I'm Just Another Stupid Farang

[tropo]

What ? now we need designated walkers ? I will stick to my Ninja for the ride home, drunk or otherwise.

Up to you. You won't be the only drunk fool stumbling around the streets of Pattaya.

[JSixpack]

I agree w/ Boo on this one. The driver was probably close to the curb also and expected the OP to continue walking onto the curb, when he suddenly just stopped without even looking around at the traffic. And so he could have been killed. A warning honk seems entirely appropriate--if not more, for almost causing an accident.

The fact that traffic is clear one minute doesn't mean it's clear the next.

First of all, I have admitted I was stupid to confront the driver, and that was the main purpose of my post--to remind people that it's not worth it.

However, I was in the situation, and the driver was being deliberately rude. He did not politely honk to see if I wanted a ride. He did not honk to warn me either.

You keep saying that, but actually you've not offered any clear evidence for it.

There was no reason for him to get so close to me--there was plenty of room all around him.

But maybe HE thought there was. Maybe he was headed over into that space FOR WHATEVER REASON when suddenly you just stop and bend over with your ass out! Maybe he knew more traffic was on the way. Or he got annoyed, so? Maybe he was in a bad mood for some reason anyway. How'd you like to drive a baht bus?

It isn't the little open-and-shut case you'd like it be.

Again, there was no question given the situation that he was being a jerk.

Not in your mind anyway. You're just not going to let go of that idea! But you'll never know, since you didn't just politely ASK him why he'd honked at you.

I was shocked and, I believe rightfully, angry at him. However, I am occasionally shocked and angered by the behavior (of both Thais and farangs) in Thailand, and I as a rule do not confront them as the consequences are not worth it. I screwed up by reacting as I did.

Seems you're easily shocked. I really hope nothing worse happens to me in Thailand than being honked at.

[OxfordWill]

I dont buy this theory that there's no concept of consequence in Thailand. If you've ever heard a thai use the phrase "greng jai" then you should already know they think about consequences. I'm afraid to say that anyone thinking this isn't an example of consequence consideration is stuck in a sense that their own culture is somehow superior. That is known as ethnocentrism and is not easily defended.

As an afterthought I am now struggling to think up a worse insult for any society/culture/people than "they have no concept of consequences". I hardly believe such a culture, should one exist, lacking such a vital concept, would survive as long as Thai culture has.

Edited April 5, 2010 by OxfordWill

[happyaussie]

If I were Thai I'd also get tired of farangs. For whatever reason we think, most farangs think they are superior. Think about it, many come to their country, show skant respect for their culture and take their women. Only because we have $$. Contrary to what others may say. Thai woman only see $$ when it comes to farang.

Ok so I'm off subject. But with said. I think the Thais are pretty tolerant of all the goings on that the farang brings to Pattaya.

If ever you had such a concentation of missfits in any one of our countries I think the outcome would be far more dire than what happens in Pattaya.

[tropo]

If I were Thai I'd also get tired of farangs. For whatever reason we think, most farangs think they are superior. Think about it, many come to their country, show skant respect for their culture and take their women. Only because we have $$. Contrary to what others may say. Thai woman only see $$ when it comes to farang.

Ok so I'm off subject. But with said. I think the Thais are pretty tolerant of all the goings on that the farang brings to Pattaya.

If ever you had such a concentation of missfits in any one of our countries I think the outcome would be far more dire than what happens in Pattaya.

That's a pretty good assessment of reality in Pattaya.

Edited April 5, 2010 by tropo

[gburns57au]

If you crossed Sth Pattaya road prior to Second road then you stopped to pick up the coin in the turn left at any time lane of a controlled intersection.....The drivers dont expect to have to stop there.....

But really.....get off the road first then sort out the coin.

You were wrong on all counts.

Being drunk is no excuse for ignorance or stupidity.

[nakachalet]

i would never be able to imagine on my own....

just for 10 baht.... a well heeled farang in thailand would do anything

including crossing the street twice.... to recover the rolling coin and to crossover to report to the police....

what a lucky guy.... LOL

[nakachalet]

i would never be able to imagine on my own....

just for 10 baht.... a well heeled farang in thailand would do anything

including crossing the street twice.... to recover the rolling coin and to crossover to report to the police....

what a lucky guy.... LOL

[dmax]

drink in - wit out,

[cobra]

Here's my night time mantra,

deep cleansing breath, repeat to self ..

TIT, pedestrians do not have the right of way, being honked at is preferable to being run over.

Any altercation can spin out of control and develope into something that leaves some part of me hurting, fat or bleeding on my good shirt. I will refrain and bite my tongue.

I will be cognizant that alcohol and the heat increases my a-hole factor.

I will smile like Forest Gump, try to develope assets, not enemies.

Even then I have to heed the ol' Rumster,

There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know.

Donald Rumsfeld

[FarangBuddha]

Probably the best one-line piece of advice for any foreigner visiting or living in Thailand. It's worked for me for 10 years and narry a kick to the head or knife in the back the entire time

I will smile like Forest Gump, try to develope assets, not enemies.

Edited April 6, 2010 by FarangBuddha

[rangers]

As a general observation, Richard Smith nails one troubling aspect of life here - One of the issues I have here in Thailand is that there is no 'concept of consequence'...

