Is It Easy for Thai People to Go to Japan

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Whilst the smiles might not be as big as in the past I still feel the love as a foreigner in Thailand but maybe some don't so let us see – do Thai people like foreigners?

The Land of Smiles

As the self proclaimed Land of Smiles, Thailand aims to show itself as a country where everyone is happy whether it is with fellow Thais or foreigners. But do Thai people like foreigners? I know this question will never get a definitive answer either way. There will always be Thais who don't like foreigners and others who chose to spend their time with "farang".

For me personally I think there is distrust from some who aren't sure how to act around or communicate with foreigners which could be mistaken for dislike. There are also those who stare unashamedly at foreigners as if we are aliens. Maybe this is more common outside tourist areas but it happens to me everyday and I only live 20km from central Bangkok.

Of course there are people out there who don't like the foreigners in Thailand, or maybe just people from certain countries. This situation of having a problem with foreigners in a country isn't something Thailand has a monopoly on. Of course in every country there will be feelings of animosity towards foreigners by a select few. However Thailand has a way of throwing up situations which will leave you scratching your head and thinking – do Thai people really like foreigners?

Getting The Cold Shoulder

Whilst I'm not searching for 100% acceptance in my life and don't want to make friends with everyone I see I do feel I get the cold shoulder a lot more often in Thailand than back in the UK.

For example at many shops I sometimes get worse service than Thai people. Whilst waiting in line at the supermarket I see the attendant looking after the Thai customer only to whip out their phone and chat with their friend without even a "Sawadee Ka" to me when it's my turn to pay. Normally in my local 7/11 the girls keep chatting together when I approach the till. As I said I'm not bothered about this but the same happens in banks, department stores and restaurants with staff more interested in their Line conversation than serving me. It just feels like customer service sometimes goes out of the window when it comes to foreigners.

If I go out with Thai friends or my Thai girlfriend I often meet new people. Whilst my friend / girlfriend is there they are happy to chat in Thai and I'll try to join in. However, when my friend / girlfriend goes to the bathroom or answers a phone call this is normally the cue for the other Thai person to make an excuse to leave or dive onto their phone too. This doesn't always happen but it has happened enough times to me that I suspect that they don't care about socializing with a foreigner. Again this isn't a major worry for me but it is frustrating and seems disrespectful.

Basic Thai food vocabulary isn't too difficult and I am more than capable of ordering almost anything I want. When I go to lunch alone or with foreign friends we always order in Thai and get what we ordered. However, when you go to a restaurant with your Thai partner or friends you are likely to be ignored by the waiters. I've lost count of the number of times I have ordered in Thai only for the waiter to look at me like I just talked to him in Egyptian. Then my Thai friends say the exact same thing I have just said and the waiter now seems to have remembered how to use his ears again. This is so frustrating – it's not a pronunciation problem- and the only reason I can think of is that it's too much effort to listen to the foreigner when there are Thai people in the group.

Next we come to the process of applying for visas and work permits. If you have ever lived in Thailand then you know it involves filling in about one tree's worth of paper. There needs to be multiple copies and everything must be perfect or it is rejected and sent back to you to do again. You also see that when your file is filled in it is then added to a massive pile of applications which seemingly must just get added to the computer. Compare this to the quick easy service Thai people have when they lose their ID cards or want to apply for a new passport. I wont even mention the cost differences at this point between a Thai person getting a new ID card and a foreigner getting a work permit.

So what causes these problems that could make a foreigner feel disliked?

Social Class – Are You Hi-So?

From my first weeks in Thailand I heard the phrase "hi-so" being used a lot. Short for high society, it is used to talk about people who buy expensive things or go to pricey places. The class system in Thailand is ingrained in many people's minds. People will ask your job and your company when they first meet you and from there some people use this information to judge if you are worth their time.

If you work for a famous company in a prestigious position you can expect a lot more attention than if you work for an unknown business in a junior role. To be honest this is the same for foreigners and Thai nationals so maybe it isn't a slight against you if you are not working an exciting job for a multinational company.

"Mmmmmmm" is a sound I often hear Thai people make when I say I am an English teacher. I know it's not the most exciting job in the world and I guess there are so many foreign English teachers in Thailand. As such I think many people aren't impressed with this career choice as in some Thai people's opinion every foreigner from the west should be aiming to work in a million dollar job. Some Thais think foreign teachers must be unemployable back home or just here for a free ride. This means I get the cold shoulder or I can just tell the other person isn't so interested in talking with me.

Tourists From Your Country – Lads or Gentlemen?

For some unknown reason many Thai people like going to Pattaya on vacation. As we know Pattaya doesn't exactly have the best reputation in the world for wholesome family fun and good behavior from tourists. This scene of tourists drinking, dancing and doing whatever else might be the one time that Thai people see foreigners in the flesh (sometimes too much flesh….). Even if it isn't Pattaya many Thai people see tourists in places like Chiang Mai or Bangkok and sometimes they see the negative side of tourism in Thailand.

Many will make decisions or have previous thoughts reinforced about foreigners based on what they see tourists doing.  This video of aThai woman complaining about Chinese tourists went viral and most of my Thai friends agreed with the points made in it even if they had never met or spoken to a Chinese person before.

If tourists from your country are generally well behaved then it may paint a better picture in terms of how you are perceived by Thai people. At the moment I think Japanese people have one of the best reputations among Thai people. I don't hear stories of Japanese tourists getting into trouble here in Thailand and also many Thais go to Japan on vacation and have a great time.

