Guest trailrider Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 What is it with Thais and directions. Not just driving directions but they cannot respond reasonably to any requested directions. As an example, if you are in Lotus or Home Pro and ask where an item is located they will point in a direction without any more explanation than that even as to section of the store or isle. If you are in a car and need directions you are often wasting time if you ask a Thai for directions. They will babble some BS that is not likely to be accurate and a map is totally alien to them. If you hand it to them right side up or down makes no difference. They cannot read a map. Do any of you know (not guess) why this is? Quote
Alexx Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 Same with my aunt. She isn't Thai, however. vinapu 1 Quote
Bob Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 Part of it is simply cultural. I always (not sure why) think in terms of north/south/east/west but I've yet to meet a Thai in Chiangmai who has any sense of those directions. They don't even seem to know that the mountains are on the west side of town, that a shadow at noon is north, and the like. And almost all of them (including some tuk tuk drivers!) don't know the street names except for a very few of the more popular ones. On the other hand, I've yet to meet a Thai up here that doesn't have the ability to get exactly where he's trying to go. In the end, I suppose that's all that counts. And I would note that most of the baht bus and tuk tuk drivers up here can read a map (but, given everything up here somewhat relates to the square old city section, I suppose that helps a lot). Quote
Guest abang1961 Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 I have almost zero sense of direction. This happened to me (frequently) during overseas vacation (years before we have GPS): When I sit next to the driver, I always seem to give the wrong direction/instruction. When I drive, I am always lost in the middle of nowhere... Now I have a phobia for driving... I really hate to say this about the Thais: Their lack of exposure (not just education itself) among the lesser-privileged people is at times very annoying. Most seems to be unable to read a map...they rely on buildings to locate their destinations... (just the same as me when I am overseas..).. So cut some slack here, please. Quote
Guest SpermAholic Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 It is called "krang jai" which means that in their culture they are not brought up to give opinions. I am an Engineer and have worked with Thai Engineers and that does not help when you are looking for input. "Krang jai" makes it hard for them to think outside of the "present tense" as in Thai language there is no present tense so that means they are Present tense people. That is why many of them you will see turn onto a bust street without looking at oncoming traffic etc. It is also that they are shy to speak English with farangs and they just simply do not like to admit that they don't know because they WANT to be helpful. My best answer is when in Rome = learn to speak Thai and you might have better luck although I speak quite fluent and still NEVER ask for directions (at least past 100 meters). This is NOT a reason to "Thai bash" as they have a very different upbringing from us. PS: It also matters where they are from etc. For instance if asking Direction in Bangkok they might be only there for work etc but from the North so don't have a clue. As far ask employees at Lotus etc, that is just pure hiring of the lesseducated to put it bluntly. Quote
ChristianPFC Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 The vast majority of Taxi drivers I use in Bangkok know their way around town. When I ask Thai people for directions in Thai, I usually get a correct answer or "don't know". (Sometimes I ask cute boys for directions or bus line when I already know the answer, just to get into talk. It hasn't lead anywhere so far, but I keep doing it, one day I will hit the right boy.) Of course, asking a Thai person and showing them a map in English, or a map on the phone, is close to pointless (and for taxi drivers it's an invitation for overcharging). They will babble some BS that is not likely to be accurate and a map is totally alien to them. Are you fluent in Thai so you can understand and judge what they tell you? vinapu 1 Quote
Travellerdave Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 My experience is that most Thais can't use maps. In fact apart from road maps I have yet to find proper maps on the lines of the British OS or the French IGN, showing natural features. Maybe the military have them. Quote
Guest Promsak Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 I also have no sense of NSEW (even though when younger I used to navigate in car rallies!). There is no point whatsoever in saying to me 'go North along so and so and then turn West at that turning) unless I have a compass with me. Why would I want to know which direction is north? One tip I use for taxi drivers is --- only give one piece of information at one time. Possibly give him your final destination, then if you want to direct him the route to take --- drip feed him one at a time. Actually, I'm probably the same but that is due to my age. Quote
vinapu Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 If we are so smart and others are so stupid why we are asking for directions, wouldn't be easier to find things for ourselves? On more serious note inability to read map comes from lack of education on the subject as beermaker noted and is quite common everywhere, test your aunt like Alexx did and you will discover. But thank you for creating thread as it brought very interesting responses Quote
baobao Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 Other than the more likely reasons (not knowing, but not wanting to say so and lose face - or simply wanting to be helpful whether they know or not) it might be due to a condition some of my friends here at home deal with: being "directionally challenged". ChristianPFC and fedssocr 2 Quote
