Do Other Farangs Acknowledge You In Public?

[KunMatt]

Reason being,every time I've had a conversation with tourists and some other expats it always leads to some personal questions.........

Some Q's are OK,some are just plain nosy!

Examples-

Where are you from.......ok

Do you live here..........ok

Where did you get the money for......nosy

How much do you earn...........nosy

How much are you worth.........nosy

Whats your GF like in bed.......fuc_k off nosy

I put good money that you just made up those last four questions just for the sake of argument. No other expat has ever asked me what I'm worth or what my gf is like in bed. And the only people that regularly ever asked me how much money I make is usually Asians, especially Chinese taxi drivers.

[cpofc]

About 6 years ago I was spending a couple of weeks, before and after Songkran, in Kanchanaburi, the I was, on my Pat, drinking Scotch & Soda standing at the bar, (the on the corner where Pong Phen Guesthouse is), when two 60 something farangs rolled up. Kan was alot quieter in those days than it is now and there no other farangs around. Naturally i looked up and was about to say G'day! when with one look I could tell they were not just ignoring me, their body language indicated that they wanted me to know that they were deliberately ignoring me.

Fair enough. I thought. If you want to be like that, who gives a rats.

I finished my drink, caught the bartenders attention, then in a loud clear voice, ordered another.

One of the two farangs then walked over and aksed, Where are you from?. I told him I was Australian.

With that, the other farang joined us. They both told me that by the look of the shorts I was wearing, they thought I was a Brit Tourist. (I don't know why, the shorts were very Australian, but never mind, I digress.) And since I was English, according to their observations, they were not going to talk to me, nor have anything to do with me. I was a bit gobsmacked because the bloke who said this was, in fact, English!!!

The other bloke, his mate, was Welsh. So he had a fair enought excuse i reckon hehehe. They were both Ex Pats and lived somewhere in between NP and Kan and had driven up for a weekend on the piss in Kan. They both told me that they didn't like, nor associate with other Brit tourists.

Ok, no problem on my part. I'm cool with that.

We settled in for the afternoon, and, in fact, we enjoyed a splendid weekend in each others company, getting pissed and belting out Tom Jones numbers at the top of our lungs and spinning stories. They were a couple of great blokes.

So you never know do you.

As my mum always said, good manners cost nothing.

Maybe they were worried that other "Brits" could have easily judged them for a pair of <deleted> that they obviously were.

could this have been the welsh fella by any chance!

you see what I mean? To withdraw from society, become a hermit and miss out on all that famous Britsh humour.

My life's (secret) ambition is to hopefully, run in to Eddie Booth, in a bar in Thailand before i depart this mortal coil. I waited in Soi 6 in Pattaya for ages, but he never fronted.

[jpolten]

Reason being,every time I've had a conversation with tourists and some other expats it always leads to some personal questions.........

Some Q's are OK,some are just plain nosy!

Examples-

Where are you from.......ok

Do you live here..........ok

Where did you get the money for......nosy

How much do you earn...........nosy

How much are you worth.........nosy

Whats your GF like in bed.......fuc_k off nosy

I put good money that you just made up those last four questions just for the sake of argument. No other expat has ever asked me what I'm worth or what my gf is like in bed. And the only people that regularly ever asked me how much money I make is usually Asians, especially Chinese taxi drivers.

the Q's were not asked by random strangers that i met on the street...

Q 3 was asked from a German who lives not so far after i bought a new Vigo

Q 4-6 were asked by a fellow Brit with a few to many drinks, who thought we were best mates after a 20 min chat in a bkk bar

[KunMatt]

the Q's were not asked by random strangers that i met on the street...

Q 3 was asked from a German who lives not so far after i bought a new Vigo

Q 4-6 were asked by a fellow Brit with a few to many drinks, who thought we were best mates after a 20 min chat in a bkk bar

Well then, that is just plain nosey!!

