Kind Gestures From Thai People

[Diablo Bob]

Seeing and commenting only on kindness is just as bad as seeing and commenting only on 'bad' deeds and ripoffs IMHO.

I have had many more people trying to rip me off etc than I have had ppl doing kind deeds to me. The kindness shown though, has sometimes been quite big and very unexpected.

Seems to me Thailand lives on the extremes. I find less middle-of-the-road people here who do neither bad nor good things to/for me than I have found anywhere else.

Here's hoping that the kind, gentle people that I fell in love with many years ago get to reverse the trend of greed and dishonesty that seems to afflict this country increasingly.

Wow, starting to sound like someone else whose name starts with.........Old!

[qualtrough]

Nice to see a positive thread for once. I have experienced far too many acts of kindness to list here, since they occur on almost a daily basis. Pitiful to see that this thread has upset some of the habitually unhappy people on the forum. How miserable their lives must be that it bothers them when people describe nice things that have happened to them here.

[Thaddeus]

Oki... I've just read the last screens worth of replies.... and I will just reply to the topic title.

When we had our house-blessing party, everyone in the village was invited of course.... one old dear who works as a rice cutter, put twenty Baht in the envelope that is customary with these occasions, had a couple of glasses of Beer Archa, ate some larb, gave my little girl another twenty Baht to put in her piggy bank and then stayed behind to mop the floor.

This woman, excuse the phrase, hasn't got a pot to piss in...... but she now gets all the little jobs we have.... we don't do handouts, but we have been known to offer a fairly attractive hourly rate.

They help me, I help them....... and I don't like the word 'they' because 'they' make me feel like one of them.

I love Isaan.

[Neeranam]

That's incredible. How old was the samaritian out of interest? I take it you paid them back in the end?

QUOTE(Neeranam @ 2007-01-05 23:07:21)

Once a stranger took me to the best hospital in Bangkok when I was very sick with booze and drugs, vistited me every day and paid the bill. Years later, now a very good friend. Simply- this act of kindness saved my life.

In my experience - the worse off I've been, more acts of kindness.

She is a 55 y.o hi-so lady and I did pay her back.

What's amazing is the way I looked at the time - most people wouldn't have pissed on me.

[soihok]

Oki... I've just read the last screens worth of replies.... and I will just reply to the topic title.

When we had our house-blessing party, everyone in the village was invited of course.... one old dear who works as a rice cutter, put twenty Baht in the envelope that is customary with these occasions, had a couple of glasses of Beer Archa, ate some larb, gave my little girl another twenty Baht to put in her piggy bank and then stayed behind to mop the floor.

This woman, excuse the phrase, hasn't got a pot to piss in...... but she now gets all the little jobs we have.... we don't do handouts, but we have been known to offer a fairly attractive hourly rate.

They help me, I help them....... and I don't like the word 'they' because 'they' make me feel like one of them.

I love Isaan.

I have to agree that the Isaan spirit is so family.

I dont live in Thailand but I really feel so at peace when we are up at my wifes families place.

I feel that the most important display of your feelings is through a smile,if you,re happy that is.

I fail to be unhappy when I,m in Thailand ....

[Fraktalkid]

One of my friends runs the local vegetarian restaurant - if she doesn't see me at the restaurant during the day she'll bring a bag of hot, fresh food to my house and then text me (in Thai) saying 'I've left some food for you outside'. I don't think anyone in my native country (England) would do that for me.

[Couthy]

The motorbike taxis located about 100 metres up the soi and around the corner: Due to my extremely knackered foot and extremely painful to walk, I sit down outside and one will pass by and take me along the soi then return me home : For free - they're all doing it.

But I did buy them a half bottle of grog for Christmas (gesture rather than riches).

I think that is nice and very kind of them to do this for me.

[Lancashirelad]

I don't live in Thailand (yet?)but have visited many times over the past 4 years. Spent a total of 4 months there in 2006.

I am passionate about Thailand & think the Thai people (mostly) are very nice, polite, people. I certainly can't remember the last time the check out girl/guy said "hello sir" when i walked into a convenience store (aka 7-11) in England.

In my experience, if you genuinely need help, the Thais will give whatever they are able to help. There have been many small acts of kindness.

Two more memorable:

1. A successful Thai business lady from Pattaya whom i knew told me she had to drive to Bangkok on business later that day. I mentioned that i too was taking the bus to Bangkok that day. She offered me a ride which i accepted after ensuring she was definately going. This was because i had already booked my hotel in Bkk & would get the bus much earlier than she planned to leave. She came, with her assistant, to my hotel & collected me.... although a few hours late, but hey, this is Thailand.

