The Worst Change In Los

[wintermute]

They had a h*ll of a chance during the Vietnam Era when the rest of the region was closed. But instead of taking advantage of that head start and investing in their people they just went on like usual, fighting and squabbling over who gets to carve up the spoils. Now they can't compete on the low end against Vietnam and China (where the folks are actually willing to work hard) and they don't have the work force and work culture to become a developed country. And they're trying even harder to chase away foreigners and foreign investment. It's crazy. And where the Thai arrogance comes from is way beyond me.

None of this bodes well for the future.

Read the official version of Thai history from Ayuthuya up until now, they whitewash their history with an amazing amount of nationalistic rhetoric. Thai nationalism and its perceived arrogance is actually a fairly recent development. During the 19th century Nationalist movements were popular and the Thai junta in power at the time copied it. However, Thailand never had the political, economic, or military clout to become an imperial power anywhere so they are big on isolationism instead. The insistence on doing everything the "thai way" is just an excuse for incompetence. Now combine that with the general ignorance of the population and you have a society that is stagnating. The economic fundamentals here are solid but actual intellectual and technological development lags way behind the curve left behind by developed asian nations. I really doubt Thailand will be much more than what it is today in fact we might be seeing the actual glory years of Thailand passing right now. They are probably destined to become more like the Phillipines which is to say that the ruling powers will be a combination of military and monopolistic robber barons.

[wasabi]

First before I complain about Thailand I haven't found a place I'd prefer to live (or try to make a living) so in spite of it's problems there obviously is something that is still right in fact some of the problematic elements are what gives life to the enjoyable ones. Mostly I agree with several posters here and I'll basically summarize what I agree with and add my own.

Thais always being right: For example if you get into an accident the farang is at fault. Farangs being treated like 2nd class citizens. Yet in some ways I admire the Thai nationalism and how they do all seem to have a shared identity and look out for each other first. I tie in the propensity to lie to avoid any conflict with this.

Materialism: Places like the Emporium and Siam Paragon and those who like to be seen coming out of them with lots of stuff. This is not unique to Thailand, it just seems like Thailand has appropriated one of the things I dislike about the USA. I think the USA also used to have more soul and a person was judged by the content of their character not the watch on their wrist, Thailand has only lagged its evaporation of self and now caught up with style before substance.

The weak economy. As another poster said it's not a place to invest your life in. You'll work your life away with minimal personal gain and savings. That is if you work for someone else since labor is so cheap. Naturally if you could find a business that could exploit this you could make a fortune.

Poverty cycle. Parents and elder siblings too lazy to work and demanding a hand out from their young as their due. The young feeling obligated to put family before self and only continuing the cycle by not being able to invest in themselves and improve the lot of all.

As it stands right now unless I could find an employment niche or was in a position to retire I can't see myself living in Thailand. I have a friend who once said, "Thailand is a great place to spend money not make it." So for the most part if I could make or have made my money elsewhere and slowly burn it down in Thailand I might feel differently.

[jackr]

well, to be truthful it dont worry me as you are deluding yourself to wallow in the past.

i like to think how lucky i was to expierience these places in the early days and have fantastic memory's of those days especially bali in 1979.

when i go back to these places today i still see young people having a ball and as far as im concerned, that what its all about.

i fit in with how things are today and get on with it.

i was in beijing last year and cant see what the attraction is over bangkok, but everyone to there own i suppose but you will most probly feel the same about beijing in a few years.

give me thailand anyday and i say go with the flow and change with the changes.

First worked in Bankok in 74 for a multinational. The company had a real hard time

getting folks to go work there in those days, so they put the 'hard word' on me,

the most junior suitable employee at the time.

Anyway it was boring, best fun I had was to meet up with the

US servicemen on R&R. They had their own military owned R&R hotels in BKK at the time.

These were about the only places in town where you could get a good steak

and cold beer (Singha in those days was horrible) for reasonable prices, and they were lots of fun.

Went to Hua Hin for the first time in 75 (by train) and it was ultra boring. Only decent hotel in town

was the old Railway Hotel, and what a dump that was. Nothing to do but walk up and down the deserted beach. A sun glass vendor would have been a welcome distraction.

Went to Chian Mai for the first time in 75 ... same Hua Hin but without the distraction of the beach.

Caught the bus out after two nights.

Went to Pattaya for the first time in 76 and it was boring, 4 hour drive fom BKK over dangerous

single lane dusty dirt roads. And then more dusty dirt roads after arrival. Only beach road existed then

and it was a deserted dirt strip. They did have one water ski for hire though.

Went to Phuket for the first time in 78 (by bus from BKK ... Aargh !) and it was boring. This was before there was a Bangla road. Almost impossible to get a good clean meal in those days.

