When Management Gets Into The Hands of a German

There is a culture that strikes me more as uglier than the ‘ugly Americans’, this uncultured subject of this column happened to be a German, and I had the not so great privilege of this experience.

A friend told me – If you look at their size and weight, usually that says something about the person.

They will talk in English and use derogatory words which should never be used to subordinates.

When introducing a problem at the front office, my friend was introduced to the GM, who said he was from Switzerland. Right! The roll in the eyes of the local staff said it all. (Wannabe Swiss) – When being introduced this is how this person represented
them self.

My friend wanted a plumbing problem fixed in his room. The staff, at a moment’s embarrassment not knowing what to reply, said it perhaps could be due to bad weather’. Typical, a local reply.

Suddenly, “Bloody hell” – “Tell me who that idiot (staff) – I want to know!’ is what this manager with the initials of M.P. said. I heard a pound from behind the long counter behind me. “Bloody”? I thought
uneducated British used this kind of language. He obviously was trying to show immaturity by using a huff and a puff using the “breathe heavily tactic, thinking it will leave an impression of what they meant. But this, they simply never
got over from second grade. Obviously having been here long enough to know making a show of things and acting out in huge demonstration of waving hands, flaring nostrils and using a loud voice just is not the way the local culture accepts things.

The assistant front office manager walked out to see what was going on. She replied to my friend correctly that a plumber / technician would be sent. It could be understood from the then in-house phone conversation that the plumber was caught up with
some other repair job. The manager shouts, “Tell him, I’m very upset, I’m very upset.’ I was understood that this was his way to inspire his staff.

My friend wanted to stay in this particular wing of the hotel, because through the Thai unofficial grapevine, it was rumoured there happened to be a waiter who was sent on rounds to deliver rooms service but was treated unkindly with words. He hung himself
in one of the rooms!

I’m disappointed and surprised at the same time to have seen this first hand while visiting my friend at this well known hotel. The hotel management in this South Pattaya hotel did not think I as a guest saw or heard them use anger and four letter
obscenities with such confidence, but the accent sounds like S***.

The poor staff was reprimanded verbally way too harshly for not using the Khun before his (Mr. MP) name. I would have called him the same what the front staff used, staff used –Mr.? Now I hear of locals calling their management as ‘Boss’.
Well no wonder the Arabs have all showed up in this hotel. But as a local I am slave to no man, so my ‘B.. b.. b.. b ..Boss’ is kinda weird they demanded this name status from the locals. From black and white films wasn’t
“Boss” always the ‘bad’ guy. I could be mistaken.

I understand in local hotels they create their own confusion by way of local terms said using English vocabulary. An example of this is, a position called ‘Super’ which means right under the head waitress or head room maid.

They think we locals can’t hear the ‘bad ‘accent and don’t speak English. A German speaks in German, therefore could teach German with and then still if they could produce a teacher's proficiency diploma. Who do they think
they are trying to correct us locals English? More than that, he then tried to correct the locals on the pronunciation of their own language. The excuse was he gave, was that he had a ‘Good Thai girl friend’, and these’ ignorant
up country locals’’ who can’t speak their native tongue properly’ must not be good. Doesn’t this German realize half the work population in Pattaya has migrated comes from Esarn where they do speak an official
tongue called Lao.

Stickman says it correctly in his weekly column 7/11/10 ‘A Thai NEVER refers to themselves as Khun and never signs a letter that way! This had to be a foreigner masquerading as a Thai.’ He wanted to be called Khun
MP in front of every address to his name as if he would lose his respect. Hmmmm.

Little did this person realize that behind their back, all the staff called this person ‘Hitler’, the local staff did not realize the international ‘taboo’ in this kind of ‘name calling.’ If they can’t
survive in their own home, they come to Asia, and rape mentally the land.

Wake up (Wannabe be Swiss citizens), – One day, the locals will not stand or tolerate this kind of behaviour on their land. If you behave rudely are rude and if they don’t deport you, they may make sure you never leave. No, you won’t die,
you’ll just be in a world of –can’t do nothing, can’t work, have nothing to do and are not able to never leave. Perhaps due to a case filed in court because they couldn’t put with up with it anymore.

I walked away trying to stay poker faced from the front office hotel reception counter in a South Pattaya hotel and went back to Bangkok with a weird impression of German hotel management in Pattaya.

Thanks for your time.