Little Things That Annoy You

[terry57]

you know what annoys me mate ?

is when im eating my noodle soup and a thai person is going hard, trying to pick a winner , with 2 frigging fingers up there snout.

besides that, i love it all in los.

cheers mate

[Spenthouse]

The Comfort Suites in Don Muang are a prime example. There is a one second delay, and when they shut, they shut. BANG. Did my back in one day when I got caught in them.

Better the back than a blunt circumcision I say!

[tourleadersi]

On the sky train or underground when people offer their seats to my little girls Why? even if there are a number of elderly people around, the small children take priority. I won't let them sit down even if they are whining - miserable mother I am. I truly can't understand how or why Thai people think that children - not just my own I should add, are more important than their elders.

Not wishing to be argumentative, but I think that's a good thing.

It places the child in a relative position of safety.

You know what they say, standing in a train/lift has a different smell to midgets and small children.

That crossed my mind too; it also brought to mind vomit-inducing memories of relaxing in an aisle seat on an aircraft when the 'post-breakfast crapper' queue slowly made its way past...

That's always one to remember.

I took an overnight bus in the Ukraine once, and it was filled with standing passengers. One guy had his butt in my face all night and kept falling asleep whilst standing. His body would begin to sag and he would then wake up with a jolt, omitting a little startled fart each time. Oh what joy we fellow travellers have to enjoy! What a blast! What a gas! Oh what fun.

[ashacat]

How about people walking painfully slow in the BTS station/street?? Does my head in, especially when I'm in a rush. Or the classic; pause before you tentively step onto an escalator - It's not gonna kill you people!!

Not letting people OFF the skytrain/MTR before you others barge IN! Farangs and Thai equally guilty here I think.

Edited August 24, 2006 by ashacat

[donne]

they walk bloody slooooowwwwww....

and seems they has hidden eyes on their backhead because everytimes i try to overtake them, they will suddenly block my way...

are they psychic?

[Insight]

they walk bloody slooooowwwwww....

and seems they has hidden eyes on their backhead because everytimes i try to overtake them, they will suddenly block my way...

are they psychic?

I get that also - drives me nuts! Doesn't matter which side of them I go when trying to pass, they'll always veer towars that side. WHY??? HOW???

All the elevator woes described above, I've experienced them all. Plus this office has the most backwards elevators ever. Two on one side won't serve floor 16 but will serve floor 4, the two on the other side vice-versa. Our office is on floor 16.

And until very recently, if one elevator is on its way to the ground floor to pick somebody up, the others won't bother, unless somebody is already in it going to the ground floor. 5 years of this we've all had to suffer...

Then there's people who use them for going up and down one floor at a time. A few months ago, first thing in the morning we're all waiting for the elevator to eventually turn up on the ground floor. Once it arrives, we all start to make our way in - 20 of us, apart from this one girl who pushes her way through the lot of us right to the back of the elevator, pushing floor one on her way in. Gets to the 1st floor a few seconds later, now she's got to force her way back out again...

[Noel]

This one never fails to irritate me.

When walking on the pavement and someone is coming towards you, it should be mutually instinctive to give an almost involuntary body signal to indicate on which side each of you intend to pass the other.

This 'knack' seems to be lost on many Thai, often causing one or both parties to come to a dead stop, rather than effortlessly glide past each other.

It is almost guaranteed to happen if the Thai coming towards you are two or three abreast.

Could it be down to a trance-like state induced by meditating whilst walking...?

[Insight]

This one never fails to irritate me.

When walking on the pavement and someone is coming towards you, it should be mutually instinctive to give an almost involuntary body signal to indicate on which side each of you intend to pass the other.

This 'knack' seems to be lost on many Thai, often causing one or both parties to come to a dead stop, rather than effortlessly glide past each other.

It is almost guaranteed to happen if the Thai coming towards you are two or three abreast.

Could it be down to a trance-like state induced by meditating whilst walking...?

All too familiar with that one as well. That body signal you mention - if there's no reaction when I give it, I'll just carry on walking. They will shift out the way at the last nanosecond.

[phibunmike]

One of the things that makes me cringe, and seems to happen a lot more in Thailand than anywhere else I've seen, is their attitude to lifts. Why, when a Thai person gets into a lift they must immediatly press the 'doors close' button? They seem to think they MUST do this to enable the doors to close, and no matter how many times I terll my wife that it's not necassary, she always does it.

This is the same in Singapore. Anyone getting in the lift presses the "close" button 5 or 6 times.

