Whats wrong with you foreigners

[473geo]

6 hours ago, Hummin said:

Just a question to you greeting warm lovely wonderful happy smiling people. Do you go around and greet pure falang families and falang with falang lady? And do you greet falangs walking alone? Or just when they have gf on their side? Is there any rules you have for greeting everyone everyewhere? 

 

Im curious, and where is the borderline for not saying hello? 

Yes when riding pillion on the wifes' motorsi I usually settle for a nod or wave rather than the spoken word

[Grumpy Duck]

On 3/25/2018 at 3:19 PM, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

First it is racist and stupid to assume people speak English because they appear to have a white face. This isn’t America. What is “Hi!”? Something a child says. In England was once considered polite to greet passersby “How do you do?” Various cultures here, all have different standards. I was told if a stranger smiles at you in Russia you call a policeman. A Russian man wears a grimace, not a silly grin.

Everyone in my Condo is very friendly, we greet each other, help the old people with their packages, mostly Thai. Well last year before the AirBnB ban I got on the elevator and was surprised by an unfamiliar couple. The woman was in a full Birka, with only slots of a metallic eye mask showing. . I got the feeling I wasn’t supposed to say Hello to her. Was I wrong?

Then you have the Foreign weirdos who think they are superior and avoid all contact with other aliens for whatever reasons. I just bow subtlety to people. If they want to talk I’ll leave it up to them.

Sorry if you have a problem with someone saying Hi or Hello, I believe it is an international greeting. I am one of those persons that greets total strangers with a smile & hello/hi along with a head nod when passing. It is not as if I am trying to strike up a conversation or something. Just an acknowledgement of another persons existence. 

I notice when in Silom many foreigners will look away, snobs perhaps? I find 99% of Thais will smile & nod in return.

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

11 hours ago, Nicebus said:

No wonder the world is buggered with attitudes like this .

What attitudes? I give them  them the head nod or bow.

All the Thai people in the shops and offices everyday don't go around greeting strangers do they?

Similarly I do not assume that I have some commonality or solidarity with the random Farnangs.

 

What if the random Farangs are criminal types, racists, bigots,  or liberals?

 

I don't like cigarette smokers either but I can tell that from their various and foul odours.

[HLover]

15 hours ago, jenny2017 said:

and on their way to get introduced to the "family", are usually not much fun to talk to. 

Well said, and these marks are even less fun to talk to afterwards.

[catman20]

On 3/25/2018 at 4:33 PM, scubascuba3 said:

I'd say hi back unless the guy looked like trouble then I'd probably ignore him.

I ignore Indian tailors, sunglasses sellers daily, I'm very good at it

i agree with all your points and behave in the same manner.

[chicowoodduck]

I always avoid the friendly hello guys.....most of the time just lonely old farts who want something I never have....lol....?

[n210mp]

Its  rumoured in Psychology circles that 99% of the worlds population have some kind of mental hangup or disorder yes me included.

 

A post that can attract soi many replies must be touching some nerve or other which in a way substantiates this information.

 

Methinks the  Thai visa "naysayers" protesteth too much.

 

As I said socially socially dysfunctional (Thats still not a crime)  but totally  ignorant of any mild or otherwise  mental eccentricity  ha ha ha 

[transam]

3 minutes ago, n210mp said:

Its  rumoured in Psychology circles that 99% of the worlds population have some kind of mental hangup or disorder yes me included.

 

A post that can attract soi many replies must be touching some nerve or other which in a way substantiates this information.

 

Methinks the  Thai visa "naysayers" protesteth too much.

 

As I said socially socially dysfunctional (Thats still not a crime)  but totally  ignorant of any mild or otherwise  mental eccentricity  ha ha ha 

Humans are just one creature on our planet, there is nothing to say humans should not be or are not crackers....

[RickTik]

After reading the whole initial post, my thoughts are that it is a personal safety issue. 

Personally, if I'm approached by a stranger, I'll give a courteous nod "hello" and pretty much just move on.

Because of politics and other issues people have, you never know why you are being approached.

Trust your inner voice. If your inner voice "whispers" that something isn't right, break away.

[Laza 45]

A few years back there were very few ferang living in the town where I live.. I always said 'Hi'.. and usually had a good response.. and I made a couple of good friends this way.  These days there are a lot more westerners living there and I don't greet everyone but occasionally I'll start a conversation.  I've never really had anyone be rude.. a few make little or no response and move on.. but like someone mentioned above not all are English speakers.. It might make a difference that where I live there is no tourist industry.  Westerners I meet are generally married to a local lady or visiting a friend. Also, because there is no tourist industry the locals almost never approach foreigners with something to sell.  I guess it is  a bit more relaxed away from the tourist hot spots.  At immigration it might not be the best place to strike up a conversation.. you never know what is going on for the other person.. they could be a bit stressed with visa issues on their mind.  My feeling is that it doesn't hurt to smile and be friendly... 

