Miserable,unsmiling,and Forlorn Lookings Farangs.....

[StevenHeidbriderSr]

Looking for comments about what I have noticed in the Nong Khai area when I go to Tesco, Global etc..

I say hello and smile but the Farangs I meet for the most part want no part of what would be normal banter at home. They seem Gruff and unhappy in a situation where one would think they would be more than happy to converse with a fellow Xpat.

Maybe they are hung over or something I don't know But I just HAD TO ASK.

P.s I did meet a one Canadian at Makro that was very friendly and Outgoing.

[IsaanAussie]

Doubt you are alone in finding this sort of reaction. I'll bet the Canadian is more at peace with his life here than some poor souls that seem to spend most of their time holding the closet door shut for fear the skeletons will escape. I am 17 years older than my wife of twelve years, and no, we didn't meet on the ballroom floor of a five star hotel.

[David48]

Why, on Earth, do you think that they wish to acknowledge you ... let alone interact with you?

Relevant just before the 1 minute mark.

If that same person (you mention in your OP) was back in your home country and you met them in a TESCO/WalMart etc ... would even engage in eye-contact ... we both know the answer is no!

So why, once you have made the great swim across the pond, do you think that the other person shares anything in common with you?

It's actually a racial comment in your OP because you are making a decision based on skin colour.

You OP says more about yourself then others.

Just relax. If you wish to make friends from your Culture ... great ... but picking them up in TESCO maybe not the smartest strategy.

Yep ... I know where my coat is.

[IsaanAussie]

Hi Dave. Mate I think you have this wrong. Neither the OP or the people referred to are in their home country and in Issan there is as many miles between farangs as there are in the Top End where Dundee came from. Live here all year and see if your attitude changes. Hogan's character is outgoing and typifies people who are not surrounded by their peers everyday. Visitors always welcome here.

[Carib]

What bothers me is that during the rest of the day these miserable gits will probably post on TV...

Oops, I forgot; Have a nice day...

Edited May 23, 2013 by Carib

[IsaanAussie]

Sad, but keeps the brain active.There are many farangs here that IMHO are living "Groundhog Day" lives. 10am go buy Bangkok Post, 12pm go restaurant to met the boys, 4pm home and computer..... Drive me crazy. Asked a guy what he was up to and he said he had a doctors appointment Friday week. That is the main event in 10 days?

[stiggy]

Every time I go to tesco it's to shop a task like many people I find boring and just wish to get it over with.If I wish to socialise I go to cofee shops, bars, resturants,town squares or other known places that people meet to exchange ideas or strike up conversation.

Guess there is a time and a place for everything, a complete stranger trying to strike up conversation,whilst I'm getting elbowed by the natives in the veg dept weighing queue.Just because I'm white or foreign will generally get the p-ss off I'm Russian act.

No offence meant but that's my take on it.

[manarak]

Looking for comments about what I have noticed in the Nong Khai area when I go to Tesco, Global etc..

I say hello and smile but the Farangs I meet for the most part want no part of what would be normal banter at home. They seem Gruff and unhappy in a situation where one would think they would be more than happy to converse with a fellow Xpat.

Maybe they are hung over or something I don't know But I just HAD TO ASK.

P.s I did meet a one Canadian at Makro that was very friendly and Outgoing.

That's because they don't live in Pattaya... 5555

[canuckamuck]

I find that the times when I have befriended the extroverts, I have had to work to get rid of them later.

That being said, if you meet me in the mall and you talk to me, I will talk to you. But I Usually won't encourage it going any further. Too many people carrying extra baggage over here, and I just like having my carry on.

[fatfather]

Doubt you are alone in finding this sort of reaction. I'll bet the Canadian is more at peace with his life here than some poor souls that seem to spend most of their time holding the closet door shut for fear the skeletons will escape. I am 17 years older than my wife of twelve years, and no, we didn't meet on the ballroom floor of a five star hotel. 

... so you are 29 and she is 12..... no reason to smile, rather strange

Fatfather

Sent from my phone

[stevo2]

Posts like this make me chuckle.

I can just imagine everyone going shopping in the UK, USA , Canada, or where ever saying "Hello" to everyone. You'd be in the supermarket forever.

Just a side note. Do Thais say "hello" to every Thai that they see in BigC too?

[JLCrab]

My guess would be that many who arrive in Isaan do just as the gent in Post #1 has commented. But over the years, after you've been stung enough times, you smile and be friendly but then, 'Sorry, I'm running late to catch a train."

