Just now, marin said:

You have a clear view of tourist Thailand. But not a clue at all of the real Thailand. Those of us that have been living here with a Thai partner for a while know Thai culture includes so much more than that. Indeed it is fast changing as Thailand's populace continues to grow younger.

Had Thai partners for years. Eating is the no 1 hobby. For men its muay thai. For Buddhists its temples. Ive been to over 200 temples.

Thais also like cards and gambling. Men like drinking or tobacco.

Most Thais are basic.

Just now, Nurf said:

Well, if you were there in 2015 or 2005 or 1995 we have something to discuss. Otherwise, yotre just annoying me

I asked a simple question. Look at what you said and ask yourself the same question. I have been in many places over decades time and seen changes, both good and bad. It's the same as here and everywhere. Some things are factual, like I mentioned, and some are people's opinions of how a place is, which will differ from many other's opinions.

1 minute ago, Harrisfan said:

Had Thai partners for years. Eating is the no 1 hobby. For men its muay thai. For Buddhists its temples. Ive been to over 200 temples.

Thais also like cards and gambling. Men like drinking or tobacco.

Most Thais are basic.

Football is the number one hobby here, along with lakorns and gossiping. Eating is done everywhere and no different here than back home, where the variety is much larger. They don't BBQ here like they do back home, besides the little ones for meatballs, squid, chicken and such to sell,but most everything else is the same.

1 minute ago, marin said:

You have a clear view of tourist Thailand. But not a clue at all of the real Thailand. Those of us that have been living here with a Thai partner for a while know Thai culture includes so much more than that. Indeed it is fast changing as Thailand's populace continues to younger.

2 minutes ago, marin said:

You have a clear view of tourist Thailand. But not a clue at all of the real Thailand. Those of us that have been living here with a Thai partner for a while know Thai culture includes so much more than that. Indeed it is fast changing as Thailand's populace continues to grow younger.

Even single expats don't have the level of understanding of being married. I suppose having kids goes another level deep. The lazy bkk pattaya expat is pretty clueless gf or not. Any expat not out in the streets or village mixing it up is clueless.

1 minute ago, fredwiggy said:

I asked a simple question. Look at what you said and ask yourself the same question. I have been in many places over decades time and seen changes, both good and bad. It's the same as here and everywhere. Some things are factual, like I mentioned, and some are people's opinions of how a place is, which will differ from many other's opinions.

Everything we experience is perceptual. I'm simply stating my perception of my reality Mr Kant 🙊

3 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Football is the number one hobby here, along with lakorns and gossiping. Eating is done everywhere and no different here than back home, where the variety is much larger. They don't BBQ here like they do back home, besides the little ones for meatballs, squid, chicken and such to sell,but most everything else is the same.

Muay Thai has a bigger following on tv. Soccer would be no 2. Car racing and motorbikes are popular. Golf and tennis amongst the rich. Fishing is popular.

6 hours ago, Harrisfan said:

You do realise Thai prices very a lot?

Yes, I do. 28 years here makes me a f-king phenome

5 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Football is the number one hobby here, along with lakorns and gossiping. Eating is done everywhere and no different here than back home, where the variety is much larger. They don't BBQ here like they do back home, besides the little ones for meatballs, squid, chicken and such to sell,but most everything else is the same.

Thais can be just as eccentric and unique as western people. This is the lot you know. Reducing people to bbq options. WTF??? You're lost.

1 minute ago, Gottfrid said:

Yes, I do. 28 years here makes me a f-king phenome

You must be getting old

8 minutes ago, Harrisfan said:

Had Thai partners for years. Eating is the no 1 hobby. For men its muay thai. For Buddhists its temples. Ive been to over 200 temples.

Thais also like cards and gambling. Men like drinking or tobacco.

Most Thais are basic.

We run in different circles. Sport, travel, cars, property and a bit of fashion tend to be topics I hear in interactions with the Thai's I know.

It goes without saying most are Buddhist and visiting temples in the Province or Amphur you happen to be in is the norm.

