What Thais Say About Farangs

[Jdietz]

I have a hairy chest so the Thai call me "Monkeyman"

Hmm now I wonder why they call me 'Coconut'...

[OxfordWill]

mai dem baht is actually, potentially, quite rude. Certainly not a "normal" response to "farang kee nok". You might just as quickly get them angry, or confused. It really doesnt make much sense without something else.

Edited January 31, 2010 by OxfordWill

[OxfordWill]

Listen, IF you could speak or understand thai at all; you would be shocked at just how insignificant you are here to the these people.

They don’t give two sh*ts about foreigners living in the glorious “Land ‘O Thais” unless it directly impacts them on a financial basis.

Plain and simple, THEY DON’T CARE !!!

I find myself both agreeing and disagreeing with this. Once youre in a circle for whatever reason, your presence will be cared about perhaps moreso than if you were Thai. Outside of any circle, very little.

[sbk]

Listen, IF you could speak or understand thai at all; you would be shocked at just how insignificant you are here to the these people.

They don’t give two sh*ts about foreigners living in the glorious “Land ‘O Thais” unless it directly impacts them on a financial basis.

Plain and simple, THEY DON’T CARE !!!

I find myself both agreeing and disagreeing with this. Once youre in a circle for whatever reason, your presence will be cared about perhaps moreso than if you were Thai. Outside of any circle, very little.

Well, yes and isn't that rather normal human nature? Why should people care about a total random stranger? What makes us so fabulous that our every move should be documented and commented upon? Does anyone do it in their home countries? I doubt it. Why would people do it here?

[Loz]

mai dem baht is actually, potentially, quite rude. Certainly not a "normal" response to "farang kee nok". You might just as quickly get them angry, or confused. It really doesnt make much sense without something else.

Well I've only been using it for the last 6 months. And to be fair, I don't use tuk tuks as I drive or ride anywhere thats not walking distance. Maybe you are right. I would say though, that I think I have met a wide variety of Thai's here and I think even the most base characters would rather laugh than fight. I have yet to try this line with a copper. But who knows what the future holds.

Back on topic, I think Thais notice and comment on what ever they are confronted with (in general) and (in general) lack the appropriatness filter that westerners are used to. My point was, knowing that they lack the filter, just play the game. Another little talked about theory that impacts here is this:

If you speak a little street thai, they will usually assume that you understand a LOT of street thai. Now this has two benefits. One, you will learn more about what is said (on the street) two, they will be less disparaging towards you because you will understand and its less funny to them if there is a risk of retaliaiton. as a non thai speaker you have to know you are an easy mark.

Its like the new boy on the building site being sent for the glass hammer or the left handed screw driver. a certain type love the "in" joke. if they think you are in the know, you can no longer be the butt of such humor.

Think of Thailand as one big building site and you won't be often dissapointed.

[eurasianthai]

Well, Thais in general behave like one.

But there are many, many farangs, from many different countries and continents.

And with wildly different behaviour.

So what are the Thais thinking about farangs?

You're "neat" and you smile, they like you. You're not, they don't.

Pretty basic actually

[hhgz]

"Would those of you who speak Thai care to share what they might have overheard said about farangs while locals assume you do not understand what is being said?"

Why, are you trying to be a victim?

[Tenchu]

You're "neat" and you smile, they like you. You're not, they don't.

Pretty basic actually

WOW, life must be painfully simple for you. I suppose you're one of those kids who thinks the moon is made of cheese.

[Tenchu]

Well, yes and isn't that rather normal human nature? Why should people care about a total random stranger? What makes us so fabulous that our every move should be documented and commented upon? Does anyone do it in their home countries? I doubt it. Why would people do it here?

Well, no one said any foreigners were fabulous, but one thing is for certain; they do care.

I'm sitting in a internet cafe right now, and I've got all eyes on me like some kind of super star. When I drive my bike down the road, the turning heads almost cause collisions.

They may not care about you as an individual, but given they've rudely generalized over 50 different nationailites of men into one single word, the moment someone with even slightly pale skin and facial hair does something, they'll brand us all much too easily with the same comments.

A lot of them are watching and are steriotyping. That gets a bit annoying.

