I Must Just Say...

[begsaresponse]

I am aware that there have been much said regarding the negative experiences of Farangs in Pattaya on the receiving end of local people.

I have to report my experience of yesterday. Driving down Pattaya Kland I was aware that the steering in the car was not quite right. Turned into the Siam Commercial Bank on Sai Song and parked to be greated by one of the security pointing out I had a flat tyre. To my shame I couldn't remember how to change the wheels over. So by this time the two security guards set about it and within a few minutes the job was done. Not only did they not want any financial reward but gave me directions to a repair shop near the top of the Klang.

When I got there it was pouring rain,cats/dogs didn't have a look in,however the three young lads set about it repairing the puncture, taking off the spare,putting on the proper wheel,fixing the spare tyre to its proper location under the bed of the truck. I said to the boss how much ( I have to admit i was expecting megga cost) but he said 80 baht!

I couldn't believe my ears.

I should say that I did persuade the security guards to accept a financial reward for their help. And also gave more than 80 Baht for the lads fixing my tyre.

What could have been a nightmare was a joy

[popshirt]

Thanks for posting this event. I, too, have had some very good experiences with local Thais in Pattaya. The only major unpleasantness I have had has been with several farang!

[bergen]

Good post begs.......

It is too often and too much negative read, so enjoyable to see the opposite!

[midasthailand]

Very nice, would love to see more posts in this vein.

[Kerryd]

I've had similar experiences, and again put it down to how I interact with the locals (unlike some who have an entirely different attitude).

Came home after being away 3 months. Battery in the (Honda Phantom) moto was dead. Went to a local moto shop about 4 blocks away (selling Yamahas). Young lad came back and tried to get it going (couldn't get it push started either. Been sitting too long I guess). I helped him push it back to the Yamaha dealership. He put the battery on the charger and told me to come back in a couple hours.

Did so and he put everything back together, tried it, started no problem.

I asked him (in Thai) how much. He just waved me off, said no problem (I gave him a good tip anyways).

Maybe it's karma pay-back of a sort. I was driving through Idaho one winter. Saw an elderly gent trying to shovel his truck out of the snow in a pull-out. He'd got stuck when he pulled in to go to the bathroom. I had a tow-chain in my truck and was able to get him out fairly easily. He offered to pay me and I turned it down. Told him that maybe one day he'd be the one helping someone else out in a similar situation.

(A few minutes later, in the next town, I saw a flashing blue light in my rear-view mirror. Pulled over thinking I was about to get ticketed for god-knows what, and there was the same elderly gent walking up to my window. He'd called the wife and told her what happened, and that I had turned down his offer for payment, and she told him he'd better dam_n well try and catch me and buy me breakfast !).

As they say: What goes around, comes around.

[patklang]

Living here for 5 + years makes you more aware of how many great thai people are here.cant understand some posters who knock all thais,there are good and bad.

[johnh101]

Aye, it's just a pity you'd stolen the car in the first place ! !

Edited October 21, 2008 by johnh101

[billdo2000]

I was on crutches for a while during an extended stay in Pattaya. One day, I was on the back of a baht-bus and the driver gassed the truck while pulling out into traffic. My crutches went flying out of the back of the bus. I immediately hit the buzzer for the driver to stop, at which time a Thai gentleman leaped out of our baht-bus and ran after my crutches (I guess he noticed my lack of mobility). It was a fairly dangerous move on his part because the crutches were literally in the middle of the road. He brought them back and gave me a huge smile. I tried to pay for his fare but he would not take anything for his good deed.

It really doesn't matter where you are in the world. There are those who "do" for others simply because they like helping out their fellow man.

[britmaveric]

Some definite good ones in Patters!!!

[PhilHarries]

There's good and bad wherever you go in life it's just a shame that some folk can't recognise that fact and will junk a place on the basis of one bad experience.

I think Kerryd is right, an awful lot of what you get back out of life mirrors what you put in.

[LtCol]

Great post about a helpful local & from what I have experienced over the years visiting there fairly normal, just not enough said about it , I think there is too much negativity sometimes.

[gk10002000]

On my very first trip I was walking up to Big C and had to use the toiler. I did not know there was one inside that had paper, I only saw the one outside as I approached. I had to sit down very quickly. I went to the little toilet paper dispensing maching, but it only took single baht coins and I had no change at all. The little old lady sweeper or litter picker upper saw my plight and gave me two baht. I was in a real real big hurry and ran into a stall.

No big deal you say? Well, it helped me out a lot. After I finished I went outside but I could not find the lady to give her any money. She earned big merit as far as I am concerned.

[eefoo]

There's good and bad wherever you go in life it's just a shame that some folk can't recognise that fact and will junk a place on the basis of one bad experience.

I think Kerryd is right, an awful lot of what you get back out of life mirrors what you put in.

