A distorted picture of Thailand

[Brunolem]

One of the purposes of a forum like Thaivisa is to offer help to those who may need it, for one reason or another. 

 

In such a forum, those who don't require any help, or have no significant issues related to Thailand to mention, are much less inclined to start a thread than those who do. 

 

For example, among the thousands who enter in Thailand every day, only the few who are denied entry may open a thread to talk about it. 

 

All the others have nothing to say and won't bother to post about it. 

 

The same goes with retirees. 

 

Only those who are just reaching the financial requirements may open a thread when the baht goes higher against the currency of their own country. 

 

This leads the TV newsletter to show a rather distorted image of Thailand, such as reflected through the titles of the selected threads, which often read like a litany of problems piling on one another. 

 

Lately, some members have become convinced that Thailand is a "police state"! 

 

True, there are really many many policemen in the country (job creation), but when it's all said and done, one may feel more comfortable when in contact with them, than with the uniformed thugs that break in people's houses in the middle of the night, kill their pets and spread terror in another wellknown police state, where the cowboys/policemen gun down more than one thousand people every year... it's all relative... 

 

Having said that, for a new TV reader, it may seem that Thailand is some kind of hellish country for foreigners, so much so that the latter are leaving it in droves, to return where they came from, or to go search for greener (red-er?) pastures in communist Vietnam or Laos, or anywhere else. 

 

Now, it is difficult to know what is the real situation for foreigners in Thailand - for that we would need the input of tens of thousands of members - but while it is certainly not a paradise, it is also probably not the hell reflected in so many threads. 

 

 

[KiChakayan]

2 minutes ago, HLover said:

No, seems relevant...

Definitely not in the TM30 context, which pertains to a police state.

[Mavideol]

2 minutes ago, HLover said:

No, seems relevant...

do think he's 80% spot on.... since he posted about it (he must have something to complain about) the 20% goes for what he didn't say/write, let's wait and see

 

[NCC1701A]

this is true on all forums. people don't start topics like "my day was perfect" or "i had a great time today." 

when people have a bad experience they want to share it with others, to vent or just talk to others with the same experience.

i just got back from Pattaya. i had a great time. like a unbelievably good time.

 

but don't worry someone will be along to tell me I got AIDS. 

 

Edited August 10, 2019 by NCC1701A

[HLover]

7 minutes ago, KiChakayan said:

Definitely not in the TM30 context, which pertains to a police state.

Yes, as I walked openly today with a cold bottle of brew, the oppression was oppressive.

[1FinickyOne]

Yes. I think you are spot on... the people who do not have visa or GF or culture problems do not tend to post... 

 

The real tragedy is that people who are thinking of retiring, read these negative posts and sometimes change their minds... wirds have power... 

[CharlieH]

Reported post and response removed.

[Farangwithaplan]

19 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

 

but don't worry someone will be along to tell me I got AIDS. 

 

TV poster 1: Did you hear that NCC1701a contracted AIDS last week in Pattaya?

TV poster 2: Are you sure that is the case?

TV poster 1: I'm HIV positive of it.

[DaRoadrunner]

37 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

i just got back from Pattaya. i had a great time. like a unbelievably good time.

 

but don't worry someone will be along to tell me I got AIDS. 

 

So Farang, you admit to having been away. Vee is ze Immigration Police have veys of ensuring you file your TM30.... You know ze penalty for failure.

 

As for contracting HIV.... is this an admission you are concerned because you strayed to the Ladyboy side of Soi 6?

[Puchaiyank]

I want to apologize for having read this thread...????

[JAFO]

1 hour ago, kenk24 said:

Yes. I think you are spot on... the people who do not have visa or GF or culture problems do not tend to post...

Its people like us Kenk24 that respond to help to offer another POV.  I really have zero issues living here and have not since my arrival. I have maybe started 3 posts in all my years on TVF and most I think were in the Motorcycle section.

 

I usually try and contribute and give a different perspective. I do not care for the behavior of the people who post all the negative stuff in the news webfact stuff looking for likes. Its silly. They should post the news and they be locked from comments IMHO 

[OneMoreFarang]

I think the problem is international news. I.e. most of the time there is no news about Thailand (and many other countries) in the news. BBC and others only decide to report if there is something "special". If a bomb explodes they report it. And if then for 6 months all is quiet and nice they don't report it. And next time there is a bomb they report it again.

