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.

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.

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!

It's the smiling Thais you really have to worry about.

At least the disrespectful types are being honest.

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

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

did you believe everything else you read in brochures?

Dont be so silly Tacodude they all smile "When ya give them money" (Welcom to LOS)

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 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?

"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.

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.

"The girl serving us had a sourpuss"

Maybe she had a yeast infection.

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!

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...

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?

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.

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

So you're saying that if you're a miserable git few people will smile at you?

Well there's a shock.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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, 201411 yr by TacoGuy

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, 201411 yr by SoiBiker

"Land of smiles" is just a label or call it a virtual mask, it has not been created by the Thais but Western.

"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, 201411 yr by thailiketoo

"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.

"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, 201411 yr by thailiketoo

Nobody ever claimed it was the LOGSTMYFAIGW (land of genuine smiles that mean your farang arse is genuinely welcomed).