Russians vs Brits

[Benmart]

I've been coming to Pattaya for 18 years and now live here. I find the Russians are more reserved, maybe due to their English speaking abilities. That being said, I have picked up a few key words in Russian such as, "Hello, thanks, excuse me, good bye", etc.

I frequent a small, indoor sheesha place and almost without exception, they are friendly, inquisitive and cordial. Thanks to my IPad, I have had some great "conversations" with them and have exchanged photos of homes, their pets, cars, etc. Lots of laughs trying to get points across, but never any bad experiences.

People from the UK have been friendly as well. I don't go to bars, so I can't comment on either groups in that environment.

I have noticed that the Russians tend to bring in their own food and drink into the sheesha establish, much to the dismay of the owner. But they spend money, although maybe not as freely as their non-Russian counterparts. Perhaps budgets may come into play here.

I smile at Russians when I meet them on the street and make way on the sidewalk. Many times they smile back and say thank you. Many non-Russians just frown and continue their journey.

All in all, my experiences are that Russians are people just like me and I treat them as such. Same for anyone really.

Live and let live.

[vas]

It was very interesting to read what Brits think about the Russians. I am Yakutian guy, but my wife is Russian, we live in Thailand two years. I don't like bars, I prefer Irish pubs. I drink vodka and whiskey with the close friends at home, it is our tradition. I have read Shakespeare, Conan Doyle, Walter Scott, Orwell, Tolkien. I like English Rock. Most Russian people have good attitude to Brits. For last 20 years the Russia and Russian people very changed, but the "Iron curtain" remained in our heads.

[misterphil]

I've had 2 experiences with Russians in Pattaya.

1st. A guy shook my hand in a bar and asked me if I was OK. He then said where do I come from, and I said England. I asked him where do you come from and he said Russia. He then proceeded to squash my hand as he shook it and asked me if I wanted a fight. I replied not right now I'm having a drink with my friends. I pulled my hand away from him and moved away.

2nd. When I started at Thai language school I was in a class with 4 Russians. The teacher was explaining something on the white board and the Russians were constantly talking between each other. There was no classroom etiquette at all with them so after that I decided to go to school 1 on 1 instead of a group class.

Thats my experience with them, not difficult to guess how I feel about them is it?

[lucifer666]

I prefer Russians any day. I have worked with a lot of them. The huge influx of low fife Brits into Thailand alienated a lot of Thais against foreigners. i

I am sorry that you seem to have had some bad experiences with the British. We can be a bit rough it is true. Indeed a Frenchman once wrote (just to show that the French have a sense of humour after all):

"The reason the sun never sets on the British Empire is that God would never trust an Englishman in the dark." ... which I am sure is what the Aussies say as the light begins to fade at the end of a long day's cricket.

I live on Koh Samui, arriving in January 2012. I am not aware of any problem with the Thais about being British here; quite the opposite in fact.

One of the biggest surprises was seeing the number of Thai women, who are happy to wear T shirts with the Union Jack on; loads of Thai men wear English Premier League club shirts. A few Thais wear 'Beatles' T shirts.

I am always being asked where I come from. When I say that I am English they seem genuinely pleased. So much so that initially I found it all a bit disconcerting. I had only just arrived on the island and didn't feel that I had done anything to deserve such warm smiles. I think that I was also worried that I might do or say something wrong and so "let the side down"!

I have met lots of Russians here. Generally they all seem to speak at least some English and seem to be mainly computer programmers. They are polite and well behaved. I like them. They can be very noisy when there's a lot of them, but then none of us is perfect.

And i assume that you're English enough to know that the UNION FLAG is only called a UNION JACK, when it's flown at sea ???

[DrTuner]

It was very interesting to read what Brits think about the Russians. I am Yakutian guy, but my wife is Russian, we live in Thailand two years. I don't like bars, I prefer Irish pubs. I drink vodka and whiskey with the close friends at home, it is our tradition. I have read Shakespeare, Conan Doyle, Walter Scott, Orwell, Tolkien. I like English Rock. Most Russian people have good attitude to Brits. For last 20 years the Russia and Russian people very changed, but the "Iron curtain" remained in our heads.

