Why do Thais watch me and gossip so much?

[Shancloudy]

Actually girls are gossiping all the time. Whatever nationality they are. Usually we talk about the looks of the man.

How true, I get fed up with it................................ ...............................

Yeah true. Usually if we are in a restaurant and we see a guy. The common conversation is like this.. My friend will ask me:

A: Is he cute?

B: Where is he?

A: Look behind you.

B:Ok wait. Ha?

A: Omg!!! don't be so obvious or else he'll notice that we talking and looking at him. Just look once.

......... That's why girls like to go out with friends just to gossip......

Sometimes guys misinterpret the girls if they see them laughing while looking at them.

Edited December 16, 2013 by Shancloudy

[Halion]

Many Thai's believe that by telling tales that they are taking the moral high ground on the association that by gossiping about a subject that they can convince the listener that they are above all that. Like all gossip everywhere it is 90% bullshit and not worth a second thought.

[tingtongteesood]

This is the 'unique Thainess' we keep hearing about. They love to gossip about anyone they see who is not Thai, most of the guys seem to claim they have a bigger dick than that foreigner and most of the girls talk about how much money farang are supposed to have....

[frank0424]

OP, haven't you got something better to do than come in here and gossip about the Thai people around you...?

Ha Ha!!! Good one!

[johnlandy]

_{Quote from OP "Do they honestly not have anything better to do with their lives?" The answer is NO! I won't say more than that TiT}

[DrTuner]

Actually girls are gossiping all the time. Whatever nationality they are. Usually we talk about the looks of the man.

Yeah ? Most of the girl gang conversations I've overheard (not difficult as it usually gets very loud) have been about comparing their partners genitalia and performance in bed. Completely without mercy, I might add. Granted, most of them were back in the West, but happens here too, after a few glasses of Sang Som.

[Emdog]

It is fairly common among many cultures to compare prices. The marketplaces are not the same as Tesco. Like others pointed out, we farangs compare prices quite often about where to get best deals etc on items that are not standardized, such as housing.

As far as talking about Thais pathetic lives, I would wish to point out that imho your behavior also falls into pathetic category. If you live your life with some honor, courage and dignity, gossip will not injure you. As the song goes "Don't do in the dark what you don't want to come out in the light" (even if "the dark" is afternoon quickie cheating on your girlfriend).

[monkfish]

Thai life style is based around soap drama and gossip.
You have to get used to it if you want to live here!

Sorry thats the way it is.

[ericthai]

Okay, I screwed up. I'm still learning this face thing.

The point of my post is this:

Why do Thais seem concerned enough to comment on what a total stranger does with their life?

I'm not trying to say it was someone else's fault; just asking why they seem to care so much about other peoples' business which is really of no concern or relevance to their lives.

Do you care about random strangers and their behaviour in your world? I've only witnessed this in Thailand. Just an observation and not a complaint. I love living here, especially when I see the snow storms and high prices I left back home.

You think they are total strangers, guess you have not been here long enough. My wife can meet a girl or guy and within 5 minutes just because they are from the same home town are immediately friends.

Yes, Thai's gossip all the time, even about each other. My wife's aunt lives next to us and she is the worst, even my wife hates it. She tells everyone everything and makes things up all the time. However this happens in the west too.

Have you never worked for a big company in the west, gossip going on all the time. "he's married and sleeping with the girl in shipping" "She is dating the guy in Admin and tech support at the same time" Gossip is nothing new and not special to Thailand.

[Ulic]

I don't care…I am only asking why they care so much. Sure, I'm happy here but next time I'll just use a short time hotel…its not worth the aggravation to try and save 350 baht.

Your life is far more interesting than theirs. Some people have golf, satellite TV, scuba diving, play pool, visit

a few Go Go/beer bars, a little afternoon delight, to entertain themselves. Others have gossip. That is my take.

(One more thing to occupy yourself, writing on TV.)

[ChoakMyDee]

I don't understand why so many people are giving the OP a hard time. His neighbours are completely in the wrong. It is none of their business what the OP does and they should not be telling his wife anything. Period.

[lemoncake]

I don't care…I am only asking why they care so much. Sure, I'm happy here but next time I'll just use a short time hotel…its not worth the aggravation to try and save 350 baht.

