Unfriendliest Town In Thailand

[Neeranam]

Surat Thani, I forgot - very unfriendly.

[jdinasia]

Nakhon Si Thammarat is comming in for a lot of stick here. Having lived in Thailand on and of for over thirty years. In Nakhon now for five years on the trot and comming here for thirty. I don't find it any more or less friendly than other parts of Thailand. I have never had any real problems here. Few farang that I know have had any. The few who have had problems, I suspect, would have found problems in any Thai town or even at home.

I have always liked Nakhon and get on well with the locals. What you put out comes back. I have many friends who love the place. I know some that don't.

People in the South, I find, are more independant of mind which makes for more interesting conversation. They are less effusive than other areas in Thailand but I like that, you have to earn their friendship.

Pretty decent spot all in all.

I concur 100%

[Gary A]

There are nasty unfriendly people everywhere. They are here too. I have found that Thai people are very apprehensive and avoid farangs who have a frown on their face. They are also very perceptive and for those of you who think Thai people are unfriendly, just try smiling. Many times I have seen people, mostly young people who tried to avoid looking at me. I frequently wink at them and I am rewarded by fits of giggling. Friendliness is what YOU make it.

[soundman]

There are nasty unfriendly people everywhere. They are here too. I have found that Thai people are very apprehensive and avoid farangs who have a frown on their face. They are also very perceptive and for those of you who think Thai people are unfriendly, just try smiling. Many times I have seen people, mostly young people who tried to avoid looking at me. I frequently wink at them and I am rewarded by fits of giggling. Friendliness is what YOU make it.

This is a point that a lot of us falangs fail to realise. Thai people (& all asian people with tonal & inflection based languages) in general are extremely perceptive, they can read body language & facial expresions much better than a lot of us "boardroom warriors". However, they do have some trouble with indesicive foreigners, often reading intentions incorrectly.

Cheers,

Soundman.

[chrisspursbkk1]

I've read that Southern Thais tend to speak quickly and seem to be hot tempered compared to the other regions but I've never head of anybody having these experiences. They say those in the Issan are quite friendly despite having less experience with lots of farangs. I would find it tough to live among people like your neighbors.

Hi i have to agree with you about the Southerns Thais speaking really fast as my girlfreind dose but as for her temper shes as cool as a cucumber,lol.

[KhunMarco]

There are nasty unfriendly people everywhere. They are here too. I have found that Thai people are very apprehensive and avoid farangs who have a frown on their face. They are also very perceptive and for those of you who think Thai people are unfriendly, just try smiling. Many times I have seen people, mostly young people who tried to avoid looking at me. I frequently wink at them and I am rewarded by fits of giggling. Friendliness is what YOU make it.

Right on! Whatever people say about fake smiles ...yada yada, a smile here goes a long way, and you are always rewarded with a big fat smile, try that in farangland and you feel like a pervert...

[sarpesius]

I have found that the Bangkok itself is the unfriendliest town.

The worst businesses upcountry are run by Bangkok Thais who come up to rip off the tourists. Lonely Planet makes a remark about this.

Patpong is a rat hole, with really dangerous pimp-bouncer-enforcer criminals, and the girls are just as bad.

The "antique" shops on sukhumvit will show you something made last week with new paint still on it and tell you it's "very old."

The restaurants and bars on Khao San rd. are mercenary and mediocre.

The tuk-tuk drivers will try to raise the fare on you when you are in the midst the journey. Some of taxi meters are rigged.

If you get stuck out by Victory monument, where so many English schools are, no thai, including the bus drivers, will help you get on the right bus to get back to banglamphu. So you wind up taking a cab which wipes out wages.

sarpesius

[JR Texas]

JR Texas: I have lived in all of the regions in Thailand. I can say, without a doubt in my mind, that Pattaya/Jomtien is the worst in terms of friendliness.

I have rarely found this to be case myself, sure in few places but it's not the general rule. I definitely don't think it's the worst.

