Bangkok Bts Etiquette

[MrHammer]

1. Line up in perfect civilized order on the platform, then attack the door opening viciously not waiting for people to get off, God forbid you would have to stand or even worse sit next to a farang (see 2.)

2. Take seat in the following order: Available seat with no one next to you, available seat next to someone of your own gender, available seat next to opposite gender, stand up, available seat next to farang (don't want to be seen as a ###). Exception 1) You can take seat next to farang if farang is very hansum (or looks rich).

3. Pretend to take a deep interest in the latest skin whitening product or chinese herb extract on the screen, Whatever you do avoid eye contact with other people, particularly farang. Don't want to be seen as ####. Exception 1) For girls: If farang is very hansum then sneak a peek and giggle. Exception 2) For gay men: If farang is hansum then glare with a disturbing smile.

4. Offer your seat to old ladies with weird hairdoo's. Offer your seat to apple cheeked children as well. Put on a face of utter disbelief if farang offers his seat to the before mentioned.

5. If you have an errand in lower Sukhumvit, get off at either Asoke or Ploen Chit. Whatever you do, do not get off at Nana. In fact, Ploen Chit station was built only for that purpose.

[ArthurPewty]

Rough day, huh?

1. I wish I knew the Thai for "Two objects can not occupy the same space. You have to let me out before you can get in. That is simple physics!" This also works for lifts.

2. Often get ladies next to me in the morning while wearing smarts. The trick is to busy yourself with i-pod, phone, cuffs etc as they get on. That way they don't feel you are looking at them. NB This does not work with nose or zipper.

3. They are not pretending. The VTS TV is considered high quality entertainment when compared with the tosh served up on every channel.

4. I always stand for the elderly and pregnant. Not kids. They are young. They have good knees and in BKK most of them need the exercise. I am always amused at how many times people say "Thankyou" in English. Some will even then offer to hold my bag. Got to love that.

5. AHHHH! Now it is clear.

[MrHammer]

Rough day, huh?

Yeah, picked up some nasty bug on the BTS or maybe it's still lingering hangovers, too early to tell!

2. Often get ladies next to me in the morning while wearing smarts. The trick is to busy yourself with i-pod, phone, cuffs etc as they get on. That way they don't feel you are looking at them. NB This does not work with nose or zipper.

Quality tip. I am sending it right now to Lonely Planet.

[TheJoker12]

Good thing I am handsome.

[gravion]

i dont get 5!!!help

[ArthurPewty]

Ploen Chit seems to be unworthy of a station. A crappy discount mall on one side and a bank on the other. It look slike it was designed just so girls could get off without looking like bar girls. **Shh! It is just a joke.**

[Brunus]

4. I always stand for the elderly and pregnant. Not kids. They are young. They have good knees and in BKK most of them need the exercise.

Agreed. Why do Thais give their seat to kids?

"Exception 2) For gay men: If farang is hansum then glare with a disturbing smile. "

True

[sokal]

I don't know if this is just for humor but considering how busy these trains are I think the people behave fairly well.

[salty]

Go 2 abreast on the escalators using mobile phones. Why should anyone be in a hurry to catch sky train? Mai pen rai.

[phetaroi]

OP said:

"1. Line up in perfect civilized order on the platform, then attack the door opening viciously not waiting for people to get off, God forbid you would have to stand or even worse sit next to a farang (see 2.)

2. Take seat in the following order: Available seat with no one next to you, available seat next to someone of your own gender, available seat next to opposite gender, stand up, available seat next to farang (don't want to be seen as a ####). Exception 1) You can take seat next to farang if farang is very hansum (or looks rich).

...

5. If you have an errand in lower Sukhumvit, get off at either Asoke or Ploen Chit. Whatever you do, do not get off at Nana. In fact, Ploen Chit station was built only for that purpose."

You forgot one -- on the downstairs where it says "Keep Right", be sure to keep left.

Your 1 and 2 are related. I think for many it's you that they think is a male #### (I'm not talking about you personally, but as a farang...particularly if you get off at Nana).

