Is It Just Sheer Ignorance?

[zzap]

Pushing your way into public transport is common in many places, also the obnoxious habit of trying to get served before your turn, disregarding others who've obviously waited for some time. It's hard to tolerate for people used to the queue system and courtesy.

I was put off changing money at the airport when I found a bunch of Iranians literally pushing and shoving their way to the counter pass me, the poor clerk was visibly distressed by a dozen outstreched arms pushing bundles of money.

[Heng]

In regards to the music/bass in the OPs example, it's simple disrespect, and again nothing to do with ignorance. Try having someone of importance (relative importance, not necessary someone of importance in the big picture) asking them to turn the music down and it'll be done just like that.

[PREM-R]

Certainly rudeness is not just a "Thai Thing" I would say that I agree with the concept of Thailand being a hiarachy and that people have either an "I am better than you or you are better than me" approach to life The same people who are 'Pig Ignorant" to a waitress will 'bend the knee' to someone they consider higher than them. If you are ever in Bangkok Airport domestic terminal in the evenings you will see these people ignoring their subordinates and running from one end of the terminal to the other in order to 'wie' to someone in a 'higher strata'.

As an egalitarian I find both rudness and bending the knee to be annoying.

[Donz]

I find in sydney alot of european females are the line jumpers, there will be a sign for the lotto that says 1 line with 12 people waiting and they ALWAYS just go straight to the front like they own the place. The middle aged ones are the worst

[tavarich]

I hate hearing how foreigners think Thai's are stupid and/or ignorant but that is all I could think last night. The missus did her best but all she could think was that maybe he had a bit of a low IQ.

Yes you are right, all Thais are stupid. Every single one of us loves blasting the speakers in our pick-up trucks to ear-shattering levels. Even the hi-sos love to do this, but you may not live near enough to any to realize it.

Of course, this would never happen in the US. All teenagers there are respectful citizens that would never trick out their car to play loud music - imagine the horror!

Thank you, for understanding

[scotsman]

This happened to us one night at about 3-00am in the morning the girl in the next house put on her hi fi so loud my wife & I just about fell out of bed. We got up and tryed to get her to answer the shouts at her window but not a chance. I then when to ask the security man to have a go and he went over the fence and banged on the window. She just told him to get lost so there was nothing we could do it lasted until 6-00am. I was so angry that at 8-00am I put on my music very loud with the speakers turned round facing her bedroom window for about 1 hour to give her a taste of what its like. Thank god they moved out this was about 5 years ago its never happened again so far If this happened in the uk the police would come and tell you to put the music down and if you did not they have the right to confiscate your hi fi. I like listing to music but I know that you have to be considerate to other people living around you. I was so angry that night but I know that 2 wrongs dont make a right but what can you do to stop it.

[Donz]

This happened to us one night at about 3-00am in the morning the girl in the next house put on her hi fi so loud my wife & I just about fell out of bed. We got up and tryed to get her to answer the shouts at her window but not a chance. I then when to ask the security man to have a go and he went over the fence and banged on the window. She just told him to get lost so there was nothing we could do it lasted until 6-00am. I was so angry that at 8-00am I put on my music very loud with the speakers turned round facing her bedroom window for about 1 hour to give her a taste of what its like. Thank god they moved out this was about 5 years ago its never happened again so far If this happened in the uk the police would come and tell you to put the music down and if you did not they have the right to confiscate your hi fi. I like listing to music but I know that you have to be considerate to other people living around you. I was so angry that night but I know that 2 wrongs dont make a right but what can you do to stop it.

Sometimes 2 wrong does help.

should of threw a brick through the window

[LoveDaBlues]

My closest neighbor is 200 yards away......for good reason.

[Tippaporn]

Sorry, Wolfie. Couldn't resist!

I know you've been just waiting for an excuse to use that smiley hey Tippaporn?

You bet, Jai Dee. Too good to pass up. It's non-offensive to the mods, very humerous, but oh so true!

[Tippaporn]

All in all there's a lot of instances of pettiness going on all over the world and chances are that the examples will be never ending. To be riled or not to be riled, is the question. I've learned that the less you get upset over these situations the more infrequent they become to you and when they do you can handle them with much greater success from a place of being calm.

[TBWG]

[All those Hi-So Thais thinking they are better than ME by rushing onto the green 97 bus.

Can't be that Hi-So if they are using the Bus

TBWG

[PREM-R]

scotsman

I like listing to music but I know that you have to be considerate to other people living around you.

Is this what you do when you are really drunk? just joking

[DavieA]

This 'ignorance' is not confined to music, have you ever been in a check-out queue at a mini-mart or 7-11 store and had some "I'm better than you" Thai walk straight up to the counter and push the item he/or she wishes to buy into the hand of the cashier ( they never speak, just offer the money for payment). This behavior is not bounded by age or sex, they all are capable of it.

