Land of False Smiles

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Undaunted
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Land of False Smiles

Post by Undaunted »

An opinion piece by a frequent tourist to Phuket:

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism ... lse-smiles

In the many years I’ve lived in Thailand I have only experienced this sort of behavior 1 time in 19 years. I think in areas inundated with tourists shop owners, vendors, taxi drivers etc. must at some point develop burnout and seeing how some tourists act it can be of no surprise. Yesterday, I was at Pattaya’s Terminal 21 when I noticed a table full of young Arabs, one got his order which was a mistake he pushed it across the table it landed in the floor and the whole group had a good laugh!
"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king"
fountainhall

Re: Land of False Smiles

Post by fountainhall »

I have never heard any Thai utter "Go to Hell" or anything like it! But then I have not been to Phuket for more than a dozen years and frankly have no desire to return. I do see false smiles though, and some behaviour that I consider bordering on being impolite. Like holding a door open for a Thai and getting no thank you or even nod of acknowledgement - and when Thais open a door first they rarely will hold it open for the person behind them. But that's more cultural, I expect.
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Gaybutton
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Re: Land of False Smiles

Post by Gaybutton »

Undaunted wrote: Tue Jul 02, 2019 4:10 pm I noticed a table full of young Arabs, one got his order which was a mistake he pushed it across the table it landed in the floor and the whole group had a good laugh!
Why am I not surprised?
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