gejohesch

1 hour ago, connda said:

 

Ahhh, the joys of racism.  
White people good; brown people bad. 

Thai's - as the dominant ethnicity of the host country - are in a league of their own.  They dislike everyone other than Thais.

Probably true, but then the dislike is at different levels! The Thais I know would certainly hold Swiss, Finns, Germans, .... hell even French! much higher than Indians.

On 6/11/2025 at 2:54 AM, save the frogs said:

I've popped into bars and had conversations with a few. So "a few" does not constitute a scientific study.

 

But based on my very limited experience, I would say most of them either cannot be rehabilitated back into polite society or it might take a lot of work.

 

I was testing out one girl. I said I'm looking for a friend. She lost her temper and stood up and said "No!" . It was a major shock to her system to insinuate that her role be tweaked. 

 

When you sleep with hordes of men, it affects you on a deep level. They are not the same as normal women at all. 

 

So my response is very few. And for others, it might take a lot of work. 

 

Edit: And you may need to worry about her having a "relapse". Because working in a bar is a bit like taking drugs. It's constant high adrenaline, booze, party vibe, getting a lot of attention from different men. They may find a stay at home life boring. I dunno. Just a hunch. 

 

I

I agree with you completely.

One thing I know, having been around in Bangkok years ago (I lived there), is that most of the girls/women one meets in the bars are rather Lo-So. I appreciate that may not be everyone's concern, but I could not cope with the vulgarity and bad taste of most of them (eg when chosing clothes), if I had to end up making a longtime partner. And believe me, I'm not overly difficult!

That's just one angle to the discussion.

Just now, gejohesch said:

Thanks! I know Pla Raa, of course, having been around Thailand for so many years. I just did not know "fermented" would be equated with "raw".

 

Personally, I find it totally disgusting, especially the smell. I see everyone in the villages in Isan eating that stuff all the time (added to the food when cooking), but I have forbidden my wife to use it in any food she would cook for me.

 

Reminds me a few years back, traveling around Sakhon Nakhon, we stopped by a market in the country side. People were selling a sauce from a drum that contained easily 50 litres of it: it looked like <deleted> mixed with vomit, smelled like it and probably tasted like it. That was probably a local version of Pla Raa. For the life of me, I cannot understand how people can like that thing in their food!

 

Someone asked above what was typical Isaan food. Maybe P(l)a Râa (the "l" is not pronounced by Isaan people) is one of the most typical ingredients that come to mind?

28 minutes ago, marin said:

Referring to Pla Ra.

 

Pla ra (ปลาร้า), sometimes called pla daek (ปลาแดก) in some Northeastern provinces, is a type of fermented fish used in Thai cuisine. It is an ingredient included in most dishes in the Northeast region of Thailand, or Isan. This ingredient is made by fermenting freshwater fish, such as gourami, snakehead, catfish, or small fishes, with salt and rice bran or roasted rice powder in a closed container for at least six months. 

Thanks! I know Pla Raa, of course, having been around Thailand for so many years. I just did not know "fermented" would be equated with "raw".

Personally, I find it totally disgusting, especially the smell. I see everyone in the villages in Isan eating that stuff all the time (added to the food when cooking), but I have forbidden my wife to use it in any food she would cook for me.

Reminds me a few years back, traveling around Sakhon Nakhon, we stopped by a market in the country side. People were selling a sauce from a drum that contained easily 50 litres of it: it looked like <deleted> mixed with vomit, smelled like it and probably tasted like it. That was probably a local version of Pla Raa. For the life of me, I cannot understand how people can like that thing in their food!

8 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

You can dispute facts all you want, but seeing you have the internet, you can always educate yourself more by research......https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27356687/. That's only one link, and I know personally of one who died and have heard of many more that died from cancers related to raw fish eating................https://www.posttoday.com/lifestyle/133280. Koi Pla should never be eaten, but seeing this is Thailand, and they eat anything that crawls, walks or grows, it will continue In Japan, as in other places, they eat Sushi, which is fish flesh, and not the whole fish like they do here, as well as uncooked crabs, which are also not healthy to eat...........https://www.bbc.com/news/health-33095945.

I'm puzzled by the recurring mention of "raw fish being eaten" in Thailand. I cannot remember ever seeing that, or is the meaning "poorly cooked fish"?

7 hours ago, Foppa99 said:

80% Drive without helmet here in Khon Kaen and the police  don't care.

