Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 73
  1. #1
    Member
    njdesi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    652

    Thais in the West

    Some funny things my wife did and her observations during her first month in the US:

    After getting out of JFK airport and on to the Belt Parkway: The trucks look like toys! Look! The farangs are driving cars!

    After seeing the kitchen/dining room which is the first room in my apartment: So this is our room?

    She would laugh every time she saw a watermelon. She said that they are a lot smaller in Thailand.

    She couldn’t believe that people don’t eat rice with every meal.

    She kept on asking me the first week, “Where are all the people?”

    She would let me turn on the fan because it was too cold outside. It was 26C.

    She kept on forgetting that my Indonesian friends were not Thai and would start babbling in Thai to them. Being good sports, they would just repeat whatever she said back to them in Thai. The only disturbing thing was their Thai accent was better than mine, and I’ve been studying this monkey language for two years.

    She finally understood what jet lag was. Before, I would land in Thailand after a 17 hour flight and she would get mad at me for wanting to sleep in the mornings and not rushing out to meet the whole family. She was lights out the first week she was here.

    It took about a month before she understood the purchasing power of the dollar (One dollar is not equal to one baht.) It wasn’t until she lived her for a few weeks and took charge of the food budget that she realized this. In all fairness, it took me a while to stop converting every purchase from baht to dollar instead of looking at the purchase relative to the cost of living in Thailand.

    She was amazed that at the number of white women with black husbands. She was even more amazed that no one gave a shit or thought that it was strange.


  2. #2
    Sprayed On Member
    The Fresh Prince's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Not in the willage
    Posts
    11,683
    Quote Originally Posted by njdesi
    just repeat whatever she said back to them in Thai.
    I still do this now! Helps out in those awkward situations when your not listening and they always reply with "Urh Urh Chai" Then just start listening again. Also works when you don't understand!

  3. #3
    Not an expat
    Fabian's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Last Online
    04-09-2017 @ 09:31 PM
    Location
    Hamburg, cold dark Germany
    Posts
    5,381
    Nice to see you again here, Njdesi. Interesting observations, some similar to my first wife especially that about temperature, I think she turned up the heating to 35 degree.

    Didn't she wonder where the bed was in your kitchen?

  4. #4
    Sprayed On Member
    The Fresh Prince's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Not in the willage
    Posts
    11,683
    Quote Originally Posted by Fabian
    Didn't she wonder where the bed was in your kitchen?
    Why would she find that strange?

    My favorite from my wife was when she first saw sheep in the u.k.

    "Can we go and play with them?"
    "No baby thier sheep."
    "But I think they want to play, they're so white and fluffy!"
    "No they don't baby when you get close up they'll smell like shit!"
    "Don't talk bad about them, you'll hurt thier feelings if they hear you say they smell like shit."

  5. #5
    Sprayed On Member
    The Fresh Prince's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Not in the willage
    Posts
    11,683
    Also I didn't tell her about the sun staying late shit and it freaked her out when she was still out by the bbq at 10pm at night.

  6. #6
    Not an expat
    Fabian's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Last Online
    04-09-2017 @ 09:31 PM
    Location
    Hamburg, cold dark Germany
    Posts
    5,381
    Oh yes, that too.

  7. #7
    The Dentist English Noodles's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Gaslightingshire
    Posts
    17,808
    This all sounds more like having a young daughter than a wife.

  8. #8
    Sprayed On Member
    The Fresh Prince's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Not in the willage
    Posts
    11,683
    Nah she's older than me, just never seen sheep before. I thought what she said was sweet!

  9. #9
    Thailand Expat
    BigRed's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Last Online
    10-07-2018 @ 02:43 AM
    Location
    Hope Valley nr. Sheffield
    Posts
    1,112
    I think the daylight hours really freaks them. When I go to Thailand I'm surprised when it goes dark at 6:00pm, but imagine what it's like when it has always done that and then you get to the UK in the summer and it just doesn't get dark.

  10. #10
    Whopping Member
    benbaaa's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    06-06-2017 @ 03:52 PM
    Location
    In the comfy chair
    Posts
    5,549
    I took Mrs benbaaa to the UK in April 2007, and we stayed at my parents' house. Unusually for the UK in April, we had brilliant weather - bright sunny days and in the low 20s Celsius.

    On the first morning we went down for breakfast, I guess it was about 20C in the house, so of course she was freezing cold. She walked into the lounge and saw that the sun was shining brightly through the patio sliding doors, so she decided to warm up by opening the door and getting some sun. The wind nearly knocked her off her feet and she slammed the door shut when the blast of icy air hit - I guess it was 8am and only about 15 degrees outside. We laughed, because we're cruel.

    It reminded me of my first holiday in Thailand - I was in a taxi going from Don Meaung to a hotel somewhere by the river and we were on the Expressway. The air con was going full blast but I couldn't believe how hot and humid it was in the back of the taxi, so I rolled the window down to get some fresh air in. It was like opening a furnace door, and I quickly rolled it back up again.
    The sleep of reason brings forth monsters.

