What Do You Get Out Of The Farang Scene?

[dave9988]

i have been accused of being an elitist, so instead of just making broad based accusations I am coming to ask for opinions and try to put myself in other people's shoes to better understand them instead of just assuming everyone is simply below me in terms of intelligence/class.

i was in the lower Sukhumwit area recently and i had not been there since perhaps the first week i was in Thailand several years ago. It did not do much for me then, so I guess its not a big surprise that it did not do anything for me again this time.

What I observe:

All of the girls in these bars are unattractive.

The bars are dumpy and low class.

There are obnoxious touts trying to grab you.

There are people everywhere trying to sell you stuff.

The customers give off a sense of hopeless desperation.

All of the Thai vendors, touts, and employees give off a sense of hopeless desperation.

What I don't get is,

1. What do the millions of farang tourists coming here for this get out of it?

2. Why is the whole industry devoid of any sense of class or customer respect?

[samuibeachcomber]

you cant buy champagne on beer money right.so you have different establishments to fit different classes of people with diferent size wallets.

What i find hard here(not talking about bangkok cos i've never lived there)is finding falangs to have a decent conversation with,mostly the people i come across i would n't want to associate with back home,so i dont here either.

[dave9988]

"you cant buy champagne on beer money right"

i think there are many Thai establishments that might not be champagne quality that have attractive employees and sense of respect for the customer. the farang scene is almost a form of self torture. you pay money to be treated like crap by someone who is less attractive than your maid.

Edited March 3, 2009 by dave9988

[samuibeachcomber]

ok i misunderstood your thread.as for your last paragraph,all the bars i go to have pleasant friendly girls working there,otherwise i would n't frequent them and i have no complaints.I have been to other bars where the ladies are all stunners,but usually so "up themselves" so i dont bother to go to these places anymore.more often than not i'm only up for a friendly conversation and to buy a few drinks,get to know the staff and revisit when the mood takes.

But trying to have an intelligent conversation with most farang that visit these bars is a battle up hill.

[skiman1]

I enjoy meeting all the vest wearing Ex Special Forces guys here in Pattaya who are retired - great conversation

[scottyd]

I suppose when I am old, balding, fat and desperate I will have more in common with the people in the lower Sukhumwit area. Until then, I will remain superior to them all and live on my rural farm with my buffalo.

[Felt 35]

1.

What do the millions of farang tourists coming here for this get out of it?

2. Why is the whole industry devoid of any sense of class or customer respect?

The answer to question one is in the second question and the answer to question two is in the first question.

[wasabi]

I can't stand the lower Sukhumwit area but I have to go there everyday for school. The touts are particularly aggressive and annoying. I almost feel sorry for them since they must be facing a dearth of customers in this economic environment but the fact they try to get me to go for sexy lady, body to body, happy hour! every day after me saying no thanks in Thai and English for months stops me from giving them any sympathy. What do I get out of it? I guess an education in Thai language.

[desertrat]

I am unashamedly elitist, and have only been put in my place twice in over 25 years here, by :-

1. A physicist who worked at CERN, he was modest, I just kept my mouth shut.

2. A besotted wretch I came acoss in the grubby sois at the end of Jomtien Beach Road.

He was sprawling in an unkempt garden outside a decaying slum. I asked him a question and he invited me to join him.

Well, he was fluent in 5 languages including Greek, kindly corrected my declarations on History, Philosophy and Politics.

His occupation...he wrote the worst pulp fiction, 50 cent sado/masochism.

It was a few years ago and he was in bad shape then..now I don't know.

Maybe lower Sukhumvit harbours similar individuals, but definitely not Pattaya.

There are clearly some good minds on this forum, which is comforting.

I get what most get, exquisite female company with few strings attached

Edited March 3, 2009 by desertrat

[oevna]

i was in the lower Sukhumwit area recently and i had not been there since perhaps the first week i was in Thailand several years ago. It did not do much for me then, so I guess its not a big surprise that it did not do anything for me again this time.