Similarly, you hold a door open for a mother with baby and shopping to come through, but someone behind you pushes through first....

Oh well...

[StateSix]

Why do some Thai people think it is so bizarre that a farang would buy somtam. I have had Thais stand next to me staring with amazement

"ohwee, farang seu somtam"

"gin pet dai mai"

"hai fairn lor"

A Thai colleague of mine was once buying a slice of pizza from Spicchios, so a friend and I did the same thing.

"ohwee kon thai seu pizza"

"gin jeut dai mai"

"ohwee"

Guy behind the counter looked at us like we were crazy for some reason

[Sarpedon]

Another skytrain gripe are the ones who will wait for the train knowing that there is a queue of people waiting patiently but they wait along the side and not adding to the numbers of the queue, once the train pulls in they try to sneak in in front of all the people who have been waiting.

Then they try to push against the rush of people coming out of the train!

It used to really wind me up but know i just stand back and watch the show! The train is only as quick as the last person who gets in!

[jimmi]

Soi Dogs!

[Donz]

What anoys me is alot of farangs complain about stupid things all the time and think that only Thai's do this or that

[terry57]

skanky white trash on rambuttri street first thing in the morning after ive hit the turps the night before.

[lampard10]

What anoys me is alot of farangs complain about stupid things all the time and think that only Thai's do this or that

Or Aussies

Another thing that really annoys me is that on UBC the adverts are 5x as loud as the programme you're watching. You have to make a mad dash for the remote at the intervals, especially if it's pub entertainment.

[Sing_Sling]

What anoys me is alot of farangs complain about stupid things all the time and think that only Thai's do this or that

Yes, indeed, as well as uninformed people criticising those who deal with these things every day.

Most everything said here can be duplicated in Sing and many other places in Asia

[terry57]

What anoys me is alot of farangs complain about stupid things all the time and think that only Thai's do this or that

Or Aussies

Another thing that really annoys me is that on UBC the adverts are 5x as loud as the programme you're watching. You have to make a mad dash for the remote at the intervals, especially if it's pub entertainment.

steady on mate,

you'll have all the aussies off side fella and there's a <deleted> loads of them out there in punter land.

cheers to all my top mates.

[Donz]

What anoys me is alot of farangs complain about stupid things all the time and think that only Thai's do this or that

Yes, indeed, as well as uninformed people criticising those who deal with these things every day.

Most everything said here can be duplicated in Sing and many other places in Asia

Most of those examples happen here too, What annoys me is your avatar

[meemiathai]

What anoys me is alot of farangs complain about stupid things all the time and think that only Thai's do this or that

Yes, indeed, as well as uninformed people criticising those who deal with these things every day.

Most everything said here can be duplicated in Sing and many other places in Asia

Most of those examples happen here too, What annoys me is your avatar

Hey Donz, you are really funny!

Where the hel_l have you been? Not used to not seeing you post for a long time.

[Donz]

What anoys me is alot of farangs complain about stupid things all the time and think that only Thai's do this or that

Yes, indeed, as well as uninformed people criticising those who deal with these things every day.

Most everything said here can be duplicated in Sing and many other places in Asia

Most of those examples happen here too, What annoys me is your avatar

Hey Donz, you are really funny!

Where the hel_l have you been? Not used to not seeing you post for a long time.

Sorry been busy lately, I had a life for awhile, now im back here again.

[chuchok]

Sorry been busy lately, I had a life for awhile, now im back here again.

Oh joy!

[Donz]

Sorry been busy lately, I had a life for awhile, now im back here again.

Oh joy!

I missed you the most.

[chuchok]

Sorry been busy lately, I had a life for awhile, now im back here again.

Oh joy!

I missed you the most.

Trust me, that's not possible.

[tuky]

We don't make it to BKK very often, but when we do the wife likes to visit MBK.

The last time we went we had our 2 year old in a pram, and our 2 month old in my arms.

We were first at the lift doors, but due to the baggage we had it took longer than a nanosecond to enter the lift. I kid you not, we tried to enter 4 emtpy lifts but each time we were pushed out of the way by people that had come after us. We ended up having to use the escalator with the pram.

I have spent 4 years in Sing, 2 in South Korea and now in my 5th year in Thailand but that is the first time I have ever seen selfishness like that. My wife was speechless and has decided that we are better off visiting SIam Paragon in the future

[Thaddeus]

We don't make it to BKK very often, but when we do the wife likes to visit MBK.

