do you like thai time

[opalred]

been here 14yrs and still get annoyed with there time

say they will say meet at 12 oclock turn up 3 oclock

even govt office make a time wait 1hr never say sorry

people do work for you say 8oclock will turn up 9 or10 arrive

wife just says settle down its thai time?

grrrr

[Rob13]

Hate it, what's the point of making an appointment if you have no intention of keeping it. Bad business.

Edited May 28, 2016 by Rob13

[willyumiii]

When I was working and trying to maintain a schedule, it drove me crazy.

Now that I have retired, I just remind myself that I do not need to do anything I don't want to do and have any important schedule to follow....

I just smile about it.

[Laughing Gravy]

Just reverse it back. Turn up the same time late for the next appointment. Mai pen rai! Everyone is happy.

[pgrahmm]

I'm pretty lucky in that regard.....If there is a timeframe we (4) are usually out the door in time.....

My wife worked for a Japanese company that imposed deadlines & expectations.....

I have always been a 15 minute early person as it equals respect.....

We are rarely late....When we are it gnaws at me - taking me back to my US days prior to here.....Where every stop light & traffic gnarl became a personal affront.....

Glad I'm here - the price/consequences are lessened at an individual level.....

[Don Mega]

I think its great.

If I set a meeting for 1pm I know they aint gunna show till 4pm and plan the day accordingly.

If Iam called to a meeting I simply do not show up at all..

When asked about the no show.... "thai time" is the reply.

Edited May 28, 2016 by Don Mega

[i claudius]

Just make an appointment an hour earlier,then turn up the time you intended

[rocketboybkk]

If people keep me waiting an hour with contact or a decent excuse then they're gone

If it's business they lose

Simple

Why worry, you make your own rules

Up to you

Like it or moan about it

Get over it & stop writing about it

More in like to worry about

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[lostinisaan]

You wrote that you're living here for so long but you don't know why it is as it is? It's the loss of face.

Here's an example:

You make an appointment with a guy to get your aicon fixed at let's say 2 pm.

But the guy never shows up, nor is he calling you. But he comes the next day and acts as nothing went wrong.

The problem is that most people believe when they say no and that they've already got an appointment, it wouldn't be good to say, sorry, could we do that a day later? So they say yes, knowing that they can't make it. it's really only the loss of face.

But better to have people around me who believe in loss of face than some foreigners who're telling me that they were soo rich back home and want to "borrow" 2 K, or more for a day. But you never see your money again. Was there, done that. never again.

Please don't blame the people for it, we've decided to live here and should understand their culture and we should also learn their language.

A German guy who's so upset about the "time issue", then a flower seller charged 10 baht more and he continued to bash Thais up and down until i told him to shut the <deleted> up and go back home to Germoney.

He really wanted to go for a fight knowing that i wasn't alone and had three biker friends with me.

I'm sometimes wondering why people always complain, always talk bad about the country and its people. Some tell you how "crazy Thais are" because they can't speak English.

When you ask them how long they've been living here and they tell you 15 years, but can't even order a noodle soup in Thai without having wifey, then I know who the stupid person really is.

Edited May 28, 2016 by lostinisaan

[marko kok prong]

Example; i had to meet my ex wife at the ampur to do something,will meet you at 10 am,10 am comes,no show,call her," where are you"

" at home', "i said meet at 10" "i leave now",infuriating. She finally arrives at 10.45 i have been waiting in the heat. So far my new girlfriend seems better,but generally it is just a national trait,i do try now not to get worked up about it.

[optad]

I think its great.

If I set a meeting for 1pm I know they aint gunna show till 4pm and plan the day accordingly.

If Iam called to a meeting I simply do not show up at all..

When asked about the no show.... "thai time" is the reply.

I envy you.

I am not calibrated that way, possibly too literal.

[chowny77]

Were I am working I have a colleague who was always rushing about to get to class. I keep telling him to chill and give it 5 minutes between classes as our students do not stay in one room but have to move from one room to a different room. I think now after one semester he has finally got the understanding that the students will 99.9% of the time will never be in the class at the time they are scheduled. It does work both ways though, sometimes it is nice to not have to rush around but if it is something important it can be annoying. I guess it all depends on the situation.

[BuaBS]

I love Thai time : No summer time , no winter time , not losing an hour or resetting any clocks.

I like being 5 to 6 hours ahead of europe.

Edited May 29, 2016 by BuaBS

[robblok]

To be honest I don't like it but accept it if the reason is good enough. Today I had to wait 35 minutes before I could start diner with my dad as our guest arrived late. She told me it was business related and I know she was speaking the truth. I was ok with it though a bit of heads up a bit earlier would have been better. If I had been alone there I might have been irritated but I was with my dad so no problems had a nice conversation.

[Donutz]

Generally not a problem, most Thai friends and family would be on time. My late wife would stress to be on time and if we might be departing or running a bit late and I said "mai pen rai" give me that look and tell me that people need to stick to what was agreed upon. No experience with appointments for services as we only visited for holidays to enjoy the country and ofcourse for my wife to see her family and friends.

[eldragon]

When asked about the no show.... "thai time" is the reply.

I usually say I was eating. They seem pretty understanding of hunger.

[eldragon]

You wrote that you're living here for so long but you don't know why it is as it is? It's the loss of face.

Here's an example:

You make an appointment with a guy to get your aicon fixed at let's say 2 pm.

But the guy never shows up, nor is he calling you. But he comes the next day and acts as nothing went wrong.

The problem is that most people believe when they say no and that they've already got an appointment, it wouldn't be good to say, sorry, could we do that a day later? So they say yes, knowing that they can't make it. it's really only the loss of face.

They say yes bc it's what people want to hear. Theyre not even thinking about their schedule yet, or wether they can really do what they just agreed to. The loss of face part comes in when they show up the next day and act like they didnt miss an appointment.

[KMartinHandyman]

My wife is punctual that's all I care about.

[MyFrenU]

The Thais used to tell me I was always late,now I'm worried!

[Bangkokazy]

People who not come on time, don`t respect you. Thais do not respect falang

Edited June 2, 2016 by Bangkokazy

[AZBill]

Now that I'm winding down my working career and taking it easy I appreciate their concept of time. As a lifelong Buddhist myself I have always viewed it less linear and more circular. But western culture forces a linear view on us. But now that I'm out of the rat race nowhere I really have to be unless I want to be. And when I do go somewhere I don't worry about being anywhere else.

[manfredtillmann]

when i was a newbie to this country, i heard about 'thai - time' and expected the worst. i have experienced 'fiji - time', i thought, it must be similar.

so far, in thailand, i have never had a single 'let - down', every one of my appointments with private cars, taxis or tuk - tuk's were met with punctuality, almost every time transport arrived well ahead of the appointment time.

i am a punctuality freak (yes, i know, german etc., flame me for it...) i have been late less than 5 times in my life - and not one of those times was due to a thai let - down.