What is the strangest thing that has happened to you in Thailand

[Bangkok Barry]

 

Many of us see Thailand as an alternative universe. What is the strangest thing that has happened to you while there?

 

For me, one memory is going to buy the Bangkok Post one day at a small shop in the northern outskirts of Bangkok, and they still had the previous days paper on display. When I asked if he had that days paper he said he had but he wasn't selling it as yesterdays hadn't sold out yet.

 

Other things I've experienced are being at a seafood restaurant on a beach which had no fish

A McDonalds that had no beefburgers

A KFC that had no chicken

 

[Kwasaki]

I bought my wife some farmland from her sister and didn't plan on doing anything with it for while just fenced it off but 3 months later noticed all the trees had been cut down,  on enquiry to what's going on her sister told my wife we sold you the land not the trees.   

 

Wife did get a share of wood sale. 

[Fookhaht]

I bought my wife some farmland from her sister and didn't plan on doing anything with it for while just fenced it off but 3 months later noticed all the trees had been cut down,  on enquiry to what's going on her sister told my wife we sold you the land not the trees.   
 
Wife did get a share of wood sale. 

I'm just about ready to buy a wooded property from my Thai partner's family, and your post raised a bit of an alarm in my head.

According to my Thai partner, that was definitely a "family scam," not a "Thai scam." But you probably figured that out anyway.

Ergo: I think I'll still keep a more vigilant watch on the plot until I use it. Thanks for the heads up.


MY OWN STORY
-------------------------------------
Bought a cheapie watch on the street in Bangkok (Sukumvit). Just can't resist those high-tech looking 100-baht watches. So, I paid the price, strapped it on my risk, took four steps down the street, and the crystal fell out onto the pavement.

My Thai friend thought there might still be hope if I retraced my four steps, and ask for a replacement or refund for something purchased less than a minute earlier.

The lady vendor looked at my bare-faced watch, and then trained a steady, schoolmaster gaze on me. Suddenly, I felt like the naive little child who had just made a ridiculous request (e.g. Oliver Twist in, "May I have some more porridge, sir?")

With a straight face, and waving her finger, she lectured me: "Farang no understand. Watch made to work without glass. No problem."

She then took the crystal, wrapped it in a little tissue, tossed it in my bag, dismissively waved me on my way, and turned her face to her next victim.

Remarkably, without a crystal, the watch lasted longer than all my two-dozen other cheapo timepieces did. Maybe I'm onto something.



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[RichardColeman]

Strangest ? Been given a baby ! That count ? 

[mogandave]

Taxi ride from the old airport.

 

Me, clearly: Novotel Bangna

Driver: Novotel, Novotel, Novotel....Siam Square!!!

 

Me, louder and more clearly: No, Novotel Bang-na

Driver: Novotel, Novotel, Novotel....Lotus!!!

 

Me, still louder: No, Novotel Bang-NA!

Driver: Novotel, Novotel, Novotel....Bangna, Bangna okay Bangna!!!

 

[dbrenn]

In my much younger days, before I became sensible. A night out in Bangkok with a friend. Both off our heads on LSD. It doesn't get much stranger than that. 

[55Jay]

3 hours ago, mogandave said:

Taxi ride from the old airport.

 

Me, clearly: Novotel Bangna

Driver: Novotel, Novotel, Novotel....Siam Square!!!

 

Me, louder and more clearly: No, Novotel Bang-na

Driver: Novotel, Novotel, Novotel....Lotus!!!

 

Me, still louder: No, Novotel Bang-NA!

Driver: Novotel, Novotel, Novotel....Bangna, Bangna okay Bangna!!!

 

So it IS true!  Raising your voice helps them unnerstand Engrit mo' betta!   

[alocacoc]

My condo got raided by 6 police officer who hunted a murderer. The murder was not in my condo.

 

But one police officer threatened me i would go to monkeyhouse because he found a carton of cigarettes without the taxes on it. Another officer stepped in front and told me, don't worry, we are your friends. Then they leave. That was quite a shock.

 

Strange enough?

[Bangkok Barry]

3 hours ago, dbrenn said:

In my much younger days, before I became sensible. A night out in Bangkok with a friend. Both off our heads on LSD. It doesn't get much stranger than that. 