I had to Google what Yakutian meant. What I came up was images of Asian looking women (pretty ones), who'd I'd place as Chinese if asked. If so, you're probably not one of the "Russians" meant here, I reckon what's meant by it is the Caucasian Igor-type, who's head Arnie would bash in in the old cold war time movies and the James Bond mistresses they drag around.

[wolf5370]

The key similarities are how they both stick with their own countrymen, tend to use their own language exclusively and are here to see and experience a difference to what they left behind at "home". That they do all that differently to each other is a function of their separate cultural background.

And you tend to speak which language? Are you not here to experience something different from what you left behind at home? If not, why are you here? Most Brits I know will sit and have a chat with anyone that they can communicate with - if they can only speak English, that means pretty much all the other expats here (excepting the Chinese and Russians - Germans, Scandinavians, Koreans, Japanese all seem to generally get by in English too). I have yet to meet a Rusky that can speak English (let alone Thai) passably enough here to converse, so unlikely to mix. I go to my local expat bar, and chat with Aussies, Americans, Germans, New Zealanders, Scandinavians and Thais - and when I look around, most everyone is doing likewise. If you hang around tourist bars, then you are going to see groups of tourists who are almost certainly going to be from the same country as eachother.

[lormakmak]

the invasion of the Brits in the early 2000's was terrible, the lot who moved themselves here mostly from Spain and then the others who had £100k equity on their property in the UK and chose to sell up and move to Pattaya were very noticeable.

When I was living/working in Pattaya it went from a mixture of German/Scandinavian/Brits to mainly Brits(mostly from north UK)

They did bring with them the full English breakfast though and a few butchers set up shop so not all bad, but looking about sometimes the place reminded me of Torremolinos/Benidorm and that wasn't what attracted me to Pattaya in the first instance.

Will be my first time back in Pattaya this year for a few years so will notice then but Russians love them or hate them are here to stay.....

As for the cretin posting pics of British people that have got themselves in bother with the law.... are you going for a job with the Daily Mail or something? What a wally!!!

btw I am a Brit

[oxo1947]

"(time was the Brits were the largest ex pat community in pattaya and thailand)"

Do not quite know where you get those figures from-- I always thought it was a fact that Japan has always has always had the largest contingent of ex-pats retirees out of all the countries, Maybe you do not notice them as much as the UK retirees who tend to group together, eat English food , read English Newspapers, watch the English TV, mainly frequent English bars, where they sit and complain about how Immigrants in "Their" country can hardly speak the language and just don't assimilate....

http://www.dougsrepublic.com/thailand/foreigners.php

[petercool]

The key similarities are how they both stick with their own countrymen, tend to use their own language exclusively and are here to see and experience a difference to what they left behind at "home". That they do all that differently to each other is a function of their separate cultural background.

And you tend to speak which language? Are you not here to experience something different from what you left behind at home? If not, why are you here? Most Brits I know will sit and have a chat with anyone that they can communicate with - if they can only speak English, that means pretty much all the other expats here (excepting the Chinese and Russians - Germans, Scandinavians, Koreans, Japanese all seem to generally get by in English too). I have yet to meet a Rusky that can speak English (let alone Thai) passably enough here to converse, so unlikely to mix. I go to my local expat bar, and chat with Aussies, Americans, Germans, New Zealanders, Scandinavians and Thais - and when I look around, most everyone is doing likewise. If you hang around tourist bars, then you are going to see groups of tourists who are almost certainly going to be from the same country as eachother.

My post was a direct and concise reply to the OP's original post. Not sure that your reply was, though.

