Thailand or Philippines? Who has been to both?

[MaeJoMTB]

18 minutes ago, The manic said:

I have been to both. The Philippines is a bore. The current government scum. 

I prefer elected scum, to point of a gun barrel scum.

Can't think of one government that isn't scum, Australia, NZ, America, UK, EU, Germany ......... all scum IMHO.

Singling the Philippine government out seems a little unfair, and they don't seem to hate white men as much as any of the other governments we've mentioned.

Edited November 3, 2017 by MaeJoMTB

[The manic]

9 minutes ago, Gruff said:

I have definitely had awful food in Phils and regrettable a lot of restaurants are bad. If you are in a new town and with nobody to make recommendations then you are almost certain to suffer. But there is really good Filipino and Western food to be found as well.

 

Yeah I had decent western food at the ABC hotel. But the club's were crap, the massage parlour were dreadful and and gun men littered the street even guarding 7/11 with pump action shot guns.

[The manic]

5 minutes ago, MaeJoMTB said:

I prefer elected scum, to point of a gun barrel scum.

Can't think of one government that isn't scum, Australia, NZ, America, UK, EU, Germany ......... all scum IMHO.

Singling the Philippine government out seems a little unfair.

Mass murderers of pot smokers just show how corrupt and deluded the population is. UTTERLY Lacking in any cultural heritage too. Hitler was elected.

[MaeJoMTB]

15 minutes ago, The manic said:

Mass murderers of pot smokers just show how corrupt and deluded the population is. UTTERLY Lacking in any cultural heritage too. Hitler was elected.

I never had a problem with Hitler. I never had a problem with Genghis Khan either.

Historical leaders don't affect me, the current scum do.

Edited November 3, 2017 by MaeJoMTB

[Scouse123]

I actually did a big thread asking why anybody would go to the Philippines and after reading so much negativity about the place, honestly, to this day I have never ventured there!!.

 

Food was an issue from comments made, everything apparently drenched in oil, grease and fat. I watched a documentary featuring Anthony Bordain, who of my favorite chefs and TV hosts , love his down-to-earthiness. but I wasn't impressed food wise by what I saw in his programme.

 

Also, I think armed guards at shopping malls and 7-11s just wouldn't be my bag!  I hate the thought of a lot of no-go areas and parts off limits. I love the resilience of the Filipino people. They just seem to get a raw deal with weather, governments, infrastructure, crime,........Wait!.... I could be talking about the UK here!

 

They said in the programme as many as 10 million Filipinos are working exporting services outside the country at any given time, be it bands and live music to nursing, maids and cleaners. They are a hardworking bunch. The programme also said they are responsible for sending back to the country in various forms of revenue some 30 Billion USD.

[chicowoodduck]

This is my story and ai am sticking to it....been going to the PI on a regular basis since 1978....and have loved in Thailand since 2004, so have a little wear and tear as well as experience in both spots....have to say the PI is and always has been a shi*hole for the most part.....My only relaxed times were spent in Sabang and not for that long....Thailand has become a bit more restrictive over the years, but still not a bad spot in the road as compared to the rest of the world.....for now....just expect the North Koreans to launch a few rockets in and around the area at some point so will be just a hole in the earth sooner than later....???

[The manic]

22 minutes ago, MaeJoMTB said:

I never had a problem with Hitler. I never had a problem with Genghis Khan either.

Historical leaders don't affect me, the current scum do.

Well as long as you don't have a problem with Hitler or the current murderer in charge of the Philippines..Bully for you...all is well in the world. 

[MaeJoMTB]

1 minute ago, The manic said:

Well as long as you don't have a problem with Hitler or the current murderer in charge of the Philippines..Bully for you...all is well in the world. 

Worthless talking with you, added to 'ignore list'

Edited November 3, 2017 by MaeJoMTB

[The manic]

4 minutes ago, MaeJoMTB said:

Worthless talking with you, added to 'ignore list'

I am blessed.

[Gruff]

59 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

I actually did a big thread asking why anybody would go to the Philippines and after reading so much negativity about the place, honestly, to this day I have never ventured there!!.