1 minute ago, Nurf said:

Even single expats don't have the level of understanding of being married. I suppose having kids goes another level deep. The lazy bkk pattaya expat is pretty clueless gf or not. Any expat not out in the streets or village mixing it up is clueless.

Everything we experience is perceptual. I'm simply stating my perception of my reality Mr Kant 🙊

What exactly is Mr Kant? Everything we experience is factual. How we perceive it is personal belief, and can come from a prejudicial background or one based on evidence. What we tell others is opinion or factual. That's why I asked what I did because it appeared to be opinions. One man's pleasure is another's pain.

6 hours ago, Harrisfan said:

I spend 1000 baht less and have the same fun. So for me yes it is cheaper.

You are purely deluded. If you spend 1000 baht less, and the fact is that it gone up 22,5%, that also means that you have adjusted and saisfy with less. Another option is that you cry to every sex worker and say please give me, I no have more.

Just now, Harrisfan said:

You must be getting old

Next year 35 years for me. The first five were not 100%

There's no respect

1 minute ago, marin said:

We run in different circles. Sport, travel, cars, property and a bit of fashion tend to be topics I hear in interactions with the Thai's I know.

It goes without saying most are Buddhist and visiting temples in the Province or Amphur you happen to be in is the norm.

City Thais are more stuck up. Country Thais more real.

@Harrisfan In this topic, you actually made it great! You have showed everyone that you are a true bottom feeder.

4 minutes ago, Harrisfan said:

Muay Thai has a bigger following on tv. Soccer would be no 2. Car racing and motorbikes are popular. Golf and tennis amongst the rich. Fishing is popular.

Fishing is mostly subsistence and not recreational. Soccer is way more popular than Muay Thai. Muay Thai is like American boxing. Very popular but pales in comparison to baseball and football. Other things are popular to smaller crowds.

Just now, Gottfrid said:

@Harrisfan In this topic, you actually made it great! You have showed everyone that you are a true bottom feeder.

I think you have serious issues. You are one of the most negative whingers I've ever come across.

2 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

What exactly is Mr Kant? Everything we experience is factual. How we perceive it is personal belief, and can come from a prejudicial background or one based on evidence. What we tell others is opinion or factual. That's why I asked what I did because it appeared to be opinions. One man's pleasure is another's pain.

Ugh

The reference was Immanuel Kant. 🤣

You the existentialist and all 😂

4 minutes ago, Harrisfan said:

You must be getting old

Everyone alive is getting old(er)!

1 hour ago, jts-khorat said:

I was here 20 years ago and objectively it was better: and my yardstick would not have been the amount of foreign food or my own age, but that the (known to me) Thais themselves felt better -- which in turn forced even a sourdrop german like me to accept that I could unclench emotionally, just a tiny bit.

People in Thailand were less globally connected (no mobiles!), less indebted (no fancy pickups!), less stuck in the same hamster wheel of having to constantly create money to give to somebody else as we are (incredibly low rents and just driving a moped is dirt-cheap).

As a Thai, you could basically live on a bowl of rice a day and be happy about yourself, because this was the way everybody lived -- and I knew many who were exactly that: simply happy.

A more frugal life, for sure, but also a very uncluttered one. This is where the famous, now extinct Thai smile came from... I have not seen one of those since the century began.

Think you lost a decade or two :) This post would apply to 90s maybe but definitely not 2006.

2 minutes ago, Harrisfan said:

City Thais are more stuck up. Country Thais more real.

I like pretty, stuck up girlies

I like the way they look, smell and squeal

2 minutes ago, atpeace said:

Think you lost a decade or two :) This post would apply to 90s maybe but definitely not 2006.

No, I totally agree. You're not wrong but the member you quoted is spot on.

For many years the nickname of Thailand was Land of Smiles. It has long stopped being that. Life for average Thai is much more difficult, expensive and complicated.

+2 for him bringing this up

That has in turn soured foreigners experiences. Before people at the bottom used to pretend they were ok. Now, everyone knows everyone is not ok and slipping ever into the abyss

8 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

You are purely deluded. If you spend 1000 baht less, and the fact is that it gone up 22,5%, that also means that you have adjusted and saisfy with less. Another option is that you cry to every sex worker and say please give me, I no have more.

