Thread: Don't Wai Me

Originally Posted by English Noodles

Like I said, it does not matter what a person does for a living, if I dropped my wallet on the ground and a hooker picked it up and gave me it back, then I would wai them

Like I said, why not kiss their feet instead ? you seem to have no understanding of when to wai and how it should be used.

Do you wai your maid too ?

to wai a bargirl under any normal circumstances is a major faux pas, unless she just gave you the best bj ever, then I could see an exception !!!

Mr. Butterfly, a wai is a personal choice as is saying Krahp or Krahpom. The truth is that a wai is less about a class structure as it is about being polite and not arrogant. A wai to anyone is a friendly gesture. If you choose to make it somethign else in you wee mind then so be it. You should imerse yourself in the cultrue a bit more so you do not appear as a cultural preemie when slithering around Bangkok!

Originally Posted by Butterfly

to wai a bargirl under any normal circumstances is a major faux pas, unless she just gave you the best bj ever, then I could see an exception !!!

So a girl returns the wallet that you unknowingly dropped and you would not be so curtious as to show her any respect because shes a bar girl.

You know little of what you are talking about, another farang who has no clue of how the Thai system works.

You would not wai a whore in a bar who is just serving you drinks, but you should certainly do so if she has just done what I said above.

Do you still take your lonley planet book out with you when you leave the house?

Originally Posted by HBerghoff

Mr. Butterfly, a wai is a personal choice as is saying Krahp or Krahpom. The truth is that a wai is less about a class structure as it is about being polite and not arrogant. A wai to anyone is a friendly gesture. If you choose to make it somethign else in you wee mind then so be it. You should imerse yourself in the cultrue a bit more so you do not appear as a cultural preemie when slithering around Bangkok!

Thanks - get a green for that!

Originally Posted by English Noodles

Originally Posted by Butterfly

to wai a bargirl under any normal circumstances is a major faux pas, unless she just gave you the best bj ever, then I could see an exception !!!

So a girl returns the wallet that you unknowingly dropped and you would not be so curtious as to show her any respect because shes a bar girl.

You know little of what you are talking about, another farang who has no clue of how the Thai system works.

You would not wai a whore in a bar who is just serving you drinks, but you should certainly do so if she has just done what I said above.

Do you still take your lonley planet book out with you when you leave the house?

Yes - agreed, absolutely correct!

Originally Posted by English Noodles

Originally Posted by Butterfly

to wai a bargirl under any normal circumstances is a major faux pas, unless she just gave you the best bj ever, then I could see an exception !!!

So a girl returns the wallet that you unknowingly dropped and you would not be so curtious as to show her any respect because shes a bar girl.

You know little of what you are talking about, another farang who has no clue of how the Thai system works.

You would not wai a whore in a bar who is just serving you drinks, but you should certainly do so if she has just done what I said above.

Do you still take your lonley planet book out with you when you leave the house?

He must be a newbie to Thailand or he has not opened his eyes and ears to what has been around him for the years that he has lived here. Quite thick at the very least!

Originally Posted by English Noodles

So a girl returns the wallet that you unknowingly dropped and you would not be so curtious as to show her any respect because shes a bar girl.

I wouldn't even immediately presume she was a bar girl in the first place but be very appreciative about her honest gesture.

Of course you would wai and then thank her possibly even offering her, or in fact anyone else who returned the wallet a small reward!

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

Of course you would wai and then thank her

Not according to Mobs, butter and G2BH.

^ Mate everyone has their own opinions and based upon their experiences.

It costs nothing to be civil and actually I get a kick out of being nice to other people.

Too bad it seems that others think it displays a sign of weakness and I will never be able to get my head around that.

^
Very good, it costs nothing to be civil, and of course it is NOT a sign of weakness!

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

It costs nothing to be civil

Wai under the wrong expectations is actually quite uncivil and insulting for the one receiving it if he or she knows she doesn't "deserve" or expect it.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

Too bad it seems that others think it displays a sign of weakness

Respect has nothing to do with weakness. If you see wai as a sign of weakness, then you certainly do not understand its meaning. It's something that most westerners fail to comprehend and it's easy to make a faux pas. I certainly did a few times, and I have learned when not to wai from those mistakes.

