Plain Honesty, Impressively Caring, or Simply Nice?

[Mr Natural]

I pulled a stupid move on my motorbike one day and dumped it while trying to cross the ring road where there's no place to cross. A Thai man in a car stopped to make sure I was ok, offered to take me to the hospital (I wasn't hurt that bad), helped me get the bike out of the ditch and stayed to make sure I could still start it.

I took my cloths into a laundry shop. Went to pick them up the next day and the shopkeeper gave me my cel phone that I had left in a pocket (I didn't even know I had lost it yet).

While eating at the food court I put my cel phone on the table. When I finished I absentmindedly walked away without it. A young Thai man ran after me to return it.

I tried to tip a waitresses here the same way I do in the US which is to leave the tip on the table, but when I went out the door the waitress ran out the door after me to give me back the money I "forgot" on the table.

Once at Big C while waiting to pay for 2 items the Thai woman in front of me with a full cart let me go in front of her.

When shopping at the Thai market, my listening skill are not too good. Sometimes ee-sip sounds like see-sip, or sam-sip ka sounds like sam-sip ha. So I then hand over more money than was asked for. The overpayment has always been handed back to me with a smile.

I left the house one morning in a bad mood. I was feeling like everyone in Thailand was out to screw me over. I pulled my bike up to a stoplight and a Thai gentleman in a truck next to me gave me a big smile and started up a conversation about nothing in particular for no particular reason. The light turned green and with another big smile said "have a nice day"! And so I did, I'm not sure why, but it just changed my whole attitude that day.

Do you have examples of the same?

Don't only look for the negative things here.

And one more thing, when I was out driving today I noticed that about 80% of the people drive very well! (It's the other 20% ya gotta watch out for!)

[BobHelm]

Thanks for a timely reminder of why I am here Mr. N..
Agree it is far to easy to let life's little bumps take away from the positives that slip into life here everyday.

[rjj04]

Yes, thanks for the wake up call.

[BKKSTAN]

Focusing on and remembering the delightful things that happen,is always an uplift!Sometimes it is nice to be reminded that good and enjoyable things happen,no matter where we live!

I never heard my first in-laws ever say anything negative about anyone else,that is why they were a pleasure to be around and the most well liked people ,I ever met in my life!

I have never been like them,but I am much better than I used to be because I remember them and there ways!
Thanks for the reminder to look for the ''bright side''!!

[lee]

It's good to hear some positive reports for a change.

A month or so ago I stopped outside 7-11, when I jumped back in the truck it wouldn't start. Turns out the battery, after 3 years use, had finally bitten the dust. A group of Thai people on Tungsi Muang Park working on a concert stage, spotted I was having problems and came over to help. First of all they tried to jump start the truck without success. Then one of the group came across with a spare battery they had lying around. They disconnected my battery and put this one in so I could start the truck. So thanks to them I was able to get the truck back home safely. I offered them some money for their help, but they refused to take it. So we bought some food and drinks for them instead.

[polehawk]

A good topic. Many more positives than negatives in living in Thailand or a lot of us wouldn't be here.

Our nephew/handyman laid some tiles on our front walkway and had to remove two very heavy steel frame doors so he could trim the bottoms to fit over the new tiles. When we tried to put the doors back up onto the hinges we weren't communicating very well since he was pushing while I was pulling on the 100kg doors. This went on for more than a few minutes when I got a bright idea to enlist some help. I waved down (Thai style with what looks like "goodbye") the first motorbike going by that had two Thai guys riding on it. Pointed to my bicep and then to the doors and asked, "dai mai, khap?". Both came hurrying over with smiles and within five minutes the doors were up and working. I tried to pay them but they both refused to take any money and wished me a good day. Smiles all around. A good day to be living in Thailand.

[johnty.]

Mr Natural,very good post,I have personally posted on negative post and only on reading this did i think about the positive(no money required) help i have personally seen here in short there is a lady in n/m that has her own bar, a larger than life happy, smiling person that always gives me and my wife a hug every time we see her wether we stop for a drink or not and lately i went fishing and was not really having any luck,group of young thai guys showed me where i was going wrong(proceeded to bait my rig and have me use their bait for the rest of my session),wouldnt take a penny off me so when i went to pay i bought them a bottle of blend 285 and mixers,small price to pay for the Genuine help and advice and they spoke better English than i do Thai.....regards. p.s. have more but posting will get too long.

[Texpat]

Everything's relative.

If you're impressed that a laundry lady returned your phone (it's yours, afterall) I'd say your standards are dropping.

I was thrilled to come home last night to see my house hadn't been robbed and my dog hadn't been poisoned. Goddamn I LOVE THAILAND!

[plien]

Mr Natural thank you. I was genuinely happy when I read your post. =D>
Some of your little stories I can relate to, and have many more to tell myself. When any of these things happen, we use to say: only in Thailand. But I think it applies to asia in general. Have been to most countries in the region and have always been treated with decency and respect.
Of course there have been a few hickups along the way. But scrutinizing the situation later, I myself usually was the one to blame.
More sunshine stories please

[malc123]

Nice post, enjoyed reading it. Thanks

malc123

[Khun Paul]

It is so very true, it is always easy to knock, my mother always said bad news travels fast, and as I didn't wrote from the far corners of the globe, she knew I was OK, but still got an earbashing for not writing.
being nice is often hard but so rewarding.