[jdinasia]

To address the OP ----

I choose who to ackowledge and where on a case by case basis. I have to admit that if your personal grooming habits don't meet the local standards for the location I see you in, then you just won't get a smile or a nod at all. If the people you are accompanied by appear to be ... ummmm ..... far from age/status appropriate then it is the same response. If you are alone and look "needy" in a social context then it is the same response.

However, if you are clean and tidy, look stable, look as if you aren't hooked up with a BG that is young enough to be your granddaughter ... a smile and a nod from a distance would be forthcoming.

If you are clean and tidy and are looking at a map and appear bewildered I might even ask if you need directions.

My business card or my phone number? You'll get that only after I have more of a clue about "who" you really are

[JestersShoes]

As he made his way gingerly through the chaos of the morning traffic on the Bangkok sidewalk something unusual captured his attention.

Through the cacophony of idle chatter, bugling horns, angry engines and sea of Thai faces there could be no doubt, an unmistakable solitary white face was approaching.

Panic ! Utter, complete and pure panic overcame him and he attempted to swallow but his mouth was suddenly dry and desolate .. this couldn't be happening, this was his place, his place only.

His eyes bulged in terror as they locked onto the rapidly approaching ivory demon whose face seemed to be glowing like a beacon of the gods.

His world stood still like a scene from 'the Matrix' and his senses distorted as though under the influence of some strong mind bending mushrooms.

He fruitlessly attempted to alter his potential collision course but his limbs would not respond and he could feel he had now developed a loping, ambling gait as though he were a dog with distemper.

Loathing, abhorrence and disgust overwhelmed him as an unnatural repulsion pushed him away from the other farang and right to the very edge of the sidewalk and then suddenly the outlander was almost upon him.

As he fell away from the sidewalk he could hear the sickening crunching noise of his body against the stationary motorcycle he had fallen into and the shocked exclamations from the locals nearby.

The black tarmac of the road rushed up to greet him in a macabre, lurid embrace, the boa and the piglet.

Through his confused vision and hypnotized state from the ground he now lay upon he caught no clear view of the strangers face and then as quickly as he had come he had also gone, just a swathe of thick blond hair on the back of a head atop a pair of broad shoulders receding into the distance, a curtain of bodies closing behind him.

Helping Thai hands reached down to usher him up from his foundering position and he slowly ascended like a phoenix from the ashes.

Although battered and bruised, a barely perceptible sly smile crept across his face with the victorious and triumphant realization of his lack of acknowledgment of the now long gone white faced stranger, parity had been restored and he was lord of his manor once more.

As calmness came over him, his shoulders suddenly slumped in disdain as he now realized he had soiled his underwear !

[Geekfreaklover]

As he made his way gingerly through the chaos of the morning traffic on the Bangkok sidewalk something unusual captured his attention.

Through the cacophony of idle chatter, bugling horns, angry engines and sea of Thai faces there could be no doubt, an unmistakable solitary white face was approaching.

Panic ! Utter, complete and pure panic overcame him and he attempted to swallow but his mouth was suddenly dry and desolate .. this couldn't be happening, this was his place, his place only.

His eyes bulged in terror as they locked onto the rapidly approaching ivory demon whose face seemed to be glowing like a beacon of the gods.

His world stood still like a scene from 'the Matrix' and his senses distorted as though under the influence of some strong mind bending mushrooms.

He fruitlessly attempted to alter his potential collision course but his limbs would not respond and he could feel he had now developed a loping, ambling gait as though he were a dog with distemper.

Loathing, abhorrence and disgust overwhelmed him as an unnatural repulsion pushed him away from the other farang and right to the very edge of the sidewalk and then suddenly the outlander was almost upon him.

As he fell away from the sidewalk he could hear the sickening crunching noise of his body against the stationary motorcycle he had fallen into and the shocked exclamations from the locals nearby.

The black tarmac of the road rushed up to greet him in a macabre, lurid embrace, the boa and the piglet.

