Bangkok Post Letters Page.

[Griffin]

There was an interesting letter in the post today with the writer askng why Thais won't take a seat next to him if there is even a rusty spike to sit on.

I have noticed this many times. On a few occasions Thais have slid across to a seat that becomes empty. I am assured my hygiene is above question. So, why do they do it?

I imagine some females might not want anyone to see them and presume they are with the farang stranger.

Or is it that Thais are not very cosmopolitan? Along with the more dubious benefits of multi-cultureism it has at least exposed me to other colours and cultures and don't feel the need to leap out of my seat when the next one is occupied by someone different to myself.

Discuss.

[jdinasia]

No one would be rude enough to tell you that you stink

I have not noticed that problem at all ... are you dressed appropriately? Is there something about you that is sketchy?

Really I haven't seen this as a problem at all

[Savage]

Hmmm,

This has happened to me (on the odd occasion). I'm always well showered and never look scruffy & it should be said that it doesn't happen all the time by any stretch of the imagination. However, without being paranoid I can say that it has happened. People have been walking swiftly to claim the seat next to me and then seen its a westerner and made swiftly for another seat!

I think it happens for a number of reasons. For girls the most obvious reason would be trying to avoid being seen as a mia farang. I can understand why they want to avoid awkward looks. I don't want to know why others do it as its a depressing thought.

[britmaveric]

No problem here, perhaps its just an individual situation. Smile and be cordial and you'll be surprised.

[Maejo Man]

I've noticed this several times on the Skytrain. All seats taken, with people standing, next station a fair few get off, and there is a seat vacant opposite me. The little lovely sitting next to me gently slides over to the other seat.

Doesn't happen all the time, but noticable

[Donz]

Usually everyone wants to sit next to me

[MarkBKK]

I've noticed this several times on the Skytrain. All seats taken, with people standing, next station a fair few get off, and there is a seat vacant opposite me. The little lovely sitting next to me gently slides over to the other seat.

Doesn't happen all the time, but noticable

Perhaps she keeps moving because you mutter ''Lovely ... loveley ... lovely'' under your breath, while fingering your tie and drooling.

[jdinasia]

OK ..... not to be the ageist ... but for the ones that are having people move ..... How old are you?

[sramkok-pratum]

they teach us in school that farang farts so lound ..

i think they scare that you will ask or talk to them that they can't understant. It's embarrass mark mark .

[meemiathai]

This does not only happen in Thailand. It happens in HK or other Chinese places as well.

Having grown up in HK, I have to say I do the same. I am not very sure why. Maybe it is the uncertainty of not knowing what is going to happen next if one sits next to a farang. How I am going to react if he starts up a conversation. For I don't speak very good english. Funnily enough, I am half a farang and I notice people doing the same to me.

Nowadays, I am more confident of communicating with farangs, so the main reason would be I hate to sit next to a man.

[meom]

Seen it several times on the bus going down south where the attendant always does his/her best not to fill the seat next to me except when the bus is full.

I do smell though after a night of flying and boozing

[NamKAheng]

I never notice that in Thailand but in Japan when you are a gajin it's a other story.

On my last trip at Narita airport I went to day room & shower to wash and take a nap, it was 8h00 in the morning and the airport is almost ampty. I ask for a day room but "sorry sir no day room available, all rent a this moment. You did not see the sign outside" no I dis not see the sign (the sign was there when I got out) so I rent a shower room, going to the shower room I notice that all day room door are open and there is no one there, I go back to the desk to enquire about that and again the answer is "no room available" so I ask the lady with a piss out attitude why she would not rent me a day room, she look at me in a panic mode not knowing what to do and not to say. I ask her if they had a policy for not renting day room to foreigner and she replied that her boss gave her order not to rent day room to gaijin, she said that using the word gaijin. I insist to have a day room and raising my voice so everybody could hear that I was piss. She comply to stop the confrontation and rent me a day room, coming out to take my next flight she said "my boss will kill me when he see the credit card slip with a gaijin name on it".

When you are a gaijin in Japan you are nobody.

[terdsak_12]

I found the Japanese to be very pleasant folks, but I'd imagine they hate all us white folk. In the days on me taking public transport I'd be quite happy when no one would sit next to me here in Bangkok.

[skylar]

Hum, it's interesting that you note that about some Japanese people with gaijin. I know a Japanese girl who is simply lovely. She is Westernised - and she can just get along with absolutely anyone. She invited me and a couple of work colleagues to her birthday party, and her Japanese friends are some of the most awful people I had ever met.

One of them took it upon themselves to half bake a takoyaki for my colleague (that is batter with octopus inside) and shriek with delight when my colleague bit into it and squinched up her face in disgust. Another person gave me a bowl of porridgy noodles and told me that I probably wouldn't like it. I actually did like it, which the people sitting at my table didn't seem to enjoy, so a guy next to me started imitating my voice and gestures, at which everyone roared with laughter. They then shut me out of conversation, so my colleagues and I decided to leave.

