Land Of Smiles? Have I Landed In The Wrong Country?

[samran]

:jerk:

Its not an opinion, its fact. To say the economy is "shot to shit" is way off the mark, totally incorrect. You have been misinformed or have'nt done your homework. Either way, wrong.

:jerk:

That Coma, you are.

And you are what I would refer to as a Serial Pest.

Something tells me that you aren't going to last long around these parts.

[domprz]

i think someone may have tried to say here:

economy politics whatever, the thais will find a way to party dance smile and have a good time

i will give away a private secret i learned by accident

you want smiles and attention from thais?

buy spicy somtom from a street seller

thais absolutely love it!!!!!

if you want more attention, walk down the street eating it

they will not leave you alone

eat and buy like a thai

especially issan food

if the thais see it

they will make friends with you right away

maybe its just me but it is charming how much sweet attention i get

and of course speak some thai

thais are very proud of their food language culture

and they will love you for it

economy escronomy

politics schmolitics

exports schxmports

who cares if you've got 30 baht and just bought some spicy somtom

oh and something else

buy a small gift or food for a local thai you know or see at your place of residence or wherever, you want to see a big smile????

Thanks. A gem. Hopefully there are more like this, not like the last few posts #57 to #60

[bangkokcitylimits]

In Phnom Penh it's even worse, there you have signs 'Smiling Forbidden' !

[richieudon]

you see a thai eating

say 'arroy mai?'

smile or not you WILL get a kind response

or... sap bo?

You'll get an even better response!!

[richieudon]

In Phnom Penh it's even worse, there you have signs 'Smiling Forbidden' !

Been there and one can fully understand why... :-(

[luckyluke]

Full Love Inn,

The what?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[KRS1]

When I first got to Thailand a wise man once told me - "Thailand is two different places, Bangkok and everywhere else"

Don't judge Thailand by Bangkok.

[craigt3365]

If you look at it from a Thais perspective they really don't have a great deal to smile about right now. The economy is shot to shit, they are at odds with Cambodian and thier foriegn policies, and the country is all but split into two . Alot of uncertainty lay ahead for them to be worried about. So I guess it aint all beer and skittles right now if you are a Thai.

Absolute nonsense. The economy is going through the roof, in a fantastic state. There is political unrest but that does not mean the country is about to split in two, and as far as Cambodia is concerned, this has been ongoing for years.

" Nonsense" That would be your opinion.

Its not an opinion, its fact. To say the economy is "shot to shit" is way off the mark, totally incorrect. You have been misinformed or have'nt done your homework. Either way, wrong.

I know quite a few Thai's running their own businesses. The ones tied to tourism are doing poorly. The ones tied to the local economy are doing fantastic. I know 2 families, fairly young, who are considering retiring they have done so well. One builds houses for locals the other does tourism for locals.

My neighbor works at a plant that makes AC units. He says his number one problem is getting workers...and keeping them. They keep getting hired away and paid more money by his competition. He says biz is booming and they are working flat out.

Get away from the tourist spots and Thailand is doing great.

[MJP]

Its not an opinion, its fact. To say the economy is "shot to shit" is way off the mark, totally incorrect. You have been misinformed or have'nt done your homework. Either way, wrong.

I know quite a few Thai's running their own businesses. The ones tied to tourism are doing poorly. The ones tied to the local economy are doing fantastic. I know 2 families, fairly young, who are considering retiring they have done so well. One builds houses for locals the other does tourism for locals.

My neighbor works at a plant that makes AC units. He says his number one problem is getting workers...and keeping them. They keep getting hired away and paid more money by his competition. He says biz is booming and they are working flat out.

Get away from the tourist spots and Thailand is doing great.

I agree, here in the sticks it's incredible.

But how?

Commodities? Exports? Or borrowing fueled by a USD carry trade?

[craigt3365]

I agree, here in the sticks it's incredible.

But how?

Commodities? Exports? Or borrowing fueled by a USD carry trade?

I can't answer that...just giving my personal experiences with my neighbors and their friends. It's hard to argue Thailand is growing and doing well...look at all the new buildings, new cars, new middle class, etc. Many malls are packed and people are making money. Again, primarily those away from the tourist areas. If you visit the tourist areas, things are pretty bleak.

