In a sense this is an absurd topic, but I have to find out if it's just me.!

My hearing is not what it used to be but I'm pretty well OK in general terms.

Anyway, I have three doorbells on my gateposts - Bedroom, living room, study. All work perfectly. However, I have had two instances recently where the postman has left a card in my postbox to go to Naklua to pick up a registered letter/packet. He didn't ring any of the bells!.

My neighbour (Thai) told me that he just pips his horn once and then leaves the card. I've also noticed that some workmen were rattling the gate when my landlady had sent them round to do a job. It's a good job I looked.

Don't the Thais like door bells?. My landlady is going to do me asign in Thai saying 'ring the bell".

Apols for the moan, it's just irritating.

First,book a hearing test and establish the extent of any hearing loss, The result might explain away the various problems you have encountered. I now wear hearing aids on both ears but I was blissfully unaware of any hearing loss until I had my hearing tested. Life with bilateral hearing aids is infinitely better than what you are missing through hearing loss.

Better have that sign read "ring the bell once".

Otherwise they'll stand there pushing the button like kids on Halloween.

Thais are scared of electricity & with good reason given the number of fatalities per week.

The postman came here last week. He rang the doorbell but I was on the PC in my office. It didn't take me more than 10 seconds to get up, walk across the living room and out onto the patio but he'd already gone, and oddly he didn't bother leaving a card so I have no idea why he called.

The only people that seem to use our bell are the Pizza guys, otherwise it's beeping horns or just shouting over the gate.....

Our postie sounds his horn and rings our bell, but that's only if something has to be signed for.

Thanks for those replies. I really do think it's a cultural thing. About 3 weeks ago I had a delivery from Lazada. I heard the lorry stop outside but was in my study, out of view, in the process of finishing an e mail. So, maybe 1/2 minute delay before I appeared at the front doorand the guy was standing by the gate - next to the bell. He couldn't have known I had heard his lorry turn up!.

My excuse for the postman is that the post box is on the other side of the gate to the bell.

I'm not Thai bashing at all. Maybe in the rural parts of this country, where many Pattaya Thai's originate, doorbells just don't exist. Hence no automatic reaction.

Anyway, thanks again. I don't want to labour this issue, I just find it bizzare!.