[Payboy]

It must be because of Tesco, Global, etc.

[Michael Hare]

Posts like this make me chuckle.

I can just imagine everyone going shopping in the UK, USA , Canada, or where ever saying "Hello" to everyone. You'd be in the supermarket forever.

Just a side note. Do Thais say "hello" to every Thai that they see in BigC too?

When Thais are overseas they fall over one another trying to make contact, eat Thai food and talk in Thai. Not all but many. They have this circle of Thai friends, regardless of background back in Thailand.

The main difference with Thais overseas and farangs in living in Thailand, is that most Thais are happy living overseas but with a lot of farangs here in Thailand they are not generally that happy. They are here because it is cheap. It is increasingly difficult to live on a pension back in their home countries.

[wayned]

Every time I say hello and smile to the only Farang that lives near me he says hello and smiles back! Mirrors are wonderful!

[bergen]

I have nodded to a few over the years, but I admit it's dangerous...........One may eventually become a friend?

[doggie888888]

Looking for comments about what I have noticed in the Nong Khai area when I go to Tesco, Global  etc..

 

I say hello and smile but the Farangs I meet for the most part want no part of what would be normal banter at home. They seem Gruff and unhappy in a situation where one would think they would be more than happy to converse with a fellow Xpat.

 

Maybe they are hung over or something I don't know But I  just HAD TO ASK.

 

P.s I did meet a one Canadian at Makro that was very friendly and Outgoing.

That's because they don't live in Pattaya... 5555

Actually, in Pattaya we have an opposite problem. The foreigners are generally friendly (some overly so) but my goodness, I really have no desire to engage with many of them. I usually avoid eye contact, look into the distance, avoid sudden movements and walk away slowly. I really am not interested in whatever new bar is opening in Soi 6 with the best looking birds, whilst buying cereals in the supermarket.

As another poster said, I probably have nothing in common with them at home, so why on earth would I have anything to say to them here.

[SantiSuk]

50 years ago in the UK back in Yorkshire everyone would talk to everyone when out shopping, whether they knew them or not. Now generally in the UK everyone rushes around with their heads down and nobody knows their neighbour. Done it myself when I was working

That's regrettable in my opinion. Now I have more time. I will smile at you and even stop and have a conversation if you want (sometimes Thais as well, but my conversation is a bit stilted in Thai). And no - I am not a sad git!

[Although, when I moved my UK base back to Leeds from London 4 years ago I was staggered that 3 different people struck up a conversation with me at the busstop outside Leeds city station. They are still not afraid of talking to strangers]

Edited May 24, 2013 by SantiSuk

[Morden]

Why, on Earth, do you think that they wish to acknowledge you ... let alone interact with you?

Relevant just before the 1 minute mark.

If that same person (you mention in your OP) was back in your home country and you met them in a TESCO/WalMart etc ... would even engage in eye-contact ... we both know the answer is no!

So why, once you have made the great swim across the pond, do you think that the other person shares anything in common with you?

It's actually a racial comment in your OP because you are making a decision based on skin colour.

You OP says more about yourself then others.

Just relax. If you wish to make friends from your Culture ... great ... but picking them up in TESCO maybe not the smartest strategy.

Yep ... I know where my coat is.

In addition, there's every reason to look miserable in Tesco. Foreigners have the unreasonable expectation that the shelves will be properly stocked.

Edited May 24, 2013 by Morden

[boloa]

Posts like this make me chuckle.

I can just imagine everyone going shopping in the UK, USA , Canada, or where ever saying "Hello" to everyone. You'd be in the supermarket forever.

Just a side note. Do Thais say "hello" to every Thai that they see in BigC too?

Me too Stevo

People who walk around with a permanent smile on their faces and wanting to talk to everybody are normally the ones to avoid IMO ......they're either on drugs,p*ssed up or simple

[rubberduck]

Don't forget, to many farangs being bound to a Thai wife can be a heavy burden. Some feel kind of tricked into it, but that's what they did to themselves ofcourse.

Do you want some of this ? I didn't think so, hahaha.

[krisb]

I understand the op. Around See Chompu there's hardly any of us westerners so we always say hello to each other. Especially the older guys who live up there always like to stop me and have a chat. I think after a while it must be nice to have a proper conversation in decent English maybe?

[DILLIGAD]

Or they might be just happy ( in addition to BOLOA"s options.

Sounds a bit like a pint glass half empty/ full scenario?

