Neighbour Ranting Loudly

[chonabot]

First let me say this is not a Thai or Farang bashing thread

I'm feeling a bit under the weather - diagnosed with Flu yesterday

My wife and son are out and I was chilling in the garden.

We live in a fairly big house in the city of Kalasin, and the surrounding houses are as big if not bigger.

I teach at the main school, most of the neighbours are either retired or have good jobs, judging by their cars/attire

I noticed the neighbours behind our house were chatting rather loudly, then one of them started shouting.

The word 'Farang' was used many times and since then he hasn't stopped.

I understand enough Thai to hear he is generalising about us and not me in particular - at least I thought !

I'm back in the house and a load of plant matter came flying into the garden, with a loud laughter from 2 or 3 people.

Ok I'm a big boy and not overly worried, but I'm sure if I flung it back things would escalate.

I guess because of my medical state I am thinking it through a lot more than had I been 100 % - Lord knows what would have happened had I been on the wine.

It's another hour before my wife comes back - I'm going to see what happens next - maybe nothing/maybe not.

Has anyone had a similar incident and would did/would you do?

ps I'm pretty sure he's drunk

Edited October 23, 2012 by chonabot

[Semper]

Throw a bee mest over your wall to their garden and close all your windows.

[mauGR1]

Sorry to hear that.. If i could speak Thai quite fluently, i would knock on his door and armed with a big smile ask <deleted> ?

Otherwise i would wait for the wife to be back home and let her deal with the neighbour.

For sure i would not let it go.

[chonabot]

Thanks chaps - meds have kicked in and I feel about 95 years old - otherwise I would have knocked already.

Isn't it funny that these things happen when you are least equipped to deal with them?

I'm sure wifey will take the flamethrower route when she gets back from polishing the goldfish

[WilliaminBKK]

When ill, I'm super sensitive & my mind races with the flu, ear plugs can be your best friend head back to bed and rest.

[soi41]

Swallow (know it is not easy) and ignore it. If you have lived there for a while, without any problems, you can hope that it was only a one time occurance cased by alcohol. Instead of starting something, that easy could exculate into real problems, just forget about it. Don't even tell your wife about it, no reason to give her headache.

If it happens again, it is another story. And even if it is directed at you, stay out of it personally and leave it to the police.

Good luck

[KhunMoo]

Your neighbor is an idiot, I don't think it's a "Thai" thing...people like that comes in all shapes and sizes.

What i do think, even if it's a bit hard (i know it would be for me ). The best thing is, to be the better man, for the time being.

Throwing the plant back, or knocking on the door, would make it a "Thai" thing....loss of face, etc., escalating the whole thing into something, none of you guys want.

Edited October 23, 2012 by KhunMoo

[TommoPhysicist]

I'd let my wife deal with it. She's vicious!

[Geekfreaklover]

Don't mention it to the wife. You are a man. You are also a teacher, so don't go making any confrontation. If it happens again, or anything like that happens again go to the local police station and make a complaint. A cop will go have a word with the neighbour. Problem solved. Don't worry about it for now.

[chiangmaikelly]

Time for the marching band. Every school has a marching band and they all need money. Pay them to march around your neighbors home late at night. Below is the song I suggest.

[thehelmsman]

Throw a bee mest over your wall to their garden and close all your windows.

Quite the fair and well balanced reaction. You've got my vote.

[chonabot]

Some nice and some humorous replies chaps - made me nearly forget the issue - thanks

I'm off to sleep, perchance to dream of skullduggery and nefarious revenge plots.....

But in all honesty I'll probably book the School Marching band for 3am Wednesday week....

[geriatrickid]

Don't mention it to the wife. You are a man. You are also a teacher, so don't go making any confrontation. If it happens again, or anything like that happens again go to the local police station and make a complaint. A cop will go have a word with the neighbour. Problem solved. Don't worry about it for now.

Do you really think the police are going to go pay a visit just like that? In order to get anything done, one has to offer an incentive. Let's assume that the police actually do make a visit, then what? Do you think that the end result will be one of peace, or will create resentment due to the loss of face? At this stage there is no threat of violence, nor has one been assaulted. This is one of those times, where one is best to defer to the wife and let her handle it.

[transam]

Sounds like your neighbours had a ''100 Pipers moment''. Dismiss it and crack on. If it gets worse talk to your local Tourist Police, they are ''there'' for you, a farang.

[Geekfreaklover]

Don't mention it to the wife. You are a man. You are also a teacher, so don't go making any confrontation. If it happens again, or anything like that happens again go to the local police station and make a complaint. A cop will go have a word with the neighbour. Problem solved. Don't worry about it for now.

Do you really think the police are going to go pay a visit just like that? In order to get anything done, one has to offer an incentive. Let's assume that the police actually do make a visit, then what? Do you think that the end result will be one of peace, or will create resentment due to the loss of face? At this stage there is no threat of violence, nor has one been assaulted. This is one of those times, where one is best to defer to the wife and let her handle it.

As I said in my post I would do nothing now and not worry about it. If the problem continued/escalated then I would make an official complaint for the record. I would NOT defer to the wife and let her handle it. In my view that's cowardly and opens one to more ridicule and abuse.

[payak]

have sex with his wife, you win.

[mjj]

Don't worry, just a drunken moment from the neighbour. If it happens again at another time its a different matter, but first offence is most likely just a silly drunk thing, don't give it another thought. :-)

[Semper]

have sex with his wife, you win.

Have you seen her?

[Beetlejuice]

If you are certain that the said neighbor threw the plant material, than this has become a physical confrontation and is no longer verbal.