[head1]

I speak a little bit of Thai and understand a little more. Was on the bus from Bangkok to korat one time with my partner and 2 girls on the seat behind us were talking quitly i picked up a little bit and they were also on the subject of farang men . One girl seemed was saying about how she had read in a magzine that taller farang men have longer a ' penis ' than the average man. To which her friend replyed was not ture. I asked my partner to comfirm to me that i had understood what they were talking about and she said yes that is basicly what they had said !!!!

so wtach out tall guys on the beach ..thai girls might be checking out what u have or have not got !! haha

[Rimmer]

Post deleted, the poster warned.

Also replies deleted.

[Tinkelbell]

mai dem baht is actually, potentially, quite rude. Certainly not a "normal" response to "farang kee nok". You might just as quickly get them angry, or confused. It really doesnt make much sense without something else.

Much agree.

Thais take quite offend if being called 'mai-tem-baht' (= screw loose). But I guest the other poster got away because he said that word to a bunch of tuk-tuke drivers, not to a particular individual, that's why he got a laugh instead.

Becareful when dealing with the Thais especially the lowest class.

[Gerontion]

I assume his hypocritical posts were in jest. He can't be that stupid.

Why not? His post is no more stupid than dozens of other posts made here every day. In fact, it's probably fair to say that the "ignorant <deleted> without a clue how to behave in a foreign county but blundering through regardless, unshakable conviction in my superiority over the locals still intact (thanks for asking)" post is pretty much a staple of Thaivisa.

[Garry9999]

I assume his hypocritical posts were in jest. He can't be that stupid.

Why not? His post is no more stupid than dozens of other posts made here every day. In fact, it's probably fair to say that the "ignorant <deleted> without a clue how to behave in a foreign county but blundering through regardless, unshakable conviction in my superiority over the locals still intact (thanks for asking)" post is pretty much a staple of Thaivisa.

It think you are quite correct in that assessment.

Edited January 31, 2010 by Garry9999

[bkkjames]

While I can agree with much that has been written here, let me tell you about a couple of incidents over the weekend to help balance out things.

Friday Night Late: Me, pretty hammered and hop in a taxi with McDonalds in hand to go home. Get chatting with the taxi driver, talk comes around to family, pull out my blackberry to show him a photo of the young one.

About an hour after getting home realized that i left my phone in taxi! immediately grabbed the mrs phone and gave my number a call - and you guessed it, phone turned off.

Woke up in the morning resigned to the fact that had to go get a new one, and notice a missed call on the mrs phone. Guess who, the taxi driver saying he has my phone - and we make arrangements for him to return it later on Sat night when he is in the area.

Gave the guy a 1000 baht and a big thanks!

On Saturday, was a Tops refurbed store at Suk 19 doing some shopping, cashier extremely helpful - even pulled out the coupons which i didnt have with me to make sure I got the best discounts. At the customer service desk, a young (big) lad offers to help me carry all my stuff to a taxi on the street - I didn't ask - he offered. Loading my crap in the back of the taxi, get in end close the door. I get a knock knock on my passenger window and there is a motorcycle taxi guy holding my bag of oranges that fell out onto the street.

In the end, yes I can be pretty critical of the locals sometimes but when you least expect it, they can also demonstrate kindness to farangs.

Hope you feel warm and fuzzy now.

Edited February 1, 2010 by bkkjames

[Donnyboy]

An Aussie mate of mine who can speak, read, write and translate Thai was carrying a box of files in an elevator when 2 Thai girls got in. He is a huge bloke, approx 190cm and 120kg and an ex rugby player so he caught their attention. One of the girls asked the other if she could 'take' a man of that size and her friend said no way, are you crazy?? The girl then told her friend that she reckons she could handle him and they both laughed. Listening all the while my mate then struggled to press the button for the floor he was getting off at while carrying the box and one of the girls asked her friend if she should help him. He turned to her and told her in fluent Thai that thanks, but he doesn't need any help. He reckons the look on their faces was priceless.

[Tenchu]

Why not? His post is no more stupid than dozens of other posts made here every day. In fact, it's probably fair to say that the "ignorant <deleted> without a clue how to behave in a foreign county but blundering through regardless, unshakable conviction in my superiority over the locals still intact (thanks for asking)" post is pretty much a staple of Thaivisa.