This, not necessarily in the OPs case, along with the total disprespect for the rule of or application of ANY law to the personal circumstances of individual Thais when they want to break them, makes the place what it is, usually for the worse.

Some examples - Thais who beat people with iron bars on Beach Road, or stab tourists in the headwith knives, or flatten 70 year olds with one punch, killing them.

These people do not care or are not even aware of the possible consequences of their actions.

Disregard for the rule of law, laws of the road for one, corruption at all levels of bureaucracy and state agencies, pathetic self-justification of any kind of assault as "loss of face" allowing the law to be overridden with sympathy from other Thais.

Even the current protests in Bangkok and the Yellow Shirt airport nonsense show both these traits at work in Thai society.

Rant over.

Quality rant though.

[torrenova]

..Sorry but sometimes it isn't the thai's fault.

But some people seem incapable of making any critical comment about a Thai.

Sometimes it is not the fault of a Thai but most of the time it is.

[orchis]

..Sorry but sometimes it isn't the thai's fault.

But some people seem incapable of making any critical comment about a Thai.

Sometimes it is not the fault of a Thai but most of the time it is.

Especially when the farang is drunk.

[Boo]

sure, sometimes it is but in this instance, I don't think so.

[guzzi850m2]

Probably the best one-line piece of advice for any foreigner visiting or living in Thailand. It's worked for me for 10 years and narry a kick to the head or knife in the back the entire time

I will smile like Forest Gump, try to develope assets, not enemies.

Yes a smile can "dearm" many bad situations and will get you through most problems with less scars.

[Devine1]

To sharecropper: Thais have no concept of consequence? We break laws, beat people with iron bars, stab tourists, have no regard for traffic laws, etc. Well how completely ignorant, uneducated, and stupid we all are. Excuse the <deleted>*k out of us! I'd rather deal with a Thai beating me with a pipe than an English football hooligan any day. What? YOUR people don't stab each other? Shoot each other? Kill each other during road rage over the smallest, stupidest incidents? White people don't drive drunk? Run red lights? People in YOUR country aren't corrupt? They don't have protests? Thailand is a Buddhist country. We understand "consequences" better than most. We understand Karma, and contrary to your belief, we DO understand that we have to pay for our actions otherwise we'd be beating the <deleted> out of judgmental people like you on a daily basis. Like so many others like you, you come to Pattaya and think this is representative of Thailand, that most Thais are like the ones you meet in Pattaya. This is the toilet of Thailand - and for whatever reason, YOU'RE here. You've lived in Jomtien off and on for 8 years and think you understand us so well, don't you? You think you're so qualified to say that we have "total disrespect for the rule of or application of ANY law....." You paint with a very broad brush, Sharecropper. I've seen more NON-Thais behave with much more disregard for others than Thais. I've seen more foreigners drive drunk, kill people, and pay 30,000 Baht to make it all go away. I've seen non-Thais drink themselves into oblivion, walk the streets, behave like wild monkeys, and start huge fights in the street. I've only ever seen one fight between Thais (Songkran two years ago) but I've seen a dozen white guys fighting on Walking Street. I've seen "Non-Thais" driving AT me going the WRONG way, I've seen non-Thais buy and sell drugs, I've seen non-Thais beat the shit out of Thai women. So tell me again how "These people do not care or are not even aware of the possible consequences of their actions". "These people", huh? We may have many faults, and we may have much to learn, but one thing you cannot accuse us of is having no respect for ANY law. You represent ignorance at its finest. You speak before you think, and worse, you speak strongly about things you know little of.

Bottom line advice to visitors of Thailand: Doesn't matter if you're a Thai or not - if you go looking for trouble, you'll likely find it. Walking around drunk on ANY street is looking for trouble - in ANY country, not just Thailand.

Edited April 7, 2010 by Devine1

[Rimmer]

Flaming post deleted, please keep it civil.

[neilf]

If everyone reacted like you did these idiots would be less careless.

One of the issues I have here in Thailand is that there is no 'concept of consequence'...

Other people will tell you that you're lucky he didn't beat you up.... But there is a small chance you made him think twice.. (probably not).. but if he gives the next person crossing the road a little more space because of this then maybe you have inadvertently improved things...

Thats what I like to believe anyway, and why I refuse to accept 'this is the Thai way' response from idiots like this. I hear / read 'This is the Thai way', or 'It's the culture' as the excuse for a lot of selfish, careless and inconsiderate behavior.

We might read on this forum that this is the Thai way..... but I've been here long enough to know that incidents like that are not the Thai way.. They are the idiots way, no Thai friend of mine behaves like that...

Walking the streets of Pattaya drunk with no supervision is a stupid thing to do, full stop.

How could you possibly lecture about there being no "concept of consequence" in Thailand when a drunk Farang walks onto the street. He's asking for trouble and when he gets it is likely a consequence of his own stupidity.

What ? now we need designated walkers ? I will stick to my Ninja for the ride home, drunk or otherwise.

just take an equally drunk thai lady with you--------believe me the baht bus driver would have stayed in his bus and locked his door !!-----------i have one i know !!