The Russians laid bare

[Pattaya One]

Sir,

Why is it these Russians in Pattaya are so damn rude? If you hold a door open for them in the malls, they barge past and never say thank you.

You go first, I'll come from behind you

One day I will smack one of these ignorant blokes and see how he likes it.

The girls are more polite but the fat oafs they are with give Russia a bad name.

Any advice on this social problem or should I just drop to their level and never be polite when I see them.

Andy Jones On holiday from UK.

Dear Andy,

The Cold War and culture might form part of the answer. For some reason it does appear as though people from Eastern Europe, especially the Russian Federation, are demonstrably more ignorant than their Western European or other Caucasian visitors.

If you think about it, the local Thais are pretty ignorant when it comes to holding open doors for people following behind them, and queuing is another foreign concept. Ignorance, stupidity, selfishness or all three rolled into one unattractive package.

Maybe the Russian culture views any kind of polite behaviour vis-à-vis a fellow foreigner as a weakness. To be honest, we don’t know the answer, but we do suggest you continue to act as if you were about to enter a Woolworths at midday rather than a London boozer just after Chelsea has lost 5-0 to Accrington Stanley.

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