Chinese tourists at it again

[Toknarok]

There is a topic in today's Daily Mail about a chinese woman who barged here way into a queue of people at the check in at Don Muang Airport. A Thai woman objected to this and this resulted in a punch up between the two. I can't provide the link as the Mail is banned in Thailand, but here is a youtube clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As2LulgOCYA

[mynameisphil]

I was teaching a really nice Chinese woman a while ago, very shy and reserved woman, and one lesson was about stereotypes and such.

The topic of queuing came up and I mentioned that Chinese people are known to jump queues, to which she got a little upset and defensive and explained that it's due to cultural stuff years ago, for instance, food and stuff was scarce, people would get handouts, and you had to get in there and get your food, if you queued you wouldnt get anything once it ran out, survival of the fittest etc..

Not sure how true it is, but she says it's just been that way since.

Kinda makes sense, but there's no excuse for it today IMO. As a Brit where queue jumping is punishable by death it's infuriating seeing people do it constantly here.

Strangely enough, not sure if anyone else finds this, but I find its Asian women who do it most, not so much Asian men, whereas for westerners it's both male and female, usually American. (Not bashing Americans, just my experience)

[kurnell]

No they're just rude gits

[TSF]

Last year I was staying at a hotel in BKK and a Chinese tour was there too. At breakfast I was standing at the buffet selection picking up a plate and suddenly I was just elbowed out the way by a couple Chinese women, just like that, shoved out the way as they took over the buffet.

Never been to mainland China and doubt I ever will, don't think I could stand a couple billion of them all around me.

[arthurwait]

I was teaching a really nice Chinese woman a while ago, very shy and reserved woman, and one lesson was about stereotypes and such.

The topic of queuing came up and I mentioned that Chinese people are known to jump queues, to which she got a little upset and defensive and explained that it's due to cultural stuff years ago, for instance, food and stuff was scarce, people would get handouts, and you had to get in there and get your food, if you queued you wouldnt get anything once it ran out, survival of the fittest etc..

Not sure how true it is, but she says it's just been that way since.

Kinda makes sense, but there's no excuse for it today IMO. As a Brit where queue jumping is punishable by death it's infuriating seeing people do it constantly here.

Strangely enough, not sure if anyone else finds this, but I find its Asian women who do it most, not so much Asian men, whereas for westerners it's both male and female, usually American. (Not bashing Americans, just my experience)

Can she explain why 300 stand together and don't let anyone else through even when asked politely multiple times until you start to force your way through and then get upset?

Can she explain why they continue to barge their way through instead of letting people with prams turn or walk ?

Can she explain why they don't flush the toilet or wash their hands ?

Can she explain why they all go and stand infront of people taking a photo ?

Can she explain why they sit down on your table at hotel breakfasts when there are plenty of free tables and proceed to talk at the top of they voices and eat like pigs ?

Can she explain why their tour leaders like to barge infront of people like they don't exist, especially when they are pushing a pram and then get aggressive when the pram hits their feet until they cotton on they are much smaller than you and ain't going to win ?

Can she explain why they push into people carrying children ?

[samsensam]

i was in pakistan attempting to queue for a train ticket, it was chaos, this guy barged in front of me, i said ' oi, dont push in' he replied, 'sir, please feel free to push in front of me'. it was all very polite pushing in.

in beijing when a public bus arrived at a bus stop there would pretty much be a fight to get on. women, kids, the elderly literately pushed and elbowed out of the way, a real scrap. no dignity, no respect. the only way to survive was to get stuck in yourself.

[ExPratt]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I was teaching a really nice Chinese woman a while ago, very shy and reserved woman, and one lesson was about stereotypes and such.

The topic of queuing came up and I mentioned that Chinese people are known to jump queues, to which she got a little upset and defensive and explained that it's due to cultural stuff years ago, for instance, food and stuff was scarce, people would get handouts, and you had to get in there and get your food, if you queued you wouldnt get anything once it ran out, survival of the fittest etc..

Not sure how true it is, but she says it's just been that way since.

Kinda makes sense, but there's no excuse for it today IMO. As a Brit where queue jumping is punishable by death it's infuriating seeing people do it constantly here.

