MrJohnson Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 Thailand. Land of Smiles. True, but a smile can mean many things. Happiness, expectation, unease, nervousness, frustration and maybe even anger. We all have bad days occasionally. Cut the young lady some slack. Not all young people are surly. Not all Thais smile all the time. Not all French are rude. Not all Germans stake out sun beds. Not all Australians are yobs. Not all Americans are loud. And on and on. And let's face it. Thailand has been going through some tough and uncertain times of late. Have a nice day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Payboy Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 I have been to many Amazon Coffee at gas stations....I thought they are self-service...are they not... There is no Amazon coffee self service anywhere. All the ones I been to, I had to drink their coffee myself. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wotamess Posted August 14, 2014 Share Posted August 14, 2014 I have been to many Amazon Coffee at gas stations....I thought they are self-service...are they not... There is no Amazon coffee self service anywhere. All the ones I been to, I had to drink their coffee myself. Bummer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZigZagMan Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 It's the smiling Thais you really have to worry about. At least the disrespectful types are being honest. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AYJAYDEE Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 It's the smiling Thais you really have to worry about. At least the disrespectful types are being honest. i dont worry about any of them. sorry you have to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TacoGuy Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 My experience of "normal" Thailand (mostly Bangkok) is that it is not LOS. Service is very similar to the UK/US. Some friendly and smiley, many indifferent. I am pleased to see this thread as "LOS" is mentioned so often to TVisa that I was beginning to think it was me. Those who receive constant smiles must be those who are stuck in tourist/expat centred establishments. Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h90 Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 did you believe everything else you read in brochures? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagobert Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Dont be so silly Tacodude they all smile "When ya give them money" (Welcom to LOS) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thailiketoo Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 I walked to the mall today. 9 random people smiled at me on my way to the shopping center. 3 school children, 2 motorcycle repair men. 1 bank guard, 2 taxi drivers, 1 lady cleaning the toilets. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenslegs Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 I walked to the mall today. 9 random people smiled at me on my way to the shopping center. 3 school children, 2 motorcycle repair men. 1 bank guard, 2 taxi drivers, 1 lady cleaning the toilets. Were your flies open? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagobert Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 "Nah dont be silly" after he was escorted by the three school kids and the motorcycle repair dude by the bank security, then driven to the toilets by the taxi fella, to the toilet the stinky had stoped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TacoGuy Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 I walked to the mall today. 9 random people smiled at me on my way to the shopping center. 3 school children, 2 motorcycle repair men. 1 bank guard, 2 taxi drivers, 1 lady cleaning the toilets. My guess is that you were making direct eye contact with those random people and they felt uncomfortable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a6patch Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 "The girl serving us had a sourpuss" Maybe she had a yeast infection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AYJAYDEE Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 I walked to the mall today. 9 random people smiled at me on my way to the shopping center. 3 school children, 2 motorcycle repair men. 1 bank guard, 2 taxi drivers, 1 lady cleaning the toilets. i find that too. if i take the initiative to smile , it is always returned in spades. thais are sometimes too shy to initiate with a farang but always seem very happy to reciprocate once they are sure you are friendly. its one of the things i love about the country! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benalibina Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 I walked to the mall today. 9 random people smiled at me on my way to the shopping center. 3 school children, 2 motorcycle repair men. 1 bank guard, 2 taxi drivers, 1 lady cleaning the toilets. i find that too. if i take the initiative to smile , it is always returned in spades. thais are sometimes too shy to initiate with a farang but always seem very happy to reciprocate once they are sure you are friendly. its one of the things i love about the country! The opposite of grumpy old men.....a fatal attraction by the reads of it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AYJAYDEE Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 I walked to the mall today. 9 random people smiled at me on my way to the shopping center. 3 school children, 2 motorcycle repair men. 1 bank guard, 2 taxi drivers, 1 lady cleaning the toilets. i find that too. if i take the initiative to smile , it is always returned in spades. thais are sometimes too shy to initiate with a farang but always seem very happy to reciprocate once they are sure you are friendly. its one of the things i love about the country! The opposite of grumpy old men.....a fatal attraction by the reads of it... why fatal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TacoGuy Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 I walked to the mall today. 9 random people smiled at me on my way to the shopping center. 