Through his confused vision and hypnotized state from the ground he now lay upon he caught no clear view of the strangers face and then as quickly as he had come he had also gone, just a swathe of thick blond hair on the back of a head atop a pair of broad shoulders receding into the distance, a curtain of bodies closing behind him.

Helping Thai hands reached down to usher him up from his foundering position and he slowly ascended like a phoenix from the ashes.

Although battered and bruised, a barely perceptible sly smile crept across his face with the victorious and triumphant realization of his lack of acknowledgment of the now long gone white faced stranger, parity had been restored and he was lord of his manor once more.

As calmness came over him, his shoulders suddenly slumped in disdain as he now realized he had soiled his underwear !

Quality post

[cpofc]

As he made his way gingerly through the chaos of the morning traffic on the Bangkok sidewalk something unusual captured his attention.

Through the cacophony of idle chatter, bugling horns, angry engines and sea of Thai faces there could be no doubt, an unmistakable solitary white face was approaching.

Panic ! Utter, complete and pure panic overcame him and he attempted to swallow but his mouth was suddenly dry and desolate .. this couldn't be happening, this was his place, his place only.

His eyes bulged in terror as they locked onto the rapidly approaching ivory demon whose face seemed to be glowing like a beacon of the gods.

His world stood still like a scene from 'the Matrix' and his senses distorted as though under the influence of some strong mind bending mushrooms.

He fruitlessly attempted to alter his potential collision course but his limbs would not respond and he could feel he had now developed a loping, ambling gait as though he were a dog with distemper.

Loathing, abhorrence and disgust overwhelmed him as an unnatural repulsion pushed him away from the other farang and right to the very edge of the sidewalk and then suddenly the outlander was almost upon him.

As he fell away from the sidewalk he could hear the sickening crunching noise of his body against the stationary motorcycle he had fallen into and the shocked exclamations from the locals nearby.

The black tarmac of the road rushed up to greet him in a macabre, lurid embrace, the boa and the piglet.

Through his confused vision and hypnotized state from the ground he now lay upon he caught no clear view of the strangers face and then as quickly as he had come he had also gone, just a swathe of thick blond hair on the back of a head atop a pair of broad shoulders receding into the distance, a curtain of bodies closing behind him.

Helping Thai hands reached down to usher him up from his foundering position and he slowly ascended like a phoenix from the ashes.

Although battered and bruised, a barely perceptible sly smile crept across his face with the victorious and triumphant realization of his lack of acknowledgment of the now long gone white faced stranger, parity had been restored and he was lord of his manor once more.

As calmness came over him, his shoulders suddenly slumped in disdain as he now realized he had soiled his underwear !

hehehe good one, often the case. however in this instance, as describe above, you omitted the fact that the other bloke was wearing a Man U Football Jumper.

[spud1]

You never know who your acknowledging,maybe they could be related to these characters.

[bunta71]

If you see me in my Betty Boop costume just wink and move along

[Atmos]

I have not had a conversation with a native English speaker since April 23 when I visited our English neighbour - 7km away - he's due back late June/early July maybe I'll wait for then.

Seen a few when we were at Ocean World, Laem Sing, on 5 May. And we didn't speak, they were part of a coach party, Euros I think.

We were in Aranyaprathet last Friday expected to see a farang or two, but the place was dead quiet not a tourist to be seen.

No intention of going anywhere civilised till June 12; I sometimes miss the conversations I had when living on Phuket, though I admit my acknowledgments were selective there. Here I have no choice - no one.

I talk to the trees (then chop them down)

Edited May 27, 2010 by genghis61

[cpofc]

I have not had a conversation with a native English speaker since April 23 when I visited our English neighbour - 7km away - he's due back late June/early July maybe I'll wait for then.

Seen a few when we were at Ocean World, Laem Sing, on 5 May. And we didn't speak, they were part of a coach party, Euros I think.

