2 secs, ….then curl my right corner lip upward by 1 cm.

Could that be mistaken for a snarl or sneer ??? I just tried it and curling only one side of the lip does not resemble a smile.

I think that is exactly what she was implying (a sneer), as a joke (or not ) !

[Naam]

Do You Offer Other Westerners A Friendly Smile

Klingons never smile

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

Walking the beach I quite often pass other farangs doing the same. At first I would smile and say good morning. After several grumpy looks and no respond I now wait to see if they will look me in the eye first. If they don't I just keep walking if they look at me I will usually smile and say good morning. Always smile at the Thais and get a smile back every time.

Farang men are the quickest to respond, many of the women look like you just propositioned them.

[chiangmaibruce]

"Because they are unsociable $%^#" is a bit of an over-simplification. They are being unsociable for a reason. And for different people, there are different reasons. I think often the answer lies in why they choose to live here.

Some are living here because they are rejecting all/much about their home country, i.e. bad experiences, disillusionment, etc. They want to purge themselves of everything about their former existence. Encountering farang here is an unwanted reminder of what they have rejected, and all of that negative emotional baggage they are still carrying. "If I wanted to mix with farang, I would have stayed in farangland"

Some are here to live out a fantasy. For some this is Mr Casanova, for some it is some sort of neo-sahib trip (Lord of all he surveys etc), while others are trying to be more native than the natives. For them encountering other farang just puts a pin near their fantasy balloon.

Finally some farang here are just plain strange, ie. misfits and misanthropes, in some cases not quite right in the head. They don't fit in back home and they probably don't fit in here either. Their unfriendly response is probably not specific to other farang, everyone probably gets the same treatment.

[jietjon]

"Because they are unsociable $%^#" is a bit of an over-simplification. They are being unsociable for a reason. And for different people, there are different reasons. I think often the answer lies in why they choose to live here.

Some are living here because they are rejecting all/much about their home country, i.e. bad experiences, disillusionment, etc. They want to purge themselves of everything about their former existence. Encountering farang here is an unwanted reminder of what they have rejected, and all of that negative emotional baggage they are still carrying. "If I wanted to mix with farang, I would have stayed in farangland"

Some are here to live out a fantasy. For some this is Mr Casanova, for some it is some sort of neo-sahib trip (Lord of all he surveys etc), while others are trying to be more native than the natives. For them encountering other farang just puts a pin near their fantasy balloon.

Finally some farang here are just plain strange, ie. misfits and misanthropes, in some cases not quite right in the head. They don't fit in back home and they probably don't fit in here either. Their unfriendly response is probably not specific to other farang, everyone probably gets the same treatment.

Not much else to say really..... thats a wrap

[GuestHouse]

This reminds me of my first trip to a foreign country…. Well Wales actually…. But Wales is a country … Right?!

It was a camping trip I made to Wales when I was in my early 20s (and still full of the joys of life).

On the first morning at the campsite I decided to walk into the nearest village to buy a newspaper and some groceries.

Walking into the village I passed a postman ‘Good morning’ said I – The postman grunted and looked the other way.

I then saw a milkman – I said ‘Good morning’ he simply looked the other way ignoring me completely.

At the news agents it was worse – As I walked in a bunch of locals where cheerfully chatting (in English) with the shop keeper. When I piped up with ‘Good Morning, I’d like the Sunday Telegraph please’ – They all switched to Welsh and came over all miserable.

I went back to the campsite thoroughly disheartened.

During the day I got into conversation with an English guy who explained to me that the Welsh don’t like the English. He also explained that because most Welsh people don’t actually speak Welsh it was possible to pretend to be Welsh and then they’d be more friendly.

He then added that most the people in the Village where not even Welsh – They were English people who had moved to Wales from towns along the M4 Corridor.

His advice was ‘Greet the locals with ‘Yakki Daa’ and they’ll think you are Welsh’

I decided to give it a go.

The next morning I wondered into the village – I met a guy walking his dog - ‘Yakki Daa’ says I, ‘Yakki Daa Boy-o’ says he and then adds with a smile ‘What a splendid day it is’.

I then met the very same milkman as the day before ‘Yakki Daa’ says I, ‘Yakki Daa Boy-o’ says he and then adds with a beaming smile ‘It’s a wonderful day to be out in the valleys’.

At the news agents my ‘Yakki Daa’ was met with a cheery ‘Yakki Daa’ and I was invited to the local Methodist Chapel Tea Party.

This ‘’Yakki Daa’ clearly worked so when walking back to the campsite, my spirits lifted, I met a particularly grumpy looking guy striding down the road with a cloud of depression over him – ‘I’ll cheer him up’ thinks I – And I called out ‘Yakki Daa’

He responded with - F@)K OFF YA WELSH B@&TARD!

[TheDon]

This reminds me of my first trip to a foreign country…. Well Wales actually…. But Wales is a country … Right?!