We chatted away on the way along the road. About 1/2 way there she mentioned that her business in Bangkok had been delayed to another day, but as she had promised to take me, she was doing so. ( a 2+ hour drive each way!)

Their plan was to take me to my hotel, then leave the car (4x4) at a valet garage to get it cleaned whilst they hit the shops & ate before returning to pattaya later at night. However, on reaching Bkk the traffic was horrendous & they realised if they stuck with plan A, it would be small hours of the morning before they got back to Pattaya. So she decided to turn around & drive straight back, but not before handing me taxi money to continue my journey!

I didn't quite realise why she was giving it me until after, or i certainly wouldn't have taken it. I wanted to give her gas money, but she wouldn't have it.

Sometime later my friend & I took her & her assistant for dinner at a nice restaurant.

2. On withdrawing money one day from a Pattaya ATM, my mind must have been on the next place i had to go. Next thing i knew the lady from the small currency exchange office next to the ATM was running down the street & shouting after me to give me back my card which i had left in the machine, even though i'd taken the money & receipt. She must have been mighty quick before it swallowed it back in.

Four years ago I traveled the world alone for 6 months. I came back with the impression that are many good people in the world.

Edited January 7, 2007 by Lancashirelad

[Jet Gorgon]

Wow! For sure the nice folks outweigh the baddies in Thailand. Thanks for sharing all the experiences, Fellow Bloggers and Bloggettes.

One of my favs is the cooker gas guys. No matter what time I'm cooking and the tank runs dry, Pee comes over on his bike with a refill. 5am, 11pm. Kitchen queens must rule in Thailand.

Also love the grandmas who get up at 2am to prepare food for the monks and then sit for hours, often in the rain, waiting for the Ajahn's procession.

And my recycle man. I wanted to clear out old computers, dishes, boxes, etc. He carried it all out, rearranged my shelving and then tried to pay ME for the stuff he took.

And you cannot beat village neighbours, who borrow and lend stuff at will, act as security, give me new garden plants, and leave fruit and food on my balcony, just because I'm there. No matter how many times I reciprocate, I always feel like they do and give more to me.

[Donz]

My gf's mother bought me a van.

She is also going to give us more money to buy a new toyota Rav4. But my gf said no and said just give us half and we will pay the rest. I was like <deleted> are you saying.

But she has given us too much already.

Everytime I go to Thailand she buys me alot of gold like rings, neckalaces.

My inlaws are going to be awesome.

[Jet Gorgon]

My gf's mother bought me a van.

She is also going to give us more money to buy a new toyota Rav4. But my gf said no and said just give us half and we will pay the rest. I was like <deleted> are you saying.

But she has given us too much already.

Everytime I go to Thailand she buys me alot of gold like rings, neckalaces.

My inlaws are going to be awesome.

Are you a gold digger, Donz?

[Dupont]

Brought a tear to my eye this one.

Great acts of kindness almost daily here for 15 odd years I have been here.

Shop owners chasing me with change. Change from late night burger bars when I have been drunk the previous night and walked off.

Help with loading cars at shopping malls.

Many Many Many. Thanks for this thread.

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

Many thanks Jet Gorgon for starting this thread . . . Now onto two examples.

1. Lost my 12,000 bt mobile in Chiang Mai, at Thapae Gate. The only important thing was that I'd lost all my carefully collected contact numbers. The phone, still in its case, came off my belt and fell probably in the cab of the songtaew (that's another story of kindness right there) or onto the street where I got out. Went back to the scene of the stupid farang crime. No luck. I called the mobile number all afternoon and into the evening. No luck. Finally, someone answered my phone late that night. And he spoke English! Thai fellow was happy to do anything to give me my phone back. I agreed to meet him next day. But I totally blew the instructions to find his office on Th. Huay Keaw. So he walks the neighbourhood trying to find me! I almost walk by him, but he spots me, hands me the phone and case. I'm thrilled. We talk a bit and clearly he expects to leave after making stupid farang happy. But I'd prepared a pretty good cash reward which I had put in a thank you card and envelope. Which he accepted. He could have gotten a lot more for the phone by selling it to an MBK shop.

