Why is the entire staff at California Wow fitness centers in Bangkok rude to foreigners?

Chris, don't feel bad.

As a life long close observer of the Thai culture, I've gathered much perspectives. I have also been to one of those gyms.

I was bored waiting for a friend one day, when I wandered into a California Wow. Immediately I was greeted with the friendliest, most informative staff, best they can offer for the first 3-5 minutes. Since I'm no stranger to gym set ups based on my time in the US, I started to quiz them about their facility, and eventually about the lack of certain things. I cited those as reasons for not convincing enough for me to join right then. Soon after they realized that I was not even playing nice, they sort of shut off. Once I told them I don't live in Thailand on a permanent basis (sort of looking for a flexible non-contract negotiation, I was no longer their 'friend'. I left.

Here's what I assume in response to your question : (and btw, it may go for the immigration offices and beyond, as well).

• Foreigners are (permanent) visitors. They are not worth investing niceness with. They won't become a loyal acquaintances with so few things in common.

• Foreigners are not there to understand the (passive aggressive, in my view, and from all sides,) cultural rule of engagement.

• In business like at the gym, they can't lock you into any long range membership. All the excessive series of promotions will not work on you.

• They can't be helpful to you because of your outside knowledge. So they'd rather ignore you than be proven wrong about anything they know.

• Foreigners are too independent (and individualistic) by nature. Easier to leave them alone.

• Safer to keep them all in a distant than having to alter the group habits to accommodate. (This is proven by how much more welcomed farangs are when there's alcohol involved. Inhibition brings down the social guards.)

• Staff/officers at places sort of do see you as superior with more money and another fancier homebase in the west. By you being in Thailand, they think you are there to take advantages of cheap things and easy women. This is why they'd rather give you a hard time.

There's a chance to soften this wall. The day you are speaking to them in Thai casually and bring them little foods from wherever you've been, I guarantee you everything will be different, even just a little. (Not to be confused with briberies...)

Additional thoughts :

I've watch the treatments of farangs changed over the decades. I see this as a 'backlash', that slowly became acceptable. Society there is changing is such a weird way, certain things are slow going, but certain things are too easily adapted with much dire consequences. Samples of the negative things are the fads, technologies, and ... economic policies. The Thais are accustomed to classify people into different, easy to communicate (read gossips) boxes of terms. There are negative terms that became too common; cheap farangs, farangs that are the boyfriends of some other opportunist Thai women, dirty farangs, but mostly farangs are understood to be obnoxious and in your face all the time.

This is mostly culture crash, partially bad footprints, partially true. Over time when there's more understanding HOPEFULLY on the Thais' side about the outside cultures, things will be less black and white. This way they can know how to behave appropriately with different people as judged by individual cases.

Dear Chis: Before answering your question, I must ask whether your avatar is your real picture? If so, you might look a bit scary to a Thai (me included).

My brief experience with California fitness was only when they tried to sell me membership by giving me free entrance for several sessions. I've noticed that the person trying to sell all the package to me was a different batch than those who were the trainers. I think once you bought the package, those are sale guys & gals, they speak English. The trainers don't. This only my guess.

I didn't buy the package for several reasons.

California just sell as many membership as possible knowing that majority of the Thais have an idea of good health going to fitness, and they (the idea and themselves) only last for a while (3 months top). So you can sell a million membership to one fitness centre and it would never get crowded, because members disappear after 3 months. Best sell them life time member.

Realising they can't sell me membership, their last weapons was to take me on the second floor and show me the views of all the Thai girls working out on the ground floor, saying sometimes those girls wear even more revealing outfits. This did not make the sale for me too.

I used to subscribed to fitness centres in hotels like the Grand Hyatt. They have swimming pool as well as good Thai restaurant next to the fitness, including hairdresser. So, I could go to fitness do a little swimming, even have a bite, get change and go to reception near by afterwards.

California fitness isn't my thing.

Go to five star hotel fitness, they speak English, very nice and attentive but may be a little more pricy.

My guess would be that they have been subject to some rude, steroid hopped-up aggressive farang in the past who unfortunately gave you a bad rep - and Thai are proud and don't take **** - though they will make an exception to do their job and try and sell a product - they likely have come in contact with some assholes [ and lets face it - there are some assholes here ] - I am not trying to knock farang in general but it would answer the question -

@prag - I have been to many different immigration offices in different provinces and they have always been very polite and helpful when needed. Which does not mean that I have not witnessed what you are talking abt w/low level, hot shot officials - I just don't think that sounds like it in this case.

@prag - that's not nice - I do the mail in w/no problems - do you have to make a visa run? or just go into the korat office?

@Peak - I also agree that speaking Thai breaks down sooo many barriers here. It makes you a person that can be talked with and joked with and if you understand the humor and can joke back in Thai style - you will be treated more like one of them, naturally and w/o prejudice or thought.

I work in a shop, i always smile and be helpful, but i can understand why some shop assistants are like that, a lot of people wouldn't understand, but working in a shop is very hard work, its really quite soul destorying LOL you may think if that's the case then why work in one, but nobody starts off working in a shop because they want to, they do it because they have no other choice! The job itself is very boring, repetitive, low paid, stressful, the managers are often unhelpful, collegues are usually bitchy, customers are rude, and on top of all that you don't even get two weeks off for christmas like everyone else, you get one day off! It's not surpsing so many shop assistants feel too low to make an effort. Don't be upset if you come across someone that appears rude, just think to yourself - they're human too, they're having a bad day, it's their problem not mine, at least i don't have their job!

Don't you worry about a thing...not only foreigners get that kind of a sick attitude. I get that all the time from the Thais. They normally give me that ugly look from my split ends to the tip of my toes. I don't look much of a regular Thai, I guess. Now that I'm 40...I just don't give a d--n anymore. I'm sorry for what those people do to you.

EDIT: Immigration...hahaha...not only in provinces you get that. I get that even at the airport. I always greet them first...but I get no respond. Many times, I get a$$ faces back...until they open my passport and see my last name...that when it kinda makes them smile a bit.

Anyway...here in Argentina...I get the same thing...sometimes worse...and almost everyday. So it kinda gets my attention...is it cuz the two countries are the third world countries (or like most of you call it 'developing countries') that's why most of the people are the way they are (we are)? I think they (we) need to develop our mind and attitude, too.

I find Korat immigration office to be the same. Incidentally my Thai wife agrees with me. We put it down to power control. Thais, in a position of power/purpose, see themselves as superior and like to wave their sticks, so to speak. It really puts me off people here that have a position of power and I always let the wife do the talking as she knows how to suck up to them.

I don't think that it's just a farang thing. They do it to their own as well. You just may not have witnessed it.

Edit. 'Spanky', Korat are the only immigration office in Thailand that WILL NOT allow 90 day reports by post. This results in expats having to do a 5 hour, round trip, journeys 4 times a year. That's how helpful they are !! http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/488409-korat-i...

Edit. I'm on an 12 month extention married to a Thai. I do the 90 day report in person, but may as well do a visa run as the border is closer.

No idea, I once inquired about joining one in Chiang Mai and made the mistake of giving them my mobile #, they called me so many times, I felt I was best friends with all the staff there.

The staff at California Wow fitness got you to sign up so now they don't have to be friendly to you.

Also all the staff there seem to love themselves so maybe they select who they are friendly to.They may feel uncomfortable talking to an old "farang" dude like you.

I stop going there.years ago!