Why don’t Thai People Follow the Rules?

[IMA_FARANG]

That's an easy question.

If you stay long enough in Thailand you will come across a wealth of silly., arbitrary, and petty rules throughout your daily life.

Thais just tend to ignore that nonsense, because why shouldn't they?

After all this is Thailand and they are Thai.

 

[finnman]

...and how about usa and europe...

 

 

[recom273]

21 minutes ago, smedly said:

sorry but that doesn't cut it, as already mentioned early in a few replies on this topic - enforcement of rules is severely lacking, expand this out to road safety and the abysmal record (probably worst in the world) that Thailand enjoys and it is easy to see why.

 

I cannot think of one instance were rules are properly enforced in Thailand except perhaps at Airports were there is serious international pressure applied and heavy penalties if they don't comply, immigration and visa's  etc could be another one, the rest of the country is a free for all.

 

What do people think would have happened had the checkout girl in the OP refused to serve the person with the huge shopping cart.

 

 

Time and time again, no, enforcement plays a part for sure, but a greater role is played by education and social responsibility.

 

For example, you will find, although we understand drink driving to be wrong, Thais who get stopped at checkpoints will readily blow into a bag, because they believe they have done nothing wrong, when a real policeman explains to them that they could kill some innocent countryman, they don't understand because there is no feeling of social responsibility here.

 

It's why people just shrug their shoulders and carry on when they are told that they can only put 10 items down from a basket, they don't care about the other half a dozen people with 2-3 items.

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, hobz said:

Some rules are less inportant for sure. But parking at the red/white sections create really dangerous situations sometimes. It's pretty common for that red/white to be put near entries/exits.

When some <deleted> parks there it blocks the view for cars wanting to pull out onto the road. 

The point is that if there's rules in place, there's usually a good reason. And if your peanut brain does not comprehend the reason it's better and safer to just follow the rule and hope it was put in for a good reason.

If you have more than 10 items, why cant you just go to the other cashiers? The other cashiers have a longer queue, as you put it, so what? 

The parking rule you mention about the red and white sections, I have always obeyed it, why? Because I agree with it.

[finnman]

2 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Do you follow every rule? Get a life.

...just to try to make people to understand...

Why do the western people not follow the rules (Schengen, Dublin etc.)?

Here you see nice legs 30 cm out of your legal spot. In western world there are cities full of asylum hairy legs, but you complain about loosing a couple minutes in supermarkets...

[maximillian]

48 minutes ago, smotherb said:

Maybe this should be the major "real" reason for wanting to leave Thailand--people don't follow the rules. However, I think their not following traffic rules may be more important than supermarket rules. 

Those who don't follow supermarket rules are the same that don't follow traffic rules.

The same care"less" egos who don't care about other peoples lives.

btw, my Thai wife gets more anoyed about those not following the rules than I do.

Luckily, idiots are a minority, but not a small minority it seems.

[themerg]

it's Thai culture. Get over it.

Find something else trivial to bitch about.

 

[CGW]

4 hours ago, Sphere said:

Lack of enforcement.

Exactly! starts at home, the parents let the kids do what they want! they grow up with no self discipline, control or standards! Thanks to the laziness of the parents - that is, if they are there & kids not been dumped on Grandparents who have even less interest in instilling morale's in them! They don't stand a chance as they grow up with standards that are unacceptable in modern society!

[CGW]

2 minutes ago, themerg said:

it's Thai culture. Get over it.

Do you admire there ignorance?

[Dipterocarp]

The longest successful Western philosophical traditions tend to posit immutable right and wrong, and an ideal of liberal democracy is rules/laws  apply equally to all. In most of Asia there is no "wrong".  The only real sin is loss of face or bringing shame upon your superiors. 

 

Edited April 2, 2017 by Dipterocarp

[finnman]

3 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Thainess...............plain and simple!

Western world...plain and simple. Go to visit Paris, Sweden, London, Germany. And you will see the best we clever white have achieved. And a thai girl here is standing in a wrong spot...

[janpharma]

It's all about a lack of education...

[gdgbb]

Orlando Baton gives an unlikely story about a Tesco customer, he reports about someone walking on a BTS "Keep Clear" area (he managed a photo of the alleged BTS passenger, why no photo of the Tesco customer?) and a tale of his own wife breaking the law.  "After observing Thai people for nearly two decades in their native habitat" is that the best he can come up with?

[frimu]

I have started ignoring the rules too.

I always go to the express checkout with the basket no matter how many items are inside.

Feels good. :-)

Just live like the locals - better for your blood pressure.

[brewsterbudgen]

 
Unfortunately, it's difficult to "get over it" when you're maimed or killed in an accident caused by a Thai not following 'the rules of the road'.

Most of those rules are in fact laws. I believe the thread is about society's rules.

[tandor]

5 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

this is what happens when people have never had to take their police force seriously.

 

they come to believe that no rules or laws apply to anyone anywhere, even in a super market.

 

no discipline. no real concern for others. a unwillingness to call out bad behavior.   

 

 

...the police service is too soft on their own.

