Quit Complaining, Thais Are Amazing Because.......

[theblether]

Quit Complaining, Thais Are Amazing Because.......

Of simple things among many things........

theblether has a flat tyre on the rear of his motorbike, nurses the bike to the nearest Petrol Station ( okay Gas Station )

The attendant tries to fix it, admits defeat, walks out to the road and calls in a songthaew

Bike on the back of the songthaew, off we go to the repair shop a mile away.......

theblether is parked in front off the only fan in the place ( it's so warm in CM just now ).......

The valve on the tube is kaput......new tube required..........

Job done.

Songthaew cost 40 baht.......

New Tube and installation 130 baht........

Total time from arriving in Petrol Station to being back on the road........25 minutes.

170 baht.......amazing, and let me tell you there ain't no way you would get that kind of rapid service at that price in the West.......so quit complaining and be thankful for what you've got here

ps. I wonder how long it will be before someone says I was ripped off

[robblok]

Blether not going to say that I have seen acts of kindness like that too. Many Thais are real helpful.

I was at the market.. could not find something got helped by Thais trying to find it for me. It kinda depends who you meet I have seen good and bad here.

[mauGR1]

Obviously you were ripped off, 160 Baht is the current rate for that job..

I agree about Thais being great people, the numbers of people coming for holidays, or to live here, say enough.

[gmac]

You paid HOW much??????? and it took HOW long!!!! I don't believe the prices some people will pay for a simple job!!!

[theblether]

I forgot to mention, the owner of the repair place had a Honda GB 400TT sitting, I'm not that switched on with bikes but that's a smashing looking one. It was all he could do in his broken English to tell me all about it, with a look of joy on his face.

I asked him to let me see him ride it, he said " cannot, bike sleep one year, my back bad, cannot ride bike, but I love bike, no way I sell ".

That's a wee shame but it was lovely to talk to him and see the pleasure he takes from that bike.

Simple pleasures make life worth living.

.

Edited April 7, 2013 by theblether

[CharlieH]

They obviously realised quickly what a nice guy you are, and your manner etc was merely relfected back to you.

Thais in my opinion reflect your own attitude, if you are hot and bothered and try the superior ferang attitude talking to a peasant , you get what you deserve, treat them like normal human beings with kindness and respect and they are great.Just like most I have encountered.

Edited April 7, 2013 by CharlieH

[robblok]

There are many kind Thais and i meet them often mostly during fishing or just on the local market. All goes well there problems arise when i need to find contractors and such then its hard to find honest ones. (but the Thai neighbors have the same problem)

Thais also love it when you speak Thai.. i am not that fluid or great. but it always get conversations going. I think it really matters in what kind of setting you meet people.. business... be really really on your toes otherwise nice ppl

[theblether]

@Charlie

That's a fair point, I actually enjoyed sitting in that repair shop listening to the owner and watching the mechanics going about their business. I remember someone telling me last year that those guys are only paid about 250 baht a day. We don't know we're born, some of us.

Edited April 7, 2013 by theblether

[theblether]

There are many kind Thais and i meet them often mostly during fishing or just on the local market. All goes well there problems arise when i need to find contractors and such then its hard to find honest ones. (but the Thai neighbors have the same problem)

Thais also love it when you speak Thai.. i am not that fluid or great. but it always get conversations going. I think it really matters in what kind of setting you meet people.. business... be really really on your toes otherwise nice ppl

I've never been fishing in Thailand, I'll have to put that straight. I was in Thai restaurant on the outskirts of Pai about a year ago, it was very quiet which normally isn't a good omen. There was a guitarist strumming away and singing his heart out, great.

Out came the fish I'd ordered, I think it was Tibtum in a spicey lemon sauce ( I never trust the translations on the menus, I've learned just to accept what I get ).......anyway, the fish was sensational, unforgettable......I eat fish every day in Thailand and nothing has come close to this one. It turns out the guitarist owned the restaurant and his passion was fishing.

When he finished his set he took me over and showed me the photos of all his prize catches.......fishing by day, playing the guitar in his own restaurant by night, living the dream. Fantastic.

My other memory of that night was the table service provided by the young lady, she must have been at our table 20 odd times pouring drinks and serving food. Turned out she was a high school student and this was part time work......I tipped her 200 baht, she nearly fainted, her daily wage was 100 baht.

