THAI TALK

Stop phubbing, put down that phone, and start talking!

Suthichai Yoon
The Nation 

 

BANGKOK: -- I’m confident it’s only a matter of time before Bangkok activists appear on the streets to demand that the government follows what South Korea has done: Launch a safety campaign over smartphone-related collisions between pedestrians and vehicles.

 

There are no available statistics here in Thailand - and even there were we wouldn't lend them credence, since "we don't want to be confused by facts" - but I am pretty sure that things here are as bad or worse than in Seoul.

South Korea has installed the first batch of 300 warning signs to stop people glued to their smartphones from walking into busy traffic. 

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Stop-phubbing-put-down-that-phone-and-start-talkin-30297528.html

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2016-10-13

Very silly!

 

The higher and higher number of accidents, especially fatal ones would reduce the number of people being glued to their smartphones - Law of Evolution, Charles Darwin.

I have to say I find Thai people in general to have the least spatial awareness around them than any other nation I know. When glued to their phones it becomes even worse. With a nation that doesn't walk straight or even look in the direction they are going, the distraction of a phone only amplifies the situation.

I can't see this every becoming law though. You have more chance of getting cars and motorbikes driving on the right side of the road than this ever happening.

It really is amazing how many people walk around with their heads down, hands encumbered holding onto that smart phone as if it is their oxygen lifeline.  Mindless sheep. Having voiced my opinion, I will state a fact;  At Northrop Grumman, one of the USA's biggest aerospace corporations, the largest type of accidents in the workplace has now become "Distracted walking", I think is the term they use

What about the car drivers doing the same thing?

 

In my home country of Australia it is a mandatory 8,000 baht fine and a loss of 4 demerit points. Do it 3 times and get caught and you lose your license.

 

Thais aren't that much different from other Nationalities, the only thing that will make them stop using their phones when driving is hit them where it hurts, in the pocket. Fine them heavily, keep on doing it and suspend their licenses.

 

 

Edited October 13, 20169 yr by bmanly

6 minutes ago, bmanly said:

What about the car drivers doing the same thing?

 

In my home country of Australia it is a mandatory 8,000 baht fine and a loss of 4 demerit points. Do it 3 times and get caught and you lose your license.

 

Thais aren't that much different from other Nationalities, the only thing that will make them stop using their phones when driving is hit them where it hurts, in the pocket. Fine them heavily, keep on doing it and suspend their licenses.

 

 

 

You are talking about the Land of 500 baht Fines...

I am more bothered by the people who can't carry a conversation with you;  zoning out every other minute, back to the phone, and you have to wait for them to return to the talk. Even good friends. I check my phone when I have time to deal with it.

Many Thais in the Street have always had a tendency to walk in very "rambling crooked line" . Add the phone in the mix and it's a recipe for accidents. Often have to shout "looking!!!" or have an idiot bang into you


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

It is now recognized as an worldwide  epidemic. What we have is a failure to communicate except by SMS and FB.

44 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

I am more bothered by the people who can't carry a conversation with you;  zoning out every other minute, back to the phone, and you have to wait for them to return to the talk. Even good friends. I check my phone when I have time to deal with it.

It's funny but really concerning to see what you describe.

I had a dinner with a female friend and she drew my attention to an adjacent table where four young women were eating together but all were on their phones and there was absolutely no conversation.

 

What's the point of meeting people, in this case supposedly for a meal, then completely ignore each other ?

I suppose they could have been sending each other messages !     

 

Maybe I've been fortunate and only once had to tell someone that if she was more interested in playing with their phone I'd happily go and leave her to it. I'm quite sure she had no idea why I was annoyed.

Edited October 13, 20169 yr by NongKhaiKid

3 hours ago, webfact said:

300 warning signs to stop people glued to their smartphones from walking into busy traffic. 

Why cater to digital idiots? They want to walk into traffic, let them.

48 minutes ago, NongKhaiKid said:

 

 

Maybe I've been fortunate and only once had to tell someone that if she was more interested in playing with their phone I'd happily go and leave her to it. I'm quite sure she had no idea why I was annoyed.

I've even had fellow male friends do it to me. Out on a power walk then he stops to view/send line messages. Told him he will be walking on his own from now on as I won't be stopping. Real weird, is it really that important to send a sticker right there and then, can't they wait? 