It was a camping trip I made to Wales when I was in my early 20s (and still full of the joys of life).

On the first morning at the campsite I decided to walk into the nearest village to buy a newspaper and some groceries.

Walking into the village I passed a postman 'Good morning' said I – The postman grunted and looked the other way.

I then saw a milkman – I said 'Good morning' he simply looked the other way ignoring me completely.

At the news agents it was worse – As I walked in a bunch of locals where cheerfully chatting (in English) with the shop keeper. When I piped up with 'Good Morning, I'd like the Sunday Telegraph please' – They all switched to Welsh and came over all miserable.

I went back to the campsite thoroughly disheartened.

During the day I got into conversation with an English guy who explained to me that the Welsh don't like the English. He also explained that because most Welsh people don't actually speak Welsh it was possible to pretend to be Welsh and then they'd be more friendly.

He then added that most the people in the Village where not even Welsh – They were English people who had moved to Wales from towns along the M4 Corridor.

His advice was 'Greet the locals with 'Yakki Daa' and they'll think you are Welsh'

I decided to give it a go.

The next morning I wondered into the village – I met a guy walking his dog - 'Yakki Daa' says I, 'Yakki Daa Boy-o' says he and then adds with a smile 'What a splendid day it is'.

I then met the very same milkman as the day before 'Yakki Daa' says I, 'Yakki Daa Boy-o' says he and then adds with a beaming smile 'It's a wonderful day to be out in the valleys'.

At the news agents my 'Yakki Daa' was met with a cheery 'Yakki Daa' and I was invited to the local Methodist Chapel Tea Party.

This ''Yakki Daa' clearly worked so when walking back to the campsite, my spirits lifted, I met a particularly grumpy looking guy striding down the road with a cloud of depression over him – 'I'll cheer him up' thinks I – And I called out 'Yakki Daa'

He responded with - F@)K OFF YA WELSH B@&TARD!

I would of beat them and make them say good morning back, rude bastards

[sylviex]

Lovely, and instructive fable, Guesthouse.

Yakki Daa !

[cmsally]

This reminds me of my first trip to a foreign country…. Well Wales actually…. But Wales is a country … Right?!

It was a camping trip I made to Wales when I was in my early 20s (and still full of the joys of life).

On the first morning at the campsite I decided to walk into the nearest village to buy a newspaper and some groceries.

Walking into the village I passed a postman ‘Good morning’ said I – The postman grunted and looked the other way.

I then saw a milkman – I said ‘Good morning’ he simply looked the other way ignoring me completely.

At the news agents it was worse – As I walked in a bunch of locals where cheerfully chatting (in English) with the shop keeper. When I piped up with ‘Good Morning, I’d like the Sunday Telegraph please’ – They all switched to Welsh and came over all miserable.

I went back to the campsite thoroughly disheartened.

During the day I got into conversation with an English guy who explained to me that the Welsh don’t like the English. He also explained that because most Welsh people don’t actually speak Welsh it was possible to pretend to be Welsh and then they’d be more friendly.

He then added that most the people in the Village where not even Welsh – They were English people who had moved to Wales from towns along the M4 Corridor.

His advice was ‘Greet the locals with ‘Yakki Daa’ and they’ll think you are Welsh’

I decided to give it a go.

The next morning I wondered into the village – I met a guy walking his dog - ‘Yakki Daa’ says I, ‘Yakki Daa Boy-o’ says he and then adds with a smile ‘What a splendid day it is’.

I then met the very same milkman as the day before ‘Yakki Daa’ says I, ‘Yakki Daa Boy-o’ says he and then adds with a beaming smile ‘It’s a wonderful day to be out in the valleys’.

At the news agents my ‘Yakki Daa’ was met with a cheery ‘Yakki Daa’ and I was invited to the local Methodist Chapel Tea Party.

This ‘’Yakki Daa’ clearly worked so when walking back to the campsite, my spirits lifted, I met a particularly grumpy looking guy striding down the road with a cloud of depression over him – ‘I’ll cheer him up’ thinks I – And I called out ‘Yakki Daa’

He responded with - F@)K OFF YA WELSH B@&TARD!

Oh, that was so funny. I had almost exactly the same experience on my first trip to Wales which was to visit a friend at Bangor Uni.

Very similar experience. in the area, except in the uni there were a couple of buildings that you just didn't go into (Yakki Daa or no yakki daa) unless you were were Welsh.

Not sure whether you had to speak fluent Welsh or be sponsored by a Welsh person to get in, but I was told best not to try.

[mr_hippo]

Talking about the Welsh, it reminds me of my student nursing days when I was on the Burns & Plastics Unit; we used to take in patients from North Wales and west of the Pennines up to the Scottish border. A female student asked a Welsh patient to teach her a few Welsh phrases so that she could greet other Welsh patients. The original Welshman was discharged and was replaced by a Welsh farmer; a lovely chap called Iorwerth who climbed over a gate carrying a loaded unbroken 12 bore and blasted half his foot off! The female student greeted him and Iorwerth said "Thank you but do you know what you said?", "Yes," she said " Good morning and how are you feeling." She got it partly right; what she had been taught was "Good morning to all Welshmen and balls to the bloody English!"

