Is the Thai really that nice and friendly?
For many, the Thai symbolizes a radiant smile and all friendliness. But is that really the case?
It may have been the truth many years ago, but times change and it strikes me more and more that many Thais, to put it mildly, hardly radiate friendliness.
The well-known smile is hard to find and in restaurants and other entertainment venues people are often blunt and hardly a nice word comes over their lips. Without saying boo or bae, the food or drink is deposited on the table.
Skytrain
Experienced one of these days that an elderly lady had to stand in a crowded sky train in Bangkok and none of the predominantly young kids made any effort to stand up for her. Most of them were playing with their cell phones.
Although I no longer belong to the youngest, I just stood up for her. You expect at least a smile or an encouraging nod or something in that spirit from that older lady. But no, she didn't give a single signal that even remotely meant a thank you.
Stephane Bidouze / Shutterstock.com
Well, I'm not waiting for that, but friendliness is something else. Had to think back to a former colleague and Thailand connoisseur optima forma who always replied to my comments: "Who must have taught them?" For a moment I thought back to that comment on the skytrain.
Earlier on this blog a story appeared about a Thai lady who, visiting the Netherlands, noticed that the people there - and I'm sure also in Belgium - are a lot friendlier than in Thailand. Of course I remember a number of comments from people who do not want to hear a bad word about Thailand.
Each country has its own customs, but decency and friendliness know no borders.
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Had an accident yesterday motobike on busy 323 in Khao Laem, there were 2 nice and friendly young men who then accompanied me to a care post in the area and stayed with me until the necessary sewing and patching work was over, they also took care of my vehicle and luggage i was very positively surprised by their helpfulness and had to push hard to get them to accept a few hundred baht for a beer, less friendly was the driver of the SUV who drove me off the track
Respond anyway.
Thailand with more than 65.000.000 registered inhabitants and 280 cities with countless villages, hamlets and so on, of course has less friendly inhabitants like the Netherlands. The more generalizing comments based on some scarce experiences, which I certainly will not want to deny, go a bit far for me.
I myself take the lead in such encounters, for example by "throwing down" the menu by immediately calling the person concerned back, asking with a smile on my face if she/he can also laugh, so that she can laugh without losing face for the rest of the day. their service always show that smile, (serious or not). I always leave a tip at the checkout, but if the service remains ill-mannered, I carefully unfold the well-known booklet, tear up the bill and put all the money back in my wallet. Do you need to see the face?
They rarely stand up for the elderly in the Netherlands, but I do do that for the elderly in the metro or the express boat, and the responses are usually appreciated.
Ah, the whole world is changing, see the degrading reactions about people who have fled, having left home and hearth. But that's a whole different chapter.
Regards, YUUNDAI
I have been living in Thailand for 9 years now, and must confess that the land of smiles is not as it used to be, but that is the case everywhere. Bangkok and tourist cities are the worst, but if you leave those you will certainly encounter friendly and helpful people. Ask the people who stay here for a long time, they all want to come back to Thailand.
I've lived in Thailand for many years, and I don't see that generalizing negative comment about unfriendliness, at least hardly. But I myself am also very polite and friendly to everyone, and then you quickly get that back. Whether in a store, or restaurant, or against security guys. I smile and say hello and ask everything politely and kindly and then you get it back.
If the writer thinks this has changed, we have to think of the many years of Russian tourists, who, without speaking a word of English, bark at the waiting staff and treat homds. That might have changed their attitude towards the farrang in general?
In addition, the world is changing rapidly.
I was taught in the past that you always have to stand up for older people and pregnant women.
Do you think modern parents teach their children that, in the Netherlands or Thailand? So I don't think so!
Because when I'm in NL I watch with amazement how students and youngsters just sit there and play with their mobile phones…so not only in Thailand!!!