vinapu Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 being "directionally challenged". pretty common affliction, most famous directionally challenged person in history is Columbus, set-off for India, forgot his GPS and landed in Bahamas instead baobao 1 Quote
kokopelli Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 In Western countries we were familiar with cars, maps and directions from a young age but in Thailand cars were not part of their culture until recently. Even now, in Western countries, I doubt that young people could read a road map now that GPS is so readily available. vinapu and fedssocr 2 Quote
farangyai Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 My observations are that the poor education system plays a very big role. I have shown students in a class that is comprised of students from many different provinces a map of Thailand and asked them where they come from (in both Thai and English). They do not generally recognize the map and do not know where there city is on it. (map is in Thai and English language). So if they do not learn it as part of primary education, where will they learn it? On the other hand I have had drivers who took me places on long trips and never got lost. We always ended up where we wanted to. Quote
Guest trailrider Posted January 22, 2014 Posted January 22, 2014 Some very interesting responses, but how about the part of my question about Thais who work in stores and only pointing in a general direction rather than telling you that you are in the wrong section of the store or what isle to look in. Are they just lazy? in many instances they spoke English clearly but only pointed in a general direction when asked where to find a toothbrush. Quote
Guest RichLB Posted January 22, 2014 Posted January 22, 2014 Another explanation is that many Thais don't think in terms of street numbers. While, here in Pattaya, Immigration is on Soi 5, Thais identify that street as Soi Post Office. Even worse, some streets are identified by landmarks which no longer exists. For example, a fun Thai nightclub is located on Soi Bowling although the bowling alley was demolished years ago. Or, one of my favorite breakfast haunts is located on Soi Welcome even though the Welcome hotel has changed hands and is now under a different name. Somehow that never confuses Thais, but we farang are often at sea trying to get around. Quote
fedssocr Posted January 22, 2014 Posted January 22, 2014 Some very interesting responses, but how about the part of my question about Thais who work in stores and only pointing in a general direction rather than telling you that you are in the wrong section of the store or what isle to look in. Are they just lazy? in many instances they spoke English clearly but only pointed in a general direction when asked where to find a toothbrush. I'd guess this probably goes along with the note above about not really knowing the answer to your question but not being able to admit that. Maybe ask them to take you there? Most likely they knew it wasn't close by so it must be "over there" somewhere. So you could start your search and ask some one else... I also agree with the sentiment above that most American kids couldn't read a map these days either. It's definitely a lost skill since everyone figures Google maps can just take them wherever they want to go. I find that sad as a geography/map geek. vinapu 1 Quote
witty Posted January 22, 2014 Posted January 22, 2014 Some Thais are like birds - they don't read maps but can travel almost anywhere on instincts. Quote
kokopelli Posted January 22, 2014 Posted January 22, 2014 Regarding sales clerks I have had them lead me to the merchandise I was seeking but then being overly solicitous. So sometimes a case of too little help or too much help. Quote
MrBill Posted January 24, 2014 Posted January 24, 2014 Pronunciation can be a big issue as well, between Thai and farang. I once stayed at the Glitz Hotel in BKK. I took a cab from the airport. The driver had a hell of a time getting me to where I wanted to go. When we finally found the hotel, it dawned on me that Thainglish pronunciations are decidedly different, so I asked the desk clerk what the name of the hotel was and he said "Gleece." After that, I just told taxi and tuk tuk drivers I wanted to go to the Gleece hotel and there was never any hesitation. If you don't have the location printed in Thai, best to know how Thais pronounce the word, not how farang pronounce it. vinapu 1 Quote
vinapu Posted January 25, 2014 Posted January 25, 2014 Glitz Hotel in BKK. is this one around the corner from Tawan with modern concept rooms i.e. toilets behind the glass wall in the room? Quote
Alexx Posted January 25, 2014 Posted January 25, 2014 Indeed, pronouncing English/foreign terms the same as Thais pronounce them does help a lot. When in Rome... It's often not much different in the US, by the way. I remember visiting Miami Beach many years ago, and the hotel I staid at was the Fontainebleau Hilton. Hailing a cab at the airport, I pronounced it like any educated member of society would do (French). Unfortunately, the cabbie would have none of it, and after quite some back and forth, he exclaimed "Fountain Blue!" and that was that. Not much different from some of my experiences in Bangkok in the early days. MrBill and vinapu 2 Quote
kokopelli Posted January 25, 2014 Posted January 25, 2014 When in Rome... Ahem, When in Roma...... Alexx 1 Quote
Guest abang1961 Posted January 26, 2014 Posted January 26, 2014 Quite a sensational arrival in pattaya last night. The taxi driver dropped me in the soi and expected me to find my own way. I knew it would be difficult to ask for directions... So for the sake of saving precious time, I bought a thb 299 tourist sim card and switched on google maps. before I could get on the internet, I had to wrestle with the ladyboy at 7-11 on how to set it up. the thais at these stores should have been approached to do this daily but to my utter annoyance, she was not helpful at all. so to save ourselves from further despair, get a good phone-tablet and get to our destination in a jiff. Quote
vinapu Posted January 26, 2014 Posted January 26, 2014 Quite a sensational arrival in pattaya last night. Getting ready for your trip reports Quote
