Tomtomtom69

The police might have paid an interest in this case because it happened to one of "God's chosen people". It would have been "anti-semitic" not to investigate this crime and bring the perpetrators to justice.

To be honest, I don't find this to be true, but neither am I upset about it. I don't personally need Thais to be better at English.

I agree but then I also think that in such an international environment, it's silly to assume everyone speaks English. Thais have this strange assumption that every foreigner or at least every farang, is able to converse in English. Some Thais even call it "phasaa falang" or "western language" as if all westerners were the same and that all westerners can not only speak English but there's only one language spoken in the west, which is quite ignorant. I would never assume that the locals can speak multiple languages, but I would expect there to be some that do (not for my benefit as I don't need it, but for those that do). There are certainly those who speak Russian, German, Chinese, Swedish, French, Spanish, Japanese, Burmese, Khmer and a multitude of other languages, at least in certain areas of the country, to facilitate communication with visitors or expats who happen to be from those countries. Visitors from some of these countries or put another way, some visitors from any of these countries don't speak English at all or very very little.

And my personal suggestion is to print out the customs form from the website/app and present it to Cambodian customs when you arrive at the border. It makes them find your record more easily. Customs may or may not print out their own version, which they will sign and stamp, but this doesn't mean you've printed out the form in vain. It helps them locate your record more quickly and saves time. I print it out before every entry now. Some borders will stamp and sign the form I present them; others will print out their own version. To do this, once you have a profile and you're ready to travel to Cambodia, you first input all your details including filling out the entry and exit border and entry and exit dates. Here's a tip: just put down 30 days (which is the maximum). Makes it easier. Always overestimate how long you're staying because if you underestimate, you'll have to request an extension (can be done via the app or website) or you'll pay a fine if you overstay. Having the form printed out also facilitates your exit on the Thai side if you show up at a more remote border where the Thai officials might believe you won't be allowed to enter and may ask you to check with the Cambodian officials. I can guarantee you'll be permitted entry - just show the printed Cambodian customs form to the Thai customs officials and they'll print out the Thai exit form for you. The website allows for stays of up to 30 days but I understand you can request an extension (once inside the country and your profile is active) of an additional 30 days through the app/website. Assume you're approved once a request has been made, even if it's not showing as approved. It will be once you arrive at the exit border. That being said, to avoid a 1000 Baht fine on the Thai side, you'll need to request customs grants you a 60 day permit before exiting. Some larger borders may be able to do this; otherwise, you have to go to customs in Bangkok to request it. For the majority of us, this will probably never be necessary but let's say you're interested in touring Cambodia and aren't tied down to a job here and would like to spend 2 months with the car or motorcycle over there, then it's worth it. Or you might be interested in touring both Cambodia and Laos and cross the border between the two countries rather than first coming back to Thailand before visiting the other country. However, for Laos - the maximum stay now is 15 days plus a 7 day extension (which you have to pay for). They won't allow longer. This new rule came into force last September or October. So if you combine 1 month in Cambodia with say 15 or 22 days in Laos that's a little under 2 months.

Yes I posted a link in an earlier comment but here it is again: https://apps.customs.gov.kh

How hard can the process be of buying new glasses? You get an eye test, they ask you what you see, put some lenses over to see if you can read the chart, then if one or both eyes can't see clearly, they give you a slightly stronger lens and that's really about it. You hardly need much language to communicate your needs for something as simple as that. Usually takes 5 minutes then wait for your glasses to be made, which could take anywhere from an hour to a few days.

I wouldn't expect there to be any English-speaking staff at all. In practice, there is usually someone who knows some English, however bad it may be, but I don't expect it. I speak Thai with all Thais regardless of where I am in the country. And yeah, what you describe is very common; you normally don't find many young Thais who happen to have good English being proficient at other tasks. As you say, they might just be a receptionist or store clerk. I also speak Thai with Burmese and Cambodian migrant workers, unless it turns out their English is better than their Thai (which is often the case in tourist areas such as Koh Chang, Pattaya, Samui etc.) in which case I switch to English peppered with a few words or phrases from their language (be it Burmese or Khmer). With Laotians I will speak Thai or Lao only.

I'm not shocked. Went to a popular Thai restaurant with mostly foreign customers in Bangkok. Place is housed inside a traditional Thai style building. While waitstaff do speak English, it's rather basic. They liked it that I can speak Thai.

Ideally, yes, but not if you're in a tourist area with lots of foreign visitors, such as beach resort areas near the French border or Barcelona, Madrid or Malaga.

Laos is very much uncrowded and yet the experiences you'll have there are similar to Thailand. Perhaps because the culture is very similar; the language is too.

That's because you are initiating the exchange. My experience is similar to yours (except I'm not as old as you nor spent as many years in Thailand) but I am fluent in the language and get treated alright most of the time but there are always going to be the odd strange experiences here and there, though they have greatly reduced over the years.

Correct. Thais also do this among themselves. Hence why they don't really do small talk with strangers, except occasionally when some old granny talks to you because you happen to have your young child with you. Most of the time, it's me who initiates conversations with Thais, who are very receptive towards me, but unless my son is with me, they rarely talk to me first. Totally different to America where you can find yourself chatting away with some stranger you met on the bus.

No, the Chinese term is Laowai or Waiguoren. First one literally means "old outsider", while the second one means "outside country man" (or in English, simply "foreigner"). Guailo is Cantonese and while yes, Cantonese is a Chinese dialect, it's not "Chinese" in the sense that Mandarin is the official language of China and Taiwan, whereas Cantonese is merely a regional dialect, which happens to be one of the official languages of the territory of Hong Kong.

Even in 2023 and at least the first half of 2024, some Thais were adjusting their masks or putting them on "properly" while in an elevator (lift) when a foreigner entered. I saw this happen even in 4 and 5 star hotels with lots of foreign guests. The brainwashing is off the charts. Thais really live in a bubble.

Yeah but you're more likely to exchange small talk with a European grocery checkout clerk than a Thai one. I've observed Thai customers barely acknowledge checkout clerks or any service employee when they are addressed. Yesterday, a Dairy Queen employee asked a customer if it was his order. He barely mustered up the strength to say anything. He just grunted something. Thais aren't like Americans; who will engage in small talk with people who are serving them. Sure, in small shops and small towns, there may be some small talk between people who know each other, but almost never between a visitor from outside or someone who is shopping at a particular store for the first time. I do engage in small talk sometimes, though rarely with busy clerks, unless related to my shopping.