Respectable Farlang In Thailand

[kreon]

the dress code in many ways is the same as the west

when you meet business people for the first time, especially in major cities, wear nice pants and a shirt and tie

then thereafter you change your outfit in line with theirs

and of course never bring your uni gf to their family dinners, but rather go alone, where they will try to hook you up with respectable thai ladies

btw, at my apartment, i get always funny looks and a lot of gossiping is going on about my uni gf visits, but as they say, i don't give a hoot

Edited January 27, 2005 by kreon

[Petesear]

I'd say that 'respectable' should refer to behaviour not looks.. So it is possible that Thais might think that a 50 plus yr old man being visited by 'young' students is a tad unrespectable.. Giving us all a bad name... Cheers Kreton

[HenryP]

the dress code in many ways is the same as the west

when you meet business people for the first time, especially in major cities, wear nice pants and a shirt and tie

then thereafter you change your outfit in line with theirs

and of course never bring your uni gf to their family dinners, but rather go alone, where they will try to hook you up with respectable thai ladies 

btw, at my apartment, i get always funny looks and a lot of gossiping is going on about my uni gf visits, but as they say, i don't give a hoot 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ok! First let me just say I have nothing against old people (my parents are old and I love the ###### out of those two!) but there is just no way that any of my female university friends would date a guy in their 40's or older. I mean they are pretty picky even with guys our age. I cant say I have any friends in Thailand that are much older than myself (28), but if I did, it would be inconceivable to me that I would ever try to hook up one of my friends with a person that old. I am not against old people having relationships with young girls (if I were to be so lucky someday) but I am certain older guys would strike out with the vast majority of top-tier university students.

I am in agreement with the other posters that one's behavior is crucial to being respected, but clothing is very important. I wear business attire just about every workday even though I dont have a job. I have learned through experience that it is far better to be overdressed than underdressed in Bangkok. My parents lived in Bangkok (due to my father's employment) for 3 years prior to my first trip to Thailand in 2002. I came to visit my girlfriend that I had met in the states when we were students. All I brought were casual clothes since before visiting Thailand, I always thought being comfortable was a key factor in how one dressed, boy was I wrong! My first full day in Bangkok, I went with my (embarassed but too polite to mention) girlfriend to a press conference for Chula's moot court program, I didnt see another person in the building with jeans on... I promptly went on a shopping spree at Central Chidlom and rarely do I wear jeans during the weekday, and I have never worn casual shorts in Bkk. BTW, I dont think the Thai society's attitudes on dress make much sense, but when in Rome...

[sriracha john]

na, i dont reckon thats right with most thais that interact with tourists.

initially in thai schooling it is ingrained into the childrens head to respect their elders, it is also shown in the language, for thais that dont interact with tourists they are generally extremely polite and nice and would give u the shirt off their back, with the younger generation of thais and the thais that deal with tourists, these ppl are just scum looking for a quick buck or a way to stitch u up, they have seen how farangs can spend a years salary of wot a thai would earn in a good nite out, i think here in pattaya tuky we have more scum thais than nice normal thais, also with this thai xenaphobia promoted by thaskin i wouldnt be suprised if we see more attacks against farangs living out in the sticks, dont forget that these ppl are more tribal than human, they have there little tribes all from the same village and attack as a tribe and not individually, in the last year or so there have been quite a few farang killed by thais purely for money or insurance, the dutch guy last year is a perfect example, they shot him they knifed him, and then they crushed his skull with a concrete slab, yep the creatures of the nite are taking over and its getting a lot more violent here towards farangs..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

lemme try a guess.... Pattaya Tourism Board adviser?