2. I'd already lost the mobile once before on the road from Pattaya to Suwanapoom. But this isn't about the phone, it's about the driver, assistant, two fellow passengers who helped get this stupid farang to 'Poom. I wanted to go the cheap route to the airport and went out to Sukumvit Rd. to catch the passing express. No such thing, it turns out. So onto an intercity bus, but wouldn't have if it weren't for an English-speaking Thai passenger who intervenes to get the dumb farang going in the right direction and right bus and right fare. The bus promptly breaks down. Get new bus which was passing by, half empty. As we're flying in and out of roadside stops, we get near my destination and the driver spots a cab coming down a soi, reefs the bus over to the side of the expressway, cutting off traffic (what else is new?), blows the horn and the assistant jumps out and flags the taxi. I leap out of the moving bus, the helper opens the cargo door, pulls out my bag (he knows the one), out flies my lost mobile onto the road, I grab it with great relief No. 1, jump into the taxi , launch into surprisingly proficient Thai and get to airport in loads of time. The entire time the helper, two passengers and driver kept me informed of where we were and what I was to do to get to the airport.

These incidents would not have begun or ended the same way back home in Mybigcity, Canada.

[Jet Gorgon]

Kaoboi, duct tape that phone to a body appendage. You were so lucky, but I wouldn't count on that level of care in Canada. The street gestapo would probably charge you for littering if you dropped your phone there. And then ship your phone to the recycle engineers and tell you to FO.

[Neeranam]

Last night whilst coming out BigC in Khon Kaen. I was in a long line of cars going past the exit booth. There was a hold up and one solitary car, which had come a different way, couldn't get inline. Every time it tried to get in a gap the cars speeded up not allowing it to. I saw about 40 cars not let him out. I stopped letting him out, with a pick-up behind me flashing at me. The passenger wound down the mirror(sorry window ) and started nodding at me as if I had been Mother Theresa. It took me about one more minute to get on the main road.

The point of this post is to point out that whilst some Thai people are very kind, once they are in a car it's the complete opposite.

A lot of people on this thread mention acts of kindness when money is involved. I don't think this is kindess but honesty - a big difference.

Edited January 8, 2007 by Neeranam

[terry57]

my one and only time i got horribly wasted was in pattaya visiting a business associate. ( long time ago)

we were drinking the local hootch and i must admit i was in a shocking way.

he wanted me to stay, but being a silly farang i jumped on my bike and rode from naklua to central pattaya.

the last thing i remember was crashing my bike in the hotel car park.

opened my eyes the next morning and thought i was going to die.

first thing i thought about was my my wallet and keys for the bike.

looked around the room and nothing to be seen. " panic panic panic. "

bolted down stairs and the staff where all smiling at me. they could all sense my pain and panic.

i spat out my apologies for being a recalcitrant farang the night before and told them the story regards my wallet and keys.

i could not believe it, but they said, may penn rai sir, and handed me my wallet and keys.

apparently id passed out in the car park, the security guys had dragged me up stairs, put me to bed.

and handed my valuables over to the night staff.

i could not believe that the boys had looked after me like that as i had a heap of cash and visa card with $8000 bucks on it.

they could of been cruising on the queen mary at my expense.

any way,

that night i hunted out the security gaurds and give them a very nice tip indeed and they were well happy.

never got wasted like that ever again and it reinforced my believe that the majority of thai people have good intention.

[Dupont]

Think we've learned from this thread (well I have) that most Thais are fantastic people.

Its mainly the powerful or rich ones that are the exception and set off all the negative comments on this site.

Nice one Thai people

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

Kaoboi, duct tape that phone to a body appendage. You were so lucky, but I wouldn't count on that level of care in Canada. The street gestapo would probably charge you for littering if you dropped your phone there. And then ship your phone to the recycle engineers and tell you to FO.

No kidding, JG. The frightening thing is, what you say is too true. If only because they're actually thinking about doing these things and relent and make it feel as if they're doing you a big favour.

A further note: Thais must find us very amusing sometimes. I'm sitting at the Sukhothai bus terminal, waiting for the Khon Kaen bus. I'm staring right at the platform where the bus is to appear. While I'm wide asleep, the bus loads and is about to leave, when the ticket seller notices me still sitting there and comes over and points this is my bus. I "wake up" with a start and he beams a big smile and smacks me on the butt as I rush to the bus. I'm a 100-plus kilo, 50-something guy, not a young lad. Friendly Thai.

Edited January 8, 2007 by Kaoboi Bebobp

[Ayutthaya]

Great great thread!!!

This is the reason why people still come here even if there are bombings in south Thailand, tsunami and bombings in Bangkok and everything.

I just want to post an opposite thing that happened when I lived in Sweden.

It was the day before christmas. I found a wallet on the floor at a huge supermarket. I picked it up, saw on the driver licence it was a girl that was 18 years old and it was over 8000 swedish crowns in the wallet (40 000 baht) I felt sorry for the poor girl that I thought must be crying over losing all that money day before christmas. I tryed several times to get her numbe rfrom different services and finally I found it. Called her and she said "oh I didn´t even notice that I lost it, but I will meet you at the store in 5 minutes" I stood there 35 minutes in the cold snowy weather until she showed up. got out of her car and said: "Thank you merry christmas" and took of.

