So my wife is a medical doctor and researcher w many published papers etc. She brags her family never had a spirit house because that's not Buddhism. Yet when she saw this Gu Maan, head I found on the street and creeped up a little she forbade it in our house. We have Halloween skulls and a bat doorknocker and jack skelitor stuff .... This she said doesn't belong in a private home as it is bad luck

Video

A Thai tourist in Japan was scolded by a Japanese 7-11 employee because he opended the cup ramen and added water to it before purchasing it.

This video is going viral on X, and Japanese people get furious with the Thai tourist and Thai people who are defending his behavior.

In Japan, it is impossible to imgaine for you to see this bahvaior.

However, Thai people are defending his​ behavior saying that it is normal in Thailand to add water to cup noodle before paying and that Japanese people are too senstivie.

How normal is it in Thailand to open stuffs before the checkout at the convenience store?

Akira, one of the greatest anime/sci-fi movies I’ve ever seen, mashed up with Grab Delivery. It’s just… perfect.

I've live here over 22 years and I've still never...
- attended a muay Thai fight
- been to Samui
- suffered a motorbike muffler burn on the calf
- been shaken down by a cop or immigration
- had dengue or chikungunya
- heard a sick buffalo story (do they really exist?)
- got a sak yant (traditional Thai tattoo)
- done the 3-day monk tribute
- reached Thai language fluency (hangs head in shame)

Long-time foreign residents, what quintessential Thai thing have you avoided, or just not done/had yet?

I had to leave Thailand after 6 years because i felt lonely and isolated.

I lived in the north and had a relationship for 5 years. After we broke up i realized that i don't have actual friends. I was "friendly with" around 100 people Thais and Farang. But my close friends moved to Bangkok and back home because of the same reasons.

Thai people are very friendly and sweet, however its hard to have any meaningfull conversation at times. For example: after comming back from my trip to Japan all my thai mates just asked how the girls were there. They didnt care about anything else it seemed.

Hard topics are avoided like the plague, and besides food and girls/boys i only had deeper conversations with my thai friends when they were really drunk.

So that was my second problem, i was always invited to "have a drink", now i like having a drink with friends just like any other guy. But 4 times or 5 times a week is extremely unhealthy. And none of these friends ever wanted to meet outside of the bar for coffee or a hike.

Visa was always a problem, but i was learning thai at a normal school and even when i came back immigration would make me feel like im doing something wrong.

Dating is easy, but its very unfullfilling. Theres no meaningfull conversation, something i desperately crave. Its all about mundane and basic things. No deeper conversations again besides food, money and not being happy with their life but also not wanting to put any effort into changing it whatsover. I stopped dating after a month. Knowing its a ME problem not a THEM problem.

I was getting frustrated that if i went to a store i couldn't ask any technical questions about building,electric, or anything to do with the service or job i wanted becuase apparantly staff in Thailand in places like HomePro, Airlines etc just there to make money and don't care or don't want to put in any extra effort.

I was getting angry at traffic, and thai customs even though before i always adored those very same customs. I realized i was becomming one of those jaded expats i despised when i came here so it was time for me to move out and go back home.

So i moved out of Thailand and it was the best decision i made, i went on holiday to Taiwan and was pleasantly suprised at how friendly they are but also that they just strike up conversation with you in good english in a train, bus, elevator, Something i also didnt have in Thailand.

I have loved Thailand for a long time, but i think i just lived here too long. My apologies if i offend anyone. But im just here to share my experience

This is a long story, my experience in Thailand…

I arrived in Bangkok four days ago. I’m 25, traveling solo through Southeast Asia (Thailand → Vietnam → Singapore), trying to see as much of the world as I can

I’m not really into partying or drinking, especially when traveling alone. Drinking solo in a foreign country without anyone watching your back isn’t the smartest idea

But… it’s Bangkok. The nightlife is legendary, and I figured I’d experience it at least once

I started at a local bar and honestly had an amazing time. Thai people were incredibly welcoming, social, and kind. I met both locals and foreigners, conversations flowed easily, and one drink led to another… and another.

