[Adamdjeffe]

I have always found BKK and Pattaya unfriendly places, Chiang Mai is somewhat better-but as it gets bigger....
However, for the full smiles and friendliness etc, nothing beats the little country villages/towns. I suppose it because things run more slowly in such and people have a lot more time to be friendly, also they have a style of life they enjoy more than someone forced to leave home and work elsewhere more crowded, polluted and generally less pleasant.

[Adamdjeffe]

Spot on about the UK, Steve-'cept you left out one category-walk around generally with a smile on yer face and people will think you have a mental problem of some sort !

[Cydayshosse]

Well Miss Matahari, if I said I am in perfect physical shape it is not describing my appearance, but my condition, and I do work out 2 times a week with weights, and am in good shape,...no stomach bulge nor any other bulge ...I guess I will have to e-mail my foto to you...to disspell the idea of CHEWBACCO ...u.n. of HUN solo I took `cause I am partly Hungarian and at the present , untill my wife joins me from Thailand I am SOLO(Alone).....oh, p.s. On what dictionary have you found that TROG slang?...it was not on Websters, nor Net lingo, must have been on cavemens` dictionary, I guess it takes caveman (Not you, you`re a woman) to know caveman`s vocabulary,..he-he-he...

[Fvmfrctt]

Jees... wonder how long you poop'd after your post??

[ireleda]

will you see countless children playing and laughing in the streets in such grand joy. Most of these children have little to smile about according to foriegn standards, but they smile nonetheless. I don't know about that, I have seen kids doing that in every country that I have ever been in to visit or have lived there.
Kids seem to get along better with their circumstances, A lot better than adults that have formed an opinion or have more worries.

[largonioulurI]

I also found Pattaya to be a smiley place, specially the cleaning staff at the Ambassador city Jomtien, every day they would clean my room out, I would say hello, they liked that, they did not speak a word of English, but they would smile the whole time they cleaned my room.

[freeringsf]

For you all to cool down, here is a Thai Joke:

"áÁè¤Ð ˹ٵѴÊÔ¹ã¨áÅéÇÇèÒ! ¨ÐäÁèáµè§§Ò¹¡Ñº¨ÍËì¹"

"ÍéÒÇ ·ÓäÁÅèÐÅÙ¡" áÁè¶ÒÁ´éǤÇÒÁ»ÃÐËÅÒ´ã¨

"˹Ùà¾Ôè§ÃÙéÇèÒà¢ÒäÁè¹Ñº¶×ÍÈÒʹÒÍÐäÃàÅ áÅÐäÁèàª×èÍÇèÒÁչá´éÇÂ"

"äÁèµéͧËèǧËÃÍ¡ÅÙ¡ áµè§§Ò¹¡Ñºà¢Òà¶ÍÐ à¾ÃÒÐÍÂÙè¡Ô¹¡Ñ¹ä»à¢Ò¡ç¨ÐÃÙéàͧÇèҹáÁÕ¨ÃÔ§"

[ireleda]

Steve, you hit that right in the slot.
I worked in Alabama once in a small town and I ran a fabrication shop and was well known for my job and as a westerner, Friendliest damn place I ever was, try to walk from your car into the supermarket and a dozen people stop you and just shoot the breeze, like they had not a thing in the world to do.

But I live in a village and everyone around here is friendly, I lived in CM when I first came here and there were a lot of smiles there too tho, But I too an a fairly friendly guy most times, not so much to farang and not at all if want a fight.
But I am in their country so it should be me that makes the effort.

[Thifiadardivy]

London the most unfriendly city in the world. and i have been in it for 50+ years

[JennyStewarta]

Often farang don't receive "yim tak tai" - the polite smile for strangers - because they are generally so bad at giving them. Many Thai people have smiled at farang so many times only to be met with blank stares or worse. So lots of them eventually just give in and stop smiling at farang.

When I'm in Thailand I go around smiling at everyone. Thais always smile back. Some farang males get ready to punch you.

Here in Oz I always walk into Thai restaurants and grocery shops smiling and I always get a smile back.

