geisha

Well. I wish these police would go around town, shopping malls, 7/11 etc and arrest all the shirtless men there , all the year round, not only Songkran ! I'm not a prude , but I do dislike half naked men around the shops, often sweaty and out of shape ! Sorry guys ! A crisp clean shirt makes you look oh so much better!

The problem with mass tourism is the very low margin of profit generated by millions of low cost tourists. Easy to see why. The Thai owned businesses made contracts with foreign ( Chinese, Russian , Thomas cook ,Tui, etc) tour companies at rock bottom prices. Being not very business minded , they probably only saw the payment at the end of one year, and the money is probably paid in advance. This is a lack of experience . All businesses are there to make money. This has led to airports, airlines, roads,hotels being over run by cheap tourists who do not generally spend money with the small local businesses.As someone said, Pattaya , Phuket, Bangkok Chiang Mai, have been completed ruined due to lack of city planning, the damage is done. Totally suffocated by polluting tour buses, these places have become a nightmare. Now bring in the higher end tourists who have bought expensive tours,quality individual tourists , and young world travellers that fill up the small hotels, street restaurants and sights,do you really think they enjoy finding their dream holiday swarming and over run by these now unwanted people and unhappy Thais ? In Phuket or other small beach towns, you can hardly cross the road anymore ! Lack of planning has ruined the paradise Thailand once was for tourists.

I think what was meant as " difference " and " quality" can be used to describe all tourists, everywhere. The Chinese low cost market is a very new one. They travel short distances, all inclusive, and spend little money. These people have almost never been out of China, do not have our " social manners" and yes, can seem to be very rude and impolite to others. I met a lady working in a Jomtien hotel not long back, saying they had a days full cleaning as the tour bus of tourists practically wrecked the hotel ! I won't bore you with the details. I myself have seen Chinese tourists spitting spare rib bones etc onto the table and floor in a nice restaurant, it took my appetite away and I asked to be moved. But, other countries have all inclusive holidays too, British, Germans, etc etc, and some behave atrociously when on holidays, or, do not spend a penny. When working in Spain 40 odd years ago, I met a British family who could not afford to buy their kids ice creams , they'd come with practically no money to Spain !!! That was the beginning of British low cost holidays. Chinese tour groups come to Paris and the south of France, stay in 5 star hotels, and spend a fortune on designer goods.They emptied the " Galerie Lafayette" shopping mall of every designer handbag they had last summer ! A fortune. These are the differences.

I think it's a live and learn process. Once the Chinese get a hang of foreign holidays, they will eventually adapt. If they get refused custom from hotels, airlines , they will soon set down their own set of rules for their own people. Most restaurants refuse Chinese groups. It won't take long,for them to rectify this problem.

Some disgusting remarks here. How would you like to be fed diseased dirty dog meat in your curry ? Is eating dog illegal in Thailand ? If it isn't, then ban it completely, please. Soi dogs are a completely different problem which could also be solved with some help from authorities and public.

Well, how about a down to earth answer. If I was you, I would spend some time in each place you mentioned. Start off with India, you might love it there. When fed up, or need to move on, Thailand/ Cambodia, and at the end Bali. easy to get a multi destination ticket, ( try emirates) and for a small sum you could change the dates to suit your wishes. Remember the seasons aren't the same, Bali monsoon being in November to March which is thailands dry season. Google meditation or ashram in each country you are going to. Have a very good travel insurance too. Do realise that on thaivisa , the people do not usually do the sort of travelling you want, so will not know much about it. Get some professional advice. Happy travels!

Awful, terrible cruelty stories all over Facebook. Plenty of poor pets to adopt in Britain unfortunately.

Why oh why cant all motorbikes and scooters be " silent" ?

Over 30 years ago in Phuket, one of my neighbours used to dress her little boy in girlish clothes, and put ribbons in his hair. A pretty child, other neighbours used to take him out, to the market, on the bus, dressed like a girl. It was not considered odd, even then. I don't really understand why this is happening especially in Thailand , any answers ?

