That Sickening Thai-hyena Laugh

[penzman]

What's wrong with the Brits teeth? Isn't everybody born with a full set of 26?

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Watching too many Austin Powers films I'm afraid.

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Don't know him... Fat bastard ain't I?

[thaibebop]

What's wrong with the Brits teeth? Isn't everybody born with a full set of 26?

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Watching too many Austin Powers films I'm afraid.

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Yes, there are too many.

[Boon Mee]

"That Sickening Thai-hyena Laugh, Do You Find It Repugnant?"

I don't find it as nearly repugnant as the whiny twang out of some Wal Mart Whale checkout gal...

[thaibebop]

"That Sickening Thai-hyena Laugh, Do You Find It Repugnant?"

I don't find it as nearly repugnant as the whiny twang out of some Wal Mart Whale checkout gal...

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Yeah, I always wondered if the company trains them to do that?

[kayo]

Funny, I have never experienced it here, either. Perhaps it is because I am always polite, friendly and well dressed?

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SBK.... Excellent response.

You get that often , do you ? 

There not laughing at you , their laughing with you . 

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They are not laughing AT you... They are laughing NEAR you....

What about those horrible American's.  Why don't they just stay home!

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Because even they don't want to be surrounded by 280million yanks

cv

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Oh! And BTW, Walmart girls get a thre day intensive training course in "Have a NICE DAY!!!!"

Ferk off...

[Ajarn_Jonesy]

"That Sickening Thai-hyena Laugh, Do You Find It Repugnant?"

I don't find it as nearly repugnant as the whiny twang out of some Wal Mart Whale checkout gal...

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Agreed... rather annoying

[bkkmadness]

Funny, I have never experienced it here, either. Perhaps it is because I am always polite, friendly and well dressed?

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SBK.... Excellent response.

Really? I thought it was kinda patronising myself, like the only reason he got the sh1t was coz he was impolite, not friendly and not well dressed. It seemed pretty presumptious, almost rude.

Actually shouldn't moan too much, I might be riding past SBKs guesthouse pretty soon and popping in for a coffee.

Edited December 19, 2005 by bkkmadness

[Mighty Mouse]

Rather than embarrass you in front of others by telling you that you have a long, wet, green booger hanging out of your left nostril, they politely giggle and hope that you will check yourself out in the mirror on the wall.

Should the polite giggling increase to a hyena style, belly slapping, convulsive roar, then in addition to your booger, you also have some spinach or a pubic hair caught in your front teeth.

Don't worry about it, it happens to me all the time.

[Tippaporn]

Yeah, and while we are on the subject:

Whats up with that horrible French Body Odor?

What about those crazy ugly teeth everybody in Britain has?

Whats up with the mustaches on all those Greek women?

Whats up with Africans, why are they so poor?

What about those horrible American's.  Why don't they just stay home!

Whats up with those Japanese.  Why are they so obsessed with money.

Its called stereotyping.  Just another dressed up form of racism. 

Open your eyes and your ears, and spend time learning about individuals.

Peace

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And what's up with those Germans? Why are they so perfect in every way?

[jackr]

the guy stamping my passport actually showed it to his watching assistant and they descended into howls of laughter.

Maybe you should have gone for that haircut after all before having your passport photo taken?

[skylar]

What's wrong with the Brits teeth? Isn't everybody born with a full set of 26?

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Watching too many Austin Powers films I'm afraid.

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Us Brits can't deny the fact that the majority of our population's teeth are pretty awful. Mercury bunged in every cavity, teeth ripped out left, right and centre, and chronic sensitivity resulting in the remaining teeth being brown/black/yellow with a hint of pearly grey... thank goodness I spent my formative tooth filling years in Thailand But I ate too many Hello Pandas and Pocky to totally escape the chair!

[sriracha john]

For OP's benefit

paranoia

Function: noun

1 : a psychosis characterized by systematized delusions of persecution or grandeur usually without hallucinations

2 : a tendency on the part of an individual toward excessive or irrational suspiciousness and distrustfulness of others

Edited December 20, 2005 by sriracha john

[dr_Pat_Pong]

What about those horrible American's.  Why don't they just stay home!