Your life is far more interesting than theirs. Some people have golf, satellite TV, scuba diving, play pool, visit

a few Go Go/beer bars, a little afternoon delight, to entertain themselves. Others have gossip. That is my take.

(One more thing to occupy yourself, writing on TV.)

My Thai neighbor wins lottery every 2 weeks(attention seeker, she won only once, about 200 000 baht) and wants to know why i have many dogs or why i have many cats, she also wants to know what i pay my staff and why i pay them.

She also wants to know why i have many cars and bikes, how much i paid for each one.

She also wants i give her one-car and a bike, why? because she thinks i have too many and i am too rich.

She also wants to know why i am single, and why her daughter is with a "poor" American man.

Yet, she still wins lottery every 2 weeks(or something like that) and walks around telling everyone she won.

So now, i also win lottery every 2 weeks or so, but never tell her how much. This is the only thing that is REALLY killing her

[Commander Tamson]

[

Ecclesiastes 11:9

Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

Yeah, being young, rich and handsome is such a bitch!

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Hardened Spanker]

I don't care…I am only asking why they care so much. Sure, I'm happy here but next time I'll just use a short time hotel…its not worth the aggravation to try and save 350 baht.

Your life is far more interesting than theirs. Some people have golf, satellite TV, scuba diving, play pool, visit

a few Go Go/beer bars, a little afternoon delight, to entertain themselves. Others have gossip. That is my take.

(One more thing to occupy yourself, writing on TV.)

My Thai neighbor wins lottery every 2 weeks(attention seeker, she won only once, about 200 000 baht) and wants to know why i have many dogs or why i have many cats, she also wants to know what i pay my staff and why i pay them.

She also wants to know why i have many cars and bikes, how much i paid for each one.

She also wants i give her one-car and a bike, why? because she thinks i have too many and i am too rich.

She also wants to know why i am single, and why her daughter is with a "poor" American man.

Yet, she still wins lottery every 2 weeks(or something like that) and walks around telling everyone she won.

So now, i also win lottery every 2 weeks or so, but never tell her how much. This is the only thing that is REALLY killing her

Your neighbour sounds just about as Lo-So as any Thai can get,was she a bargirl before or something?

[GBK]

Is it only bar girls who play the lottery and ask questions then?

[nisakiman]

JSixpack, on 15 Dec 2013 - 14:57, said:

Quote

Not to mention the first day of moving here, one of the shop workers asked how much I paid for rent. I basically told her in clear words to mind her own business.

That was quite rude of you when you might have had a pleasant interaction w/ the worker.

It's standard Asian culture to ask you how much you pay for things. Even Japanese, most polite people in the world, do that. They're shocked when you tell them that back in the West it'd be bad manners.

You must be Fresh Off The Boat w/ much to learn. Chill and learn w/o all the provincial righteousness.

To my life.......I can't understand why is it sooooooo bad in the west to ask how much rent are you paying!!!!!!

I do come from the west and never encountered that problem in any of the countries I have been.

Saying that.......May be......only in England!!!!!!!

Kosta, the English consider it very bad form to ask how much someone earns, or how much rent they pay. In Greece, it's quite normal to ask those things.

However, in England, when people advertise in a local paper to sell something - house, car, second-hand washing machine, whatever, they will always put the price. In the Greek local newspapers, you can look through pages of advertisements, and none of them will have a price! It drives me crazy. If I'm looking for something, say a car or motorbike, I have a budget, and I don't want to waste my time calling people if the price is too high.

So - different strokes for different folks, as they say in England.

[sdanielmcev]

I'm plain dumbfounded. The OP is mad because he brought a hooker home, he got caught, and now he blames gossiping Thais? Uncle Fester, give me the head clamp.

[stiggy]

Because we are like cheese eating, unchained big nosed monkeys,at the bottom of there social structure just below buffalos, not quite a lizard, they find us interesting and amusing.

Also to gossip about about other local Thais in the same manner could lead to trouble.

[Hardened Spanker]

JSixpack, on 15 Dec 2013 - 14:57, said:

Quote

Not to mention the first day of moving here, one of the shop workers asked how much I paid for rent. I basically told her in clear words to mind her own business.

That was quite rude of you when you might have had a pleasant interaction w/ the worker.

It's standard Asian culture to ask you how much you pay for things. Even Japanese, most polite people in the world, do that. They're shocked when you tell them that back in the West it'd be bad manners.