[tandor]

3 hours ago, dominique355 said:

 

mostly because these rules are the result of a consensus or of a democratic process, not imposed arbitrarily by unelected rulers, dictators etc. and people see and understand the reason for the rule (education) and the rules are enforced.

 

Rules that are imposed but not enforced are worse than no rules at all.

 

But every judiciary systems should have a rule that nobody has to follow an obviously stupid and unnecessary rule.   

...many Thai drivers regard the road rules as 'guidelines' only and are prepared to flout the law and take the risk.

[Destiny1990]

Did u pull out a baseball bat?

[Knocker33]

5 hours ago, DavoTheGun said:

Just Thai Culture! get over it!

You mean the Me, Me ,Me inconsiderate culture

[hobz]

1 hour ago, smedly said:

sorry but that doesn't cut it, as already mentioned early in a few replies on this topic - enforcement of rules is severely lacking, expand this out to road safety and the abysmal record (probably worst in the world) that Thailand enjoys and it is easy to see why.

 

I cannot think of one instance were rules are properly enforced in Thailand except perhaps at Airports were there is serious international pressure applied and heavy penalties if they don't comply, immigration and visa's  etc could be another one, the rest of the country is a free for all.

 

What do people think would have happened had the checkout girl in the OP refused to serve the person with the huge shopping cart.

 

 

The ease of staying long term on tourist visa tells me visa rules are not really well enforced.

 

As to what would happen if checkout girl refused, it's possible that loss of face leads to trouble there but what tesco need to do is have test buyers that goes with 15 items and if they dont get refused they need to warn the checkout personell.

Anyway, the reason for that rule is that tesco wants to sell more by making it easier for people to go in and make a quick buy. If people realize it's always slow due to cheaters then it's a small loss for tesco as people will go to 7/11 instead. So the ball is in tescos court to give incentive enough to their personell to enforce the rules. No point in trying to make thai people follow rules without enforcement.

[hobz]

20 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Most of those rules are in fact laws. I believe the thread is about society's rules.

Actually, the red/white thing is law.

And the rule inside tesco is set but not enforced by tesco. 

[dick dasterdly]

33 minutes ago, frimu said:

I have started ignoring the rules too.

I always go to the express checkout with the basket no matter how many items are inside.

Feels good. :-)

Just live like the locals - better for your blood pressure.

Know what you mean.

 

Every now and again when too tired/can't be bothered - I leave my supermarket trolley in the car park !

 

Edit - although obviously not in the way of other vehicles .

Edited April 2, 2017 by dick dasterdly

[hobz]

7 minutes ago, Knocker33 said:

You mean the Me, Me ,Me inconsiderate culture

Actually, i think this part of thai culture has a positive side as well. Because im not perfect and when i <deleted> up and do something wrong its pretty nice to not be scorned like back in sweden.. I still get that i <deleted> up and wont repeat it..

 

The problem is that some (far from all) thai people abuse this and just blatanly ignore everyone else by cutting in line etc etc.

[hobz]

Just now, dick dasterdly said:

Know what you mean.

 

Every now and again when too tired/can't be bothered - I leave my supermarket trolley in the car park !

Oh shit, i always leave it there. I assumed they have people picking it up :)

[dick dasterdly]

Just now, hobz said:

Oh shit, i always leave it there. I assumed they have people picking it up :)

They do - but in their own time, and most of the trolleys are left in the way of other vehicles....

[55Jay]

In a country with 20 attempted/successful coups under its belt..... not terribly surprising the people have become selfish, just look out for #1.  The superficial veneer of Buddhism, and in the extreme, military intervention against the population, might be the only things restraining anarchy.

[KenKadz]

There are No Queues in the Jungle!

[madusa]

20 hours ago, DavoTheGun said:

Just Thai Culture! get over it!

Is that a night gown? At her age the tits still look good. Is that your wife ? Oh, I am sorry

[chrissables]

2 hours ago, hobz said:

So that's your reason to break rules? You are afraid to look like a sheep? Very mature...

Not at all. I think many rules to be put in the bin, as already stated i am talking laws.

[Seligne2]

I think the OP had it wrong when he talked about "rules". To my mind, his issue  that he has observed is a lack of consideration for others and mindfulness. Rules: I don't follow them when they make no sense. Entire blocks are needlessly painted "no parking". I make an assessment and park my motorbike where it is safe and unobtrusive to others. 

 

I like the Thai people, but I have not noticed Thai persons holding the door for others, or opening grandma's door and helping her out of the Toyota Hilux. Thais in need borrow from me readily, but never see fit to repay. They litter with impunity, at everyone's cost. It's the rare Thai driver who will stop willingly to let someone cross the road. The smallest garden snake, when discovered in the garden, is instantly decapitated, with no thought given to its place in the larger scheme of things. My Thai friends don't help me learn Thai, even when I beg them to correct my speech,  in what I regard as a misguided effort to not shame me. It is unhelpful, and I see evidence every day of this lack of helpfulness where others are concerned. This behaviour mystifies me.