RSD1

Let's apply some realness to the situation. You and I know nothing about the real people behind our respective AN user names. And we are most likely never going to meet each other in real life either. So we don't really know each other and probably never will. But let's say I have some deeply interesting ideas to share that might inspire you, but I would be hopeless at writing them out. Would you really care if it's the real me (whom you don't know anyway) writing out these thoughts to you in some unintelligible text that I wrote myself or if I'm using an AI tool to assist me to articulate them? At the end of the day, AI is just another tool controlled by humans, not a sentient being with its own ideas. So all it's doing is taking my ideas and spelling them out, literally. Thus, this notion about authenticity goes out the window unless we really know each other and there is a need for there to be personal authenticity. If you talk about people who work in creative arts fields, they all use tools to create the media you consume and enjoy. You don't really know the real them either, but you're still happy to enjoy what they create without questioning or knowing how they created it. Whether it's film, music, art, photography, etc, they all have their own tools and techniques and often how they create stuff isn't shared with the public. Does that make their work any less authentic on how they got from point A to point B any more important? So writing is really no different. It is, in a way, just another form of creative ants and AI is just another tool used to actualize their work. "Do you think that's air that you're breathing now?"

so where is a good place to buy eggs?

I think the types being referred to here are different. The ones back in the 90s were indeed characters, less troublesome and a bit more eclectic, odd and interesting. At that time you had to be a bit more intrepid to be able to navigate a place like Thailand. Now any moke with a smartphone, Google maps, and a few links about nightlife can show up in Thailand and start making a big mess of things.

I think it's hard to generalize on this point. There are a few posters on this site that post absolutely rubbish and get lambasted for it all the time. Awful grammar, poor sentence structuring, spacing and paragraph issues. Sometimes lots of tangential links and video clips added in. I don't think I need to mention who they are. And a lot of what they post is really just uninteresting dribble. Perhaps if they were better orators though you might be more willing to at lead read a bit of their rubbish. Something well worded about nothing can still be more interesting to read than an article about something interesting that is hard to comprehend because of poor writing skills. Think about all the great fictional novels out there that are well written and enjoyed and then the poorly written news articles about important topics. Which would you rather read?

I think it's hard to generalize based on verbiage, but, sure, there is probably a lot of fictional accounts. That's the inherent nature of the internet. You have to expect that. But that isn't my point. I am talking about text generation, I'm not speculating about how much is fake or how much is reality. That's a separate discussion.

Really? Isn't that nearly what every post in this section of the forum is based on? It's a section for sharing a wide range of ideas and perspectives, often controversial, and argumentative topics. The whole point of "The Pub" is to let it all unwind and allow it provoke arguments as long as they don't completely denigrate someone or some thing.

Many people on here are quick to jump to conclusions about posts being written by AI. Does it really matter? Does a post written by an anonymous person you will never meet or ever know in real life make it more genuine or real? A person could write something themselves that is complete fiction and post and present it as a true story, thus misleading you. Conversely, someone could post a completely true account written by AI that's easy to comprehend. Wouldn't you prefer to read the non-fictional account generated by AI rather than some fluff written by a human that's just jerking your chain? After all, isn't it the content that counts? AI models are now more articulate than most humans anyway. So if someone wants to express their thoughts and uses AI by providing it with prompts, is that wrong? If the person has good ideas but struggles with writing, wouldn't you rather read something they have had well-written by AI than reading their own choppy text that's difficult to absorb? In the end, it's baffling why so many people spend their time on AN debating whether a post is AI-generated or not. Personally, whether the post is AI or not, I don't give a toss because there are still genuine human thoughts behind those posts, even if AI may have composed some of them. Ultimately, it's the ideas that matter. So, isn't all this speculative AI shaming just dismissing the person's message itself and avoiding the points that the poster is trying to convey?

I don't hang around Pattaya, but I've seen them of all ages in Thailand.

It's the garbage in, garbage out scenario. When those in power ensure that the majority remain easily influenced by icons and lacking in education it's what you get. It's more about the influence of the political and social structures than any inherent genetic traits. People largely reflect the systems that have molded them. You could say the same about Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Vietnam, Turkey and a few others.

Fully agree about the intensity of the sun. Needs to be avoided. I was surprised to see so many people praising the weather. I often leave Thailand for periods of time just to get away from the weather, particularly the excessive heat and humidity. And then you got the immense air pollution on top of it.

I'm sure you know this already, but Pattaya draws in a large contingency of a certain type of middle-aged, macho-type character. So the fact that they have big egos, and equally as big insecurities, answers the question as to why they bother.

That isn't the point, is it. The topic is about foreigners who come here and misbehave. Locals is a completely separate issue. And you can make your same statement about locals in many countries. I've never seen any foreign riffraff in Spain. But I don't ever go to any of the expat retiree beach towns when I'm there. I've also not seen many in other parts of Asia outside of SE Asia like Japan. As you said, Thailand draws a particular type because of socio-economics, the nightlife/girls, the beaches, lax visa policies, graft/corruption, availability of cheap alcohol and drugs, but it's also a place where fugitives seem to be able to find safe sanctuary. And it's been like this for over 50 years since at least the seventies.

Most positive aspect; only one site for whiners, moaners, tossers, plonkers, whingers, complainers, naggers, grouchers, snivelers, grumblers, gripers, cranks, fussbudgets and kvetches like this one.

That's what they tell me too every time I unzip my pants.

All the posts saying "Well, I live in Nakorn Nowhere and I haven't seen any of these types" gives me a good giggle. As if people are totally oblivious to the foreign lager louts and troublemakers in Thailand just because they live in East Burifoonk seems pretentiously naïve. All you have to do is read some of the "news" posts on this site, which I am sure they do, and there the baddies all are with photos, pointing fingers, and red circles and arrows right in front of you.

Plenty in Bangkok too. Heaps in Phuket and Samui. Some in Hua Hin. Probably a few around the bars in CM as well.

I'm surprised @bob smith hasn't chimed in on this post. He's usually keen to bash anything about Thailand. I guess, since the topic is having a go at foreigners, and is not something about the locals mistreating foreigners, it's not his flavor then is it?

LBJ? Lady Boy Jaunt? He will need bob (tranny) smith to help him with that.

FUBAR

Doubling down illiterate. Nice!

Most people either go for smart or clever, but you've decided not to go for either one. Congratulations, very original.

Michelle Obama with Biden as her VP running mate would beat Trump like a red headed stepchild, hands down.

I meant the same.

They are factual. Have you ever renewed a driving license in Thailand and had to watch the mandatory driver education videos? They quote similar figures. Also, do a search for "Thailand's roads second-deadliest in world, UN agency finds" from 2015. I can't link the article.