Has The Smile Departed Los?

[thaibeachlovers]

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.

Another one that didn't read the OP.

The photo doesn't count- people generally smile when being photographed.

[BookMan]

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.

Another one that didn't read the OP.

The photo doesn't count- people generally smile when being photographed.

Why wouldn't the photo count as proof? The photo acts as a visual proof, surely more proof than no photo, just some words?

The photos shown so far have people with genuine happy smiles, not the 'say cheese' frozen smile kind

[Ulysses G.]

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.

Another one that didn't read the OP.

I read the OP. I see Thai people smiling all the time just to be pleasant.

[Payboy]

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.

Another one that didn't read the OP.

The photo doesn't count- people generally smile when being photographed.

Why wouldn't the photo count as proof? The photo acts as a visual proof, surely more proof than no photo, just some words?

The photos shown so far have people with genuine happy smiles, not the 'say cheese' frozen smile kind

Yeah, those would be with the "V" sign.

[rayongchelsea]

All changed during the Asian crisis. Worked with Thais who lost their jobs, an almost unheard of concept until then.

It was very stressful for many during that time..

I agree with the op..it's definitely not the same, less smiles, change in body language ( not so relaxed) perception of foreigners, anyway a smile is not a sign as interpreted in the west..it has many facets.

It's still there but in no way to the same degree.

The country has moved a million miles from what it was..or anyway what I perceived it to be 30 years ago.

Add mass tourism that followed in 2001 another factor.

[Payboy]

OP, you are hereby sentenced to 100 hours community service in the local library which contains nothing but every edition of TAT brochures.

[arminbkk]

I agree withthe OP, I don't see smiles also in normal day to day life, passing by, on the bus, subway etc, even if I do smile first. Thai friends tell me:"why smile for no reason/you don't know the person". But isn't that what friendliness is about?!

And when they don't smile, most of them actually look angry.

I also see this among Thais, not only toward me.

Major disappointment.

[balloon chaser]

Maybe the presence of Russians and Arabs, people who don't typically smile as much, has had an effect on Thai's willingness to bear a toothy grin. Just a thought..

[FunFon]

I agree to a small degree especially in the cities, but by no means worth B&M'ing about.

Much more a factor is once you've been here a while you get better at distinguishing the commercial/just polite smiles from the shy-leave-me-alone smiles from the genuinely full of piss and vinegar smiles etc

[RefinedGentleman]

You should see what it's like over here in Sweden - I think the entire country is suffering from severe depression and agoraphobia. I guess that's what 8 month long winters will do to people.

[Wilma Fingadoo]

Could be the Thai's don't smile at foreigners as much because when their smile is returned with something like this can you blame them?

[roamer]

These days the smile doesn't always reach the eyes methinks....

[Travel2003]

I'm one of those people with a serious face.

When I came here the first time, I was asked many times by locals if I was ok.

I told them I just had one of those serious faces, which easily can be confused with angry faces.

Look at my eyes, I said, and you will see happiness.

By the way,

smiling children (of all races and nationalities) will ALWAYS bring out my smile.

[thaibeachlovers]

I think that some of us got off track a bit. I wasn't claiming that Thais never smile anymore, of course they do. I was asking people that had been here long enough to be able to tell the difference if there really were less smiles than years ago, or was I just remembering wrong.

Those that have only been here a few years wouldn't be able to answer, as it's a comparison of now to over 15 years ago.

Sorry if I didn't make that clear in my OP.

[Ulysses G.]

I have been here longer than 15 years and all I know is that Thais smile a lot more than any other place that I have ever been. That is good enough for me.

Edited April 16, 2013 by Ulysses G.

[Phronesis]

Long gone.

Why: Debt.

[Charles Atlas]

Every time I walk out of the house and head into the city I get big smiles from random strangers,the last time was getting onto the courtesy bus at Makkasan,a Thai guy smiled at me while I was whistling the King's song,it had just been played at 6 o'clock in the station!
I am a smiley kind of guy though and the Thais do seem to appreciate that.

[Munger]

Try Issan. Lots of smiles. All genuine.

"ALL GENUINE", lol, who told you that ?

[BrooklynNY]

Most Thai people do not smile at other Thai strangers but they smile easily at Farangs.

Most Thai people do not overly act friendly to other Thais as they do to Farangs.

[JulesMad]

One of the BIG differences with the West is that IF you smile at someone (man, woman, child) here in Thailand, you get 99.9% of the time a (genuine) smile back, anywhere! In the West you will get a rude remark, or worse....

Of course Thai people do not smile all day; life is not always that much fun!

[sprq]

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.

-

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

That's my surmise too.

[bigbearjohn]

Too much Western influence. The internet has played a part, I'm sure.

[Suradit69]

You have to keep in mind that the Thai smile has always meant far more than just an expression of happiness. There's supposed to be something like 40 different smiles. Can't remember where I found this, but it lists the top 13:

the ‘top 13’
identified Thai Smiles are:

1. Yim thang nam taa: The “I’m so happy I’m crying”
smile.

2. Yim thak thaai: The “polite” smile for someone you
barely know.

3. Yim cheun chom: The “I admire you” smile.

4. Fuen Yim: The stiff smile, also known as the “I
should laugh at the joke though it’s not funny” Smile.

5. Yim mee lessanai: The smile which masks something
wicked in your mind.

6. Yim yaw: The teasing, or “I told you so” smile.

7. Yim yae-yae: The “I know things look pretty bad but
there’s no point in crying over spilt milk” smile.

8. Yim sao: The sad smile.

9. Yim haeng: The dry smile, also known as the “I know
I owe you the money but I don’t have it” smile.

10. Yim thak thaan: The “I disagree with you” smile,
also known as the “You can go ahead and propose it but your
idea’s no good” smile.

11. Yim cheua-cheuan: The “I am the winner” smile, the
smile given to a losing competitor.

12. Yim soo: “smiling in the face of an impossible
struggle” smile.

13. Yim mai awk: The “I’m trying to smile but can’t”
smile.

14. Yim som tam: The “Waiter, there’s a dead crab in my
salad!” smile. (ok, this one was completely made up. But I’m
sure I’ve given it myself a few times…).

Edited April 17, 2013 by Suradit69

[belg]

what i noticed is that the smile has gone and the FAT GIRLS have appeared

10 years ago i hardly saw any fat girl in the streets, now it seems 1 out of ...

[Cezar]

This is happening everywhere in the world now, people smile less than they used to. This is because people become more self centered and more egoistic, they are focusing on being pretty and having the newest smartphone,etc. It's sad that this is also touching Thailand and other countries in the region.

PS. Why are you guys posting spam if you have nothing to add to this topic? Save your energy

Edited April 17, 2013 by Cezar

[DRONGOH]

Still plenty of smile in Thai. But most of the time It'll cost you a lady's drink @ double price and a tip as well.

[NoshowJones]

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

SMILE.JPG

I got 6 smiles just from a glance...

That's only because you asked them to dance. I'm surprised that facial hair didn't frighten them away.

[Cezar]

People used to be happy with simple life, but now they want a nice tv, car, house so they don't feel as happy and relaxed as they used to. Main reasons are: aggresive capitalism & marketing, globalization, internet and social media.

Also before programs like "idol" people where happy the way they were, but now everyone wants to be star and if he/she is not then they don't feel as happy and as warm as it once used to be.

[rotary]

I have spent lots of time in Thailand since 1988. In my opinion lots of changes and most of them bad. Still a great place but things are changing for sure.

[super22k]

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.