There are some great Thai people and great Thai business people

[konying]

Just thought for a change, instead of bashing ALL Thai people, i like to share my experience today.

Might be a little long, but hopefully a pleasant read.

Background:

I take my 6 dogs for daily walks in the park. I have a bike with sidecar, pretty big custom made sidecar and drive dog to the park.

Today, just like any other day, i did my morning drive and walk with no problems at all, besides one baby dog getting into the biggest mud hole he could find and change color

Evening walk getting there was fine, besides the same baby dog finding the same mud hole and turning into a little piglet

As i have loaded the gang back and about to drive back, my bike would not start.

Petrol was full, battery was ok, spark plug connected, i checked all i could, but no luck.

The story:

So now, i have a dilemma as its getting dark, i am away from everywhere, in the park and no shop near by.

I started to push the bike with dogs in it.

Just to give an idea, total weight of dogs would be around 150kg, plus the bike and a side car, so i am easily pushing anywhere from 300kg up.

First its through the rough grounds of the park, on to the back soi's with no road, but pot holes, then onto another soi and then little uphill.

Total distance, at least 1.5 km.

As anyone can imagine, i am sweating, its heavy, its tiring, soi dogs chasing us, cars are beeping and there i am soldiering on.

I walked past many people, who looked at me and continued doing whatever they were doing.

Lots of cars and bikes passed by without a single word only beeps for me to move faster or get off the road.

Punchline

All over sudden out of the blue a couple shows up, Thai guy and girl, with a tank of petrol.

They said they saw me pushing, and thought i ran out of petrol, so they went and bought me some.

I told them petrol was not a problem and i did not know what the problem was.

They stopped the traffic, (now i am in soi 5, corner with Theaparsit road) to help me cross the road

Girl helped push while guy held cars back(i know funny, right )

Once we were on the other side, girl ran over to some shop and bought me some water (i could hardly breath or walk)

Guy went and bought some rope and towed me with his Fino to the nearest garage.

Yes, they bought me water, they bought rope and did everything possible to help.

Once we were in the shop, i was beyond thankful, i do not think i would have made it to the shop alone.

I tried to give them money, which they refused. They refused to take money for the water or the rope, or anything else at all.

These were just 2 great people who saw someone was in trouble and went out of their way to help

The repairs:

So now the mechanics are looking at the bike trying to figure out what was wrong.

Dogs are super excited as many people are talking with them and playing with them.

The baby pig dog is jumping like a kangaroo to get as much attention as possible.

Finally, they figure out what was wrong, appears one of the wires came off.

Fixed!!

Now i need to pay the bill, yet another shock, Owner states no need, as i had just done the hard work (pushing)

No problem, FREE and gives me another bottle of water.

To be honest i was in shock, i mean really in shock.

I gave mechanics tip, and was on my way home.

Moral of the story:

I guess the moral of the story is, we more than often read on TV about bad things Thai people do and Thai bashing, but there are some great people, who do help others, including a sweaty, tired, foreigner without wanting money or anything else in return.

Big thank you to those people today and can only hope more people come across people like i did today.

PS. From now on, i will fix all my bikes ONLY in that shop, i think this guy deserves my business and more

[kannot]

Yes there is the odd good un out there.

[konying]

Yes there is the odd good un out there.

Today i got to meet 3.

I think i should but lottery this week

[crazygreg44]

guess it is Buddhism that backs it all.

and Yes, sometimes they really surprise me.

[robertthebruce]

Nice Heart Warming Story....

Well done to the Couple and to the Mechanic....

[Satcommlee]

This kind of story works both ways, I once stopped to help an elderly tuk tuk driver get his motor back up and running - he couldn't understand what was going on! He couldn't for one moment comprehend that a farang in his big car would stop and go out of his way to offer him assistance.

It ended up with me pushing him down the street and jump starting the tuk tuk... This was met with the biggest Wai I ever ever received from a Thai..

2 months later, I jumped in the first tuk tuk outside the Mall, simply wanting to go home and there was a commotion among the tuk tuk drivers, like somebody wanted to queue jump but it turns out that the guy remembered me and wanted to take me home for free..

After explaining the situation to his fellow tuk tuks, they agreed and let him take me, with the guys up front giving me the big thumbs up and calling me "farang Jai Dee".

What goes around, comes around! It doesn't matter if you're Thai, farang or Chinese - there are plenty of good people in this world.

[neeray]

Thank you "konying" for taking the time to share this wonderful story of kindness and generosity.

The latest TVF has just hit my computer so not many comments yet. This should be a well commented item.

I hope the usual Thai bashers and sarcastic type will restrain themselves this time.

[chrisandsu]

Have had Thais help me on a few occasions , I really don't have any issues with them ! My inlaws are the best I could of hoped for ... They are always helping me you just have to open your eyes to see how generous they really are . Great story by the way and one I can certainly relate to .

