Why Are They Staring At Me?!?!?

[ihunnieibee]

i would want to stare at you too ..you're cute

but i know how annoying it is to get stared at all the time because it happens to me all day long and i hate it ;_;

[submaniac]

Yeah OP you're cute. And I mean that in the "manly I'm trying to support you" kind of way and not the "I'm gay and hitting on you" kind of way (not that there's anything wrong with that).

In the picture you look Thai considering that there's alot of Thais of Chinese decent. You're not a bad looking guy (really have you seen the pictures of some of the grizzled hags that are members of this forum?). If people are staring at you it's because it's a trip when someone like you speaks English. Face it, there's not alot of English speaking Koreans around Thailand, so you are a rarity. Consider it people being curious and interested, rather than being upset or offended by it.

[samran]

A couple of theories:

- try keeping out of gay night clubs

- you are a good looking bloke - perhaps people think you might look like someone famous? Either in Thailand or via Korean pop culture which is pretty popular in Thailand

- you are going to places where foreigner don't generally go, in which case you will get a few initial stares

- you have a good looking girl in tow.

But the stares are becoming problem, go up and say hello. See what happens.

[mrbleu]

How do you know Thai males are staring at you? Cos you're staring at them?

We all have life experiences and anyone with any intuition/awareness would know when someone is staring/glaring at them. Yes, I notice/feel when someone makes eye contact and follows my movement. A few people don't mind but after more than two dozen or so instances during my 4yr stay, it gets unnerving.

[kurnell]

How do you know Thai males are staring at you? Cos you're staring at them?

We all have life experiences and anyone with any intuition/awareness would know when someone is staring/glaring at them. Yes, I notice/feel when someone makes eye contact and follows my movement. A few people don't mind but after more than two dozen or so instances during my 4yr stay, it gets unnerving.

Sounds like paranoia

[TomTao]

How do you know Thai males are staring at you? Cos you're staring at them?

We all have life experiences and anyone with any intuition/awareness would know when someone is staring/glaring at them. Yes, I notice/feel when someone makes eye contact and follows my movement. A few people don't mind but after more than two dozen or so instances during my 4yr stay, it gets unnerving.

I am one of few foreigners who live in Chumphon, I get stared at all the time, I don't let it bother me, my wife also translates some of the comments that are said in passing, often very entertaining.

Sent from my GT-I9003

[krisb]

This doesn't apply to me but do you realise that Korean pop (K Pop) music is the cool thing in Thailand now among the Thai university and slightly younger female set right now?

So being Korean in Thailand....even a Korean American guy and in your 20's to 30's makes you highly desireable and/or collectable among Thai females of the same age.

You're a hot commodity....make use of your desired status.

P.S. I know of what I speak. I've got a 20 year old Thai grand daughter, and anything Korean looking is "dreamy cool" according to her and her school friends.

K Pop is playing on our family television at least half of every day.

I don't much care for the music, but there are some very good looking women dancers.

OP said its the Thai men checking him out, not ladies.

Perhaps the Thai men are thinking "why is this guy checking me out"?

Maybe you should post this in the gay section of TV for another perspective OP.

[uptheos]

I can't imagine why anyone would give you a second look, you look like Mr Average.

Maybe it's your imagination?

Edited October 21, 2012 by uptheos

[BigJohnnyBKK]

My theories:

They are staring at you because they think you are totally hot and want to jump your bones.

Also, IMO most Thais only care about being polite when they've got some skin in the game, IOW within their own professional circle/network of colleagues, friends, family, acquaintances etc, or when they're trying to get something from you.

[Berkshire]

How do you know Thai males are staring at you? Cos you're staring at them?

We all have life experiences and anyone with any intuition/awareness would know when someone is staring/glaring at them. Yes, I notice/feel when someone makes eye contact and follows my movement. A few people don't mind but after more than two dozen or so instances during my 4yr stay, it gets unnerving.

To be honest, I get stared at as well and simply look the other way. I don't usually let it bother me and, yes, I wish it was hot Thai babes staring as well. But I seem to notice mostly guys and elderly folks. On the few occasions when it was an attractive female, I stare back, which causes them to immediately look away in embarrassment. So you may be getting stares from all quarters, but the females are reluctant to stare if you stare back.

Hope this makes sense. Anyways, don't let it bother you because there's nothing sinister about it. Just harmless curiosity mostly, and I'd say in a complimentary way.

[morrobay]

The quantity of staring by a group of people is inversely proportional to their sophistication and intelligence:

Staring = 1/ sophistication & intelligence

[mrbleu]

Thanks for sharing your opinions and humor, it is appreciated. I am not any closer to knowing why people do what they do and everyone has their own reasons for doing things, so I guess it’s a rhetorical question that doesn’t have an answer.