Originally Posted by HBerghoff

Mr. Butterfly, a wai is a personal choice as is saying Krahp or Krahpom. The truth is that a wai is less about a class structure as it is about being polite and not arrogant. A wai to anyone is a friendly gesture. If you choose to make it somethign else in you wee mind then so be it. You should imerse yourself in the cultrue a bit more so you do not appear as a cultural preemie when slithering around Bangkok!

Seems as most Farang find the wai a little to political then it deserves.

Originally Posted by Butterfly

Wai under the wrong expectations is actually quite uncivil and insulting for the one receiving it if he or she knows she doesn't "deserve" or expect it. Quote: Originally Posted by Loy Toy Too bad it seems that others think it displays a sign of weakness Respect has nothing to do with weakness. If you see wai as a sign of weakness, then you certainly do not understand its meaning. It's something that most westerners fail to comprehend and it's easy to make a faux pas. I certainly did a few times, and I have learnt when not to wai from them.

I was referring too the instance whereupon someone (and a very honest kind person) returned my wallet Butters (being civil and appreciative).

With regard to returning or instigating a wai I have never thought about whether to do it or not.

It is an instantaneous thing for me and according to the people I am greeting or are greeting me.

Regarding experiencing a faux pas what the hell are you on about mate?.

If I can walk away from any situation and feel good about myself then how can I have blundered? Me thinks you make things more complicated then what they are!

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

I was referring too the instance whereupon someone (and a very honest kind person) returned my wallet Butters (being civil and appreciative)

You can also be civil and appreciative and not wai. To make an easy comparison, would you hug very compassionately someone who return a wallet, something you would expect from any honest person ? again, it seems completely overkill, and a little bit disrespectful at the end, that is using a gesture in a clumsy manner or for every occasion you seem fit, hence devaluing the gesture itself.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

If I can walk away from any situation and feel good about myself then how can I have blundered?

and that's exactly the problem. You are embarrassing yourself and the one around you, but it doesn't matter because you feel good about yourself ? Where is the actual respect with that kind of attitude ?

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

Me thinks you make things more complicated then what they are!

they are very simple, you just don't want to understand them, and go for the easy exit, that is just feeling good about yourself.

Originally Posted by Butterfly

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

It costs nothing to be civil

Wai under the wrong expectations is actually quite uncivil and insulting for the one receiving it if he or she knows she doesn't "deserve" or expect it.

Utter Bullox! You are a real thicko!

Originally Posted by Butterfly

To make an easy comparison, would you hug very compassionately someone who return a wallet

How can you compare hugging somebody with compassion being anyway similar to putting your hands together and waiing a Thai when your thanking them?

I do not wai every Thai I meet as I think I have enough experience about doing it at the appropriate moment. Then again I cannot think of a Thai who would not appreciate me doing so in any instance.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

Then again I cannot think of a Thai who would not appreciate me doing so in any instance.

well, they would be amused by it, that's for sure, but appreciate it ? probably not

anyway, everyone is free to make fool of themselves with the wai as much as they want so they can make the Thai feel good about themselves with how stupid and clumsy we farangs are

I rarely wai, I do in very specific context at the appropriate time.

I only said I don't wai hookers in their establishments

If a woman wais to me in a normal situation naturally I would reciprocate

What we need to bring back is 'tipping the hat'

Originally Posted by Butterfly

Thais in your entourage are probably too polite to tell you

Which Thai people - my mother, father, brother?

Mr. Noodles the guy has no concept of Thai culture. He is just plain dense and to arrogant to learn.

Originally Posted by HBerghoff

Mr. Noodles the guy has no concept of Thai culture. He is just plain dense and to arrogant to learn.

This examination could easily be extended to many here. In fact....most.

^^ He's french or from a french speaking country mate.

I was married into a french speaking family and was expected to kiss my father-in-law out of respect.

I would of much preferred to wai him!