Thailand Is Great!

[H2oDunc]

After all the negative postings lately about Thailand I thought I would post some good things. Since first coming here several years ago I have never been arrested, ripped off, been a victim of crime or shown any great disrespect Paid the odd MIB 200 baht but done so with a smile

I have though been made very welcome in all areas of Thailand during my ride around the Kingdom. When I have broken down or run out of fuel I have never had to wait more than 5 mins for some very helpful Thai to stop and assist me. I have been fed, watered and given a room all for nothing. I hardly ever take the key out of my motorbike and when I return it is always there. A girl that I didn't know that well sat by my bed day and night for 4 days in hospital after an accident till I was better. My other half cost me nothing, has asked for nothing and her family neither ask nor expect anything other than I take care of their daughter. I live in a beautiful country and thank Buddha every day for allowing me to do so.

My quality of life here is far better than back in the UK and I will leave only when they drag me screaming and kicking onto the plane.

The next time you feel the need to post that life here in Thailand is so bad just try to remember what things were like back wherever you came from Chock dee

[TexasRanger]

I spend most of my time when I am not here in UK and USA, both have good points but pound for pound I would rather be here. I agree with all the OP says. I love my new home here.

[JohnGotti]

Its amazing to me how much the demographics of this board enjoy stating the obvious. These threads that just let everyone else know that Thailand is Great! are just as boring as the endless "Thailand is terrible" threads.

[donkeydung]

taking care of daughter is asking a lot!

stop w the i dont give anything nonsense!

[churchill]

Agree , with OP , but the negatives need to be highlighted to push for positive change .

I think Thailand is a fantastic place to live and I am much better off here apart from the everyday worries of living in a foreign country .

Edited May 24, 2009 by churchill

[madjbs]

^ Highlighted to a bunch of other farangs on an internet board????

The negative posters on here are a minority in real life. Most people enjoy life as H2oDunc does. The negative moan at everything crowd are not put up with in real life, so they come here where they can moan as much as they like and find security in numbers.

[greenwood01]

the negativity comes from the fact that people here are either extremely nice and straight up, or incredibly retarded, evil or crooked.

Most people are used to the average being semi-retarded, the nice to be just nice, and the bad to be 'just bad'

[Ulysses G.]

The negative posters on here are a minority in real life.

A freind calls them, "a very vocal minority of f___ing a__holes"!

Edited May 24, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[madjbs]

Perfect description. And eventually those guys turn to forums as their soapbox, as nobody else will listen.

[Texpat]

Thailand ain't so special.

These romantic dreamers that wax prophetic about the scenic crumbling sidewalks and charming soi dogs must have come from some real sh!tholes.

Only kidding.

A little.

[bravingbangkok]

Every country has it's good and bad points, it is just that Thailand's bad points are so silly. Thailand lacks a lot of common sense and I am afraid that there is a lot of racism.....actually no not racism that is too strong, I think protectionism is the right word which kind of piss7es me off but I can understand why they do it.

[bravingbangkok]

By the way you should also watch this video of a Thai soldier having his head cut off in the south by a Muslim insurgent, some of the atrocities that are going on in the south are never covered in the news fully or fairly, It will really wake you up to the fact that you are living in a dangerous country. I never watched it but I know it is there and I know that these things go on everyday in Thailand This country has a lot of problems and most of them are hidden, for sure there are a lot of good people but I am afraid the bad in Thailand are very bad and I for one would not let my guard down in this country for one minute ! you would be very very foolish too.

I am sorry but anyone who says a country with containers full of dead bodies sunken of it's cost is a beautiful and heaven like country seriously needs their heads examined.

Edited May 24, 2009 by bravingbangkok

[H2oDunc]

By the way you should also watch this video of a Thai soldier having his head cut off in the south by a Muslim insurgent, some of the atrocities that are going on in the south are never covered in the news fully or fairly, It will really wake you up to the fact that you are living in a dangerous country. I never watched it but I know it is there and I know that these things go on everyday in Thailand This country has a lot of problems and most of them are hidden, for sure there are a lot of good people but I am afraid the bad in Thailand are very bad and I for one would not let my guard down in this country for one minute ! you would be very very foolish too.

I am sorry but anyone who says a country with containers full of dead bodies sunken of it's cost is a beautiful and heaven like country seriously needs their heads examined.

As for the " Sunken container " Do you honestly believe that if there was a container full of bodies it would not have been opened and brought back to the surface ? EXACTLY

As foir the terible, deadly South then that's funny as I spent 3 weeks riding around the 3 main troubled provinces and never felt threatened ? Everywhere I went in Natarriwat, pattani and Yala I was made welcome and never for one minute felt at all threatened. It is OK to read articles and watch obscure videos on the net but have you actually been there ?