You must be Fresh Off The Boat w/ much to learn. Chill and learn w/o all the provincial righteousness.

To my life.......I can't understand why is it sooooooo bad in the west to ask how much rent are you paying!!!!!!

I do come from the west and never encountered that problem in any of the countries I have been.

Saying that.......May be......only in England!!!!!!!

Kosta, the English consider it very bad form to ask how much someone earns, or how much rent they pay. In Greece, it's quite normal to ask those things.

However, in England, when people advertise in a local paper to sell something - house, car, second-hand washing machine, whatever, they will always put the price. In the Greek local newspapers, you can look through pages of advertisements, and none of them will have a price! It drives me crazy. If I'm looking for something, say a car or motorbike, I have a budget, and I don't want to waste my time calling people if the price is too high.

So - different strokes for different folks, as they say in England.

In Greece it's very bad form to ask someone how many billions of euros they owe to foreign banks with no intention whatsoever of ever paying it back!

[jacko45k]

I don't care…I am only asking why they care so much. Sure, I'm happy here but next time I'll just use a short time hotel…its not worth the aggravation to try and save 350 baht.

If you were in your home country, wherever that may be, would you bring another woman to your home and use the bed you share with your wife?

You don't actually mention whether you and your girlfriend live together, but if she does live there, you cause her great loss of face.

Even if she doesn't, she may be embarrassed to come around to your place now.

You later posted the above.......

So we get an impression of what type of lady your guest was......

Yes the Thais are often very gossipy.......but is the problem really them?

Edited December 16, 2013 by jacko45k

[jacko45k]

If you don't like it, why don't you just return to your home country?

HAAA! First in with that one.

Actually sounds like he does like it!

[kurnell]

I want to know why all Thai girls think their boyfriends/husbands are gay??

[sunshine51]

Personally I could care less what Thai's say or think about me.

However there seems to some paranoia running around the OP's

head and for that....well....watch this...

[pomchop]

so the OP goes on Thai visa to gossip with other TV posters about why the Thais gossip so much ...and then proceeds to tell everyone what a prize he is that he can cheat on his thai gal because there are ten others waiting to take his place....and what a Thai expert he is speaking Thai but insulting a store clerk who dares to try and make conversation with him by asking his rent amount?

Does that about cover it?

[belg]

so this girlfriend cheaters comes to complain here on TV that his girlfriend found out trough the gossip line in the street

woehahahahahaha

[Morakot]

That's all I really wanted to know; why are they this way, speaking from a psychological perspective. Is day to day life in Bangkok actually as mundane and boring that someone walking down the street with a girl is worthwhile noting?

I'm so busy every day doing all of the things I love to do that I just have a hard time comprehending how someone's life can be so shallow that they care enough about other people outside of their own family. Where do they find the time?

To be honest I don't think this shallowness only happens in Thailand. I'm sure it happens in many place across the world. The striking difference is that elsewhere people talk behind your back, whereas here people are upfront right in you face.

[juggernaut]

so the OP goes on Thai visa to gossip with other TV posters about why the Thais gossip so much ...and then proceeds to tell everyone what a prize he is that he can cheat on his thai gal because there are ten others waiting to take his place....and what a Thai expert he is speaking Thai but insulting a store clerk who dares to try and make conversation with him by asking his rent amount?

Does that about cover it?

Yep you got it. 6 pages in a nutshell. How does OP live with being so damn awesome?

[salavan]

there is a very good reason for watching you

they are waiting for you for many reasons

1drop your wallet

2 forget and leave your keys in the mo sy

3 forgetting to lock your car door

your being financially stalked my friend

[GinBoy2]

May be they are CIA or KGB or MI6 agents, be careful what you post, they might be monitoring your computer as well

spies.jpg

KGB...that is soooooo last century LOL

[dighambara]

Agariarian societies - previous to Media, had only inaccurate gossip as news, so it is expected behavior.

However, Thailand has changed. Forty plus years ago, when there were a couple hundred thousand young foreign males stationed here, gossip seemed more common and Thai women & girls seemed excessively curious about foreign boys.

People forget that, in any country, customs are different from place to place and that customs change with time.

Forty years ago, while my girlfriend was out of town, local Grandmothers, twice offered me girls for the night, but, not knowing the customs, uncertain of my girlfriend's feelings, knowing gossip would keep her informed. I politely refused.