Another good example is the Floating Market in Pattaya. On weekends it is jammed packed with tour buses. As are all the restaurants in Jomtien and those south of there. We've gotten to the point where we try not to go out from Friday night to Sunday night. Just too busy.

[MJP]

I agree, here in the sticks it's incredible.

But how?

Commodities? Exports? Or borrowing fueled by a USD carry trade?

I can't answer that...just giving my personal experiences with my neighbors and their friends. It's hard to argue Thailand is growing and doing well...look at all the new buildings, new cars, new middle class, etc. Many malls are packed and people are making money. Again, primarily those away from the tourist areas. If you visit the tourist areas, things are pretty bleak.

Another good example is the Floating Market in Pattaya. On weekends it is jammed packed with tour buses. As are all the restaurants in Jomtien and those south of there. We've gotten to the point where we try not to go out from Friday night to Sunday night. Just too busy.

Same here in Roi-Et, a sudden explosion of wealth. My local shopkeepers Dad just bought the new, fully loaded Camry, 1.4m Baht. They sell used scooters in a small village!

Makro/Global/Tesco stocked up and very busy, traffic everywhere.

I see bubbles.

[endure]

Which smile are you talking about?

"In the west, we often take smiling for granted. Happy sad and a few shades between pretty much cover the variety of our smiles, and it’s pretty obvious when someone is faking it or being sincere.

One of the great things about Thailand, and something that it’s famous for is the people’s great smiles. Even when affronted with rudeness, quite often the Thai people will keep on smiling, much to the amazement of the unseasoned visitor. But what lies behind these smiles? Is it all happiness and joviality?

After living here for a while, you get used to the use of smile, even in situations where in the West, it would cause more problems. But did you know that there are distinct smiles for particular occasions?

Check out the following list of smiles, and see if you can remember the last time you saw them, or even used them yourself!

Yim thang nam taa: The “I’m so happy I’m crying” smile.

Yim thak thaai: The polite smile for someone you barely know.

Yim cheun chom: The “I admire you” smile.

Fuen Yim: The stiff smile, also known as the “I should laugh at the joke though it’s not funny” smile.

Yim mee lessanai: The smile which masks something wicked in your mind.

Yim yaw: The teasing, or “I told you so” smile.

Yim yaw: The “I know things look pretty bad but there’s no point in crying over spilt milk” smile.

Yim sao: The sad smile.

Yim haeng: The dry smile, also known as the “I know I owe you the money but I don’t have it” smile.

Yim haeng: The “I disagree with you” smile, also known as the “You can go ahead and propose it but your idea’s no good” smile.

Yim cheua-cheuan: The “I am the winner” smile, the smile given to a losing competitor.

Yim soo: The “smile in the face of an impossible struggle” smile.

Yim mai awk: The “I’m trying to smile but I can’t” smile."

[pipo1000]

Which smile are you talking about?

"In the west, we often take smiling for granted. Happy sad and a few shades between pretty much cover the variety of our smiles, and it's pretty obvious when someone is faking it or being sincere.

One of the great things about Thailand, and something that it's famous for is the people's great smiles. Even when affronted with rudeness, quite often the Thai people will keep on smiling, much to the amazement of the unseasoned visitor. But what lies behind these smiles? Is it all happiness and joviality?

After living here for a while, you get used to the use of smile, even in situations where in the West, it would cause more problems. But did you know that there are distinct smiles for particular occasions?

Check out the following list of smiles, and see if you can remember the last time you saw them, or even used them yourself!

Yim thang nam taa: The "I'm so happy I'm crying" smile.

Yim thak thaai: The polite smile for someone you barely know.

Yim cheun chom: The "I admire you" smile.

Fuen Yim: The stiff smile, also known as the "I should laugh at the joke though it's not funny" smile.

Yim mee lessanai: The smile which masks something wicked in your mind.

Yim yaw: The teasing, or "I told you so" smile.

Yim yaw: The "I know things look pretty bad but there's no point in crying over spilt milk" smile.

Yim sao: The sad smile.

Yim haeng: The dry smile, also known as the "I know I owe you the money but I don't have it" smile.

