Why Do Farangs Wai Hookers?

[phl]

Your right. " a wai is not expected from a "Farang" so why do people do it if they have no idea what the meaning behind it is?

When I enter a restaurant or the hospital I get waied by the waiter/tress and by ther nurse.

Do you really think I should not wai back????

That's irrespectful in my book, I DO wai back.

I do think you're wrong.

Yes you DO NOT need to wai back, you only need to acknowledge the wai with a head nod.

[theblether]

OP..........your a bit of an expert on the social etiquette of Thai hookers, How's that then?

[phl]

the wai is to show respect to another human being regardless of what job a person is doing they still need to be shown respect and your thoughts on this is pure disrespect for another person and hope they treat you in the same manner as you deserve and yes i married an ex bar girl who is a very honest and respects everyone regardless of standing as you should.

Ok great, so you married a ex-hooker. There is nothing wrong with that,100's of farang have been doing this for decades. Point is that there is no point in waiing hookers on the take.

It's just plain dumb and stupid to do it.

Nah, it just shows complete and utter ignorance of the traditions and culture, and a total lack of desire to even learn some.

After all those also pay few hundred thousand baht sinsodt for hooker, previously married and has kids

[stevenl]

why didnt you say any working person then,

you said Why Do Farangs Wai Hookers,

i was operations manager of a fabrication factory in bkk, i used to give a little wai back to all my workers, and i found i got more repect doing this then not doing anything,

status here is a lot to do with face, not going in the sun to keep white skin,

it dosnt hurt just to smile and give a small wai, them girls work very hard and what else can 90% of them do to get money,

i resect them fully, ive had dissagreements in the uk with people calling them whores, never been to thailand, i tell them think outside the box, would you bend over and let someone F,,K you to keep your family alive,,

they have my respect and if i ever go to pattaya or any other place were these girls are i will for one wai them to show my repect for what they HAVE to do

You're completely missing the point. You are supposed to wai back to your staff, but in other cases you're not supposed to wai.

Hey, but with farang waiing farang quite a few obviously don't understand the social etiquette of waiing.

[JurgenG]

Regarding the wai, I think people think too much about it. For me it's just a reflex, when someone wai me, I return the wai without thinking too much about who he or she is. But there is a difference between a wai where you try to put some respect in it, like for a elderly parent or a monk, and the quick acknowledgement for the person who greet you at the door of a restaurant.

Edited July 15, 2012 by JurgenG

[theblether]

I shouldn't wai a hooker but I might wai the hookers customer, that sounds like two sets of gender based rules or an arbitary judgement of peoples morals, interesting.

Welcome to Thaivisa

[crusader79]

I remember reading about you. The guy who came out of his mother's uterus knowing everything.

[MJP]

I bet few of you actually know that London is in fact the place with the most high class hookers. It was in the New York Times.

So, I've just been looking on Google and I must say I have to agree.

I have no idea about hooker etiquette, to Wai or not to Wai, that is the question. I did shake a hookers hand in LOS once and I did notice she had quite a manly grip.

[TommoPhysicist]

I wai (and encourage my baby daughter) to wai all Thai people (regardless of their social status). The Thai people find it friendly (and funny).

Maybe the Farangs who wai at hookers are just having some fun, or maybe it is a more serious sign that they respect them. Either way, it doesn't really matter.

And I wai no-one.

I'm sure the Thais are amused by you wai-ing them all.

It isn't a sign of respect, it is you acknowledging them as your social superior.

Don't you just love it when NooBs make really big 'faux pas', then brag about how clever they are!

Edited July 15, 2012 by TommoPhysicist

[FlyByNights]

Why do posters on here always use the word Farang in an english language post........

(One of the few Thai have picked up while talking to said hookers and using it makes them think they look like they are Thailand expat veterans?????)

