I once got bombarded with abuse from calling Brunei boring, but the fact is the place is dull as hell. Thistle same applies to the friendly country index. Take Russia for example there’s a lot of good stuff you can say, friendly though sure aint one of them.
There are though some states that are for all intents hypocrites, for they promote themselves as being super friendly countries, but in fact its all a bit of s smokescreen. Now I am sure this blog and video will cause some controversy, but it does not make it any less real.
Table of Contents
5 Fake Friendly Countries
As always we count down from 5-1 leaving the fakes to last. Afterwards we shall also include some actually friendly countries that just are, rather than feeling they gotta should about it.
5) Japan
Japan is famously very very polite, with lots of bowing and courteous language, but politeness is not actually friendliness. It is borderline impossible to make friends with Japanese, they are extremely rigid and elephant in the room? For the most part they hate foreigners.
Friendly nemesis – China
Yeah Chinese can be pretty blunt, but they are also welcoming and have a true honestly, particularly when it comes to being actually friendly.
4) Bhutan
Did you know that Bhutan measure “Gross Domestic Happiness”? Well that might meander it, but people are not actually that happy, as is evidenced by their suicide rate. Even the guides here are super rigid on what you can and can’t do. People are not bad, but don’t expect to walk into a bar and make friends.
Friendly nemesis – Sikkim
Kind of like Bhutan, but pretty much does everything better. This includes temples, people and well the overall vibe.
3) The USA
All that “have a nice day” bullshit is about tips and performance and nothing to do with actually being friendly. This is very much evidenced by what a shift show the place is. Smiles yes, but wrong politics, or color and things change. Only getting worse.
Friendly nemesis – Canada
I mean what more does one have to say, but well done Canada for doing so great in spite of your neighbor to the south.
2) Fiji
When it comes to fake friendly countries few hold a candle to Fiji. In marketing its all “bula bula” and quite literally telling everyone they are the friendliest place on earth. In reality Suva is extremely dangerous and people are ridiculously nationalistic. I once received death threats for saying the food on Fiji Airways was not that good.
Friendly nemesis – Papua New Guinea
Yes PNG has its problems, but the people there are just naturally friendly and few places have made me more welcome.
1) Thailand
Thailand wins this list by a country mile! People think it is the “Land of Smiles’, but in fact this moniker was invented by the Thai’s themselves. And yes people do smile, but this soon disappears if you don’t want to buy something. Combine this with its dirty underworld, natonlaistic fervor for war, as well as policies that lean more towards a hatred of foreigners and you get the most fake friendly country in the world.
Friendly nemesis – Cambodia
Amusingly in recent polls they have scored under Cambodia for ftreidnliness. This has led to Thai’s becoming abusibe on social media. Crazily none of them see the irony in this. The Khmer’s are legit friendly, rather than just seeing it as brand. Khmer Rouge notwithstanding….
And that marks my personal list of 5 fake friendly countries, nations that talk the talk, but really do not walk the walk. Did I get it right or wrong?