why are you all afraid?

[Guest]

first this is just an observation. am not trying to make a judgment just trying to figure this out. one i have never been to thailand so am not sure about that culture. i do understand the deal about face and most of the different cultural nuances of asian life. i have traveled quite a bit in southeast asia and korea. with plenty of girlfreinds here in the states that are asian born. and also girlfriend from overseas while i was there. but i have never ran from one of these women or any man that has gotten mad because of a precieved loss of face. yet i see so many posters saying that they run away. am not sure i understand this point because of my way of thinking you have just lost face..i have had a few completely loss it with me, women that is. i have also had some men go completely insane in the phillipines on bad business deals where i caught them trying to cheat me and called them out on it. but any time some one has gotten physicall with me they have been on the short end of the stick so to speak. could some one please clue me in to this. i plan to be living in malaysia soon and making some short trips to thailand soon and don't fancy being shoot. also since this is the net. i don't know the peoples age or physical shape here so can that have something to do with the thai's going ballistic on some of you all?

[stogie bear]

Don't make Thai people mad. They over-react and you'll always lose. You may win a fight against one or two if they are unarmed but they'll find you and make you pay.

The newspapers often feature stories where cab drivers have been 'insulted' by the farang and stabbed him or the drunk cop was refused sex with a back packing gap year student and she ends up strangled.

When the perp is invited to explain his actions he'll say "He spat at me!" or something similar and genuinely belive that he had a perfect right to react in the way that he did!

Beneath the external smile that fronts a Thai face simmers a frustrated menace. Don't be the one who gets on the wrong side of one of them.

Age or physical shape has nothing to do with it. If you make 'em mad you'll suffer a lot worse in the long run!

You say that you "do understand the deal about face" but clearly you don't or you wouldn't post such a naive thread.

[Guest]

To give you an example I was having a coffee at Coffee Max on Soi 22 and from across the road two Thai men started yelling and next minute they were kicking and punching each other like girls, partly because they were pissed. It was over fairly quickly with bruised egos all round. Funny thing was they then chatted with each other after the fight before one got on his bike and rode away. This is indiscrimate voilence only understood by Thais.

As SB said they may not have a gun so you may win the first fight but believe me they will find you and finish you off. Just a point of interest for those who use motorcycle taxis, these are the guys on every corner of most Sois who zoom you up and under traffic for 20 baht or so. They all have a mafia style boss who looks after them and lends money out to Thais who need it for their gambling and pleasures. My mate who lives in Soi 20 tips them every time, jokes with them and gives them shirts to wear as gifts. It pays to feather your nest just in case you need them because they will also come to your rescue if you have trouble and its not your doing. Tread carefully and dont worry about a few baht here and there.

[Guest]

Hello,

Could you tell me how tall you are and how much you weigh??

IF they get the short end of the stick with you I am very happy you can defend yourself against the low-lifes.

But some of us are not that strong nor big... What do you recommend in that case?

I dont like the foreign asians that come to my country and act that way of cheating and lying and then trying to claim they lose face if you confront them. At here we have laws to corral them---- more so that is.

Over there it is a bit of a stacked deck against us.

I would like to hear more of your encounters and adventures and how you handle it all.

Thanks,
suki

[Mai-Kee]

Here's a story I experienced in 1999 at Patpong.
2 very drunk Brits, quite tall and strong guys, bargained about some crappy watch with one of the vendors. In the end they called him a lot of things and finally said something like "fuck off", took the watch and walked away - without paying. The young Thai went completely mad, grabbed one of the (crappy) knives they sold as well and stabbed one of the guys - who was definitely double his weight - to death. People stopped him befoe he could kill the other one. I was just about 10 meters away....
Those things go very quick in Thailand and they tend to overreact heavily if they feel insulted!

MK

[katoeylover]

Why would you get yourself into a situation like that in a foreign country anyway?

Its much easier to just walk away.

[Looker]

I thought chinese people in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan were lacking of rationality but when compared to Thais they are like Physic Nobel Prizes!
Never met any other people as unpredictable and irrational as Thais!!

[Guest]

I just hate all these pricks. No pun intended.

[Guest]

well from the responses it seems the thai's have a completely different mind set then the other asian countries i have been to...(never been to thailand)
their idea of face seems to be pretty different.


