How to handle Thais butting and cutting in public

[HoudiniXLogic]

A deep "HEI! TUD TAEW!" usually does the trick.

[mikemac]

Where does this happen? In 8 years of living in Bangkok it's genuinely not something I've noticed. Maybe it's a rural/suburban problem?

Did you find your way out of your condo yet?

Poor bastard, bought himself a condo sans doors or windows !

[happysanook]

It's not always a line thing. I mean, I'll be in the middle of talking to the proprietor of a mobile business about a problem with my mobile, and a Thai person will come in and butt right in and push their phone towards the proprietor and start explaining the problem and asking questions... or about to pay the bill at 3bb and a Thai person walks in and a clerk who's 'busy' doing some paperwork or some such tells the other clerk who's dealing with me to serve the Thai person first....Which makes it doubly bad because there's 2 clerks there. Rather than setting her paperwork down and handling the customer, she pushes the bill over to the other clerk and tells her to do it first.

I understand the idea of not letting this happen. Not being a pushover... But I mean, I'd literally be 'getting into it' at least several times a month... Sometimes several times a day. And my temper escalates extremely quickly...

Those who haven't experienced it... Maybe it's just the area you're in? Or you're oblivious to it? Or maybe you're a mountain of a man and built like Arnold?

[mikemac]

I was in an auto parts shop in Brisbane many years ago and the young guy behind the counter just started to serve this huge guy, bust have been about 6'6" tall and at least 20 stone. The phone on the counter rang and the young guy automatically put his hand on the phone to answer it. The big guy put his hand on the young guy's hand before he could lift the receiver and said in a booming voice "I was here first" !

I will never forget the look of fear on that kid's face. Moral of the story - first in, first served.

[angrybird]

Swallow your pride, and put up with it. Never, ever make somebody you don't know lose face. 99 times out of 100, maybe 999 out of 1000, you will get away with it.

Once in a while you will irritate somebody who might strike out at you. It is just not worth the risk. Smile, make eye contact with others who are waiting, and enjoy your life without taking any unnecessary risks.

Spineless.

You sure you haven't posted 3-4 times already in this thread under different names?

My take is that the polite "you go first, sir" Thais far, far outnumber the rude ones. sometimes you can out-manoeuvre the queue jumpers, but if you can't then stuff it, just spend the extra time in the queue talent spotting. It's the old-bull, young-bull attitude. Some of those 7/11 lasses are quite cute.

Looks like I have several sock puppets, all looking in their thesauruses (thesauri?)

[Fookhaht]

often/sometimes the parallel universe has more to offer than the one you consciously chose.

You just have to press the like button when posts like this come in

I would just prefer lenna00 post these kinds of things in his/her parallel universe as well.

[jimbobs1]

Swallow your pride, and put up with it. Never, ever make somebody you don't know lose face. 99 times out of 100, maybe 999 out of 1000, you will get away with it.

Once in a while you will irritate somebody who might strike out at you. It is just not worth the risk. Smile, make eye contact with others who are waiting, and enjoy your life without taking any unnecessary risks.

pathetic !

That's your opinion. A few years ago I was in Hua Hin, had a bit of an argument with an old fella about a parking space, he walked over to his car, opened the glove-box, and pulled out a handgun. Pathetic, eh?

No he never,,

[jimbobs1]

The Thais are no more dangerous than any other nationality,,I have lived in a few a few places over the years and it can go tits up anywhere

Just front it ,letting anyone walk all over you will not help you self asteem if you cop for the odd rumble,,,it's part of life isn't it?

My home town of Liverpool is as scarey as any place I've been,,just man up

[slipperylobster]

Don't let them get away with it, tell them they have no manners DO make them lose , they will NOT attack you. All that happens is you get that stupid blank look, they think they can do it as nobody normally says anything.

Agreed. I think we all have this unrealistic fear of trodding their culture.... always bending over backwards to accommodate their shortfalls, chalking it up cultural anomalies.

[robblok]

Don't let them get away with it, tell them they have no manners DO make them lose , they will NOT attack you. All that happens is you get that stupid blank look, they think they can do it as nobody normally says anything.

Agreed. I think we all have this unrealistic fear of trodding their culture.... always bending over backwards to accommodate their shortfalls, chalking it up cultural anomalies.

Thing is many of the Thaivisa members are of a certain age and scared of their own shadow. I am not saying people should take unnecessary risks but always backing down is not good either. I choose my battles, going up against a drug crazed guy is not a battle i would choose. Normal people trying to push me away.. let them try.

[David48]

First, try to understand Thai thinking and the social hierarchy. If a 50 y/o walks into 7/11 that is full of 7 y/o s, he will most likely swick the queue.

"he will most likely swick the queue" ... is that a typo or a new phrase?

No David it is plain English. To "swick" means to cheat, and it has been in use for many, many years where proper English is

spoken.

Scotland ...