 

In Bangkok you don't need LSD. You know that, now you're older and wiser 

[Lamkyong]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

In Bangkok you don't need LSD. You know that, now you're older and wiser 

you have obviously never tripped out then

Edited December 31, 2016 by Lamkyong
to enhance my post

[fruitman]

I had never heard of songkran and went to Krabi 20 years ago. Took a motocy taxi, my friend also one but the people on the street sprayed us all the time while yelling. Alright, no big deal...but when i stepped off it a girl run to me and rubbed some white crap on my face while yelling loud....then her friends came and all did the same 

 

I saw a bucket full of water on the sidewalk, grabbed it and threw it over the first girl....they loved it! And many more came out to throw water over me and my friend.

Then a policeman on a motobike passed us, he stopped, drove back against traffic and asked if we wanted to buy beer which was in his bag...

 

We played songran all day and the policeman came back to our hostel as well to sell us more beer. It was great!

 

Some days later we went to Riley beach by longtailboat. At the end of the day it was stormy weather and we took a longtailboat from the beach back to Krabi. While we wanted to leave another couple came running to the boat and also wanted to go with us, captain said it was okay.

 

At sea the waves got huge and came overboard all the time...the boat was overloaded with 7 iirc passengers and the captain gave me an old plastic oilcan to scoop water out of the boat all the time or we would sink. So i was busy with that.

 

Then suddenly a loud bang, the outboard engine was missing but the captain hung half overboard holding the engine with one hand...it was broken loose so we had to help him getting it back out of the water.

 

Luckily it still started so my friend had to hold it in place all the trip back to Krabi while i was scooping water. 

 

I've never been so scared on a boat and won't go on Thai boats anymore.

 

 

Edited December 31, 2016 by fruitman

[sandgroper2]

The flood gates have opened for the keyboard warriors. 

[Fookhaht]

The flood gates have opened for the keyboard warriors. 

And you have voluntarily joined the audience.


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[nikmar]

Laab luat

[dbrenn]

19 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

In Bangkok you don't need LSD. You know that, now you're older and wiser 

It was an unforgettable night. The hardest part was trying to behave normally, which even by Bangkok standards was extremely difficult while we were out of our minds. 

Edited January 1, 2017 by dbrenn

[fruitman]

6 hours ago, sandgroper2 said:

The flood gates have opened for the keyboard warriors. 

 

Nothing else to add to this thread?

[1FinickyOne]

On December 31, 2559 BE at 10:09 AM, RichardColeman said:

Strangest ? Been given a baby ! That count ? 

 

Only counts if immaculate conception... but I'm with you - I was given one too. 

[elgordo38]

On 12/31/2016 at 9:04 AM, Kwasaki said:

I bought my wife some farmland from her sister and didn't plan on doing anything with it for while just fenced it off but 3 months later noticed all the trees had been cut down,  on enquiry to what's going on her sister told my wife we sold you the land not the trees.   

 

Wife did get a share of wood sale. 

Got a good laugh on this one so typically Thai right down to sharing the wood. 

[Rhys]

Sat next to the short time wife on a flight with my short time girlfriend..

[Beats56]

When't to a new pizza joint that just opened and ask a pretty Thai girl for the phone number of the business and she wrote her number on the paper. I didn't  follow up as I have a tgf. But she was sure pretty. Showed my tgf and she laughed.

 

 

 

[diehard71]

 thai wife gambled away 15 million baht on pokdeng.

[AlQaholic]

On a road passing a small village, I stopped at a 7-eleven to buy some coffee and a Kitkat. I stopped at the counter to pay and noticed a box of football themed fridge magnets, the kind you use to stick notes and stuff to the fridge door. The attendant, a girl who was alone in the store at the time noticed my interest and said they where give away items if you buy one item which I forgot what it was. Anyway as I was taking my stuff to leave she said I can have the whole box (there where maybe a 100 of those things in the box), I said yes and she put it in my plastic bag and I said by and thanks a lot, left the store and departed in my car.

[NoshowJones]

6 hours ago, Fookhaht said:

And you have voluntarily joined the audience.


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Not necessary, I always thought keyboard warriors were the cowards who hid behind their keyboards while being nasty to other posters and say things to them that they would not dare say to their face.

[Jeffkp]

Was in Pattaya with a This friend last year. I took him to an hiso gentlemen's club (it was his birthday). At some point I had to use the bathroom and went in. It had a male attendant. He handed me a warm towel to wipe my face and hands. Very nice. I then went to a urinal and started my business.

 

Next thing I know I feel hands on my shoulders giving me a massage! I looked back and it was the attendant. I literally did not know what to say or do. I almost pissed on my shoes. I quickly finished, washed my hands and left (I gave him 40 bhat tip).

 

I told my Thai friend what happened and he said the same thing happened to him. I asked it this was common and he told me certainly not!