...

So, just to be sure that I am understanding you correctly, are you basing your entire opinion of the "farang scene" in Thailand on the lower Sukhumvit area?

Widen your scope a little and you might find something you like. Where have you been staying in Thailand for the several years that you've been living there? What other "farang scene" areas have you visited in Thailand?

[PhilHarries]

Everybody has a story to tell and everybody has the right to lead their own life. Just because they don't fit your perception of "class" doesn't mean they should be classified as some kind of sub-species.

I'll talk to anybody be they an unemployed bricklayer or a CEO of a multinational corporation. I frequent all manner of establishments from the seedy beer bars up to the five star establishments. I do not judge people I have never met nor have any knowledge of lest they similarly judge me. I go through life affording all people I meet the respect and attention they deserve and that I would like them to afford myself.

If I enjoy someone's company I will make an effort to meet up with them again, if not I will quietly avoid them as I would expect them to do the same.

Your OP seems to be based entirely on your observations. Did you not sit down at one of these places and take the time to interact with the people you decry? Or did you merely observe much as a scientist observes creatures in a petri dish, distant and aloof?

Some of life's richest experiences can be had in the most unlikely of places provided we put aside our predujices and preconceptions.

[thaihome]

I don’t think you are an elitist, I think you have a superiority complex you use as a defense to counter or conceal feelings of inferiority.

TH

[toybits]

What I don't get is that farang tourists to Thailand make a beeline for places like Khao San Road where they meet more farangs than Thais. Why come to Thailand if they just want to meet up with other farangs? Odd.

[Marksamui]

i have been accused of being an elitist, so instead of just making broad based accusations I am coming to ask for opinions and try to put myself in other people's shoes to better understand them instead of just assuming everyone is simply below me in terms of intelligence/class.

i was in the lower Sukhumwit area recently and i had not been there since perhaps the first week i was in Thailand several years ago. It did not do much for me then, so I guess its not a big surprise that it did not do anything for me again this time.

What I observe:

All of the girls in these bars are unattractive.

The bars are dumpy and low class.

There are obnoxious touts trying to grab you.

There are people everywhere trying to sell you stuff.

The customers give off a sense of hopeless desperation.

All of the Thai vendors, touts, and employees give off a sense of hopeless desperation.

What I don't get is,

1. What do the millions of farang tourists coming here for this get out of it?

2. Why is the whole industry devoid of any sense of class or customer respect?

Shock, horror 'the whole industry devoid of any sense of class or customer respect?'

You are basically talking about sex establishments here. Underneath everything they are never classy or show much respect.

Anyway, are you actually Thai or a Farang yourself?

The Farang or for a better word Tourist Scene is much bigger than the area you have visited. Maybe you need to get out more and look around and explore Thailand.....

[patklang]

I don’t think you are an elitist, I think you have a superiority complex you use as a defense to counter or conceal feelings of inferiority.

TH

good point,cant argue with that,you have sussed him out.Why he should go to the same place again god knows,as he is basing everything on lower suk.My friends are articulate mainly,and play chess,do crosswords,read plenty,learn thai,shall i continue.i am an ex national sales manager,but very short hair so that makes me an hooligan does it.Also he suggested that if a bar doesnt have beautiful women its bad,whats wrong in having a nice chat with a gitl without the shit of want go st tilak.

I have an old mate whos wife is not that nice looking,do i not visit because of this and not talk to her.The op is always flaming,just ignore him now.

[oevna]

What I don't get is that farang tourists to Thailand make a beeline for places like Khao San Road where they meet more farangs than Thais. Why come to Thailand if they just want to meet up with other farangs? Odd.

KSR seems "safe" from the perspective of a person who has never been to Thailand, or is not comfortable traveling around without knowing the culture and language. It has many of the comforts of home, lots of travel information, and other foreigners to talk to and get a general impression of where to go and what to do. A lot of people start out there, and then branch out to other places when they get their bearings and feel a bit more comfortable.