Idd have also often enough stood up for others, held the door open, helped people in life .. even saved lives ... unfortunately often stench for thanks. friends turn out not to be friends after you have boarded the ship lighter after many euros…yes, sometimes it doesn't do you any good. but still..despite everything I've been through in my little life, I still have hope for humanity. still try to see the good in people…for my true friends I would go through fire.
have 1 basic rule in my life 'whoever is nice to me will also receive my full kindness back'.
and people 'how much does a smile sometimes cost?'…a smile sometimes really does wonders..and so does kindness. as I said 'it starts with you'!
Recognizing your own kindness is a simple and free way to boost your own positivity. Developing an eye and appreciation for your own kindness is just a matter of thinking differently.
Kind words may be short and easy to say, but their echo is endless.
Agree. Not all Thais are friendly. I would say most not at all. Of course in cities like Pattaya strange comes full and with that always being friendly is often misunderstood so… But I agree with the writer. In supermarkets, restaurants and cafes they are rarely friendly. I then make an effort to give a smile and sometimes that helps but I get tired of that too. Some people are helpful. Just like with us. The management in my building is not friendly and only helpful when something is wrong… Good money instead of good morning.
The statement “Who must have taught them?” I think it's fantastic. And in my opinion, learning is best done along the lines of “Good example, good follow-up”. In my opinion, the “not standing up for the elderly” not only tells something about the youngest generation, but also about the generation(s) before it.
For example, it is terrible to see adults and children at the table who only pay attention to their own mobile phones and their own plate of food. They don't talk to each other for a moment. Sometimes it even involves parents with their children. Disgusting! And it is certainly not just a few Asian countries where this is already happening. Unfortunately, it is a reality that you see more and more around you all over the world.
Compared to the other SE Asia population, I think the Thai is the most normal. China has no sense of decency at all. Indonesia too, but in moderation. When I was first sent to Asia thirty years ago, my mentor in Kuala Lumpur told me. Yeah it's all about money. And that's what it is. Exceptions, of course. What does help is to approach people with a smile. And not like the average tourist playing the pias, that makes them deathly ill.
But the weather, food, nature, sea, beach, beer, etc etc are good so why grumble?
Personally, in all the years I've been coming to Thailand, I've talked about it
met generally friendly and helpful people!!
However, it does not apply everywhere in the world
“Those who do good, meet well”
Visit Thailand since 1971, first years for my work, then until 2010 as a tourist, max 3 weeks !!
In these years it was always the land of smiles for me..!!
Since 2011 I stay here about 6 months a year, I became a traffic participant, bought an apartment, got Thai neighbors, had to negotiate with government authorities, do my daily shopping, and more of these normal activities.
But the spontaneous smile is not what it used to be in my experience.
A normal greeting in the elevator, a smile at 7/11, Tesco or in a restaurant, holding a door open for someone, gentleman in traffic…. ???, judge for yourself .!
I know, it's not the question, but I've noticed in recent years that in NL (because of the crisis?) you get very friendly help in things like Action, AH Kruidvat, Praxis...!!
PS I live in the middle of the country.
carl.
I myself have been coming - intermittently - to Thailand since 1983. I went again this year and can therefore 'oversee' a good time. Well, of course Thailand is changing, it would be crazy if it wasn't. I still experience that famous smile every time, yes also in Bangkok, it is very important how you present yourself, people are very sensitive to that..I completely agree with Alex in that respect, also regarding the behavior of the Russians, that has not done the business any good, I saw the same in Vietnam, among others. Personally, I have hardly had any bad experiences so far, but I am now well trained :) .. Thailand is more and more based on the Western model, but if they want it that way, they want it that way. Next year I will visit that beautiful country again!
Unfriendly, disrespectful, almost rude.
I agree more than 100% with this, been coming to Thailnd for 20 years, living in Thailand for 7 years now.
Lest say: poverty makes friendliness, that has changed a lot here in all respects.
But we are free to go, change is impossible.
In the years that I now come to Thaialnd and have lived here for quite a few years, I do not recognize a fundamental change, except that youth likes to stay seated, after all, it is easier to play with the mobile while sitting than standing. But otherwise, no change, set a good example yourself, be able to speak a little Thai and usually a pleasant response follows.
