Has The Smile Departed Los?

[FunFon]

Girls holding hands in Thailand? Never seen it. Go to Egypt and you will see men holding hands as they walk down the street, in abundance. They are not gay. It is a sign of friendship. I could not imagine Thai Tuk-tuck drivers doing the same.

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Used to see it all over everywhere in Thailand ten years ago, less so in recent years, both sexes.

In my first job here corporate TEFL the customer's manager took me to lunch the first day and held hands chatting with me all the way to the restaurant with his whole department following along, most holding hands with members of the same sex.

I was completely freaking out but trying not to show it, thought I'd been hired by an all-gay corporation

But no, he was just being friendly, nice old guy. . .

[a99az]

What smile????? You mean this one

[Plastic Brontosaurus]

Used to live in the Loyalty Islands (off the coast of New Caledonia) in the early 1990's. That's a tribal society, Melanesian population living in tribal villages and a few whites as teachers and medical staff. My wife at the time was a schoolteacher. What happened was they introduced TV which previously was not available there at all.

This rapidly changed behavior in children at first, and across the board over time. The natural smiles started to gradually but relatively rapidly disappear, and kids became more aggressive in class etc. over the course of a couple of years.

Not sure to what degree TV might have something to do with it in LOS. Increased tourism and the ups and downs that go with that must have also played a role here.

But I don't think this kind of change happens "naturally". It is triggered by being opened up to a wider and nastier world/reality. A loss of innocence in a way.

Edited April 17, 2013 by Plastic Brontosaurus

[thaibeachlovers]

Used to live in the Loyalty Islands (off the coast of New Caledonia) in the early 1990's. That's a tribal society, Melanesian population living in tribal villages and a few whites as teachers and medical staff. My wife at the time was a schoolteacher. What happened was they introduced TV which previously was not available there at all.

This rapidly changed behavior in children at first, and across the board over time. The natural smiles started to gradually but relatively rapidly disappear, and kids became more aggressive in class etc. over the course of a couple of years.

Not sure to what degree TV might have something to do with it in LOS. Increased tourism and the ups and downs that go with that must have also played a role here.

But I don't think this kind of change happens "naturally". It is triggered by being opened up to a wider and nastier world/reality. A loss of innocence in a way.

You could be onto something.

Given that tv is 90% trash, and that most children watch far too much, it could be a societal modifier. I wonder if there are any studies?

I'm glad I didn't have tv when I was a kid.

[phuturatica]

Smile at them and they usually smile back.

Works for me!

[Mitker]

I do agree with the OP.

Less smiles maybe, but mostly: ruder talking, more aggressive driving, lower standard of service.

It's NOT a comparison with other countries, it's a feeling about how Thailand has evolved in the last 10-15 years. And indeed it is still far much better than other places. But once again, it seems like the sad trend.

I join the team blaming TV programs designed for lobotomized audience.

Among other things.

[Dap]

Don't want to spill your sherry, but.. This afternoon along route 21

SMILE.JPG

I got 6 smiles just from a glance...

Agreed. Thais still smile nicely to me often and I have been here longer than 15 years.. The OP must be doing something wrong.

Agreed, Let's keep it simple guys. Is he right or wrong?

Wrong

[Cezar]

Indeed, due to all media (tv, internet, tabloids,etc) Asian countries are slowly turning into the Western countries. Many people "escaped" from the west to Thailand because of this "Western mentality"...but now this "virus" starts to affect people here also..Sadly...

[GooEng]

Girls holding hands in Thailand? Never seen it. Go to Egypt and you will see men holding hands as they walk down the street, in abundance. They are not gay. It is a sign of friendship. I could not imagine Thai Tuk-tuck drivers doing the same.

-

Used to see it all over everywhere in Thailand ten years ago, less so in recent years, both sexes.

In my first job here corporate TEFL the customer's manager took me to lunch the first day and held hands chatting with me all the way to the restaurant with his whole department following along, most holding hands with members of the same sex.

I was completely freaking out but trying not to show it, thought I'd been hired by an all-gay corporation

But no, he was just being friendly, nice old guy. . .

hand-holding and walking arm-in-arm used to be very common especially amongst teenage guys who were mates - the isaan lads especially, i remember we were quite surprised about it when i first came in the early 90's. seems to have stopped now tho.

[rbrooks]

You are too far from an ATM.

[FunFon]

You could be onto something.

Given that tv is 90% trash, and that most children watch far too much, it could be a societal modifier. I wonder if there are any studies?