I do not behave the way I do because I'm Australian. I behave this way because of my natural character. As for people steriotyping, you few are doing it right now, and it's kind of funny. You're blaming my behaviour because I'm foreign born. You're no different than most Thais I was talking about who see me doing something bad and add another tick to their boxes of bad things "ALL" fawang do.

I do not see why I should not behave as I normally would when in any country. I was just as likely to get locked up back in Aus for the stupid sh*t I done, being in Thailand makes no difference. What is poor, however, is you guys go to some foreign country and think you have to bend yourself in half to cater for other peoples insecurities. Why? Well, "why" when you never did it back home?

The fact I have white skin and speak English has nothing to do with how I do/should be have. Don't try and pretend it does, or you won't be helping along any of the Thais this thread was made about who seem to brand us all in steriotypes and blame out culture for things we do rather than us as individuals.

Edited February 1, 2010 by Rimmer
Unnecessary vulgar comment removed by RIMMER

[Gerontion]

Do you really need to ask why, instead of behaving like a spoilt self-indulgent brat who doesn't realise that other people exist, you should act with a little courtesy and intelligence? Because that's what mature adults do; we realise that if we all behave with a little kindness, we all benefit. Nobody's asking you to make daily offerings at the Erawan Shrine; just don't be cun_t. It's really not that hard.

[phetaroi]

How to behave in a foreign country? What's your suggestion? **************

I do not behave the way I do because I'm Australian. I behave this way because of my natural character. As for people steriotyping, you few are doing it right now, and it's kind of funny. You're blaming my behaviour because I'm foreign born. You're no different than most Thais I was talking about who see me doing something bad and add another tick to their boxes of bad things "ALL" fawang do.

I do not see why I should not behave as I normally would when in any country. I was just as likely to get locked up back in Aus for the stupid sh*t I done, being in Thailand makes no difference. What is poor, however, is you guys go to some foreign country and think you have to bend yourself in half to cater for other peoples insecurities. Why? Well, "why" when you never did it back home?

The fact I have white skin and speak English has nothing to do with how I do/should be have. Don't try and pretend it does, or you won't be helping along any of the Thais this thread was made about who seem to brand us all in steriotypes and blame out culture for things we do rather than us as individuals.

How to behave in a foreign country. Well, I'd start by cleaning up your language. Then I'd think about how people are expected to behave when they've been invited into someone else's home.

This is the only post of yours that I've ever really noticed...and it has nothing to do with you being from Australia...but I think...well, I won't write that...I'll just say I know I wouldn't want to associate with you. You're rude.

[phetaroi]

While I can agree with much that has been written here, let me tell you about a couple of incidents over the weekend to help balance out things.

Friday Night Late: Me, pretty hammered and hop in a taxi with McDonalds in hand to go home. Get chatting with the taxi driver, talk comes around to family, pull out my blackberry to show him a photo of the young one.

About an hour after getting home realized that i left my phone in taxi! immediately grabbed the mrs phone and gave my number a call - and you guessed it, phone turned off.

Woke up in the morning resigned to the fact that had to go get a new one, and notice a missed call on the mrs phone. Guess who, the taxi driver saying he has my phone - and we make arrangements for him to return it later on Sat night when he is in the area.

Gave the guy a 1000 baht and a big thanks!

On Saturday, was a Tops refurbed store at Suk 19 doing some shopping, cashier extremely helpful - even pulled out the coupons which i didnt have with me to make sure I got the best discounts. At the customer service desk, a young (big) lad offers to help me carry all my stuff to a taxi on the street - I didn't ask - he offered. Loading my crap in the back of the taxi, get in end close the door. I get a knock knock on my passenger window and there is a motorcycle taxi guy holding my bag of oranges that fell out onto the street.

In the end, yes I can be pretty critical of the locals sometimes but when you least expect it, they can also demonstrate kindness to farangs.

Hope you feel warm and fuzzy now.