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Because even they don't want to be surrounded by 280million yanks

cv

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[sbk]

Funny, I have never experienced it here, either. Perhaps it is because I am always polite, friendly and well dressed?

SBK.... Excellent response.

Really? I thought it was kinda patronising myself, like the only reason he got the sh1t was coz he was impolite, not friendly and not well dressed. It seemed pretty presumptious, almost rude.

Actually shouldn't moan too much, I might be riding past SBKs guesthouse pretty soon and popping in for a coffee.

Nope, just lots of experience watching farang behaving rudely and getting laughed at in return. I have never had this kind of experience in all the years I have lived here so I can't imagine what the OP has done to warrant such reactions on such a regular basis.

And don't worry, I won't spit in your coffee

[chownah]

Yeah, Thai laughter is repugnant and that snarling thing they call a smile is disgusting.

[chownah]

....and the worst thing is when the little 3 year old Thai children come up to you and smile sweetly and wai to you....that's got to be the worst.

:cheesy:

[Felix Lynn]

As I was exiting a bus one day, and being the tall lug that I am, I smacked my nogin on the bus side mirror. The Thais around me, especially the driver, began cackling. I was immediately offended at this lack of sympathy. However, I have learned that the Thais weren't not necessarily laughing at me but, in a sense, to help save me from embarrassment and loss of face for such a clumsy manuver. Lauging is a way of relieving the seriousness and the stress of an unsettling situation for Thais. They want to maintain harmony and keep themselves and the people around them from losing face.

But, in respect to the OP, I have felt as if Thais were laughing at me in other situations. However, many have pointed out that the truth behind their laughter can easily be discerned by learning the language. We may have it very, very wrong.

I'll give you the nine minute version of my response on Wednesday's Thailand Today Radio Show.

[tom yum goong]

When farangs weren't so widespread throughout Thailand and were quite a rarity in some parts, it wasn't uncommon for Thai kids to point and shout "farang, farang!" while smiling and laughing whenever they saw a farang.

I think the OP needs to losen up and stop being so paranoid.

[Simbo]

This occurs whilst being served at a counter, or just after, as you turn and leave.   The two Thais on duty make a joke or quip about the farang, directly within earshot, and then descend into a scathing, mocking hyena-like laugh which they pretend the foreigner doesn't hear.   I have never heard this condescending behaviour in front of a Thai customer.

It even extends to government officials.   As I was exiting Don Muang immigration on the very last day of a 90-day entry, the guy stamping my passport actually showed it to his watching assistant and they descended into howls of laughter.   The reason: I was leaving on the last permitted day.   Absolutely weird.

I have not experienced this humiliating form of laughter directly to the customer's face anywhere else in the world.

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You get that often , do you ?

There not laughing at you , their laughing with you .

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Did he say he was laughing too? I must have missed that.

[cdnvic]

When farangs weren't so widespread throughout Thailand and were quite a rarity in some parts, it wasn't uncommon for Thai kids to point and shout "farang, farang!" while smiling and laughing whenever they saw a farang.

I think the OP needs to losen up and stop being so paranoid.

I still get that up north, even in the backstreets of Chiang Mai

cv

[OlRedEyes]

However, I have learned that the Thais weren't not necessarily laughing at me but, in a sense, to help save me from embarrassment and loss of face for such a clumsy manuver. Lauging is a way of relieving the seriousness and the stress of an unsettling situation for Thais. They want to maintain harmony and keep themselves and the people around them from losing face.

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I agree with this. Even tho I cannot really speak the language, my feeling in these type of situations have always been that the people would laugh, not at, but with to relieve the situation.

My wife tends to confirm this. It's more a face-saving gesture, for you.

[OlRedEyes]

the guy stamping my passport actually showed it to his watching assistant and they descended into howls of laughter.

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Maybe you should have gone for that haircut after all before having your passport photo taken?

