Another Nice Experience in Chiang Mai!

[FolkGuitar]

I stopped into a small outdoor Mom&Pop restaurant this afternoon, for a pot of tea, some dessert, and 30 minutes of reading. The place was empty and on a quiet soi in the Old City, so perfect for what I was looking for. But not very comfortable chairs so I guess I was squirming around a bit as I sat there. Anyway, I paid my bill from change in my pocket, thanked the woman, and walked down the soi. I'd gone perhaps 20m when I heard someone calling from behind me. Looking back, I saw the old woman waving and calling to me, so I went back. It seems that all my squirming around had caused my wallet to fall out of my pocket, and I never knew. Usually, my wallet is attached to my belt with a small, thin chain, but somehow the clasp had become undone and the wallet was able to remain on the chair when I stood up. She saw it when she was bussing the table, ran out into the street to catch me.

This is just one of the wonderful things I like about Chiang Mai's local resident population. I never encountered this sort of behavior in Southern Thailand, but see it often here in the North.

[desi]

I came across it quite a bit in Bangkok. Just try walking around JJ Market with money flapping in your top pocket. You'll get stopped repeatedly by kind Thais telling you to please be careful.

[menzies233]

It is good when you get one of those unexpected surprises, there are a lot of really nice honest decent people here, a lot of the time we only hear the negatives, good to hear your story.

[purushanti]

Very nice!

I had just come across 22 pages here on ThaiVisa where residents of another TH locale have for years been listing good

things as they come across them.

No bashingat all; everything so positive.

And then I came to the CM forum and found this similar upbeat post immediately. Maybe people would like to add by

contributing their own lists hereon,

or for all I know, we have such a topic running already.

[augustwest]

When I first came here I'd give 500 thb instead of 100 they always corrected me. Honesty that I never got at home

[NoshowJones]

It is good when you get one of those unexpected surprises, there are a lot of really nice honest decent people here, a lot of the time we only hear the negatives, good to hear your story.

It is not unusual for someone to run after you when you have forgotten your change, or have forgotten to take an item you have just paid for.

[1FinickyOne]

I left my shoulder bag in a restaurant in that area and 5 minutes later, a few streets away, one of the workers tracked me down on his bicycle… very nice indeed.

[robertthebruce]

I left my shoulder bag in a restaurant in that area and 5 minutes later, a few streets away, one of the workers tracked me down on his bicycle very nice indeed.

Shoulder bag ?? At last tracked down Dick Emery to Thailand.....

[Kannikapor88]

I read about it many many times : Taxidriver return millions of baht to owner that left it in taxi ... very common in Thailand ...

[nicksal37]

I have always found that most Thai people are honest and are ready to help you.Some years ago I accidentally left my girlfriend in a bar and after a short sprint down the road the manager of the bar came running after me, dragging her by the hair.What a caring and honest man he was.

[menzies233]

_{Let's be fair, bash them when they need bashing and point out the positives too, it isn't all one sided. I guess many of the local Thais are subjected to the usual stupidity and conforming to the so called "Hi So"}

_{There are some really good people here, a lot are better than you would meet in your home country, apart from the odd ass hole in general (not Prayuth) they are a pretty good bunch. It always seems the same from wherever you come from, the dogs that aspire to wealth, pretend they have wealth but not quite enough make shit for everyone else. The fur coat no knicker brigade.}

[sawadee1947]

maybe the old woman checked your wallet before she gave it back???? No money in it?

[FolkGuitar]

maybe the old woman checked your wallet before she gave it back???? No money in it?

I had just been to the ATM before lunch. There was at least 5,000 baht that I withdrew, plus 2,000 that I had already. Truth be told, I never even thought to check until I read your post... and it's all here along with the credit cards and driving licenses. I'm afraid I'm not very money-conscious. I really don't pay much attention to it so long as I can pay my bills. LOL!

[uptheos]

I left my shoulder bag in a restaurant in that area and 5 minutes later, a few streets away, one of the workers tracked me down on his bicycle very nice indeed.

Shoulder bag ?? At last tracked down Dick Emery to Thailand.....

Oooh you are awful

[off road pat]

People are not different in the South, just like in Chiang Mai there are all sorts of them.....You were lucky that's all.....

But it has a lot to do with you're behaviour,...If you are a Polite and well behaved person ?....most Thai people will act in the same way! Specially older people.

Best regards.

Edited September 8, 2015 by off road pat

[2fishin2]

People are not different in the South, just like in Chiang Mai there are all sorts of them.....You were lucky that's all.....

But it has a lot to do with you're behaviour,...If you are a Polite and well behaved person ?....most Thai people will act in the same way !

Best regards.

There is a huge difference in southern and northern Thai people. Its very apparent to Thai people also.

[off road pat]

maybe the old woman checked your wallet before she gave it back???? No money in it?

I had just been to the ATM before lunch. There was at least 5,000 baht that I withdrew, plus 2,000 that I had already. Truth be told, I never even thought to check until I read your post... and it's all here along with the credit cards and driving licenses. I'm afraid I'm not very money-conscious. I really don't pay much attention to it so long as I can pay my bills. LOL!

