Tt Tis Thailand

[ray23]

Yesterday after a huge ATM mess I'm on my way home, I hear a wierd noise coming from the front end of the bike. So I'm thinking maybe the front end bearings need grease, This is not rocket science so I stop at the little shop just outside the village. The mechanic and I are talking about the problem when all of sudden the weld for the kick stand decides to break. And down goes this huge motorcycle, fortunately no one or nothing hurt. But now we know we have a clear cut problem.

So we launch into the repairs, the wife is just shot form the day we had, so she walks a few blocks home and I hang out for the bike.

First three Thia little girls shop up and are chatting away in Thai I really have no idea what they are saying, but I hear farrang a lot. I am probably the only farrang around who uses that shop. A 750 CC motorcycle catches peoples eye, especially being worked on in that shop. The guy seem to do most of his business in Tuk Tuk repairs. I finally ask the girls in Thai if the speak english, they had a very shocked look on thier faces. It was amazing they continued to chat away but I never heard the word farrang agian, wonder what those little turkeys were up to

So I'm sitting there, trying to blend into the walls fat chance

In rides this Thai guy looks about 60, with the oddest haircut I have ever seen, looks like a wig that had went very bad. Drunk as a skunk, now we have all had people who want to practise thier english on us, sometimes it's hard to understand, throw in being drunk and it is a real challenge. I'm trying to be a good sport about all this. But he was just gettting to close to me and it made me feel very uncomfortable. So I stood up from the chair as I was doing so he was asking me how old I was, in half Thia and english, but I understood and I tell him. He reaches over and squeezes my bicep, and says still strong. I respond no I'm just an old man. Then right there in the shop next to the highway and in front of Budda and eveybody, he grabs the family jewels, saying these strong to?

My first reaction was to apply the heel of my hand in a forceful rapid motion right into his nose, but he is an old man and drunk, so I pushed him away and told in Thai that was not a good thing to do.

You know today I'm very glad I didn't hit him turned out he was a Policeman from the village, at his age I would say probably a senior one.

Finally get the kick stand fixed and passed on the front end noise, which went away the next day.

TT (Tis Thailand) man my Karma stunk yeterday

Edited March 5, 2006 by ray23

[Lourens]

Sounds just like a day I've had and I think many of us had in Thailand. If you stay here for a while, you get to see and hear and experience these things. Things that a normal tourist will never experience. I often thought about it - One village is same same another village. Not even the faces change much. But how many people do you know who could handle a situation like the one you described above? They are the ones who would flame a post like yours.

I love Thailand! I must have been Thai in a previous life.

[ray23]

Sounds just like a day I've had and I think many of us had in Thailand. If you stay here for a while, you get to see and hear and experience these things. Things that a normal tourist will never experience. I often thought about it - One village is same same another village. Not even the faces change much. But how many people do you know who could handle a situation like the one you described above? They are the ones who would flame a post like yours.

I love Thailand! I must have been Thai in a previous life.

Your absolutley right I'm surprised it wasn't flamed already. But this is Thailand and the experiences you can have here, once your off the beaten track could not be found anywhere else.

One of my favorite things is what I call village rides just go out by myself, see a road and go down it and check out the village life. Big red 750 CC bike and I go slow, I have met some very nice people doing this. In the villages they enjoy a little change of pace. You do get spoiled though you are an instant celebrity and they will find someone who can spak some english, if your friendly. I've been offered food from thier homes, suggestion of nice girls in the village. Now that is very tempting jus can't get the wife to see the humor in it. I'm gald I live here and I'm grateful for the real people here.

[jts-khorat]

First three Thia little girls shop up and are chatting away in Thai I really have no idea what they are saying, but I hear farrang a lot.

I guess we all had our fair share of experiences like that that only leave you bewildered and taken back.

But this quote above reminds me of a story on stickman I just read this mornign, where a guy starts ranting how badly insulted he is, when he hears Thais calling him a Farang.

I guess he has still a long way to go until life in the countryside would become bearable for him...

[Vegemite]

Your absolutley right I'm surprised it wasn't flamed already. But this is Thailand and the

One of my favorite things is what I call village rides just go out by myself, see a road and go down it and check out the village life. Big red 750 CC bike and I go slow, I have met some very nice people doing this. In the villages they enjoy a little change of pace. You do get spoiled though you are an instant celebrity and they will find someone who can spak some english, if your friendly. I've been offered food from thier homes, suggestion of nice girls in the village. Now that is very tempting jus can't get the wife to see the humor in it. I'm gald I live here and I'm grateful for the real people here

Hello Ray,

I just spent 5 days in a very small village not far from Wapipathum in Mahasarakham.

I had the use of a couple of small motorbikes and I can see why you enjoy riding around the place. The roads are good and easy, no cars and the little villages are great. I felt a bit like someone from outer space sometimes, the way people were looking at me but they were always friendly. The temperature is very pleasant for riding as well. Got a flat tyre one day and it was fixed faster than I could drink a can of beer and cost 60 BHT. new tube and all.

Great place.