When you have maybe you will think a little better of the southern people!

You fully admit you have never watched the alleged video and by the tone of your post you don't even live here ? As for it being a " dangerous country " I feel safer here walking about than I ever did back in London. In London I used to park my bike. Put the steering lock on, a disc lock on, a U lock through the front wheel and put a very heavy chain through the back wheel and attach it to something immovable if I could. This was then secured with 300 pounds worth of padlock. I would then activate the alarm / immobiliser and after all that I could never guarantee it would still be there when i returned. Here I more often leave the key in when shopping and overnight when parked outside my house.

As said no Thai has ever done me wrong. Yes it has its faults but nothing compared to back in the UK. I would more worry about a Muslim insurgency back there than here. It must be awful to live like you do with one eye always looking out for trouble! I DON'T

[madjbs]

Although you really should take your bike keys out when you go shopping!

I have left mine in by mistake a couple of times, once someone hid them in my helmet for me, and another time I had to retrieve them from a nearby office. If you did that in London or Manchester you would likely never see the bike again!

I wouldn't like to leave it to chance too often though, as I have had a few expensive helmets stolen here.

[abdulrahman]

After all the negative postings lately about Thailand I thought I would post some good things. Since first coming here several years ago I have never been arrested, ripped off, been a victim of crime or shown any great disrespect Paid the odd MIB 200 baht but done so with a smile

I have though been made very welcome in all areas of Thailand during my ride around the Kingdom. When I have broken down or run out of fuel I have never had to wait more than 5 mins for some very helpful Thai to stop and assist me. I have been fed, watered and given a room all for nothing. I hardly ever take the key out of my motorbike and when I return it is always there. A girl that I didn't know that well sat by my bed day and night for 4 days in hospital after an accident till I was better. My other half cost me nothing, has asked for nothing and her family neither ask nor expect anything other than I take care of their daughter. I live in a beautiful country and thank Buddha every day for allowing me to do so.

My quality of life here is far better than back in the UK and I will leave only when they drag me screaming and kicking onto the plane.

The next time you feel the need to post that life here in Thailand is so bad just try to remember what things were like back wherever you came from Chock dee

They must really give the rose tinted glasses away for free in the thousands.

Or do you really came to Thailand from a real shithole?

Thailand has a good side(can be very good) and a bad side;as every Country.

The only thing I must agreed with you,is your opinion about the deep south,but then, for most people they are not really Thais,are they?

[madjbs]

for most people they are not really Thais,are they?

ehhh......Yes they are.

[BigSnake]

AMAZING or Great?

[bravingbangkok]

By the way you should also watch this video of a Thai soldier having his head cut off in the south by a Muslim insurgent, some of the atrocities that are going on in the south are never covered in the news fully or fairly, It will really wake you up to the fact that you are living in a dangerous country. I never watched it but I know it is there and I know that these things go on everyday in Thailand This country has a lot of problems and most of them are hidden, for sure there are a lot of good people but I am afraid the bad in Thailand are very bad and I for one would not let my guard down in this country for one minute ! you would be very very foolish too.

I am sorry but anyone who says a country with containers full of dead bodies sunken of it's cost is a beautiful and heaven like country seriously needs their heads examined.

As for the " Sunken container " Do you honestly believe that if there was a container full of bodies it would not have been opened and brought back to the surface ? EXACTLY

As foir the terible, deadly South then that's funny as I spent 3 weeks riding around the 3 main troubled provinces and never felt threatened ? Everywhere I went in Natarriwat, pattani and Yala I was made welcome and never for one minute felt at all threatened. It is OK to read articles and watch obscure videos on the net but have you actually been there ?

When you have maybe you will think a little better of the southern people!

You fully admit you have never watched the alleged video and by the tone of your post you don't even live here ? As for it being a " dangerous country " I feel safer here walking about than I ever did back in London. In London I used to park my bike. Put the steering lock on, a disc lock on, a U lock through the front wheel and put a very heavy chain through the back wheel and attach it to something immovable if I could. This was then secured with 300 pounds worth of padlock. I would then activate the alarm / immobiliser and after all that I could never guarantee it would still be there when i returned. Here I more often leave the key in when shopping and overnight when parked outside my house.