SB i really do understand face well i just never have dealt with thai's or been to their country. i like to find out as much as i can about a place before i go so i know what i can and can't do. as well as how to keep my self out of trouble. my main objective is to have fun and not insult anyone.

suki as far as my size am 5'10" and about 270 an expowerlifter and martial artist...as far as my adventures in fights there over with. its not something i care to do but only do it to protect my self then try and forget. violence against another person be it a lowlife or any one else is never a good thing it will only give you bad karma...

[stogie bear]

Like KL says... It's easy to walk away and live a long life!

[daveduke007]

(trocks69 @ Jul. 21 2006,11:17) well from the responses it seems the thai's have a completely different mind set then the other asian countries i have been to...(never been to thailand)
their idea of face seems to be pretty different.


SB i really do understand face well i just never have dealt with thai's or been to their country. i like to find out as much as i can about a place before i go so i know what i can and can't do. as well as how to keep my self out of trouble. my main objective is to have fun and not insult anyone.

suki as far as my size am 5'10" and about 270 an expowerlifter and martial artist...as far as my adventures in fights there over with. its not something i care to do but only do it to protect my self then try and forget. violence against another person be it a lowlife or any one else is never a good thing it will only give you bad karma...

Exactlly, you have never been to Thailand, like Stogie says walk away ( or run ) from any trouble with a smile, piss the thais off big time at your peril

It doesn't matter if your built like KING KONG or a BRICK SHIT HOUSE, like a lot of places in the World your physique will not stop a GUN or KNIFE from you being made HISTORY in life

Dave...

[Guest]

(stogie bear @ Jul. 22 2006,00:06) Like KL says... It's easy to walk away and live a long life!

That is the best piece of sound advice I've heard

It takes courage to walk away and 'fight' another day. Life is precious and short so enjoy it.

I hate those macho farangs who come to thailand (especially the bloody brits and alarmingly the arrogant ruskies) get pissed up and think they are back in there local bar and can justify acting like mindless animals. It is heart warming to see and know that the thais win out against these hooligans every time even though I would never condone violence in any form - ( well except terrorist scum)

IMHO those yobs have ruined Pattaya and turned it into a poor version of Benidorm and it makes my heart bleed that the poor thais have to put up with this senseless abuse and sheer lack of respect.

We have ALOT to be grateful for being allowed into The Kingdom of Thailand. Can you imagine if they were so economically stable that they banned tourists overnight.

Does not bare thinking about.....

[Guest]

(stogie bear @ Jul. 20 2006,14:14) Don't make Thai people mad. They over-react and you'll always lose. You may win a fight against one or two if they are unarmed but they'll find you and make you pay.

The newspapers often feature stories where cab drivers have been 'insulted' by the farang and stabbed him or the drunk cop was refused sex with a back packing gap year student and she ends up strangled.

When the perp is invited to explain his actions he'll say "He spat at me!" or something similar and genuinely belive that he had a perfect right to react in the way that he did!

Beneath the external smile that fronts a Thai face simmers a frustrated menace. Don't be the one who gets on the wrong side of one of them.

Age or physical shape has nothing to do with it. If you make 'em mad you'll suffer a lot worse in the long run!

You say that you "do understand the deal about face" but clearly you don't or you wouldn't post such a naive thread.

[daveduke007]

(breakermorant @ Jul. 21 2006,23:22)

(stogie bear @ Jul. 22 2006,00:06) Like KL says... It's easy to walk away and live a long life!

That is the best piece of sound advice I've heard      

It takes courage to walk away and 'fight' another day.  Life is precious and short so enjoy it.

I hate those macho farangs who come to thailand (especially the bloody brits and alarmingly the arrogant ruskies)  get pissed up and think they are back in there local bar and can justify acting like mindless animals.

IMHO those yobs have ruined Pattaya and turned it into a poor version of Benidorm and it makes my heart bleed that the poor thais have to put up with this senseless abuse and sheer lack of respect.

Please dont tarnish all us    with the same brush

Most of us hate them as much as you do and are embarrassed by it. and hope they get a one-way ticket out of LOS

And I have never seen a pissed up    and arrogant  in LOS yet

Dave...

[Guest]

thanks for i have the replies this will help me understand better the culture in thailand and hopefully keep me out of trouble.....

am also of the mindset its better to back down then to fight but i have been put in a few positions where i did not have a choice it was not a matter of face for me just survial. like i said before i don't care to fight. i studied the arts for personal reasons as well as being a powerlifter was for personal reasons and enjoyment, not so i could be able to hurt or scare people. its just not the way..

as far as americans being arrogant overseas sory to say i've seen alot of my countrymen acting like asses.