There are rats everywhere, in all cities, all over the world. Normally, you have a responsible government and health administrations/ inspectors/ city hall, that control this problem by having extermination carried out regularly. There is no valid reason, that supposed clean places like supermarkets etc have rats. Also, normally, every business owner also takes the necessary steps to get rid of cock roaches/ rats . In Hua hin I've seen huge ones running through restaurants ( night market), and in the daytime market. Pattaya everywhere, beach, 2 nd road. Phuket didn't seem too bad funnily.A huge danger to health, and when you think that children and adults play in the sand where rats, dogs and humans have been peeing on them all night long ...........

You are all wrong. Tom Jones gave a fantastic sell out concert recently during the Jazz a Juan Festival in the south of France. Sold out in one day, made front page news, he rocked the park for 3 hours with a super back up group, best show we have seen in years! A real show man, who looks fantastic by the way.

A complete review of all transport means in Thailand is needed. This is becoming ridiculous, horrific daily accidents around the country. Is it too hard/ difficult for a normal government to bring in laws? Can they not fine, prosecute ? Obviously not, so Thailand has become a lawless country!

All that aside, I once saw a lady leaving the hotel to get to nearest big hospital. Badly bitten by a monkey , holiday ruined and cut short, and my, did that bite look bad. !

Most of the places " banned" for foreigners in Laos/ Vietnam/Myanmar is because they don't want tourists to be blown to bits! tSo why doesn't the Thai government should ban visiting the south, or near the north/ Myanmar border where fighting is still going on ?

Every country has its " please avoid this area" places.

I have visited and spent time in all of theses countries. Vietnam, I admire the way they have pulled themselves up after a100 years of war, also I admire the level of education and general culture they have, and how they strive to get on work wise.

Myanmar, beautiful country and people with no infrastructure for the moment, they ll get there soon!

Cambodia, unfortunately. a wrecked country with a crooked government that does not help its people.

Laos, can't say much except it's land logged and very poor.

Indonesia, obvious religious set backs, tho some beautiful places.Bali,once beautiful exotic Bali,where every other person is an artist, unfortunately over built to the extremes.

Malaysia,and Singapore, great education and good food , clever people. Orderly and mostly clean. Perfect English.

China, some spectacular sites, but, I didn't get on there at all, and don't want to go back.

Thailand. Good weather conditions. Some good hospitals, not all. Some nice areas that haven't been spoilt. Not Telling!

Good food at decent prices getting harder to find. Terrible hygiene !!!! Thailand and its beaches were once gorgeous.Sea water mostly dirty these days. Trash problem awful! Filthy streets.Cant say welcoming, from the moment you set foot in the airport.

Not very safe, awful accidents / muggings etc daily. Quite decent accommodation, condos etc, decent prices if you look. For me, the worse problem is the lack of education and manners ( ugh)

So, if I could take a little bit from all the neighbouring countries and put them in Thailand, I would probably retire there.A perfect world !

Seems to be all over Thailand now. Gangs of youths out to rob and hurt, not only tourists but Thais too. Phuket has been bad, getting worse , over the last 6/7 years. Now it's becoming a huge problem in out of the way places and villages, the islands. It's quite frightening when you hear of rape and attacks all the time, and tourists are certainly getting to hear about it on the news, Internet, and TV at home. Adding to that the publicity from the almost daily " suicides", motorbike, jet ski, taxi and tour bus accidents, I would say that Thailand has become one of the most dangerous countries to visit/ live, and certainly has the worst reputation. Can any other tourist welcoming country boast of being worse ?

First ,RIP, another tragic death. Though I'm sure there are a few things missing in this awful story. What happened before they boarded the ferry?

Did he really board the ferry ? Why didn't the girlfriend take their things and get off the ferry when he didn't come back? And the, why wasn't he reported missing at once? Assuming he wandered into the banana plantation alone, and sick, he might have been found alive if there was a search team straight away ! I know that I would never leave a friend disappear that way and not make a huge fuss to find him/ her!!! What happened?

Wonder if this company has anything to do with the reported closure of all business actually present on Otres beach ??? They received eviction orders for end of March apparently.