[vas]

It was very interesting to read what Brits think about the Russians. I am Yakutian guy, but my wife is Russian, we live in Thailand two years. I don't like bars, I prefer Irish pubs. I drink vodka and whiskey with the close friends at home, it is our tradition. I have read Shakespeare, Conan Doyle, Walter Scott, Orwell, Tolkien. I like English Rock. Most Russian people have good attitude to Brits. For last 20 years the Russia and Russian people very changed, but the "Iron curtain" remained in our heads.

I had to Google what Yakutian meant. What I came up was images of Asian looking women (pretty ones), who'd I'd place as Chinese if asked. If so, you're probably not one of the "Russians" meant here, I reckon what's meant by it is the Caucasian Igor-type, who's head Arnie would bash in in the old cold war time movies and the James Bond mistresses they drag around.

Yakutia is located in Eastern Siberia. Yakutian people are more like the Chinese, but the language is similar to Turkish. I am Russian citizen thus, in Thailand I am Russian. I agree our girls are beautiful http://vk.com/id219632443

[wolf5370]

I guess part of the mix here is that: Brits going to Pattaya know what they are going for, and that attracts the lower echelons of society!; whereas, the Russians are following the agencies back home and think its a cheap, warm, Black Sea like resort. That is, you are comparing the cream of Russian holiday makers with the opposite of Brits. Not all Brits of course, but the ones that are most visible. Be interesting if some of you would feel differently if you lived/worked/run businesses in Chiang Mai instead.

[wolf5370]

The key similarities are how they both stick with their own countrymen, tend to use their own language exclusively and are here to see and experience a difference to what they left behind at "home". That they do all that differently to each other is a function of their separate cultural background.

And you tend to speak which language? Are you not here to experience something different from what you left behind at home? If not, why are you here? Most Brits I know will sit and have a chat with anyone that they can communicate with - if they can only speak English, that means pretty much all the other expats here (excepting the Chinese and Russians - Germans, Scandinavians, Koreans, Japanese all seem to generally get by in English too). I have yet to meet a Rusky that can speak English (let alone Thai) passably enough here to converse, so unlikely to mix. I go to my local expat bar, and chat with Aussies, Americans, Germans, New Zealanders, Scandinavians and Thais - and when I look around, most everyone is doing likewise. If you hang around tourist bars, then you are going to see groups of tourists who are almost certainly going to be from the same country as eachother.

My post was a direct and concise reply to the OP's original post. Not sure that your reply was, though.

No it was in direct reply to your post - and hence the quote. To which I disagreed - being concise is fine unless it is also selective to prove a point.

[nick4665]

Are people here seriously defending the Russians? Along with Israel they are the rudest people on earth. Period.

Never seen such ignorance and rudeness in all my time. Their problem is that they all think that they are 'mafia'

I. Could not agree more I had a restaurant in koh chang for 6 great years met many many lovely european people from every country

But then the russians came rude , demanding russian menus , no manners no table manners , insisting on smoking at the tables horrible people , im glad I sold it only for that reason !,,

[DGIE]

another thing i noticed, i believe they usually appear to make little or no effort to speak thai for some reason

another difference is that, when Russians buy something, the Thai seller who can speak English uses calculator to communicate with them while the Brits when somebody speaks English words to them, calculator is not needed

[JSixpack]

People from the UK have been friendly as well. I don't go to bars, so I can't comment on either groups in that environment.

Before you do, practice your communication skills.

[vas]

Are people here seriously defending the Russians? Along with Israel they are the rudest people on earth. Period.

Never seen such ignorance and rudeness in all my time. Their problem is that they all think that they are 'mafia'

I. Could not agree more I had a restaurant in koh chang for 6 great years met many many lovely european people from every country

But then the russians came rude , demanding russian menus , no manners no table manners , insisting on smoking at the tables horrible people , im glad I sold it only for that reason !,,

You met with Russian rednecks, it does not mean that all Russian are such. You have not seen the Britain football fans when their team lost the game. Most of my Russian friends speak English, but I do not know anyone Brits who speaks Russian. "Do not judge, and you will not be judged..."