 

Food was an issue from comments made, everything apparently drenched in oil, grease and fat. I watched a documentary featuring Anthony Bordain, who of my favorite chefs and TV hosts , love his down-to-earthiness. but I wasn't impressed food wise by what I saw in his programme.

 

Also, I think armed guards at shopping malls and 7-11s just wouldn't be my bag!  I hate the thought of a lot of no-go areas and parts off limits. I love the resilience of the Filipino people. They just seem to get a raw deal with weather, governments, infrastructure, crime,........Wait!.... I could be talking about the UK here!

 

They said in the programme as many as 10 million Filipinos are working exporting services outside the country at any given time, be it bands and live music to nursing, maids and cleaners. They are a hardworking bunch. The programme also said they are responsible for sending back to the country in various forms of revenue some 30 Billion USD.

Lots of divided opinions on this thread but give it a try and don't get hung up on the armed guards. Filipinos i have chatted to are generally happy about the armed guards, they feel that it is a protection for them

[Skeptic7]

7 hours ago, tigermoth said:

The Phillipines stinks. It's like the wild west. I have been held up at knife point while stuck in traffic. Anywhere outside central manila is lawless. Forget the place.

Agreed...and that said, Thailand overall is much safer than even Central Manila!

Edited November 3, 2017 by Skeptic7

[pgrahmm]

21 minutes ago, Skeptic7 said:

Agreed...and that said, Thailand overall is much safer than even Central Manila!

Yes - I dodged a 3 sided knife attack there....

Broad daylight (noon)....Busy street corner by a McD's.....

 

That was about an hour after I stopped someone from trying to pickpocket me.....

Edited November 3, 2017 by pgrahmm

[smotherb]

6 hours ago, torrzent said:

what about cooking?

I have known many Thai and Filipina women; from my experience, more Filipinas can cook, but Filipino foods pale in comparison to Thai food. However, if cooking is a selection criteria for you--it is for me--I suggest you find one who can learn the type of cooking you prefer. My wife was one of the few Filipinas who could not cook--oh, she could boil rice, but that was about it. Now, she is a great cook, Western and Asian, and I do not mean Filipino. Her Asian cooking is more of a combination of Chinese and Vietnamese; and her Western is more American, she learned from my mother. She can taste something and recreate it. She is also a great baker of breads and desserts. Her cheesecakes are in such demand locally that several people and restaurants want her to bake for them or teach them to bake. As I said, you need a good looking, intelligent and capable woman, but to find one, you need to look outside the box--pun intended--and you have to have something more than just money to offer.

[movsrus]

Your post talked about diving.  The diving is much better and cheaper in the Philippines than in Thailand.  The beaches are probably a bit better because they don't tend to get as crowded with foreigners during the winter tourist season- with the exception of Boracay.  Manila and Cebu are not worth your time- the traffic is terrible, the smog is bad and the poverty is oppressive.

 

If you are thinking of living there remember that most anywhere north of the Visayas is in typhoon alley.  3 or 4 times a year the northern provinces get hit with strong typhoons and massive flooding.  Remember the storm that hit Samar a couple years ago and leveled most of the houses in Bacolod.

 

Cost wise I think living in the Philippines was cheaper than Thailand but not a significant amount.  I enjoyed my time in the south but things have gotten more tense in Mindanao over the last couple years and places that we used to dive are not not safe for foreigners anymore (Davao, General Santos City, Maitum and Massim).  One big advantage is that English is spoken almost everywhere and even older people can communicate with you in your native language.  PI is made up of over 7,000 islands and at times it seems that each one has its own dialect but kids are taught in Tagalog and English so you should have little problem with communication.

 

Take a look at Dumaguete in Negros Oriental.  It is rather laid back, has a good airport with connections to Cebu and Manila plus a couple of big shopping malls in which you can find Western items.  The people are friendly and if you are into bar girls then stop by the Why Not bar in the center of town.  That is not my cup of tea but several friends have had good experiences there- for what it is worth.

 

The PI is like Thailand- you can't own property as a foreigner.  There has been some discussion in the past about opening up specific areas in the country that would allow foreigners to own the land and the houses but I don't think anything has been passed by the legislature to that effect.