The result is that people look up news about Thailand i.e. with the BBC they see probably 10 articles about bombs over the last 10 years - and not much else. Conclusion: There must be lots of bombs.

We obviously know that there are very view bombs, but who asks us?

But I think the same if true with lots of other countries. What do people think about if they are asked about Nigeria or Iran or Russia or XYZ? Scammers, bombs, heavy handed police come to my mind. Is that what happens in those countries on a daily basis? Probably not. But that's what we see in the news...

 

Personally I never had any real problems in Thailand. Once my business visa was not renewed. But that happened because my company made a mistake. It wasn't the immigration's mistake. I am sure there is corruption out there and I am sure there are problems in Thailand. But personally I didn't experience them (except traffic police with 100B demands). I am sure Thailand is wonderful for most foreigners who just live a quiet life.

[Pilotman]

A forum, any forum, is not the place to get any kind of balanced view about anything.  Same with any other social media. You must take your view from your own experiences, no other way to do it.   For myself, I hardly see a Police officer close to (maybe not such a good thing, as they seem to do very little) and in 2 years living here, I have been stopped at only 4 road blocks and then waved on.  I have never had an issue with Immigration and I don't find the visa and extension requirements onerous at all.  I hate the driving standards here, they really wind me up, but I love the road system, which after the UK,  is a blessing. I can buy what I need here, including all the food that I like. I like the weather, love my house and pool and hate the exchange rates at the moment, but overall, I am very pleased that we decided that our retirement should be in Thailand. No real complaints and I too do not recognise the country that many members post about.  

[daveAustin]

5 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

but don't worry someone will be along to tell me I got AIDS. 

What, again? ????

[samsensam]

6 hours ago, kenk24 said:

Yes. I think you are spot on... the people who do not have visa or GF or culture problems do not tend to post... 

 

The real tragedy is that people who are thinking of retiring, read these negative posts and sometimes change their minds... wirds have power... 

 

yea, some people, many people, are just happy and are on the forum as a hobby, for entertainment(!) or because they like to help out others.

[473geo]

Pilotman got it right "you must take your view from your own experiences"

 

Might be a little frustrating to have to read the repetitive negative comments, but do we really need the current cluster of threads bemoaning the fact that people are complaining...surely only the gullible soak up every negative comment

 

 

[Puchaiyank]

Come on bring it in...group hug!  Feel better now?  Love you too!  

[amykat]

Brunolem,  Do you have a visa coming up for renewal soon?  

 

(You should look up the definition of police state, I’m not convinced you understand it by comments you made.)

[wisperone]

8 hours ago, Brunolem said:

Having said that, for a new TV reader, it may seem that Thailand is some kind of hellish country for foreigners

Or they could watch Youtube video's and only hear about Thailand being a paradise to keep the youtubers cash cow secure by clicks.  Most of them never mention anything negative and who wouldn't want to up and sell all and move to Thailand. Go ahead and read the comments on YT videos and see how many naive farangs are out there moving to Thailand on YT recommendations. Personally I would rather get my info from TV and get opinions from both sides of the fence.  But to each their own. We all sleep in the bed we make.

[Mikisteel]

I have had 4 face to face conversations with farang in Thailand in the last 3 years:

 

1. 3 years ago: 4 minute conversation. Learnt the length of time the guy had been here, previous occupation and his fears of his beloved homeland the UK. I said hello to him and goodbye, that was it.

 

2. 2 years ago met an Irish lad who seemed sorted, had a kid, Mrs and a nice little bistro. They had come to the area to set up a biz for the wife, was decent and was 6 months since they started, a week later the place closed down and they vanished.

 

3. During a trip to secure a nice cold beer I got caught in the rain so I sat in the shop next to a farang who in 10 minutes told me pretty much his life story, his wife's house value, his decision to buy versus his mates who have been renting, his car, his house value appreciation (wildly off) his previous occupation and his concerns for the baht conversion against the GBP.

 

4. My two sentences to a fellow European have never once been about the past but only about the now. Spoke to this guy 3 times so far for less than 30 seconds each time. 

 

 

[Fex Bluse]

With respect, many of you are totally wrong.

 

There ARE expat forums for other countries where there are very few complaints and most posts are positive.

 

If any of you have lived in other countries in the region like Japan or Taiwan or Singapore or even Malaysia and have browsed some of the similar expat forums, you would know this.

 

Not all countries are created equal, and Thailand is far and away one of the most problematic places to live with any sense of stability or connection to the outside world. And the Thailand based forums reflect the situation well with a high percentage of people complaining about this cartoon banana republic.

 

Why can't people understand that countries and cultures are different, sometimes significantly different?

Edited August 10, 2019 by Fex Bluse

[1FinickyOne]

4 hours ago, 473geo said:

surely only the gullible soak up every negative comment

 

HI 473.. I don't know - the negativity is pervasive and pernicious. It is not going to matter too much to people who love their everyday life, but what about someone who has never been here? I have had friends who decided not to come, getting their info from TVF... nothing I could do to convince them otherwise agst the volumes of nasty.  

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, Fex Bluse said:

Not all countries are created equal, and Thailand is far and away one of the most problematic places to live with any sense of stability or connection to the outside world. And the Thailand based forums reflect the situation well with a high percentage of people complaining about this cartoon banana republic.

Agreed, it'e the people that unconditionally 'love' Thailand that are delusional.

I wouldn't recommend anyone came here, certainly not young white western women.

Thailand doesn't bother me, I've had me life and I'm looking forward to death.

Edited August 10, 2019 by BritManToo

[RoadWarrior371]

1 hour ago, Fex Bluse said:

With respect, many of you are totally wrong.

 

 

Not all countries are created equal, and Thailand is far and away one of the most problematic places to live with any sense of stability or connection to the outside world. And the Thailand based forums reflect the situation well with a high percentage of people complaining about this cartoon banana republic.

 

Why can't people understand that countries and cultures are different, sometimes significantly different?

And not all Expats are the same.  Most of the whiners on the Thailand forums would not last a month in Singapore or Taiwan, and are often looking for someone to blame regardless of where they end up.  Good riddance.

[KiChakayan]

To put some of the "strange" comments here into the right prospective, the reader should know that there are three categories of people who don't have to deal with immigration shit:

a) those who, somehow, got permanent residence,

b) those who, somehow, got Thai citizenship,

c) the Thais themselves.

 

[EVENKEEL]

I went to Terminal 21 in Pattaya yesterday for the first time. Not knowing Pattaya real well I wished all maps used the same names for streets. South Pattaya Rd = Pattaya tai, Central Pattaya Rd = Pattaya Klang and North Pattaya Rd = Pattaya Nua…. WHY?? Ate at the Shabu place, walked around, it's neat there for the restaurants. Walked thru the food court.....Amazing....

 

Today we're going to the waterslide in Pattaya...the old one cause it's pretty neat and it's cheap. The other waterslides run 800bht each, extra for chairs in shade, can't bring outside food and drinks in.....Yikes. I can afford it but it's hard to justify spending that kind of money.

 

Let's see....Well hope it doesn't rain and traffic is light driving to waterslides....see you guys

[geronimo]

Some of us start threads for a bit of fun, while others wish to inject a little positivity into the proceedings ....

[geronimo]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

 

Thailand doesn't bother me, I've had me life and I'm looking forward to death.

I agree that death is the ultimate adventure, but, as it will come to me one day, I'm in no rush .....

[sniggie]

54 minutes ago, Victornoir said:

This real problem comes from the British club.
 - their Brexit looks like a disaster
 - Sterling collapses day by day
 - their tankers are captives of the Iranians
 - their first laugh the whole world
 - their only friend DT is more than worried...

 

and in addition, it is the French who are world champions.

 

Sorry about this, mate!  How would you feel if you were watching your country self-destruct on a daily basis? It's hard to keep one's pecker up in the face of such adversity. And it isn't so much the French being World Champions that got to us but the fact that our team was dumped out of the competition by a team from a pretend country with the population of a small market town.

 

Don't quite get your fourth point though.

[geronimo]

2 minutes ago, sniggie said:

Sorry about this, mate!  How would you feel if you were watching your country self-destruct on a daily basis? It's hard to keep one's pecker up in the face of such adversity. And it isn't so much the French being World Champions that got to us but the fact that our team was dumped out of the competition by a team from a pretend country with the population of a small market town.

 

Don't quite get your fourth point though.

The UK is getting karmic payback for what they did a few hundred years ago, strutting around the world, taking what they wanted.