I'm Happy to hear some positive story's....because a lot of positive things happened to me to in the land of smiles....!

[FolkGuitar]

People are not different in the South, just like in Chiang Mai there are all sorts of them.....You were lucky that's all.....

But it has a lot to do with you're behaviour,...If you are a Polite and well behaved person ?....most Thai people will act in the same way !

Best regards.

There is a huge difference in southern and northern Thai people. Its very apparent to Thai people also.

I have to say that I go along with 2fishin2 on this one; I notice a very big difference in interpersonal behavior between the people living south of Hua Hin and those living north of Lopburi. Of course there are nice folks everywhere just as there are nasty people to be found as well, but I'm speaking in generalities. I just find the people in the northern half of the Kingdom far more pleasant to be around and to deal with.

[off road pat]

People are not different in the South, just like in Chiang Mai there are all sorts of them.....You were lucky that's all.....

But it has a lot to do with you're behaviour,...If you are a Polite and well behaved person ?....most Thai people will act in the same way !

Best regards.

There is a huge difference in southern and northern Thai people. Its very apparent to Thai people also.

Of course there is, but not in Honesty, you can as easily be robed in the North, North East as in the South,...and you can meet honest people in the south as in the North....

I personally know great people in both North and South....met some decent people North East and West to....My wife and I travel around Thailand every year.

Best regards,.

[menzies233]

I regularly fill my bike up at the local PTT garage, they are really friendly and just nice people. I however had the misfortune to get a bit low on fuel when I was up in the sticks. I pulled into the local PTT and filled 230 Baht in the bike, handed over 500 and the creepy shit running the pump gave me back 200!

I questioned him, allowing for an honest mistake, but as he handed over the money he tried to STEAL I saw him laughing with his fat ugly friend, they were trying it on, yes there are some filthy scum here, so you need to be wary, but in general, there is more good than bad.

[WorkingTourist]

Of course there is, but not in Honesty […]

A friend of mine bought iced tea in a 7-11 in Krabi, paid the clerk 1,000 Baht and said “keep the change”. She caught up to us on the street, and despite my friend basically repeating that he didn’t want all those coins, she insisted, and said “too much”.

My friend hadn’t realized that he paid with a 1,000 Baht note, so he was a little surprised when she handed him a handful of bills.

[ThaiPauly]

Had just gone through immigration at swampy last month heading to collect my luggage when the immigration officer who had just processed my passport came running through the swarm of people around the conveyor belt clutching my bag of duty frees that I had put down while waiting to be passed through

I was very impressed not to mention grateful

[elgenon]

A friend of mine who works in a bar had a hat she really liked. We went to see her friend who works in another bar, The girl really liked the hat so my friend gave it to her though she doesn't have much and it was a favorite. So sweet and kind.

[NomadRip]

I've seen frantic shop owners running down the street to return people's belongings and credit cards 3 different times in Chiang Mai.

One night at Thapae Gate, I got up off the ground after trying to get a good angle for a photo. I took about 2 steps when it seemed like 6 people from all directions started shouting at me. I nearly crouched into some sort of combat stance thinking I'd done something wrong and was about to be in the restaurant fight scene from Kill Bill.

Then once I heard a word or two, I realized all these people were just trying to tell me my phone fell out of my pocket.

[Konini]

On numerous occasions over the last 6 years, I've had a yellow Hang Dong route songtaew driver either shout very loudly or actually got out of the cab and run after me to give me 10 baht back when I've paid with a 20 and forgotten to indicate that I've done it on purpose and they should keep it, and even then sometimes they still try to give it to me and I will insist.

I don't normally do this kind of thing, and being a Brit I don't hold with tipping, but I'm getting good value and these guys never ever try to rip me off - even the red drivers don't do it that often, but the yellow ones seem to be a totally different breed.

[mascarabertha]

One day I saw a woman who sells lottery tickets put 100 baht in the cup of a blind musician. Another time I saw a guy buy chicken from 5 star and put it it in the grass for a skinny dog at a ptt gas station on rt 118

Another time I saw a driver call over somebody at a red light who was selling those white flowers and gave them 20 baht but refused to take the flowers

[uptheos]

Yes, a nice experience in Chiang Mai, long may it continue.

Nice experiences happen all over the world

[dogpatch55]

Yeah nice to read some good news! Most Thai people are very nice!

[northernjohn]

Twice I have lost my wallet once it fell on the seat of a tuck tuck and abut an hour later he came back and returned it. I had to force a reward on him. Another time I left it in a subway. I had about 20,000 baht and two credit cards in it. They went through the whole wallet and found the business card for where I was staying called them and described me to them and I was notified. Once again I had to force the reward on them.

Edited September 9, 2015 by northernjohn

[houlicha]

Once when I was on the skytrain going from Nana to Patpong, a small boy, maybe 8 or 9, was kind enough to make sure my wallet was secure enough in my back pocket. Since I had been sweating like a pig (natch) it was very secure, and only pulled on my shorts as he tried to remove it. I wanted to thank him as soon as I felt it, but he was running like mad through the crowd. Probably that Asian shyness around strangers.