Unfriendliest Town In Thailand

[soihok]

Well,my experience sways me towards that this is Thailand and take it or leave it.!

Until there is a Thai Rak Farang party ,

"IF YA DONT LIKE LIKE YA CAN **** aff.

I learnt this in Hong Kong by the way.

Rak Soi 6

[bannork]

monk was eorking in the fieldwhen traveller approached himwith question:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What was the traveller doing in the field?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

more than that, what was the monk doing?

[pluto_manibo]

Funny you guys bring this up, Just 2 hrs ago, I went jogging in our local park, about 6 kms out of Pattaya....As a couple jogged past me, the guy asks his fat chinese thai wife, "Men reu pao?"(Doesn't smell bad) and they have a laugh... I could understand if it was true, but I had freshly showered and not even broken a sweat yet...Although I am white, I kind of know how it feels to be black now (eg:racial discrimination etc..)Keep it real brothers!!

Edited February 8, 2005 by pluto_manibo

[pautai]

I was wondering what other people's experiences have been.

For me, the unfriendliest place I have been is without doubt Nakhon Si Thammarat. The locals there seem to take a perverse pleasure in pissing off outsiders and I mean Thais as well as farangs. I mean things like people calling me a monkey (in Thai of course) to telling me to go away, or get out. Thais from outside NST have told me they are selfish and black hearted.

I have heard similar comments from people in other towns (e.g. Korat) but with nowhere near the same frequency as in NST.

Anyone care to comment?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yes the southern towns with the muslims are the most unfriendliest.

grim faced folks ,no smiles..

nakhon is bad.

but never had a prob in the issan towns and villages

but you get drunks in a nasty mood anywhere

[Harmonica]

I thought people in Had Yai were lovely, especially considering it's a pretty big town.  Not much to see & do, but lovely people..

Miss goody-two-shoes strikes again with yet another namby-pamby comment!

[chonabot]

The Friendliest town in Thailand IMO is Kalasin

The Unfriendliest town in Thailand IMO is Kalasin......

Now repeat after Chon...." The Friendliest....."

IMO it depends on what kind of day you and they have had.....

[ProfessorFart]

Fair comment Chonabot. You could meet the nicest person on a bad day and think they are a total ar5ehole. Sometimes first impressions stick.

[TRIPxCORE]

I have never had the opportunity to travel to Southern Thailand before and after hearing most of these stories, everyone pretty much convinced me to avoid it. It doesn't sound like the Thailand I have come to know but then again, the farthest South I have ever been was Hua Hin.

[ProfessorFart]

Tripxcore, I wouldn't let the opinions of others put you off. Go see for yourself. You'll only miss out if you don't!! You never know, you may love it!

[Padkapow Guy]

Patong beach is the only place in Thailand where i have ever encountered any hostility. That was from a thai man that rents motorcycles. He was upset with me because I would not pay for extra day rent on his bike. He was hiding from me when I tried to turn it in, so I would be 1/2 hour late. I told him to wait while I went to get the tourist police to settle this. He cussed me out (in english)and threw a water bottle at me and then ran away.

[ProfessorFart]

I think there is some difference between a dispute and plain unfriendliness though.

Its an odd thing. I found Phnom Penh and BKK some of friendliest cities in Asia, yet I can not help myself when in Cambodia thinking 'what did you do in the KR, have you killed children?' or when I meet some old drunken Thai bloke who starts to bang on about the evils on Communism I wonder 'were you hanging students at Thammast'

I think the problem with Thailand is that people confuse 'non confrontational' with 'effusive friendliness' due to the over-use (particularly by the likes of Lonely Planet) of the image of freindly Thais etc.

At the end of the day its just human nature to be shitty to each other be it in Thailand or be it in any country in the world.

[brianbrain]

yes the southern towns with the muslims are  the most unfriendliest.

grim faced folks ,no smiles..

nakhon is bad.

but never had a prob in the issan towns and villages

but you get drunks in a nasty mood anywhere

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I can't comment on the South of Thailand, but I have met some very friendly Muslims here in Bangkok and in Malaysia too. I've also met a good number of Thais from Isaan who were "friendly" but only in a "I want your money" sort of way. I know who I would trust the most.

[ovenman]

The rudest people I have encountered while traveling about the Kingdom were the staff at the Trang Hotel in Trang. Once I had enough of their antics and checked out of there prematurely, I found the people of Trang to be very warm and welcoming. Go figure.

Passed through Pattani once a few years back and found the people there to somewhat indifferent. So, if I had to vote for a place Pattani would probably be it (although as the Trang story illustrates, it could just be a case of meeting the wrong people initially).

[Neeranam]

yes the southern towns with the muslims are the most unfriendliest.

grim faced folks ,no smiles..

nakhon is bad.

but never had a prob in the issan towns and villages

but you get drunks in a nasty mood anywhere

Here here.

Never a problem anywhere in Issarn, apart from drunks, and quite a few drunks around. but rather deal with a drunk in Isaarn than Haad Yai.

Had Yai is the unfriendleist place I have ever been in Thailand, by a long way.

[Insight]

Patong beach is the only place in Thailand where i have ever encountered any hostility.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Same for me, and Phuket Town. Saying that, I was stuck in the tourist traps.