It's so filthy everywhere in this area. On 2 nd road there Jomtien ( behind night market beach road and further) there are dozens of wild dogs , and rubbish strewn everywhere. Soi 9 has a pack of 14 dogs keeping everyone up at night and sometimes menacing.its very sad, but something has to be done.

Could this be the man who has been attacking women on a hill in Samui a few weeks ago ? I'm not that familiar with Samui but a Russian community posted a big warning on TV and on the island as the police had done nothing so far to catch him ? Good to know if he was caught ???

I hope he's safe and gets found quickly. Reading his Facebook page printed on one of TV posts, he looks a nice decent guy.hope everyone has searched the local hospitals as he might be really ill and not be able to identify himself. Good news welcome!

We have an army of maids in my condo building and most of them are really nice , though there are two that are really surly, never a smile, and that practically scowl at you. Why, I'll never know,as I'm kind to them all, give tips for Christmas, new year etc. There are 3 office girls, two nice, one scowls ! The restaurant where I eat often is the same, two really nice waitresses, one scowls and ignores everyone. So strange. I do believe there is a jealousy problem with these unhappy workers. Worse I find are the shop girls. I don't know what they are paid, but they sleep in corners, never say hello or can I help you etc. I love to shop and encounter these unfriendly lazy employees everywhere. Then , when you pick up something you want to buy, they snatch it from you and make a beeline for the cashier !!!!!! Awful attitudes.

There does seem to be an " infidelity" gene in Thai men. I have some very good friends that I've known over 30 years. They are from good families and have a higher education. 3 out of 4 have all " Mia noi s " , and always have had different girls over the years, even a hidden child or two. Mostly the wives know, complain about it, but there they are. I would say they don't have much choice in the Thai world of women. I have often spoken about this to my friends, it's not taboo. The answer is always a schrug , and a " this is Thailand" attitude. They do not think they are doing wrong. Another couple I know were very happy, not yet married. She became pregnant and he left her, like that! One day he came with a bag of what I thought were presents for the baby, they were disposable nappies !!!! She has to work in a coffee bar to earn money for herself and the baby, and the owner and girls are kind enough to look after the baby. It's sad.

I was robbed last year, on a busy street with people in front and behind me . I know I should not carry a bag, but it's so difficult when you have nowhere to put your brush, packet of Kleenex, some money, and your phone, when you go out. It's not about the money I lost, a few hundred baht. But I spent a whole year seeing doctors for a damaged arm, really bruised ribs( I thought I was dying .i couldn't breath!) two huge scars on my knees, and I was lucky with my face as all the skin was grazed off my forehead and nose, plus the bruises, and they healed leaving no marks. I still can't carry anything on my right arm, and it hinders me at work too. Now I'm a bit fearful out, especially when I hear a bike close to me ( which is every 10 minutes).ive lost my happy go lucky ways, and my winter stay last year in Thailand was ruined as I could not go out and looked a mess. I suppose I'm lucky nothing was broken , or worse.

Don't overlook the fact that it is the " locals" who are leaving their rubbish on the beach and prom. Every day they are camped out there with chairs and mats , even gas cookers, making it sometimes impossible to pass by. Maybe they should try a clean up my beach campaign , on the spot, advertising, and in schools and tv. Nobody has yet mentioned the pick ups and cars parked evenings along the road and blasting out their decibal breakers to all around, and spoiling many beach side restaurants business. Also, the chair business on the beach must take their part in cleaning up, after dragging the heavy over flowing juice leaking bin bags to the bins on the roadside.The one time last month an official team visited the beach prom, it was cleaned and washed early morning !!!

I have never seen such a mess. It's already absolutely filthy, and the bins stink to high heaven every day. There is waste filling every corner, and empty beer bottles and cans galore! The sand on the beach looks like a rubbish tornado has hit it every morning, a lovely sight for tourists and locals to wake up to. Forget it, I have, and after seeing videos of the fowl water that's dumped in the water every day, ( taken from a friends view taley condo, ) I wouldn't swim there if you paid me. That, and a few local businesses who empty their cooking oil into the storm drains, I think there's nothing positive to be done there.