A Smile...and politeness, goes a long way in Thailand

I'm normally a dour looking person. I have frightening "angry Spanish" eyes that tends to put people off even though I'm not intending anything "Jahid-istic".
But I've found when I come to Thailand I smile a lot more...inspite of myself.
After my "mother-in-law" asked ladyboyfriend why I don't smile and if I "think too much" I've made an extra effort to show my true feelings on my face. Difficult for the button-down face of the button-down mind.

But I have noticed....when the beach vendors see a new target on the beach and congregate a simple "mai, kapkun khrap" and a smile is enough to make them pass on by and not bother you anymore. It works on all kinds of Thais - waitstaff in restraunts, bar boys, mamasans.

And even on the dreaded policeman or immigration official.

I swear that immigration orders its employees NOT to crack a smile no matter what.

Much like US Customs.

But I've found that a "Kapkun khrap" followed by a smile is enough to melt the heart the most dour immigration official and cause at least a crack of a half smile and "khrap" in response.

Try playing the game the Thai way.

Just a stray thought..... :flower:

[bao-bao]

It might be a stray, but it's a good thought - and I heartily agree.

Most of the time there I'm smiling just because I'm happy - regardless of the heat, traffic or whatever frustrations happen to come my way.

You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, and a smile usually does diffuse a lot of problems. It certainly doesn't HURT.

Works for me, anyway.

"We all know about the legendary Thai smile. That smile - called тАЬyimтАЭ in Thai - is a most captivating tool disarming the most cold-hearted foreigner. Deep down though that famous smile is more of a self-defense than a deeply felt expression of the heart.

Take following incident: Somebody is killed in a car crash. Thai people will surround the crash site within minutes - and smile. Not because they think itтАЩs funny what is happening. But because the undeniable tragedies of life are so invincible, that only smiling prevents from being driven crazy on the very spot."

http://absolutelybangkok.com/the-thai-smile/

but sometimes a smile is just a smile