[Banzai99]

I live in Wong Amat, and I can safely say, some of the Russian women are stunning, and, if you get a Russian guy that speaks some English, and he likes you, you have a friend for life, very good people.

[Banzai99]

Are people here seriously defending the Russians? Along with Israel they are the rudest people on earth. Period.

Never seen such ignorance and rudeness in all my time. Their problem is that they all think that they are 'mafia'

I. Could not agree more I had a restaurant in koh chang for 6 great years met many many lovely european people from every country

But then the russians came rude , demanding russian menus , no manners no table manners , insisting on smoking at the tables horrible people , im glad I sold it only for that reason !,,

So, you had many many lovely people come to your restaurant, until the Russian came, let me tell you, I know a woman who has a restaurant on Pattaya Naklua road who takes a boatload of money every month, most of it now is Russian money, not Swiss or German as it once was.

Russian people are misunderstood, and if you try to be friendly with them, you will have friends for life, they're great people.

[DrTuner]

I live in Wong Amat, and I can safely say, some of the Russian women are stunning, and, if you get a Russian guy that speaks some English, and he likes you, you have a friend for life, very good people.

Well, I come from a country that has a 1000+km land border with the Russians and there is an old saying that holds true to this day: a Russian is a Russian even if you fry them on butter. The meaning is clear enough, you may do business, drink Vodka with them and socialize all you want, as long as you remember you'll be stabbed in the back as soon as the Motherland calls.

Take a look at Ukraine today if you have any doubts.

[Amavel]

I have noticed that Russians dress with the most amazing array of clashing plaids and animal prints and the young women dress like 80's porn stars. They seem to want to walk everywhere and are surprised that there are actually vehicles in the road and there's no snow on it. They are a new, emerging middle class and it will take them another 15 years or so to travel well.

Americans and Brits haven't lined up for bread and are used to middle class travel, occupation and colonization.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[silver sea]

I prefer Russians any day. I have worked with a lot of them. The huge influx of low fife Brits into Thailand alienated a lot of Thais against foreigners. i

I am sorry that you seem to have had some bad experiences with the British. We can be a bit rough it is true. Indeed a Frenchman once wrote (just to show that the French have a sense of humour after all):

"The reason the sun never sets on the British Empire is that God would never trust an Englishman in the dark." ... which I am sure is what the Aussies say as the light begins to fade at the end of a long day's cricket.

I live on Koh Samui, arriving in January 2012. I am not aware of any problem with the Thais about being British here; quite the opposite in fact.

One of the biggest surprises was seeing the number of Thai women, who are happy to wear T shirts with the Union Jack on; loads of Thai men wear English Premier League club shirts. A few Thais wear 'Beatles' T shirts.

I am always being asked where I come from. When I say that I am English they seem genuinely pleased. So much so that initially I found it all a bit disconcerting. I had only just arrived on the island and didn't feel that I had done anything to deserve such warm smiles. I think that I was also worried that I might do or say something wrong and so "let the side down"!

I have met lots of Russians here. Generally they all seem to speak at least some English and seem to be mainly computer programmers. They are polite and well behaved. I like them. They can be very noisy when there's a lot of them, but then none of us is perfect.

And i assume that you're English enough to know that the UNION FLAG is only called a UNION JACK, when it's flown at sea ???

Hello lucifer666

Thanks for your comment.

'Union Jack', 'Union Flag' and 'British Flag' can all be used when referring to the flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In everyday language and ordinary conversations, however, just about everyone who is British calls it the Union Jack. I don't know what nationality you are, but if you are British, then perhaps you have been away so long you have forgotten how we speak.

