Thai attitude to foreigners: An all time low?

[mike111]

I've been visiting Thailand for the past decade or so, and I've seen the "warm" Thai hospitality gradually eroding. However, this year it seems like the Thai attitude to foreigners has a hit an all time low.

 

- Shop staff stopped saying "Thank you" or showing any gratitude when purchasing in shops. They simply hand over the money and receipt. I've never seen anything like that even in 1st world countries.

 

- Asking a laundry shop staff when can they do the laundry. Staff doesn't even bother looking at you while talking, she just says "I busy" while checking  her phone or whatever. Incredibly rude.

 

Anyone else noticed this, or have I just experienced a string of unfortunate incidents?

 

Cheers 

[anotheruser]

This is going to end well...

[beachproperty]

So you went to a few shops where they didn't say thank-you....And  one laundry shop where the women was busy and didn't kiss your ass.

For a tourist in touristy areas to make generalization about all the Thai's....Well that's just stupid

 

Have lived here for over 10 Years and NO I haven't seen Thai attitudes gradually eroding......But maybe that's because I don't live in a touristy area.

[onemorechang]

Most despise  us deep down in this town

( this wont last long 10 minutes maybe )

 

[Jingthing]

As I've lived here a  long time sometimes it's like being a frog in water that's being very slowly brought to a boil. But, yes, I think you're probably on to something that is real. 

[KittenKong]

14 minutes ago, onemorechang said:

Most despise  us deep down in this town

 

It's mostly mutual.

[phycokiller]

was pretty bad 10 years ago, many shops i went into to inquire prices I was told not to come back to because i didnt buy something, and I have observed them swearing at customers as they walk away if they dont buy something. not all were like that and they were naturally the ones that got my business. Im in cambodia now and  they  have no problem thanking you even when you dont buy, just like a normal person would. makes life much easier when you dont have to worry about them letting loose on you. Im not sure why thais are like that, I guess they are just extremely sensitive and easily insulted because they lack the mental faculties to rationally think things through

 

to add to that, Im not suggesting this is an anti foreigner thing, its very likely they do it to each other as well

[mesterm]

Yes, a lot of them really can't be bothered with dealing with foreigners these days. Maybe we're disturbing them by giving work to do during their smartphone use.

[OMGImInPattaya]

Must be just you...I get very courteous service just about everywhere..when did you last bath? Of course,  being a resident, I don't do much business in the tourist precincts so maybe that's a factor. 

[Rc2702]

Went to hua hin for a weekend last year during closed season and experienced that rude behaviour from most shops etc but I noticed in 711 they were not even greeting anyone as they walked into shop. Went to PKK a week later what a difference a few km makes. Beautiful everything.

[colinneil]

It is not only foreigners who get treated badly in some shops, many Thai people get the same shoddy ignorant behavior from some shop staff/owners.

[anotheruser]

[KhunBENQ]

It's well placed in the Pattaya forum

It's the same all over the world: too many foreigners, too many seedy characters among them will spoil the mood.

 

[MissAndry]

9 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

It's well placed in the Pattaya forum

It's the same all over the world: too many foreigners, too many seedy characters among them will spoil the mood.

 

 

Everyone in London is very polite, I was surprised at how generally rude Thais are to customers.

It was an unexpected shock to me when I arrived here. Much more polite in the Philippines too.

[Dexlowe]

In recent trips to Rayong, Si Racha and Chon Buri town I've noticed a clear difference in the attitudes of staff and people in general to Pattaya and Jomtien. I have no idea of what attitudes are like in other major tourist places like Phuket and Hua Hin, but certainly Pattaya is clearly going down hill. I can still elicit smiles from staff here when I make the effort to be friendly, but the reaction of indifference is so much more frequent these days that I seldom make the effort to be polite and friendly. It makes me want to start drinking again so I can be ripped off with a smile for a change.   

[richard_smith237]

IMO - We (foreigners) are treated with the same level of indifference with which Thai's treat each other.... 

 

It's pretty much the same anywhere else, the general approach to life is wide and varied...  In Thailand this approach takes on an additional facet as language issues enter the fray... both Thai's and Westerners all handle communication difficulties differently...

 

I have not observed any change in Social Climate with regards to the general popularity or tolerance of Westerners in Thailand.

 

For the most part I see that Thai's in general are intelligent enough to judge each of us on merit.

 

I feel I am treated by Thai's quite normally, there is no need for extra special service, neither is there any need for animosity....  that said, people do differ, there are good days, bad days and excellent days !

 

 

(EDIT: My post was based on experiences in Bangkok - which I understand would differ significant to areas of such high tourist population and footfall)

 

 

 

[Scotwight]

Farangs get paid more money as teachers, hookers and engineers to name a few inequities.  Farangs always get a better deal than Thai people after immigration status is secured.  The only people treated poorly here usually deserve it.  Be a loudmouthed know it all in a bar and go on about 5 Thais beating up one Farang and that's what will happen.  When Thais want to build an airport, mass transit system or a skyscraper do they hire Thais?