 I take daily walks down the beach, noticing the hordes on their smartphones, tablets. I have such an urge to go ask them "Why do you come here? You could stay at home in toilet with door shut and have same experience!"

 I do recall interview with British neuroscientist and her warnings (which will go unheeded) that our brains are being rewired by all this crap. Social skills and awareness of place will atrophy at the very least. In ten? twenty? years people may ask "How could we have been so stupid? Why didn't we see this coming?"

See this every where. Just look at shopping centres and check out how many people are glued to their phones. I can envisage in the future that the ability to speak will be lost. It will be evolution at work. Skills are lost if not used. Cannot just blame the young ones either. See many of the older folk just as bad.

1 hour ago, NongKhaiKid said:

It's funny but really concerning to see what you describe.

I had a dinner with a female friend and she drew my attention to an adjacent table where four young women were eating together but all were on their phones and there was absolutely no conversation.

 

What's the point of meeting people, in this case supposedly for a meal, then completely ignore each other ?

I suppose they could have been sending each other messages !     

 

Maybe I've been fortunate and only once had to tell someone that if she was more interested in playing with their phone I'd happily go and leave her to it. I'm quite sure she had no idea why I was annoyed.

 

Also annoying:

 

Last year I had a small group of three female bachelor students ask me why I don't put all exam / assignment instructions on a facebook page or on an SMS.  All Thai, It's a full English language program. All comprehend, speak and write very good to perfect English, otherwise they can't start the program.

 

I responded 'why can't you listen to the spoken instructions' (which are already in the course syllabus document)?

 

All three girls looked at me in disbelief - and at the same time they were all texting to other people.

 

On other occasions I've asked bachelor students 'do you think you can walk around the office or factory etc., all day playing games and texting to friends?' common answer 'why not?'

 

Another - If the boss is talking at a meeting and giving details of a strategy or detailed instructions etc., should you listen and stop texting and stop checking shopping sites etc? Common answer 'Why can't the boss send an SMS?'

 

Another - Boss says 'why are you sitting at your desk playing games and texting on your smartphone, you know the company rules, you must leave your phone in your personal locker, you cannot bring it to your desk'. One answer 'but it's OK because this is my second phone.' 

 

3 hours ago, kingalfred said:

Many Thais in the Street have always had a tendency to walk in very "rambling crooked line" . Add the phone in the mix and it's a recipe for accidents. Often have to shout "looking!!!" or have an idiot bang into you


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

 

'Gave up on this ages ago, and now tend to just let them collide.  The difference is I'm ready for it; they're usually not.  'Seen a few phones dropped that way.  What a shame...

 

The addiction to phones is now a train that's simply left the station.  And now they're running around playing Pokemon?  My guess is it's probably gonna' get worse before it gets any better.

3 hours ago, NongKhaiKid said:

It's funny but really concerning to see what you describe.

I had a dinner with a female friend and she drew my attention to an adjacent table where four young women were eating together but all were on their phones and there was absolutely no conversation.

 

What's the point of meeting people, in this case supposedly for a meal, then completely ignore each other ?

I suppose they could have been sending each other messages !     

 

Maybe I've been fortunate and only once had to tell someone that if she was more interested in playing with their phone I'd happily go and leave her to it. I'm quite sure she had no idea why I was annoyed.

 

You can go into ANY restaurant in BKK and 8 out of 10 tables are ALL playing on their phone..also many cardrivers are doing it.

16 hours ago, bmanly said:

What about the car drivers doing the same thing?

 

In my home country of Australia it is a mandatory 8,000 baht fine and a loss of 4 demerit points. Do it 3 times and get caught and you lose your license.

 

Thais aren't that much different from other Nationalities, the only thing that will make them stop using their phones when driving is hit them where it hurts, in the pocket. Fine them heavily, keep on doing it and suspend their licenses.

 

 

Here in the USA it is illegal to text and drive in most states but every morning I see dozens texting or otherwise tapping on their phones as they drive.  I wish there were a hotline where one could quickly snap a photo and report them somehow.  The only good thing is the messages are electronically available and should some accident happen, you bet the first thing my attorney and I will be doing is getting those records.