  11. #11
    Thailand Expat
    GooMaiRoo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Last Online
    03-07-2023 @ 08:41 AM
    Posts
    1,139
    Interesting and funny observations, NJD. My wife thinks mint ice cream tastes like toothpaste. She can't believe what wasteful consumers people are. Or how spoiled children are compared to village folk. She thinks white people are way too nervous and suspects that Christianity is somehow involved. Initially, she thought Brett Favre was a religious figure. But the most puzzling thing to her are the numbers of people suffering from food allergies and following strange diets. She's pretty much given up on trying to cook for large gatherings because the special dietary needs drive her crazy.

  12. #12
    My kind of town
    chitown's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    12,520
    Mrs. Chi was shocked at all the fat American women that were with skinny men, how loud people were and how quick and efficient the service was in restaurants. One waitress taking care of 6 or 8 tables instead of 2 waitresses taking care of one table.

  13. #13
    Hello World
    melvbot's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Last Online
    @
    Location
    Infinite Loop
    Posts
    5,927
    The daylight thing in the UK catches them out. Took the wife back a few years ago for 6 months July time, straight from getting dark at 6pm to getting dark about 1130. "Why doesnt the sun go down?" she loved it in the end as I was working the festivals at the time, relatively warm and light til late. Then the swap from light until 10pm to light until 2-3pm was another shock, told her for months it would get dark at about 3 because of the cloud and night drawing in, didnt belive me. Funny enough those early dark nights spawned another nipper, bugger all else to do!
    The Geek Shall Inherit The Earth

  14. #14
    Tonguin for a beer
    Bung's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Last Online
    25-09-2016 @ 09:58 PM
    Location
    Wat Bung
    Posts
    3,845
    Great thread. I was working with my mrs in Florida and took her for a pub lunch. She ordered a ceaser salad and today 4 years later she still goes on about it and would happily eat it everyday and nearly does as they now sell a ceaser salad dressing in tescos.

    The stone crab legs freaked her out as well.
    Fahn Cahn's

  15. #15
    Thailand Expat Bobcock's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    15,842
    I'll never forget going back in may and being cold, going to the shops in a fleece.

    She was in a T Shirt and babbling on about how wonderful the weather was.

    She dumped most of the Thai friends she made within a year because they 'are pains in the ass'

    She' always nagging me to 'go home'

    I prefer Bangkok. we're staying for now.

  16. #16
    Whopping Member
    benbaaa's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    06-06-2017 @ 03:52 PM
    Location
    In the comfy chair
    Posts
    5,549
    My girl loves farang food as much as she loves Thai food, but one thing bothers me: She'll sit and eat stuff laden with pla raa, but she thinks roast lamb is too stinky to tolerate.


    Mmmm lovely, rotting fish:




    Eurgh! Disgusting:

  17. #17
    Thailand Expat Bobcock's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    15,842
    My wife adores lamb, her favourite is Kleftico, Greek style.

  18. #18
    Thailand Expat
    Marmite the Dog's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Last Online
    08-09-2014 @ 10:43 AM
    Location
    Simian Islands
    Posts
    34,827
    Quote Originally Posted by Bobcock
    She' always nagging me to 'go home'
    Maybe she doesn't want to share you any more?

  19. #19
    anonymous ant
    tsicar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Last Online
    03-10-2016 @ 11:05 PM
    Location
    isaan/south africa
    Posts
    2,895
    Quote Originally Posted by benbaaa View Post
    My girl loves farang food as much as she loves Thai food, but one thing bothers me: She'll sit and eat stuff laden with pla raa, but she thinks roast lamb is too stinky to tolerate.
    this confuses the hell out of me, too!
    possibly they don't know the difference between lamb and sheep, the latter can sometimes have a strong smell... but pork often smells to me like urine, and doesn't seem to be a problem to the thais.
    Last edited by tsicar; 12-09-2008 at 08:44 PM.

  20. #20
    Excommunicated baldrick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Last Online
    Today @ 09:43 PM
    Posts
    24,760
    Quote Originally Posted by English Noodles
    This all sounds more like having a young daughter than a wife.
    it probably depends on your perspective

  21. #21
    Thailand Expat
    Blake7's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Last Online
    28-12-2013 @ 03:00 PM
    Posts
    1,639
    Yes, probably retarded farang get on quite well with immature thais.

  22. #22
    Being chased by sloths DJ Pat's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2005
    Last Online
    @
    Posts
    18,765
    I remember one Thai guy asking me why "all the black people on the streets haven't been arrested" in London.

    "Why?" I asked

    "They (black people) all bad" he replied.

  23. #23
    anonymous ant
    tsicar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Last Online
    03-10-2016 @ 11:05 PM
    Location
    isaan/south africa
    Posts
    2,895
    Quote Originally Posted by DJ Pat View Post
    I remember one Thai guy asking me why "all the black people on the streets haven't been arrested"
    i often wondered about that, too!

  24. #24
    Excommunicated baldrick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Last Online
    Today @ 09:43 PM
    Posts
    24,760
    Quote Originally Posted by Blake7
    retarded farang get on quite well with immature thais.
    is there a subset you have left out ?

  25. #25
    Whopping Member
    benbaaa's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Last Online
    06-06-2017 @ 03:52 PM
    Location
    In the comfy chair
    Posts
    5,549
    Quote Originally Posted by Bobcock View Post
    My wife adores lamb, her favourite is Kleftico, Greek style.
    Jeeze, I miss lamb kleftico. Used to get it at a Greek-run cafe on Holloway Road.


Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •