It's all about respect, or lack thereof. Respect the land, the history, the language, the traditions, and the societal norms. Travelling should be about understanding where you are, and appreciating what makes that place unique. The best travellers do not simply visit a culture. They listen to it, and learn from it. If you can't do that, maybe you should travel less. Sure, Thais can be loud (at festivals, Karaoke, etc.). They love to have fun (in the right places). But what you don't typically see are Thais being loud and obnoxious on public transport. Context is everything for a Thai. And yes, the Thai women took the bold (and decidedly, un-Thai) approach of confronting the offenders. I'm glad she did. Sometimes people need to be called out in order to bring problems to the fore.
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