When I go to Bumrungrad, I have begun getting off at Phloen Chit for the reason mentioned...a station which, seriously, is located where it is as a factor of distance.

[bubba1]

picking your nose is not bad idea either

[Phil Conners]

Anyone really worry about what Thai's may think of you if you get off at Nana in order to go to Bumgrad?

[geriatrickid]

4. I always stand for the elderly and pregnant. Not kids. They are young. They have good knees and in BKK most of them need the exercise.

Agreed. Why do Thais give their seat to kids?

"Exception 2) For gay men: If farang is hansum then glare with a disturbing smile. "

True

Because kids are clueless here. They have a tendency to go flying when the train brakes.

You must have good gaydar because I can't tell anymore now that the fashion for men is to wear makeup and have those weird floppy hairdos. On the other hand, the girls usually scoot away from me when I sit down. it's as if they think I'm going to put the moves on them, although my friend told me I have a bad habit at staring at women's breasts. Know what's really gross? The guys in flip flops with dirty toenails, like really black that sit next to you and you are going, like eww dude, for the love of chr*st, please take your cooties away from me, and their fragrance, the delightful mix of BO and washing in klong water.

Umm, this isn't a rant thread is it? But can I complain about the Asoke stairs and the peddlars on the pedestrian walkway or mr. crawlie at the bottom of the staircase. Mr. Crawlie waits for you to come down. Fortunately, Mr. Crawlie can't make it up the stairs.

[Brunus]

4. I always stand for the elderly and pregnant. Not kids. They are young. They have good knees and in BKK most of them need the exercise.

Agreed. Why do Thais give their seat to kids?

"Exception 2) For gay men: If farang is hansum then glare with a disturbing smile. "

True

Because kids are clueless here. They have a tendency to go flying when the train brakes.

I saw Thais giving their seat to kids also at the bus stop where there are seats for waiting the bus.

[MiG16]

off to the pub this one goes

but keep it clean folks

in jest or joke or not, please refraing from using profane language

(even though your intention is not malicious - we want to keep the forum family friendly, and certain words will not be appropriate)

cheers, and happy new year to everyone

[Tod Daniels]

MODZ: sorry for putting the thai spelling on a forum other than the language forum, but these are valuable phrases and I put the thai words as well as the english transcription for clarity.

Usually saying this phrase;

Hai kon-eun awk-bai gon si!! (ให้คนอื่นออกไปก่อนสิ)

This translates roughly as "Give the other people a chance to get off first!” It will work quite effectively; especially so, if you say it louder than a thai would.

I have had thaiz literally freeze in their tracks, immediately look down at the floor instead of at me (so as not to lose face by acknowledging they were rude f*ckz in the first place), and then they waited until people got off the train car before they moved again. It is one of the most effective frozen phrases I've ever learned here.

It's similar to the one you can use when people jump the queue at 7/11;

Ya sang queue si!! (อย่าซงคิวสิ)

Which loosely translates as; Don't jump the queue!

This phrase must be used with extreme caution. It can be used quite effectively (with little chance of a situation escalating out of control) to someone tryin' to jump the queue to buy a phone card or other meaningless item they didn’t want to wait in line to purchase.

However, if a thai person (especially a younger thai man) has a shopping basket full of large beer bottles, is staggering slightly and reeks of alcohol, chances are; saying this will get you pummeled by his cohorts waiting outside. Knowing your audience is abso-tively, posi-lutely critical in situations like these..

(BTW; none of the thai words are tough ones and can be slurred quite a bit and still understood by even drunken thaiz. Get a thai you know to listen to you saying these phrases until they tell you you’re speaking it clear enough to be understood.)

Good luck. ..

[paperwerks]

4. I always stand for the elderly and pregnant. Not kids. They are young. They have good knees and in BKK most of them need the exercise.

Agreed. Why do Thais give their seat to kids?

