Since I’ve settled down a bit in Hua Hin (temporarily I hope), I’ve got into the habit of going to the long, beautiful beach every morning to walk several kilometres before going for a swim.
During these walks, I come across other walkers or runners, as well as strollers, sometimes families or groups.
When I meet someone, I usually look at him or her, try to catch their eye, and say hello.
What have I noticed?
When I meet a Thai man or woman, he or she usually looks at me, our eyes meet and we say hello, obviously always with a smile.
When I meet a farang (non-Asian foreigner), this visual encounter and greeting happens in around 60/70% of cases. But 50% of the time without a smile.
When I meet ONE farang, in 90% of cases she carefully avoids my gaze, fixing her eyes in front of her or on her feet, and my greeting is not echoed. Occasionally, she reacts with a delay and slips in a “good morning” with the tip of her lips.
Makes you wonder about the quality of relationships in our Western world, doesn’t it?
