What Would You Have Done?

[phetaroi]

In all my wanderings around Thailand, the number of times I have been treated poorly have been rare indeed. A couple of days ago I was wandering around Thanon Sukhothai taking a few photos (although that clearly was no issue). As I walked down one soi near Wat Suwat Wari Simaram, several young women at a shop front started calling out, "I love you. You are so handsome." I just smiled and walked on, although they kept it up till I was out of sight. There a few old women were very friendly, although spoke no English, and appeared to be apologizing for the incident to me. Then I walked into the temple grounds and a mother and father instructed their 10 or 11 year old son to go over and say hello to the farang. And he did. Then as we walked in opposite directions he yelled back, "Hello and f--- you."

Just curious what any of you would have done.

[bojo]

Is this a true story or a possible scenario? Frankly I find it hard to believe that anyone would behave in such a way. I'm sure some posters will have a response.

Regards Bojo

[Ulysses G.]

A ten year old boy? I would have laughed my head off - even if he did realize what he was saying.

[wolfmanjack]

A ten year old boy? I would have laughed my head off - even if he did realize what he was saying.

Yeah he probably saw it in a movie and had no idea what it means.

[phetaroi]

Is this a true story or a possible scenario? Frankly I find it hard to believe that anyone would behave in such a way. I'm sure some posters will have a response.

Regards Bojo

Exactly true. I had never had anything like this happen before and was quite stunned.

[bojo]

Is this a true story or a possible scenario? Frankly I find it hard to believe that anyone would behave in such a way. I'm sure some posters will have a response.

Regards Bojo

Exactly true. I had never had anything like this happen before and was quite stunned.

Sorry I misunderstood the post, I thought you meant the foreigner retorted as such.

In that case, I would have called the boy over and asked him where he'd learnt such language, terrible but funny all the same!

Regards Bojo

[SMEEERE]

Iwould have wai'd him and said "fuc_k you too " but with a smile

[Jingthing]

Iwould have wai'd him and said "fuc_k you too " but with a smile

Or better yet,

f--- you very, very much!

(There is a very, very catchy song with those lyrics, some will know.)

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=2761672

Edited August 5, 2009 by Jingthing

[balo]

This is not a rude behviour , its just a kid learning his first english words!

Maybe he dont know the meaning of it.

I would just smile and walk away.

[TenDreams]

happened to me loads of times, usually in the sticks, i think they learn such phrases from comics or video games and don't really fully understand the offense they might cause to some.

I just laugh and leave em to it.

[redscouse]

I would have p1ssed myself laughing at the cheeky little scamp who probably thought he was saying 'thank you'

I got hit by a motorbike taxi once, no damage to my car or his bike and he tried to extort 500 Baht from me for the non existent damage to his bike, I remained polite and found he spoke English a little, anyway he persisted and said he will call the police so I said "ok, call the police", obviously he never wanted to do this and got angry and started saying "<deleted> you" over and over and every time he said it I smiled and replied "Thank you", he must have thought I thought he was saying thank you so he responded eventually by raising his middle finger which I found hilarious which only antagonised him further, anyway he eventually rode away when I unfurled myself from my car still laughing so he could not interpret my movement as an attack.

On the other hand a severe kicking would have educated the little scamp to not do it again (joke)

[Petbon]

Amazing that it happens once and you post about rudeness of Thai's? Farangs in Auckland (popln 1milln/total NZ 4mlln) yell such things like that often, and yes, they do know what it means, but have limited vocabs. Some friends and I were saying that it's best not to look at anyone in some public places, in case they take offence! So it's not just my perception. Reports of attacks on tourists seem frequent too.

[samran]

In all my wanderings around Thailand, the number of times I have been treated poorly have been rare indeed. A couple of days ago I was wandering around Thanon Sukhothai taking a few photos (although that clearly was no issue). As I walked down one soi near Wat Suwat Wari Simaram, several young women at a shop front started calling out, "I love you. You are so handsome." I just smiled and walked on, although they kept it up till I was out of sight. There a few old women were very friendly, although spoke no English, and appeared to be apologizing for the incident to me. Then I walked into the temple grounds and a mother and father instructed their 10 or 11 year old son to go over and say hello to the farang. And he did. Then as we walked in opposite directions he yelled back, "Hello and f--- you."

Just curious what any of you would have done.

given it was a kid, I would have bent down to his eye level and told him that was not very polite and said it loudly enough that his parents had heard that, just in case the kid was being a bit of a brat.

I once had a couple of kids at my local pool calling out to me 'hey you!' then sniggering every time I'd finished a set of laps. It was actually kind of pissing me off.

I went over to them and told them that that wasn't very polite and it was the equivalent of calling a stranger 'meung'. Thai's are very conscious of being seen as polite and it shocked the heck out of them. Anyway, they took it well and then ended up asking me to teach them to swim, so I spent the rest of my time there giving them swimming tips, much to the annoyance of the swimming teacher and other parents who had paid for their kids to get lessons that day.

Edited August 5, 2009 by samran

[toybits]

Perhaps, he was only repeating what he has heard from other farang? Sounds like a Cheech and Chong scenario - hello pendeho kind of situation.

In all my wanderings around Thailand, the number of times I have been treated poorly have been rare indeed. A couple of days ago I was wandering around Thanon Sukhothai taking a few photos (although that clearly was no issue). As I walked down one soi near Wat Suwat Wari Simaram, several young women at a shop front started calling out, "I love you. You are so handsome." I just smiled and walked on, although they kept it up till I was out of sight. There a few old women were very friendly, although spoke no English, and appeared to be apologizing for the incident to me. Then I walked into the temple grounds and a mother and father instructed their 10 or 11 year old son to go over and say hello to the farang. And he did. Then as we walked in opposite directions he yelled back, "Hello and f--- you."