We were in Aranyaprathet last Friday expected to see a farang or two, but the place was dead quiet not a tourist to be seen.

No intention of going anywhere civilised till June 12; I sometimes miss the conversations I had when living on Phuket, though I admit my acknowledgments were selective there. Here I have no choice - no one.

I talk to the trees (then chop them down)

Hey Eccles. Seagoon has been trying to reach you - Pick up!

Signed

Moriarty.

[F1fanatic]

Reason being,every time I've had a conversation with tourists and some other expats it always leads to some personal questions.........

Some Q's are OK,some are just plain nosy!

Examples-

Where are you from.......ok

Do you live here..........ok

Where did you get the money for......nosy

How much do you earn...........nosy

How much are you worth.........nosy

Whats your GF like in bed.......fuc_k off nosy

I put good money that you just made up those last four questions just for the sake of argument. No other expat has ever asked me what I'm worth or what my gf is like in bed. And the only people that regularly ever asked me how much money I make is usually Asians, especially Chinese taxi drivers.

the Q's were not asked by random strangers that i met on the street...

Q 3 was asked from a German who lives not so far after i bought a new Vigo

Q 4-6 were asked by a fellow Brit with a few to many drinks, who thought we were best mates after a 20 min chat in a bkk bar

So one German and one Brit (after far too much to drink) asked you these questions. Not exactly an everyday occurrence then . You said that "every time I've had a conversation with tourists and some other expats it always leads to some personal questions".....

In my experience the previous poster is right - the only people who immediately ask personal questions are Asians. I used to be shocked - I'm used to it now.

[Birdman]

Reason being,every time I've had a conversation with tourists and some other expats it always leads to some personal questions.........

Some Q's are OK,some are just plain nosy!

Examples-

Where are you from.......ok

Do you live here..........ok

Where did you get the money for......nosy

How much do you earn...........nosy

How much are you worth.........nosy

Whats your GF like in bed.......fuc_k off nosy

First 2 questions are common and harmless. The rest unconscious provocative fantasy.

Edited May 27, 2010 by Birdman

[gpdjohn]

I have not had a conversation with a native English speaker since April 23 when I visited our English neighbour - 7km away - he's due back late June/early July maybe I'll wait for then.

Seen a few when we were at Ocean World, Laem Sing, on 5 May. And we didn't speak, they were part of a coach party, Euros I think.

We were in Aranyaprathet last Friday expected to see a farang or two, but the place was dead quiet not a tourist to be seen.

No intention of going anywhere civilised till June 12; I sometimes miss the conversations I had when living on Phuket, though I admit my acknowledgments were selective there. Here I have no choice - no one.

I talk to the trees (then chop them down)

Same problem over here.. only about 5 of us in the village, so nodding to each other is kinda stupid. Some trips to the Big C I see a few faces I had not seen before and normally a quick nod does the trick.

Today made the yearly trip to the embassy in Bangers and saw so many I didn't know what to do. The only one who talked to me was a black fella right outside Foodmart.

"Where you from?" "Here" I said.. " Where you from?" I asked him .."Liberia" he states.. "Oh Monrovia?" I asked.."Yes, How do you know, you know Liberia?" he asked.."Yep, sure do..was there for a short time during the civil war as a US Army adviser" "Oh" and he walked away.

Some times it does pay to acknowledge 'em..

[F1fanatic]

I have not had a conversation with a native English speaker since April 23 when I visited our English neighbour - 7km away - he's due back late June/early July maybe I'll wait for then.

Seen a few when we were at Ocean World, Laem Sing, on 5 May. And we didn't speak, they were part of a coach party, Euros I think.

We were in Aranyaprathet last Friday expected to see a farang or two, but the place was dead quiet not a tourist to be seen.

No intention of going anywhere civilised till June 12; I sometimes miss the conversations I had when living on Phuket, though I admit my acknowledgments were selective there. Here I have no choice - no one.