[Cydayshosse]

Mr. Lenss, I am NOT Jewish either, That joke was on another category, and to go to a persons completely different post and bring that up, is confusing and irrational. Farther that Jewish joke I read on another web, and NO ONE, mind you not ONE person thought it was insulting, or derrogatory-but just funny . If you find it offensive..then I think something may not be right in your mind . But since you can not dictate others how to think or post,(You don`t own this web ) I suggest you don`t read my posts...if you find them & me so dissagreeable...Well I hope this is our last communication...I will not be reading your GROUCHY replies any more.

[Cydayshosse]

Thank you all for such interresting comments. . Mr. Synn. thank you for your questions. What brought me to Thailand was Boeing 747 (I believe) and JAL . ...no, actualy whole reason I went to Thailand (2 times) was LOVE, for my sweetheart & now my wife, if it was not her, I would never have set foot in Thailand. All the natural beauty of the land, all the awesome culture would not have made me come there-seeing it all on National Geographic would have been enough for me.And honestly though Thailand has beautyful natural resources-tourist attractions-I don`t think its the most beautyful place/country in the world. It may appear that lot of my comments/posts are negatively inclined towards Thailand, but I guess that`s because people, new visitors, notice those negative things most, And really I have watched people of Bkk. passing on the streets for hours, and have not seen one smile between them. ..but its same in all big cities where you are surrounded by strangers. And there are some positive impressions of Thailand I have as well...I will try to post ..in next few days. And yes, I will go back to Thailand..in few months..(God willing)...my honeymoon is not finished...

[Cydayshosse]

O.k. I got your joke, chewbakka & hansolo...he-he-he... ...but out of curiosity...what clues you mean pertaining to my person?...in none of my posts have I ever alluded to my physical appearance...oh...never mind... ...yes we all need some humor... how about posting a real Thai joke for us?....

[EbrsaRynleot]

obviously I have not seen hunsolo but with all the clues given.... trog... caveman, looking like an actor, hunsolo (read : hansolo).... I am guessing you look like Chew-Bacca??

*kiddings* as you said in your other thread... we need laughter, I could not agree more, laughter is a good medicine. Not one day go by without me enjoying a good comedy.

[Golotop]

Why do I feel like you have a negative thought about Thailand in all aspects in all of your threads? What brought you to Thailand? You mentioned a church group. Are you in a missionary group? !!!!!

You didnt see a real smile BUT did you do the same to them? I wonder what you thought when you looked at Thai people.

People anywhere in this world can sense a bad, unsincere vibe.

There are good and bad people everywhere. I am not saying that all Thai people are sincere.

BTW, by any chance you will come back to Thailand again? I hope.......

[Cydayshosse]

You get your wisdom, and your courage from your bottle of Wodka?...you "BURNOUT"..you calling others cavemen...it`s you who is acting like a CAVEMAN...coming on someone else`s post and attacking them verbally....web administration should kick your brain dead butt off this web,...maybe they soon will...Take your vinos wisdom somewhere else..you bum!...

[EbrsaRynleot]

Hey all, I found this on the internet dictionary :

trog – noun - British Slang. a hooligan; lout.

[tipokot]

When I was consulting for telecomms company in Bangkok all non-Thai had to attend a one day seminar on "Working with Thais".
During this seminar they tried to teach us the 20 "basic" smiles with the added advice that just because a Thai is smiling doesn't mean they are happy, happy with you or pleased to see you.
Having said that the genuine happy smile is wondrous to behold....especially from the kids.

[JennyStewarta]

I don't know about that, I have seen kids doing that in every country that I have ever been in to visit or have lived there.
Kids seem to get along better with their circumstances, A lot better than adults that have formed an opinion or have more worries.

Many of the circumstances of Thai kids are more conducive to happiness than in Farangland IMHO.

Here's a piccie of dropping the kids off at school, Thai-style. One morning my mate Pit said: "Come on Bill, we have to drive the kids to school." We drove every kid in the village and there were no tantrums or bickering.

[largonioulurI]

Yes I noticed not many smiles as well, when just walking the streets, but when you meet some one smile, say hello, and then they almost always smile back.. I find Filipino woman the best smilers in the world.