Thai musings 2 - Mawng arai? มองอะไร - The staring monkey syndrome

Any foreigner who has spent considerable time in Thailand and ventured outside the comfort zone of Bangkok will have encountered the curious stares of Thai people. The more isolated the area the increased frequency of the staring factor. At first it may be amusing and even ego building as the foreigner is imbued with a sense of celebrity status. After a while it can become a little annoying, especially when the looks of amazement haven’t ceased after a year of walking down the same street, eating at the same market and riding the same shit-box Honda dream. As with a lot of things in Thailand you can shrug your shoulders and go about your business or stew over it and drive yourself to the brink of insanity. It’s amazing how often so many foreigners succumb to the latter.

There are different types of stares but hardly any with malicious intent. Usually it’s just a shy, inquisitive smile and a look that says WTF are you doing in this shit-hole of a town wearing thongs, fisherman pants and a red bull t-shirt when you live in a mansion, dress in designer label clothes, drive luxurious cars and shag loads of blond women. Their views are quite understandable given that for many, their exposure to foreigners is almost exclusively confined to the warped microcosm of the western world conveyed by the idiot box.

The most basic tasks when performed by a foreigner - eating, walking, riding a motorbike for example can leave a Thai awestruck. If you can string a few grammatically correct sentences of the Thai language together some Thais will be so overcome with a combination of awe, fascination and fear as to forget how to speak their own language.

The good news for foreigners is that the staring syndrome is not just a one-way street of fun for Thais. Catching a Thai in the midst of a staring frenzy offers plenty of scope for entertainment as they stand, mouth agape with half a fist rammed into their nose without a shred of self-awareness. Or how about the complete loss of navigation skills as Somchai, induced into a trance-like state from the sight of a white skinned alien, drives his Toyota pick-up clean over the curb.

The foreigner who gets up tight over a little innocent staring doesn’t do him/herself any favours in a country where minor annoyances are lurking behind every corner. Keeping the ego in check and reminding yourself that the joke is not entirely at your own expense does wonders for your coping skills and ultimately your sanity in the Land of Smiles.