Edit - some computer problem - I typed a load and nothing appeared on the forum!

To reiterate - I agree with Kerryd, and I have had more problems with bignoses than Thais in all the years I've been in Pattaya. It's nice to hear that other people have the same good experiences - it's usually the bad ones you hear about rather than the good ones.

Edited October 21, 2008 by eefoo

[soundman]

I was in Pattaya last week.

Went to Khao Kieow open park - No double pricing, price gouging and children (including my kid's nanny) enter for free.

Out of the twenty bars I visited - no bill padding, early closing or dress restrictions.

Sorng Tao's - 10 Baht a ride with no arguments.

Jet Ski - Negotiable on price with a smile - Good quality unit and no thugs around inventing scratches.

Soi hok - not closed during the day.

Wasn't attacked by lady boys.

Wasn't drugged, shot, stabbed or robbed.

All restaurant dinners were from fresh produce and quite enjoyable.

Beach and water in front of soi hah cleanest I've seen it in years.

Pattaya - Enjoy!

[wileycoyote]

Good Posting

[torrenova]

It is good to hear these stories to partially offset the plethora of bad ones which we see all the time.

[Lost in LOS]

I have had a lot of good luck with the Thais as i treat them with respect from the beginning and it is up to them how to respond, usually well. After all, i have done well in my life because of being born in the western world and having opportunities they don't have here. If i worked just as hard here I might be selling watches for a living and getting berated by the farangs for trying to eat. most of the hawkers, after my saying "mei aou krap" with a smile, smile back and are on their way. yes they are really annoying but just trying to make a living in an environment where that is hard to do. I watch many farangs berate them to no end.

as for the farangs, percentage wise, I have met many more jerks

[Crow Boy]

Like anywhere Pattaya is what you make it - there are plenty of nice people living here, Thai and farung.

CB

[ace]

Thanks for posting this event. I, too, have had some very good experiences with local Thais in Pattaya. The only major unpleasantness I have had has been with several farang!

Totally agree with that

[WISteve]

More than once to my embarassment I have pulled away from a service station in Thailand and forgotten to put up the kick stand. It always seems within a block or two that one of those guys who we seem to scorn, a motocy, will spot it and point it out to me as he's coming along side.

About six years ago I was getting funds from an ATM and just as the receipt was dispensed a baht bus pulled up and stopped. I stuffed the money in a front pocket and jumped on the bus, oblivious to anything around me. A few blocks down the road a thai guy sitting opposite me started pointing at me and eventually I realized that several of the 1k baht bills were half way out of my pocket and could well have blown away within a short time. I thanked him and offered him some money and he waved it off and just laughed with me at my carelessness.

Plenty of good ones out there.

~WISteve

[thaimate]

just to add my bit,in the 3 years that we have lived in Pattaya i have found that on the whole thai people are more helpfull than in the west ,in the years before i was married to my thai wife ,i was always treated well by the girls i met in bars ,i was never ripped off and always treated well ,i have always found though that if you treat people with respect they will on the whole do the same to you.

[billdo2000]

just to add my bit,in the 3 years that we have lived in Pattaya i have found that on the whole thai people are more helpfull than in the west ,in the years before i was married to my thai wife ,i was always treated well by the girls i met in bars ,i was never ripped off and always treated well ,i have always found though that if you treat people with respect they will on the whole do the same to you.

I agree. I always treat them with respect (in hotels, bars, restaurants) and receive the same in return. I have never been robbed, drugged, attacked, etc...but I also stay off Beach Road at night.

I am tempted to retell my story of my desperate search for a 'western toilet' in rural Thailand (and the help received by the locals albeit not in Pattaya) but I'll keep that one to myself.

I take good care of them and they take good care of me...generally speaking.

[Jiu-Jitsu]

I was in Pattaya last week.

Went to Khao Kieow open park - No double pricing, price gouging and children (including my kid's nanny) enter for free.

Out of the twenty bars I visited - no bill padding, early closing or dress restrictions.

Sorng Tao's - 10 Baht a ride with no arguments.

Jet Ski - Negotiable on price with a smile - Good quality unit and no thugs around inventing scratches.

Soi hok - not closed during the day.

Wasn't attacked by lady boys.

Wasn't drugged, shot, stabbed or robbed.

All restaurant dinners were from fresh produce and quite enjoyable.

Beach and water in front of soi hah cleanest I've seen it in years.

Pattaya - Enjoy!

Seems that your fiction fell at the first hurdle....

In contrast, Khao Kheow Open Zoo is far cheaper though obviously more challenging to get there. They have a two price system but the difference is very minimal. Thai adults are 70 baht and foreign adults 100 baht.

[soundman]

I was in Pattaya last week.

