'You hold a portable fan like it's life support': Thai Facebook page roasts S'porean tourists in Bangkok

As a Singaporean, when visiting Bangkok, Thailand, do you constantly chirp about how everything is cheap, cool yourself with a Jisulife fan or wipe the utensils before your meals?

If so, you've just been called out by what appears to be a Thai travel company on Facebook.

In a series of posts, the Thai page took swipes at various stereotypes commonly observed among tourists to the Land of Smiles, and Singaporeans were one of them.

The roast of Singaporeans in Bangkok

"To the Singaporean Tourist Currently 'Auditing' the Night Market", the post started, before sarcastically noting down several behavioural quirks that may or may not sound familiar to Singaporeans.

For one, it pointed out how Singaporeans would go around proclaiming how everything is cheaper than at home, treating the "entire country like a giant clearance sale at Uniqlo".

As if that wasn't bad enough, Singaporeans also act like the "environment itself is a personal attack on your hygiene standards."

Apparently, we would spend 10 minutes sanitising tables, cutleries and stools with wet wipes before enjoying our bowl of soup for a bargain of S$2.

The author addressed "choping" culture and wondered why Singaporeans thought it would work in Thailand.

"You want the street food prices of a developing nation, but you demand the sterile, air-conditioned perfection of Marina Bay Sands," the author quipped.

Then, it levelled criticism at those among us who combat Bangkok's weather with a portable fan, saying that we hold it to our faces "like it's a life-support system."

"We get it. Singapore is a well-oiled machine... But you aren't in Singapore. You are in a glorious, messy, chaotic country," the author commented.

If Singaporeans are so terrified of "a little dust, a little sweat, and a little chaos", then we should stop complaining and go back to our "$25 chicken rice", the author advised.

Otherwise, we should put the wet wipes away and "just eat the noodles."

Shared along with the post was a seemingly AI-generated image of a middle-aged, bespectacled Chinese man wiping down his spoon with tissues at a roadside food stall.

Guilty as charged

The Jan. 27 post has since received over 1,800 reactions and 241 shares.

Singaporeans in the comments section took the criticism in their stride and expressed amusement.

One user, claiming that he is Singaporean, said the post was "spot on".

Another apologised on behalf of "cheapo tourists".

One defended the use of portable fans, arguing that Bangkok's heat is on "another level" and it doesn't mean Singaporeans do not enjoy Bangkok.

One user, presumably Thai, pointed out that it is also a practice among Thais to wipe their utensils before meals.

On Facebook, My Thailand is listed as a travel company.

"We connect expats with carefully matched partners using local knowledge and discretion," its description reads.

Apart from Singaporeans, the page also roasted misbehaving tourists in Pattaya and inconsiderate content creators jostling with night market crowds.

Top image via Canva, Unsplash