The last time we went we had our 2 year old in a pram, and our 2 month old in my arms.

We were first at the lift doors, but due to the baggage we had it took longer than a nanosecond to enter the lift. I kid you not, we tried to enter 4 emtpy lifts but each time we were pushed out of the way by people that had come after us. We ended up having to use the escalator with the pram.

I have spent 4 years in Sing, 2 in South Korea and now in my 5th year in Thailand but that is the first time I have ever seen selfishness like that. My wife was speechless and has decided that we are better off visiting SIam Paragon in the future

Have you ever tried getting the boat ( that's a fairly loose description... a better one would be 'it floats in water, just') from Savannakhet to Mukdahan... The citizens of the Philippines are the worst, closely followed by those lovely folks from Vietnam. The Thais complain about them!

The Laotians don't.... they just put on a balaclava, a pair of sunglasses, hoist a case of Mama Noodles on one shoulder, walk around the 'Passport control building' and then sit on the top of the boat pretending that is their job

[kat]

We don't make it to BKK very often, but when we do the wife likes to visit MBK.

The last time we went we had our 2 year old in a pram, and our 2 month old in my arms.

We were first at the lift doors, but due to the baggage we had it took longer than a nanosecond to enter the lift. I kid you not, we tried to enter 4 emtpy lifts but each time we were pushed out of the way by people that had come after us. We ended up having to use the escalator with the pram.

I have spent 4 years in Sing, 2 in South Korea and now in my 5th year in Thailand but that is the first time I have ever seen selfishness like that. My wife was speechless and has decided that we are better off visiting SIam Paragon in the future

Have you ever tried getting the boat ( that's a fairly loose description... a better one would be 'it floats in water, just') from Savannakhet to Mukdahan... The citizens of the Philippines are the worst, closely followed by those lovely folks from Vietnam. The Thais complain about them!

The Laotians don't.... they just put on a balaclava, a pair of sunglasses, hoist a case of Mama Noodles on one shoulder, walk around the 'Passport control building' and then sit on the top of the boat pretending that is their job

That is hilarious, and matches my experience.

I resisted posting on this thread for a couple of days now, because I'm phasing myself out. But, I think about this a lot, everyday in fact. A lot of what was said about the snail-pace, obstructionist walking, and getting on and off lifts or buses or any queue definitely resonates.

I feel like I have to qualify this or something, so I will. I definitely appreciate and love a lot about Thai people, and the sweet, warm, generous nature that is still alive and well in their culture, but I'm often really frustrated with the anonymous sphere of Thai society.

In terms of lines and selfishness, the one that really takes it for me are lines to use the bathroom in public places. I understand the cultural difference of just waiting by the door of the bathroom you are going to use and let luck sort it out, but I will never be able to understand those that saunter to the front of an obvious queue and use the next available stall with no thought whatsoever to others; it just galls me! And even more amazing, no one ever says a word. The women are usually not elderly, either, but middle-aged or so. But sometimes they are young. The other day one of the women did this, and there was an apparent older women waiting in line. <deleted> is going on there! I actually wanted to start a thread to seek advice on how to deal with this, but now, I just seethe under my breath and try to ignore it.

One other thing about walking, besides all the other listed things: sometimes I find Thai women seem to go out of their way to walk directly in my way, so that I have to stop or yield for them. It seems to me like yielding for someone is akin to holding the door - they view it as a status issue on who holds the door or who yields. When they do yield, it seems like such a big, unnatural production where everything comes to a full stop.

[tourleadersi]

We don't make it to BKK very often, but when we do the wife likes to visit MBK.

The last time we went we had our 2 year old in a pram, and our 2 month old in my arms.

We were first at the lift doors, but due to the baggage we had it took longer than a nanosecond to enter the lift. I kid you not, we tried to enter 4 emtpy lifts but each time we were pushed out of the way by people that had come after us. We ended up having to use the escalator with the pram.

I have spent 4 years in Sing, 2 in South Korea and now in my 5th year in Thailand but that is the first time I have ever seen selfishness like that. My wife was speechless and has decided that we are better off visiting SIam Paragon in the future

Have you ever tried getting the boat ( that's a fairly loose description... a better one would be 'it floats in water, just') from Savannakhet to Mukdahan... The citizens of the Philippines are the worst, closely followed by those lovely folks from Vietnam. The Thais complain about them!