[David48]

Have to say, despite all the demonizing ... I had a pleasant experience yesterday at a Family-Mart in Bangkok.

One person in the queue in front of me, I was standing to the right side, older Thai woman came maybe 30 secs after I did and was able to squeeze her few items on the counter, while I held a shopping basket.

When the customer be served had completed the lady offered her money, the attendant said something in Thai (no idea what but a respectful tone) and mentioned to me for my basket.

Farnag 1 - Pushy Thai 0

[GrantSmith]

This butting in BS bugs the shit out of me, I'll be talking with my wife in her office, where her staff can clearly see me standing there talking with her but this one particular - new - staff member relentlessly butts in.

I give her an angry look and she continues on, she's the only one that does it, I've told the wife and she laughs.

I've told the staff member that if she can see that I'm talking with my wife that she can wait until I'm finished talking before interrupting. I got the vertical-head-sideways-questioning-confused-look from her when I said it to her.

She does it every now and then, so we just play the merry-go-round-keep-repeating-myself game. She's a slow learner...

[wprime]

I had a chap jump in front of me at an ATM with a big smile on his face. I pressed 'cancel' and threw his card away. I take no prisoners at Au Bon Pain either.

You guys who clicked "like" on this post, actually believe him?

Or just like the idea of throwing away someone's credit card for this petty little thing?

Right.... it is the Thais we have problems with.............................lol

Well sunshine let me be more specific. I was on the ground floor of the Emporium, lining up behind several people at the ATM next to the escalator. When my turn came to use the machine, a Thai boy, walked straight in front me with a big smile on his face and pushed his card into the machine. Annoyed, I reached over his shoulder and pressed the 'cancel' button and his card popped out. I flicked it across the floor towards the wall (no damage) and made my transaction. The chap oh ho'd and collected his card and I walked away. Don't believe it?? I could care less.

I believe you, but just be careful he does not have friends nearby, if he retaliates then he has, and if you have any sense, then you start running.

Where on earth to people get the idea that Thais bash up anyone who steps in their path? It seems to me that a lot of expats are living in fear over what's probably a misunderstanding of what are just cultural idiosyncrasies.

Thai people fight violence with violence. If you take the guy's card from the machine and throw it at his face, there's a chance he may come back with friends to beat you up. If you take the guy's card and hard it back to him nicely, he will not do anything against you.

Thai people interpret actions based on your attitude, not what farangs would consider right and wrong. E.g. a motorbike cut me off and I knocked him off his motorbike, I was upset so I took it out on him - even though he was clearly at fault he got pissed off at me and wanted to fight me. The reason for this is because I was angry so in his view I must be wrong. On the other hand, I flirt with a girl at a pub in front of her boyfriend, her boyfriend asks what I'm doing flirting with his girlfriend, I say 'sorry I thought you were her gay friend' and we both have a laugh about it. In this case I was cheerful so clearly I couldn't possibly be doing anything wrong in his view.

You'll find you can get away with a hell of a lot if you just have a positive attitude and smile a lot.

[dao16]

The Russians make Chinese and Thais else look like they have gone to charm school. The Russians push, they shove, they butt in, no excuse me, no i'm sorry

if you had said americans here your post would have been deleted quick smart, just goes to show how impolite and intolerant of free speech americans are read fast because this post of mine WILL disappear.

Ok....so Thai visa is now suddenly run by censorship-loving Americans? This post makes no sense. By the way, I am out of tin foil hats.....could I borrow one?

[cpofc]

sometimes I use a bit of reverse psychology. I try not to get angry. I came here to get away from stress and anger. Not easy sometimes. But.

the other night, about 0100 I walked over to the Tesco Express as I often do when I run out of smokes. Whilst there I pick up some milk, maybe a pack of bananas, you know the routine,

There was one person being served at the counter and I dutifully fell in behind her, keeping a respectfull distance. Then a Thai bloke 30ish, dressed in full Motorcycle leathers approached and proceeded to walk in front of me and fill the gap I had left.

I just gave him 'the look' - Not of anger, but a resigned look as if to say 'What do you think I am doing here mate? Waiting for a freaking tram?'

With that he backpeddled and got behind me.

When it came my turn, I stood back and waved him through with a very much exaggerated flourish of my hand and said 'Go on mate, go for it'. Obviously he was in a hurry at this early hour of the morning. I wasn't. I was in no hurry at all in fact.

So, after a little hesitation, he did, and got served ahead of me.

He exited the store and then I fronted to the counter and had a pleasant exchange with the Thai Girl. She was very aware at what had just transpired.

When I got outside the door I stopped at the trash bin and was taking the wrapper of my cigarette pack whilst he was still standing there, getting all his sh_t together. As he put on his helmet he looked up, his eyes catching mine. He was embarrassed. A farang had just given him a lesson in 'thainess' - Manners and Politeness.

I seriously doubt he will do the same thing again.

It's all a bit of a game really.