Just an example, at the Makro I give the groceries from the cart to the cashier, the cashier says to my wife, how nice that your husband is so helpful, my wife says he always does that, to which the wife says, well the most falang are blunt, lazy, don't do what your husband does, be helpful. A cordial sawasdee with a beautiful smile is my share when everything is settled. So I have many experiences. What happens to mobile-obsessed young people also happens in NL, stay put and don't look around.
Sometimes an unfriendly person in a restaurant, the same happens in NL, but that is no more in Thailand than in NL and has not changed much in Thailand in the years that I have been there.
Nico B
I lived there full time for 6 years and saw Thailand change rapidly from 2006 onwards. Laughter is hard to find in the tourist places, and there is nothing to do in the countryside, although they are a bit friendlier there, but the country if the smile is really a thing of the past, and unfortunately another condo in a tourist place and the bad weather is coming here so only a few months in that direction, yes even a little reluctantly 🙂 So your statement is partially correct, they all come but not all with a lot of sense!
First time to Thailand in 1998. What hospitality and what friendly people. A bit too submissive for my liking at the time, but have come to appreciate and respect them for their beliefs and way of life. Now, many years later and many visits later, I notice that the Thai, in some parts of Thailand, has changed a lot. In the big cities and tourist places and areas in particular, the hospitality and mood is hard to find and sometimes rude. But what do you want if the “tourist, foreigner” shows no respect for the Thai and his customs and beliefs. From my own experience I have been able to "enjoy" the pigs from Russia that still serve God's commandment and treat the Thai incredibly arrogant and disrespectful. Until recently they try to remain friendly, but I fear that the damage has already been done. What a horrible people those Russians. I regularly speak with the Thai in both hospitality and private. It's a drama. I know hotel owners who absolutely ward off Russian tour operators. They never get a foot on the ground there. Incidentally, in the less touristy areas and certainly in the Isaan, this drama is not noticeable.
I have been coming to Thailand twice a year for 20 years now and I can see that society is also changing in Thailand, just like in Holland and I think everywhere in the world. Young people in particular have changed a lot. Most of them are very much in their own world of games, sms, facebook, twitter and likes. 2 years ago, the Netherlands was also a lot friendlier and more helpful than in 20. That is not much different in Thailand. The current generation of Thailand visitors who go on holiday has also changed. 2015 years ago you came across many more interesting farangs than now. It now has a high "Benidorm" content. I don't care much for that and neither do the Thai people. They have little respect for Thai culture, are tactless, have zero adaptability, complain about anything and everything. And some Russian farangs also make me smile when I see how rude they behave; on the other hand, I also had very pleasant conversations with a number of Russians. It is understandable that the Thai smile has become less. But even now I am still welcomed with a smile in restaurants, shops etc and actually everywhere I go. Maybe that's because I also smile a lot at the Thai people and speak the language a bit; note that this is a plus. And if I don't like something, I just tell them: I don't want you to talk on the phone when we're eating, I don't think that's polite. Or I don't like you driving so fast in traffic. And often that is enough if you ask in a friendly way. You also don't have to accept everything about their culture if it doesn't align with your own moral values and beliefs.
However, for me, Thailand is still the land of smiles and I hope it stays that way for a long time to come.
Dear Joseph, I myself have long been of the opinion that the (smile) smile of the Thai people is often an outward appearance, behind which their real opinion remains hidden from the outsider. Many times I thought I was cheated laughing. However, I have always (and still do) experienced Thai society as more open than here in the Netherlands, looking at someone in Thailand or just starting a conversation is usually no problem at all. That the Thai would now seem less friendly to experienced Thailand visitors or permanent residents than it could have been before, but colleagues and friends of mine who go to Thailand for the first time, when they return, talk about the friendliness experienced in Thailand. The issue raised, handing over the menu and serving a snack or a drink without saying boo or ba, is not exactly something of recent times. Comes to us, and of course to me, as very unwelcoming, but it seems to me to stem from a lack of expertise in how to deal with (foreign) guests. Fortunately, I also know many examples where the service and obligingness of the employees in restaurants are at a very high level. It has already been mentioned in the comments that other tourists have also traveled to Thailand in recent years, who do not speak a word of English, let alone Thai, and who, in our eyes, regularly behave very rudely. Seen in that light, I am actually surprised that there are still a few Bathbus drivers in Pattaya, for example, who are still friendly to tourists! And it is not surprising that the Thai lady experiences that people were so friendly to her during her stay in the Netherlands. In general, Thai ladies are very popular with the Dutch and if she herself is friendly, she will get it back in return.
