The Thai Art of 'Re-Gifting'

[Spaniel]

Once you give someone a gift it's their's to do with as they wish.

[1FinickyOne]

I guess it wasn't the perfect gift then or it was so perfect they figured they would pass it along… just really not a big deal. And as what to buy in the future - I give cakes and fruit and what do they do, they go and eat the stuff… then its gone.

[klauskunkel]

Just give money, I am 100% sure they will use that themselves.

[dapperdan]

Sometimes they don't even acknowledge or say thank you for the gift.

[Donnie Brasco]

Just have a good look at the sort of gift they give you.

Buy gifts for them where they buy gifts for you.

Spend the same.

This'll cut down the time you spend shopping by about 95%

[mickba]

[Kasset Tak]

I bought a bottle of Black label last time I bought a gift here in Thailand. It became a really nice evening, my friend was happy for the gift and he was sharing it so I ended up drinking alot of it tooI'll

I re-gift when the gift is something that I can't use... Like clothes in to small sizes, some one gave me a motorcycle helmet (I don't even own a motorcycle!) and things that I have absolutely no use of (someone gave me a pair of sandalsin size 39, they where Pink with crystals on them... I need atleast size 48 (13US)! )

Edited November 19, 2014 by Kasset Tak

[KED]

Mate of mine gave his gf and nice purse, maybe $50-$60 bucks worth. She tots off to Thailand and gives it to her sister.

Why?

Well, her sister worked so that my mates gf could go to University ... it was pay-back time

I think the gift of helping with tuition and furthering someone's education is an amazing gift.

[A1Str8]

The problem lies in what type of gift you give.

As mentioned above, give an iPhone. But a motorcycle, get them a nice house. Buy gold. I guarantee you that none of them will even consider re-gifting.

Thais are deep individuals. You have to touch their heart as the value of the gift doesn't matter to them at all. Not at all.

[wilcopops]

I reckon the fault lies with the OP - I'm amazed at how bad some people are at giving gifts. if you give someone something they really like/want/need - there is no way in heaven or hell they will pass it on.

[empireboy]

Me too!

There was once a very nice and a very cute massuse I was kind of sweet on.

I bought her a pretty expensive pair of gold ear rings as a surprise gift.

A few "visits" later I mentioned that I had never seen her wear the earrings and asked if she didn't like them.

" No, like much, but too nice for me so I give mother!"

I was not impress with the re-gifting.

As it turned out, she gave me the gift of scabies that same visit!

So, I returned the next day and re-gifted the scabies to her younger sister who worked at the same massage parlor!

Aahh... Whata man..... the gift that keeps on giving!!

[8OA8]

I remember one young lady buying a brand new Mercedes E Class and giving it as a gift to her parents. Two weeks later they bought a new Toyota Altis and gave it as a gift to their daughter, the very next day the parents swapped their two week old gifted Mercedes with their daughter as they liked the smaller car.

Often people buy gifts that they themselves would like and assume (often incorrectly) the other person has a similar taste.

[EASYDOGG]

this one is easy, many cant afford to buy nice things for others, they just dont have the spare cash, so when they get something given, they then have the opportunity to give, which makes them feel good, as it did you when you gave it.

The Thais around me are driving around in brand new cars and that's in Isarn. There are many rich Thais these days.

Most are on credit. They don't own them, some don't even need them, it is just a show of face.

[EASYDOGG]

Buying a razor to an Asian guy (who shaves once a month)?

Good one Dave!

What's next ? Ice to Inuits? Sand to desert nomads?

Hint : If you make an effort to actually know the person, you might be able to offer decent gifts.

Maybe he shaves his pubes and nut sac. It's the thought that counts!

[Benmart]

A gift that leaves my hands, is given with no conditions on how it is used.

[wileycoyote]

So true

[Khunangkaro]

this one is easy, many cant afford to buy nice things for others, they just dont have the spare cash, so when they get something given, they then have the opportunity to give, which makes them feel good, as it did you when you gave it.

The Thais around me are driving around in brand new cars and that's in Isarn. There are many rich Thais these days.

"Rich"??

New car with ฿10k<->฿15k redemption each month!

(Not to mention debts.)

Cash always welcome. ฿-)

[Kitsune]

Buying a razor to an Asian guy (who shaves once a month)?

Good one Dave!

What's next ? Ice to Inuits? Sand to desert nomads?

Hint : If you make an effort to actually know the person, you might be able to offer decent gifts.

Maybe he shaves his pubes and nut sac. It's the thought that counts!

That's my point: That's the thought that counts

How much THOUGHT did he put in buying a razor to someone hardly hairy?

[Bpuumike]

 

I bought a bottle of Black label last time I bought a gift here in Thailand. It became a really nice evening, my friend was happy for the gift and he was sharing it so I ended up drinking alot of it tooI'll

I re-gift when the gift is something that I can't use... Like clothes in to small sizes, some one gave me a motorcycle helmet (I don't even own a motorcycle!) and things that I have absolutely no use of (someone gave me a pair of sandalsin size 39, they where Pink with crystals on them... I need atleast size 48 (13US)! )

 

Size 48, pink with crystals. Hmm???

[ToddWeston]

Buying a razor to an Asian guy (who shaves once a month)?