 

[williamgeorgeallen]

had to trick a thai girl into doing a DNA test to get my son back from a welsh guy. he kept dating her even after he learned william was my son. strange.

[gjoo888]

My 89 yr. old mother-in-law who lived with my family in Bangkok, passed away one afternoon after a long illness. The standard procedure is to call the temple where you're having the funeral, and the monks will come and take the deceased to the temple and prepare the body for the funeral, etc.. One of our good friends and another man who work at the temple came over to assist us with the formalities, and after making a few calls, told us the monks couldn't come until the next day to take away the body.

 

Later that day, many friends and family members came over to pay their respects. After all the crying and condolences were out of the way, someone went to the store and purchased copious amounts of liquor and beer. The night turned into a pretty fun party, albeit with a dead granny lying in one corner of the room. The body did begin to smell after awhile, but luckily, granny's body was lying next to a window which was then opened. The party lasted well into the wee hours, and was certainly the strangest party I've ever been to. 

 

 

[jonesthebaker]

As a new visitor to Thailand 20 years ago:  I got in to a taxi at the airport and asked the driver if he spoke English and instructed him to take me to a nice Hotel in Bangkok.   He asked me if I knew Bangkok very well.  I told him it was my first visit and this is why I needed nice Hotel.   He told me no problem as he knew just the place.   After driving for over an hour I started to get a little concerned as we seemed to have passed through a few central areas - and I had informed him that I also wanted to be central.   Anyhow to cut a story after another hour or so he stopped the car in some small Soi way of the beat and track (I still don't know to this day were it was) and pointed to a shabby looking  shop house type building across the street and said 'here we are sir'.   I said no, no!  I want a nice hotel.  At which point he got a little angry and pointed to the sign above the entrance which said 'Nice Hotel'

Edited January 1, 2017 by jonesthebaker

[bubba45]

Simple one, but one of my favorite stories.  Been here on and off for circa 30 years.  Studied the language, and while I'm far from fluent, I more or less get it.

Was frequenting a coffee shop on the moat in CM a few years back.  Little independent shop, usually not too many customers, at least before noon, and I noted they had a rather high turnover of staff.  

Go in one morning and they come to your table, I ordered a cappuccino (cappuccino-O!).  Off she goes, I'm reading the paper, after about ten minutes I realize no coffee, start looking around and here she comes with a sandwich on a plate.  I look at the sandwich, then I look at her and say "cappuccino-O?" She nods her head and says "cappuccino-O".

So now I'm completely baffled and wondering why I'm spending money on Thai lessons.  I guess the manager heard something awry and decided to investigate.  Lucky for me.  I told her I ordered a cappuccino, and away went the sandwich and I got my coffee.  But I was so distraught after such a cluster that I didn't bother to ask what the heck happened.  To this day I wonder why I got a sandwich, and what kind of sandwich it was.

I pretty much quit studying Thai, too.  Spent my money on a nice espresso machine.  

[A1Str8]

On 12/31/2016 at 3:04 AM, Kwasaki said:

I bought my wife some farmland from her sister and didn't plan on doing anything with it for while just fenced it off but 3 months later noticed all the trees had been cut down,  on enquiry to what's going on her sister told my wife we sold you the land not the trees.   

 

Wife did get a share of wood sale. 

If she sold the land she sold the trees as well. Which makes her a thief. Aside from being dumb, I would also take her to court. 

[jonesthebaker]

5 minutes ago, bubba45 said:

Simple one, but one of my favorite stories.  Been here on and off for circa 30 years.  Studied the language, and while I'm far from fluent, I more or less get it.

Was frequenting a coffee shop on the moat in CM a few years back.  Little independent shop, usually not too many customers, at least before noon, and I noted they had a rather high turnover of staff.  

Go in one morning and they come to your table, I ordered a cappuccino (cappuccino-O!).  Off she goes, I'm reading the paper, after about ten minutes I realize no coffee, start looking around and here she comes with a sandwich on a plate.  I look at the sandwich, then I look at her and say "cappuccino-O?" She nods her head and says "cappuccino-O".

So now I'm completely baffled and wondering why I'm spending money on Thai lessons.  I guess the manager heard something awry and decided to investigate.  Lucky for me.  I told her I ordered a cappuccino, and away went the sandwich and I got my coffee.  But I was so distraught after such a cluster that I didn't bother to ask what the heck happened.  To this day I wonder why I got a sandwich, and what kind of sandwich it was.

I pretty much quit studying Thai, too.  Spent my money on a nice espresso machine.  

you were distraught because you got a sandwich by mistake!  and this is the strangest thing to happen to you.  you must lead a very sheltered life