Yes to the OP, as all before have stated, learn to ignore it.

I too have had these experiences, mainly when I had my wife in Oz...

....also here in LOS.

Just recently we had a guy cutting some timber down the backyard (we live on 6 rai), I was working about halfway down the back and his daughter came on her motorbike to see him about something. She made eye contact and we both smiled and nodded.

About half an hour later she returned and I heard the bike slow down as it got nearer to me...and I heard her say "farang, farang".

She slowed down to show her daughter the farang working in his backyard. I felt like I was an exhibit in the zoo.

I admit that at the time I felt a bit miffed, but soon got over it.

Life is too short to let small things like that get under your skin.

....and hand shakes from the ladies.

You lucky guy you.

Yes to the OP, as all before have stated, learn to ignore it.

I too have had these experiences, mainly when I had my wife in Oz...

....also here in LOS.

Just recently we had a guy cutting some timber down the backyard (we live on 6 rai), I was working about halfway down the back and his daughter came on her motorbike to see him about something. She made eye contact and we both smiled and nodded.

About half an hour later she returned and I heard the bike slow down as it got nearer to me...and I heard her say "farang, farang".

She slowed down to show her daughter the farang working in his backyard. I felt like I was an exhibit in the zoo.

I admit that at the time I felt a bit miffed, but soon got over it.

Life is too short to let small things like that get under your skin.

Im sure they think we dont understand when they say farang farang ha... I usually say yeah farang farang woohooooooooooo

....and hand shakes from the ladies.

You lucky guy you.

Hmmm, l wish.

Stare back....

And then get over yourself.

Stare back....

And then get over yourself.

No, as staring back usually draws some derogatory remarks from the knuckle-draggers that don't have enough sense to not stare at you in the first place.

I have gotten over the staring thing years ago. What really pisses me off are the ones who come up to my wife/GF and start asking questions about me like I'm a pet on a lease that doesn't understand what they are saying. The comments range from why the wife/GF is with me, to how they can team up with the wife/GF to rip me off.

Stare back....

And then get over yourself.

I will if you will

My solution is to wave or give a friendly hello to the person/persons staring. It usually ends the staring.

It does not bother me so much, but when i first started going out with my G/F it did bother her a bit, because as someone else mentioned, it is rude. I generally stare back , but don't lose any sleep over it.

Actually reminds me of what happened just before last Christmas. My work is in an area with not many foreigners and 1 day I stepped out for a cigarette, a guy on a motorbike started staring at me, could not take his eyes away, until he drove straight into a parked car

Many moons ago on my first arrival ,while meandering through a small bar area in Kata Karon, listening to the calls of handsome man, and returning the smile of every charming lady.......

I considered......being stared at in Thailand woud be an occupational hazzard of a handsome man

And so elected to enjoy the attention, return the stares with a nod and a smile...and occasional greeting

Which usually garners a smile in return....or a look of mild embarrassment...or both...

Edit: which I see is also the adopted method of walkingman above

Edited May 28, 201214 yr by 473geo

Many moons ago on my first arrival ,while meandering through a small bar area in Kata Karon, listening to the calls of handsome man, and returning the smile of every charming lady.......

I considered......being stared at in Thailand woud be an occupational hazzard of a handsome man

And so elected to enjoy the attention, return the stares with a nod and a smile...and occasional greeting

Which usually garners a smile in return....or a look of mild embarrassment...or both...

Edit: which I see is also the adopted method of walkingman above

Yep, same for me even today, and to be honest it is good fun.

Got nooooooooooo attention at all in farangland, but they take no notice of hansum men there eh.

It used to bother me too, and maybe it still does a little bit. Now I just walk like it doesn't and anyone who stares at my girlfriend and I will get the same back.

you guys got it all wrong...it's not to promenade with yer thai lady so much as to go out with yer 'thai entourage'...

now my wife is nice lookin' and her sister is a knockout as are the older nieces but when we show up in a gang at the local market or at the big tescos in Suphan no one notices me and I can hide...

and then a couple of the family wimmin and some of the kids come along to the local market to help carry the veges and the meat and fruit (we're only 10 mins away) and then I am left on me own to admire the market wimmin flesh without notice...when they ring up the bill the only thing that they see of me is the flash of the dough...

pretty sneaky, huh?

now, try that in a small provincial town in Vietnam and ye can forget it as the sight of a westerner down the market was very unusual and people useta stare...and I'd get one of the (hi-so) girls from the site office to come with me to the market for my purchases and then she would shout: 'whaddaya think yer lookin' at?' and then the peasant market women would cower...and then she would say: 'ye got every thing ye want, mr tutsi? then let's get outta here...'...and then I would say: 'thank you for yer help, me lovely...let me buy you some dinner sometime...'...and then she would say (legs crossed and arms folded): 'I ain't one of them market wimmen, ye know ye bastid...'...

but ye always gotta make use of the available resources...