3 school children, 2 motorcycle repair men. 1 bank guard, 2 taxi drivers, 1 lady cleaning the toilets. i find that too. if i take the initiative to smile , it is always returned in spades. thais are sometimes too shy to initiate with a farang but always seem very happy to reciprocate once they are sure you are friendly. its one of the things i love about the country! They are not "too shy" there's simply no need. Do you see Thai's walking around grinning at complete strangers all the time? Nothing wrong with giving a smile, from time to time, but do realise all the smiles you are receiving are simply automatic reactions. Try walking around with a neutral look making about the same eye contact you would in the West and see how many smiles you get. Seriously, try it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AYJAYDEE Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 I walked to the mall today. 9 random people smiled at me on my way to the shopping center. 3 school children, 2 motorcycle repair men. 1 bank guard, 2 taxi drivers, 1 lady cleaning the toilets. i find that too. if i take the initiative to smile , it is always returned in spades. thais are sometimes too shy to initiate with a farang but always seem very happy to reciprocate once they are sure you are friendly. its one of the things i love about the country! They are not "too shy" there's simply no need. Do you see Thai's walking around grinning at complete strangers all the time? Nothing wrong with giving a smile, from time to time, but do realise all the smiles you are receiving are simply automatic reactions. Try walking around with a neutral look making about the same eye contact you would in the West and see how many smiles you get. Seriously, try it. automatic reaction? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoiBiker Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 So you're saying that if you're a miserable git few people will smile at you? Well there's a shock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshstiles Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 dont believe everything you see or read in brochures....it is a kand of snules....the smile neans you have jyst been scammed or swindled somehow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post thailiketoo Posted August 20, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted August 20, 2014 dont believe everything you see or read in brochures....it is a kand of snules....the smile neans you have jyst been scammed or swindled somehow. I've taught in both the West and Thailand. I taught underprivileged children in both Thailand and the West. The Thai kids had holes in their socks and their uniforms were third generation but they smiled. Boy did they smile. I might be having a bad day and it was too hot and I had to climb many flights of stairs and classrooms with no AC but they smiled. I don't think 12 year old children were scamming or swindling me somehow. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TacoGuy Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 So you're saying that if you're a miserable git few people will smile at you? Well there's a shock. Actually I'm saying if you walk around grinning like the village idiot, you'll probably get some smiles back. It's not rocket science is it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thailiketoo Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 So you're saying that if you're a miserable git few people will smile at you? Well there's a shock. Actually I'm saying if you walk around grinning like the village idiot, you'll probably get some smiles back. It's not rocket science is it. I have a good life. I'm a happy person. I smile. I wouldn't call anyone the village idiot. There are happy people in the world. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TacoGuy Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 (edited) Nothing wrong with spreading your happiness. My comments were addressing the original topic of whether Thailand is genuinely LOS as, like the OP, I noticed that smiling is not nearly as prevalent as suggested. Nevertheless it is a more smiley place than England. Edited August 20, 2014 by TacoGuy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoiBiker Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 (edited) Well there we have it. It's a smilier place than England, even if you're a miserable git. Should we change the acronym to LOSBNESPS (Land of smiles but not every single person smiles)? Edited August 20, 2014 by SoiBiker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZAKY Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 "Land of smiles" is just a label or call it a virtual mask, it has not been created by the Thais but Western. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thailiketoo Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 (edited) "Land of smiles" is just a label or call it a virtual mask, it has not been created by the Thais but Western. It is a USP. An advertising agent from the West came to Thailand and looked around. He went back to his office in the West and looked around and came up with a USP, unique selling point. Many people he saw in Thailand were smiling and many people he saw in the West were not. This can be proven easily. Go to a mall in Bangkok Thailand and another in Ferguson Missouri and count the people smiling. On second thought you may not want to go to Missouri. Edited August 20, 2014 by thailiketoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TacoGuy Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 "Land of smiles" is just a label or call it a virtual mask, it has not been created by the Thais but Western. Yes definitely a tourist slogan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thailiketoo Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 (edited) "Land of smiles" is just a label or call it a virtual mask, it has not been created by the Thais but Western. Yes definitely a tourist slogan. Yes, like you wouldn't say come to Kiev land of smiles. Or visit scenic Gaza land of smiles. One takes a national trait or characteristic and make a tourist slogan. A lot of people smile in Thailand. People smile for different reasons. In Thailand sometimes people smile because they are nervous or embarrassed. At Thai birthday parties they smile in some countries they shoot AK-47's at birthday parties. Some places for fun the kids throw rocks and firecrackers at soldiers in Thailand they smile at troops in tanks and give them flowers and take selfies. Edited August 20, 2014 by thailiketoo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoiBiker Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Nobody ever claimed it was the LOGSTMYFAIGW (land of genuine smiles that mean your farang arse is genuinely welcomed). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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