Why did I move to Thailand???

I´ve had many good experiences in Thailand too. everything from lost wallet, mobile phones, cameras, help with everything I need, but there are to many of these stories already posted here...love this country

Why is there always people here that needs to be funny or say something bad when someone finally posts a good thread here? Make a new topic. "who can be the worst smart ass" or something and post your "funny" comments there!

Happy new year to everyone and once again Thanks Jet gorgon for a good thread

Edited January 8, 2007 by Ayutthaya

[DragonQuest]

I always get the hook ups when It comes to a movie, I made friends with the manager and he always hooks it up if you know what I mean, he's a cool guy though were friends^^

[tamaique]

So many!

Something that particularly impressed me lately though:

Around the 3rd of the month I went to the manager to tell him I was leaving on vacations in a couple of days and needed the "rent due" slip (including electric and telephone) so I could pay him before I left (rent due on the 10th). He asked me when I was coming back. Told him around the 25th. He smiled and said "ooh nevermind. You pay when you come back, no problem." First time this ever happened to me anywhere in the world that I've rented, especially somewhere where they collect from over 50 different tenants every month.

Oh and another one...

Went bowling with my gf and the woman at the next lane started talking with us. She was a professional, training for a tournament. Very friendly. After a few minutes she asked me how many games we would play, I told her a couple each. She took out a booklet and gave me 10 tickets, one free game for each (each game was 170 baht I think). I said I couldn't accept. She said they were so cheap for her and she had so many anyway, so it didn't matter. She was Indonesian by the way, but it happened in BKK We exchanged e-mails, every few months we exchange a one liner hehe.

[terry57]

Great great thread!!!

This is the reason why people still come here even if there are bombings in south Thailand, tsunami and bombings in Bangkok and everything.

I just want to post an opposite thing that happened when I lived in Sweden.

It was the day before christmas. I found a wallet on the floor at a huge supermarket. I picked it up, saw on the driver licence it was a girl that was 18 years old and it was over 8000 swedish crowns in the wallet (40 000 baht) I felt sorry for the poor girl that I thought must be crying over losing all that money day before christmas. I tryed several times to get her numbe rfrom different services and finally I found it. Called her and she said "oh I didn´t even notice that I lost it, but I will meet you at the store in 5 minutes" I stood there 35 minutes in the cold snowy weather until she showed up. got out of her car and said: "Thank you merry christmas" and took of.

Why did I move to Thailand???

I´ve had many good experiences in Thailand too. everything from lost wallet, mobile phones, cameras, help with everything I need, but there are to many of these stories already posted here...love this country

Why is there always people here that needs to be funny or say something bad when someone finally posts a good thread here? Make a new topic. "who can be the worst smart ass" or something and post your "funny" comments there!

Happy new year to everyone and once again Thanks Jet gorgon for a good thread

what makes me laugh is the dudes that live here and do nothing but slam thailand in general.

theres one in particular who i have had many a run in with.

my question the them is, " why dont you pi-ss off home and leave us people that love thailand in peace.? "

[prighas]

Left our bag (which had my wife's wallet and our car registration book) on a minibus in Pattaya. A guy calls me later and tells me to meet the driver near a hotel so that he could give it back to us. He found my number by fiddling through the contents and finding an invoice from my mobile carrier. Gave him a couple of hundred baht as a small token of our appreciation.

[Tony Clifton]

The neighbour who every now and then brings over a bowl of food she has prepared.

The old lady at the corner shop who says "Mai bpen lai, prong nee" when I left my wallet back home, need cigarettes and have already dumped a couple of bottles of fuel in the motosai.

My best Thai friend who owns a hardware store and keeps insisting on giving me discounts on everything. (He somehow keeps finding baht notes on the floor behind his desk ) Offers to lend his truck even though we have one. Gets me free worms from his brother's farm nearby when I talk about going fishing.

My father in law bringing fried chicken when the famly comes over, clearly tells my wife it is for ME to eat.

He also lends me tools and says, don't bother bringing them back, I'm too old to use them now.

The in-laws calling my wife asking how I am when they've learned that I'm not feeling well, forgetting to ask how she is doing.

[Donz]

Great great thread!!!

This is the reason why people still come here even if there are bombings in south Thailand, tsunami and bombings in Bangkok and everything.

I just want to post an opposite thing that happened when I lived in Sweden.

