Maybe this is just a Southeast Asia thing, but taxi drivers can be pretty aggressive.

Yesterday, I took a 2-hour flight from Chiang Mai to Phuket (an island in southern Thailand) to escape the seasonal northern smoke for a bit.

And the moment I walked out into arrivals, the chaos began.

Normally when you walk out of the airport you get semi-ambushed, with drivers trying to pull you in and charge 2-3x the local rate.

"Taxi! Taxi!" they say.

"Where you go sir??"

"Cheap price!"

But here’s the interesting part.

Instead of saying “No thank you,” I looked at one of them and said:

“Mai ou khap.”

It means “I don’t want it” in Thai.

And guess what?

They respectfully backed away.

Shockingly fast.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t speak fluent Thai. But by declining politely in Thai, it signaled to them “I understand you, I understand this place, don’t mess with me.”

Another underrated reason to learn the local language when you move abroad!

Even a few words can change how people treat you, what they charge you, and how much they respect you.

A little effort goes a long way.

P.S. Here’s a pro tip. If you’re serious about learning a foreign language, gamified apps like Duolingo really don’t do much. I’ve been learning Thai with a tutor online and the results are night and day.

Joshua

Phuket, Thailand 🇹🇭

My Favorite Tools (As of Lately)

Preply | Language Learning: How I've been picking up Thai. Preply offers live 1-on-1 lessons with native speakers, which has proven way more effective than Duolingo ever was for me. ​Book your first lesson on Preply (70% off) →​​

Wise | Banking: Lets me hold, send, and spend money in almost any currency (including Thai baht 😁) without the banks taking a huge cut on conversions. ​Try Wise →​​

NordVPN | Digital Security: An essential for any traveler, especially when accessing banking apps or anything you’d rather not get hacked. ​TryNordVPN →​

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