[ray23]

Your absolutley right I'm surprised it wasn't flamed already. But this is Thailand and the

One of my favorite things is what I call village rides just go out by myself, see a road and go down it and check out the village life. Big red 750 CC bike and I go slow, I have met some very nice people doing this. In the villages they enjoy a little change of pace. You do get spoiled though you are an instant celebrity and they will find someone who can spak some english, if your friendly. I've been offered food from thier homes, suggestion of nice girls in the village. Now that is very tempting jus can't get the wife to see the humor in it. I'm gald I live here and I'm grateful for the real people here

Hello Ray,

I just spent 5 days in a very small village not far from Wapipathum in Mahasarakham.

I had the use of a couple of small motorbikes and I can see why you enjoy riding around the place. The roads are good and easy, no cars and the little villages are great. I felt a bit like someone from outer space sometimes, the way people were looking at me but they were always friendly. The temperature is very pleasant for riding as well. Got a flat tyre one day and it was fixed faster than I could drink a can of beer and cost 60 BHT. new tube and all.

Great place.

Yep I think you miss a lot here if you just limit yourself to your comfort zone.

I have no idea what the little girls were saying, I don't think it was anything bad, there were to many adult Thai's around. I keep working on learning Thai and if I do I think I will enjoy the village rides even more.

[Jeff1]

First three Thia little girls shop up and are chatting away in Thai I really have no idea what they are saying, but I hear farrang a lot.

I guess we all had our fair share of experiences like that that only leave you bewildered and taken back.

But this quote above reminds me of a story on stickman I just read this mornign, where a guy starts ranting how badly insulted he is, when he hears Thais calling him a Farang.

I guess he has still a long way to go until life in the countryside would become bearable for him...

I have been a big part of my wifes family for 5 years and they still call me farang . It is really nothing to get upset about . Sometimes just for fun When the kids call me farang , I look around and say farang ? Where ? I don't see any farang . They all laugh so hard they almost cry .

Nice story Ray . Except for the... family jewels part .

It is bad to hit a policeman . Good job of restrant there

[ray23]

I wonder if anyone has told stickman what farrang means, ( foriegner) applies to anyone who is not Thai, we are just easier tp spot. I've heard in affectionate terms and derogatory as well depend on the circumstances.

A good example if you happen to be from California, is the term Mexican, it can come out Mexican women are really beautiful, Mexican men love and respect their mothers, or darn mexicans come herer and don't even learn the launguage. The derogatory term used in most instances is wet backs. Gentlemen understand we are the wet backs here in a since. Most of us are here legally, but how hard do we try to fit in to our new home. Some of us work hard at learning the lauguage, others have decided that it is up to the Thai's to learn to speak our language. Each of us will have our own experience here depending on how we approach things.

So if a Thai is angry and calls you a farrang he probably doesn't mean it in a nice way. But that is usually very evident in the circumstances. But just the general use of the word is only defining what the Thai sees a foriegner.

In the since of being identifies within a group such as Mexican can mean a lot of things, for example many hispanic people are very proud of thier heritage and should be, even if they were born in America.

The guy grabbing the family jewels not a pleant experince, but I have seen Thai's do the same thing to each other in the past three years, not my idea of good manners adn not something I consider a good thing. But I'm a farrang. There is a well accpeted aspect of the bar scene that I really don't like. I don't want some guy masaging my neck while I'm using the urinal, but Thai's give him tips for this service. That would be a very dangerous profession in the states.

Some of us have been here long enough to realize that soemtiems he really need to think before you react. You just ain't Kansas anymore Toto

Here we are farrrangs and nothing is going to change that, it is much more important that we are accepted or rejected by our actions.

Of course those are just my humble thoughts

Edited March 11, 2006 by ray23

[banpaeng]

The family jewel thing almost got me in trouble also. The guy that lives across the road from my wifes home grabs anyone new like that. As I have taken family and friends there Ihave to warn them of this guy. I ask the wife to find out why he does this by askinghis wife. She said no way. It is annoying but he is harmless. Also as you say if this was in the states he might not get away with this but in Thailand????????????????

[peter991]

You don't need a big motorbike to get stares in Issan. When I want to visit the village shop, which is only about 1km from the house, I use a push-bike.

I get plenty of smiles from the locals and there's always a crowd of school kids checking our the only local farang for miles around.

Yes - nothing beats village life. So long as I have a couple of books in English to read occasionally, I am never bored.

Peter

[ray23]

Not being a handsome devil I always believe it's the bike, truth is I beleive anything unusual in the village is a welcome change to look at. Talk about examine and disect

I could never live in the village but to visit and experience is wonderful. It's just as much a change for me as the villagers.

[gburns57au]

You reckon that guy grabbing your jewels was shocking...

My ex took me into a house where an old girl (90+) was laying on thin mattress on the floor.

She want to see and touch farang the ex explained....no worries...next thing the ex had pulled the OG's top up to her neck and whacked my hand on the OG's boob...."feel" she said "that feed many children".....then she pulled the OG's dress up exposing the OG from the waist down....I got out of there real quick....

True story....TIT

[ray23]

You reckon that guy grabbing your jewels was shocking...

My ex took me into a house where an old girl (90+) was laying on thin mattress on the floor.

She want to see and touch farang the ex explained....no worries...next thing the ex had pulled the OG's top up to her neck and whacked my hand on the OG's boob...."feel" she said "that feed many children".....then she pulled the OG's dress up exposing the OG from the waist down....I got out of there real quick....

True story....TIT

Yep stuff do happen here that yuo just ain't going to find in Kansas Toto