Wrong. Farang ฝรั่ง is a generic Thai word for someone of European ancestry, no matter where they may come from. Edmond Roberts, US envoy in 1833, defined the term as "Frank (or European)." People of African ancestry from western countries are occasionally called in Thao ฝรั่งดำ farang dam ('black farang') to distinguish them from Africans. This began during the Vietnam War, when the United States military maintained bases in Thailand. It is generally believed that the word farang originated with the Indo-Persian word farangi, meaning foreigner. Wiki

So your assumption "words they have picked up while talking to said hookers and using it makes them think they look like they are Thailand expat veterans" is so incorrect.

Using the word Farang covers a majority of us, including you.... Farang.

[crazygreg44]

The OP forgot to list a few more optional wais.

There also is a WAI between friends or aquaintances/staff one knows from recent visits.

They are being wai-ed by rising the index fingers slightly higher than the nose, and your friend/buddy/aquaintance will wai back in just the same manner. Please note that such a WAI is NOT accompanied by bowing the head !

Such, I see absolutely no offense in friendly - WAI-ing a bar girl whom you might know from earlier visits.

The same friendship-WAI is used for all others in the round / bar : while doing the WAI, turn your head around making sure you adress everyone. Ain't any problem with this as it has nothing to do with acknowledging someone's social lower or higher status. I bet the OP looked up the etiquette inside a travel advisor. Wonder if he ever has studied WAIs exchanged between equals. No Thai would dare WAI his friend higher or lower.

[Ulysses G.]

I Wai any pretty much Thai who Wais me - except for children as I do not want to confuse them. I am not really concerned about who is supposed to be superior to anyone else and I have met plenty of Thai hookers who were superior to some of the criminals that are big shots in "high society."

Edited July 15, 2012 by Ulysses G.

[TommoPhysicist]

Wrong. Farang ฝรั่ง is a generic Thai word for someone of European ancestry,

Jeez, not again ......

Farang means 'Guava' a fruit with a really white flesh.

If you are in Issan ....... Bak-see-daa ...........

If up North in Lanna areas ......... Gui- gar ...........

All words for Guava, all insults directed at white people.

[FlyByNights]

OP..........your a bit of an expert on the social etiquette of Thai hookers, How's that then?

Yes I do consider myself a bit of a expert on the social etiquette of Thai hookers, and rightfully so, but I will leave that explanation for some other day.

[TommoPhysicist]

The other great thing about NooBs.

They believe everything they read in daft tourist guides, and everything that their purchased Thai friends and purchased Thai lovers tell them.

[FlyByNights]

Wrong. Farang ฝรั่ง is a generic Thai word for someone of European ancestry,

Jeez, not again ......

Farang means 'Guava' a fruit with a really white flesh.

If you are in Issan ....... Bak-see-daa ...........

If up North in Lanna areas ......... Gui- gar ...........

All words for Guava, all insults directed at white people.

Yes you are right, Farang also means 'Guava' a fruit with a really white flesh, but let's not try to confuse the masses.

[MrMuddle]

I think when you wai you should feel your wai to be sincere in paying your respects physically, mentally and spiritually towards someone.

I don't feel this way when I go to a gogo bar or beer bar.

And beleive me, I see Farang doing it every single time I go for a massage or have a couple beers at the bar.

Have I got this right, you frequent go-go bars and beer bars, and are writing on Thai Visa to correct other poster's moral etiquette?

You must have a wonderful sun tan, living in your house made of glass.

[DP25]

Wrong. Farang ฝรั่ง is a generic Thai word for someone of European ancestry,

Jeez, not again ......

Farang means 'Guava' a fruit with a really white flesh.

If you are in Issan ....... Bak-see-daa ...........

If up North in Lanna areas ......... Gui- gar ...........

All words for Guava, all insults directed at white people.

Farang means westerner. A word similar to that is used all the way from the middle east to Cambodia. Farang, Farangi, Ferengi, Barang, etc. It comes from the word 'Frank' and spread east.