 

As many others have commented, check it out and see for yourself.  Spend a month or two there traveling around and looking at places to see if they have what you are interested in.  Many expats live there and are happy

[nasanews]

Don't waste a penny in Philippines it is a shithole compared to Thailand.

[tifino]

 

The only place we felt safe in PI, was near Batangas,

 

We were inside the compound of that big resort (now called La Virginia) on the top of the mountain, overseeing the Taal Volcano island in the lake

 

 

PI really reminds me mostly of Southern LOS - equally dangerous regions as each other...

[josephbloggs]

10 hours ago, lovelomsak said:

Never been to Philippines but knew many Filipinas. My suggestion would be get a Filipina wife and live in Thailand.

 Filipina women win hands down in all ways. They are way more and better domestic,s. They take more pride in taking care of the home and family.They respect what you give them and  take care of what you give them. A perfect example of taking care of you give them is I gave a Filipina a pair of running shoes. 2 years later they still looked like new she cleaned after each time she wore them. I gave a pair to my Thai wife 2 months later they were wrecked.She never untied the laces and broke the back of the shoes. They were never cleaned and looked like rubbish.. Philippines country is a shithoole but the women are the best.

  Marry Filipina live Thailand.

  

 

Wow, just listen to yourself.

[bulldogtwo]

Age old question, really.

 

I too have lived in both places, I have a filipina wife but I hate PI. Someone asked about pro con, well it is relative. I know guys who love PI, so keep in mind that when I state my cons they are my opinion or perspective. Here are my reasons why I lean more towards Thailand.

 

*The ladies are beautiful, that has been an age old question as well, "which country has the most beautiful, PI or Thailand?" I used to say Thailand but no longer, the PI girls hands down are prettier. 

*Attitude, Thailand. The girls there have just better attitudes.

* Food, far better in Thailand than PI although there are some regional foods that are good but across the board Thai food is hard to beat

* Infastructure. Thailand has it PI does not. I can go 160 miles in the express way from Manila to my wife's province and it'll take me 5-8 hours by bus. Thailand, it'll take me 3. And that is if I decide to take the bus. I can rent a car and drive myself, safely, in Thailand. PI, no way, you have to rent the car and then rent a driver to be safe. Forget about driving in Manila downtown, Impossible!

*Tourism, PI has to have at least 100 times the miles of beach than Thailand has, yet, Thailand tourism has to be about 100 times more than PI. Unless you go to some of the places such as Boracay where they have learned how to do tourism, and accommodate you could end up in a very expensive cinder block hotel. Literally. Downtown Manila, Makati and other places offer hotels, either flea bag dumps or something for 250 a night +. And unless you are paying that much a night forget about breakfast. It's usually a cold egg and garlic rice. When will they learn that garlic rice is not.....never mind, trying to be nice here. There is little that I would call middle ground, a few places but they always have something that detracts from comfortable average. Bangkok or other cities, 50-100 a night will get you a really nice place. Frankly, tourism sucks in PI and little changes on the horizon that I have seen in 30+ years of going there which is rare these days. Your dollar goes so much further in Thailand.

What is the most frustrating is that it could be a GREAT place to go if they would just get their act together, so much money to be made and these beaches and locales are being wasted.

 

Bottom line, go yourself and see, make up your own mind as to "what is best."

 

[peergin]

19 hours ago, starky said:

Here we ago again. This must be one of the most oft repeated threads on here. I agree with the other poster go find out for yourself don't ask other people where you should live. I have lived in both so in a nutshell strictly IMO... 

Phillos: Better Islands better beaches cleaner water.

              Girls now in the Phillos probably more loyal, less likely to stray. Workers and non workers ( could be the Catholic thing or maybe just their nature)

           Top 15% of the Phillos girls slay the Thais on looks but your average girl is better looking in Thailand.

           English is 1000 times better than Thailand.

           Dollar goes a little bit further.

 

Thailand: Better infrastructure,  better Airports (don't want to be going in and out of Manila all the time but if retired who gives a rats)

                Exponentially better food

                More to see more to do better set up to deal with expats.

               Not as poverty stricken

                Less guns (believe it or not)

                 Even though you don't take drugs no guarantee you won't get caught up in drug related violence. To which I will add never felt nervous at any place any time or anywhere in Thailand couldn't say that about the Phillos.