Too bad, too bad, how many people think they live in a "painting". Nothing has changed and everything remains the same.
Unfortunately, or not at all, the world has changed, it has and will continue to do so.
Yes, everyone draws from experience and past experiences determine your reactions in the future, whether that is good (?) no idea. Fairly recent bad experiences with blunt Russians, of course, blurs the older experiences with friendly Farangs from other parts of the world. The increased prosperity also means that being obliging and friendly has become less necessary. You will find the real Thai outside the busy centers of BKK and the other popular tourist places. The Thai who does not come into contact with Farang all day is still the same one from about 25 years ago. Why; simply because his or her living environment has not changed too much either.
Don't complain, let's be happy about the continuous change, in the end things are getting a bit better for most people in fits and starts. Poverty is slowly decreasing worldwide, technology brings new possibilities, yes, change is a great and valuable good.
Be a little helpful, smile yourself first, you will see how often your smile is rewarded with a “smile”.
Paul Schiphol
I have been coming to Thailand once a year for about 12 years now. Always go to Pattaya for wonderful holidays. In the early years, no Thai had a smartphone and there was not WiFi everywhere. Over the years that has changed and everyone has at least one, but most even two. Partly because of this, the residents have received less attention for the tourist compared to the past. Sorry, but that's how it goes. Still, we can do something about it ourselves. when I have a nice drink on a terrace or sit in a bar with some Thai friends and staff, only the boys get a drink if they are not texting or gaming all the time. They can choose with me and that really works and gives back the atmosphere of the early 90s. Try it out.
Take it from me that Thailand has changed , especially in recent years very quickly .
I've been living here permanently for a while now, so I know the ins and outs.
It will only get worse , especially the Thai youth .
This is going to be a big problem for this country.
You can't get that outside to work anymore, it's hot out there.
Driving a moped or racing with a lot of noise, mobile phone and not doing much at school, in addition to never doing a job.
Looking in the mirror of the moped to see if your hair is still good.
And then the current generation of young Thai ladies, preferably with a white skin color.
I am currently building a new house here where I live in the north of Thailand , this time with Burmese people .
Both women and men , a relief I must say .
Even my Thai spouse likes this mentality.
Jan Beute.
Last week my wife picked up a TH friend from NL with her sister-in-law from Soevarnaboemie. Sister-in-law was there for the first time and delivered her to our friend's family. She was received and welcomed with the utmost kindness, cordiality and many smiles.
IN BKK went to MBK with them. By sky train. An experience for those who experience BKK for the first time. The skytrain was bursting at the seams. A pregnant woman entered. A year or so, I thought. A girl, sixteen I think, who seemed to be absorbed in her smartphone the whole time stood up, tapped the woman, who sat down, they exchanged a quick look with their eyes at each other, no words, no words, no smiles: that's how Thai do it among themselves. A good deed counts for itself and does not need a wreath.
In the food court of MBK, the sister-in-law was amazed, was amazed by the extremely cheerful and cozy atmosphere, and was very clumsy when seeing many goodies to choose from. Her clumsiness was amusing, no one blaming her, and many patiently waited with smiles on their faces for her to choose her dish.
And so I can go on and on. Examples galore. It's just what you want to see. There is so much reference to rose-colored glasses, but I think there are many with dark glasses and a melancholy mood.