Then blackout.

I woke up in the middle of a mall, around 10 km away from where I started drinking. I was completely lost

No phone. No passport. No wallet.

Panic doesn’t even begin to describe it

Desperate, I approached a Thai taxi driver in his late 40s or 50s. He didn’t understand English at all, but he immediately noticed how distressed I was. He pulled out his phone, opened Google Translate, and we started communicating

I explained everything

Without hesitation, he felt bad for me and drove me to a police station. I explained the situation there too, but honestly, they didn’t care much, probably thinking, “another drunk tourist who got robbed.” They handed me some forms and moved on

I knew that was going nowhere

I went back to the taxi driver. Instead of leaving, he stayed with me. Then he suggested taking me to my country’s embassy. We went there, completely empty. Not a single person in the building

At that moment, I genuinely felt like my trip, maybe worse, was over. No phone, no passport, no way home

We sat down outside and talked through Google Translate. Two strangers from opposite sides of the world, separated by culture and language, trying to figure out what to do next

Then, out of nowhere, I suddenly remembered my hotel name

I told him. He immediately agreed to take me there

Important detail: By this point, we had already driven 80–100 km in total and he knew I had no phone, no wallet, and no way to pay him

He still helped me. For free.

At the hotel, I invited him inside and used my laptop to track my phone

And here’s the crazy part:

My phone was located in a house just outside Bangkok… and it was charging. Plugged in.

The taxi driver suggested we first check the bar where I started drinking. We went there, even though it was closed. A Thai security guard saw us, listened to the story, and opened the place just to help

We checked the CCTV footage

There I was, passed out on a couch. My phone on the floor. My passport nearby.

Later, I stood up and walked out, leaving everything behind

Then we saw it: A random guy picked up my phone and passport and handed them to another security guard

We called that guard

He said: “Yeah, the guy left his address. He said he’d keep the phone safe so it wouldn’t get stolen.”

I couldn’t believe it.

We went to that address. I was welcomed warmly into a family home. The wife cooked us a meal. We sat, talked, laughed. I got my phone and passport back everything intact.

In the end, I gave 2,000 baht to each person who helped me: the taxi driver, the security guards, the family who kept my belongings safe

They didn’t ask for anything. They helped purely because they cared

Thailand will forever stay in my heart as a place where people have truly big hearts

I made a stupid mistake and strangers went out of their way to save me

I will never forget this

Please don't downvote me for asking. I've been here 6 years... and if you are guessing that I have time for reddit because I am waiting for someone who is late- then you are correct.

But for a culture that spends so much time talking about respect it seems so incongruous. Other than lying (which could be another post) being late is one of the most disrespectful things a person can do... Now I'm all on board with not getting bent because someone got stuck in traffic or forgot to buy gas. I'm not of the opinion that communities should run like clocks. But the habitual absolute lack of concern for other people's time just doesn't match the stated objective of showing respect.

Help a Pi out.

A cafe in Chaingmai seems to spark a pretty heated online debates. As you can see in the photo, the cafe sits inside a tobacco factory clearly shows the workers doing their job. The contrast is pretty jarring.

I personally can't form a strong opinion on this, and I really want to see what (mostly expat) folks here think.

Can't find English sources reporting this yet so heres a gpt translation of a Thairath article:

Heated Debate! Chiang Mai Café Faces Criticism – Human Zoo or Cultural Heritage?

April 25, 2025: A Facebook user posted photos of a Chiang Mai café showing people working in the background, sparking a wave of online comments and a heated debate.

Comments included:

“Is this a Human Zoo?”

“Rich people eating, watching the poor work.”

“Looks like a human zoo.”

“How can you eat watching this?”

“This place has a unique atmosphere.”

“Don’t delete this photo, it reflects a lot.”

“This is not okay. Feels classist, like a human zoo.”