But they wear masks against COVID, 'cause everyone knows COVID is transmitted by mosquitoes and flies that could be swallowed up inadvertently by motorcycle riders if not protecting their mouths!

23 minutes ago, Mike_Hunt said:

What exactly is Thai-Isan food?  

Good question. As Isan is where I spend my time when I'm in Thailand, and my wife is from there, I guess a lot of the food I see has got a typical Isan touch to it. To be clear, I lived a few years in Bangkok, years back, and I could not be too specific in what the differences are between Bangkok and Isan, whether street food or restaurant food. Then again, one has to realise that a good part of the food on offer in Bangkok is prepared by Isan people!

One thing I have noticed : I have nearly never seen people in Isan making the famous Thai curries (gaeng khiao waan or gaeng masaman for example), not even in the restaurants (maybe upscale restaurants do them). I might be wrong, and also that maybe is not unique to Isan. 

As for food made in the houses themselves, what I have seen over many, many years now is that it is always the same few things. I do not see any interest whatsoever to look for new recipes (my wife being an exception). And I confess I end up being rather bored with it.

I'm sure other participants in the discussion can add much more to this.

2 minutes ago, RSD1 said:

 

As a follow up to my previous response, just bear in mind any of these supplements that have any kind of laxative effect (including senokot), whether they are natural forms or chemical forms like Forlax (though this does not include natural fiber supplements like psyllium), can cause the bowels to become "lazy" over time. Which is something you don't want. These things can be helpful short term aids, but shouldn't be used long term or in place of making dietary changes to fix the problem. Lazy bowels means after a while they may not want to move on their own without the use of laxative supplements. So this should be something to watch out for.

Good comments, adding on to a number of previous replies. I would like to make a recap, sthg like a 3 points strategy:

1 - Natural approach :

1a = which aliments to favour to alleviate constipation: a number of good suggestions have been made, eg high fiber food and especially a lot of water.

1b = which aliments to avoid. In the case of Thailand, I can see a big issue with the 3-times a day consumption of white rice, and also the fact that so much food is fried!

2 - Remedial approach:

Several suggestions above - Interesting.

I will take good note and pass on to my wife so she has sthg to ask when next she goes to a pharmacy.

However, it's clear that regular use of medication is sthg to be careful with.

Conclusion : I will walk my wife over 1a and 1b (the natural approach), and hope she gets sthg useful out of it (as a number of Thais I have come across, she has a tendency to politely listen and nod her head, or just brush away the discussion outright ..... and do everything her own old way anyway!)

6 hours ago, RSD1 said:

Two quick suggestions.
 

If she eats any fresh dairy products at all, try cutting them out entirely for a week and see if that helps improve the situation. People who are very sensitive to constipation, often have problems digesting fresh dairy. So, no milk (not even in coffee or other drinks), no yogurt, and no fresh cheese. Usually aged cheese eaten occasionally is not a problem though.

 

The other thing is that if she adds 5 grams per day of raw psyllium husk to her diet, first thing in the morning, that would probably help to get things moving for her on a regular basis. It's natural and not habit forming. It's just a natural fiber supplement, but normally takes a few days of daily use for it to start having a pronounced effect on the system. You can get it on Lazada.

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/psyllium-husk-1-i4347844968-s17326961117.html

 

Also, you want to consume at least two or three glasses of water within 15 minutes of when you take any psyllium husk or powder or there is a risk that it could solidify in your intestines and worsen the situation instead of helping. A lot of people try this fiber supplement, but don't take enough water with it and then don't get the intended results.

 

Also, does she drink at least 2 to 3 L of water daily on a regular basis? 

Thanks, good advice.

One thing is, she probably does not drink enough water. But same with me (always been a challenge to drink more than a few glasses in the day), and that's not caused me any pbm (so far).

2 hours ago, 3NUMBAS said:

Upf in the form of meatballs ,everyone lives on em ,every day ,can’t be good

UPF .... yeah, I always wonder about all those additives everywhere, and tons of sugar too. Don't know if it affects constipation and/or hemorrhoids, but I'm sure it cannot be good for the general health!

1 hour ago, howerde said:

The Thai rural food is appalling, zero hygiene (hepatitis b and that can be passed on to children) , who knows where it came from or what is in it, the food is just left in the heat all day, sticky rice has a high GI index, diabetes is an issue.  liver cancer particulary among issan people is one of the highest in the world this is caused by liver flukes in uncooked fish the flukes then enter the liver , there are constant appeals to people to cook food, this  falls on deaf ears, poor education on healthy diets clean food. clean utensils is ignored.having been there, but to be fair i would not eat street food anywhere in Thailand

The other thing i noticed is how these people alternate between  constipation and diarrhea they think this is normal  

Well, I tend to agree with the general statement, concerning hygiene and poor education in particular. Thanks for explaining about the flukes, I was vaguely aware of the problem.