I talk to the trees (then chop them down)

Same problem over here.. only about 5 of us in the village, so nodding to each other is kinda stupid. Some trips to the Big C I see a few faces I had not seen before and normally a quick nod does the trick.

Today made the yearly trip to the embassy in Bangers and saw so many I didn't know what to do. The only one who talked to me was a black fella right outside Foodmart.

"Where you from?" "Here" I said.. " Where you from?" I asked him .."Liberia" he states.. "Oh Monrovia?" I asked.."Yes, How do you know, you know Liberia?" he asked.."Yep, sure do..was there for a short time during the civil war as a US Army adviser" "Oh" and he walked away.

Some times it does pay to acknowledge 'em..

You must feel really proud of yourself..... You made it v obvious you had no desire to talk to him when he asked the normal question 'where do you come from' - and you replied "here", and then told him you were an unwanted soldier in the country he grew up in. Good for you.

[Birdman]

Same problem over here.. only about 5 of us in the village, so nodding to each other is kinda stupid. .............

so you see each other often, have some BBQs, fun...together or you know each other lives here but never ever say a word, even don't nod??

[gpdjohn]

A.) Life sucks. Next time pick a winning side. Didn't really feel unwanted since his govt asked me to be there.

B.) We converse w/ each other, yes. No nodding necessary.

[Pushit]

've been out in the sticks of Isaan for a few weeks, I'm staying about 60km away from Ubon Ratchathani center and I hadn't seen another farang since the day I got here until today.

My gf and I, her brother and his wife go to the city today to do a bit of shopping and for the first time in all of the remote parts of a developed country I have lived in over the last 9 years, every farang I encountered completely blanked me.

The first guy I saw was eating a donut as I entered Big C and sat by himself, I actually felt quite sorry for him, I saw him before he saw me so I prepared my half smile, ready for the eyebrow raise to acknoledge the only other human being of the same race as me in the vicinity, he looks up, sees me half looking at him, my eyebrows are about to do their thing and then he stares straight down again pretending to be entranced by the table. I thought that was a bit odd but maybe he was one of the weirdos hiding out in Thailand, being sat by himself at lunchtime justified that theory in my mind at the time.

So we are shopping in Big C and later at a home depot store and all day every single farang that I walk by complete ignores their fellow countryman's existence, the only guy I actually gave the complete half-smile/eyebrow treatment to actually turned his back and trolly on me as he waited for his girlfriend who was picking stuff out in the aisle in front of me. This happened again and again with every farang I saw. I'm not talking about walking around Bangkok or Pattaya, I saw less than 10 farangs in the space of 6 hours so I don't think is that's they see so many farangs that it doesn't matter.

So for all you living out in the sticks; the blankers and the blankees, what's the deal, what are you thinking? I'm not asking for tea and biscuits with anyone, or even any kind of minimal verbal exchange, but just to be acknowledged as a relatively rare fellow countryman out here in the same place as you would show that you have kept as least a tiny bit of civility that you came here with. My rationale is either that they think they have been here so long that they are basically Thai and don't even share the same roots with me anymore or they hate the fact that there is a normal farang, more than half their age and weight with a full head of hair, invading their little bubble and threatening to steal their thunder! smile.gif

Whatever it is I hope I never grow to be that way if I end up living here.

And just to pre-empt the obvious reply, I'm sure it's not me!!

Don't Glom onto people you do not know, leave well enough alone!!

[ALFREDO]

Well, I am usualy a friendly guy and give anybody, special other "falangs" a greeting smile and a hello, when nearby.

Seldom it comes to more than that and maybe good so.

Last weekend, I was in the Kfc Rest. of the Chayaphum city LOTUS, my young boy and his friend played upstairs in the childrens corner,

so I ate alone.

A Westerner came in, I was sitting near the door and approached me at my table with, "Hot, so hot here!"

It seemed he wanted to talk, he sat down on my table to cool down with the Aircon as he said, did nothing order.