Yim haeng: The "I disagree with you" smile, also known as the "You can go ahead and propose it but your idea's no good" smile.

Yim cheua-cheuan: The "I am the winner" smile, the smile given to a losing competitor.

Yim soo: The "smile in the face of an impossible struggle" smile.

Yim mai awk: The "I'm trying to smile but I can't" smile."

And how they call the smile. I smile but don't turn your back to me because you will have a knife in it.

[Stan42]

"Welcome to Thailand, the land of smiles." is just a slogan.

This doesn't mean they're not unhappy/unfriendly. A normal human simply can't smile all the time, that would be a case for the nuthouse.

[deejah]

Which smile are you talking about?

"In the west, we often take smiling for granted. Happy sad and a few shades between pretty much cover the variety of our smiles, and it's pretty obvious when someone is faking it or being sincere.

One of the great things about Thailand, and something that it's famous for is the people's great smiles. Even when affronted with rudeness, quite often the Thai people will keep on smiling, much to the amazement of the unseasoned visitor. But what lies behind these smiles? Is it all happiness and joviality?

After living here for a while, you get used to the use of smile, even in situations where in the West, it would cause more problems. But did you know that there are distinct smiles for particular occasions?

Check out the following list of smiles, and see if you can remember the last time you saw them, or even used them yourself!

Yim thang nam taa: The "I'm so happy I'm crying" smile.

Yim thak thaai: The polite smile for someone you barely know.

Yim cheun chom: The "I admire you" smile.

Fuen Yim: The stiff smile, also known as the "I should laugh at the joke though it's not funny" smile.

Yim mee lessanai: The smile which masks something wicked in your mind.

Yim yaw: The teasing, or "I told you so" smile.

Yim yaw: The "I know things look pretty bad but there's no point in crying over spilt milk" smile.

Yim sao: The sad smile.

Yim haeng: The dry smile, also known as the "I know I owe you the money but I don't have it" smile.

Yim haeng: The "I disagree with you" smile, also known as the "You can go ahead and propose it but your idea's no good" smile.

Yim cheua-cheuan: The "I am the winner" smile, the smile given to a losing competitor.

Yim soo: The "smile in the face of an impossible struggle" smile.

Yim mai awk: The "I'm trying to smile but I can't" smile."

i had done some extensive traveling before coming to thailand, on a whim

by that time i had figured out that about half of what people told me about places and traveling was true for me

and i needed to find out for myself most everything

so when i heard land of smiles, i was like, yeah sure. we shall see about that

so i can understand the OP in a way

well for me it is

and not just smiles

150 percent beyond

ain't life something

one time some guy practically hit me with his motorbike

when i was pretty fresh here

but all he did was look at me and give me a (check or add to list above i know i did something wrong and i didn't mean to do it) smile

sometimes when bad things like that happen i just REACT with anger

which is neither good for me or anyone else

that was a big education for me coming from the west

how incredibly mellow and relaxed thais are

non confrontational generally speaking

and the opposite of neurotic

(BTW fantastic entertaining and enlightening list , especially if it is all true , you must speak thai well and could educate many of us on so many things here it seems) :jap:

Edited January 10, 2011 by deejah

[MiG16]

Yes quite a list of all sorts of smiles

Got nothing much to add except to say that for many the 'wai' is still pretty much alive. And I'm not talking the 'wai' u get from walking into and out of hotels, restaurants and shops. I'm talking the 'wai' for an elder you know when you see them (yes even when you see them everyday), when you arrive at their house, when you are leaving, or vice versa, the 'wai' that you give when someone does something for you, the 'wai' when they give you a piece of advice, words of blessings or warning etc etc

[GreenSnapper]

They smile more and are a lot more pleasant than most people in Western countries.

Fully agree. There are still lots of pleasant Thais, and the overall bitterness of the West is not that prevalent here.

But then, whenever I travel to some of the neighbouring countries, I notice the difference, how much more friendly the people there are. But that is not a new development in my experience.

[nocturn]

Another angry farang? Who would have thought it?

Rather another stupid anti farang jibe by you more like.

The Op puts his point over without any unpleasantness and its been a good thread until you posted actually.

carmine, thank you for stepping up and appointing yourself arbiter of post quality.

keep up the excellent work.