And those kinds of things aren't that unusual. The one I remember most was one time visiting Ayutthaya for a few days and decided to take the train back to Bangkok. I sat is the waiting room at Ayutthaya for a while, then wandered out on the platform to wait. After a while a tap on my shoulder. "Camera belong to you?" I had mindlessly left my fairly expensive SLR film camera in the waiting room.

[MrJohnson]

I have a different take on this being single.

When I have taken up a hobby I have spent time in thai shops chewing the fat with the "gang" who tends to adopt any newbies to the hobby and ensure they enjoy it and stay. durring these visits the amount of times a customer has come in and asked how bad the falang is being fleeced with a big grin, only to be scowled at by the owner who replies "He speaks thai!!!" is just too often.

With regard to the ling dam stuff. Yeah here in Issan many thai's male and female, teachers to shop clerks (which is not the same gap as back home...) ask me why farang like the black monkey issan girls. I say I don't know. Same reason they come here for a sun tan I suppose...

You can't really win all round here. If you don't buy the gold. You are selfish. If you do buy the gold you are stupid. If don't send her money, you are cheap charlie. If you do send her money you are a mug.

Its lose lose.

...ah, unless of course you were lucky enough to find a young, untainted thai chinese hieress who's father loves you like a son and fronted you the 1 million baht sin sod for the wedding that he paid for because he was so grateful you were marrying his daughter. He was clearly keen to see that those fees on the swiss finishing school didn't go to waste.

I didn't realize you knew my father-in-law..............

[richard_smith237]

Why not? His post is no more stupid than dozens of other posts made here every day. In fact, it's probably fair to say that the "ignorant <deleted> without a clue how to behave in a foreign county but blundering through regardless, unshakable conviction in my superiority over the locals still intact (thanks for asking)" post is pretty much a staple of Thaivisa.

How to behave in a foreign country? What's your suggestion? **********

I do not behave the way I do because I'm Australian. I behave this way because of my natural character. As for people steriotyping, you few are doing it right now, and it's kind of funny. You're blaming my behaviour because I'm foreign born. You're no different than most Thais I was talking about who see me doing something bad and add another tick to their boxes of bad things "ALL" fawang do.

I do not see why I should not behave as I normally would when in any country. I was just as likely to get locked up back in Aus for the stupid sh*t I done, being in Thailand makes no difference. What is poor, however, is you guys go to some foreign country and think you have to bend yourself in half to cater for other peoples insecurities. Why? Well, "why" when you never did it back home?

The fact I have white skin and speak English has nothing to do with how I do/should be have. Don't try and pretend it does, or you won't be helping along any of the Thais this thread was made about who seem to brand us all in steriotypes and blame out culture for things we do rather than us as individuals.

I see the point you are making in your post.

However, anti-social behaviour is poor form no matter what country you are in.

IF however someone carries themselves respectfully and mindful of others while in their home country, I would fully expect them to behave the same way here – So on that point I agree.

I also agree that we shouldn’t have to bend over backwards or bow down to do a little ball licking – Simple manners and consideration is always good enough anywhere.

As for using the excuse that you behave like an ass in Aus so its acceptable here because that’s your normal character and you are an individual who doesn’t wish to follow the masses, likes to stand out from the crowd and is proud of their individuality..

.

I’d offer that with that attitude it might not be long before you are having to do exactly that.

[MrJohnson]

Why not? His post is no more stupid than dozens of other posts made here every day. In fact, it's probably fair to say that the "ignorant <deleted> without a clue how to behave in a foreign county but blundering through regardless, unshakable conviction in my superiority over the locals still intact (thanks for asking)" post is pretty much a staple of Thaivisa.

How to behave in a foreign country? What's your suggestion? *********

I do not behave the way I do because I'm Australian. I behave this way because of my natural character. As for people steriotyping, you few are doing it right now, and it's kind of funny. You're blaming my behaviour because I'm foreign born. You're no different than most Thais I was talking about who see me doing something bad and add another tick to their boxes of bad things "ALL" fawang do.

I do not see why I should not behave as I normally would when in any country. I was just as likely to get locked up back in Aus for the stupid sh*t I done, being in Thailand makes no difference. What is poor, however, is you guys go to some foreign country and think you have to bend yourself in half to cater for other peoples insecurities. Why? Well, "why" when you never did it back home?