Good old days, Bah! Nowhere could you get an ice cream, no milk, no cheese, no beef,

no decent coffee, nothing.

Only beer was Signha and Amarit, both bad in those days and very, very expensive since

no Thais ever drank beer then.

Come to think of it, there was one benefit. You could always score a little toke

when you were bored shilless ! :D

Now I love it all !

Naka.

On the money guys

[qualtrough]

Ok its arrogant, but I miss the days when there were not so many farangs around. I am a farang, and it is not that I don't like them, but when the concentration gets too high in an area it loses the Thai qualities that made it interesting in the first place.

Yes it is arrogant...if you leave there won't be as many "farangs"!

Sorry, I was here first. :D

Edited January 14, 2007 by qualtrough

[qualtrough]

Thais always being right: For example if you get into an accident the farang is at fault.

Please, stop spreading this disinformation because it is just not true. This has come up many times before on the forum. Do a search, and you will see that it is not at all a given.

[solo siam]

I don't really understand why those that want beach huts, deserted beaches and no electricity etc... just don't go elsewhere in Thailand, Koh Yao Yai or somewhere like that.

[Jet Gorgon]

I don't really understand why those that want beach huts, deserted beaches and no electricity etc... just don't go elsewhere in Thailand, Koh Yao Yai or somewhere like that.

I did. They built around me.

[ronz28]

Pollution is the worst change if have seen since 1968!!

It's going to take an education campaign by the government to get everyone to understand the damage done by pollution and that it can be cleaned up to heal the environment. It will take every Thai to appreciate the problem and know that they are the solution to fix the problem. Otherwise there will be a lot of money spent on people with Cancer and other diseases that could have been prevented at a far cheaper cost.

[qwertz]

Pollution is the worst change if have seen since 1968!!

It's going to take an education campaign by the government to get everyone to understand the damage done by pollution and that it can be cleaned up to heal the environment. It will take every Thai to appreciate the problem and know that they are the solution to fix the problem. Otherwise there will be a lot of money spent on people with Cancer and other diseases that could have been prevented at a far cheaper cost.

It's the ready smiles I miss most, from both Thais and farangs. I can adjust to everything else. LOS is in danger of being rechristened. Nostalgia just ain't what it used to be.

[jdinasia]

Most posts I see are nostalgia for the 'off the beaten path' days .... Now you just have to go further to find the cool spots. (all in all it is still faste to get there now!)

Don't cry for what is gone .. just get back a sense of adventure to find new places!

[baabaabobo]

For me I can only think of one thing that stands out: The loss of democracy and with that the loss of political stability and international recognition as a modern nation. I'll leave it up to each and everyone's political persuasions to decide for yourselves if this loss happened in September last year, or gradually during the last few years under the previous PM, or that it was all merely a democratic facade from the get-go; take your pick. But the result is that Thailand is not (and perhaps never was) a nation to bet your life on, to make serious investments in, or make a living in long term.

A lot of the posts above seem to deal with a particular place that changed. I'd say that's only natural; you can't expect to go back to Paradise-X and expect it to have stayed the same; you will need to go find your current paradise.. Same with 'too many farangs'. Where, Sukhumvit? Chiang Mai even? Sure.

Cheers,

Chanchao

Good intelligent post Chanchao - I agree - I miss democracy

[Heng]

Hmm... the worst change I can think of are the lower interest rates. Gone are the 8-10% plain jane fixed accounts that folks were enjoying for much of the mid 80's to mid 90's.

That and the failure of Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers at MBK.

[fruittbatt]

Yeah, nostalgia ain't what it used to be................

[qwertz]

Yeah, nostalgia ain't what it used to be................

And people cribbing my lines

[undercover]

Ok its arrogant, but I miss the days when there were not so many farangs around. I am a farang, and it is not that I don't like them, but when the concentration gets too high in an area it loses the Thai qualities that made it interesting in the first place.

.....................................................

Exactly my thought, Now with the massive influx of farang over the last few years ( last two especialy ) we are now surounded by the western attitude that we came so far to escape. just take a look around at all the drunk bare chested guy's walking round pattaya with bottals of heineken in their hands.

[Pakboong]

My Mom has alzheimers, the only thing she can remember is the depression.

[orchis]

Yeah, nostalgia ain't what it used to be................

And people cribbing my lines

which you took conveniently from the title of Simone Signoret's memoirs

[ollyrosee]

i know the new airport has upset some regulars who now just don't want to face using the place ,so are delaying any further trips right now ,this is on top of other recent changes so its cumulative .

[Tyree D.]

as long as there's a planet Earth, there will always be Thai puuying. nothing else matters.