     Look there are quite a few things I have left out but you are seriously better off finding out for yourself. As in a couple minutes someone will refute and say the complete opposite of everything I just said.

I agree with the above but you left out one thing of paramount importance: personal safety, especially where it concerns a caucasian foreigner. I have lived in both countries. My advice is: forget about the Philippines. Thailand is MUCH, MUCH safer!

[Gruff]

52 minutes ago, peergin said:

I agree with the above but you left out one thing of paramount importance: personal safety, especially where it concerns a caucasian foreigner. I have lived in both countries. My advice is: forget about the Philippines. Thailand is MUCH, MUCH safer!

How are you able to back this up?  Difficult to find comparitive evidence on the web and it is certainly not my own experience. I am not saying you are necessarily wrong but just a 'blanket, unsupported statement is not hepful. Most are probably aware that parts of Mindanao are considered risky, but so too are the Soutehern most provinces in Thailand.

[pgrahmm]

1 hour ago, Gruff said:

How are you able to back this up?  Difficult to find comparitive evidence on the web and it is certainly not my own experience. I am not saying you are necessarily wrong but just a 'blanket, unsupported statement is not hepful. Most are probably aware that parts of Mindanao are considered risky, but so too are the Soutehern most provinces in Thailand.

I'll back him....I know of people that have disappeared in lieu of divorce (no divorce there but insurance pays).....I've been surrounded by people all reaching at your pockets.....I've met people from the NPA - the anti government militia and heard their stories......I've been knife triangled in broad daylight (main street - just walking).....Seen taxi drivers afraid to take foreigner passengers because of smash and grab.....Watched a guy circle my taxi ready to smash a window if anything was inside - then he spotted me coming.....Warned friends rhat didn't listen & ended up waking up later with nothing.....Been a guest at social events including local mayors (Manila/Angeles) with their body guards locked and loaded (one misplaced his pistol).....Been a passenger in a car diving a block away from main street & looked at areas full of passed out addicts and swarms of rough men......Watched youth gangs working their turf - soon to be the next generation's criminals.....Everybody living in compounds.....Nobody leaves home unattended....Been told in every area to stay inside, it wasn't safe for me to walk about.....Watched some of the village enforcers walking around with machetes over their shoulders....Women don't venture out alone....

 

Just the plight of the hospitals there would keep me away = 3rd worldish......

 

I was fortunate to know a lot of influential poeple & get honest answers to my questions - none of which were good....

 

As one told me re TH vrs PI....

TH is what PI could be in 20-30 years but 1- they don't have the resolve; 2- It's not profitable & works against the "profit" structures already in place......

 

Some beautiful people there - it could be a paradise....But it never will be.....

 

[Aussieroaming]

15 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

I actually did a big thread asking why anybody would go to the Philippines and after reading so much negativity about the place, honestly, to this day I have never ventured there!!.

 

Food was an issue from comments made, everything apparently drenched in oil, grease and fat. I watched a documentary featuring Anthony Bordain, who of my favorite chefs and TV hosts , love his down-to-earthiness. but I wasn't impressed food wise by what I saw in his programme.

 

Also, I think armed guards at shopping malls and 7-11s just wouldn't be my bag!  I hate the thought of a lot of no-go areas and parts off limits. I love the resilience of the Filipino people. They just seem to get a raw deal with weather, governments, infrastructure, crime,........Wait!.... I could be talking about the UK here!

 

They said in the programme as many as 10 million Filipinos are working exporting services outside the country at any given time, be it bands and live music to nursing, maids and cleaners. They are a hardworking bunch. The programme also said they are responsible for sending back to the country in various forms of revenue some 30 Billion USD.

Actually they have a very diverse food culture in PI, depends which island you are on and how far south you go. Bit like Thailand really, different food in the north and south. Manila however has 1000's of restaurants servicing every major world cuisine, so i wouldnt reject the place based on food choice.