Strangely enough, not sure if anyone else finds this, but I find its Asian women who do it most, not so much Asian men, whereas for westerners it's both male and female, usually American. (Not bashing Americans, just my experience)

It is completely True.. There are several reasons that people of PRC are a little different and Mr Mao takes all the credit. if you want to read about it. Mao's Great Famine and The Tragedy of Liberation are two excellent books and have compiled information from the lataest PRC state documented

[mynameisphil]

@Arthur Maybe, who knows. I was just recounting what she said.

I agree they're generally annoying and rude, no excuse for a lot of it.

Their driving gets me the worst, bloody idiots on the road.

Edited December 28, 2014 by mynameisphil

[krisb]

I was teaching a really nice Chinese woman a while ago, very shy and reserved woman, and one lesson was about stereotypes and such.

The topic of queuing came up and I mentioned that Chinese people are known to jump queues, to which she got a little upset and defensive and explained that it's due to cultural stuff years ago, for instance, food and stuff was scarce, people would get handouts, and you had to get in there and get your food, if you queued you wouldnt get anything once it ran out, survival of the fittest etc..

Not sure how true it is, but she says it's just been that way since.

Kinda makes sense, but there's no excuse for it today IMO. As a Brit where queue jumping is punishable by death it's infuriating seeing people do it constantly here.

Strangely enough, not sure if anyone else finds this, but I find its Asian women who do it most, not so much Asian men, whereas for westerners it's both male and female, usually American. (Not bashing Americans, just my experience)

Can she explain why 300 stand together and don't let anyone else through even when asked politely multiple times until you start to force your way through and then get upset?

Can she explain why they continue to barge their way through instead of letting people with prams turn or walk ?

Can she explain why they don't flush the toilet or wash their hands ?

Can she explain why they all go and stand infront of people taking a photo ?

Can she explain why they sit down on your table at hotel breakfasts when there are plenty of free tables and proceed to talk at the top of they voices and eat like pigs ?

Can she explain why their tour leaders like to barge infront of people like they don't exist, especially when they are pushing a pram and then get aggressive when the pram hits their feet until they cotton on they are much smaller than you and ain't going to win ?

Can she explain why they push into people carrying children ?

Jeez that's a harsh rap sheet.

ps, they do eat like pigs at hotel buffets I'll pay that one.

[FireMedic]

I have a good friend from Taiwan. He said exactly what Mynameisphil said. It is all about perception of resources. They have been rushing for resources for generations now and they aren't about to stop. Here in Thailand, I stand my ground pretty firmly with them and get very verbal if they start to push or shove me. At a buffet here in Bangkok, I was waiting for the Thai lady in front of me to get her prawns, then I was going to go. It was all cordial and courteous. Then about 10 Chinese came, pushed me and her out of the way and tried to empty the prawns. I just pushed my way back in front of them, screamed "YOU NEED TO WAIT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE" and let the lady and her kid get some before I did.They all looked shocked. I'm sure they thought I was being rude, but like them, I don't give a crap. They are the worst, most rude people on the planet.

[Farma]

My wife was in the airport just after this happened. She told me the Chinese passengers were taken away to cool down. The Chinese involved missed their flight and had to purchase new tickets on a different flight to China.

[Briggsy]

Queuing only works if the vast majority obey the norms of queuing and the vast majority have the perception that the vast majority will obey the norms of queuing.

[ExPratt]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I was teaching a really nice Chinese woman a while ago, very shy and reserved woman, and one lesson was about stereotypes and such.

The topic of queuing came up and I mentioned that Chinese people are known to jump queues, to which she got a little upset and defensive and explained that it's due to cultural stuff years ago, for instance, food and stuff was scarce, people would get handouts, and you had to get in there and get your food, if you queued you wouldnt get anything once it ran out, survival of the fittest etc..

Not sure how true it is, but she says it's just been that way since.

Kinda makes sense, but there's no excuse for it today IMO. As a Brit where queue jumping is punishable by death it's infuriating seeing people do it constantly here.

