What happened to you, Thailand?

[susanlea]

3 minutes ago, bob smith said:

Ok.

 

what are the positives of living in Thailand in 2024?

 

list them all.

 

bob.

Cheap food

Cheap rooms

Warm

Cheap gyms

Shops open late

Cheap massages

Most of the DH foreigners live in small areas and don't get out much.

Easy to find a date

Cheap dentists

People are friendly

 

[John Drake]

1 minute ago, susanlea said:

I went to Don Wai. 5 or 6 foreigners there.

 

 

How long ago? It used to be that some would show up after going to Nakhon Pathom Immigration near Wat Rai KhIng. I used to go there when I worked at Mahidol, but I now go to Chaengwattana. I was told that the old Immigration office has now moved out somewhere, I think, near Phutthamonthon 8.  Don't know, for sure.

[a3tsw]

38 minutes ago, bob smith said:

Just today I was in a tourist ghetto meeting a friend of mine I haven't seen in a while.

I was sat at my table enjoying a nice cold beer when a hawker walked past and plonked her stuff on my table.

I politely said no thanks in english and smiled.

She persisted.

Then I said the same in Thai, to which she reacted angrily, and gave me the 'oiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii' and stormed off.

I did nothing wrong, other than said no thank you.

You did do something wrong - you spoke Thai to her and when you do that , it seems to set them off for some reason ..🤣

[susanlea]

Just now, John Drake said:

 

 

How long ago? It used to be that some would show up after going to Nakhon Pathom Immigration near Wat Rai KhIng. I used to go there when I worked at Mahidol, but I now go to Chaengwattana. I was told that the old Immigration office has now moved out somewhere, I think, near Phutthamonthon 8.  Don't know, for sure.

Before covid

[bob smith]

2 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Everything was better back then, because it was less than 5 millions foreign tourists visiting every year who did not ruin Thais experience of us as visitors. Cheap airline tickes and cheap Thai baht contributed to ruin Thailand. 

I thought more foreigners would mean a happier populace, given that more foreigners = more money and Thais love money...

 

bob.

Edited Friday at 09:45 AM by bob smith

[Hummin]

Just now, bob smith said:

I thought more foreigners would mean a happy populace, given that more foreigners = more money and Thais love money..

 

bob.

To many drunk bobs ruined it

[bob smith]

2 minutes ago, susanlea said:

People are friendly

where do you find these friendly people, susan???

 

bob.

[bob smith]

3 minutes ago, a3tsw said:

You did do something wrong - you spoke Thai to her and when you do that , it seems to set them off for some reason ..🤣

why though?

 

i think this is the only country in the world that locals don't appreciate farangs speaking the lingo.

 

it's a bloody strange place !

 

bob.

Edited Friday at 09:47 AM by bob smith

[susanlea]

1 minute ago, bob smith said:

where do you find these friendly people, susan???

 

bob.

Away from heavy tourist areas. Normal Thais not the ones you meet.

[bob smith]

Just now, susanlea said:

Away from heavy tourist areas. Normal Thais not the ones you meet.

care to share?

 

bob.

[susanlea]

1 minute ago, bob smith said:

care to share?

 

bob.

90% of the country Bob. 

[save the frogs]

7 minutes ago, susanlea said:

Cheap food

Cheap rooms

Warm

Cheap gyms

Shops open late

Cheap massages

Most of the DH foreigners live in small areas and don't get out much.

Easy to find a date

Cheap dentists

People are friendly

 

 

It makes no difference if your list is 1000 items long.

Some people are miserable and nothing makes a difference. 

[bob smith]

1 minute ago, susanlea said:

90% of the country Bob. 

well that hasn't been my experience at all.

 

bob.

[susanlea]

Just now, bob smith said:

well that hasn't been my experience at all.

 

bob.

Brush your teeth and use deoderant.

[bob smith]

Just now, susanlea said:

Brush your teeth and use deoderant.

I do.

 

I also use mouthwash and hair gel.

 

The only time I see thais smiling and being friendly these days is when you are paying the bill!

 

bob.

[susanlea]

Just now, bob smith said:

I do.

 

I also use mouthwash and hair gel.

 

The only time I see thais smiling and being friendly these days is when you are paying the bill!

 

bob.

Well that's Pattaya for you then.

[Hummin]

3 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

 

It makes no difference if your list is 1000 items long.

Some people are miserable and nothing makes a difference. 

Got do do something about age and hormones, and a long life abusing all the wrong food and substances. 

 

AN former Thai Visa, the forum of Grumphy old men who once moved to Paradise

[simon43]

[quote]

...

