All I get, in Thai, is "America cold?" and "America hot?", depending on the time of year.

All I get, in Thai, is "America cold?" and "America hot?", depending on the time of year.

You're lucky ... I've met Thais who think the USA is all a cold country like Norway.

I am not having a go at you but it is a sweeping statement and if you refined it to something else like g/f or wife's or non family members. Anyway to answer my wife always wants to know about my home country, UK much more than I do in fact. I do get other Thais interested but they are people who travel a lot around the world.

Agree. Why would a complete stranger or even an acquaintance be the least interested in the OP's home country? Come to think of it, why would they be interested in anything the OP has to say....from the sounds of it.

In Europe most people ARE interested in where a foreigner that they meet, comes from.

You ask why?

Intellectual curiosity perhaps?

They love talking about the English premier league all 5 teams Liverpool,Man Utd,Chelsea,Arsenal and Man City.

They haven't a clue who and where West Brom play.

I was in the back of a tuk tuk in Khon Kaen years ago and the old boy driving asked where I was from. I answered England and after more prodding said Norwich. Thinking I'd get a blank look he said " Ah Kevin Keelan." I nearly fell out of the bloody tuk tuk.

Been even more shocking if he had started singing this old favourite.

In the days to call, which we have left behind,

Our boyhood’s glorious game,

And our youthful vigour has declined

With its mirth and its lonesome end;

You will think of the time, the happy time,

Its memories fond recall

When in the bloom of your youthful prime

We’ve kept upon the ball

Kick off, throw in, have a little scrimmage,

Keep it low, a splendid rush, bravo, win or die;

On the ball, City, never mind the danger,

Steady on, now’s your chance,

Hurrah! We’ve scored a goal.

Let all tonight then drink with me

To the football game we love,

And wish it may successful be

As other games of old,

And in one grand united toast

Join player, game and song

And fondly pledge your pride and toast

Success to the City club.

Kick off, throw in, have a little scrimmage,

Keep it low, a splendid rush, bravo, win or die;

On the ball, City, never mind the danger,

Steady on, now’s your chance,

Hurrah! We’ve scored a goal.

How much welfare does one get?

How long to become a citizen and get a passport?

Am I married and do I want to meet their daughter?

I think many of them think it is just one big Prathet Farang

Always ask the wife where I'm from, she responds "ang git", then I get the double thumbs up.

Must know more than I do about the place because a single thumbs up is more than justified to be polite.

No more than that.

Many of our best Thai friends have traveled more that we have so I think it depends on who you associate with.

Many of our best Thai friends have traveled more that we have so I think it depends on who you associate with.

Yup - meeting one tomorrow night who is on tour of Italy, Switzerland, Germany and the UK.

Some of these guys will be shocked to hear that many Thais are RICHER AND BETTER TRAVELED THAN THEY ARE.

No. In fact, I'd say in general Thais are not curious about foreigners and they don't care what we think. Or it seems that way. Even with ones that speak English well. I don't know. Maybe they just have poor conversation skills. Or they don't talk about the same things. Or they're just not comfortable having deep conversations with foreigners. But I know foreigners that speak Thai rather well and they say the conversation rarely goes beyond food and "Do you have a girlfriend." My frank opinion though is most Thais are kinda immature by the rest of the world's standards, and the intellectual ones largely don't want to be associated with us.

The culture here is not known for its high level of intellectual curiosity. Sure I get asked sometimes what country but I think that's usually about which stereotype box to put people in rather than learning anything new.

True enough, but I notice that when I return to the US for a visit none of my friends/family ask about life in Thailand. I don't think many people have intellectual curiosity. It's disappointing.

Seems that some TV posters are also not known for their high level of intellectual curiosity. I find the same as you,when I visit the EU.

When I visit Germany next month,they will be asking me if I can buy the VW scandal software in BKK for them? as Germany and the EU have banned it.

Yes.

I am from The U.S and many Thais want to go there.

They are always surprised, but pleased when I tell them I prefer living in Thailand.

They only want to go there to earn good money and then come home to Thailand.

I don't blame them at all.

Being asked questions may depend on what country you are from.

Some countries just are not very interesting or significant.

Many of our best Thai friends have traveled more that we have so I think it depends on who you associate with.

Yup - meeting one tomorrow night who is on tour of Italy, Switzerland, Germany and the UK.

Some of these guys will be shocked to hear that many Thais are RICHER AND BETTER TRAVELED THAN THEY ARE.

Many meaning some but not most. Let's be realistic here. Most foreigners do not associate with hi-so Thais. Good for you guys- and anyone else- if you do, but those people are not really reflective of the nation as a whole anyway.

Knowing I'm Australian they ask often if I play football...European football.

So many times, and no one thinks to check what we Aussies in the south play.....a much harder and faster game than that played by any other Farang (Union not included).

They have no idea about any of my past or home and this includes many of the so called intelligent well educated Thais.

"They have no idea about any of my past or home and this includes many of the so called intelligent well educated Thais."

Now who's intelligence and education is in question regarding the above?

Many of our best Thai friends have traveled more that we have so I think it depends on who you associate with.

Yup - meeting one tomorrow night who is on tour of Italy, Switzerland, Germany and the UK.

Some of these guys will be shocked to hear that many Thais are RICHER AND BETTER TRAVELED THAN THEY ARE.

Most of them expose their naivety by their intellectual comments on others.

Many of our best Thai friends have traveled more that we have so I think it depends on who you associate with.