[Aussieroaming]

16 hours ago, The manic said:

Yeah I had decent western food at the ABC hotel. But the club's were crap, the massage parlour were dreadful and and gun men littered the street even guarding 7/11 with pump action shot guns.

bet thats not the only thing off the menu that you snacked on at the ABC Hotel

[Aussieroaming]

21 hours ago, cnx101 said:

Go to Vietnam better than both

Gotta back you on that one, Vietnam is great

[torrzent]

37 minutes ago, Aussieroaming said:

Actually they have a very diverse food culture in PI, depends which island you are on and how far south you go. Bit like Thailand really, different food in the north and south. Manila however has 1000's of restaurants servicing every major world cuisine, so i wouldnt reject the place based on food choice.

This is a pretty hard statement to agree with, but giving you the benefit of the doubt(even though 99.9% think the food is not good) can you provide examples of this great PI food, including regional differences, and excluding regional variations in coconuts, and balut? (also photos if possible)

Edited November 4, 2017 by torrzent

[Aussieroaming]

1 hour ago, torrzent said:

This is a pretty hard statement to agree with, but giving you the benefit of the doubt(even though 99.9% think the food is not good) can you provide examples of this great PI food, including regional differences, and excluding regional variations in coconuts, and balut? (also photos if possible)

Without getting too in depth Southern PI is very similar to Indonesian Food. I worked on an Island just off of the Southern Tip of Mindanao and we quite regularly ate Fish or Duck baked in Chilli (not for the faint hearted), Salty baked Fish, satay, spicy curry with coconut.  

 

In Manila you can eat from any ethic group in the world. The only dish I really dislike is rice, which comes as an addition to any meal. As for Balut, I declined to eat it.

 

When i worked in Manila its a bit like Bangkok, multitudes of food courts, restaurants and street food. I don't think that I ever ate the same meal twice in a week. Quite often those food courts are in the CBD skyscrapers catering to the office workers and you wouldn't be aware of them if you didn't live and work in the area, so we would go to a different food court or restaurant everyday. I can't imagine a food dish that you couldn't get there if you look hard enough.

 

So i don't know if i would classify the food as better than Thailand but there is certainly a varied food choice. And if you want to cook your own food there's plenty of supermarkets that stock fresh imported products (fresh and processed)Try this link if you want to see the food diversity.

http://filipinofoodaficionado.blogspot.com/2011/10/philippine-regional-specialties.html

[Xaos]

If I was you I would go settle in Phuket, it's got it all u need.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

[torrzent]

1 hour ago, Aussieroaming said:

Without getting too in depth Southern PI is very similar to Indonesian Food. I worked on an Island just off of the Southern Tip of Mindanao and we quite regularly ate Fish or Duck baked in Chilli (not for the faint hearted), Salty baked Fish, satay, spicy curry with coconut.  

 

In Manila you can eat from any ethic group in the world. The only dish I really dislike is rice, which comes as an addition to any meal. As for Balut, I declined to eat it.

 

When i worked in Manila its a bit like Bangkok, multitudes of food courts, restaurants and street food. I don't think that I ever ate the same meal twice in a week. Quite often those food courts are in the CBD skyscrapers catering to the office workers and you wouldn't be aware of them if you didn't live and work in the area, so we would go to a different food court or restaurant everyday. I can't imagine a food dish that you couldn't get there if you look hard enough.

 

So i don't know if i would classify the food as better than Thailand but there is certainly a varied food choice. And if you want to cook your own food there's plenty of supermarkets that stock fresh imported products (fresh and processed)Try this link if you want to see the food diversity.

http://filipinofoodaficionado.blogspot.com/2011/10/philippine-regional-specialties.html

good response and link

[Media1]

Very simply

I lived in both have business in sports.

Pinoy woman is softer natured and more trustworthy.

Phil has bad food as opposed to Thai

Phil condos are a ridiculous price

Visa is a pain in Manila. But money talks. 

The infrastructure is terrible. 

Overall apart from the woman Thailand wins.

[Naam]

On 11/3/2017 at 2:21 AM, Elkski said:

I was hoping to get more factual specifics than just stinks..

I do hear the food is not as healthy or tasty in the Philippines.

the Philippines have two advantages

-no driving on the wrong side of the road,

-English spoken and understood even in rural areas.

food and food choice = yuck²