Guava is not native to Thailand. It is from Central America and was brought to Thailand by 'farang', so it got called farang because it was a foreign fruit. Same with potato, it is called 'mun farang' (yam - western). Various other itemss that are of foreign origin also have the 'farang' label attached (chewing gum, asparagus, etc). Most people may not know these things are originally foreign, but they are and that is why they are named that way.

Someone using those other local terms for guava for a foreigner is just making a play on words

[brit1984]

I wai (and encourage my baby daughter) to wai all Thai people (regardless of their social status). The Thai people find it friendly (and funny).

Maybe the Farangs who wai at hookers are just having some fun, or maybe it is a more serious sign that they respect them. Either way, it doesn't really matter.

And I wai no-one.

I'm sure the Thais are amused by you wai-ing them all.

It isn't a sign of respect, it is you acknowledging them as your social superior.

Don't you just love it when NooBs make really big 'faux pas', then brag about how clever they are!

My intention is not to "brag" or be "clever". I wai all Thai people and find that they receive it very well. I don't mind if that implies they are socially superior to me, as I respect them all.

I can't understand why you don't wai anyone. Are you suggesting that as a foreign farmer living in a rural village, you command or deserve a higher social status than all Thai people?

Sent from iPhone; please forgive any typos or violations of forum rules

[TommoPhysicist]

I can't understand why you don't wai anyone. Are you suggesting that as a foreign farmer living in a rural village, you command or deserve a higher social status than all Thai people?

It's not my culture.

Mind you, when I was in the UK, I didn't do any forelock tugging or cap doffing either.

[MJP]

I wai (and encourage my baby daughter) to wai all Thai people (regardless of their social status). The Thai people find it friendly (and funny).

Maybe the Farangs who wai at hookers are just having some fun, or maybe it is a more serious sign that they respect them. Either way, it doesn't really matter.

And I wai no-one.

I'm sure the Thais are amused by you wai-ing them all.

It isn't a sign of respect, it is you acknowledging them as your social superior.

Don't you just love it when NooBs make really big 'faux pas', then brag about how clever they are!

My intention is not to "brag" or be "clever". I wai all Thai people and find that they receive it very well. I don't mind if that implies they are socially superior to me, as I respect them all.

I can't understand why you don't wai anyone. Are you suggesting that as a foreign farmer living in a rural village, you command or deserve a higher social status than all Thai people?

Sent from iPhone; please forgive any typos or violations of forum rules

I think most just forget. Being an uncultured oaf and certainly not the sharpest tool in the box, I always forget to 'Wai' and end blurting out "Aw rwight, moosh?" But then I do that with the company Chairman too, so it's an international thing.

Edited July 15, 2012 by MJP

[Hostile17]

Why do posters on here always use the word Farang in an english language post........

(One of the few Thai words they have picked up while talking to said hookers and using it makes them think they look like they are Thailand expat veterans?????)

easier and faster to write than foreigner

[Hostile17]

the wai is to show respect to another human being regardless of what job a person is doing they still need to be shown respect and your thoughts on this is pure disrespect for another person and hope they treat you in the same manner as you deserve and yes i married an ex bar girl who is a very honest and respects everyone regardless of standing as you should.

Ok great, so you married a ex-hooker. There is nothing wrong with that,100's of farang have been doing this for decades. Point is that there is no point in waiing hookers on the take.

It's just plain dumb and stupid to do it.

Funny how presidents are presidents even after their mandate

Soldiers are still soldiers when they retire

Firemen are firemen for life

Policemen are policemen for life

and many other good professions go the same

yet a bargirl becomes an "ex. when a hairy farang takes her home for a long time

[phl]

the wai is to show respect to another human being regardless of what job a person is doing they still need to be shown respect and your thoughts on this is pure disrespect for another person and hope they treat you in the same manner as you deserve and yes i married an ex bar girl who is a very honest and respects everyone regardless of standing as you should.

