Advice for a newbie to Thailand

[cdnmatt]

Just a quick remark. As for soaking in the culture, I get that, but please know that takes years, and definitely isn't going to happen in a couple weeks. For example, I remember before people would always come up to me, say hi, start chatting me up and asking various questions... where you from, what are you doing, why do you walk, where do you live, why are you always alone, when when will you go back to your country?, etc....

Now I'm in the furthest thing from a tourist area, so if you're from the West and someone begins questioning you like that out of the blue, you're going to feel like they're interrogating you. When in reality, they're just being good Buddhists, are a little worried / curious about you, and want to ensure you're ok. They have only good intentions, but if you're from the West, you're naturally going to ask yourself, "what the hell does he/she want from me?", when in reality they're just ensuring you're ok.

That type of conditioning the West gives us takes years to strip away, and definitely won't happen during a 2 week vacation.

[frequent]

When in reality, they're just being good Buddhists

They're just being nosey

[Mickp]

Your right Matty dear , reminds me of the time I saw this American guy drop his wallet in the Hilton Hotel Pattaya.

I had just come back from a day out so was still dressed in shirts and a T shirt.

I walked up to him proud that I could give his wallet back to him, As he was talking to a group of his friends all dressed up , I first said to the arrogant prick "hello how are you "

He stopped and looked me up and down with a snarly look , Probaly my long blonde wig and lipstick didnt fit into his circle,and said in his arrogant American accent

"Do I know YOU ?????????

I said no ya dont honey!!

Then one of his friends piped in "This is a private party pal "


"Ok hope you have a great time I said to them smiling .

Then I went up to my room opened the wallet to see over 40,000 baht in cash plus numerous credit cards !!!
Credit cards in the bin pet , cash in my purse

[sglad]

Your right Matty dear , reminds me of the time I saw this American guy drop his wallet in the Hilton Hotel Pattaya.

I had just come back from a day out so was still dressed in shirts and a T shirt.

I walked up to him proud that I could give his wallet back to him, As he was talking to a group of his friends all dressed up , I first said to the arrogant prick "hello how are you "

He stopped and looked me up and down with a snarly look , Probaly my long blonde wig and lipstick didnt fit into his circle,and said in his arrogant American accent

"Do I know YOU ?????????

I said no ya dont honey!!

You should have said, "Not really hun but you left your underwear in my room last night. Please come and get it back later." Then wink, turn, wiggle your bum and walk off.

[scottish-guy]

Hence he always buys a Jeroboam, uses the contents as lube and the empty bottle as a butt plug

[sydneyboy]

Omega
We were newbies to Thailand once and I hope you separated the wheat from the chaff and found some of the comments to your sensible thread of benefit.

[FarangRuMak]

Omega
We were newbies to Thailand once and I hope you separated the wheat from the chaff and found some of the comments to your sensible thread of benefit.

I was a newbie once and I'm an oldbie now and I still don't know how Mai or Tik or Mot is going to react to what I say or do.
Many S. E. Asians have genes from an extinct humanoid (not neanderthal) that Caucasians don't have.
This explains why the poor blind kid who sits near Tuk Com is far happier when I give him my 3 monthly saved loose change collection as is, rather than in paper notes. Believe me I've done it both ways.

[Omega]

This explains why the poor blind kid who sits near Tuk Com is far happier when I give him my 3 monthly saved loose change collection as is, rather than in paper notes. Believe me I've done it both ways.

If he's blind, maybe it's just easier for him to know what coins he has in his hand. Maybe he gets ripped off when he uses notes to buy things.

[Omega]

Omega
We were newbies to Thailand once and I hope you separated the wheat from the chaff and found some of the comments to your sensible thread of benefit.

Thanks... yes a few tips. But not quite as helpful as I'd hoped. It seems some on here only have sex on the brain and can't see how someone else can have more than that in mind.

[FarangRuMak]

I don't think so.
He's blind and poor but not stupid.
He handled the notes very dexterously.
But I would have to defer to our blind poster from the village to have the final word on this.