He was a German, in his early 60is and as I was Austrian the talking was easy.

After some small talk he talked about that he is here in Chayaphum for a visit, staying in a friends appartement who would come in some days.

He said his bag had been stolen with his money, Atm cards and mobile.

Later he asked if I could help him with some money, 600-1000 Baht?

He was dressed well, nothing out of order, was fresh shaved, only the teeth were completely over the hill!

I tried to talk me out of that situation, but he knew always some reason why it could be same he said.

Now later, with more time for thinking, I realise, some answers to my questions could be challenged.

Anyway, I gave him the 1.000 B. also I felt I throw now 1.000 B. away.

He later came up to the childrens playground and food corner and drank a softdrink, paid with my card there.

He even went to my car and helped me with my shopping.

We changed notes with our names, e-mail add. and my Bankaccount and ?

Now a by by, to my money?

[neverdie]

Well, I am usualy a friendly guy and give anybody, special other "falangs" a greeting smile and a hello, when nearby.

Seldom it comes to more than that and maybe good so.

Last weekend, I was in the Kfc Rest. of the Chayaphum city LOTUS, my young boy and his friend played upstairs in the childrens corner,

so I ate alone.

A Westerner came in, I was sitting near the door and approached me at my table with, "Hot, so hot here!"

It seemed he wanted to talk, he sat down on my table to cool down with the Aircon as he said, did nothing order.

He was a German, in his early 60is and as I was Austrian the talking was easy.

After some small talk he talked about that he is here in Chayaphum for a visit, staying in a friends appartement who would come in some days.

He said his bag had been stolen with his money, Atm cards and mobile.

Later he asked if I could help him with some money, 600-1000 Baht?

He was dressed well, nothing out of order, was fresh shaved, only the teeth were completely over the hill!

I tried to talk me out of that situation, but he knew always some reason why it could be same he said.

Now later, with more time for thinking, I realise, some answers to my questions could be challenged.

Anyway, I gave him the 1.000 B. also I felt I throw now 1.000 B. away.

He later came up to the childrens playground and food corner and drank a softdrink, paid with my card there.

He even went to my car and helped me with my shopping.

We changed notes with our names, e-mail add. and my Bankaccount and ?

Now a by by, to my money?

Are you serious, or are you taking the p1ss?

[ALFREDO]

-Neverdie-

Translate that to a not native English speaker.

He said he was visiting his wifes family village in another Isaan province, he is a widower, wife died in an accident 1-2 years ago

and usualy stays in Pattaya, has Condo there-rent?

A friend gave him the keys for the App. in Chayaphum city and they will meet there.

We will see, everything is possible.

[hawthorne]

Do I want some low life trying to con me and wasting my time? No. If you are on a golf course looking for another ball for you party then it is a good opening. Being in a comfortable setting with similar interest then also good. But strangers approaching me that look a bit shoddy for friendly conversation I will make a quick assessment as to whether we have anything in common and ingnore that person. A nod or hello while walking will always be met with the same from me, another Farrang.

In my opinion too many Farrangs in Thailand look like homeless people with limited education to me. I rarely see nicely dressed farrangs. I do not mean expensive clothes but just nice clothes that have not been worn several days in a row and show shoes. Do people move to LOS and just let themselves go or is this the end of the road for them?

[Berkshire]

've been out in the sticks of Isaan for a few weeks, I'm staying about 60km away from Ubon Ratchathani center and I hadn't seen another farang since the day I got here until today.

My gf and I, her brother and his wife go to the city today to do a bit of shopping and for the first time in all of the remote parts of a developed country I have lived in over the last 9 years, every farang I encountered completely blanked me.