I have the feeling that the issue is severely compounded by the lack of regulations or the non-respect of existing regulations. I confess not to know the details, but I don't have the impression that anyone in a position of authority genuinely and sincerely worries about the health of the population, and that it's rather much of a rat race to sell whatever rubbish to make money, money, money!

10 hours ago, blaze master said:

 

Fermented fish sauce.

 

Yes? What's the story then about fermented fish sauce?

Do you mean nam pla (น้ำปลา) or pla ra (ปลาร้า)? I personally think that the first one is healthy. I don't know about the second one but cannot stand its smell and taste, I find it disgusting.

7 minutes ago, Celsius said:

The crap she eats will eventually give her colon cancer. In any other normal country the symptoms would be a tell tale sign to stop doing what harms you. But not in Thailand. My wife's friend had some cleaning staff who did not poo almost 1 month. They also thought it was normal and never told anyone about it. They died in the hospital.

Thanks for this quick reply!

But what is it in their food (Thai and/or Isan food) that causes these problems? Would you know?

I keep telling my wife to eat of the cereals I prepare myself in the morning. Sometimes she does, most of the time she reverts to Thai-Isan food.

NB 1: the cereals I prepare myself with rolled oats (no sugar added), mixed with whatever nuts and dried fruits I can find. When I can, I include dried prunes (known to be a good laxative). I believe that's excellent food in the morning, and with that in the belly I can easily go until the afternoon!

NB 2: I hear of several people in her village having cancer...

The title may intrigue or amuse, but I'm serious. My wife, a Thai woman from Isan, very often complains of constipation and occasionally of hemorrhoids. Now, everyone in the world has come across those problems before, I'm sure, but what I notice is that besides my wife, it's nearly everyone in her family who complains of them. I have come to suspect it's their food that does that to them. My wife appreciates the western food I sometimes make (I'm a decent cook), but only nibbles up a bit of it and goes back to food she makes herself, Thai-Isan food of course, even when we are outside Thailand. Myself, I have nearly never had these problems.

What do the "experts" think of it, and what would they advise?

18 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Many of us drive motorcycles or scooters here, and it is dangerous getting on the roads with some of these other drivers. Getting on a scooter, or a motorcycle anywhere in Thailand  ...... is like playing Russian Roulette with three or four bullets in the chamber. It is absolutely asking for problems. The degree of recklessness here is astounding. 

100% agree. I used to ride a 650cc Honda years ago, mainly in Bangkok. I also made a few trips on the bike to Isan and down all the way to Prachuap Khiri Khan. I used to be weary of other drivers in Thailand before, when driving a car, but my anxiety on the road jumped up several notches when going on the bike. Reckless driving is unfortunately very common in Thailand.

In any country, there would be at least 4 lines of approach to reduce the number of severe accidents:

1 - Be much more stringent with issuing driving permits, with more focus on correct ways of driving, and especially defensive driving for 2 wheels driving. ...... Oh well, did I mention "focus"??? 

2 - More effective police presence on the roads, with zero tolerance on any sort of bad driving.

3 - Zero tolerance on not wearing a helmet when on 2 wheels, regardless whether doing the driving or being a pinion passenger.

4 - Regulate the type of helmets. No tolerance for all those cheap and crap helmets....

In any country but.....

9 minutes ago, thaibreaker said:

It's definitely not. Worse infrastructure, internet, and of course food. And that by far. More crime as well.

 

Thailand will still be my retirement destination, at least for the next decade or so. It's pretty darn easy to extend my retirement visa each year. There are no plans to make that harder, as far as I know 

I must say the Philippines are not on my radar. I've been there twice, found the food uninteresting, people way too "americanised", lacking culture "of their own", and/or untrustworthy.

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

If I had a significant degree of wealth I might be spending a month or two of the year in Thailand, but I would be elsewhere for most of the year. 

That's exactly what I do, but usually more like between 3 and 6 months a year, definitely not more:

1) Visas are too complicated.

2) Thailand is overrated, and definitely not that "unique". There are several other attractive destinations with good food, good climate, good beaches, reasonable cost of living, nice people, interesting culture and so on.