In Phuket Town, a tuk-tuk guy bugged me and two friends for 5 minutes asking if we'd like a ride. This is after I told him we already had a car and was quite visibly walking to it, keys in hand, while he was bugging us

[fiveyears]

In my honest opinion I guess some people are unfriendly, on the other hand some are friendly. Also, some are kind, some are not kind. Thai people are Thai people, there's no denying that. So people are people, I tend to say no then.

Or maybe yes?

[Shola]

In my honest opinion I guess some people are unfriendly, on the other hand some are friendly. Also, some are kind, some are not kind. Thai people are Thai people, there's no denying that. So people are people, I tend to say no then.

Or maybe yes?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That whole paragraph cancells itself out completly! It would mean the same thing if you just entered a blank post!!

Or maybe it doesn't cancell itself out, or maybe you shouldn't enter a blank post?

[NedKelly]

Nakhon Sawan = Chinese capital of Thailand

HatYai = 2nd Chinese capital of Thailand

Are there others ?

[dvk1951]

Well, i guess when you start out with a negative subject for a thread it should come as no surprise that you would walk away after reading it with a sour taste in your mouth. IMO sad but true.

ProfessorFarts comments a few posts back had an opinion that seems to summarize my feelings on the subject, "wrong place at the wrong time". I have always taken the time to educate myself about any new scenery before viewing it, paying particular attention to the current direction of the political winds and using that as a timepiece to schedule any trips. So far, knock on wood, it has proven to be a successful formula and have found wonderful people everywhere I have travelled.

That is not to say that I wear rose colored glasses, but rather choose to disregard and not waste time with the black colors as it is difficult to go through life color blind when all colors are in all places.

Maybe the old addage "half full or half empty" which comes to mind may have a bearing on perceptions and the subsequent experiences.

Just my oppinionated view from my soapbox

[Shola]

This about sums it up for me.

[seahorse]

"wrong place at the wrong time"

This is absolutely NOT about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Do you mean I shouldn't go shopping in Tesco's? Do you mean I shouldn't go to the central market? Do you mean I shouldn't walk down the street? Do you mean I shouldn't ride my motorbike around?

I am surprised at so many people who seem to be wearing blinkers as to what is happening around them.

I have travelled extensively around Thailand and although I have not spent a lot of time in EVERY place, I feel that I have spent enough time in some to comment upon it. I have spent a lot of time in Nakhon Si Thammarat and the problems I am talking about are recurrent. It has happened too many times for it to be explained away by "oh that's just one person."

I have never experienced this hostility in Hat Yai, another place I have spent a lot of time. The people may not be particularly friendly, especially in some of the Chinese hotels, but it's nowhere near as bad as NST.

On the other hand, I have not experienced this in Bangkok, actually probably the opposite - people asking if I needed help when it was obvious I was a bit lost. Nor have I experienced this in Chiang Mai, where the people were extremely friendly when they realised I spoke some Thai.

[papabill]

I think there is some difference between a dispute and plain unfriendliness though.

Its an odd thing. I found Phnom Penh and BKK some of friendliest cities in Asia, yet I can not help myself when in Cambodia thinking 'what did you do in the KR, have you killed children?' or when I meet some old drunken Thai bloke who starts to bang on about the evils on Communism I wonder 'were you hanging students at Thammast'

I think the problem with Thailand is that people confuse 'non confrontational' with 'effusive friendliness' due to the over-use (particularly by the likes of Lonely Planet) of the image of freindly Thais etc.

At the end of the day its just human nature to be shitty to each other be it in Thailand or be it in any country in the world.

Well said

[sbk]

Is there some reason in resurrecting a two year old thread?

[Isaanresting]

yes the southern towns with the muslims are the most unfriendliest.

grim faced folks ,no smiles..

nakhon is bad.

but never had a prob in the issan towns and villages

but you get drunks in a nasty mood anywhere

Here here.

Never a problem anywhere in Issarn, apart from drunks, and quite a few drunks around. but rather deal with a drunk in Isaarn than Haad Yai.

Had Yai is the unfriendleist place I have ever been in Thailand, by a long way.

Had Yai

[h90]

I loved both nakhon, surat and hat yai.

Most I loved Nakhon, people are lovely and honest, just a bit rougher in their style but more honest.

In Isaan they think you are a money, are very sweet and ripp you off, in nakhon they tell you are a monkey and don't ripp you off.

If they tell you are a ling, tell them they are kwais....

[qwertz]

Is there some reason in resurrecting a two year old thread?

Or for that matter, is there an unfriendly town? I never saw one.

[jumnien]

The most unfriendly town in Thailand is the town that the most unfriendly farang finds himself in.

[alexth]

I loved both nakhon, surat and hat yai.

Most I loved Nakhon, people are lovely and honest, just a bit rougher in their style but more honest.

In Isaan they think you are a money, are very sweet and ripp you off, in nakhon they tell you are a monkey and don't ripp you off.

If they tell you are a ling, tell them they are kwais....

Make sure you also have a health insurance, you never know

[qwertz]

The most unfriendly town in Thailand is the town that the most unfriendly farang finds himself in.

So if you want to be liked, be likeable. The place is irrelevant.

[Skyline]

Anywhere there are Chinese.

A trip down Yaowarat is sure to be a happy,smiling affair.The bonus is stopping for lunch and have some fat bloke with a 12" hair sprouting mole serving your noodles.Appetising.

NST always had a bad reputation but I always enjoyed it there.