The first guy I saw was eating a donut as I entered Big C and sat by himself, I actually felt quite sorry for him, I saw him before he saw me so I prepared my half smile, ready for the eyebrow raise to acknoledge the only other human being of the same race as me in the vicinity, he looks up, sees me half looking at him, my eyebrows are about to do their thing and then he stares straight down again pretending to be entranced by the table. I thought that was a bit odd but maybe he was one of the weirdos hiding out in Thailand, being sat by himself at lunchtime justified that theory in my mind at the time.

So we are shopping in Big C and later at a home depot store and all day every single farang that I walk by complete ignores their fellow countryman's existence, the only guy I actually gave the complete half-smile/eyebrow treatment to actually turned his back and trolly on me as he waited for his girlfriend who was picking stuff out in the aisle in front of me. This happened again and again with every farang I saw. I'm not talking about walking around Bangkok or Pattaya, I saw less than 10 farangs in the space of 6 hours so I don't think is that's they see so many farangs that it doesn't matter.

So for all you living out in the sticks; the blankers and the blankees, what's the deal, what are you thinking? I'm not asking for tea and biscuits with anyone, or even any kind of minimal verbal exchange, but just to be acknowledged as a relatively rare fellow countryman out here in the same place as you would show that you have kept as least a tiny bit of civility that you came here with. My rationale is either that they think they have been here so long that they are basically Thai and don't even share the same roots with me anymore or they hate the fact that there is a normal farang, more than half their age and weight with a full head of hair, invading their little bubble and threatening to steal their thunder! smile.gif

Whatever it is I hope I never grow to be that way if I end up living here.

And just to pre-empt the obvious reply, I'm sure it's not me!!

Don't Glom onto people you do not know, leave well enough alone!!

You and the OP are of the same ilk, expecting everyone to think like you. And if they don't, then there MUST be something wrong with them. Why are you guys so freakin in love with yourself?

And I notice that you pretty much refer to all farangs as "countryman." Wasn't there another thread recently, blasting the use of the word "farang" with the primary emphasis being that farangs are not all from the same country and shouldn't all be grouped together? Farangs in Thailand are a contradictory bunch, aren't they?

[Myaimistrue]

Do I want some low life trying to con me and wasting my time? No. If you are on a golf course looking for another ball for you party then it is a good opening. Being in a comfortable setting with similar interest then also good. But strangers approaching me that look a bit shoddy for friendly conversation I will make a quick assessment as to whether we have anything in common and ingnore that person. A nod or hello while walking will always be met with the same from me, another Farrang.

In my opinion too many Farrangs in Thailand look like homeless people with limited education to me. I rarely see nicely dressed farrangs. I do not mean expensive clothes but just nice clothes that have not been worn several days in a row and show shoes. Do people move to LOS and just let themselves go or is this the end of the road for them?

It might have something to do with the heat! I know for me, I can't wait to get home from work to get out of my "business casual" clothes and into shorts and a t-shirt!

[Tod Daniels]

FWIW; I don't acknowledge other foreigners here and foreigners rarely acknowledge me either . I may give 'em a brief once-over glance, but that's about it scope of it.

The simple fact that we are foreigners just isn't enough of a 'common bond' to compel me in the slightest to acknowledge anyone based only on the dissimilarity in race we share compared to the indigenous natives here in the glorious "Land 'O Thais".

I do routinely acknowledge and speak with other foreign students from when I attended thai language classes. I also hang out with the working class thais on my soi in the evenings after they're off work and relaxing. However, as a rule, I give most foreigners here a pass. They're just not worth my time. If the truth be told; I probably wouldn't piss on one if he was on fire (unless I had to piss ).

Now some of this can be possibly be attributed to the area where I live (right between Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy on Sukhumvit) and the demographic of foreigners who seem to populate this area. It has been my experience that the majority of the foreigners I've met seem to be from the shallow end of the proverbial gene-pool. Neither do they appear to be the sharpest tool in the shed .