Yup - meeting one tomorrow night who is on tour of Italy, Switzerland, Germany and the UK.

Some of these guys will be shocked to hear that many Thais are RICHER AND BETTER TRAVELED THAN THEY ARE.

Many meaning some but not most. Let's be realistic here. Most foreigners do not associate with hi-so Thais. Good for you guys- and anyone else- if you do, but those people are not really reflective of the nation as a whole anyway.

In any country the hi-so will of course associate mostly with their peers.

Loaded with money does not necessarily imply one been hi-so.

This I guess is the main reason for a lot of rantings.

They love talking about the English premier league all 5 teams Liverpool,Man Utd,Chelsea,Arsenal and Man City.

They haven't a clue who and where West Brom play.

You forgot their favourite Leicester

Being asked questions may depend on what country you are from.

Some countries just are not very interesting or significant.

Let me guess.

Yours is different, yes?

You come from an interesting country, right?

What a coincidence.

double

In Europe most people ARE interested in where a foreigner that they meet, comes from.

You ask why?

Intellectual curiosity perhaps?

What on Earth are you talking about? I meet people from all over the world and I don't immediately ask them "what's your country like?" That would be an insanely stupid question. I may ask about certain aspects of a country, but only if it's relevant to the conversation. Some of you guys throwing around the term "intellectual curiosity" don't even know what it means.

Many of our best Thai friends have traveled more that we have so I think it depends on who you associate with.

Yup - meeting one tomorrow night who is on tour of Italy, Switzerland, Germany and the UK.

Some of these guys will be shocked to hear that many Thais are RICHER AND BETTER TRAVELED THAN THEY ARE.

Many meaning some but not most. Let's be realistic here. Most foreigners do not associate with hi-so Thais. Good for you guys- and anyone else- if you do, but those people are not really reflective of the nation as a whole anyway.

Hi-So? Hi-So?

Who's talking about Hi-So?

I'm talking about middle-class Thais and there are millions of them.

In Europe most people ARE interested in where a foreigner that they meet, comes from.

You ask why?

Intellectual curiosity perhaps?

What on Earth are you talking about? I meet people from all over the world and I don't immediately ask them "what's your country like?" That would be an insanely stupid question. I may ask about certain aspects of a country, but only if it's relevant to the conversation. Some of you guys throwing around the term "intellectual curiosity" don't even know what it means.

I did say "most Europeans".

That leaves room for exceptions, I am not the one that generalizes all the time.

I was not talking about people like you.

double again

Many of our best Thai friends have traveled more that we have so I think it depends on who you associate with.

Yup - meeting one tomorrow night who is on tour of Italy, Switzerland, Germany and the UK.

Some of these guys will be shocked to hear that many Thais are RICHER AND BETTER TRAVELED THAN THEY ARE.

Many meaning some but not most. Let's be realistic here. Most foreigners do not associate with hi-so Thais. Good for you guys- and anyone else- if you do, but those people are not really reflective of the nation as a whole anyway.

Hi-So? Hi-So?

Who's talking about Hi-So?

I'm talking about middle-class Thais and there are millions of them.

Hi-sos kinda a vague term. To me it's always meant "not lo-so". So that includes the middle class. But whatever. I'm just saying a majority of the Thais your average foreigner interacts with here have not traveled that much. And it doesn't really matter anyway. I generally find Thais- regardless of their class and language ability, or number of stamps in their passport- seem like they don't know what to say to us.

Many of our best Thai friends have traveled more that we have so I think it depends on who you associate with.

Yup - meeting one tomorrow night who is on tour of Italy, Switzerland, Germany and the UK.

Some of these guys will be shocked to hear that many Thais are RICHER AND BETTER TRAVELED THAN THEY ARE.

Many meaning some but not most. Let's be realistic here. Most foreigners do not associate with hi-so Thais. Good for you guys- and anyone else- if you do, but those people are not really reflective of the nation as a whole anyway.

Hi-So? Hi-So?

Who's talking about Hi-So?

I'm talking about middle-class Thais and there are millions of them.

But not upcountry..

Actually this is a language barrier. If OP do not speak the language and want to communicate in English do not expect Thais to ask you a lot of questions in English unless they are highly educated and almost fluent in the language .

A simple conversation with a Thai _

Where u from ? Norway. What you do there? Work xxxxxx. You earn good money ? Yes . When you go back ? Not sure .

Ok , we go eat now.

Quite a few respondents here seem to be implying that the Thais are somehow diminished or otherwise worse off for not engaging us in discourse about our homelands.

How ridiculous

Lord knows I'm not even remotely curious about most of the aging, poorly-dressed and seemingly sex-starved foreigners I see drinking to excess and running around with tattooed prostitutes.

Why should the Thais be?

Quite a few respondents here seem to be implying that the Thais are somehow diminished or otherwise worse off for not engaging us in discourse about our homelands.

How ridiculous

Lord knows I'm not even remotely curious about most of the aging, poorly-dressed and seemingly sex-starved foreigners I see drinking to excess and running around with tattooed prostitutes.

Why should the Thais be?

So you think that the posters who say that Thais show no interest in their home countries are aging poorly dressed sex starved excessively drinking prostitute customers?

The culture here is not known for its high level of intellectual curiosity. Sure I get asked sometimes what country but I think that's usually about which stereotype box to put people in rather than learning anything new.

maybe you haven't met enough thai people yet