In the tourist areas, such as BKK Nana and Cowboy, Pattaya and Phuket, I also see more and more unfriendly Thai, but much more unfriendly tourists/farang. How could it be that also/even the Thai become unfriendly….
Outside these areas I still see the same friendly Thai as 20 years ago.
Of course you will find unfriendly people everywhere, but I think that is of all driving, and is the case all over the world.
I generally only come across friendly Thai, and don't notice much difference from 20 years ago.
It will very much depend on where you are in Thailand.
Many people work in tourist areas, whose families live somewhere far away.
Those people will only see parents and often children once every few months.
That doesn't make those people happy.
Furthermore, in general, behavior is contagious, so if you only have friendly polite people around you, you will (mostly) become one yourself.
If people aren't, there's obviously something wrong with the environment they're working in.
This is certainly not surprising in tourist areas, because tourist money attracts a lot of crime and problems.
That will also affect the people who work there.
When I look around the village, I don't see people smiling kindly all day either, but there is no one in the village who is unfriendly or rude to me.
When I go for a walk in the evening I am always greeted everywhere.
But friendliness still exists in the city as well.
I like potato salad, but it's hard to find in Thailand.
And then they also put ham in it, which I don't eat.
So whenever I was in town I always asked if they had any salad that didn't already have the ham in it.
Sometimes they had them and sometimes they didn't.
Then someone who worked there gave her phone number and said if I called ahead they would make the salad for me.
So no, I have no complaints about friendliness.
So I also think that the perception that the smile has disappeared is limited to those places where there are many tourists.
Anyway, it's not my experience.
I always get a little angry when I read opinions like this, but that is of course my problem and I don't blame anyone.
I always have the reflex to protect the Thai people if they are once again criticized or targeted, whether or not supported by an example from practice.
I would like to warn you about the latter: you can support any theory with examples, so I'll pass on that.
My personal experience is that not a gram has changed in that smile of the Thai, whether or not sincere, it might be us who have changed or take a different look at them or the country…!!?
To be fair, I would add that there may be a big difference between visiting the country (very often) briefly, as I did, and (permanently) living there.
The latter means more mixing with the Thai population than the first, and you are also more involved in the daily routine of (also in Thailand) perhaps stressful life.
I'm sorry, but I find all these big reservations about a fake smile or about a fake mentality or about a fake honesty of the Thai to be, with all due respect, rather far-fetched and often very sour.
Of course I may have less right to speak because I don't live there, but I still advise all critics here to visit other countries in the world.
You will soon admit that Thailand has a very pleasant population!!
Pat, I totally agree with you. I too have that reflex to stand up for the Thai, and I too get sick of those sour negative critics who enjoy the cheaper luxury life here, but who use, or even abuse, the Thais to do all kinds of odd jobs for a living. have it done. Who look down on wait staff.
I have lived here for many years, in Pattaya, and came on vacation for many years before that. And I still enjoy it every day: the friendliness, helpfulness and obligingness. But I treat them with kindness and respect. And not like many farrang with their arrogant lofty attitude, because they have a few pennies more…they don't deserve better than to be treated in the same way, as they treat the Thai… Thais have their pride too, and rightly so!
That's how I see it too, Alex, no one can deny that the average Thai is still helpful and friendly!
But as I said, with individual examples you can try to prove any theory.
For example, with my experience of Thailand and the Thai people, I could say that they are all perfect, as I have never really had a bad experience.
Never!!
But I'm not going to generalize my experiences, but sometimes I think that many do in the opposite direction : they have something left and right and so Thailand and its people have deteriorated.
Dealing with people is an interactive fact, which means that you always have a share in social contacts.
So I think a little more objectification is necessary if you make a general statement about a country and its people.
I will keep you posted if I also think that the Thai people have a false smile.
Of course this is in many cases, prosperity is to blame for this, and with the use of mobile phones no one is helpful anymore. Times have changed, sometimes I struggle with it myself but eh…. you have to move with the times.