Most of them I pass during my daily sojourns out and about are of the old, fat, beer-bellied, cheap sandal, singlet/cargo short wearing persuasion. They are the ones who always seem to have the obligatory, "young enough to be their grand-daughter", gold encrusted, tattooed, 'thai-in-tow' as they waddle down the street. That just gives me even less incentive to acknowledge and/or speak to them.

I imagine if a foreigner is so insecure in his life in this country that he seeks affirmation or acknowledgement from another foreigner, he's got more issues than can ever be addressed on this forum. I suggest seeking professional help QUICKLY!

[F1fanatic]

Its got nothing to do with clothes....

I NEVER go out dressed badly. Trousers below the knee and a top (admittedly sometimes sleeveless) is the most 'undressed' I would consider wearing in public (except for walking my dogs on the beach around 7 a.m. when I wear shorts with a sleeveless top).

As I said previously, I have no desire to strike up a conversation with a fellow farang (unless we meet with our dogs at the vet/beach and can talk about our much loved pets!), but think it only polite to acknowledge their existence with a smile. Most smile back and we go on our way - there are the odd few though that I have seen a number of times locally who made a point (every time - before I realised it was deliberate so stopped bothering) of blanking me.....

There is even one guy I see occasionally on the beach when we're both walking our dogs - who avoids me like the plague! Not exactly usual with dog lovers....

Its done so obviously that (now) I have to laugh inwardly (I wouldn't be so rude as to laugh out loud) - they obviously have a problem with Western women.

Their problem - not mine.

Edited May 28, 2010 by F1fanatic

[SuperstarStatus]

I used to stay out in a village just outside of Aranyaprathet & the border of Cambodia & a few times have seen farangs out in the village where I stayed at & they smile at me like they know me from somewhere or look at me like 'let's talk in English & impress everyone' ... I'm sitting there like I ain't even see anyone cause they get the impression we should be buddies "just" because we both farang. They need to get off that bull & let me live my life, thinking we the same because we speak English ... Nope. I don't want to be your friend or hear about what you do in the states & plus I got family over here, while you just came to marry a bar girl. What we got in common, nothing. That's just me though. I'm a young one though I was around 20-23 living there, most falangs I seen where twice my age or older, only had one friend from out in the states from Oakland, Cali and he was a young one who was half kon Thai like me so we kicked it like that. Other than that I don't want to know you or drink a "chang" with you. Don't take it personal that's how I feel though.

[473geo]

Some people on here are amazing........

Please explain how a polite nod, or a 'hello' 'good morning', as you pass a person within speaking distance, ends up with 'I don't want to sit and have a chang with you'......99.9% of the people you are speaking to probably feel the same!!!!

There are some wierd confused people here who clearly have no understanding of simple polite acknowledgement.....and if they apply that logic to the Thai in the same way.........sad......

Edited May 29, 2010 by 473geo

[StreetCowboy]

I used to stay out in a village just outside of Aranyaprathet & the border of Cambodia & a few times have seen farangs out in the village where I stayed at & they smile at me like they know me from somewhere or look at me like 'let's talk in English & impress everyone' ... I'm sitting there like I ain't even see anyone cause they get the impression we should be buddies "just" because we both farang. They need to get off that bull & let me live my life, thinking we the same because we speak English ... Nope. I don't want to be your friend or hear about what you do in the states & plus I got family over here, while you just came to marry a bar girl. What we got in common, nothing. That's just me though. I'm a young one though I was around 20-23 living there, most falangs I seen where twice my age or older, only had one friend from out in the states from Oakland, Cali and he was a young one who was half kon Thai like me so we kicked it like that. Other than that I don't want to know you or drink a "chang" with you. Don't take it personal that's how I feel though.

Villagers in Somerset are just the same. Or Wales. There, they all speak English till you walk in the pub, then switch to Thai, or some other straight language.

Countryfolks are all unfriendly gets; there's a convenient generalisation for you, and farang are all balding fat sex tourists; there's another. With a convenient stereotypes, you don't need to talk to anyone, or even nod and say hello.

SC