A Hawker Assaulted Me!

[Richb2004v2]

i was so mad i went back and knocked one out which caused a almighty fuss.

Did you actually go back to knock one out?

I never get approached on beach road since I realized what attracts them. If you walk along there looking like a tourist they will try you, but if you wear a shirt and look reasonably smart they never bother at all. That’s what I've found anyway.

[YaiJung]

I can't believe anybody actually shakes their hands when they try that crap. Not only is a filthy practice to go around shaking stranger's hands constantly in third world countries(you don't know where that hand has been!), but it's also annoying and serves absolutely no purpose.

Just completely ignore them, like they don't even exist. Why should I waste my time even acknowledging their presence when they only want to scam me or sell me some worthless overpriced junk?

[Pakeha]

Ok. Finally realised the topic header has been changed.

I thought the OP had been back out since his original post and had another run in with a non-indian hawker this time and knocked him flat as well. Glad to see this isn't the case.

[patklang]

i was so mad i went back and knocked one out which caused a almighty fuss.

Did you actually go back to knock one out?

I never get approached on beach road since I realized what attracts them. If you walk along there looking like a tourist they will try you, but if you wear a shirt and look reasonably smart they never bother at all. That’s what I've found anyway.

That was funny,

So what does a tourist look like,dont they dress in a shirt or look reasonably smart lol.

If i am thinking about walking past a taylor i will buy a shirt off him then he wont bother me lol.

[stiggy]

yup they can be quite pretentious and annoying.........but they are simply doing what they have been told works.

If you have to regularly pass there shop as you live in the area, take a few minutes to say hello point out that you are not a tourist and want nothing ! yes it means you have to talk to them and shock horror be decent to them it takes a while but eventually saves time.

They are not stupid and will simply react to aggression etc by telling all their mates to approach you as they know it winds you up.

I have tried this and have some good friends out of it , I couldn't pay for my work shirts if i tried and my staff uniforms are normally next to nothing, Also the Indian Nepalese network is immense and can be very useful.

In areas that i visit briefly and get approached a solid no thanks and keep walking works fine..........

Only a <deleted> would resolve to violence, as others had said try India or Vietnam ........

[Orac]

Knocking someone out becuase they grabbed hold of you seems a bit over the top, I would hate to follow you down soi 7/8 as I would be tripping over all the unconcious bargirls, or is it just a race thing?

Why highlight the race issue? maybe that would be a gender issue, but then again that would spoil your abuse of the OP as a racist when the race is not the issue for the confrontation

Since the ethnic references have now been removed from the original post maybe my race question is now uncalled for however I still worry about those poor bargirls!

[wasabi]

I do think the tout problem is getting worse in general. The economic slowdown news is starting to seem long in the tooth but I think it is just starting to have big effects in Thailand. People like Thaksin are using this as an opportunity to lay blame divert attention and promote his agenda, stirring up large protests because people are looking for someone to blame. Right here on the streets I have been grabbed and harassed too. I am not a very big guy so I just take it on the chin and politely rebuke them but if I was bigger and confident I could knock someone out I don't know if I'd be able to restrain myself. I have to go to school everyday in the Nana area and the touts have to know me by now yet they do the same stupid spiel every time. These guys have always been completely worthless offering nothing to society and now with the dearth of tourists they are in all out panic as they wither away in obsolescence.

[JimmyConway]

Give the race issue a rest its boring. This is quite obviously nothing to do with race.

Interesting as if the OP had started a thread about timeshare touts and being grabbed, man handled and clawed for refusing to buy everyone would be screaming kill them, lets burn these bastar*#s at the steak, vigilante squads forming whilst discussing the weapon of choice. Not saying that's right in a civilized society but I don't see difference between 'some' of these suit sellers and timeshare touts.

[Sheryl]

The problem of aggressive hawkers/touts and question of how best to deal with them is a legitimate one, but racial/ethnic sterotyping is not acceptable and a number of posts have been deleted or edited accordingly.

[yogi]

topic name was "an indian assaulted me" and now its "a hawker assulted me"

its a troll guys

[patklang]

The problem of aggressive hawkers/touts and question of how best to deal with them is a legitimate one, but racial/ethnic sterotyping is not acceptable and a number of posts have been deleted or edited accordingly.

These are not hawkers or touts,these are owners/family of taylor establishments,we are not talking about thai men and women who come into bars and try to seel stuff,thats touts/hakers as you call them.

[Jai Dee]

topic name was "an indian assaulted me" and now its "a hawker assulted me"

its a troll guys

the mod has changed it and also accusing me of racism,<deleted>???

No moderator is accusing you of racism.

If you have an issue with moderation of the forum, please take it up with either the moderator concerned or by emailing support(at)thaivisa.com, and not publicly on the forum.

[Soutpeel]

i was so mad i went back and knocked one out which caused a almighty fuss.

Did you actually go back to knock one out?

I never get approached on beach road since I realized what attracts them. If you walk along there looking like a tourist they will try you, but if you wear a shirt and look reasonably smart they never bother at all. That's what I've found anyway.

What exactly does a tourist look like ??... .....when I was acosted on beach road, I was dressed "smart"...so thats your theroy out the window..

[Shagger]

Anyone see the "NODDY" man He was last out"Grabbing"

[baboon]

These are not hawkers or touts,these are owners/family of taylor establishments,we are not talking about thai men and women who come into bars and try to seel stuff,thats touts/hakers as you call them.

Actually, I think you will find that most of these "tailors" are no such thing. They simply take measurements and drop them off at a local sweatshop to do the actual tailoring, and charge the customer on top.

[aka_jack]

Buy one of these and walk up the street a few times!!

