Yesterday i had a verbal altercation with a middle aged Thai man sat at a bus stop.

I was pushing a double buggy with my two babies in, with my t-shirt removed as it was hot and i was sweating buckets.

We where passing the bus stop near a temple not far from the khoasan road.

When a middle age fat Thai man sat there starts mouthing off at me for not wearing a shirt.

I replied in Thai that i would like to see him (bung boy) push a buggy with kids in this heat and told him to go away(by loy).

The aggression and venom of which i dispatched my reply has me on reflection feeling a tag guilty for my outburst.

Don't know why i'm posting this, just wanted to get it off my chest.

yes. this is not pattaya. sorry but this (taking off the shirt) is frowned upon no matter how hot you are. As a father of 2 young boys - I understand your plight.

He was a little over the top if he started yelling at you. A polite word may have been easier to digest.

But add in the fact that kaosan area = lots of hippie wannabe who like to show off their newly misspelled tats, the old guy has had enough and isnt gonna take it any more.

Lesson learnt and forget about it.

Edited February 15, 201412 yr by bkkjames

10 our fathers and 20 Hail Mary's you are forgiven.

Yes it is gross and IMO a bit disrespectful to walk around somewhere out "in public" with your shirt off, unless you're resident in a neighborhood (as I have been) where the males do this routinely, usually wearing just a sarong.

Being in Pattaya to me is no excuse, unless you're literally on the beach.

But taking offense from his remarks and dishing it back was IMO much worse, stooping to his level, when you could have just made a light-hearted snappy comeback and left both of you feeling a little better rather than antagonistic and guilty.

But in the end not a huge deal, live and learn and you'll live longer.

Man boobs are for the beach

Keep your shirt on otherwise - a tie wouldn't go amiss either

I feel for the Thai guy.

It is a very unsettling experience to observe one's culture being undermined - especially by hordes of insensitive foreigners.

Fortunately, Thai culture is largely ambivalent, although that fact should not be taken advantage of by foreigners. Education is the key - by the foreigner in this case.

Wear your shirt in public...please. Not acceptable in Thailand except at the beach. See! you were just asked nicely.

Oh! and you were wrong.

Edited February 15, 201412 yr by Mrjlh

I agree, its important to wear your shirt in public.

Man boobs are for the beach

Keep your shirt on otherwise - a tie wouldn't go amiss either

Lest not forget the polished shoes and one must wear walking shorts, got to keep up appearances in front of the natives old chap

If you have been here long enough to actually communicate in the language, you should have known better. First of all, I would have told you to put your shirt back on also if you were walking past my family. Then you were extremely rude to the older man who was suggesting you follow Thai laws and customs. However, I too have done as you did and let my temper go in the wrong situation. Just chalk it up to a lesson and move on.

If you are not a tourist here, then don't act like one.

on a hot day would you walk round your own capital city streets without a shirt?

what would people think if you did?

Probably a self-appointed guardian of one of the myriad of temples around there who also has a sideline in selling gems and overpriced taxi rides to newbies. He may have been drunk too. Ordinary Thai joe would have said nothing but not liked your lack of shirt. Your reaction was probably too aggressive. Not concerned about sunburn?

re

10 our fathers and 20 Hail Mary's you are forgiven

ohh good ... very good ... post of the month

dave2

If you have been here long enough to actually communicate in the language, you should have known better. First of all, I would have told you to put your shirt back on also if you were walking past my family. Then you were extremely rude to the older man who was suggesting you follow Thai laws and customs. However, I too have done as you did and let my temper go in the wrong situation. Just chalk it up to a lesson and move on.

If you are not a tourist here, then don't act like one.

Read the OP, he has been here quite a while, and the conversation was in Thai.

i know someone who was fined by the police for driving a car with no shirt on ,its one of my pet hates seeing farangs walking about in swim wear and no top on .any guide book you read will say its a big no no

It's not that hot....yet...

You are in the wrong by a long way. What is wrong with a teashirt? There are few things worse than appearing bare chested in public, it is absoluely disgusting, apart from on the beach, in the gym, taking part in some sports, or sunbathing in the park. I will take cover now as the flak is sure to come.

I wear T-shirts only in "cold" weather.

I use regular shirts over the trousers with loose fit and never feel the need to go without a shirt in public.

Topless ends at my gate (even in the Isan village).

Edited February 16, 201412 yr by KhunBENQ

I'm a bit surprised that a person who has been here for some time would even comment (yes, the last line in the OP is noted; "Don't know why i'm posting this, just wanted to get it off my chest") on something like this as you must know that you were in the wrong, and that your reaction to the criticism was even worse.

Without going into the 'would you do this in your own capital city?' comments, how many locals did you see topless in that area, and what sort of people were they? This would be what the fat guy on the bench would reference to in his mind. Although, as someone mentioned earlier it is unusual for a Thai to criticize a falang like that in public unless he was trying to impress his posse.

Just a hint, you know before you leave your home it is going to be hot out there, put on a light, loose shirt instead of a tight fitting t-shirt, it works a lot better. IMHO, I would put the incident down to experience, and the next time you see the fat guy, give him a nod and a smile when passing.

Edit: Oh, answer to the OP, yes you were in the wrong......................

Edited February 16, 201412 yr by chrisinth

Basically you're a c***

totster

I see plenty of Thais in this gated community going without a shirt, but never really in the city center. Unless of course homeless vagrants. I personally keep my shirt on as its only good to take it off on the beach.

As a farang, you are automatically guilty. Deal with it.

and its not even remotely hot out.

From your transliteration of the language one can only imagine how he must have been impressed by your gutter thai. <deleted> is "bung boy"

Edited February 16, 201412 yr by HooHaa

<deleted> is "bung boy"

no that was English

If you have been here long enough to actually communicate in the language, you should have known better. First of all, I would have told you to put your shirt back on also if you were walking past my family. Then you were extremely rude to the older man who was suggesting you follow Thai laws and customs. However, I too have done as you did and let my temper go in the wrong situation. Just chalk it up to a lesson and move on.

If you are not a tourist here, then don't act like one.

Go away is not (by loy) in thai

If you were 6'4'' and a mean looking geezer you would have had nothing said to you. So no, you weren't in the wrong.

No.shirt is reserved for the beach and your own back garden

I see plenty of Thais in this gated community going without a shirt, but never really in the city center. Unless of course homeless vagrants. I personally keep my shirt on as its only good to take it off on the beach.

but then again one can well understand why the locals get upset, after all have seen the state of fat smelly farangs wondering around Thailand, both long term tourist and tourist a like, i mean the sight of a big lilly white beer gut hanging over their shorts, man boobies and hairy like a baboon would put anyone off their Som tam...

Hanging out round the neighborhood sure - only some neighborhoods though.

Not out on the main streets in front of strangers.

I think it is only little more than 50 years ago that ladies walked topless in the street in Thailand. What has changed so much in such a short period of time that a topless man is now disgusting ?