I didn't go to KSR the first time I visited Thailand, but then I knew some people in Thailand before I went, so I had the benefit of their experience and advice going into it.

[Birdman]

What I don't get is that farang tourists to Thailand make a beeline for places like Khao San Road where they meet more farangs than Thais. Why come to Thailand if they just want to meet up with other farangs? Odd.

Because it's well know for cheap accommodations, restaurants, travel agencies and it's something like a base camp they can come back after exploring the "wilder" parts of the city to be back under themselves.

Imagine you were young and not too experienced, never been in South East Asia...

[Ulysses G.]

There are plenty of very attractive young ladies in that area.

It says more about you, than them, that you are unable to find them.

[yabaaaa]

i have been accused of being an elitist, so instead of just making broad based accusations I am coming to ask for opinions and try to put myself in other people's shoes to better understand them instead of just assuming everyone is simply below me in terms of intelligence/class.

i was in the lower Sukhumwit area recently and i had not been there since perhaps the first week i was in Thailand several years ago. It did not do much for me then, so I guess its not a big surprise that it did not do anything for me again this time.

What I observe:

All of the girls in these bars are unattractive.

The bars are dumpy and low class.

There are obnoxious touts trying to grab you.

There are people everywhere trying to sell you stuff.

The customers give off a sense of hopeless desperation.

All of the Thai vendors, touts, and employees give off a sense of hopeless desperation.

What I don't get is,

1. What do the millions of farang tourists coming here for this get out of it?

2. Why is the whole industry devoid of any sense of class or customer respect?

I get nothing out of it been nowhere near it.

[Artisi]

I probably speak for a lot of other people when I say, luckily I am unable to comment on your posting as I have never felt that I needed to visit the area and be involve in this type of activity - and I certainly don't consider myself elitist .

[dave9988]

i was in the lower Sukhumwit area recently and i had not been there since perhaps the first week i was in Thailand several years ago. It did not do much for me then, so I guess its not a big surprise that it did not do anything for me again this time.

...

So, just to be sure that I am understanding you correctly, are you basing your entire opinion of the "farang scene" in Thailand on the lower Sukhumvit area?

Widen your scope a little and you might find something you like. Where have you been staying in Thailand for the several years that you've been living there? What other "farang scene" areas have you visited in Thailand?

no, i was not implying that these bars scattered around Thailand are equivocal to the entire farang scene. i used that wording because the mods can be sensitive sometimes if you do not pick your words wisely.

[dave9988]

I get what most get, exquisite female company with few strings attached

Yeah but the girls have such a close resemblance to Swamp Thing that it suggests to me that the 'punters' would be better off hitting on those MBK janitors in the male bathrooms instead. They'd probably charge less.

[Ulysses G.]

I probably speak for a lot of other people when I say, luckily I am unable to comment on your posting as I have never felt that I needed to visit the area and be involve in this type of activity - and I certainly don't consider myself elitist .

He probably means Soi Cowboy as well!

[RobotTeacher]

Hello! Welcome! Please come in! Welcome my walking ATM!

When they see this robot humming along, it screams walking ATM! You can see these ฿ig ฿aht signs spinning in their eyes!

Edited March 4, 2009 by RobotTeacher

[edwinclapham]

I suppose when I am old, balding, fat and desperate I will have more in common with the people in the lower Sukhumwit area. Until then, I will remain superior to them all and live on my rural farm with my buffalo.

When I am old, balding, fat and desperate will I be writing about "where to get pork and lamb chops" on forums?

[toybits]

I didn't come here to look at pretty girls. Was that your reason for coming here?

There are plenty of very attractive young ladies in that area.

It says more about you, than them, that you are unable to find them.