[Dexlowe]

Agree to a certain extent, Richard. I think most of us who live in the Pattaya area notice the difference when we venture out into the real world. But even in Bangkok the attitude can be a bit of a lottery, although there is a subtle difference in my experience: in Bangkok, the attitude is more "big city blues", whereas in Pattaya, which is a city, it's more of an aggressive "me first" attitude - less general respect all round for others because everyone is in a hurry to make money or satisfy their own urges, and as such feel no sense of "community" here or need to be polite. An "I'm only here today and gone tomorrow, so stuff you all" attitude, perhaps?  I'm sure it's not a situation of bad foreigners - I can count on one hand the number of objectionable foreigners I've seen in the past few years.

[Suradit69]

I find people to be as friendly as they've always been. I don't expect anyone to run before me throwing rose petals in my path or to drop to their knees wai-ing me when I drop off some laundry.

 

Anyone can have a bad day. Some people are working 12 hours a day with no days off and still manage to be amazingly nice despite crap for pay. 

 

People I know personally or in other situations than store clerks or service personnel are still as friendly as they've ever been. 

 

I even commented to a friend yesterday that he always seemed happy and his response was simply "would you rather I cry all the time?" And I know he has more than his share of relentless problems to deal with.

[elgordo38]

1 hour ago, phycokiller said:

was pretty bad 10 years ago, many shops i went into to inquire prices I was told not to come back to because i didnt buy something, and I have observed them swearing at customers as they walk away if they dont buy something. not all were like that and they were naturally the ones that got my business. Im in cambodia now and  they  have no problem thanking you even when you dont buy, just like a normal person would. makes life much easier when you dont have to worry about them letting loose on you. Im not sure why thais are like that, I guess they are just extremely sensitive and easily insulted because they lack the mental faculties to rationally think things through

 

to add to that, Im not suggesting this is an anti foreigner thing, its very likely they do it to each other as well

Yes I have noticed this to. As soon as you pick up an article and ask the price they go straight to the cash register and feel slighted if you do not purchase. 

[Dexlowe]

^^^ Which people are as friendly as they have always been? I, too, can say there are people who remain friendly, but I can also say with great certainty that the number of these people is declining around here.  As I said in another post on this topic, the indifference and sullenness is very palpable - it's not something I'm dreaming up. In the past they also had to put up with crap pay and hours, but still managed to smile. Now, it's just that much harder to elicit that warm response that we used to know and love. I'm curious as to why I'm perceiving this and you are not.

[JHolmesJr]

What do you expect from people who are paid 300baht a day?

[JSixpack]

Well it's commonly a source of profound disappointment here that attitudes and manners just ain't what they still should be and what they were expected to be:

 

 

But no, there's been no change except in yourself. Of course individually a Thai could be having a bad day or just be a tough old bird anyway. Behaviors mentioned in this thread, I've seen since forever.

 

Before I moved here many years ago I learned a few Thai phrases, one of which was "thank you." After a few years I noted to Thai friends that I'd never even heard this phrase spoken by a Thai.   Quite a change from Japan where I'd worked.

 

On the other hand I find that if I use good Thai manners first, give a greeting in Thai and a friendly smile, I almost always get good manners and friendliness in return, even in a tourist-shocked town such as Pattaya. A little joking around goes far, too. So I usually have a pleasant experience. It must be such a relief to perceive that I'm not just another idiot farang of the sort they normally have to deal with here.

[JHolmesJr]

Funnily enough, I always get a genuine Wai and a KKK when I hand over my 1,000 bht the next morning.

[Deli]

Probably lower tomorrow

[JSixpack]

3 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

Funnily enough, I always get a genuine Wai and a KKK when I hand over my 1,000 bht the next morning.

 

That was before she got home and realized you'd stolen it out of her purse while she was in the shower. Heard of that happening.

[samsensam]

if foreign 'tourists' to your country behaved the way foreign 'tourists' behave in thailand would your countrymen and women welcome them with open arms?

 

that said my thai friends are middle class, well educated professionals, they are genuine, friendly, surprisingly normal, people who enjoy meeting and conversing with english speakers.

[petermik]

9 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

What do you expect from people who are paid 300baht a day?

The same courtesy as when they were on 250 baht a day..

[JHolmesJr]

1 minute ago, JSixpack said:

 

That was before she got home and realized you'd stolen it out of her purse while she was in the shower. Heard of that happening.

 

I usually give it to them when they are at the door and they leave right away….so that is probably a figment of your imagination.

[Emster23]

Somehow let on you are not Russian, maybe sing line or two of song, and that should brighten them up a bit.