Part of this problem is no due to the fact that the worst class of farangs are living there

You must be hanging around with the wrong crowd. The farang friends I have there are great guys, some retired lawyers, apartment owners, those on pensions who prefer living in the tropics, multi millionaires with businesses back home, some who work tirelessly for local charities etc. etc. In fact if I had a problem these guys would do anything to help me out.

The other side is the desperation and anger that forces many Thai people to Pattaya/Jomtien.

There are 2 points I'd like to make on this. You have stated that Pattaya/Jomtien is the least friendly place in Thailand yet you have just said yourself that the same people have come from somewhere else. Most of the population in Pattaya come from somewhere else, some are good and some are not so good same as anywhere else. The other point is nobody forces anybody to come to Pattaya for work, it is the persons own choice.

Ironically, from what I have read on this thread, the friendliest people I have found in Thailand are in the northeast region.

This I agree with with, I love the Issan people and to me were on par with the nice people of Khampaeng Phet.

JR Texas: Some of my best friends in Thailand live in Pattaya/Jomtien. But you certainly know what I mean about the foaming at the mouth Neanderthalls..........the ones that by far outnumber the "good guys."

Yes, I said that the Thais come from other places and your point is well taken. But I still find more "bad/rude/unfriendly Thais" per square foot in Pattaya/Jomtien than other places.

I was also trying to relate some of their behavior to the fact that many have been forced, by economic circumstances, to live in Pattaya/Jomtien and do not want to be there. In addition, they often have to interact with some of the worst farangs on the planet.

Again, some of the best farangs on the planet are there, but they are in a minority. But this is about Thais and not farangs, so perhaps I got off topic a bit.

[danone]

koh samet.

people there make money too easily.

they dont have to care about anything.

just pocket the money from bangkokians and tourists flowing in.

it starts with the natural park fee which is a joke.

anyway. been there, done that, never again.

[sarpesius]

This is a point that a lot of us falangs fail to realise. Thai people (& all asian people with tonal & inflection based languages) in general are extremely perceptive, they can read body language & facial expresions much better than a lot of us "boardroom warriors". However, they do have some trouble with indesicive foreigners, often reading intentions incorrectly.

Soundman.

This sounds like reverse racism, as if to say that thais are perceptive while other races are not. As if thais can read body language and facial expressions but other races cannot.

Could it be that thais are just as stupid, greedy, and insensitive as the rest of us, and that some of them are racist?

sarpesius

[RamdomChances]

I'm quite supprised about the Nakhon Sawan comments, I've lived there for 5-6 years and never had a problem they may not be quite as fawning as some places in Thailand. I'm not in town thought and generaly the bigger the city the more impersonal it is.

I think to get to know a place you have to spend some time there, if your just passing through then just meeting the wrong person can give you a bad impression.

I recon the tourist areas are probaly the most unfriendly as soon as you scrape off the thin venere of smiles, Phuket is in my opinion the worst of the bunch

[Vulture]

Just like to defend my beloved Nakhon Sawan. I have spent more time there than all other Thailand cities/places put together and I give it a friendliness thumbs up

[jdinasia]

I have found that the Bangkok itself is the unfriendliest town.

The worst businesses upcountry are run by Bangkok Thais who come up to rip off the tourists. Lonely Planet makes a remark about this.

Patpong is a rat hole, with really dangerous pimp-bouncer-enforcer criminals, and the girls are just as bad.

The "antique" shops on sukhumvit will show you something made last week with new paint still on it and tell you it's "very old."

The restaurants and bars on Khao San rd. are mercenary and mediocre.

The tuk-tuk drivers will try to raise the fare on you when you are in the midst the journey. Some of taxi meters are rigged.

If you get stuck out by Victory monument, where so many English schools are, no thai, including the bus drivers, will help you get on the right bus to get back to banglamphu. So you wind up taking a cab which wipes out wages.

sarpesius

lol!