Ok great, so you married a ex-hooker. There is nothing wrong with that,100's of farang have been doing this for decades. Point is that there is no point in waiing hookers on the take.

It's just plain dumb and stupid to do it.

Funny how presidents are presidents even after their mandate

Soldiers are still soldiers when they retire

Firemen are firemen for life

Policemen are policemen for life

and many other good professions go the same

yet a bargirl becomes an "ex. when a hairy farang takes her home for a long time

Not an"ex" but retired

And what's wrong with being hairy? Keep you warm in winter and hides all the wrinkles including those on the butt( providing butt is also hairy)

[Semper]

theses girls sell there body to feed there family, weather it be there child or there mama and papa,

there isnt money free in this country like in the west,

and these girs do what they do becouse they have to

Absolute nonsense!

There's a lot of other occupations they could have but they chose this one because it pays more and there is not 10-12 hours of hard work involved.

Then there's always a chance to meet a man for marriage.

[TommoPhysicist]

Funny how presidents are presidents even after their mandate

Soldiers are still soldiers when they retire

Firemen are firemen for life

Policemen are policemen for life

and many other good professions go the same

yet a bargirl becomes an "ex. when a hairy farang takes her home for a long time

Now that many in the western world are expected to have several occupations throughout their life, you must be getting very confused with your labeling system?

[TommoPhysicist]

theses girls sell there body to feed there family, weather it be there child or there mama and papa,

there isnt money free in this country like in the west,

and these girs do what they do becouse they have to

Absolute nonsense!

There's a lot of other occupations they could have but they chose this one because it pays more and there is not 10-12 hours of hard work involved.

Then there's always a chance to meet a man for marriage.

You're right, not because they have to, but because they're lazy.

[Hostile17]

theses girls sell there body to feed there family, weather it be there child or there mama and papa,

there isnt money free in this country like in the west,

and these girs do what they do becouse they have to

Absolute nonsense!

There's a lot of other occupations they could have but they chose this one because it pays more and there is not 10-12 hours of hard work involved.

Then there's always a chance to meet a man for marriage.

My brother is law is a retarded lazy average young thai male living off his mom's dying hands

Recently he started selling bbq sticks. He's making 400-1k baht a day in profit and he started buying gold and gifts to the people he stole from before.

Didnt have to open his legs to make that kind of money.

[canuckamuck]

Awesome, A thread about waiing, how refreshing. And now about the term farang as well.

Can we drop in double pricing, racism, and sinsod too?

I don't wai any more, I grab my crotch and say "hoo haw".

[bubba]

My experience with Thais of many different "class levels" is that many do not wai foreigners because they believe you may not know how to wai back, it might embarrass you you because you do not understand it, or just because they want to practice our cultural norm for greeting which is a handshake. That is excepting service people such as at supermarkets, hotels, restaurants etc. who are trained to wai everyone. I have even found that on initiating a wai to an older or "higher class" person, they do appreciate it but somehow seem uncomfortable. This is after having lived and worked in Thailand for close to 15 years and speaking reasonable Thai.

I think initiating a wai to a teenager or person who would be observed to be of lower status that yourself can sometime embarrass the person. I have seen Thais do that in sarcasm. It might also make you seem a little silly in some circumstances. IMHO, I just think that many Thais do not expect foreigners to understand the wai, and perhaps by engaging in wais they may make you feel awkward. In business settings, I am almost always offered a hand for a handshake, which is certainly not a traditional thing for Thais. I'm not saying this is correct etiquette, but for me, if a senior person initiates a wai, I always return it as best I can using my own perhaps awkward style that reflects the age and status of the person. I always wai monks, and at a temple after having been personally received by a monk and upon leaving, I perform the triple wai. I smile and nod to all the wais from trained service staff, but I do return the wai of my housekeeper when she greets me in the morning.

Any thoughts on the above approach appreciated.