[Richb2004v2]

i was so mad i went back and knocked one out which caused a almighty fuss.

Did you actually go back to knock one out?

I never get approached on beach road since I realized what attracts them. If you walk along there looking like a tourist they will try you, but if you wear a shirt and look reasonably smart they never bother at all. That's what I've found anyway.

What exactly does a tourist look like ??... .....when I was acosted on beach road, I was dressed "smart"...so thats your theroy out the window..

Fair enough. Maybe it’s got nothing to do with what you wear. It might be simply that I don't pay them any attention any more and just keep walking. My apologies.

[TAWP]

i was so mad i went back and knocked one out which caused a almighty fuss.

Did you actually go back to knock one out?

I never get approached on beach road since I realized what attracts them. If you walk along there looking like a tourist they will try you, but if you wear a shirt and look reasonably smart they never bother at all. That’s what I've found anyway.

Not looking like a tourist do indeed remove 90% of the problems with hawkers, streetvendors and tuktuk drivers...

[mojo80]

Yes these tailors are some of the most annoying vendors, but if you have lived here a while, you learn not to make eyecontact with them, or even listen to the mock cockney greatings and just breeze past them, even if it means knocking them aside ie if they have there hand held out to shake your hand.

Failing that if they do grab your arm, a simple way out of this without even stopping is a quick twisting of the arm in the opposite direction of there thumb in a downward motion, its impossible for them to keep hold weather there the size of frodo or the hulk.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I'm confused. Who assaulted who?

[t.s]

OP lives under a bridge

there is always some asshat whith a cute troll picture just dying to use it.

[mojo80]

OP lives under a bridge

there is always some asshat whith a cute troll picture just dying to use it.

Absolute rubbish! Whats wrong with the OP posting this? Is this not a forum to discuss aspects of thailand and essentially advies newbies on potential pitfulls.

[SoiGirlHunter]

A punch to the head is potentially deadly, its amazing people dont realize this and the SERIOUS ramifications.

Its not really the hand striking the head, its the head striking the ground. As the body collapses it acts like a

whip with the head being the end of the whip which can generate huge collision forces.

In this case if OP did injure or kill the tailor he'd be in the monkey house as i dont think someone grabbing your arm

is a justification for deadly force. Now if the tailor threw a punch or displayed a weapon etc - unleash helll.

[Moonrakers]

I don't seem to have a problem with hawkers any more, in the same way that I don't get bothered by the girls on cowboy.

I think that maybe having been here for long enough I have developed some kind of aura that simply says "<deleted> OFF!"

[PhilHarries]

I'm confused. Who assaulted who?

Nobody assaulted no-one nowhere nohow not never ever so there's nothing to see just move along there. Don't worry about the man lying on the ground he's just tired after his long journey from the Himalayas.....Andes........Pyrenees......Fjords.........wherever.

The beach road tailors, as opposed to those dam_ned taylors, have never bothered me but then it might be the "get in my way and I'll rip your head off and shove your shirt down your neckhole" glare I give them that puts them off. Plus of course I always make sure I am wearing one of my best Saville Row suits when I go out on the town so that people don't confuse me with those tourist types one hears about so often.

[bungy007]

Give the race issue a rest its boring. This is quite obviously nothing to do with race.

Interesting as if the OP had started a thread about timeshare touts and being grabbed, man handled and clawed for refusing to buy everyone would be screaming kill them, lets burn these bastar*#s at the steak, vigilante squads forming whilst discussing the weapon of choice. Not saying that's right in a civilized society but I don't see difference between 'some' of these suit sellers and timeshare touts.

Absolutely. They are both on the level of an annoying mosquitoe and you know what we do to them don't you. I remember returning from India after 6 months of these types and it really was fun messing with their heads - India really is a hard training ground for a tourist but it does make everywhere else that much easier to live in.

Ask you "where you come from?" Reply 'Iceland'. Ask you "where you want to go?" say 'Timbucktoo' Ask you "Do you want a new suit" smile and ask "do they have any hearts?" "Looking is free" answer "Great. Get your sister out here and get her kit off" and then run like buggery! Ha ha ha!

[jts-khorat]

Yes these tailors are some of the most annoying vendors, but if you have lived here a while, you learn not to make eyecontact with them, or even listen to the mock cockney greatings and just breeze past them, even if it means knocking them aside ie if they have there hand held out to shake your hand.

Failing that if they do grab your arm, a simple way out of this without even stopping is a quick twisting of the arm in the opposite direction of there thumb in a downward motion, its impossible for them to keep hold weather there the size of frodo or the hulk.

Whenever this topic comes up -- and it must have come up a dozen times now on Thai Visa -- I like to point out that this way of selling is based on the success it gets. If nobody would react on pushy sellers, they would maybe use another tactic. Sadly, many tourists simply buy something to get rid of the nuisance, thereby making the problem bigger and bigger.

However, even towards the pushiest tailor, simply ignoring them or refusing politely is the right way of action, especially if you meet them regularly.

If they do not let you go at first, simply start making totally inane smalltalk with them -- very soon they will realize that you monopolize their precious time while other potential customers walk by.

A mix of the strategies above has helped me so far in any such situation and by now they all recognize and totally ignore me as there is no business to gain from me; and they do remember that.

[SoiGirlHunter]

When one approaches me I just start coughing wildly while waving them off yelling TB TB TB buh TB TB !!!

[MrHammer]

Good for you OP! Next time use your left hook on the ladyboys!

[thaihome]

Many years ago when I was in the Military, we had an incident where I guy threw one punch, knocking the person down, hit his head on the curb (kerb to you Brits) and was killed. The puncher received 20 years in prison.

Taking a swing at someone is asking for more trouble then you may think.

TH