The Laotians don't.... they just put on a balaclava, a pair of sunglasses, hoist a case of Mama Noodles on one shoulder, walk around the 'Passport control building' and then sit on the top of the boat pretending that is their job

That is hilarious, and matches my experience.

I resisted posting on this thread for a couple of days now, because I'm phasing myself out. But, I think about this a lot, everyday in fact. A lot of what was said about the snail-pace, obstructionist walking, and getting on and off lifts or buses or any queue definitely resonates.

I feel like I have to qualify this or something, so I will. I definitely appreciate and love a lot about Thai people, and the sweet, warm, generous nature that is still alive and well in their culture, but I'm often really frustrated with the anonymous sphere of Thai society.

In terms of lines and selfishness, the one that really takes it for me are lines to use the bathroom in public places. I understand the cultural difference of just waiting by the door of the bathroom you are going to use and let luck sort it out, but I will never be able to understand those that saunter to the front of an obvious queue and use the next available stall with no thought whatsoever to others; it just galls me! And even more amazing, no one ever says a word. The women are usually not elderly, either, but middle-aged or so. But sometimes they are young. The other day one of the women did this, and there was an apparent older women waiting in line. <deleted> is going on there! I actually wanted to start a thread to seek advice on how to deal with this, but now, I just seethe under my breath and try to ignore it.

One other thing about walking, besides all the other listed things: sometimes I find Thai women seem to go out of their way to walk directly in my way, so that I have to stop or yield for them. It seems to me like yielding for someone is akin to holding the door - they view it as a status issue on who holds the door or who yields. When they do yield, it seems like such a big, unnatural production where everything comes to a full stop.

Hi Kat.

With regards the queue jumping thing I just tap them on the shoulder and they immediately go to the back of the line all embarrassed. Its like they know that they are doing wrong but are counting on the typical Thai response to such matters (ignore it). When a big hairy gorilla like me taps them on the shoulder they normally relieve themselves on the spot and choose to leave! It doesn't help them that I put on a face that says "either get to the back of the queue or I will be joining you in the cubicle, you're my little puppy now!"

As for the stepping in the way, I get that a fair bit, probably due to my size, I'm not really fat, more square. I was walking towards a bunch of school teens the other day and I could see them daring one kid to step in front of me. He did and I went through him like the 7.45 to Chiang Mai. Wallop. Another 20 something guy did the same thing to me in Central one day except he shoulder charged me from behind (The mall was empty so it was deliberate). Foot out and a shove in the back and he went flying. We squared up and eventually he took a swing at me. Amazingly 3 female Uni students rushed in and dragged him away, 2 of them scolding him fiercely whilst the other apologised to me. That was when I really began to fall in love with Thailand.

Edited August 24, 2006 by tourleadersi

[kat]

Just as I thought. Sometimes they are stepping in the way intentionally.

[fxm88]

My pet peeve:

Thai people have no problem eating next to a stinking klong or sewer drain

...but freak out when you're a little late with your afternoon bath.

[kayo]

I mean you no offence here, but rather a clarification relation to a more er.. multi cultural knowledge fo the world.... This I shall dub, my Guatemala irritation Checklist.(ie: Does this happen in guatemala too?)

Rest assured, most of the compalints are an 'asian' thing . . .

Maids or grandparents running after the little darlings with spoons of food

Check V.

Unsecured children in cars

Check V.

No-one getting up for the elderly

Check V.

The mad rush to get into a lift/bus/train, disregarding those that want to get out -

Check V.

Holding the doors open and not even receiving a brief glance of appreciation Check V.

Cinema exploits with calls, sms and general loud talking Check V.

Greeting everyone at the condo for years and getting blank looks in return - if your're stuck in the lift with a neighbour they will ask you if you just moved in . . . after 5 years

Check V.

But, we are still here! Check V.

This one never fails to irritate me.

When walking on the pavement and someone is coming towards you, it should be mutually instinctive to give an almost involuntary body signal to indicate on which side each of you intend to pass the other.

This 'knack' seems to be lost on many Thai, often causing one or both parties to come to a dead stop, rather than effortlessly glide past each other.

It is almost guaranteed to happen if the Thai coming towards you are two or three abreast.

Could it be down to a trance-like state induced by meditating whilst walking...?

All too familiar with that one as well. That body signal you mention - if there's no reaction when I give it, I'll just carry on walking. They will shift out the way at the last nanosecond.

...............Check V.

Now, maybe it´s just because I´m on the same parallel as central thailand that there are so many similarities, or maybe it´s just that the world is really not that large.