What Would You Never Change About Thailand?

[Marksamui]

Following on from my what needs to be fixed thread, what would you be most disappointed that they lost?

For me I would be dissappointed if they lost the personal service that has gone in many western countries to cut costs. The small things like the guy that pumps the gas for you and cleans the windscreen for free, its not unique to Thailand, but its a nice touch that I would hate to see lost so they can save some money..

Thoughts?

[Richb2004v2]

I was struggling to think of anything but I will go with the service at the petrol pump. Very good.

Ah, also the latest movies for 70 baht on DVD. Thats good. Well, except when they swear that the movie is perfect quality only to discover when you get it home that its actually filmed with a video camera.

[Thai at Heart]

Sitting down on a warm Sunday with wife and kids, grandmas, grandads, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces and friends sipping on scotch and soda whilst everyone busies around producing an inordinate amount of food (most of which I don't eat) and whiling the afternoon away.

[DP25]

Free service at the pump stays only exists because those guys get paid peanuts. Hopefully in the future people who want those services will have to pay more for it.

[Richb2004v2]

Free service at the pump stays only exists because those guys get paid peanuts. Hopefully in the future people who want those services will have to pay more for it.

Very true. This is why this service is generally not available in the developed world. Because people are not desperate enough as standards of living are so much higher. Lots of things are better for us here because of this situation. I'll scratch that from my list then.

[bkkjames]

Free service at the pump stays only exists because those guys get paid peanuts. Hopefully in the future people who want those services will have to pay more for it.

hmmm maybe.

perhaps it has something to do with technology and lack there of, or probably more to do with pu yai's who would not know how or could be bothered to get out of their BMW's to try and locate the gas cap.

despite the recent heat wave, i would not change the weather here.

[Heng]

The lack of any aggressive revenue collection (of the IRS type) department.

[Kan Win]

For me "What Would I Never Change About Thailand"

The simlies of the local folks :jerk: and your as well

The 'Wai' greeting

The free drinking (?) water that you get all over the place and ice as well , but those times are a changing and charging only for bottled water that is.

Turning 'Tom Yum Gong' into a English like style Curry with pineapple and coconut as its main ingredients

The 30 days "stay to enter stamp" into Thailnd free at the Airports. Came here first in 1984 only got 15 days

The traffic going from left-hand driving to right-hand

Paying me "Fine on the spot" when I do mistake whilst driving in Nakhron Nowhere, as I Kan not find the Cop Shop to pay it there

All the road signs only in Thai

Monks receiving their daily Alms

The Kingdom of Thailnd as a Kingdom

Yours truly,

Kan Win

[Maigo6]

What I wouldn't like to see changed............

Land ownership laws, they're fine as they are.

Farang price and Thai price, it's kinda cute actually.

Visa regulations. ( although I feel they are too relaxed )

Songkran Festival.

Being able to pay 200 Baht for speeding at over 100 MPH on the highway.

Mai Pen Rai attitude.

Being able to get things done very quickly by just paying a very small ammount of tea money as opposed to waiting for months when not paying.

Still being a sexy man.

[think_too_mut]

Free service at the pump stays only exists because those guys get paid peanuts. Hopefully in the future people who want those services will have to pay more for it.

Very true. This is why this service is generally not available in the developed world. Because people are not desperate enough as standards of living are so much higher. Lots of things are better for us here because of this situation. I'll scratch that from my list then.

Your developed world could be called a stone age or Mad Max-II when seen from Japan.

People in Japan are not desperate but customer service is best on the planet, in every possible regard.

Little known, but Thais draw their inspirations not from the West, but from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore.

10,000 Japan visas for Thais are issued every week in Bangkok. Only Thai Airways has 59 flights a week to Japan.

Little travelled poverty packers from Springfield Missouri (US) or Leichester (UK) do not know that. Anything is better than their crime ridden city council estates. Or better than dull winters with ploughing snow while their overweight wives complain about something.

[Ulysses G.]

The goils.

[SiamSuzi]

Well if the US is stone age, why do the Japanese keep wearing their collars up like it's still cool when that US college jock fashion trend went down the toilet eons ago?

I agree, their customer service rocks though!

Your developed world could be called a stone age or Mad Max-II when seen from Japan.

People in Japan are not desperate but customer service is best on the planet, in every possible regard.

Little known, but Thais draw their inspirations not from the West, but from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore.