Here are some links in support:

The Flag Institute:

http://www.flaginstitute.org/wp/british-flags/the-union-jack-or-the-union-flag/

Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Jack

Daily Mail (a list of articles all using the term "Union Jack"):

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?sel=site&searchPhrase=Union+Jack

The Guardian (an article again showing that "Union Jack" is the preferred term):

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jun/21/flying-union-flag-jack

After I had posted my comments I suddenly realised that people who are not British might not have understood what I meant when I said that I have seen lots of Thai women wearing the Union Jack on their clothes. They probably just think of it as " the British flag". Your post at least gives me a chance to clarify my point so thank you again for posting.

I have met a number of Thai women who used to have English husbands or boyfriends. The men have then traded these ladies in for younger models. Although the women, naturally, feel angry I have never sensed that they hate the English in general as a consequence. No doubt their female Thai friends have had similar experiences with Farangs from other nations.

[mrfaroukh]

Russian are more easy to get connected, for sure you can make good friends if you can speak Russian or if they know English. Sometimes they seem to be too proud but I don't think it is a general rule. I know many Russian going to different language schools to learn Thai and they are really working hard. I think they look at Thailand different, most English are retired people, but Russian are mostly young, so they either have good money coming in from their country or they want to work and earn money, so they try more to learn the language.

[Escapologist]

People seem to mind their own business more when they have very limited means of communication with you. English is the de facto international language and so pretty much only Russians speak Russian; and they are not generally very skilful in English.

Come on chaps! Hardly fair to compare middle-aged bucket-list Brits, who come to switch off and let it all hang loose, against young Russian families! Let's have a bit of fair play and all that. None of this apples and oranges malarkey!

You all know that every group has a cohort of self-unaware numpties attached. Even your own beloved nationality. Fancy that! Lots of good guys too. Let's not forget that either. I've heard some great stories and had some good laughs in the bars of Pattaya. Life is too short to generalise from the odd numbnut who got on your tits.

[more76]

LOLed reading the thread. All of you should understand the difference between russian expats and russian tourists. They are like the sun and the moon. This is the point, guys! Expats are family oriented, using not bad english, learning thai, trying to assimilate as well as the most of any expats. Russian tourists are mostly disgusting! They are here for 2 weeks in a year. And we hate them as well as you do.

Russian expat)

[MrWorldwide]

LOLed reading the thread. All of you should understand the difference between russian expats and russian tourists. They are like the sun and the moon. This is the point, guys! Expats are family oriented, using not bad english, learning thai, trying to assimilate as well as the most of any expats. Russian tourists are mostly disgusting! They are here for 2 weeks in a year. And we hate them as well as you do.

Russian expat)

Just out of wild curiosity, roughly what percentage of Russian tourists in Patts would you estimate are from the Vladivostok side of Russia, and are those folk looked down on by people from Moscow and other 'more sophisticated' cities in Russia ? Geographically, its not hard to see why someone freezing his butt off in Vladivostok would think 2 weeks in Pattaya was a dream come true, even with a sliding ruble. Not sure what your average 'disgusting' Russian tourist earns these days, but if they are still flocking to Patts it cant be for the exchange rate ....

http://www.xe.com/currencycharts/?from=RUB&to=THB&view=1Y

[gigman]

If there's one notable difference between the 2 groups it is that Brits go to beer bars and Go Go bars in droves and enjoy a drink and a laugh talking with the girls. With the Russians you almost never see them in beer bars or Go Go bars, why would that be?

The answer is very simple. They do want to spend any money. They buy their booze from 7-11 and drink it in their tiny condos.

HTH.

I know Russians better then anyone far away from their borders. My country still suffer from their system even after fall of comms...

Even being in Australia for 34 years can not change my opinion. I met them in Australia too and can not leave one good word for them.

They are rude, "cocky" and 2 faces people. I experienced always same thing helping or dealing with them.

When they feel "small" they are nice when they new in the new country but when they achieve a goal and they feel strong they will treat you as a slave or worst.

Some probably will say....to blame their past system not people but I do not agree. I am coming from one of countries which Russians occupied and we have had guts to rise our heads against this system . Do you remember any scenario where Russians did anything against this old system because others did and help to it's end ?