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Don't the Thai have a saying: Sao Loei Jai Dum

Hope it's not true - that's where The Dan Sai Wife is from!

[KhunMarco]

I have found that the Bangkok itself is the unfriendliest town.

The worst businesses upcountry are run by Bangkok Thais who come up to rip off the tourists. Lonely Planet makes a remark about this.

Patpong is a rat hole, with really dangerous pimp-bouncer-enforcer criminals, and the girls are just as bad.

The "antique" shops on sukhumvit will show you something made last week with new paint still on it and tell you it's "very old."

The restaurants and bars on Khao San rd. are mercenary and mediocre.

The tuk-tuk drivers will try to raise the fare on you when you are in the midst the journey. Some of taxi meters are rigged.

If you get stuck out by Victory monument, where so many English schools are, no thai, including the bus drivers, will help you get on the right bus to get back to banglamphu. So you wind up taking a cab which wipes out wages.

sarpesius

lol!

ehe no really, Have you ever been here? The first time I went to the Victory monument, smelling of green farang miles away, lost with a map in my hand, I was approached by a old Thai who wanted to tell me all about Bangkok, (obviously I was thinking..scam here it comes) , well to cut it short, this guy spent the next two hours, planning the whole week for me..where to go, what to do etc. He was a teacher somewhere, my only regret I didn't ask him his address, cause a thank you letter was due for sure...

I have many many stories like this one... But I have never been to Patpong...silly me

Edited March 22, 2007 by KhunMarco

[glassdude007]

only rudeness my wife and i expireanced was one time in at the train station in suratani my pregnant wife was not offerd a seat by a group of thai men. propably cause she was with me.. as a gentelman i gave her my seat and stared at the thai guys for the whole trip....

and yes my wife is from roi et and says the people in the south are not as nice as the ones up north its because of the muslim influence there she says????

[bkkmadness]

only rudeness my wife and i expireanced was one time in at the train station in suratani my pregnant wife was not offerd a seat by a group of thai men. propably cause she was with me.. as a gentelman i gave her my seat and stared at the thai guys for the whole trip....

Forgive me for asking, but why was you sitting down waiting for other people to give up their seat for your pregnant wife, shouldn't she have had your seat in the first place?

[bkkmadness]

I recon the tourist areas are probaly the most unfriendly as soon as you scrape off the thin venere of smiles

Yep without a doubt, you want to find unfriendly Thais you go to the tourist areas, full of them.

[simon43]

Hmm, my translation of "Men reu pao?" in this context is not 'doesn't smell bad' but 'he smells bad, doesn't he?'

So maybe you do need to use a better soap

As an aside, when I was looking for a small hotel in BKK a few days ago, I approached the lady manager of a certain hotel. Before I had even spoken to her she said 'You are not a tourist are you? You look and walk just like a Thai person!"

I think that was a compliment It made me feel good!

Simon

[LoveDaBlues]

Well Thaigoon if you think North people talking sh.i about south people is just a farang mith, I suggest you wake up and smell the coffee. That's called racism/discrimination and it doesn't happen only in LOS if that makes you feel better (my country for example..sic)

JR Texas: I have lived in all of the regions in Thailand. I can say, without a doubt in my mind, that Pattaya/Jomtien is the worst in terms of friendliness.

It is very clear what they think about "farangs" behind the "give me your money smile."

Part of this problem is no due to the fact that the worst class of farangs are living there (not all......I know the Love Thailand/Pattaya or Leave It Crowd will bite on this).

I am talking about the foaming at the mouth Neanderthals. The other side is the desperation and anger that forces many Thai people to Pattaya/Jomtien.

Ironically, from what I have read on this thread, the friendliest people I have found in Thailand are in the northeast region.

This is a myth. In fact, in Udon there is a gang that once a month kills a farang and cuts his heart out. Later back at their hide-out they slice up and eat the heart. Most farang in Udon have a paid body guard. Stay away from the Northeast.....danger danger.