I'm glad I didn't have tv when I was a kid.

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Have never allowed any of the kids in my care - over 34 years now and 17 more to go - to be exposed to any broadcast television.

Definitely rots the brain.

[ongchart]

Where I am in Nakhon Phanom, people still smile a lot, talk animatedly, joke all the time, and seem entirely carefree. Nothing like the people who live and work in Bangkok. I think the environment has a big influence on the state of mind of the inhabitants. And one important to point out - money, or having plenty of it, does not mean you get a happy, smiling person, as a lot of people here are subsistence farmers.

[Anon999]

In full agreement with the OP.

Anyone in disagreement, just diden't have the fortune to experience Thailand 15 years ago!

Cheers.

Don't generalise. I was here over 15 years ago and still get plenty of smiles thanks.

[Dr Wanchai]

How maby farangs in Western countries smile at "coloured" strangers,

let alone "coloured" foreigners ?

[ericthai]

It is also evident that girls don't hold hands with each other, like they used to, while walking about. I rarely see that anymore, though it used to be commonplace.

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Word got out that foreigners thought same-sex couples holding hands meant they were gay.

I can see that affecting girls in tourist areas, but they don't do it anymore in back of beyond where there are no farangs, like where I live, either.

Dont know, I still see young girls and young boys still holding hands going to school walking down the street. I also still see the smiles. Im back in farm country so maybe whatever you think has happened has not made it here yet.

[FunFon]

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Word got out that foreigners thought same-sex couples holding hands meant they were gay.

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I can see that affecting girls in tourist areas, but they don't do it anymore in back of beyond where there are no farangs, like where I live, either.

Memes spread very quickly through the collective unconscious without explicit communications.

But the internet and TV certainly help, all it takes is a casual mention on a popular soap opera and BAM instant colonisation of local/traditional culture by the hegemenous global one.

[Ulysses G.]

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Word got out that foreigners thought same-sex couples holding hands meant they were gay.

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I can see that affecting girls in tourist areas, but they don't do it anymore in back of beyond where there are no farangs, like where I live, either.

Memes spread very quickly through the collective unconscious without explicit communications.

The 100 Monkey Effect.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundredth_monkey_effect

[IsaanUSA]

I have noticed in the last 10 years there are less smiles.

I think smiles have decreased from random strangers, but smiles from friends has remained constant.

Things were always better, back in the day, but you just need to think positive about the future.

[Konini]

Where I am in Nakhon Phanom, people still smile a lot, talk animatedly, joke all the time, and seem entirely carefree. Nothing like the people who live and work in Bangkok. I think the environment has a big influence on the state of mind of the inhabitants. And one important to point out - money, or having plenty of it, does not mean you get a happy, smiling person, as a lot of people here are subsistence farmers.

I find this too - the people in Bangkok are nowhere near as likely to smile as they are here in Chiang Mai. Big city syndrome?

I don't know why, but it really seems that people are more friendly outside Bangkok, certainly away from tourist areas, but I remember it being the same when we first visited Thailand about 12 years ago; I distinctly remember telling someone that when we were in Rayong everybody was so nice, if somewhat bemused at farnags being in town, and really friendly and trying to help us, whereas in Bangkok they were too busy to smile and when they did it seemed false. My exact words were 'their lips were smiling but their eyes weren't'.

[puukao]

If anything, blame the internet. They can easily find people who seem to have lots of money, material possessions, nice houses, cars, life.......so now the LOS means give us your money. this is fine, as it means they are hungry for a "better" life. but yes, can afford safer food, water, safer house, transportation, all requires money. more money, more stress. more stress, less smiles.

but overall the LOS has many, many (90%) people who are nice to talk to you and it's nice to share culture.

my only weird thing is........why do i talk with 99% females and 1% males. I just keep hearing the males drink a lot, so i figure less smiles and more stress. so i avoid them...

[Bronzepickup]

A culture that chases money will smile very little.

Check out the sourpuss Russians in Pattaya.

Smiley face from Beijing, PRC.

[NewlyMintedThai]

Not where I live.

And no, I'm not telling you where.

[mickjn]

The people that I want to smile at me do.Auntie and Uncle you would never find better people in the world.Uncle cannot speak English my Thai is very limited but we still communicte.Auntie speaks English nid noi but I get the call every morning are you ok do you want anything.Lady Pla is great to me,the little fella has grown on me,Grandma is good,some of the young I would not trust,it is just the same as when I came here and the same all over the world,more good than bad