[sanemax]

16 hours ago, JAFO said:

Today was a busy as hell day. I was out trimming 4 meter tall hedges which had me going up and down a ladder while I could stand the heat.  Have likely 200 meters around the walls. Have to do this once every 6 months. Next up are the Lumyai trees....

Theres a good example .

I said hello to JAFO , now he wants me to go and help him  trim his Lumyai trees

[sanemax]

9 hours ago, The manic said:

I usually have positive conversations with foreigners and it's our own countries we slagg off. I rarely come across Thai haters but when I do I just fade them out and avoid them in the future. You have a, sub-group who like Thailand but don't like Thais or their habits and customs.  I disengage from such people also. Most of my conversationscate about fun, girls ,music,  food and places of interest from go go bars to buddist temples etc. Its true there is a dirth of real travellers in Pattaya people who play golf and watch footie... They have, little to say of interest and, are distant from Thai culture. 

I am from the other side of the spectrum .

I usually have quite a positive opinion about my home Country, as well as about Thailand , maybe I just focus on the positives, rather than the negatives .

   I also find it quite repulsive talking with men about sex , especially older men talking about prostitutes .

  Some of the older ex-pats , their whole reason for being seems to be sex .

They often go to places, just to leer at females , every female with make-up on and a skirt above the knee , they will stare at her and say "coooor, id giv er one"

[Grumpy Duck]

9 hours ago, The manic said:

??? That's, the USA?   It's a movie.  What's it got to do with greetings? 

Actually US trailer trash. I really hate such labels, but in this case it fits. A serious alcohol problem chugging a half pint of whiskey then getting into a car to drive? Or perhaps just getting in the car to pass out away from the ol lady? Hopefully. 

[Grumpy Duck]

Ya know, I like to break the rules. Ya know like “don’t talk to strangers on an elevator “ or “don’t talk to people on the  bts or mrt” often when sharing an elevator with someone who seems uncomfortable I will turn around and stand in a corner. A funny ice breaker. 

 

I have some muslim neighbors that moved into the place recently. They were a mother & 2 young daughters. The youngest one is about 10 years old. She is the family translator for Thai, Arabic, or English. At first if I was first on the elevator they would wait for the next one. Later another time  I jumped on just before the doors closed and used my stand in corner technique and got a laugh out of them. I suspect they fear all Americans are muslim haters. I suspect I may have changed that view, by simply being silly. They even will say hello in public now. I asked them what was a proper greeting in their language. I cannot remember, but it seems to be a starting point. 

Maybe I am just crazy. 

[MaeJoMTB]

3 minutes ago, Grumpy Duck said:

Ya know, I like to break the rules. Ya know like “don’t talk to strangers on an elevator “ or “don’t talk to people on the  bts or mrt” often when sharing an elevator with someone who seems uncomfortable I will turn around and stand in a corner. A funny ice breaker. 

Farting loudly works much better.

[sanemax]

18 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

 

Afraid someone's going to attach themselves to you, talk your ear off, start dropping by your house unannounced, etc? Seriously? You don't have the social skills to manage a conversation or a relationship? I've got some errands to do, I'd prefer if you called before coming over to the house.

Some of this may be cultural, but a lot of it is dysfunctional rudeness driven by fear, insecurity, and unhappiness. Some people fear being judged, but there are some people who are deliberately rude because they're unhappy.

Whilst I do realise that there are some lonely people in this World , they must also realise that I am not a solution to their problem , I am not on this Earth to be friends with every lonely person that walks by .

   We have an old felang guy who has just moved in a few doors away , he seems to old lonely type , he is nice and friendly to everyone , always stopping by to say hello , friendly to my family and all the kids , its like hes trying to join the family, inserting himself as family grandfather .

   Whilst I do feel sorry for him, being old a lonely , but there is no room for him in my family and the family has no desire to be friends with him .

    Maybe be thinks that he has some kind of white privilege , going to Asia and joining other peoples families .

   I am the "Daddy" of my family and if he tries to muscle in and make a challenge , we wili deal with it the way lions and tigers deal with it in the wild .

[transam]

5 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Whilst I do realise that there are some lonely people in this World , they must also realise that I am not a solution to their problem , I am not on this Earth to be friends with every lonely person that walks by .

   We have an old felang guy who has just moved in a few doors away , he seems to old lonely type , he is nice and friendly to everyone , always stopping by to say hello , friendly to my family and all the kids , its like hes trying to join the family, inserting himself as family grandfather .