As said no Thai has ever done me wrong. Yes it has its faults but nothing compared to back in the UK. I would more worry about a Muslim insurgency back there than here. It must be awful to live like you do with one eye always looking out for trouble! I DON'T

Okay I accept the points you are making as being very valid however I think there is a big difference between you locking up your bike and someone getting their head chopped on with a machete in the name of religion. I do not have time to argue this point with you as you probably already have your mind made up.

One point I would like to make is I do live here and have done for 7 years, I am married and have two children, My family also have a long history with Thailand and Siam...yes Siam that is how long !

I am from London as well so I know where you are coming from, all I would say to you is do not judge a book by it's cover and Thailand has a very big cover with a big smiling face on it

[bravingbangkok]

Just to add about the sunken container, the authorities have claimed that it would be too expensive to raise it and have decided to explore the containers on the ocean floor................hmmm I wonder why. So as you can see you can argue this point both ways so there is really no point in mentioning it again.

[mommysboy]

There are negatives, and I can't be as glowing as OP in all honesty as I fear for the way the country is going, but I was glad to get back here for sure.

But yes, I've had my personal belongings including a mobile phone returned to me on many occasions, Thais helped me to learn to swim (after 47 years and a marked phobia), and the dentist sure has a lighter touch.

And after 5 years I am still with my chick.

[bravingbangkok]

I would also like to point out that in any decent society the basis of that society is the legal system, quite frankly the legal system in Thailand is not up to scratch with western country's and developed Asian country's, to deny that would just be a lie.

[madjbs]

Well maybe that would be because Thailand is not yet a developed nation. For a developING country, Thailand has a reasonably good legal system.

[madjbs]

My family also have a long history with Thailand and Siam...yes Siam that is how long !

Are you serious? We are living in Thailand, of course your family has a history with Siam. Every other Thai over the age of 65 has as well.

[bravingbangkok]

My family also have a long history with Thailand and Siam...yes Siam that is how long !

Are you serious? We are living in Thailand, of course your family has a history with Siam. Every other Thai over the age of 65 has as well.

Huh ? but my family is not Thai and why would it make a difference if they were. The point I was making is that this guy has assumed without any good evidence that I do not live here when I actually do, a little silly to point out my families long history and association with this country but there you go.

I do not see what the point of your comment was

Edited May 24, 2009 by bravingbangkok

[bravingbangkok]

Well maybe that would be because Thailand is not yet a developed nation. For a developING country, Thailand has a reasonably good legal system.

I think you are taking my comments out of context and out of this entire thread, we are not discussing whether or not Thailand has a good legal system for a developing country are we ?

We are discussing why some expats have a lot of issues with the country they live in, thus I stated that one of the problems I have noticed is the Thai legal system is not the same or anywhere near and neat and practical as it is in the west.

Edited May 24, 2009 by bravingbangkok

[madjbs]

Huh ? but my family is not Thai

I assumed your family was Thai.

and why would it make a difference if they were.

As I already said before, hardly anything special having a Thai family with a history in Siam.

a little of silly to point out my families long history and association with this country but there you go.

Yes it was, why did you feel the need to mention your "long history"

[Jingthing]

Why the simple minded demand, either you are Mr. Happy Face or Gloomy Gus, that Thailand is either a pure paradise or a tropical hel_l on earth? I really don't get it. I understand people here on holiday get all kinds of silly romantic notions about what Thailand is (I've been there) but long term expats, we deal with real life stuff. Whats charming on a holiday becomes annoying and frustrating when you are actually trying to get things done. What is negative about seeing the world as it is?

Edited May 24, 2009 by Jingthing

[bravingbangkok]

Well I would totally agree it was stupid thing to point out on a forum but I did not take kindly to him automatically thinking just because I have a few of my own issues it means I do not live here and subsequently know nothing about Thailand. I am sure there are experts around the world who know more than I do about the UK and do not even live there !

Although I do live here, if I did not it would not automatically mean I knew nothing about the country or it's history.

[madjbs]

Fair enough, but Muslim be-headings are still relatively rare considering the number of people. Plus, farangs are not really in danger apart from being collateral damage. So I think using that as an example for why farangs might have problems is not valid, same goes for the underwater containers.

Most farang problems only occur because people are set in their ways, ethnocentric or simply can not get over the language barrier. I know some people like to think they are living in danger every day, risking getting their heads chopped or shot every time they leave the house. But in reality that is far from the case for most farangs here.

[TheLaughingMan]

It amazes me that because bad things don't happen to someone they immediately discount that it ever had or could happen to anyone else. and then there's the people that say yes it happens but only to those that basically deserve it. Guess they change their tune and go to the other side once they fall prey to the random bad event that can befall anyone here.