Strangely enough, not sure if anyone else finds this, but I find its Asian women who do it most, not so much Asian men, whereas for westerners it's both male and female, usually American. (Not bashing Americans, just my experience)

Can she explain why 300 stand together and don't let anyone else through even when asked politely multiple times until you start to force your way through and then get upset?

Can she explain why they continue to barge their way through instead of letting people with prams turn or walk ?

Can she explain why they don't flush the toilet or wash their hands ?

Can she explain why they all go and stand infront of people taking a photo ?

Can she explain why they sit down on your table at hotel breakfasts when there are plenty of free tables and proceed to talk at the top of they voices and eat like pigs ?

Can she explain why their tour leaders like to barge infront of people like they don't exist, especially when they are pushing a pram and then get aggressive when the pram hits their feet until they cotton on they are much smaller than you and ain't going to win ?

Can she explain why they push into people carrying children ?

There is a reason they are how they are and why PRC is like PRC,

[cooked]

I have seen English people queuing when there were only two of them waiting for what was almost certainly going to be an empty ferry.

If you read pre revolutionary accounts of missionaries and businessmen in China, you will see the same behaviour. Mule trains were literally pushed off narrow mountain tracks into the ravine below for instance. You can't blame Mao for everything, it's just the way they are.

[impulse]

It's genetic- the queuing gene was bred out of the population in the last 100 years.

The ones that queued properly died of starvation, along with their families.

It's going to take generations to get beyond the memories of food scarcity and that if you waited your turn, you and your loved ones would starve to death.

But strangely, as nasty as their habits look to an outsider, our habits absolutely appall them as well. That's what makes the world colorful and vibrant.

[Briggsy]

I like your post, impulse. I am intrigued as to what appals the Chinese. Really. This is good stuff.

[impulse]

There is all kind of etiquette for who gets the first bite, who pours tea for whom, who gets the choice parts of the fish, how the ubiquitous toasts go, which side of the shared dish you should take your portions from, and dozens of other intricacies that I barely got a taste of in 10 years of doing business and living there.

As an "honored guest" (I was a customer, $$$), I was treated to all kinds of gross special dishes they only got to eat when they entertained such guests. Stuff like pickled snake skin, and fish brains, cow stomach, boiled cartilage, and others. I ate stuff that I never thought I'd eat- because it was an insult to not eat it. And I also learned to never clean my plate (like Mom taught me). Because if I didn't leave some food on the plate, they ordered more for me until I did.

I loved the stuff we ate every day, but the super expensive crap they pulled out only for honored guests was not to my liking.

[mesquite]

I think some of us westerners living and touring in Thailand are angry because we've been sold a bill of goods: Learn to wai appropriately, speak softly, don't get loud and angry, learn a few words of Thai.

The Chinese have it figured out. I don't see them wasting their time on any of this stuff. Loud, pushy, and rude is the way to go. Usually they get their way and nothing bad happens.

We can learn from the Chinese.

Edited December 28, 2014 by mesquite

[phil2]

The Thais do it as well. I've challenged many Thais about queuing up here.

[ExPratt]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

There is all kind of etiquette for who gets the first bite, who pours tea for whom, who gets the choice parts of the fish, how the ubiquitous toasts go, which side of the shared dish you should take your portions from, and dozens of other intricacies that I barely got a taste of in 10 years of doing business and living there.

As an "honored guest" (I was a customer, $$$), I was treated to all kinds of gross special dishes they only got to eat when they entertained such guests. Stuff like pickled snake skin, and fish brains, cow stomach, boiled cartilage, and others. I ate stuff that I never thought I'd eat- because it was an insult to not eat it. And I also learned to never clean my plate (like Mom taught me). Because if I didn't leave some food on the plate, they ordered more for me until I did.

I loved the stuff we ate every day, but the super expensive crap they pulled out only for honored guests was not to my liking.

That brings back memories mate, we worked for MOR as technical support and quality for 2 for High speed railways that were under construction, We hit about 3 sites a week and every site we visited they couldn't wait to get us off the site and into a restaurant,. The beer and that awful 70% rice wine would come out and then there would be some food that was "Famous" from that area. In Yueyang it was water vegetable that looked and tasted like grass.