"Exception 2) For gay men: If farang is hansum then glare with a disturbing smile. "

True

Because kids are clueless here. They have a tendency to go flying when the train brakes.

You must have good gaydar because I can't tell anymore now that the fashion for men is to wear makeup and have those weird floppy hairdos. On the other hand, the girls usually scoot away from me when I sit down. it's as if they think I'm going to put the moves on them, although my friend told me I have a bad habit at staring at women's breasts. Know what's really gross? The guys in flip flops with dirty toenails, like really black that sit next to you and you are going, like eww dude, for the love of chr*st, please take your cooties away from me, and their fragrance, the delightful mix of BO and washing in klong water.

Umm, this isn't a rant thread is it? But can I complain about the Asoke stairs and the peddlars on the pedestrian walkway or mr. crawlie at the bottom of the staircase. Mr. Crawlie waits for you to come down. Fortunately, Mr. Crawlie can't make it up the stairs.

<<I can't tell anymore now that the fashion for men is to wear makeup and have those weird floppy hairdos.>> Umm, maybe this is the fashion amount the "men" you hang out with but it is not amoung the vast majority. I don't know any guys that wear makeup.

[MrJohnson]

I think some of the posters here may need a reality check.

I was recently in Sydney, Australia and caught a train from Parramatta to Central Station. The trian was about 25 minutes late for starters - it was jam packed, standing room only, faulty A/C so it was about 30C inside. It kept stopping between stations for no apparent reason while we commuters sat silently baking inside. The train was filthy and groups of young men moved menacingly from carriage to carriage uttering profanities and making suggestive remarks to young women on the train. This, by the way was about 8am on a week day. The platforms at both stations had stairs and no escalators and were very grubby. and people refuse to move inside th etrain exactly the same as they do here so it ain't a Thai thing.

But other than that the experience was great!

[neverdie]

I think some of the posters here may need a reality check.

I was recently in Sydney, Australia and caught a train from Parramatta to Central Station. The trian was about 25 minutes late for starters - it was jam packed, standing room only, faulty A/C so it was about 30C inside. It kept stopping between stations for no apparent reason while we commuters sat silently baking inside. The train was filthy and groups of young men moved menacingly from carriage to carriage uttering profanities and making suggestive remarks to young women on the train. This, by the way was about 8am on a week day. The platforms at both stations had stairs and no escalators and were very grubby. and people refuse to move inside th etrain exactly the same as they do here so it ain't a Thai thing.

But other than that the experience was great!

I have absolutely no doubt what breed of (& I use the term loosely) young men you are talking about. Sydneys trains have been dangerous for years & I would sooner ride the Bts anyday.

The OP & a few others must care too much about what is going on around them regarding some of the issues raised, I've never even given any of them any thought, with the exception of the rude souls who try to push their way onto the train when Im trying to exit

[MrJohnson]

4. I always stand for the elderly and pregnant. Not kids. They are young. They have good knees and in BKK most of them need the exercise.

Agreed. Why do Thais give their seat to kids?

"Exception 2) For gay men: If farang is hansum then glare with a disturbing smile. "

True

Because kids are clueless here. They have a tendency to go flying when the train brakes.

You must have good gaydar because I can't tell anymore now that the fashion for men is to wear makeup and have those weird floppy hairdos. On the other hand, the girls usually scoot away from me when I sit down. it's as if they think I'm going to put the moves on them, although my friend told me I have a bad habit at staring at women's breasts. Know what's really gross? The guys in flip flops with dirty toenails, like really black that sit next to you and you are going, like eww dude, for the love of chr*st, please take your cooties away from me, and their fragrance, the delightful mix of BO and washing in klong water.

Umm, this isn't a rant thread is it? But can I complain about the Asoke stairs and the peddlars on the pedestrian walkway or mr. crawlie at the bottom of the staircase. Mr. Crawlie waits for you to come down. Fortunately, Mr. Crawlie can't make it up the stairs.

My kids aren't clueless. Maybe you are too busy staring at women's breasts to notice the smart kids.