Strange Farang Phenomenon

[lovelaos]

Elevators are a great example. Some people will look at or acknowledge the others in the elevator, while others will feel a desperate need to inspect their shoe shines.

If someone makes eye contact, I will acknowledge them. If they ask a civil question, I will give them a civil answer. If they step out of bounds, I will inform them of it. It doesn't make a hill of beans to me who they are.

I like to stand at the front of the elevator/lift facing the back, really freaks people out, they dont know where to look.

Me too

[lovelaos]

If the farangs I am likely to run into are anything like 90% of TV members on this forum I would steer wide clear.

Further to that, a while back I encountered a farang in our market, in an area with very few farangs. Gent slightly older than yours truly. Struck up a conversation and invited to have lunch in Bangkok later. Day comes, we grab a cab, and ten minute later I realize that I am with someone who is certifiably insane, out and out crazy. That was a long lunch. If I spot him now I dodge behind a telephone pole or wall. Sad thing is, most of the Thais that run into him are going to think that is normal farang behavior, forming their impression accordingly.

I said hello to the blonde woman who won the Paris Dakar bike thingy a few years back . That was outside Det Udom Tesco . She was with a fella and they had really neat bikes with water tanks and all that on the sides . I was on my honda 125 . I admit I felt like a bit lonesome nutter but I managed to not offer them directions . I went across the road to my favourite beer shack after that to while away the day . I guess they were on a bike tour and possibly heading to Laos .

edit I said hello not hell

and........................

[lovelaos]

This is the thing. The first few years in Thailand are exciting for most of us. We have all these strange experiences and hurdles and each day is like some kind of accomplishment. Farang friends are important. We exchange stories, insolvency advice, compare livers. But after a few years we learn the language. We learn how to get along and to be frank we have no need to have this common bond with other whites. I have very few true farang friends in Thailand.

I often walk down my soi smiling skipping over sleeping soi dogs and generally happy with the world. I'll smile and talk to the people I know who usually happen to be Thai. If I see a foreigner walking towards me, sure I'll make eye contact and nod hello. But I'm thinking in the back of my mind please, please don't stop and talk to me, I'm in a good mood, and I could do without listening to any of your advice or problems. But hey, I'm kinda an asshol_e like that.

+1

[Berkshire]

I don't really care one way or the other...

It's obvious that you do care, otherwise you wouldn't even bring this up. We had a thread about this awhile back and it perplexed me a great deal. Why would a farang have an obligation to acknowledge every other farang they walk by? It's asinine to think that just because we share the same....what exactly (skin color?)....that we'd have to treat one another differently than we would any random Thai (or Japanese or Korean). Let's try this: treat everyone the same. Can you do that? And if any farang (or Thai) were to ignore your incredibly humane efforts at friendliness (or creepiness), don't get so bent-out-of-shape about it. Everyone has their own comfort zone and it doesn't mean that people are "(attempting) to lose their western identities." Where do people come up with this stuff?

Congratulations on your reply, and that of Pattaya Parent.

Some people never speak to their neighbours back 'ome and no one writes to the papers about it, so why should any of us feel obligated to respond differently just because we're here?

Thank you. My sentiments exactly.

[just_another_guy]

I treat strangers like I treat the Indian Tailors----I just walk on by, besides my mother always told me never to talk to strippers strangers.

[heykki]

Who cares, just remember common courtesy.