It was the day before christmas. I found a wallet on the floor at a huge supermarket. I picked it up, saw on the driver licence it was a girl that was 18 years old and it was over 8000 swedish crowns in the wallet (40 000 baht) I felt sorry for the poor girl that I thought must be crying over losing all that money day before christmas. I tryed several times to get her numbe rfrom different services and finally I found it. Called her and she said "oh I didn´t even notice that I lost it, but I will meet you at the store in 5 minutes" I stood there 35 minutes in the cold snowy weather until she showed up. got out of her car and said: "Thank you merry christmas" and took of.

Why did I move to Thailand???

I´ve had many good experiences in Thailand too. everything from lost wallet, mobile phones, cameras, help with everything I need, but there are to many of these stories already posted here...love this country

Why is there always people here that needs to be funny or say something bad when someone finally posts a good thread here? Make a new topic. "who can be the worst smart ass" or something and post your "funny" comments there!

Happy new year to everyone and once again Thanks Jet gorgon for a good thread

what makes me laugh is the dudes that live here and do nothing but slam thailand in general.

theres one in particular who i have had many a run in with.

my question the them is, " why dont you pi-ss off home and leave us people that love thailand in peace.? "

thats because there usually the people that will slam any place they go. Alot of people move to thailand because they had a miserable life back home and think Thailand will be a good change, but then its not the country you need to change but themselves.

[cdnvic]

thats because there usually the people that will slam any place they go. Alot of people move to thailand because they had a miserable life back home and think Thailand will be a good change, but then its not the country you need to change but themselves.

Wisdom in the most unexpected places.

[weary]

Great great thread!!!

This is the reason why people still come here even if there are bombings in south Thailand, tsunami and bombings in Bangkok and everything.

I just want to post an opposite thing that happened when I lived in Sweden.

It was the day before christmas. I found a wallet on the floor at a huge supermarket. I picked it up, saw on the driver licence it was a girl that was 18 years old and it was over 8000 swedish crowns in the wallet (40 000 baht) I felt sorry for the poor girl that I thought must be crying over losing all that money day before christmas. I tryed several times to get her numbe rfrom different services and finally I found it. Called her and she said "oh I didn´t even notice that I lost it, but I will meet you at the store in 5 minutes" I stood there 35 minutes in the cold snowy weather until she showed up. got out of her car and said: "Thank you merry christmas" and took of.

Why did I move to Thailand???

I´ve had many good experiences in Thailand too. everything from lost wallet, mobile phones, cameras, help with everything I need, but there are to many of these stories already posted here...love this country

Why is there always people here that needs to be funny or say something bad when someone finally posts a good thread here? Make a new topic. "who can be the worst smart ass" or something and post your "funny" comments there!

Happy new year to everyone and once again Thanks Jet gorgon for a good thread

what makes me laugh is the dudes that live here and do nothing but slam thailand in general.

theres one in particular who i have had many a run in with.

my question the them is, " why dont you pi-ss off home and leave us people that love thailand in peace.? "

Thailand is great, but you gotta remember living in a place long term is quite different from visiting, knowing you have a place to go back to.

Culture shock and all that. People go through different stages.

[Jet Gorgon]

Thailand is great, but you gotta remember living in a place long term is quite different from visiting, knowing you have a place to go back to.

Culture shock and all that. People go through different stages.

Methinks people who come here to live should visit several times first and learn the ground rules of culture and try to blend in. Forget about dragging all the culture and comforts from the west here.

I remember when the first 7-11 opened in my village. Most of us banded together and refused to step foot in the shop and supported our local folks. Same when Tesco opened and all the shopkeepers and wet market folks were having heart failure thinking about losing biz. Not much changed and we continued to support our locals.

I mean, why buy fruit, veg or fish/meat at Tesco, when it's fresher and tastier from the market vendors? Guess some farang need the reassurance of all that packaging. I like the market chitter chatter, too. And, whenever I go home or to BKK or wherever, I always bring treats back to show my appreciation for all the small kindnesses these people do for me every day.

And who could pass up watching the lady butcher hacking off a piece of beef from the dead cow hanging from one hoof? Always a laugh. And, they always throw in some extra meat or fish for my dogs. And, how much do they make a day?

[thehawk]

Nicest thing any Thai person has ever done for me... My in-laws let me marry their daughter.

Many other stories of helpful/kind strangers, but the comments above list very similar experiences with different characters. Keep up the good work Joe Public Thailand.

Great thread. Nice to hear the positive side of things.

[Jet Gorgon]

Nicest thing any Thai person has ever done for me... My in-laws let me marry their daughter.

Are you a nice and respectable boy and a stellar example of a nice and respectable non-Thai boy?