Edited May 28, 201214 yr by tutsiwarrior

you guys got it all wrong...it's not to promenade with yer thai lady so much as to go out with yer 'thai entourage'...

now my wife is nice lookin' and her sister is a knockout as are the older nieces but when we show up in a gang at the local market or at the big tescos in Suphan no one notices me and I can hide...

and then a couple of the family wimmin and some of the kids come along to the local market to help carry the veges and the meat and fruit (we're only 10 mins away) and then I am left on me own to admire the market wimmin flesh without notice...when they ring up the bill the only thing that they see of me is the flash of the dough...

pretty sneaky, huh?

now, try that in a small provincial town in Vietnam and ye can forget it as the sight of a westerner down the market was very unusual...and I'd get one of the (hi-so) girls from the site office to come with me to the market for my purchases and then she would shout: 'whaddaya think yer lookin' at?' and then the peasant market women would cower...and then she would say: 'ye got every thing ye want, mr tutsi? then let's get outta here...'...and then I would say: 'thank you for yer help, me lovely...let me buy you some dinner sometime...'...and then she would say (legs crossed and arms folded): 'I ain't one of them market wimmen, ye know ye bastid...'...

but ye always gotta make use of the available resources...

I tried to read that but it reads like something from ''Black Adder"" Baldrick.

but ye always gotta make use of the available resources...

Indeed - do you work in a pharmacy ?

you guys got it all wrong...it's not to promenade with yer thai lady so much as to go out with yer 'thai entourage'...

now my wife is nice lookin' and her sister is a knockout as are the older nieces but when we show up in a gang at the local market or at the big tescos in Suphan no one notices me and I can hide...

and then a couple of the family wimmin and some of the kids come along to the local market to help carry the veges and the meat and fruit (we're only 10 mins away) and then I am left on me own to admire the market wimmin flesh without notice...when they ring up the bill the only thing that they see of me is the flash of the dough...

pretty sneaky, huh?

now, try that in a small provincial town in Vietnam and ye can forget it as the sight of a westerner down the market was very unusual...and I'd get one of the (hi-so) girls from the site office to come with me to the market for my purchases and then she would shout: 'whaddaya think yer lookin' at?' and then the peasant market women would cower...and then she would say: 'ye got every thing ye want, mr tutsi? then let's get outta here...'...and then I would say: 'thank you for yer help, me lovely...let me buy you some dinner sometime...'...and then she would say (legs crossed and arms folded): 'I ain't one of them market wimmen, ye know ye bastid...'...

but ye always gotta make use of the available resources...

I tried to read that but it reads like something from ''Black Adder"" Baldrick.

I know that it sounds fantastic, transam but it's true!...ye use the family wimmin as camoflage in Thailand...or in the Vietnam case just get one of the well dressed women that you know to accompany you in the filth and squalor of the local market then you become biblical and the sea parts before you...and no one stares!

I always bare my K9's and snarl in a predatory way when someone stares. Works wonders especially in crowds.

I understand your frustation but be careful what you say.

Once I was so pissed off that I said, "mong hee arai" and the guy went totally ballistic.

Classy guy. No wonder foreigners are getting more bad rep by the day....

My Thai wife and I have been together for nearly 30 years and we have never been unduly stared at when out, neither abroad nor in Thailand, both when we were young and older.

There could be several reasons:

How does the OP and his GF dress when they’re both out together? Does the guy wear the farang type shorts, have thin hairy legs, maybe loads of tattoos, wears flip flops and cheap tee shirts or vests and the girl, does she dress provocatively, perhaps wears lots of makeup?

Do they hold hands when they’re out or put their arms around each other when walking out in public?

All the above does provoke reactions from Thais; I have often witnessed this myself and sometimes even felt embarrassed seeing these types together. I describe them as the odd couples.

Some Thais may even assume that the farang probably met the girl in a bar somewhere, or is just low class. Of course this is probably not the case, but that’s the way many Thais view these couples, is just the way it is, they are only being curious.

How these couples dress, appear and behave in public determines what sorts of reactions they receive when out and about.