The funny thing is that almost all of those who complain that things have gotten “worse” share their own personal experiences and generalize this.
They do not notice that they themselves have become older and less spontaneous, marked by life and less attractive, stiffer, fatter, uglier. Life is a mirror of yourself.
I see it in myself too… when I'm alone I don't always walk with a pleasant expression either – unconsciously and when I'm out with my girlfriend I'm smiling 99% of the time because we have a lot of fun together have and enjoy being together. But that also reflects on the environment and you see that people come across as much friendlier.
Another example, when we entered a 7/11 this week. The staff greeted us kindly. In Bangkok we are always kindly helped at every checkpoint (Skytrain and MBK, for example). When I had to take the Skytrain a few times this week and I had a small suitcase with me, in most cases someone helped me nicely, who took my ticket and I could walk through the gate.
When we came back from Bangkok and we had parked our motorcycle with sidecar across a concrete beam in the Tesco car park, I was spontaneously helped by two women and a man CARRYING the motorcycle over the beam (was a bit stuck because of a car which had also been there for more than a day).
The Land of Smiles is misunderstood by most. You have to see Thai people talking among themselves. A smile in Thailand is not only a sign of kindness, it can express agreement, apology, respect, or many other intentions. Many foreigners have never learned to understand the facial expressions and explain everything according to their own standards…
I have been coming to Thailand for 35 years and for me the only ones who have changed as a mass are the foreigners. At that time, people came to the country who had a real interest, who came to Asia on purpose, because they were looking for a different kind of life and not like now, where the masses who live here (and I'm sure NO ONE here on Thailand blog like that is) only here because of the warmth, financial benefits, maybe the food, but hardly for the country and its people…. they find it difficult.
Unfortunately, dear Sjaak, I have come to that conclusion for a long time, we are unwanted here, deposit your money and possessions here and leave as soon as possible, that is their greatest unspoken wish here!!!! Greetings!!
Nor would I laugh if I were treated by someone who considers himself supreme and acts in such a way that his compatriots or language people are ashamed in their place.
In a quiet place somewhere in Thailand I enjoy this cozy people every day, I have learned the language and sometimes hear what older women have experienced with farangs.
It all starts with yourself, don't do in another country what you don't dare at home.
Apologies to those who mean well.
Greetings!!
Oh yes, about the sister-in-law of my wife's girlfriend, see 17.45 pm above. That sister-in-law was taken care of and welcomed by the family of the friend. After 2 nights it turned out that she hadn't slept a wink because of the heat and the mosquitoes in the room where she had her sleeping place. It was only a wooden house on stilts. Family doesn't have it that wide. Well, all the relatives did hut-to-house and rented an air-conditioned room in a brick apartment building a few blocks away. The family did not notice that it had to cost 8 baht for staying for 3 weeks. They also refused a contribution to the costs from the side of the sister-in-law. Smiling broadly, they offered this solution to sister-in-law. Everyone happy, everyone satisfied.
Yesterday I wrote my experience on this weblog , how I thought about it and how I still feel about it today .
But this can also happen in 24 hours.
My stepdaughter alone and her 4 year old son are staying here for a week.
She and her husband run two restaurants in the city of Nakhon Pathon, not far from Bangkok.
Today , my Thai spouse and my stepdaughter and son , in my 16 year old Mitsch strada pickup , went to Chiangmai .
And on to the promenade resort mall .
I was especially curious where I should go for my visa extension in a few months, as the new emigration office in CM is also located there.
And what happened , my 4 year old stepson was accidentally knocked over by three Thai boys .
They immediately apologized and made the Thai waa .
I immediately thought of my comment yesterday on this weblog .
This is very correct , you do not often see it anywhere in the world .
But an hour later .
There was a small stand selling second - hand Harley Davidson items such as T shirts and belt buckles , etc. .
The young man sitting there was so busy with his cell phone connected through two speakers to both of his earcups that he is totally not interested in any customer for anything.
I got angry, made a comment about this with the help of my spouse that was not well received.