The fact I have white skin and speak English has nothing to do with how I do/should be have. Don't try and pretend it does, or you won't be helping along any of the Thais this thread was made about who seem to brand us all in steriotypes and blame out culture for things we do rather than us as individuals.

Have you ever thought about a career in diplomatic corps?

[Shoeboat]

I asked a fluent friend this in a lift at a hotel in Ayathayya - however you spell the place, anyway - he said you don't want to know.

"About us?" I enquired?

"Nope, about crap - just nothing, celebrity gossip and stating the obvious and just brainless nonsense"

But that's just most of them, not all.

[Gerontion]

"Nope, about crap - just nothing, celebrity gossip and stating the obvious and just brainless nonsense"

So, in other words, exactly like everyone else on the planet. Except, of course, the members of Thaivisa, who put their prodigious intelligence to use discussing Kierkegaard.

[Latindancer]

Dry wit !

They also state their opinions and observations about Thai culture as absolute objective facts.... I see a lot of that here.

Edited February 1, 2010 by Latindancer

[IanForbes]

Why would I even CARE what Thais say about me behind my back? I certainly don't care what anyone else thinks. I treat everyone with respect, and if they are so ignorant as to not respect me then that is THEIR problem, not mine. I certainly have more than enough farang friends and Thai friends who like me, so it's no concern of mine what the ignorant think. I believe that too many people concern themselves more with what others think than do any thinking on their own. Too many people ASSUME too much about what they have no knowledge about.

[Rimmer]

My fingers are getting tired from all the editing, The next poster who even thinks about about mentioning 'balls' gets a holiday.

This goes double for flaming, bad mouthing or trolling.

Keep the posts on topic please.

[wolf5370]

My mother in law always says "Farang know nothing" - most often when I disagree with something she has done (like changing the external advertising board at my Cafe with small black text on a green back ground that was almost impossible to read from more than 4 feet away!). Mostly I find this humourous (especially knowing my MIL - ironic even!).

Once in the UK I was on a train coming back from London to Kent. Sitting opposite me were two Thai girls (students - late teen/early 20s). Sitting diagnally opposite them (across the aisle from me) was a teen age boy (farang - English). They talked about this boy in Thai for the 40 minutes I say opposite them. When I got up to leave at my staion, their bags were in my way. So, in Thai I said "Excuse me, this is my stop" in Thai whist pointing to their bags - the look on their faces was priceless. I could imagine afterwards saying , "What's the odds of finding sitting opposite to a farang stanger in the UK that can understand Thai?"

As for the nice things Thai's have done for me (as some earlier posts). There have been too many to mention. Just a week or so ago I left my passport in a bank. I had been all over CM paying bills and moving money about, so had no idea where I had left it (indeed, I wasn't even aware I had up until this point). Anyway, I get a call from my wife "My mum just called, Bangkok Bank ath Big C has your passport. They found it on the counter, because you had done Western Union there before, they found your passport number in their computer. The look it up and find your telephone number and call. Mum picked it up. They are holding it for you...<then I got an ear bashing about how important passports are and how I should look after it etc...>". I was gobsmacked!

In Airport Plaza outside back (field) carpark, I lifted my car bonnet to check the oil before heading home. Within a minute or so of lifting the bonnet I had been asked by 3 different Thai guys if I needed a push!

[Tenchu]

Do you really need to ask why, instead of behaving like a spoilt self-indulgent brat who doesn't realise that other people exist, you should act with a little courtesy and intelligence? Because that's what mature adults do; we realise that if we all behave with a little kindness, we all benefit. Nobody's asking you to make daily offerings at the Erawan Shrine; just don't be cun_t. It's really not that hard.

Define **** (forgive me, I don't use that word). I would consider a person more of a **** if they were to lock someone in prison for several years simply for stating their personal opinion rather than someone who simply has a personal opinion that does not fit the extreme nationalist conservative views of a so called democratic nation.

If I don't want to stand in a movie theater for someone I don't particularily like, I should not be forced to under threat of imprisonment. Giving the finger to someone who yells abuse at you in public is not what I call a ****. I'd more say I'm just headstrong and stubborn, but I'm far from rude. Retaliation is different than being a ****.