Edited May 28, 201214 yr by Beetlejuice

It happens, I think most are just curious about the dynamics, what, how, where etc… people are naturally a little nosey.

I sometimes see the ‘girl-half’ of other mixed couples checking us out, again probably for the same reasons of natural curiosity in others, sometimes perhaps for comparison…

When I feel another guy staring in what I interpret as a lecherous manner, or what could easily be interpreted as rude or makes us feel uncomfortable I simply stare back, sometimes that’s enough.

Sometimes the offending ‘starer ‘is so lost in their own ignorance they are there, staring, oblivious of anyone else to such a degree they are up to their 2^nd knuckle in a bogey hunt !!....

I caught a guy out the other day – having a great old stare. Each time I looked at him he looked away, then when I’d turned and turned back, there he was staring again, and looked away. Something must have compelled him so much that he couldn’t help himself…

It’s not ok in Thailand to stare. No amount of cultural difference can explain simple impoliteness. Those who stare to the point of making someone feel uncomfortable are simply ignorant.

In India the staring was taken to another level, they group together and stare in crowds… … and people (mostly young Indian girls) were actually coming up to my wife to have their photo taken with her… very strange!!

Lol so true about India, they do love a "group stare"

I resemble that stereotype of old farang (68) + bar girl (33).

Are people staring at us?

Hadn't noticed.

Just growing old disgracefully.

I understand your frustation but be careful what you say.

Once I was so pissed off that I said, "mong hee arai" and the guy went totally ballistic.

What else did you expect? "mong hee arai" is as low as it gets. Lucky for you he didnt kick your ass.

I didn't know what it meant until I just asked the GF. A look of horror came over her face and she said "where you hear that"? I explained and she said "never say that to anybody, maybe they kill you"!

I understand your frustation but be careful what you say.

Once I was so pissed off that I said, "mong hee arai" and the guy went totally ballistic.

What else did you expect? "mong hee arai" is as low as it gets. Lucky for you he didnt kick your ass.

I didn't know what it meant until I just asked the GF. A look of horror came over her face and she said "where you hear that"? I explained and she said "never say that to anybody, maybe they kill you"!

What does it mean?!

I used to always get mad when people would stare. Never to the point where I would say anything rude to them. But it would really piss me off. I found it much easier and more fun to play along. If I see someone staring at me or at both of us if I'm with my wife I usually smile and stare back and/or wave hi at them. Most of the time it makes them stop and get a smile out of them. Sometimes if they keep staring I'll just ask them "mai kuey hen khon lor la krub?". MOST of the time they get real shy and stop staring.

Another good one is when you notice someone staring walk past them without looking at them and right as you approach them look into their eyes as you say "ja eh!!!" like you are talking to a baby. They will sure as shit not be expecting that. It's made for some funny moments at least for me.

I understand your frustation but be careful what you say.

Once I was so pissed off that I said, "mong hee arai" and the guy went totally ballistic.

What else did you expect? "mong hee arai" is as low as it gets. Lucky for you he didnt kick your ass.

I didn't know what it meant until I just asked the GF. A look of horror came over her face and she said "where you hear that"? I explained and she said "never say that to anybody, maybe they kill you"!

What does it mean?!

As near as I can tell "<deleted> you looking at?" It's pretty much a verbal equivalent of giving someone the finger. Use at your own peril!

In Japan it's worse, each barmaid, waitress, does everything to seduce your boyfriend right in front of you.

They consider it as a challenge/duty to take the guy back in the national compound,or they figure out the guy must be an easy catch if he settle for a gaijin.

It's very embarrassing.

Confirmed troll, or rather, confirmed Western guy pretending to be an angry Western woman.

The funniest I have seen it was in Seoul, Korea, but it was only the older people, probably 80+. And my wife is Thai not Korean. They would come at a distance and slowly walk around to see my wife and myself and then usually make a weird face or laugh or something like that. I can't say that it bothered me, was rather just strange/funny.

not much stares from adults.

i always get stares from young kids. they always look at me just like im about to eat them. was told by mrs that i look very sirlit. nt sure what it means by im pretty sure its negative.

not much stares from adults.

i always get stares from young kids. they always look at me just like im about to eat them. was told by mrs that i look very sirlit. nt sure what it means by im pretty sure its negative.

What is "sirlit"? I just asked the GF and it meant nothing to her.

Depends on the reason for the stare.

Correct. Some people should check their zipper now and then.