My gf hit me a kick and said the tip was too big......maybe, but for exceptional food and exceptional service, it deserved a lot more.

.

Edited April 7, 2013 by theblether

[robblok]

I do complain on this forum like many others but I am still here so i like it here a lot. The good clearly outweighs the bad and in general I like the Thais a lot. I might not like all their habits and such and certain things do irritate me but the good stuff makes up for it.

Besides Thais like farangs are not a homogeneous mass they differ a lot too.

[weegee]

Good clean service, and good food, always deserve a good tip....

[Potosi]

Your generalisations are not helpful. For starters, you wouldn't get a puncture on Farang roads, I never had one at home. If I got a flat tyre on my pushbike, went to the very same shop you visited, and asked to patch it up, they most likely would have been overstrained. I had this countless times a long way from the bicycle shops in Pattaya that know what to do. Usually I had to show the motorbike mechanics how to remove a wheel from the bicycle, and how to fill it up with air because the valves are different from motorbikes'. They might be good in a narrow field, but leave it, and they are frequently lost.

[theblether]

Your generalisations are not helpful. For starters, you wouldn't get a puncture on Farang roads, I never had one at home. If I got a flat tyre on my pushbike, went to the very same shop you visited, and asked to patch it up, they most likely would have been overstrained. I had this countless times a long way from the bicycle shops in Pattaya that know what to do. Usually I had to show the motorbike mechanics how to remove a wheel from the bicycle, and how to fill it up with air because the valves are different from motorbikes'. They might be good in a narrow field, but leave it, and they are frequently lost.

I see you're in your normal sunny mood today

Anyway what else can I do but generalize? I'd be here all day covering all probabilities on every post I wrote. I'll pass on that, thanks.

[CharlieH]

You see, look at your attitude and reaction to those you encounter, you show interest in them, you dont merely want service, you engage them as people, thats then reflected and you get great food and service.Look at the information you gained about both owner and staff, I bet others couldnt be bothered,

You are only getting what you give.

A good lesson in both instances for others, if you are having or perceiving a problem, just stop and think of your own demenour and how you may be being perceived by them.

We all act and react entirely to how we are treated. Blether, you,ll always get well treated because you show you actually give a shit about those you encounter........good on you mate! an example we should all try to follow, shown an interest and engage as equal normal people abd you,ll find it goes along way to making your stay or visit much more pleasant.

[Gweiloman]

There are many kind Thais and i meet them often mostly during fishing or just on the local market. All goes well there problems arise when i need to find contractors and such then its hard to find honest ones. (but the Thai neighbors have the same problem)

Thais also love it when you speak Thai.. i am not that fluid or great. but it always get conversations going. I think it really matters in what kind of setting you meet people.. business... be really really on your toes otherwise nice ppl

I've never been fishing in Thailand, I'll have to put that straight. I was in Thai restaurant on the outskirts of Pai about a year ago, it was very quiet which normally isn't a good omen. There was a guitarist strumming away and singing his heart out, great.

Out came the fish I'd ordered, I think it was Tibtum in a spicey lemon sauce ( I never trust the translations on the menus, I've learned just to accept what I get ).......anyway, the fish was sensational, unforgettable......I eat fish every day in Thailand and nothing has come close to this one. It turns out the guitarist owned the restaurant and his passion was fishing.

When he finished his set he took me over and showed me the photos of all his prize catches.......fishing by day, playing the guitar in his own restaurant by night, living the dream. Fantastic.

My other memory of that night was the table service provided by the young lady, she must have been at our table 20 odd times pouring drinks and serving food. Turned out she was a high school student and this was part time work......I tipped her 200 baht, she nearly fainted, her daily wage was 100 baht.

My gf hit me a kick and said the tip was too big......maybe, but for exceptional food and exceptional service, it deserved a lot more.

.

Can you remember the name of the restaurant? I love to patronise places where the food is good and service is friendly.

[DocN]

Can I be a prick now, please?

"Yeah...some Thais are great! But not only people in Thailand ard friendly...it happens everywhere in the world!"

Okay...back to being the nice guy I usually am!

Had a little accident in Khao Lak some years ago.

Renting a scooter, going up to the Chong Fah- waterfall.

Coming back from there, good mood (did I mention that i have no license, wasn't wearing a helmet...yeah ...the days of my youth...at age 35!), empty road, right turn curve....gravel...scooter slips...Doc slides on new asphalt road...ouch ouch ouch...before my head hit the road, one thought "Didn't you just yesterday read about helmets...?"....