   Whilst I do feel sorry for him, being old a lonely , but there is no room for him in my family and the family has no desire to be friends with him .

    Maybe be thinks that he has some kind of white privilege , going to Asia and joining other peoples families .

   I am the "Daddy" of my family and if he tries to muscle in and make a challenge , we wili deal with it the way lions and tigers deal with it in the wild .

Looks like you are the one with a problem....

[Hummin]

Why is he the one with problem? 

 

Some people have fixed ideas how things are and how it should be, and it is hard to convince them to ease a little bit and hang loose, and just accept people are different with different needs. 

 

[MaeJoMTB]

14 minutes ago, sanemax said:

We have an old felang guy who has just moved in a few doors away , he seems to old lonely type , he is nice and friendly to everyone , always stopping by to say hello , friendly to my family and all the kids , its like hes trying to join the family, inserting himself as family grandfather .

Find him one of your 'single mom' nieces to move in with, he'll fit right in and share your ATM duties.  

[sanemax]

5 minutes ago, transam said:

Looks like you are the one with a problem....

A problem being that I choose my friends and acquaintances .

A problem being that I am happy enough with my family , friends and acquaintances and that I have no need or desire to walk around smiling and nodding at random people .

   Yes, some people are lonely , but I am not the answer to their loneliness issues.

[thaibeachlovers]

20 hours ago, sanemax said:

Why would you want to speak to an English speaking person in Thai , when English is both your first language ?

   Are you fluent in Thai , could you hold a conversation in Thai ?

What did you want to say to her, anyway ?

Saying "hi" or the equivalent is not an invitation to start a conversation unless the other wishes it to be so. It is called "being polite''. People used to say good morning or similar as a routine to people they met along the way, and men raised their hats to ladies. Since then, of course, the human race has overpopulated itself, apparently to the point that common courtesy has become either irrelevant or threatening.

 

However your first sentence put me in mind of when I was in Saudi and was speaking to the bus driver in Arabic, till someone pointed out he was a Philippino!

[transam]

23 minutes ago, sanemax said:

A problem being that I choose my friends and acquaintances .

A problem being that I am happy enough with my family , friends and acquaintances and that I have no need or desire to walk around smiling and nodding at random people .

   Yes, some people are lonely , but I am not the answer to their loneliness issues.

One day you might be lonely too because you don't know what's round your corner..

 

Being civil costs nothing unless one fears losing something..

 

I think you are wrapped up in your bubble, can't shake off your farangland stuff perhaps, and have no interest with folk outside your bubble...

 

But, I accept we are all different and glad I don't think like you.....

[Hummin]

@transam

In an ideal world yes, it is nice to have sunny shiny days, walking around and see smiles, and happiness everywhere. But the world is not like that. Nutcases everywhere and there is a fear amount of them right here in Thailand. Not necessery being a dangerous treath, but in best case only annoying, and no more than that. We choose our contacts and friends on what is natural for us, not because we have an neighbour that need company. I just do not get it, you want us to be social workers or what? 

 

 

[sanemax]

1 minute ago, transam said:

One day you might be lonely too because you don't know what's round your corner..

Being civil costs nothing unless one fears losing something..

I think you are wrapped up in your bubble, can't shake off your farangland stuff perhaps, and have no interest with folk outside your bubble...

But, I accept we are all different and glad I don't think like you.....

That is true, one day I may be lonely , then nodding and smiling at strangers in Tescos will be my forte .

  I am quite civil and polite to people , just last night as I was walking out my Condo and a young Thai family were walking in, with a baby and lots of bags , I carried their bags for them , up to the third floor and they thanked me .

   I saw them again this morning and we didnt feel the need to even acknowledge each other , no smiles or nodding , just walked straight past .

   If they need my assistance again, I will quite happily offer it to them 

[speckio]

On 3/25/2018 at 3:19 PM, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

First it is racist and stupid to assume people speak English because they appear to have a white face. This isn’t America. What is “Hi!”? Something a child says. In England was once considered polite to greet passersby “How do you do?” Various cultures here, all have different standards. I was told if a stranger smiles at you in Russia you call a policeman. A Russian man wears a grimace, not a silly grin.

Everyone in my Condo is very friendly, we greet each other, help the old people with their packages, mostly Thai. Well last year before the AirBnB ban I got on the elevator and was surprised by an unfamiliar couple. The woman was in a full Birka, with only slots of a metallic eye mask showing. . I got the feeling I wasn’t supposed to say Hello to her. Was I wrong?

Then you have the Foreign weirdos who think they are superior and avoid all contact with other aliens for whatever reasons. I just bow subtlety to people. If they want to talk I’ll leave it up to them.