[laislica]

2012, late June, on al old and a bit broken scooter.

My step son said it was full of petrol, the gauge didn't work.

In the middle of nowhere it ran out of petrol.

There was a Thai cleaning a large fish pond.

He came over to try to help.

Saw there was no petrol so went to his house ans asked his wife to go on her m/c with a can and buy some petrol for me.

At the time my knowledge of the Thai language was hello, thank you and water!

Like the OP I was more than grateful but they would accept nothing from me.

[carter1882]

One nice story or a regular occurrence. I have ridden bikes in and around Bangkok for three decades and of course crashed, broken down, run out of petrol etc etc. i have lost count of the times people showed me personal kindness in stopping to help for no other reason except naam jai. People who think otherwise about athailand and its people just have a chip on their shoulder!

[MRH1959]

A great story with an even greater ending.

Yes there are some fine people [Thai] in Thailand.

Next time, get there address and invite them for dinner.

What about a photo of the pig [sorry, puppy] 555.

Edited May 2, 2015 by MRH1959

[gwynt]

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One nice story or a regular occurrence. I have ridden bikes in and around Bangkok for three decades and of course crashed, broken down, run out of petrol etc etc. i have lost count of the times people showed me personal kindness in stopping to help for no other reason except naam jai. People who think otherwise about athailand and its people just have a chip on their shoulder!

On way home from work Laem Chabang, had a puncture on the pick-up, after a bit of cursing I pulled into side of road and started to lower the spare. Two guys stopped and offered to help plus the near-by security guard. After completing the task offered a tip to the guard but refused. There are many more good Thai's than is recognised here on TV, particularly if treated with respect.

Edited May 2, 2015 by gwynt

[Harveyg]

[quote name="kannot" post="

Yes there is the odd good un out there.

Today i got to meet 3.

I think i should but lottery this week

The odd good un.... It sounds like a begrudging acknowledgement that almost killed ya to say. I hope u didn't mean it that way.

Konying, your post is too beautiful to make a lottery joke out of it. And I think really u know that.

And u don't even need to tell it bc you're trying to balance out the thai bashing.

At the end of the day it's just worth telling, at the bar, to your students, ....

Thx for telling the story.

[pchansmorn]

I have been coming to Thailand for 20 years for vacation, now my wife & I live here. We are from the US,and we are used to being yelled at, pushed out of the way, road rage and so forth. Some of the amazing things is not just how many people can be kind to stangers but how they will recommend another business over there's. It is much safer living here too.

[captnhoy]

I have a dog named "Moo" and he earned that name as a puppy.

Great story, thanks for posting.

[Broeno]

One month ago we moved to a new house in Chiang Mai. Because the garden was not taking care of for a long time, we started planting many new. A man living around the corner passed by and start talking to my Thai wife. She told him that we also would like to plant flower of paradise. He told her that he recently give may away and has only a few left in his garden. I was so surprised when he showed up a few days later. He digged out his last flowers of paradise and give them to us. Next to that he in invited us in his house.

[Rockhopper]

The best TV forum post, ever!

[billd766]

There are very many good Thais just as there are very many good people all over the world.

From what I have seen the nicest and friendliest Thais are those who live in rural areas rather than those in the cities, and the least friendly and helpful seem to be those who live in tourist areas.

Just my observations over some 20 years including 4 years in BKK and 11 years in rural Thailand.

[SoiBiker]

Yes there is the odd good un out there.

The odd one? There are loads. People here just like to focus on the negative, and tar the whole place with the same brush.

[maidee]

just a question, with 6 dogs and in your sidecar, if one of them crap, i am sure you never be responsible of it and go pick it up right ?

[Banzai99]

Yes there are many good Thai people, they'll do things many of us Farangs wouldn't attempt, I had a wasp or bees nest in my house garden, my neighbour was straight over the wall when I asked him, up the tree and no more nest, no more honey either, but whatever, I wouldn't have tried it, we had a large snake in our garden the dogs were going crazy, I was being brave standing 20 feet away with a hoe, same guy came over, dispatched the snake in an instant and took it home to cook.

Gotta hand it to the Thais, those guys are very adaptable and creative at times, when I was a Kid I knew just a couple of guys that could play Guitar, most Thai guys I have met can play, and a lot play good, I couldn't build a hut on a Farm that would last more than a few minutes before it fell down, most Thai guys can Build huts that will last for years, my Father in Law climbs trees to get coconuts, he's up there like a Monkey, he's in his 60's ripped body like a 25 year old, I'm younger than him, fit too, but I couldn't do what he does.

Jeez, My Missus is 150cm and 40 Kgs, and I can't do the amount of work she does.