Got up, checked on me...nothing seemed broken, though I was bleeding in several places....scooter was a wreck...

Did I mention the EMPTY road before?

Doc sits down by the roadside like a fat, bleeding Buddha, waiting for either a) someone to come soon or b ) die and bleach out in the sun!

Sound of a motorcycle!

Old lady on a scooter...with a bunch of bananas and a small kid (yeah...they are irresponsible...) in front of her.

She starts talking to me and I don't understand a single word!

I just stare at her and bleed...she laughs and drives away!

Thank you very much!

10 minutes later she is back with 3 guys and a pick up.

They talk, laugh ...I don't under-sa-tand anything and have no idea what is to follow...as they help me up, sit me in the car and put my scooter on the back, drive me to a "hospital" ask me (using hand, feet, pen and paper) about anyone I know in Khao Lak or my hotel...and off they go.

30 minutes later a friend that I had in Khao Lak appears, tells me, he has been informed by some guys in a pick- up, my scooter is at repair (and will be saved)...

Later that day, I limp back into my hotel.

Looking like "The Mummy".

It was the Baan Khao Lak (pre- Tsunami) and I will always praise them for what happened:

in the evening, I start limping out to the restaurant.

Some staff- member sees me, tells me to stop and RUNS(!!!) for the manager.

The manager asked me what happened and orders a TV to my room and asks one of his staff to a) bring dinner to my room (there was no official room- service) and to take care of me, look for me until I sleep, bring breakfast to my room the next morning and...and...and...

This episode ist still one of the reasons, I love Khao Lak ...

[theblether]

@Charlie

To be honest with you, I've always thought that was the whole point of travelling, to meet people. Yes I love getting my camera out and taking photos of some superb scenery and landmarks, but my day is made when I can spend some time with folk going about their normal business.

I find it intriguing.....I was up in Mae Hong Son and my gf and a mutual Thai pal wanted me to go to the Long Neck village, I wasn't happy about the idea as I do feel they are being maltreated, anyway I fell in to line and my fears were confirmed when I heard the conversation about the farang price to get in. Anyway, it turned out my Thai pal was well known in the village and it went from being a ( potentially dreadful ) visit to a tourist attraction into being a fascinating look behind the scenes so to speak.

I took my Dad up a few months later and he was touched and entranced by the people there, like me, he wasn't content with the story behind the villages, but he loved sitting there and chatting away through translators. He gave a lady a tip for her little baby that was bouncing around in a wooden cot, and he was disconcerted when she bolted straight up to the shop to buy milk for said baby. It annoyed him to think that the baby had maybe gone without until we turned up.

Anyway, when he got home, he got a photo of that day framed and put up in his living room wall......I have never seen my Dad do anything like that before, but he says he likes to look at it and remind himself how lucky he is.

On the other hand, he did barter down the price of a couple of hand made gifts from 200 baht to 160 baht, I was mortified, I mean mortified, I wanted to crawl below the table with embarrassment. Tight bastid......after he walked away I went back to the lady and tipped her 100 baht, I couldn't have my family honour sullied in such a fashion.

I got him back though.......I told my Mum what he had done, he's never forgiven me

[theblether]

@Gweiloman, give me a minute and I'll check my Facebook to see if I have it.

Nope I'm struggling.....if I can find the name I'll pm you. Sorry.

Edited April 7, 2013 by theblether

[jocko]

Can I be a prick now, please?

"Yeah...some Thais are great! But not only people in Thailand ard friendly...it happens everywhere in the world!"

Okay...back to being the nice guy I usually am!

Had a little accident in Khao Lak some years ago.

Renting a scooter, going up to the Chong Fah- waterfall.

Coming back from there, good mood (did I mention that i have no license, wasn't wearing a helmet...yeah ...the days of my youth...at age 35!), empty road, right turn curve....gravel...scooter slips...Doc slides on new asphalt road...ouch ouch ouch...before my head hit the road, one thought "Didn't you just yesterday read about helmets...?"....

Got up, checked on me...nothing seemed broken, though I was bleeding in several places....scooter was a wreck...

Did I mention the EMPTY road before?

Doc sits down by the roadside like a fat, bleeding Buddha, waiting for either a) someone to come soon or b ) die and bleach out in the sun!