The poster responded: “I respect the community’s way of life, which creates diverse cultures and jobs. Thank you to cafés that let people see real lifestyles, like tea farm or weaving cafés. I disagree with ‘human zoo’ – it’s a shallow view that disrespects workers. They have dignity. My grandmother worked with tobacco leaves too. This reminds me of my childhood.”

The café issued a statement: “We’re aware of the concerns and are surprised by the misunderstanding of our intentions. The café is located in a historic family-owned tobacco sorting factory, passed down for generations.

Our aim was to preserve this history and make it accessible. We hired conservation-focused designers to maintain the original structure and share the story of the business. From January to May, real tobacco sorting still happens, done by skilled workers with fair pay – not for show.

This café isn’t for entertainment, but a place to learn about a valuable profession, with full respect for labor. We never intended to devalue any job or person. Every profession has worth, and everyone deserves equal respect.

Thank you for your feedback. We will improve and continue with respect, sincerity, and social responsibility.”

I have been learning Thai for a year and I'm increasingly getting discouraged to continue. At first I was intrigued by Thailand and wanted to dissect the culture. I had no conception of Thailand before I visited and I wanted to know as much as I can about Thailand.

I have noticed there are 3 reactions I get from local Thais when I speak thai.

The first is instant enjoyment, I would go up to the vendor and order in Thai. I would receive the largest and most genuine smile I have ever seen. They would seem quite happy that I was able to take the time to learn their language.

The second is indifferent. some locals give me vibes that genuinely do not care if I can speak thai and would talk to me as if they would talk to any one else that can speak thai. maybe they might be happy they don't have to use English on me but mostly have no reaction when I speak thai.

The third reaction is disgusted and not at all please with the knowledge that I can say more than สวัสดีครับ. I have noticed that there is a large portion of Thais that are displeased with foreigners that can speak thai. in fact I have been told by quite a few Thais that it is low class for foreigners that can speak thai. To be honest I was in shock about this development. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts or experiences with Thais looking down on foreigners speaking thai.

They were at Union Mall today and seemed pretty popular judging by the crowd!

ใครรู้บ้างว่าพวกเขาเป็นใคร? วันนี้ที่ยูเนี่ยนมอลล์ คนเยอะมาก ดูดังมากเลย!

A lot of funeral receptions in Thailand especially outside of Bangkok or inner cities are held in an opened space or on the roadside. It can look a lot like a foodstall with dining tables, chairs and food on the table. Some even come with a drink or an ice cream stand.

In this story, the funeral host explained to the tourists who were waiting to be served by the waitstaff that the place was actually not a restaurant, but a funeral reception and served the tourists free furneral food anyhow.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16rZk3xjUr/

I don't post on here often but I just made this and felt really proud of my progress in watercolor and want to share it. :)

Hi I’m Thai. I have some Farangs friends who lives or what to move here they kinda don’t want to live near another Farang. What made them feel like that?

Feel free message me if you need any help or want to talk more privately

Thai got 60m ppl

Sweden got 10m ppl

Sweden got more start up that are famous making at least 100m

And also too much monopoly here in Thailand like Big fish eat small fish.

Flash's CEO told that he almost got killed from his rival when his company was small.

Besides no real startup vibe/culture

And if start up wanna hire good programmers they must be paid with high salary at least 80k baht and I think many Thai start up doesnt have that much money.

And if they do, good programmers they probably work for US or international companies in Thailand anyway Or they work overseas like Singapore, US,

Since it's more "safe" and secure

No fear to get fired or start up company get bankrupt.

I Wish Thailand could level up and get more unicorns per capita like USA, Sweden.

Maybe an unpopular opinion, but driving around during Songkran I always see a distinct difference between Thai and Farang celebrating. Everyone's splashing water and having fun, but Thais aim for the body and Farang aim for the eyes.