English is kind of an international language and used by almost everyone traveling abroad... people from China, Thailand, and most Asian countries will try and use English to commincate when traveling abroad. IE thai people traveling to japan will try and use english if they dont know japanese and will rarely try to use thai first

[Once Bitten]

Just to clarify , when out and about and I see an approaching foreigner coming towards me , even if he is walking alone or with some one .  My reaction has all ways been to smile , not a silly or false grin just a simple normal smile and then a non aggressive low key Hi . My intention has never been to stop or slow down the recipient of my Hi,  in the hope we can have a longer conversation , its just to try and show some sort of foreigner to foreigner friendly acknowledgment as we pass each other . 

 

Now thinking about this subject a bit more its just occurred to me that in the past when I've been wandering about be it in a shopping mall , restaurant or other public place . I don't ever recall any approaching foreigner actually saying Hi to me first . 

 

The question to my self now has to be,  why does it seem I need to say Hi to any foreigners that I come across while out and about , when now thinking about it in more detail , its just become obvious to me that the Hi door is swinging only in one direction . 

 

Could it be something to do with my childhood upbringing or may be some deep rooted desire to be accepted or recognized in some way. 

 

What ever it may be and now remembering that my past Hi greetings all seem to be generally met with a negative reaction , and of course the large numbers of comments posted here that seem to say its generally a bad idea doing what I'm doing. 

 

Could it now be time for me mimic other foreigners and when I see one walking towards me,  I just lower my head and stare at the floor as I silently walk on by.  

 

I'm feeling disheartened 

[transam]

2 minutes ago, Hummin said:

@transam

In an ideal world yes, it is nice to have sunny shiny days, walking around and see smiles, and happiness everywhere. But the world is not like that. Nutcases everywhere and there is a fear amount of them right here in Thailand. Not necessery being a dangerous treath, but in best case only annoying, and no more than that. We choose our contacts and friends on what is natural for us, not because we have an neighbour that need company. I just do not get it, you want us to be social workers or what? 

 

 

How true, in fact I have sorted one bloke out at his expense, but one of my best (now) friends is an old guy who has had a heart attack, stroke, epilepsy and a brain aneurysm, we laugh and laugh over a few beers every week..Just being ME opened a lot of fun for us both and made a guy with huge problems a life that wasn't so bleak..He even likes my....

[Hummin]

Why does it have to bee så akward, why not just act normal, smile to the world, be happy, do not look at others, and try to convince them to be like you, do not expect other people to be like you, and last just be yourself. People are just people, and thats it

[transam]

3 minutes ago, Once Bitten said:

Just to clarify , when out and about and I see an approaching foreigner coming towards me , even if he is walking alone or with some one .  My reaction has all ways been to smile , not a silly or false grin just a simple normal smile and then a non aggressive low key Hi . My intention has never been to stop or slow down the recipient of my Hi,  in the hope we can have a longer conversation , its just to try and show some sort of foreigner to foreigner friendly acknowledgment as we pass each other . 

 

Now thinking about this subject a bit more its just occurred to me that in the past when I've been wandering about be it in a shopping mall , restaurant or other public place . I don't ever recall any approaching foreigner actually saying Hi to me first . 

 

The question to my self now has to be,  why does it seem I need to say Hi to any foreigners that I come across while out and about , when now thinking about it in more detail , its just become obvious to me that the Hi door is swinging only in one direction . 

 

Could it be something to do with my childhood upbringing or may be some deep rooted desire to be accepted or recognized in some way. 

 

What ever it may be and now remembering that my past Hi greetings all seem to be generally met with a negative reaction , and of course the large numbers of comments posted here that seem to say its generally a bad idea doing what I'm doing. 

 

Could it now be time for me mimic other foreigners and when I see one walking towards me,  I just lower my head and stare at the floor as I silently walk on by.  

 

I'm feeling disheartened 

You stay as you are..

[thaibeachlovers]

20 hours ago, JLCrab said:

OK here is my story and apologies to those who have heard it but it's been a while:

 

I was walking in Central Park New York City late 1970's on a Sunday when the main road on the west side West Drive was closed to traffic. Walking. Jogging,. Bicycles. In-line skates etc.

 

I was walking south when to my left I saw a couple with a young boy sitting a bit off the road on a bench. I said a big HELLO! without breaking stride and he said a big HELLO! back.

 

He was John Lennon.

Good one.

My "celeb meeting" was less fortunate. I was walking along the beach with a friend and after we were finished he asked me if I'd seen Rod Stewart and Allana as we passed by. I hadn't, so missed my chance to say "hello".

He was one of my "heroes".