I have also found a problem when alighting from a bus, as you make your way down the steps you will often be faced with a 'torrent' of Thais trying to force their way past you to get on. At first I would often 'yield' but now I just stand my ground (I am around 6 feet tall and 15 stones) they can't budge me and so they have to 'retreat'.

I have had many discusions with 'farrangs' about this phenomena, most consider the Thais to be the rudest people they have come accross, others say that it is a 'culture thing' and that Thailand is a hiarachical (is that a word?) society and if sombody thinks they are 'higher' than others then they show it by being 'ignorant' to those around them. If you notice when in a restaurant, the Thais never have any interaction with the staff serving, and even when paying the bill they will hand over the money and turn away, without speaking, again showing their superiority of a mere 'serving wench'.

I am sure some on TV will disagree vehamently with this but I am merely reporting what I have seen and what I have discussed with other farangs.

I agree with you Prem, as much as I like Thailand, I do find Thias to be extremely rude and ignorant of the consequenses of their actions on other people. Not only with Music at all hours, owners that don't care that their dog have been barking at nothing for the past 3 hours, pushing in at bank tellers and supermarkets like you didn't exist, and more seriously, their innablity to drive safley on the road. It seems all traffic lights, signs and lane markings are just decorations.

I sometimes have a winge about these kinds of things to my Thai GF and other Thai friends to try to come to an understanding of the culture differences and the acceptable norms. In nearly every case I am told that theses things are ok, I need to have more "Greng Jai"!

My question is, where is the "Greng Jai" from these people? Quite frankly, if they don't have consideration for me, why should I have it for them? How can someone ask to be respected if they can't respect others? Fair is fair isn't it? especially at times when you are endangering anothers life!

[Rimmer]

We went up country when the GFs brother got married. The family pig stood the music as long as it could then got up and walked to the other side of the village where it went to sleep. In the morning after the party it walked back home again and resumed it's life doing what ever they do all day. They say pigs are smart

[1Lucky]

My sympathies for the bad night's sleep. Whilst this certainly isn't uncommon in Thailand (the University which we live next too doesn't seem to see anything wrong in playing ear-shattering music for all nearby (and all not so nearby) residents to enjoy) I don't think this is a Thai thing. I have come across plenty of similar oiks in the UK.

I think the worst thing really is - what can you do about it? If you complain you risk the situation escalating/repeating, if you don't nothing changes. If you call the police/guards often nothing is done. And whilst joining them for a drink maybe a good approach if you have nothing to do the next day, if you have to get up at 6 a.m. its not particularly helpful. In Hong Kong you used to be able to call the police who would quickly ensure the offending item was turned off - is their a similar way to resolve things in LOS?

Lucky

[scotsman]

scotsman

I like listing to music but I know that you have to be considerate to other people living around you.

Is this what you do when you are really drunk? just joking

My sympathies for the bad night's sleep. Whilst this certainly isn't uncommon in Thailand (the University which we live next too doesn't seem to see anything wrong in playing ear-shattering music for all nearby (and all not so nearby) residents to enjoy) I don't think this is a Thai thing. I have come across plenty of similar oiks in the UK.

I think the worst thing really is - what can you do about it? If you complain you risk the situation escalating/repeating, if you don't nothing changes. If you call the police/guards often nothing is done. And whilst joining them for a drink maybe a good approach if you have nothing to do the next day, if you have to get up at 6 a.m. its not particularly helpful. In Hong Kong you used to be able to call the police who would quickly ensure the offending item was turned off - is their a similar way to resolve things in LOS?

Lucky

No

[mraitchison]

Last night at one of my regular restaurants I was sitting eating and enjoying the classical music that she plays when a phone rings, it's one of those annoying ringtones that plays a song or so I thought.

Some little somchais bastard university student and his slapper g.f have turned on their MP3 playing phone full volume and are listening to it at the table.

I am the only person in their eating. I shot him a dirty look. He ignored it. I turned around and stared at him, He ignored it.

Now my Thai is <deleted> but the woman in the shops English is pretty good and she likes to talk to me. So I thought I would ask for her help but she has dissapeared somewhere.

Bugger it. I walked over to his table pulled up a chair and sat down. Motioned that I wanted to have a look at his phone. So he gave me his phone and I turned it off. Went back to my table and finished my food.

A few bad words came out of his mouth but he didn't turn it back on.

Greng Jai my arse - ######.

[marquess]

I have often had to put up with a lot noise at the local snooker club, when I go to practise. Lay abouts coming and not even playing snooker, but watching the tv with the volume up loud. Or the Markeys not wanting to do anywork and treating the place like it is their own living room. Fortunatley my Thai is good enough for me to express me opinion and tell them what needs to be done. It is just a lack of common, sense, which seems to be ubiquitious rather rather sporadic, like it might be in the UK

Edited February 23, 2006 by marquess