[bkkjames]

i have been accused of being an elitist, so instead of just making broad based accusations I am coming to ask for opinions and try to put myself in other people's shoes to better understand them instead of just assuming everyone is simply below me in terms of intelligence/class.

i was in the lower Sukhumwit area recently and i had not been there since perhaps the first week i was in Thailand several years ago. It did not do much for me then, so I guess its not a big surprise that it did not do anything for me again this time.

What I observe:

All of the girls in these bars are unattractive.

Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder

The bars are dumpy and low class.

By saying this, you do realise that you have implied that you go to them.

There are obnoxious touts trying to grab you.

No touts trying to grab me, only the girls mate, only the girls

There are people everywhere trying to sell you stuff.

As opposed to the places that are not?

The customers give off a sense of hopeless desperation.

I resemble that remark!

All of the Thai vendors, touts, and employees give off a sense of hopeless desperation.

Desperate customer + desperate seller = happy couple

What I don't get is,

1. What do the millions of farang tourists coming here for this get out of it?

3 weeks of good weather, cheap beaches and spicey company

2. Why is the whole industry devoid of any sense of class or customer respect?

If it isn't broke, don't fix it.

Edited March 4, 2009 by bkkjames

[dave9988]

Hello! Welcome! Please come in! Welcome my walking ATM!

When they see this robot humming along, it screams walking ATM! You can see these ฿ig ฿aht signs spinning in their eyes!

Yeah, that's what I don't get. The idea of paying someone who probably has a 2nd grade education, is not attractive, is not interesting, to spend time with me and "be my friend" is strange. The sight of them salivating over the prospect of a farang atm is off putting and symbolizes the truly depressing nature of humanity.

[Marksamui]

Hello! Welcome! Please come in! Welcome my walking ATM!

When they see this robot humming along, it screams walking ATM! You can see these ฿ig ฿aht signs spinning in their eyes!

Yeah, that's what I don't get. The idea of paying someone who probably has a 2nd grade education, is not attractive, is not interesting, to spend time with me and "be my friend" is strange. The sight of them salivating over the prospect of a farang atm is off putting and symbolizes the truly depressing nature of humanity.

If you find the idea of going to a brothel and paying a hooker for sex strange, may I suggest that you don't go.

Yes it is depresing, but you can avoid it........

[Maizefarmer]

i have been accused of being an elitist, so instead of just making broad based accusations I am coming to ask for opinions and try to put myself in other people's shoes to better understand them instead of just assuming everyone is simply below me in terms of intelligence/class.

i was in the lower Sukhumwit area recently and i had not been there since perhaps the first week i was in Thailand several years ago. It did not do much for me then, so I guess its not a big surprise that it did not do anything for me again this time.

What I observe:

All of the girls in these bars are unattractive.

The bars are dumpy and low class.

There are obnoxious touts trying to grab you.

There are people everywhere trying to sell you stuff.

The customers give off a sense of hopeless desperation.

All of the Thai vendors, touts, and employees give off a sense of hopeless desperation.

What I don't get is,

1. What do the millions of farang tourists coming here for this get out of it?

2. Why is the whole industry devoid of any sense of class or customer respect?

What do I get out of the ex-pat scene - what do mean by the ex-pat scene: the lifestyle of those on holiday or long term retirment living here, or are you refering to the lifestyle of those who are here primarily to work - other than for the social over lap that exists thorugh bars/girls/sports activities - just what is the ex-pat scene?

If its all about tourism and whatever one wants to catogorise under that term, its pretty boring really once you've done it - except that I suppose from a sun/sea/sex perspective, Thailand can be jolly good value for money, if not as I agree you quite rightly note, somewhat lacking of any "sense of class or customer respect" - mind you, can't blame them really when you consider how their women folk are treated by many of the visitors they have to deal with every day!!!!!!!!!!!! - and that too, is not unique to Thailand.

Its like this in many parts of South East Asia - Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, Southern India .... all the same in that respect, just against the background of diffirent cultures.