[Jip99]

I think some of us westerners living and touring in Thailand are angry because we've been sold a bill of goods: Learn to wai appropriately, speak softly, don't get loud and angry, learn a few words of Thai.

The Chinese have it figured out. I don't see them wasting their time on any of this stuff. Loud, pushy, and rude is the way to go. Usually they get their way and nothing bad happens.

We can learn from the Chinese.

The Germans did it very effectively in southern Europe in the final quarter of the last century.

[TSF]

I think some of us westerners living and touring in Thailand are angry because we've been sold a bill of goods: Learn to wai appropriately, speak softly, don't get loud and angry, learn a few words of Thai.

The Chinese have it figured out. I don't see them wasting their time on any of this stuff. Loud, pushy, and rude is the way to go. Usually they get their way and nothing bad happens.

We can learn from the Chinese.

The Germans did it very effectively in southern Europe in the final quarter of the last century.

When I'm down in Perth Australia I see groups of Chinese tourists there as well. They have zero involvement/integration with Aussies and Aussie culture. They move around in noisy pushy groups of other Chinese with Chinese tour guides. They eat at Chinese restaurants and shop for Aussie souvenirs at shops owned and staffed by Chinese Aussies. Never seen one yet with a Vegemite sandwich and a can of Emu in his hands.

[Thongkorn]

Chinese tourist are a disgrace. A friend of mine who has so me rooms in Phuket had some Chinese people stay for a week, He was out one day when they left, his Staff returned their deposit with out looking at the room , when they went to the room to clean they had left the room in a state deliberately. They had left all the lights on, air con on, pored shower gel on the beds and chairs. not flushed the toilets, Now he has made a decision no more Chinese stay at his hotel. The few spoil it for the many as usual.

[arthurwait]

I was teaching a really nice Chinese woman a while ago, very shy and reserved woman, and one lesson was about stereotypes and such.

The topic of queuing came up and I mentioned that Chinese people are known to jump queues, to which she got a little upset and defensive and explained that it's due to cultural stuff years ago, for instance, food and stuff was scarce, people would get handouts, and you had to get in there and get your food, if you queued you wouldnt get anything once it ran out, survival of the fittest etc..

Not sure how true it is, but she says it's just been that way since.

Kinda makes sense, but there's no excuse for it today IMO. As a Brit where queue jumping is punishable by death it's infuriating seeing people do it constantly here.

Strangely enough, not sure if anyone else finds this, but I find its Asian women who do it most, not so much Asian men, whereas for westerners it's both male and female, usually American. (Not bashing Americans, just my experience)

Can she explain why 300 stand together and don't let anyone else through even when asked politely multiple times until you start to force your way through and then get upset?

Can she explain why they continue to barge their way through instead of letting people with prams turn or walk ?

Can she explain why they don't flush the toilet or wash their hands ?

Can she explain why they all go and stand infront of people taking a photo ?

Can she explain why they sit down on your table at hotel breakfasts when there are plenty of free tables and proceed to talk at the top of they voices and eat like pigs ?

Can she explain why their tour leaders like to barge infront of people like they don't exist, especially when they are pushing a pram and then get aggressive when the pram hits their feet until they cotton on they are much smaller than you and ain't going to win ?

Can she explain why they push into people carrying children ?

Jeez that's a harsh rap sheet.

ps, they do eat like pigs at hotel buffets I'll pay that one.

Although those have happened several times, all except the hotel breakfast was just at Pattaya floating market last week. Had to take my mum to some tourist attractions, otherwise I wouldn't go anywhere near tourist attractions now because of them.

The hotel one was a couple of months ago. Numerous empty tables but sat down on ours.

[Xircal]

Will people never learn to put the smartphone in landscape mode before filming?

[Briggsy]

Chinese hotels generally ask for a large upfront cash deposit and do not return until they have thoroughly inspected the room.

[MeowBundit]

As Russian, this is very easy for me to explain such a behaviour of russians, chinese and other mass-tourists. This is a complex of alcohol, fear (yes, fear being in overseas foreign place), impoliteness and so on of people, mostly from "bannok' places and small cities, where alcohol is a only one way to "entertain'.