Nationality – Which Country Are You From?

This is a big one. In general Thai people are very open with their feelings towards certain countries. There is definitely a ranking in Thailand as to which countries are good and which are not. If you're from one of the "lower" countries you will experience a lot more dislike and negatives than if you are from one of the "better" countries.

As a teacher and a tourist I have heard so much racism in my time here it is unbelievable. People who I have met and like have said horrific things which I wouldn't expect anyone to say. Then to make it worse it turns into a joke and everyone laughs and adds their own comment. I once planned a class about Africa and I had to abandon it after a few minutes as some of the things the students said were awful.

I know many Indian people have a hard time in Thailand and it is true that some Thai people have negative opinions of Indians. On a trip to Koh Samui my girlfriend told me she heard touts at the pier saying that they wouldn't take Indian people or would charge them double. I have also heard that getting a taxi on the meter is very difficult for Indian tourists.

We can then add the migrant workers who are here in  Thailand and end up working for lower wages and in bad conditions as shown bythis article from the Guardian. Whilst is it fair to say many countries have arguments with their neighbors and might harbor some sense of dislike the feeling in Thailand is strong towards Myanmar and Cambodia in particular.

Obviously not everyone here in Thailand is racist and indeed I see many relationships, friendships and business between people of different races and nationalities.

From my observations Thai people tend to think more favorably of Europeans, North Americans, Kiwis, Australians and the richer East Asian countries such as Japan, China and Singapore. I wouldn't say that people from these countries get a free ride and are universally liked but the impression is that they are more tolerated and find things easier.

Education – New York Is The Capital Of The USA Right?

If you have worked at a Thai school then you will quickly realize that world history and geography isn't a priority. About half of my students think New York is the capital of the USA and that Coca Cola is a Thai company. These are 2 gems among many that I hear on a daily basis. Whilst I don't expect 100% when it come to general knowledge there is a focus in schools of teaching about Thailand and ignoring the rest of the world to a degree.

Without understanding other cultures and methods it sometimes means Thai people are very reluctant to take advice from foreigners and they may become very defensive and negative towards you. It is almost a national insult to accept help in certain cases for example the Thai police were reluctant to accept British help during the investigation into the killing of the British backpackersHannah Witheridge and David Miller on Koh Tao.

Language – Does Anyone Here Speak English?

Ok I know I should speak Thai and shouldn't force other people to use their non native language but the recent report showing Thailand near the bottom of theEnglish proficiency tableshows the problems Thais have learning foreign languages. With a higher budget than many other countries above them in the list it goes to show that there is a reluctance to invest in foreign languages.

Compared to Korea, China and Japan who invest a lot in hiring native teachers, Thailand is moving in the opposite direction by planning to improve the current stock of Thai English teachers. Many people see this as short sighted and another example of how Thailand doesn't need or want foreigners when they can get away with it. It's this kind of attitude that makes many foreigners scratch their head and think do Thai people like foreigners?

Pricing – Why Should You Pay The Thai Price?

Double pricing happens in Thailand. Thais pay one price foreigners another.

Again this isn't a big one for me – 200 Baht isn't a lot of money for a day in a national park even if my girlfriend only pays 40 Baht. Actually I use my work permit and get the Thai price around 75% of the time.Dream World andKhao Sok National Park are two examples of places where I have got in for the Thai price – no questions asked by the management there.

The problem is places like the Grand Palace where foreigners are charged 500 Baht. The issue I have is that most Asian tourists pay the Thai price (0 Baht) and the decision is based on appearance not nationality. Again not a problem for me as I have been to the Grand Palace already and it isn't as good as Wat Po in my opinion which only costs 100 Baht to get into.

Mickey Sheehan wrote the articleMy Take On Dual Pricing in Thailand on Ajarn.com which has plenty of opinions from foreigners about this practice and is worth a read to see some of the arguments.

This Land is For Thai People

The national anthem of Thailand says Thai land is for Thai people and as such foreigners can't own land. Many people settle in Thailand and would love to buy a house but are severely restricted by the laws. Those married to Thai citizens aren't allowed to buy land and it is technically illegal to give a Thai citizen money to buy land on your behalf.

Of course Thai people are free to buy property and land in many other countries around the World and this is the basis of many foreigners complaints that Thailand isn't fair towards people who decide to make this country their home.

Do Thai people Like Foreigners?

In my opinion I think overall among the people I deal with on a daily basis most of them like foreigners or at least are indifferent at worst. As I have said I don't need every Tom, Dick and Harry to be my friend and don't really care too much about some of the reactions people have towards me.

Maybe these reactions aren't based on being a foreigner and maybe they just don't like me. I'm sure some aren't impressed that I drink too much sometimes or cant speak enough Thai to talk in depth about Manchester United's poor form this season. In the end I have Thai friends and colleagues who I get along with really well and don't need to be universally popular.

Just remember that in your home country there will be people who don't like foreigners. I remember the feelings and comments in the UK when Poland joined the EU and people were scared of too many Poles coming to the UK. Maybe that is how Thailand is now with the opening of ASEAN and the AEC.

Living in Thailand you will face difficulties that will leave you frustrated but remember all the positives about living here and all the nice people you have met. Think of all the people that try to speak English with you, the smiles you receive and the happy times you have.

Let me know what you think in the comments section – do you face any other problems?

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Source: https://www.lifeinanewcountry.com/do-thai-people-like-foreigners/

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