[beechguy]

When I first got to Thailand a wise man once told me - "Thailand is two different places, Bangkok and everywhere else"

Don't judge Thailand by Bangkok.

Actually, I don't think he was all that wise, don't judge Bangkok by Sukhumvit, especially Soi 4 or Soi Cowboy.

Edited January 10, 2011 by beechguy

[deejah]

They smile more and are a lot more pleasant than most people in Western countries.

Fully agree. There are still lots of pleasant Thais, and the overall bitterness of the West is not that prevalent here.

But then, whenever I travel to some of the neighbouring countries, I notice the difference, how much more friendly the people there are. But that is not a new development in my experience.

what countries?

i am going

[thedistillers]

People much more friendly in Vietnam, Malaysia or Singapore than Thailand? Absolutely not.

I think some people have that illusion because people speak more English in those countries...

[greytown]

Which part of Thailand are you in? Any examples?

I'm in Chiang Mai.

Overall, I see a lot more long faces around than I would have hoped... Waiters / waitresses, shop girls, people on the street. Some people are pleasant but they are definitely in the minority. Many are indifferent at best and some are downright hostile in their attitude. I take it many are sick of foreign tourists... Not too hospitable. The difference between tourist areas and more local thai areas appears to be negligible...

[Ulysses G.]

I'm in Chiang Mai too and what a load of horse manure.

[greytown]

May well be you aint a hansum man.

Try Pattaya.

I'm not hideous, I shower daily and wear clean clothes. For the record, women are generally more pleasant than blokes (thankfully).

[greytown]

I'm in Chiang Mai too and what a load of horse manure.

What's horse manure? My statement or Chiang Mai?

[bonobo]

The two countries I know the best are Thailand and the US. And while what I am writing next is a vast generalization, I do think it represents some valid observations in where people in both countries are among the most extreme in the world.

In the US, strangers will open a conversation with anyone, at the grocery check out line, at the bank, at the beach, etc (the exception being in elevators and the subway). They will thank you for holding open a door or wave to you after you let them merge in front of you while driving. Especially with the opening conversations with strangers, I see this more than anywhere else in the world.

In Thailand, you don't often get thanked for opening the door, and almost never get thanked for letting someone merge, but you get the beaming smile when you catch someone's eyes. In NYC for example, rarely do you catch someone's eyes while walking on the sidewalk. But in Thailand, someone will look up, see you, and break out into a smile and perhaps a small nod of the head as they walk on by. Or at a 7-11, not only will our clerk smile, but the others in back of the counter will turn to you and smile before getting back to whatever they were doing.

I am not sure if Thais smile less than they used to do, but compared to most countries, Thailand is the land of smiles, in my opinion.

[Ulysses G.]

I am not sure if Thais smile less than they used to do, but compared to most countries, Thailand is the land of smiles, in my opinion.

Hear, Hear!

[Ulysses G.]

I'm in Chiang Mai too and what a load of horse manure.

What's horse manure? My statement or Chiang Mai?

The remark about pleasant Thais being in the minority.

[greytown]

I'm in Chiang Mai too and what a load of horse manure.

What's horse manure? My statement or Chiang Mai?

The remark about pleasant Thais being in the minority.

I sincerely hope that it is! I would be very happy to proven wrong.

[Rumcabal]

Which part of Thailand are you in? Any examples?

I'm in Chiang Mai.

Overall, I see a lot more long faces around than I would have hoped... Waiters / waitresses, shop girls, people on the street. Some people are pleasant but they are definitely in the minority. Many are indifferent at best and some are downright hostile in their attitude. I take it many are sick of foreign tourists... Not too hospitable. The difference between tourist areas and more local thai areas appears to be negligible...

Having moved to Chiang Mai from Pattaya about a month ago I find myself agreeing with this statement 100%. I've also spent time in Ubon - there I'd rate as the friendliest place I've been in Thailand. Indifferent would be the word I'd use to describe Chiang Mai residents I've dealt with. Not unfriendly but not warm either. Very businesslike. I get a few smiles here and there but they are in a small minority. I am still enjoying it here though, but I guess before I moved here I just had higher expectations, thats all.