If you look closely to routes from DMK, this is mostly ones, which is go/come from small (by Chinese measures) cities. A lot of people is just first time come to another country. A lot of then will not go to any other vacation places for years ahead. And the same for any other mass-tourists...

They is the centres of their universe in heads. In Egypt they "locked" in all-inclusive hotels, but this is not possible in Thai reality.

So, I really dont know what to do with this, except of huge fines. Last year russian airlines finally start to put them to jail, ban and fine in tens of thousands dollars for flight delays/damages/fights onboard.

[GotSeoul]

Some friends of mine their first trip to Thailand they got to experience some of the Chinese tour group rush ...

During the weekend before the Coup earlier this year, some UK friends of mine that lived in the States for the past 25 years came to Thailand for a diving trip in Koh Tao. Their first stop was BKK for a couple of days where I showed them around the place, took them to the normal tourist stops, some not so normal stops, and some time drinking, eating, and hanging out at the RBSC and Polo Club.

During our Wat Pho stop no real drama, nice walking around and seeing the big reclining Buddha. On the walk over to the Grand Palace / Wat Phra Keow we hit the normal folks trying to tell us the place was closed. I've been to the Grand Palace many times and this time I thought it would be good to hire a guide for my friends so they can get a better description of the place than I could give.

Our guide's nickname was Jenny. Very knowledgable. She did a great job as a guide. During the tour there were many chinese tour groups, with the requisite pushing and shoving their way through while Jenny was trying to describe the temple of the emerald buddha to my friends. Jenny turns into fire-breathing dragon lady yelling in mandarin at the Chinese tour guide pushing in between her and my friends. From what I could tell she really let the tour guide have it and the group detoured around and left alone. Turns out she speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, Thai, English and apparently a few other languages.

I had a giant grin on my face. Very non-Thai way of taking care of the pushing and shoving. She told me that they were being rude and showing disrespect and she had to say something. I told her it was no problem and I thought it was kind of fun to see. On a few other occasions some of the Chinese tourists were taking pictures where they were not supposed to and some of the Chinese tourist ladies had removed their sarongs and were walking around in shorts and she let them have it in Mandarin, very strong and loud she spoke to them, then they complied. It was pretty fun to watch. That's when I realized when they are pushing, shoving, or just standing around, if you don't address them in Mandarin (or their local dialect) you are not going to really phase them. As some others have suggested, they probaby don't give a s--t, what they are doing is normal to them.

That was the best 1000 baht I spent on a tour guide (I gave her a nice tip to make it that much).

Funny thing is that when I lived and worked in Shanghai about 10 years ago (for a year) I didn't notice as much. Yes I still remember the Chinese stuffing as many people into and elevator as they could, but with the folks I worked with at the bank and the stock exchange I didn't notice the level of pushiness that I see when the tour groups are traveling outside of China.

My first real realization about the queue-less-ness in China was boarding a domestic flight from Shanghai to Zhuhai for a business trip. Bum rush to board the plane on announcement. Funny thing was when the plane landed in Zhuhai, while the plane was still on the runway, airbrakes still slowing the plane, people started getting up to get their stuff out of the overhead bins. The stewardess would get up and shush one person down, then another would get up, she would shush them down, and another would get up. They only thing I could think of was this was a real-life chinese version of Whack-a-mole.

Most recently I was on a flight from BKK to Seoul via Hong Kong and a Chinese tour group was on the plane. They were all cramming in the priority boarding line blocking the way for the folks in the wheelchairs and the business-class and priority fliers. Thai staff tried to get them to make way but they didn't budge. So the Thai staff opened another door and let the wheelchairs and priority fliers through the other door while the tour group watched them and started making a fuss.

I don't like to bash, but when you see a stereotype in action as the stereotype exists, it's hard to ignore and becomes easy to agree with the stereotype at that point.

Edited December 28, 2014 by GotSeoul

[khunron13]

A Thai getting bent out of shape over someone jumping the queue is pretty much like the pot calling the kettle black.

[LuckyLew]

find it funny that a Thai person objected to another person queue jumping

I see it on a daily basis, Thais jumping queues ... guess it is only ok for Thais to jump queues in Thailand