You actually sound crazy and clueless. Google maps and agoda list thousands of hotels under 1000 baht with reviews. Far more easy to find a good room for 500 baht now than 20 years ago. Before it was mostly walk in rates 800 baht.

I don't use sex workers. You probably married one.

10 minutes ago, Nurf said:

Thais can be just as eccentric and unique as western people. This is the lot you know. Reducing people to bbq options. WTF??? You're lost.

Yes. People are much the same everywhere, with cultural things showing slight differences. I listed what happens both here and back in the US. BBQ,ing is just one of those. It isn't reducing anyone but pointing out the obvious, just as soccer is more popular than Muay Thai here.

I've actually integrated all the years I've been here with many families Thai, daily, in villages and cities, and go more by what they tell me than foreigners experiences and pinions.

Thai inflation is 42% over 20 years so a 500 baht room now should have been 350 baht in 2006. But in 2006 there werent many 350 baht rooms that were any good. Most rooms were poor at 350.

Excess hotel development has led to an over supply of rooms so there is much better value now.

In Patong I paid 700 baht walk in 2006. In 2024 I paid 450 baht agoda same standard.

6 minutes ago, Harrisfan said:

I don't use sex workers

That explains your incel syndrome is uncurable.

8 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Yes. People are much the same everywhere, with cultural things showing slight differences. I listed what happens both here and back in the US. BBQ,ing is just one of those. It isn't reducing anyone but pointing out the obvious, just as soccer is more popular than Muay Thai here.

I've actually integrated all the years I've been here with many families Thai, daily, in villages and cities, and go more by what they tell me than foreigners experiences and pinions.

Thais like somtam and fish. They dont like steak much.

5 minutes ago, Harrisfan said:

Thais like somtam and fish. They dont like steak much.

My wife loves BEEF. Some Buddhist do not eat beef as it is a high animal. It's probably not that they don't like it. They'll eat and enjoy pretty much everything

For my wife....between sushi and steak it would be absolute toss up and depend on the quality of each which shed choose.

Tuesday, we are going for belated Valentine's for sushi. The fallback option was b350 ribeye at home from Tops

1 minute ago, Nurf said:

My wife loves steak. Some Buddhist do not eat beef as it is a high animal. It's probably not that they don't like it. They'll eat and enjoy pretty much everything

For my wife....between sushi and steak it would be absolute toss up and depend on the quality of each which shed choose.

Tuesday, we are going for belated Valentine's for sushi. The fallback option was b350 ribeye at home from Tops

Some do not many. I walk past steak restaurants and eat in some. Pork is more popular.

Korat has nice steak.

1 minute ago, Nurf said:

No, I totally agree. You're not wrong but the member you quoted is spot on.

For many years the nickname of Thailand was Land of Smiles. It has long stopped being that. Life for average Thai is much more difficult, expensive and complicated.

+2 for him bringing this up

That has in turn soured foreigners experiences. Before people at the bottom used to pretend they were ok. Now, everyone knows everyone is not ok and slipping ever into the abyss

Maybe, but isn't my experience. Thais have changed and we are no longer interesting to them. I can only think of a couple Thais that aren't much better off by traditional measurements. Many are in debt I assume but even then it is with banks charging 1/10 the interest rate of the black market almost all non-rich Thais utilized 20-30 years ago.

We are just getting older and saying what old people do :) My life here is better than ever so maybe I'm not paying attention to the lack of smiles.

4 minutes ago, atpeace said:

Maybe, but isn't my experience. Thais have changed and we are no longer interesting to them. I can only think of a couple Thais that aren't much better off by traditional measurements. Many are in debt I assume but even then it is with banks charging 1/10 the interest rate of the black market almost all non-rich Thais utilized 20-30 years ago.

We are just getting older and saying what old people do :) My life here is better than ever so maybe I'm not paying attention to the lack of smiles.

I don't disagree

There were so many of us here 25 years ago they weren't much interested then either