Go into Petcharat Pharmacy near Siriraj Hospital and they are always stunned to see me there because no other Westerner comes in

...

[/quote]

 

You should try travelling in north Burma - the locals are so surprised to see a white foreigner - it's as if an alien has landed! (but a friendly alien...)

[bob smith]

2 minutes ago, susanlea said:

Well that's Pattaya for you then.

is it?

 

bob.

[richard_smith237]

6 minutes ago, bob smith said:

8 minutes ago, susanlea said:

90% of the country Bob. 

well that hasn't been my experience at all.

 

bob.

 

Thats what people repeatedly try and tell you, bob.

 

Your experience is individual and the generalisation you broadly project is based on repeated personal broken encounters.

 

You are the very embodiment of the saying "Its not them, its you" .... 

 

 

Edited Friday at 09:59 AM by richard_smith237

[John Drake]

10 minutes ago, susanlea said:

Before covid

 

Of all the places I mentioned Don Wai is the most likely to see Westerners. It's sort of semi-Touristy. The other place is Central Pinklao, where I last saw another American. It was a woman standing in line at the AIS store. That was so long ago, I can't even remember how long. I know there must be other Westerners going into Central Pinklao's Tops, because they keep beating me to the Old El Paso salsa imported from the US. Maybe it's Thais, but I'd bet it's another American

[save the frogs]

1 minute ago, Hummin said:

Got do do something about age and hormones, and a long life abusing all the wrong food and substances. 

 

AN former Thai Visa, the forum of Grumphy old men who once moved to Paradise

 

Haha, yep abuse of alcohol, KFC, and hanging out with the wrong crowd for too long?

 

People are afraid of Covid. Grumpiness and misery are the deadliest and most infectious diseases.

 

 

[susanlea]

1 minute ago, bob smith said:

is it?

 

bob.

How come they treat you bad but others day they get treated well? Maybe your voice tone is aggressive or your body language is.

[susanlea]

2 minutes ago, John Drake said:

 

Of all the places I mentioned Don Wai is the most likely to see Westerners. It's sort of semi-Touristy. The other place is Central Pinklao, where I last saw another American. It was a woman standing in line at the AIS store. That was so long ago, I can't even remember how long. I know there must be other Westerners going into Central Pinklao's Tops, because they keep beating me to the Old El Paso salsa imported from the US. Maybe it's Thais, but I'd bet it's another American

Even Chaiyaphum has foreigners. 6 months no foreigners is a long time.

[novacova]

51 minutes ago, bob smith said:

How about you? do your experiences align with mine?

Not at all. All the locals I run into here in the north are very friendly, though some have trepidation at first eye contact probably because of their previous experiences with farangs, but soon as I smile and give them a krap it’s reciprocated. Though a lot of folks from the south have a different demeanor, pent up and withdrawn , some are a bit aggressive. Pretty easy to spot the folks not from around here. I’d assume western influence and electronic information overload is what you’re noticing in the changes.

[bob smith]

4 minutes ago, susanlea said:

How come they treat you bad but others day they get treated well? Maybe your voice tone is aggressive or your body language is.

so they judge us on our body language/appearance? 

 

whatever happened to 'dont judge a book by it's cover?'

 

thais are pretty shallow, wouldn't ya say?

 

bob.

Edited Friday at 10:04 AM by bob smith

[susanlea]

1 minute ago, bob smith said:

so they judge us on our body language/appearance? 

 

whatever happened to 'dont judge a book by it's cover?'

 

thais are pretty shallow, wouldn't ya say?

 

bob.

How long have you been there? Thais aren't like Americans or Brits. They hate aggressive people.

[bob smith]

4 minutes ago, susanlea said:

How long have you been there? Thais aren't like Americans or Brits. They hate aggressive people.

thai men are some of the most aggressive people I have ever met, especially after a little whiskey...

 

the women aren't far behind either.

especially the bar hyenas. 

 

bob.

Edited Friday at 10:10 AM by bob smith

[0ffshore360]

36 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

a lot of westerners have a superiority complex 

the locals pick up on that

 

Amongst themselves too if out of social "strata"!

The additional impact of the internet has had it's own dubious impact on social attitudes.

Harking back to self perceptions of better days is probably self deceptive and as  futile as the "If only I knew then what I know now" phrase. "Then"is irrelevant to "now".

 

[bob smith]

49 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

a lot of westerners have a superiority complex 

the locals pick up on that

 

so do the Thai's with cambodians.

 

what's your point?

 

bob.