What do you think is the reason for this behavior??

Post by **BKKSTAN** » December 11, 2006, 8:29 am

Do you think this behavior is based on negative feelings towards tourists?I think it is very reflective of the basic attitude towards the more affluent foreigners that get to enjoy the low costs associated with Thailand!

General news >> Monday December 11, 2006

Immigration staff.

All the foreigners I speak to _ Asian or Western _ have the same complaints: the sour faces, no greeting or comment to the traveller, often yakking away to the officer at the next station oblivious to the passenger standing there worrying about getting to the boarding gate on time. And the crowning touch _ rather than hand you your passport or place it politely on the counter in front of you, they toss it onto the counter in what appears to be a gesture of contempt.

Post by **banpaeng** » December 11, 2006, 9:32 am

I think that is a worldwide issue. The old saying is that your first impression is one that stays. Well if that is so they need to tell immigration folks to smaile a bit. It sure would help.

Post by **beer monkey** » December 11, 2006, 1:25 pm

I think as Thailand is known as the Land of Smiles people expect to get a smile at immigration too,also you don't often get smiles at banks or some official places,not everyone goes round smilling at farangs or other visitors all-day

have noticed the same thing at passport control,i don't know why but was expecting a bit more smiling when arriving at the New airport,but no still the same-same no smiles, over the years have even had my doc's chucked down on the counter, also i have had the odd smile or too,but would anyone fancy sitting there checking passports from people all over the world for how many hours aday every-day smilling at thousands or people aday may be good for your face muscles but if i was them would i do it...probably not,well maybe if there was a pretty girl passing through,,,it takes us 5-10 minutes to pass through then we dissapear into the los,they are there for then rest of the day dealing with some people that have'nt filled out the immigration forms,and remember we are in holiday mode too, have had plenty of laughs with immigration people in holland, and most of the passport checkers at heathrow are polite enough.

Post by **ron e** » December 11, 2006, 1:31 pm

has anybody heard recently about the health of an individual

Post by **ron e** » December 11, 2006, 1:34 pm

I travelled to Thailand recently for Interhash in Chiang Mai and then onto Phuket I was greeted with smiles everywhere, it could have been something to do with an individual shirt I was wearing but I got more smiles wearing one than any other time, the Thais are such a friendly bunch especially if you can get to meet the locals and not just the people catering to tourists.

Post by **beer monkey** » December 11, 2006, 1:39 pm

yes you do get smiles a lot around thailand, but did you get a smile from the Immigration passport checkers at the airport.???

Post by **ron e** » December 11, 2006, 1:48 pm

everywhere ! Was wearing a individual shirt when I left didn't cut any ice though with Malaysia airlines. I had a great time in Thailand but I was travelling with my mate who is married to a thai girl, so hence got to meet her family and friends.

Post by **cookie** » December 11, 2006, 2:36 pm

To be honest,
I remember very good the first years I came to Thailand as tourist (17 years ago):
only smiles, very good contacts with local thais, smiles everywhere.
But now???? seems to be not the same,
or did I changed (got older for sure)????
or because of abuses and mistakes made by some farangs????
I think that it is complex and that there are many reasons to look for.
I was a tourist at that time, so giving presents everywhere to the locals, bottles of cheap thai whisky for the farmers, full loads of ice cream for the children in the village,...
everybody loves you and smiles at you, when you live here, than things change...

Post by **BKKSTAN** » December 11, 2006, 3:28 pm

Maybe they are just tired of us

Post by **cookie** » December 11, 2006, 3:43 pm

That's possible!
Even my wife says from time to time that she is tired of me.
And to be honest, now that I think about it, I even think that she says that now more than in the past.
I wonder why???

Post by **polehawk** » December 11, 2006, 5:49 pm

I dunno. Maybe a stale cookie?

Just kidding, cookie. Take her out on the town and everything will be smiles, no doubt. Maybe a trip to the baker?

Post by **Bump** » December 11, 2006, 8:54 pm

I've noticed more and more myself, these days if I know the person I get a smile if not, not usually. There is a old man that has a shop in farrang alley, I have made a habit of greeting him each time I park there, First three times he just looked at me after that he started getting friendly. Even challenged me for being late the other day, but this took months, before it would have been on the first greeting.

But I have had many a farrang that I have said hello to in the complex and they don't even look at you much less respond. I knew I was going to see the old man at least four times a week so I made a real effort. The farrang who knows.

Immigration just a guess maybe they have a defence up so the don't have to answer a bunch of tourist type questions. Or maybe they are just burnt out like the rest of us on our jobs, maybe they need a vacation to Britan to get thier fire going again.

There is one guy who works in immigration here who has a reputation of being very grumpy. I ran across him in the night market a few weeks back. Actually I mistaked him for an old nieghbor, walked over grapped his shoulder and gave him a playful shake. Hey! how you doing great, how about you, big smile. I was probably 30 feet away when it hit me who he really was

, he took it very well. I don't suggest you do that to him at work. I think we are all two different people the real person and the work person.

Work is work and not many jobs are fun after you have been around for a while. So maybe that is it. But, then again how the heck would I know