Went to Khao Kieow open park - No double pricing, price gouging and children (including my kid's nanny) enter for free.

Out of the twenty bars I visited - no bill padding, early closing or dress restrictions.

Sorng Tao's - 10 Baht a ride with no arguments.

Jet Ski - Negotiable on price with a smile - Good quality unit and no thugs around inventing scratches.

Soi hok - not closed during the day.

Wasn't attacked by lady boys.

Wasn't drugged, shot, stabbed or robbed.

All restaurant dinners were from fresh produce and quite enjoyable.

Beach and water in front of soi hah cleanest I've seen it in years.

Pattaya - Enjoy!

Seems that your fiction fell at the first hurdle....

In contrast, Khao Kheow Open Zoo is far cheaper though obviously more challenging to get there. They have a two price system but the difference is very minimal. Thai adults are 70 baht and foreign adults 100 baht.

I don't know where you cut and paste that quote from, but it is complete rubbish.

One price for all nationalities:

60B per adult.

30B per children.

50B per car.

For us 1 Car, 3 adults & 1 child - 260B.

Cheers!

[begsaresponse]

Yes ...another puncture. near Pattaya Tai on the pitch where they normally have the market. Had come back from an afternoon in Tucome to to find the tyre as flat as a pancake. It was getting dark couldn't see anything. Two Thai men and a woman came over from their cafe gave us a torch and brought over an industrial size jack. Gave me a hand to get the wheel off and on to the bed of the truck. When I had finished asked me if I wanted to wash my hands (had kept their cafe open so I could) so I did. However I failed to get them to take any money...they just would not have it!!!

Their help gave me a real lift

[PattayaDavid]

I have to agree that in the 4 years that I have lived in Pattaya, I have had nothing but good experiences living among the Thai people, but with one exception. It seems to me that the attitudes of Thai people, not just in Pattaya but throughout Thailand, changes drastically when they get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle or motorbike. The smiles, the courtesy and general laid back friendliness displayed in person abruptly turns into determined aggression and the "me only" mentality once they get behind the wheel. It's a daily frustration and I seldom ever arrive at my destination without feeling some level of anger followed by the feeling that well, I didn't get into an accident and have cheated death again. Motorbike riders practicularly dare you to hit them and drivers of cars and trucks pretend that you aren't even on the road when they decide to pull out in front of you, change lanes, run a red light as they drive along their merry way with full blinders on.

I know that this issue had been discussed extensively on this forum, but I just wanted to reinterate a little of the negative side of Thai people to go along with the fluff.

[angiud]

I have to agree that in the 4 years that I have lived in Pattaya, I have had nothing but good experiences living among the Thai people, but with one exception. It seems to me that the attitudes of Thai people, not just in Pattaya but throughout Thailand, changes drastically when they get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle or motorbike. The smiles, the courtesy and general laid back friendliness displayed in person abruptly turns into determined aggression and the "me only" mentality once they get behind the wheel. It's a daily frustration and I seldom ever arrive at my destination without feeling some level of anger followed by the feeling that well, I didn't get into an accident and have cheated death again. Motorbike riders practicularly dare you to hit them and drivers of cars and trucks pretend that you aren't even on the road when they decide to pull out in front of you, change lanes, run a red light as they drive along their merry way with full blinders on.

I know that this issue had been discussed extensively on this forum, but I just wanted to reinterate a little of the negative side of Thai people to go along with the fluff.

This remember me about nearly every european country i've been....

[Ulysses G.]

I just came back from Pattaya and was kind of worried after reading on TV for the last year how the place was going to hel_l in a handbasket. It was the same as always and I met a lot more nice, helpful Thais than bad ones.

I will agree that some of the the farangs are more obnoxious than ever though.

Edited November 7, 2008 by Ulysses G.

[basjke]

Well I had the pleasure today to meet 2 of those so nice thais when 2 scumbags managed to snatch my gold chain while driving the motorbike on sukhumvit.

I tried to follow one to tell him how much I admire him but he got away in the busy traffic,when I tried to express my feelings to the one left behind he turned his bike and drove against traffic flow on the busy road.Probably he was a bit shy for all the kindness of his mate.

Luckily I had the license plate number from the snatcher so maybe I can still say thank you one of these days.

[tattoodrob]

i havent bothered to read all posts in this thread,sorry, but in pattaya i would say they generally only smile when ripping us off in some way......ofcourse there are good stories and i could give a few when i think about it and theyre not all bad people but its the amount of bad people that overshadow the good here. for every good story there seems to be 10 bad ones. if i dont like it then yes i could/should go home but what really happens is you learn how it works here and just look out for yourself as no one can be trusted,farang or thai then you just get on with it. i have gained the opinion i gained in germany....i like germany just need to get rid of the germans haha......i like thailand but it aint what the 2 week tourists see...is it???