18 replies to this topic

[rucus7]

It used to the Americans that got the tag as worst tourist. Now the french have surpassed us. Oh well I guess guess we are becoming second best at yet something else. I hope a French national will explain this obviously biased report.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8143780.stm

[lvdkeyes]

Did the report mention the Russians or the Chinese?

[Thaimo]

lvdkeyes, on 10 February 2010 - 02:59 PM, said:

Did the report mention the Russians or the Chinese?

I understand why you would include the Chinese on the list, but I can also understand why they were not mentioned. Other than Thailand, where do Chinese tourists ever travel in numbers enough to even be noticed?
I don't have any idea about the Russians. I don't know much about their travel habits and I haven't had any negative encounters with them. At least they're independent whereas the Chinese don't seem to go more than 14 feet unless they're on a tour bus and traveling in a group, usually a controlled group.

[lvdkeyes]

San Francisco gets a lot of Chinese tourists. I am not sure about other places. The Chinese who come to Thailand are horrible. They are pushy, loud and rude. At shows like Alcazar, Tiffany and Alankarn they never stop talking during the show.

The Russians, although, not as bad as the Chinese (IMHO)can be extremely rude. They take up more than one seat on baht buses and have no qualms about drinking beer and smoking on the baht buses. They don't speak Thai or English and get rude when Thais don't know what they are saying. I knew a guy who worked as a receptionist in a hotel where many Russians stay here in Pattaya and he said he had many problems with them.

[Thaimo]

lvdkeyes, on 11 February 2010 - 02:14 AM, said:

San Francisco gets a lot of Chinese tourists. I am not sure about other places.

Oh, I don't think you'll see very many Chinese tourist groups making a stop at Graceland.

[Beer Chang]

I was in Memphis and couldn't be bothered either.

Beale Street is pretty cool though.

[Thaimo]

Beer Chang, on 11 February 2010 - 09:13 PM, said:

I was in Memphis and couldn't be bothered either.

That's because you ain't nuthin' but a hound dog

[Beer Chang]

But if I can't find a partner I still won't use a wooden chair.

[Wino]

The French Canadians have a bad reputation in Florida. I have heard many Floridians say they are loud and rude. I think the root cause is they have a bad reputation for not tipping. With much of the service industry depending on tips, they tend to badmouth people who do not.

[Bob]

Wino, on 12 February 2010 - 05:37 AM, said:

The French Canadians have a bad reputation in Florida. I have heard many Floridians say they are loud and rude. I think the root cause is they have a bad reputation for not tipping. With much of the service industry depending on tips, they tend to badmouth people who do not.

I'm not sure about that but I'd like to distinguish between "French Canadians" in general and the french who live in Quebec.
My first experience up there was when I was 19 and the people in the province of Quebec, excepting for those in the city of Quebec, seemed friendly as hell; but, I was absolutely appalled at the snotty and rude jerks in the City of Quebec. As soon as you speak English to them, their attitude changes and then you get this snotty "looking-down-their-nose" attitude from them. Rude as hell. [And I don't think this relates to my being an "American" as several non-french Canadian friends tell me they experience the same bad attitude when they go to Quebec, i.e., they seemed to equally despise anybody that speaks English]

Not too dissimilar to what I've heard from friends over the years who visited France. I've been told by almost everyone that everybody outside of Paris was genuinely friendly; however, many have told me they will never go back to Paris itself due to how they were treated by the citizens there.

I know there are good french tourists or I at least believe there must be; however (and this has been something I've said to friends for over a decade), when I run into rude tourists here in Thailand (especially in the Phuket area), more often than not they are french. I don't know if that's generally true but it's been my experience.

[Beer Chang]

Big city folk whether Parisians or New Yorkers tend to be brusque.

[Wino]

Beer Chang, on 13 February 2010 - 05:31 AM, said:

Big city folk whether Parisians or New Yorkers tend to be brusque.

How very true. I remember going to New York City for the first time as a young lad, asking for directions was an ordeal.

[Bob]

Wino, on 15 February 2010 - 04:21 AM, said:

How very true. I remember going to New York City for the first time as a young lad, asking for directions was an ordeal.

I first went to NYC when I was 14 and laughed quite a bit at the obvious tourists dumb enough to simply stand near a subway exit. It was humorous to me to see them get stampeded.

[Beer Chang]

Wino, on 15 February 2010 - 04:21 AM, said:

How very true. I remember going to New York City for the first time as a young lad, asking for directions was an ordeal.

The trick is not to say, "Excuse me sir, would you please tell me how to get to 33rd Street and 3rd Avenue. That's wasting the tgime of the guy giving directions. Just say, "33rd and 3rd, which way" and you'll get pointed in the right direction without the direction giver having to break stride.

[Wino]

Bob, on 13 February 2010 - 01:37 AM, said:

when I run into rude tourists here in Thailand (especially in the Phuket area), more often than not they are french. I don't know if that's generally true but it's been my experience.

I have heard in Pattaya, rude tourists are usually Russian with the Arabs a close second. I don't think that is true, but some do.

[lvdkeyes]

I have never encountered rude Arabs, but certainly rude Russians.

[Wino]

The rude Arabs I have encountered were young, roudy lugs partying loudly at night and driving motorcycles at almost the speed of light up and down the soi. If I didn't know it was against their religion to drink, I would have guessed they were drunk.

[lvdkeyes]

Being against their religion certainly doesn't deter many from drinking.

[Wino]

lvdkeyes, on 17 February 2010 - 08:12 AM, said:

Being against their religion certainly doesn't deter many from drinking.

How true. Plus they don't have the religious police looking over their shoulder. They do pretty much as they please.