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Maybe you should post a pic of the offending passport here so we can judge for ourselves why they laughed

[tom yum goong]

Maybe you should post a pic of the offending passport here so we can judge for ourselves why they laughed 

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Yeah, don't be shy.

[GuestHouse]

Steady-on it's not just the Thais, I regularly had to suffer anti English jokes, comments and this kind of directed laughter when I lived in Scotland.

The odd thing, I'm not English, although my accent is English.

There are stupid ingnorant people everywhere.

And I tend not to be bothered too much by what stupid ignorant people think of me.

[cdnvic]

Steady-on it's not just the Thais, I regularly had to suffer anti English jokes, comments and this kind of directed laughter when I lived in Scotland.

The odd thing, I'm not English, although my accent is English.

There are stupid ingnorant people everywhere.

And I tend not to be bothered too much by what stupid ignorant people think of me.

And he's not the least bit bitter either.

cv

[meemiathai]

Steady-on it's not just the Thais, I regularly had to suffer anti English jokes, comments and this kind of directed laughter when I lived in Scotland.

The odd thing, I'm not English, although my accent is English.

There are stupid ingnorant people everywhere.

And I tend not to be bothered too much by what stupid ignorant people think of me.

Yes, Trevor.

There are (thais) everywhere in Thailand.

Don't be bothered too much by what (thais) think of you.

Edited December 20, 2005 by meemiathai

[dr_Pat_Pong]

When farangs weren't so widespread throughout Thailand and were quite a rarity in some parts, it wasn't uncommon for Thai kids to point and shout "farang, farang!" while smiling and laughing whenever they saw a farang.

I think the OP needs to losen up and stop being so paranoid.

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Totally agree.

[Jeff1]

This occurs whilst being served at a counter, or just after, as you turn and leave.   The two Thais on duty make a joke or quip about the farang, directly within earshot, and then descend into a scathing, mocking hyena-like laugh which they pretend the foreigner doesn't hear.   I have never heard this condescending behaviour in front of a Thai customer.

It even extends to government officials.   As I was exiting Don Muang immigration on the very last day of a 90-day entry, the guy stamping my passport actually showed it to his watching assistant and they descended into howls of laughter.   The reason: I was leaving on the last permitted day.   Absolutely weird.

I have not experienced this humiliating form of laughter directly to the customer's face anywhere else in the world.

You get that often , do you ?

There not laughing at you , their laughing with you .

Did he say he was laughing too? I must have missed that.

It's an expression ,... try to keep up

[Dustoff]

~

I read the beginnings of this thread earlier in the day then had to run off to the Airport Plaza here in Chiang Mai. When I arrived, I entered an empty lift only to be joined by seven young girls in school uniforms. As I pushed the button for the 4th floor, they looked at me excitedly and almost immediately went into a huddle from which would glance at me and return, laughing, to the huddle.

It struck me immediately that this very situation took me back to the post I had read this morning about Thais laughing at farangs and how I could easily be convinced that this laughter could be something less than complimentary.

Finally (within seconds actually) the girls all faced me and one of them stood tall and bravely said, "Hello. How are you?" The rest stood breathlessly expectant...

"Hello," says I, "I am fine, how are you?".

The warm smiles were so genuine and obviously grateful for the communication that I was almost reduced to tears. They simply wanted to practice their English and trusted me enough in a closed elevator box to make 'first contact' and I am honored. Especially since I am this rather tall, gnarly, long/grey-haired hippy/biker kinda dude. Go figure.

As to the OP's post, it is likely that the Thai people were laughing before he came and they politely took care of him before resuming their happy conversation.

Or, he was wearing one of those t-shirts that say, in Thai, "Don't laugh; I'm paranoid"

[Boon Mee]

When farangs weren't so widespread throughout Thailand and were quite a rarity in some parts, it wasn't uncommon for Thai kids to point and shout "farang, farang!" while smiling and laughing whenever they saw a farang.

I remember that well.

Everytime I went anywhere in the Moo Ban it was 'Farang Farang'

Kids just having fun...