Thai people in General have my total respect.

Edited May 2, 2015 by Banzai99

[snoopy21]

You are lucky! I have been staying here for three years, I still cannot find anyone being trustworthy!

[konying]

just a question, with 6 dogs and in your sidecar, if one of them crap, i am sure you never be responsible of it and go pick it up right ?

Crap where? inside car? and i go to pick it up where?

Lets try to use brain for a change

[hellstens]

You are lucky! I have been staying here for three years, I still cannot find anyone being trustworthy!

Sorry to say, but I think you stay in the wrong place, or maybe you don't smile enough ;-)

I was looking for the Immigration in Rayong many years ago, but I was totally lost, I ask a couple in a track

if they know the way,

He said yes but could not explain the way in English, so he ran before me the 6 kilometers which I drove wrong,

it was completely the wrong way he should go,

I tried to pay the gasoline, but he refused to take any money. and I have many stories about kindness of Thai people

I love this country

Sorry for my English ;-)

Tom.

[richard_smith237]

Thailand is of course full or lovely, kind and wonderful people... This is normal for most of us here.

In fact, I find Thailand not much different from anywhere else, there is always someone ready to offer kind assistance where needed. Its great that for the most part people are inherently good.

Much like anywhere else Thailand also has its negative side; often discussed on this forum and much like anywhere else in the world.

The fact that specific attention has been drawn to these kind acts suggests they may not be the norm, thus creating an ironic and somewhat paradoxical thread... i.e. by outlining on this forum that there are great people here in Thailand also suggests some form of rarity in that its not a daily occurrence to meet great and lovely people (which of course is wrong).

Example: Great food - we are used it, but never feel the need to write about it unless its exceptional or terrible - Thus Great food is the norm in Thailand.

Anyway - Yes, I get the point of the Op: There are too many negative posts and he wishes to address the balance and offer positive examples.

Edited May 2, 2015 by richard_smith237

[MrB2015]

What a great share. Thank you!

There are many good people in Thailand, contrary to what Thai bashers on TV would like to broadcast.

Well done!

[laislica]

Thailand is of course full or lovely, kind and wonderful people... This is normal for most of us here.

In fact, I find Thailand not much different from anywhere else, there is always someone ready to offer kind assistance where needed. Its great that for the most part people are inherently good.

Much like anywhere else Thailand also has its negative side; often discussed on this forum and much like anywhere else in the world.

The fact that specific attention has been drawn to these kind acts suggests they may not be the norm, thus creating an ironic and somewhat paradoxical thread... i.e. by outlining on this forum that there are great people here in Thailand also suggests some form of rarity in that its not a daily occurrence to meet great and lovely people (which of course is wrong).

Example: Great food - we are used it, but never feel the need to write about it unless its exceptional or terrible - Thus Great food is the norm in Thailand.

Anyway - Yes, I get the point of the Op: There are too many negative posts and he wishes to address the balance and offer positive examples.

And the result is that quite a number pf us have also posted a similar example of their own experience of .Thainess.

The Thai family that I am now a part of take care of my wife and I in so many ways it would be impossible to detail.

They are wonderful.

Did you notice that when they ask How are you, they actually listen with interest?

[Rooo]

Troll post removed.

[Eddy B]

I had a similar experience about 5 years ago. I had a pet dog and she had just turned about 8 months old. I never took her out for walks in the soi as too many stray aggressive dogs around. I did let her go out in the front garden everyday for a sniff around or take her to the park. On one occasion I let her out into the front yard my wife had come home laden with shopping so I went out to help her take it into the house and we forgot to lock the gate. After about 30 minutes of putting food away, she asked me were was the dog and I told her she was in the front. That's when I realized what we had not locked the gate. Rushed out and the dog is no where to be found. Myself and the wife both jump on our motorbikes and are zipping around the neighborhood looking for it. After 20 minutes of searching I find her. She had been hit by a car and she had been killed. So I pull the bike over, run out into the road to pick her up. There is no way I can drive the motorbike with the dog in my hands, so I just sit there on the the side of the road, obviously I am very sad now. An old Thai man riding one of the bikes seen around the markets with a cargo area on the front stops. He motions for me to put the dog in the front, asks me in Thai where I live. I tell him in Thai and he tells me to drive home. I ride back to my home and in 10 minutes he arrives. I tried to offer him money to say thank you but he just gives me an understanding look and waves my offer of money away. I took my dogs body from the front of his bicycle, he nods and rides away. I still see him from time to time and I always wai to him and he always gives me the nod of acknowledgement. Like anywhere in the world there are some very nice people and some absolute a#$holes, usually the ones with the least to give are the ones who give the most. Just my 2 cents to the OP's topic

[thaibeachlovers]

Yes, some good people in Thailand just as in any country.