I don't really like my cousin's wife - she's Japanese, and I was talking to her about Thailand and my favourite things to do while I am there, and she said something along the lines in the beginning that I probably liked it because it was different to what I am used to. I thought the way she said it was a bit condescending as she already assumed that was why I liked it. I told her that heaps of Japanese people live in Thailand, which put her out a bit

But they're not all like that.

[Donz]

i like jap people, when i first met my gf she was living with japanese overseas students, they had a party with 9 girls and just me, they all got so hammered they started kissing eachother, like french kiss which was brought on by a big brother uncut commercial on TV.

Some of the girls even telling us about there sex lives.

I thought they were great.

whats a gaijin?

[terdsak_12]

i like jap people, when i first met my gf she was living with japanese overseas students, they had a party with 9 girls and just me, they all got so hammered they started kissing eachother, like french kiss which was brought on by a big brother uncut commercial on TV.

Some of the girls even telling us about there sex lives.

I thought they were great.

whats a gaijin?

A Farang mate, in China/HK you'd be a Gwilow!! and I'm sure every country has a nice naem for us white folks.

[Explorer]

i like jap people, when i first met my gf she was living with japanese overseas students, they had a party with 9 girls and just me, they all got so hammered they started kissing eachother, like french kiss which was brought on by a big brother uncut commercial on TV.

Some of the girls even telling us about there sex lives.

I thought they were great.

Please PM me the other 8 girls contact numbers or email... thanks

Explorer

[Thaible]

I notice that a lot of farangs like to openly stare at women on the train.

Not just look at, but stare non-stop like they were watching a movie. And if they're with a friend, they'll often wink at them, as if no one else in the train knew what they were thinking.

Not all of course, but mostly scruffy-looking types. I don't see the professional and older farangs doing this however - maybe it has to do with maturity levels.

[Donz]

maturity or hormones??

[Maigo6]

whats a gaijin?

A Farang.

[britmaveric]

Japanese when legless are very funny. I must admit their inhibitions run wild - seen lads in full suits play in fountains after a a good session.

[Thaising]

Put lots of perfume on your body to make it smell like honey. Smiles Smiles when you are sitting next to any ladies.

[Donz]

i used to think jap girls were all quiet, but they changed my mind completely.

[mittheimp]

Important not to generalise, but I think a lot of Thai people don't want to sit next to a farang in case of a conversation starting up, a lot of Thai people - even those that speak quite good English, are very very shy at using it! Never noticed this on the sky train (middle class/ cosmopolitan) but on cheaper forms of transport particularly outside Bangkok it happens.

[skylar]

Why would anyone start up a conversation out of the blue with a random?

[Donz]

this Thai man stunk once when i walked passed him, I guess that means he never ever washes and we should make a topic on the whole country about it.

[jingjingna]

I second mitteimp's opinion that most Thai's are terrified of having a conversation in English and will try to avoid sitting next to you in fear of being asked a question and not being able to commuicate effectively.

[think_too_mut]

i like jap people, when i first met my gf she was living with japanese overseas students, they had a party with 9 girls and just me, they all got so hammered they started kissing eachother, like french kiss which was brought on by a big brother uncut commercial on TV.

Some of the girls even telling us about there sex lives.

I thought they were great.

whats a gaijin?

Gaijin is a term broader than "farang": a non-Japanese.

Thais have other words for different foreigners (not American Africans, they are "farang dum") but for Somalis, Pakistanis, Indians.

My experience with Japan, after almost 3 years here is quite pleasant. True, I have never been on trains (live 640m from the office, Shinjuku-Yoyogi, walk to all the places I want to go to). So much so that I am even questioning myself should I ever leave this safe and polite haven.

As for moving to a next or a far away seat to pre-empt showing their incompetence in English I found a cure for it (not on the trains but in restaurants and in the street) : as soon as I speak up in Japanese, they feel comfortable and talk back in English, whatever they know of it.

As for being "nothing" if you are a gaijin in Japan as another poster said, I would argue that. Not my experience.

After Japan, coming to Thailand, Land of Smiles, all that looks like a country of rude bastards, starting from immigration (that have never done anything unpleasant to me, just their surly faces as if someone just finished beating them up).

True, in some way, Thailand felt like LOS when coming from Australia. But not after Japan.

[MarkBKK]

As for moving to a next or a far away seat to pre-empt showing their incompetence in English ...

... and consequent loss of face (seemingly much worse in Bangkok than Tokyo, IME). I'd always assumed that was the reason but I asked several Thai friends today and they all thought about it and reckoned that that is why they move. (Does that make sense? I'm drinking and typing.)

Happy Songkran! Stay dry!!

[BKKGuitar]

I notice that a lot of farangs like to openly stare at women on the train.

Not just look at, but stare non-stop like they were watching a movie. And if they're with a friend, they'll often wink at them, as if no one else in the train knew what they were thinking.

Not all of course, but mostly scruffy-looking types. I don't see the professional and older farangs doing this however - maybe it has to do with maturity levels.

Yes, they stare like wild animals. This is genetically pre-determined to insure the continuation of the species. Used to do it myself until I realized how psychotic it looks.