Sound of a motorcycle!

Old lady on a scooter...with a bunch of bananas and a small kid (yeah...they are irresponsible...) in front of her.

She starts talking to me and I don't understand a single word!

I just stare at her and bleed...she laughs and drives away!

Thank you very much!

10 minutes later she is back with 3 guys and a pick up.

They talk, laugh ...I don't under-sa-tand anything and have no idea what is to follow...as they help me up, sit me in the car and put my scooter on the back, drive me to a "hospital" ask me (using hand, feet, pen and paper) about anyone I know in Khao Lak or my hotel...and off they go.

30 minutes later a friend that I had in Khao Lak appears, tells me, he has been informed by some guys in a pick- up, my scooter is at repair (and will be saved)...

Later that day, I limp back into my hotel.

Looking like "The Mummy".

It was the Baan Khao Lak (pre- Tsunami) and I will always praise them for what happened:

in the evening, I start limping out to the restaurant.

Some staff- member sees me, tells me to stop and RUNS(!!!) for the manager.

The manager asked me what happened and orders a TV to my room and asks one of his staff to a) bring dinner to my room (there was no official room- service) and to take care of me, look for me until I sleep, bring breakfast to my room the next morning and...and...and...

This episode ist still one of the reasons, I love Khao Lak ...

Good post well told .

You reap what you sow and a smile is a good starting point anywhere in the world.

[Hedghog]

theblether.

I must have been here to long,that type of service is normal in day to day life.

Yes I do appreciate the service attitude,as you say so different to the home country.

The day I complain is the day I will leave.

[theblether]

As long as you appreciate it Hedghog, as you obviously do. I'm not suggesting that it would be impossible to find good service or acts of kindness in the West, but certainly not at these prices and certainly as par for the course at it appears to be here.

I think we can all remember standing at the roadside waiting for the breakdown service, being told to come back tomorrow or wait for hours, then being hit with a hopping bill. Gawd, do I remember that

[pattayadingo]

I had a flat on the way to Issan.

Pathetic little jack I was struggling with to jack the car up. A pick up pulls in front of me, gets out a trolley jack, they jack up the car, change the wheel and they drive off.

Wonderful.

G/f tells me these people actually patrol the roads to help people with flat tyres. No payment just helpful service.

[theblether]

I had a flat on the way to Issan.

Pathetic little jack I was struggling with to jack the car up. A pick up pulls in front of me, gets out a trolley jack, they jack up the car, change the wheel and they drive off.

Wonderful.

G/f tells me these people actually patrol the roads to help people with flat tyres. No payment just helpful service.

That's amazing.....taking the time and expense to be Knights of the road. Fabulous.

[NoshowJones]

Blether not going to say that I have seen acts of kindness like that too. Many Thais are real helpful.

I was at the market.. could not find something got helped by Thais trying to find it for me. It kinda depends who you meet I have seen good and bad here.

Rubber hose on my LPG system split, I walked round the corner to a petrol forecourt, guy came and looked at it, phoned a mechanic, mechanic came within 15 mins, made a temporary repair, told me to follow him to his workshop, made a permanent repair, replaced the rubber hose. cost only 300 Baht. You would not get that in Scotland, would you Blether?

[NoshowJones]

There are many kind Thais and i meet them often mostly during fishing or just on the local market. All goes well there problems arise when i need to find contractors and such then its hard to find honest ones. (but the Thai neighbors have the same problem)

Thais also love it when you speak Thai.. i am not that fluid or great. but it always get conversations going. I think it really matters in what kind of setting you meet people.. business... be really really on your toes otherwise nice ppl

I've never been fishing in Thailand, I'll have to put that straight. I was in Thai restaurant on the outskirts of Pai about a year ago, it was very quiet which normally isn't a good omen. There was a guitarist strumming away and singing his heart out, great.

Out came the fish I'd ordered, I think it was Tibtum in a spicey lemon sauce ( I never trust the translations on the menus, I've learned just to accept what I get ).......anyway, the fish was sensational, unforgettable......I eat fish every day in Thailand and nothing has come close to this one. It turns out the guitarist owned the restaurant and his passion was fishing.

When he finished his set he took me over and showed me the photos of all his prize catches.......fishing by day, playing the guitar in his own restaurant by night, living the dream. Fantastic.