That's why I blame nation not the system .

I believe that new generation have a chance to be different but it is very small chance.

That's what is happening in Pattaya is best example what I already seen before ...

They come , they take ... and they stay They do not have mercy to locals.

Why Thailand? because everyone in Europe knows them there... When they are in small group they are harmless....

[Keesters]

The Brit males tend to keep their shirts on. A lot of Russians don't.

[silver sea]

I prefer Russians any day. I have worked with a lot of them. The huge influx of low fife Brits into Thailand alienated a lot of Thais against foreigners. i

I am sorry that you seem to have had some bad experiences with the British. We can be a bit rough it is true. Indeed a Frenchman once wrote (just to show that the French have a sense of humour after all):

"The reason the sun never sets on the British Empire is that God would never trust an Englishman in the dark." ... which I am sure is what the Aussies say as the light begins to fade at the end of a long day's cricket.

I live on Koh Samui, arriving in January 2012. I am not aware of any problem with the Thais about being British here; quite the opposite in fact.

One of the biggest surprises was seeing the number of Thai women, who are happy to wear T shirts with the Union Jack on; loads of Thai men wear English Premier League club shirts. A few Thais wear 'Beatles' T shirts.

I am always being asked where I come from. When I say that I am English they seem genuinely pleased. So much so that initially I found it all a bit disconcerting. I had only just arrived on the island and didn't feel that I had done anything to deserve such warm smiles. I think that I was also worried that I might do or say something wrong and so "let the side down"!

I have met lots of Russians here. Generally they all seem to speak at least some English and seem to be mainly computer programmers. They are polite and well behaved. I like them. They can be very noisy when there's a lot of them, but then none of us is perfect.

You may have a better class of Brits and other tourists in Samui then we have in Pattaya

Hello BlueSkyCowboy

Thanks for your comment. I picked up this thread from the email "Today's best ThaiVisa topics" that we all get at the end of each day without realising that it was in the Pattaya forum. I had assumed from the OP that we were talking about Thailand in general rather than just one hotspot.

I notice on page 5 of this thread, a comment from someone called vas who is Yakutian. He says:

"It was very interesting to read what Brits think about the Russians. I am Yakutian guy, but my wife is Russian, we live in Thailand two years. I don't like bars, I prefer Irish pubs. I drink vodka and whiskey with the close friends at home, it is our tradition. I have read Shakespeare, Conan Doyle, Walter Scott, Orwell, Tolkien. I like English Rock. Most Russian people have good attitude to Brits. For last 20 years the Russia and Russian people very changed, but the "Iron curtain" remained in our heads."

Perhaps like poor old vas, you came here expecting the English to be like Sherlock Holmes or Hamlet or Eric Clapton but instead you have ended up bumping into big fat blokes who are staggering around Pattaya screaming abuse at anyone and everyone. That must have been quite a culture shock for you. Sorry about that.

And now of course, when they think of the English, everyone is expecting to meet Harry Potter fresh out of Hogwarts. The Thais seem to know about him. Maybe that's why the ladies give us such warm friendly smiles: they are hoping to play with our "magic wands".

Edited March 6, 2014 by jukebox

[tropo]

Prefer doing business with the Russians anyday compared to any other nationality. The Russians say what they think and are honest, civil, courteous almost all of the time, compare that to the know it all bar fly, Thai visa readers from the West that think they know everything but know absolutly nothing, are rude, arrogant, dam_n right nasty people most of the time that do not appreciate any effort we go to help them. Every single Russian customer we have has said thankyou, giving small presents and taking out and paying for dinner/drinks at some of the most expensive places in Pattaya. Mr Brit/Oz/Yank whatever simply moans.....Lets hope more of them come each year, this being the best yet for us

If you really owned a business, there is no way that you would just alienate a sizeable customer base in this manner.

How would his post alienate anyone. He hasn't posted his identity or address, has he?

[Rimmer]

Some overtly racist posts have been removed