10,000 Japan visas for Thais are issued every week in Bangkok. Only Thai Airways has 59 flights a week to Japan.

Little travelled poverty packers from Springfield Missouri (US) or Leichester (UK) do not know that. Anything is better than their crime ridden city council estates. Or better than dull winters with ploughing snow while their overweight wives complain about something.

[JetsetBkk]

Little kids pointing and shouting "Farang, farang!"

[WeeGB]

The ligay shows, they have them in our village temple quite often, it's a sort of Thai classical opera, and all the old ladies like to go and watch it, and catch up on each others news. I think it's great that the old folks have something they can enjoy, my mother-in-law always has a great time.

[G54]

In most cases, I would not change the friendly people. I have met a lot of them and they are simply that - friendly.

They want a quick chat, a shake of the hand, to chink glasses or simply to say hello.

Also the Family bonds Thai people have in the main. We had those a long time ago, usually in harder times of Ironstone miners and through to the 60's before I feel the bonds started to decline.

[PattayaUnited]

Sitting down on a warm Sunday with wife and kids, grandmas, grandads, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces and friends sipping on scotch and soda whilst everyone busies around producing an inordinate amount of food (most of which I don't eat) and whiling the afternoon away.

Bliss.

Tuk Tuks in Bangkok, Street Vendor Carts, as mentioned The Wai (love that to bits) the care free happy nature of locals, floating markets, the temples and monks, Loi Krathong.... Don't think I would change much at all.

[Dakhar]

I don't bother to worry about change in Thailand.... because water will always be wet

Meaning Thailand is stuck in a moment and it aint going to change, at least for the better, in my life time.

[barrybike]

friendliness and that welcome smile i wouldnt like to lose and their polite nature ...........

[JUDAS]

friendliness and that welcome smile i wouldnt like to lose and their polite nature ...........

Have to agree with you barrybike, especially with the good manners on the children here. My parents are regular visitors from the UK and they are constantly amazed at how well the children here are behaved compared with their home country. Recent example, my father was walking to local shops in Uk when a young lad of 12-13 asked him for a cigarette, my father replied that he doesn't smoke and maybe the young lad shouldn't either. The reply, "<deleted> off and die you old c-nt" That's not unusual and a pretty sad relection on society there.

[fiddlehead]

The nightly party in the street in front of our house (or the neighbor's)

The food.

Friendly people (mostly)

The limestone rock formations jutting out of the sea.

The prices for the food.

The weather. (although 5 degrees cooler would be ok too)

The sea

The mountains

The lack of body hair on the women.

The food. (oh did i mention that already?)

[sanook2me]

live music in good restaurants / bars

The only farangs song played at Thai venues

zombie - the cranberrys

one way - blondie

hotel california - the eagles

[clausewitz]

Free service at the pump stays only exists because those guys get paid peanuts. Hopefully in the future people who want those services will have to pay more for it.

Very true. This is why this service is generally not available in the developed world. Because people are not desperate enough as standards of living are so much higher. Lots of things are better for us here because of this situation. I'll scratch that from my list then.

Actually the service at the pumps is better in Japan.

[barrybankruad]

live music in good restaurants / bars

The only farangs song played at Thai venues

zombie - the cranberrys

one way - blondie

hotel california - the eagles

[sanook2me]

Not having to go to a bar and be served by some grumpy old t@rt and paying for warm beer before i've drank it

Long live the beer/whisky girls

[njpski]

The people

the smiles

the food

the climate

the lack of road rage (compared to Australia)

the mai bpen rai attitude

the closeness of family

village life and the calmness it engenders

[mahtin]

Smile.

Hotel California you can californication off, no ploblem

[waza]

The genuine Thai smile, and hospitality.........

[ourmanflint]

The smell

[sanook2me]

Different flavoured popcorn at the freezing air conditioned luxurious cinema complexes

Strawberry

Cheese

Sweet

Salty

Original

have seen lots of other flavours but cannot think of any right now, these were available yesterday

oh yeah and going to the cinema being affordable !

[sanook2me]

leaving your car out of gear and no handbrake so it can be pushed out of the way when you have double parked and blocked someone in..

A great way to increase parking spaces without having to build more car parks.

This always makes me smile as it could not happen back home in the UK as idiots would push the cars into each other etc....

Plus no one would trust anyone enough to do it in the first place.