My other memory of that night was the table service provided by the young lady, she must have been at our table 20 odd times pouring drinks and serving food. Turned out she was a high school student and this was part time work......I tipped her 200 baht, she nearly fainted, her daily wage was 100 baht.

My gf hit me a kick and said the tip was too big......maybe, but for exceptional food and exceptional service, it deserved a lot more.

.

I think the fish in Scotland beats the fish in Thailand anytime Blether, do you not prefer Haddock, cod or even lemon sole?

[JLCrab]

Gee and I read all this stuff after post #1 just to find how the nurses fit into the story.

[NoshowJones]

Your generalisations are not helpful. For starters, you wouldn't get a puncture on Farang roads, I never had one at home. If I got a flat tyre on my pushbike, went to the very same shop you visited, and asked to patch it up, they most likely would have been overstrained. I had this countless times a long way from the bicycle shops in Pattaya that know what to do. Usually I had to show the motorbike mechanics how to remove a wheel from the bicycle, and how to fill it up with air because the valves are different from motorbikes'. They might be good in a narrow field, but leave it, and they are frequently lost.

I see you're in your normal sunny mood today

Anyway what else can I do but generalize? I'd be here all day covering all probabilities on every post I wrote. I'll pass on that, thanks.

You wouldn't get a puncture on Farang roads?????What country do you come from?I bet the Blether would agree with me, that you get more than just punctures driving around Glasgow.

[krisb]

No your right Blether, it is petrol station.

On another note, my Sam lor had a cracked muffler. Local motorbike fixit guy grabs his welder out, 20baht and 5 minutes, fixed.

Edited April 7, 2013 by krisb

[NeverSure]

Can I be a prick now, please?

"Yeah...some Thais are great! But not only people in Thailand ard friendly...it happens everywhere in the world!"

Okay...back to being the nice guy I usually am!

Had a little accident in Khao Lak some years ago.

Renting a scooter, going up to the Chong Fah- waterfall.

Coming back from there, good mood (did I mention that i have no license, wasn't wearing a helmet...yeah ...the days of my youth...at age 35!), empty road, right turn curve....gravel...scooter slips...Doc slides on new asphalt road...ouch ouch ouch...before my head hit the road, one thought "Didn't you just yesterday read about helmets...?"....

Got up, checked on me...nothing seemed broken, though I was bleeding in several places....scooter was a wreck...

Did I mention the EMPTY road before?

Doc sits down by the roadside like a fat, bleeding Buddha, waiting for either a) someone to come soon or b ) die and bleach out in the sun!

Sound of a motorcycle!

Old lady on a scooter...with a bunch of bananas and a small kid (yeah...they are irresponsible...) in front of her.

She starts talking to me and I don't understand a single word!

I just stare at her and bleed...she laughs and drives away!

Thank you very much!

10 minutes later she is back with 3 guys and a pick up.

They talk, laugh ...I don't under-sa-tand anything and have no idea what is to follow...as they help me up, sit me in the car and put my scooter on the back, drive me to a "hospital" ask me (using hand, feet, pen and paper) about anyone I know in Khao Lak or my hotel...and off they go.

30 minutes later a friend that I had in Khao Lak appears, tells me, he has been informed by some guys in a pick- up, my scooter is at repair (and will be saved)...

Later that day, I limp back into my hotel.

Looking like "The Mummy".

It was the Baan Khao Lak (pre- Tsunami) and I will always praise them for what happened:

in the evening, I start limping out to the restaurant.

Some staff- member sees me, tells me to stop and RUNS(!!!) for the manager.

The manager asked me what happened and orders a TV to my room and asks one of his staff to a) bring dinner to my room (there was no official room- service) and to take care of me, look for me until I sleep, bring breakfast to my room the next morning and...and...and...

This episode ist still one of the reasons, I love Khao Lak ...

Yep, you can be a prick.

Next, learn to ride a motorbike.

Didn't your mother teach you never to talk to strangers?

Didn't she tell you not to get into a vehicle with strangers?

Did you really let an unknown medical provider work on your body?

If people can't speak English, they are too dumb to talk to anyway.

If you take food from strangers who offer it, they may have a contract to kill you with poison.

If a Thai comes to your hotel room uninvited, it's probably a bar girl.

Worse yet, it could be a ladyboy.

You're lucky I'm here to save you and theblether from yourselves.

[theblether]

@Neversure ...... that was very good