Could a moderator please delete this thread.

[MahaYellow]

They probably want a kimchi recipe from you.

[gray42]

Based on other people's opinions, I'm a handsome guy. I live in an area with not a large number of farang and I get stared at constantly. Guys, girls, kathoey, old, young... they stare. I usually look at them and smile..... and they smile back. It's not like America. The first thing I noticed when I got to Thailand is that Thai people stare at me a lot. It's not aggression; I'd say it's more curiosity in the case of the guys. One time there was a group of Thai guys sitting on the tailgate of a truck. They were staring, so I smiled, and then they lifted a bottle of lao khao towards me. I took a gulp (maybe exaggerating the strongness a bit for the humor), laughed a bit with them, and went on my way. Thailand is the Land of Smiles. Try smiling and looking friendly and you'll see their true intentions.

[richard_smith237]

I was doing a little work up in Chumpae a couple of years ago. I popped into the newly opened Tesco-Lotus a handful of times.

Not only was I stared at, but people came up to me, asked my name etc and wanted to talk. Some wanted to practice their English, some spoke in Thai. Some were young, some old... mostly men though, but some women older than 30 but only when in a group.

It was a little unnerving until I realised it was nothing more than innocent curiosity combined with a little confidence on their part.

When you are new or different, everyone wants to know who you are, why you are there etc... its simply natural curiosity.

With the Thai guys staring at the Op. I suspect its nothing more than curiosity. It happens everywhere, usually in a predominantly Thai club, given enough dutch courage one of the guys will usually come up to myself of a friend and cheers us and communicate a little... its generally just innocent.

Either simply look away and ignore it or nod a hello at them.. thats it - its not a big deal there is no reason to make it one. You can't reeducate a Nation of starers that staring is impolite !....

[Morakot]

they are the ones that initiates the spaghetti-western stare-downs.

This is what you should say if it gets to much:

You were looking at me I was looking at you

Coo coo ca choo coo coo ca choo

You were looking at me I was looking at you

Coo coo ca choo now what ya gonna do

Edited October 22, 2012 by Morakot

[wayned]

Know what you mean, kinda like "a black man at a Klu Klux Klan picknick"!

[canman]

How do you know Thai males are staring at you? Cos you're staring at them?

We all have life experiences and anyone with any intuition/awareness would know when someone is staring/glaring at them. Yes, I notice/feel when someone makes eye contact and follows my movement. A few people don't mind but after more than two dozen or so instances during my 4yr stay, it gets unnerving.

Sounds like paranoia

It does a bit given the numbers quoted, happens once every 2 months on average. I don't see how this could be unnerving.

[hookedondhamma]

Thanks for sharing your opinions and humor, it is appreciated. I am not any closer to knowing why people do what they do and everyone has their own reasons for doing things, so I guess it’s a rhetorical question that doesn’t have an answer.

Could a moderator please delete this thread.

Don't worry about it; trust me, if you weren't born here there are things you'll never understand 100% - this is one of them, lol. You seem like a pretty straight-up guy, though, so why not used it to your advantage? Try going up and making small talk? I don't know if the mods will delete the thread, but you could try and pm one. I'm glad your pic was removed though - you don't want that floating around cyberspace.

[TomTao]

The op could have had one of the same experiences I had, my first time in Tesco in Lang Suan I saw a young child being carried by mum, I smiled at the child who had been looking at me with very wide eyes and clinging to mum for dear life who burst into tears when I smiled, I was puzzled so I asked my wife to find out why the child burst into tears and why he lookef so scared, his parents had told him that white people are ghosts who eat naughty children and I was the first white person he had ever seen.

Sent from my GT-I9003

[WebBangkok]

Mate,

You are KOREAN you are like a god here.

Thai girls and gay guys are obsessed with everything Korean.

[I Like Thai]

Thanks for sharing your opinions and humor, it is appreciated. I am not any closer to knowing why people do what they do and everyone has their own reasons for doing things, so I guess it’s a rhetorical question that doesn’t have an answer.

Could a moderator please delete this thread.

Don't worry about it; trust me, if you weren't born here there are things you'll never understand 100% - this is one of them, lol. You seem like a pretty straight-up guy, though, so why not used it to your advantage? Try going up and making small talk? I don't know if the mods will delete the thread, but you could try and pm one. I'm glad your pic was removed though - you don't want that floating around cyberspace.

They won't delete it. They want to keep an eye on the OP.