This is also Thailand in a very short personal experience.
Jan Beute.
Dear janbeute, you let a pleasant experience with the friendliness of Thai people be overshadowed by a less pleasant one. But life is all about the coming and going of pleasant and less pleasant experiences. What if you first encountered the young man with the 2 speakers on his ears and only then the other 3 boys apologizing with a Thai wai. Had it been good then? For an old-timer in Thai manners and customs like you, it would be good to nuance your experiences with Thai. You have been living in Thailand for so long now that you should be able to put your behavior towards Thai in perspective too. The question of this article is whether Thai friendliness is declining? I already stated in my response that I don't think this is the case. I'll add one more:
Yesterday we received a visit from a 25 year old cousin of my wife with his pregnant wife. They have a lot of trouble with his mother, my wife's sister, who is on their backs and thinks they should do what she thinks is right. They asked my wife for advice. So we sat down for them. Because the meeting was going to last, they had brought all sorts of things with them. Somtam, fried strips of pork and beef, hip wings, raw vegetables, noodles and sticky rice. And to top it all off, 2 pound tubs of ice cream of various colors and flavors, because they know that as a farang I find it warmer in Thailand than they do. Just come to NL'ers about that.
At the end of the day I had to go to DoHome for some material. The staff there stand together in groups, talking, without paying attention to customers. But do you have to say something about that?
I am also annoyed by that, not getting up for the elderly, pregnant women and the disabled. Recently I nearly fell over in surprise. A sticker on the window of the skye train, with symbols it indicated Disabled, elderly, still well and, "MONKS?????"
The fact that people get up for monks, and not for monks, has to do with the Thai perception of courtesy. Thai monks are not allowed to touch women, nor are women allowed to touch monks. In a crowded skytrain, both cases are unavoidable, and to help both parties out of the emergency, the monk is offered an escape by taking a seat in a place reserved for him. It is also simply an expression of respect. The fact that the latter is no longer the case in NL, for example, has nothing to do with TH. To understand TH it is good not to apply NL habits 1 to 1 to TH events.
The Thai are just real people.
An ideal image of the people is created by the tourist industry, with beautiful photos and a polite smile.
In the larger hotels they are trained in politeness, and if things go wrong, they will be on the street in no time.
For the rest, they are often poor people, in a hot, often dirty city, with long working days.
Nobody is happy about that.
But still, if you can speak a little Thai, the doors will open for you and you will often see a genuine smile.
After my last writing I can only confirm again about what I experience myself. Two weeks ago I had a scooter accident and was helped by a nice Thai couple. When I go to a Global House or Home Pro, I am always helped and greeted in a friendly way. Sometimes a little too much of a good thing. But hey, the staff is also instructed to be friendly.
I also know Thais with a tough and grumpy expression, but even more people who are friendly.
The fact that people may smile less will also be due to the fact that they act more self-confident. And to be honest, I don't really care if they're friendly or not.
I have been coming here – and mainly staying in Thailand for 30 years and have lived in all corners. It was already clear to me in the beginning that the smile of the Thai and often also of the tourist and expat is a 'produced laugh' and there is nothing wrong with that and even better than a grumpy face. My current girlfriend with 30 years of banking experience and a boss who orders always to produce a smile for a customer confirms what I already knew. You can't always smile and certainly not for no reason. You can break the ice yourself by setting a good example, giving cause and it makes a huge difference if you speak Thai and are courteous. In my own environment I only come across nice Thai people of all stripes. I went to the Netherlands for a few years for my lonely mother, but how much that has changed, I no longer recognize it at all as everyone lives past each other and how many are disrespectful and even rude, but it also works there with a good setting an example and positive cause, so that the attitude of others also changes positively. But what has often been said, everyone's world has become extremely small due to those damn smartphones.
Smiling faces sometimes…they don't tell the truth…smiling faces sometimes tell lies. Where few farangs come, people are just okay. Where many come……….. So maybe it's also our fault and not just the Russian tourists? We are also being kicked out.