This is what you do:

Firstly, do not let your emotions go over board and keep sober with a clear mind.

When your wife returns home, explain to her what happened then tomorrow at a reasonable time, visit your neighbour with your wife and in a calm manner ask your neighbour if he has a problem with you? This way you will learn where the land lies between your neighbor and yourself. I would guess that’s it`s all a misunderstand and would not take this incident too seriously. It could be that some other farang has upset the guy and he is just feeling irritated by farangs in general.

Best to face the situation sooner than later and to clear the air before things escalate any further, but remember to lose your Western aggression and handle this the Thai way, with a smile and politely, otherwise you`re be wasting your time and efforts and will get nowhere.

[Chittychangchang]

Personally i would like to squat on the neighbours wall at dawn stark <deleted> naked.

Shout cockadoodledo at the top of my voice, then proceed with the Chang bowel squirts on his side of the wall.

It will blow over, least said soon as mended!

Get well soon mate.

[Tywais]

Grab up the plant matter and use it in the garden and thank them for supplying the materials.

[End]

Sounds like your neighbours had a ''100 Pipers moment''. Dismiss it and crack on. If it gets worse talk to your local Tourist Police, they are ''there'' for you, a farang.

But he will have to wait 6 months until the tourist police can speak fluent English.

Edited October 24, 2012 by End

[chonabot]

Sounds like your neighbours had a ''100 Pipers moment''. Dismiss it and crack on. If it gets worse talk to your local Tourist Police, they are ''there'' for you, a farang.

But he will have to wait 6 months until the tourist police can speak fluent English.

No probs -

1) Kalasin has no Tourist Police

2) My Thai is reasonable.

3) Still Flu'd up

Edited October 24, 2012 by chonabot

[WebBangkok]

reminds me of my aboriginal neighbours in Sydney... They used really give it to this chinese couple.... was funny as i was only around 13 years old at the time

[MrRed]

Is he an Arsenal fan?

[jacktrip]

that sucks. you get racist thais just like you would anywhere. thats one of the reasons i dont get involved with thai neighbors. it seems to give them added confidence if they feel they are defending turf or are weak due to being in a new land.

all you can do is ignore it and keep as low a profile as possible initially. or you can be friendly and risk getting bad apples, its really up to you.

[chonabot]

Hoping to feel better tomorrow and will possibly pretend it never happened but unfortunately that was never my style

[Payboy]

Hoping to feel better tomorrow and will possibly pretend it never happened but unfortunately that was never my style

When the effect of the flu meds wears-off, you may find that the flying potted plant was actually a butterfly.

Above post may contain matter offensive to some. Parental guidance is advised.

[Beetlejuice]

Hoping to feel better tomorrow and will possibly pretend it never happened but unfortunately that was never my style

In all my many years staying here in Thailand my family and I have never been involved not even in one dispute with our Neighbors. In fact we all get alone very well and I am always invited to the local weddings, funerals and all other events within the local community here.

There is a lot of compromise involved, for example, their dogs bark, my dogs bark, we take short cuts across their land, they take short cuts across our land and so on.

Although my Thai language skills are very basic, I make every efforts to communicate with them and have the occasional chat. For donkey’s years no one around here has described me as the farang and no one gives me a second glance these days, I’m always addressed by my first name and I return the compliments by addressing my neighbors as Khun this or that according to their first names. Sometimes I sit with the locals during the late evening at our local shop where we drink whiskey and beer and share a few laughs. Many love to try out they’re English with me with a few laughs thrown in.

I think in the case of some Westerners that the problems lie with the fact that they have extreme difficulties in adapting to the Thai way of life, attitudes and culture. Unless they are willing to make sacrifices, compromises and at most times give way to the Thai attitudes however much this may irritate the Westerner, than they’re not going to be very happy here or be able to live with calm and peace of mind.

Some ex-pats enjoy living in isolation, not wishing to socialise and wanting to cut themselves off completely from their neighbors and in return expect their neighbors to act the same by never being seen, heard and staying out of sight. Sorry, but this is just not possible in Thailand, it`s not the Thai way, so get used to it.

[transam]

Hoping to feel better tomorrow and will possibly pretend it never happened but unfortunately that was never my style

In all my many years staying here in Thailand my family and I have never been involved not even in one dispute with our Neighbors. In fact we all get alone very well and I am always invited to the local weddings, funerals and all other events within the local community here.

There is a lot of compromise involved, for example, their dogs bark, my dogs bark, we take short cuts across their land, they take short cuts across our land and so on.

Although my Thai language skills are very basic, I make every efforts to communicate with them and have the occasional chat. For donkey’s years no one around here has described me as the farang and no one gives me a second glance these days, I’m always addressed by my first name and I return the compliments by addressing my neighbors as Khun this or that according to their first names. Sometimes I sit with the locals during the late evening at our local shop where we drink whiskey and beer and share a few laughs. Many love to try out they’re English with me with a few laughs thrown in.

I think in the case of some Westerners that the problems lie with the fact that they have extreme difficulties in adapting to the Thai way of life, attitudes and culture. Unless they are willing to make sacrifices, compromises and at most times give way to the Thai attitudes however much this may irritate the Westerner, than they’re not going to be very happy here or be able to live with calm and peace of mind.

Some ex-pats enjoy living in isolation, not wishing to socialise and wanting to cut themselves off completely from their neighbors and in return expect their neighbors to act the same by never being seen, heard and staying out of sight. Sorry, but this is just not possible in Thailand, it`s not the Thai way, so get used to it.

Think l disagree. Whether here or farangland you CANNOT pick your neighbours. You might have been lucky, same as me, but l know some unlucky folk.