3) I need to have people around me I can have sensible discussions with, once in a while. I get terribly starved in this respect when spending time in Isan (my case).

2 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Thais love affair with sugar... give it another 10 years and see the diabetes figures soar.

Yes, sugar everywhere. Disgusting! 

2 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

It’s a great shame, but there it is. All that’s left is the sex pat business and those tourists who want a week ensconced in a 5 star resort with a spa. 

Thanks for your comments. 😊

"sex pat business" or "a week ensconced in a 5 star resort with a spa" - neither of these options interest me at all 😞

I enjoy my long months in my wife's village, deep in Isaan. She has a large house which we have improved over the years. Once in a while, we have visitors, but rarely foreigners. I enjoy that too. And the regular drives to the nearby markets and rather quiet little cities are relaxing enough. Once in a while, I let myself get dragged along to one of the numerous temples around, that's OK with me, I'm enough of a Buddhist for that.

All in all, it's rather nice and relaxing, but certainly that has nothing to do with mainstream tourism!

When I put a tourist cap on my head and start doing some research online, lots of places interest me : Turkey, India, Nepal, Mexico, Brasil, Guatemala, Georgia, Rumania, Poland, Japan and so on. Thailand? Not so much anymore, I'm afraid!

4 hours ago, Cameroni said:

 

Yes, Chiang Mai.

Chiang Mai is not on the way between Bangkok and Nong Khai!

Chiang Mai is one of the rare exceptions, as I mentioned, with having a walkable centre. Not that large though, and dwarfed by the rest of the city.

On that same line, I would also mention Ayutthaya.

These are 2 cities having kept an interesting and walkable centre, left from centuries past. Possibly Sukhothai? I cannot remember, last time I went there was 40+ years ago.

But again, how could that compare with the dozens, if not 100's of beautiful walkable cities nearly any country in Europe has on offer?

34 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

I lived in Udon for 5 years so I know the real Thailand and not just the tourist areas.

 

The question is, where in Udon would a high end tourist wish to visit? Or Issan in general?

I have been living in my wife's village in Isaan for 17 years, about half the year each year, and of course I have gone to a number of places all around Isaan. Here are bits of my experience:

- There are not many sites really worth visiting. I have become sick beyond words of going to tacky and garish concrete temples!

- I have not gone to parks for an eternity. Double pricing irks me. It's always too damn hot and often run down. I remember going to see the Erawan waterfalls, I got disgusted with the number of Thai tourists everywhere, OK sure it's their country but the lack of space, food and drinks leftovers and so on - that did not make it attractive! And btw, the waterfalls are really nothing compared to a number of waterfalls I have seen in Mexico, for example. You take any of the several 100's of waterfalls around Iguaçu/Iguazu and it beats Erawan hands down.

- Cities are usually not walkable. Not only because of the heat, but also because there is really not much to see. Nothing like one of the 1000's of lovely cities in Europe, or the colonial cities of Mexico. Hell, even Copacabana in Rio, with no historic site whatsoever, is infinitely more walkable than, say, Khon Kaen.

- Of course, there are exceptions. I enjoyed walking along the Mekhong River in Nong Khai, for example. But tell me: is there any city between Bangkok and Nong Khai which is worth stopping in for 1 or 2 days? I would like to know!

There are several other angles to the tourism issue, and other regions than Isaan.  I would not have much to add to all that has been said in previous replies. My overall impression is that Thailand does not have enough to qualify as the "Number 1 tourist destination in the world".

15 hours ago, vangrop said:

There are so many issues to handle. But the most important and most visible problems are the much too strong bath and the immigration circus. This is so logic but of course not for a Thai, because that word doesn't exist in their brain.

You may be right with the THB strength. For several years now, it has been hovering around 5-10% more expensive than it used to be, some time in the past. Sorry, I am not very precise here, but there might be an issue along these lines.

About the "immigration circus" : are you referring to A) long time residents, B) tourists who want to stay for longer than their visa exemption allows, or C) tourists who just come for a few days or weeks? These are very different categories of tourists facing different regulations. I believe category C) represents by far the majority of foreigners coming to Thailand (obviously not talking about nationals of neighbouring countries coming for a low-paid job) and as far as I know, if one comes on a visa exemption, immigration is not an issue.

I join in on some other factors mentioned several times above : security, scams, double pricing, and (my personal experience) cleanliness - there is too much trash all around and food quality is often questionable.