Just curious what any of you would have done.

[zzaa09]

In all my wanderings around Thailand, the number of times I have been treated poorly have been rare indeed. A couple of days ago I was wandering around Thanon Sukhothai taking a few photos (although that clearly was no issue). As I walked down one soi near Wat Suwat Wari Simaram, several young women at a shop front started calling out, "I love you. You are so handsome." I just smiled and walked on, although they kept it up till I was out of sight. There a few old women were very friendly, although spoke no English, and appeared to be apologizing for the incident to me. Then I walked into the temple grounds and a mother and father instructed their 10 or 11 year old son to go over and say hello to the farang. And he did. Then as we walked in opposite directions he yelled back, "Hello and f--- you."

Just curious what any of you would have done.

Little bit serious, are we? Would it have made you feel any better if the little rascal called out "Hello, Farang Buffalo"??

[pluto_manibo]

..and on temple grounds nonetheless!

[phetaroi]

In all my wanderings around Thailand, the number of times I have been treated poorly have been rare indeed. A couple of days ago I was wandering around Thanon Sukhothai taking a few photos (although that clearly was no issue). As I walked down one soi near Wat Suwat Wari Simaram, several young women at a shop front started calling out, "I love you. You are so handsome." I just smiled and walked on, although they kept it up till I was out of sight. There a few old women were very friendly, although spoke no English, and appeared to be apologizing for the incident to me. Then I walked into the temple grounds and a mother and father instructed their 10 or 11 year old son to go over and say hello to the farang. And he did. Then as we walked in opposite directions he yelled back, "Hello and f--- you."

Just curious what any of you would have done.

Little bit serious, are we? Would it have made you feel any better if the little rascal called out "Hello, Farang Buffalo"??

So you think extremely poor manners in any language is acceptable?

[mrtoad]

Amazing that it happens once and you post about rudeness of Thai's? Farangs in Auckland (popln 1milln/total NZ 4mlln) yell such things like that often, and yes, they do know what it means, but have limited vocabs. Some friends and I were saying that it's best not to look at anyone in some public places, in case they take offence! So it's not just my perception. Reports of attacks on tourists seem frequent too.

I think you havevtotally misunderstood what the OP is saying.

[edwardandtubs]

Amazing that it happens once and you post about rudeness of Thai's? Farangs in Auckland (popln 1milln/total NZ 4mlln) yell such things like that often, and yes, they do know what it means, but have limited vocabs. Some friends and I were saying that it's best not to look at anyone in some public places, in case they take offence! So it's not just my perception. Reports of attacks on tourists seem frequent too.

I think you havevtotally misunderstood what the OP is saying.

Which is what exactly? The title talks about rudeness by Thais but the story is about one Thai kid. A better title would have been "Lots of friendliness by Thais and then a dissing from a cheeky little scamp."

[mrtoad]

Amazing that it happens once and you post about rudeness of Thai's? Farangs in Auckland (popln 1milln/total NZ 4mlln) yell such things like that often, and yes, they do know what it means, but have limited vocabs. Some friends and I were saying that it's best not to look at anyone in some public places, in case they take offence! So it's not just my perception. Reports of attacks on tourists seem frequent too.

I think you havevtotally misunderstood what the OP is saying.

Which is what exactly? The title talks about rudeness by Thais but the story is about one Thai kid. A better title would have been "Lots of friendliness by Thais and then a dissing from a cheeky little scamp."

Well, I think the reason he has chosen the title is because of his shock. In the end a pretty funny story if you ask me.

[zzaa09]

In all my wanderings around Thailand, the number of times I have been treated poorly have been rare indeed. A couple of days ago I was wandering around Thanon Sukhothai taking a few photos (although that clearly was no issue). As I walked down one soi near Wat Suwat Wari Simaram, several young women at a shop front started calling out, "I love you. You are so handsome." I just smiled and walked on, although they kept it up till I was out of sight. There a few old women were very friendly, although spoke no English, and appeared to be apologizing for the incident to me. Then I walked into the temple grounds and a mother and father instructed their 10 or 11 year old son to go over and say hello to the farang. And he did. Then as we walked in opposite directions he yelled back, "Hello and f--- you."

Just curious what any of you would have done.

Little bit serious, are we? Would it have made you feel any better if the little rascal called out "Hello, Farang Buffalo"??

So you think extremely poor manners in any language is acceptable?

Perhaps not acceptable. Poor manners exist in our worldly state - everywhere. It is what it is. It's an imperfect universe, friend. Unless you insist imbibing a life where things are pure and perfect.

[toptuan]

This is not a rude behviour , its just a kid learning his first english words!

Maybe he dont know the meaning of it.

I would just smile and walk away.

What he said.

As a university instructor of English I have a major job on my hands trying to teach Thai students the appropriate or inappropriate uses of that and similar words. They absolutely have no idea--especially after ingesting the average American movie, which makes such words seem the norm spoken by people of just about every background and social status.

[StatlerandWaldorf]

All you have to do is look at some of the T shirts that Thai's wear. It is quite amusing to see some innocent young girl wearing a shirt that says "f#ck you wanke_rs" written across the front.

They obviously have no idea what it says. Just laugh it off. There could be a good business opportunity in printing obscene T shirts written in Thai and selling them in falang

[jumparound]

I would of went home and kicked the dog fair up the arse.