Good one Dave!

What's next ? Ice to Inuits? Sand to desert nomads?

Hint : If you make an effort to actually know the person, you might be able to offer decent gifts.

Maybe he shaves his pubes and nut sac. It's the thought that counts!

That's my point: That's the thought that counts

How much THOUGHT did he put in buying a razor to someone hardly hairy?

Having received many gifts from the OP from his travels, I can tell you he puts a lot of thought into his gift giving for his thai family and friends.

Try getting on his good side maybe and you'll see.

And nooooooo David48 I didn't regift, hell I didn't even share

[Kasset Tak]

 

I bought a bottle of Black label last time I bought a gift here in Thailand. It became a really nice evening, my friend was happy for the gift and he was sharing it so I ended up drinking alot of it tooI'll

I re-gift when the gift is something that I can't use... Like clothes in to small sizes, some one gave me a motorcycle helmet (I don't even own a motorcycle!) and things that I have absolutely no use of (someone gave me a pair of sandalsin size 39, they where Pink with crystals on them... I need atleast size 48 (13US)! )

 

Size 48, pink with crystals. Hmm???

Yea a joke! I'm not gay or even slightly bisexual so I don't understand how my friends where thinking when giving me a pair of pink sandals with crystals. And they even managed to get the wrong size!

So I 're-gifted them to a poor student. She was REALLY happy as her family are poor, living in the mountains bordering to Myanmar (she is Karen). She have been staying in the dormitory at the college for 2 years (free) whiteout going him as her parents can't afford to pay for her travels! I try to help her with out doing to much as that can be misinterpreted and lead to problems, so a pack of noodles here, some snacks there and even a thick sweater last December as the temperate droped down to 6 C in the college. I even asked her once if she wanted money so she could go back home but she said no because she did not know how she would explain the money to her parents!

[Kitsune]

Buying a razor to an Asian guy (who shaves once a month)?

Good one Dave!

What's next ? Ice to Inuits? Sand to desert nomads?

Hint : If you make an effort to actually know the person, you might be able to offer decent gifts.

Maybe he shaves his pubes and nut sac. It's the thought that counts!

That's my point: That's the thought that counts

How much THOUGHT did he put in buying a razor to someone hardly hairy?

Having received many gifts from the OP from his travels, I can tell you he puts a lot of thought into his gift giving for his thai family and friends.

Try getting on his good side maybe and you'll see.

And nooooooo David48 I didn't regift, hell I didn't even share

So obviously you are totally impartial ...

Edited November 19, 2014 by Kitsune

[ToddWeston]

Buying a razor to an Asian guy (who shaves once a month)?

Good one Dave!

What's next ? Ice to Inuits? Sand to desert nomads?

Hint : If you make an effort to actually know the person, you might be able to offer decent gifts.

Maybe he shaves his pubes and nut sac. It's the thought that counts!

That's my point: That's the thought that counts

How much THOUGHT did he put in buying a razor to someone hardly hairy?

Having received many gifts from the OP from his travels, I can tell you he puts a lot of thought into his gift giving for his thai family and friends.

Try getting on his good side maybe and you'll see.

And nooooooo David48 I didn't regift, hell I didn't even share

how many hirsute asian guys do you know?

A few it's one of my fetishes, I've even given my Thai family shaving brushes.

Edited November 19, 2014 by ToddWeston

[MJP]

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[kandi]

What is a gift? It is an item FREELY GIVEN to someone who then owns it free and clear to do with it as they want. If it is a "gift" with strings, then it is not really a gift.

I don't agree with that. A gift - at least from a Western point of view - is always meant personally. It shows that this person is import to the one giving tbe gift.

When I give a gift someone, I only expect one thing in return: That they appreciate that I care for them. I don't want anything in return, just a thank you. Is that too much to expect? Those people that don't even say thanks and lack of basic manners (yes, even in Thailand people can express their gratitude) will never get a gift from me again. This has nothing to do with different culturesz it's just plain rude and ignorant.

[Si Thea01]

Not only confined to Thailand. Has been happening in Oz for years. Back there they sometimes re-gift it to the Gifter.

[ScottMallon]

What is a gift? It is an item FREELY GIVEN to someone who then owns it free and clear to do with it as they want. If it is a "gift" with strings, then it is not really a gift.

A gift is something freely given, yes, but the distinction between your definition and mine is I give a gift for them to use — that doesn't mean it's for them to give away. It's in extremely poor taste to re-gift...but this is my only my opinion. I do however, choose who I give gifts to very carefully; mother, father, sister, wife, kids. Rarely do I gave a gift to anyone else and if I do, I'm fairly certain I have enough sense to give them a gift they won't even consider giving away.

If they're worth giving a gift to, they're worth knowing well enough to have a decent idea of what they want or need.

[CharlieH]

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[Kitsune]

hello.

[bkkgooner]

Thais just don't have a culture of thoughtfulness in gift giving as seen in the west, that's why everyone in my soi is swapping tins of cookies back and forth over new year and everyone in the office is getting near identical hamper basket sets from Lotus.

I have found in my experience you get something that you think a Thai will really love and half the time it ends up unused and rarely touched but sometimes only sometimes now they go batshit crazy for it and usually it is the item that you put the least amount of thought into when buying it.