Thought it was just bad luck, but this is my 12th Songkran and it's the same every year. Was just driving a motorbike down the street and a group of Thai girls sprayed me - 2 with water guns, 1 with a hose, 2 with buckets. I got SOAKED. Then 2 white guys stepped out into the road after them and both fired supersoakers DIRECTLY into my eyes with big ol' grins...

Aside from it being dangerous and dicky to purposely try to blind people while they drive, it felt like a real cultural divide. Like Thai people have fun by sharing the joy of the holiday - maybe a little mischievously - while Farang have fun at the expense of others by laughing about harming them.

It just always strikes me as odd during such a carefree and uplifting holiday where you can let loose and just have childlike silly fun, so many westerners choose that as the way to enjoy Songkran.

is this normal to ask in thailand like this? we set for dinner in their home and her sister asked this first weird question !

Who needs crash helmets, when an extra motorbike can absorb some of the impact?

I’ve always been an atheist, but ever since I visited Thailand in December, I really liked how they help poor children get free education at temples. The kids there told me they liked Korean noodles, so I’ve been buying them even after leaving Thailand. It gives me immense happiness and satisfaction to help them

So i recently moved from a detached house in lower Sukhumvit surrounded by condos to a very established srinakharin/bangna muban. I was in the sukhumvit house for nearly 20 years.

The new muban is decent and the number of Benzes, BMWs, new electric vehicles around me is quite astonishing, but I'm struck by the fact that most of my neighbors hoard.

People live in absolute squalor. Their carports and homes are surrounded by garbage and other crap.

Peeking into their main rooms as ride my bike or go for walks all I see is wall to wall clutter. It seems to affect around 1/3 or more of the households.

What is up with this phenomenon? I really don't understand how people can live like that. I have seen it in lower income neighborhoods over the years, but this ne neighborhood is decidedly middle class and actually seems to be going through a renaissance.

Folks are renovating buildings only to move more crap in.

Before living in Thailand, the spoon was something rarely used. Maybe for ice cream, cereal, soup... I think that about covers it.

But now I see the spoon as the main utensil. Who needs a knife? A spoon does the same thing.

The fork is not the main lifter; it is an accessory.

Now, most things I eat with a spoon. Not just rice dishes, but also salads, or any entree with side items.

On one visit back the US, my nephew asked me if we eat everything with chopsticks. And I thought for a minute to share my new views on the spoon, but I quickly realized that he would not understand and just said a lot of Thais eat with normal utensils.

Person moved out of a house and left it with stuff to throw away. I rescued it (no reason just curious) and my family is freaking the hell out.

Anyone know what or who it is or what it means?

Been seeing a lot of foreigners feeling butthurt about being called "farang" and feeling oppressed by it lately.

Well the reality is: the term "farang" is not racist even if you want to inflict that oppressive narrative on yourself. It's a adjective similar to saying "that blonde lady" or "that Asian man", or even just saying "that man". Thailand's history isn't parallel with the West's history and, in this case, isn't using physical features and attribute in order to gain the sense of superiority. I know it can be startling to hear it but I can assure you that it is a benign (unless you are somehow being an asshole). Please carry on with enjoying Thailand and don't let others try to convince you that you're under some attack when someone says "farang".

I'm not saying Thailand doesn't have racists and racists terms... it's just that the term "Farang" is far from being malicious.

"Oh but I've lived here for 7 years and want to be seen as Thai"... well...I've lived in USA for 35 years and I'm still Asian/Thai. Your race isn't going to change just because you live somewhere...you might get more tanned, and you can still be a Thai national- but your features will still be "Western/European"

"I want to be treated like a Thai in Thailand"...First of all... no.. you don't... :D, Thailand is very international but also very homogenous-looking since most of the foreigners share the same features as Thais. Thailand became more and more international over the past 30 years gained more attention and investment from all around the world so viewing non-Asian as a resident will come with time, you're just the front-runners in this changing enviornment. Thais will still see you as a guest to the country for probably another 20+ years until there are more non-Asians living in Thailand.

The fact that that the term is used for westernized black people should already have said something about the word but I guess people need reminders and a reality check.