[lardy]

The westerner with one arm, I wave at him every time I see him driving past.

I do hope he salutes you??

I come to Thailand to escape my own countrymen/women.

[lardy]

Do You Offer Other Westerners A Friendly Smile

Klingons never smile

Are Klingons from the west though?? how about if a Mia Noi Klingon smiled at you??

[garro]

The westerner with one arm, I wave at him every time I see him driving past.

I do hope he salutes you??

I come to Thailand to escape my own countrymen/women.

Are you a criminal?

[mahtin]

I usually…..

First make the eyes contact, …..freeze the moment of 2 secs, ….then curl my right corner lip upward by 1 cm.

Could that be mistaken for a snarl or sneer ??? I just tried it and curling only one side of the lip does not resemble a smile.

Elvis lives?

[frodo]

Out in my neck of the woods it's getting a little worse regarding attitudes of foreigners (with others on the board, maybe better?). Years back, at least I would get a smile and a nod of the head. Maybe even a "Good Morning" spoken back, or even small chat. Lately, more foreigners have moved into the area, and they are a rude bunch. Nary a smile, let alone a hello when addressed. I know it's not just me, but as soon as they see another foreigner, they do their best to make sure our paths don't cross.

I've been in my village for nearly six years, and throughout the years various foreigners from different countries have come and gone. I will admit, they at least were friendly, we would have small talks now and then, and they were, from what I knew of them, respectable and decent. One of them I would have a cup of coffee with every now and then. That has changed within the past year as well. A few guys have moved into this small village, and I get nothing but glares when I say "Good Morning" or even a simple "Hello." I don't know where these people are from, but obviously, they have never learned any type of social etiquette, and honestly, I am now looking at them as nothing but scum and hope they get the frick out of my village. Those who can at least say give a simple hello I have no problem with. Stuck up, arrogant scumbags who think their sh*** don't stink can sod off. Others do notice, and they do comment. "Why he not say hello to you?" Some people are just plain rude and live with their heads up their <deleted>. They will never change.

[qwertz]

The westerner with one arm, I wave at him every time I see him driving past.

I do hope he salutes you??

I come to Thailand to escape my own countrymen/women.

Are you a criminal?

No, Garro, he's a misanthrope.

[JSixpack]

I don't think well-off, middle-class Thais go around making eye contact w/ and smiling at everyone. Isn't the reason obvious? I follow their practice. Avoids problems and time-wasting.

One problem w/ the farangs is that so many of them love to hear themselves talk and think themselves and their stories are all so interesting.

[dhind1]

Sometimes,

My experience is that most farangs do not smile back and appear too busy to bother with other farangs. Perhaps I am mistaken, but it seems that way to me. I have been here for 10 years now and I do know a reasonable amount of people here. I am certainly new to this forum, as I was unaware of it's existance until a month or so ago.

Most Thais will smile when smiled at, most farangs do not.

Just an obervation.....

[Mosha]

Depends where I am, down here in Ranong it's almost always. Up in BKK it's hardly ever.

[DegenFarang]

Why smile at people when they dont smile back, i learnt along time ago not to smile at sour faced farang (95% of farang in bkk, unless there drinking beer)

I thought like this briefly, but why would I want to become one of them.

Dont get me wrong, i like smiling but not at farang as i know 9 times out of 10 i wont get one back so why bother? I smile at thais as they have a nice smile to give me in return plus they wont think im strange for doing it.

this is my answer as well. i nearly always smile at thai's. i hardly ever smile at farang.

[RusticCharm]

Probably because they know if I wanted to end there life, I could do it any time I want

Yeah my arms weighs about 50 kgs. 10 years of steroid abuse mate

Maybe the money spend on steroids would be better spent on learning to spell. Also, doesn't steroid abuse leads to organ failure and shrunken genitalia?

It appears so. 

[zorro1]

Ever been to the beer garden? 2oo farangs all staring into their beers. No one acknowledges anyone because we know that you know that we know why you really came to Thailand. What are you going do? smile and say , hey matie you here for a root or the culture?

[kat]

Wow, I thought as a Western woman I definitely encountered open hostility in LOS, but the female expats were almost always very friendly or acknowledging. It is my nature to smile back at someone and sometimes to smile first, but I stopped doing that with Western male expats in LOS.

[Scott]

It depends on how close we are to one another, but I try to be friendly. Sometimes, however, it seems that I get the same response as another male dog peeing on the other dogs tree!

[huggybear]

When i walk past them and they look at me, they look scared shitless.

I bet you only weigh 50kgs and just hide behind that avatar pic!

Yeah my arms weighs about 50 kgs. 10 years of steroid abuse mate

which means your brain has shriveled as much as your testes