Another complaining farang

Posted by admin on January 7th, 2008 filed in Living here, The locals

One main difference between Thai people and Westerners is that us ‘farangs’ like to complain. Thai seldom complain, they simply accept, and this has a severe impact on their character and efficiency. On the one hand they are famous for being relaxed, on the other, their services can be surprisingly poor.

 

I should admit, from the start, that as a farang I’ll only ever value this concept from a Western point of view. Simply put, complaint is an important mechanism for improvement. It shouldn’t be seen as negative but constructive. It is what drives Germany to efficiency or America to ‘good value’. It’s the same principle that keeps Briton’s indignant about slipping standards (dear boy!). And here in Thailand it has an opposite effect.

 

All too often we find ourselves living in country that, superficially, is on the brink of being ‘newly industrialised’ yet essential resources of this modern society, such as 100% reliable electricity supply, or decent broadband internet for business services are simply not dependable. There is plenty of money and potential customers around, so why not meet the demand. The answer lies in public expectation (or lack of it) and a forgiving society that allow public services to under-deliver. 

 

Complaint is a very un-Thai characteristic. It causes people to lose face, get hot-headed and creates confrontation. Of course when there is business opportunities or politics involved you will hear plenty of ‘legal’ complaint (usually in the form of law-suits!), but on a personal level Thai people will refrain from complaining. Instead they learn to adapt, put up with, and take their business elsewhere. They are infinitely patient in this manner, happy to waste time finding alternative or suffer the frustration of delay and let-downs. This is one of their strengths but it has some appalling consequences on the end results of service in general.

 

As a farang I feel insulted when someone takes liberty with my time or customage by presenting something that is clearly sub-standard or unacceptable. If for example I’ve come all the way to a particularly recommended restaurant, sat down, got comfortable and ordered drinks only to hear that they have run out of all pork dishes, I get angry. Sure I could eat chicken, but why can’t they do their job properly and provision more carefully. It happens so often that it simply winds me up even more, rather than laughing it off as an unlucky once-off.