Edited May 24, 2013 by DILLIGAD

[JLCrab]

Almost 20 years back I was at a hotel pool in Pattaya and had -- as a Yank -- spent some time with a Swedish guy. One morning I accompanied him to a table where there were some retired Brits. The Swedish gent and I sat down and we all chatted for a while.

The next morning I was out by the pool without the Swedish gent and I causally started to say hello and sit down by the British gents from the day before when one of them said "We didn't ask for you to sit here. We don't want you to sit here. We don't want your company." At which I excused myself and said that it won't happen again ... and that was a lesson learned.

[HeavyDrinker]

If that same person (you mention in your OP) was back in your home country and you met them in a TESCO/WalMart etc ... would even engage in eye-contact ... we both know the answer is no!

Where I come from (in Lancashire) the answer is yes. In my culture it's very much as Santi Suk describes.

I can only assume Davis48 is a Londoner (or from some other urban centre).

I found Stevo's suggestion that Thais don't do this even funnier. It can take half a bleeding day to get the shopping done when I go with the wife as she never stops yakking with any bugger she can...

I can understand where many of you are coming from. When we lived in Chanthaburi, I once made the mistake of talking to a bloke in Robbies and he turned out to be a scouser.

[doggie888888]

Almost 20 years back I was at a hotel pool in Pattaya and had -- as a Yank --  spent some time with a Swedish guy. One morning I accompanied him to a table where there were some retired Brits. The Swedish gent and I sat down and we all chatted for a while.

 

The next morning I was out by the pool without the Swedish gent and I causally started to say hello and sit down by the British gents from the day before when one of them said "We didn't ask for you to sit here. We don't want you to sit here. We don't want your company." At which I excused myself and said that it won't happen again ... and that was a lesson learned.

The reply should have been: bugger off... I am a hotel guest and I will sit where I like.

Just to annoy them.

[Huayrat]

Do you say hello to every stranger you pass in your supermarket back home??

[swissie]

Don't forget, to many farangs being bound to a Thai wife can be a heavy burden. Some feel kind of tricked into it, but that's what they did to themselves ofcourse.

Do you want some of this ? I didn't think so, hahaha.

The "Burden" - Factor can become a serious matter (but only after the "Investment" and "commitment" phase is already done.)

A couple of Farangs may be sitting somewhere in the sticks, dwelling over things like: "With this kind of money, that I sunk here, I could have rented a nice flat for 237 years in Pattaya, bare of any ""burden".

Meeting Farangs in the sticks: No wonder that some appear a bit "grumpy" at times.

And not to forget: Interpol and Thai-Police are well connected in the meantime. This especially in "Tourist-Hubs". But hardly so in "the sticks".

Purely hypothetical: Farangs in the sticks, upon seeing a fellow Farang and avoiding contact (even eye-contact), could there be a reason for that?

Cheers.

[Totster]

Almost 20 years back I was at a hotel pool in Pattaya and had -- as a Yank -- spent some time with a Swedish guy. One morning I accompanied him to a table where there were some retired Brits. The Swedish gent and I sat down and we all chatted for a while.

The next morning I was out by the pool without the Swedish gent and I causally started to say hello and sit down by the British gents from the day before when one of them said "We didn't ask for you to sit here. We don't want you to sit here. We don't want your company." At which I excused myself and said that it won't happen again ... and that was a lesson learned.

I have always found it prudent to ask people if they mind me joining them rather than forcing my company upon them.. there's a lesson for you..

totster

[JLCrab]

Almost 20 years back I was at a hotel pool in Pattaya and had -- as a Yank -- spent some time with a Swedish guy. One morning I accompanied him to a table where there were some retired Brits. The Swedish gent and I sat down and we all chatted for a while.

The next morning I was out by the pool without the Swedish gent and I causally started to say hello and sit down by the British gents from the day before when one of them said "We didn't ask for you to sit here. We don't want you to sit here. We don't want your company." At which I excused myself and said that it won't happen again ... and that was a lesson learned.

I have always found it prudent to ask people if they mind me joining them rather than forcing my company upon them.. there's a lesson for you..

totster

might consider a harmless

Like I said, I had spent time with them the day before so I was maybe too casual about it. I learned that what what you might look upon as a harmless encounter might not be looked upon as such by others. Also, it was one of the few times I had encountered in my travels anyone from the UK and that This is Not America.

I'm pretty sure had I asked these particular gentlemen if they minded my joining them, the answer would have been much the same.

Edited May 24, 2013 by JLCrab