Imagine Thailand 50 Years Ago.

[SeanMoran]

Discuss...

[MESmith]

I wasn't here, or anywhere 50yrs ago, but I imagine most people didn't know how to drive & burnt their trash.  My, how things change 

[anothertorres]

but I imagine most people didn't know how to drive & burnt their trash.

qft.

[kennkate]

More to the point. what will it be like in another 50 years ? Will the Airport Link be running ? Who will be running the country ?

Price of a bar fine. Ect

Now we can Discuss. come on what do you think ?

[lovelomsak]

When you say apart from the obvious many of those here willnot be able to fathom the obvious and the non obvious I am sure. 50 years ago many parts of Thailand were remote and difficult to access.Many new comers donot realize that growing up in countries with roads that gave easy access to everywhere. In Petchebun 50 years ago the trip from lomsak to petchebun which is 43 kilometers took all day, people had to stop half way for a lunch and a break.

Trucks are cars were few,motorcycles were for the rich, bicyles were the transportation.Of course no propane for cooking all charcoal.No running water in most areas people went to the river for water.No electricity.I had a friend who worked in Chiang Mai around 50 years ago he told me after 8 oclock at night you could have shot a cannon off down main street and not hit anyone the streets were vacant everyone was at home.My last gf who was 34 told me when she grew up in Esan as a young girl there was only a narrow red shale road to her village, now a bus from Bangkok comes to within one block from her house on nice paved road.

Many towns and villages still had opium houses, that gave free opium to anyone who wanted it or needed it.The tuk tuks at that time were done by man power these guys were treated very poorly by many people and sometimes they would find one of these guys dead in front the opium house dead of starvation. They used opium to kill the hunger pains.I think Pitsanuloks last opium house burnt down around 50 years ago.

The nomadic hilltribes didnot know borders and wandered freely from Burma Loas in and out of Thailand.

Could go on but this is making me realize just how much it has changed. Too much maybe.

Edited February 12, 2010 by lovelomsak

[geriatrickid]

50 years ago, if you had tap water, it was probably drinkable. Today, you do so at your own peril.

Ahh the benefits of progress and its chemicals, effluent and heavy metals.

I bet 50 years ago the domestic staff weren't lippy and were grateful to get their bowl of rice from the benevolent masters.

These people knew their place and would bow before the farang. They'd have counted their blessings when Otto selected a young one for a night of debauched pleasure. I bet 50 years ago, swimmers in Patong Bay and Jomtien beach were more likely to bump into a fish than a floating chunk of feces.

And 50 years ago today, the grandmother of some elderly Pattaya swinger's girl/boyfriend was born.

[SeanMoran]

More to the point. what will it be like in another 50 years ? Will the Airport Link be running ? Who will be running the country ?

Price of a bar fine. Ect

Now we can Discuss. come on what do you think ?

Sorry, but a sort of parody on some of the more western forums I used to know.

The purpose is to allow others a free scope on comments without OP influences, and so as OP I will only answer that I was first invited to Thailand and landed on International Labour Day May 1st 2548 (2005) and now in 2553(2010) I notice a great change from then, so that is why I ask others to help me understand the ways of the major changes, but within the reign of our current monarch, who is IMHO the standard that keeps Thailand Thailand itself.

It is the changes that have occurred during the reign of IMHO one of the greatest kings of all history, so if we accept that this monarchy is a constant, that I ask to discuss about.

Most of us on this forum, and I'd hazard a guess all of us, were not here in Thailand 50 years ago, but HM the King was. So let us imagine what it was like without western influences, Sattahip, Vietnam, HWS, McDonalds, and discuss from there.

I reckon that Thailand's future now lies more with the successes of its past than its present.

So please continue to discuss..

[Colabamumbai]

I spent a lot of time in Thailand 35 years ago. Bangkok had no skytrains, no metro and no 7/11 convenience stores. There may have been 2 million people here in the city then. Big corporations have come in, large foreign investment has built skyscrapers and the world has come to Thailand so to speak. Heroin was the drug being sold and you could come and go from Don Muang Airport, although U.S. drug agents worked in the background.

The pace of life was slower. You could meet a young lady at any intersection who would be willing to spend a week or two with you and she would never ask you for a dollar. If you ate she ate. If you decided to buy her something fine, if you left here with some money when you left great. The woman was just happy to be with you although she probably did not speak English and at that time I could not speak any Thai, but it was all good.

If you could not find accomodation in the north you were always welcome in a Buddhist Temple to sleep for the night. I remember waking up one morning with the young monks tickling then my Canadian girlfriends feet, and it was all in fun. I don't think that they had been that close to foreigners at that time. Dual pricing may have existed but it was not visible if it was. Pattaya had the beach with bungalow type accommodation and one street running behind the beach street. There may have been 20 foreigners there at any one time. There was one or two more modern type hotels. There was no scene, such as there is today.

You could travel up and down the Mekong river. The Pathet Lao were fighting in Laos and 14 year old boys stood armed in the street.

Everyone was laid back and relaxed, no one bothered you for anything. 1972-1979 Thailand. You would be the only foreigner on a bus going almost anywhere, Chaing Mai, Chaing Rai, Mai Sai, etc. You stood out then. I liked Thailand a lot more then, but my heart has all ways remained here after all these years, and since my family responsibilities in North America have ended, fortunately I have been able to return to Thailand and I figure to die here and have my ashes scattered in the Chao Phaya River.

[SeanMoran]

I spent a lot of time in Thailand 35 years ago.

The pace of life was slower.

...

Everyone was laid back and relaxed, no one bothered you for anything. 1972-1979 Thailand. You would be the only foreigner on a bus going almost anywhere, Chaing Mai, Chaing Rai, Mai Sai, etc. You stood out then. I liked Thailand a lot more then, but my heart has all ways remained here after all these years, and since my family responsibilities in North America have ended, fortunately I have been able to return to Thailand and I figure to die here and have my ashes scattered in the Chao Phaya River.

Thank you sir.

[givenall]

I like Thailand now but I liked it a lot more in 2000 when I first came here. But as Murphy says, given enough time everything goes to poop. True here or back at home so I still rather be here

[Colabamumbai]

I spent a lot of time in Thailand 35 years ago.

The pace of life was slower.

...

Everyone was laid back and relaxed, no one bothered you for anything. 1972-1979 Thailand. You would be the only foreigner on a bus going almost anywhere, Chaing Mai, Chaing Rai, Mai Sai, etc. You stood out then. I liked Thailand a lot more then, but my heart has all ways remained here after all these years, and since my family responsibilities in North America have ended, fortunately I have been able to return to Thailand and I figure to die here and have my ashes scattered in the Chao Phaya River.

Thank you sir.

Thank you Sean for starting the topic and allowing me to contribute, it makes me happy to share. "You get the best out of others when you give the best of yourself."

[SeanMoran]

I spent a lot of time in Thailand 35 years ago.

The pace of life was slower.

...

Everyone was laid back and relaxed, no one bothered you for anything. 1972-1979 Thailand. You would be the only foreigner on a bus going almost anywhere, Chaing Mai, Chaing Rai, Mai Sai, etc. You stood out then. I liked Thailand a lot more then, but my heart has all ways remained here after all these years, and since my family responsibilities in North America have ended, fortunately I have been able to return to Thailand and I figure to die here and have my ashes scattered in the Chao Phaya River.

Thank you sir.

Thank you Sean for starting the topic and allowing me to contribute, it makes me happy to share. "You get the best out of others when you give the best of yourself."

You spoke the truth and you wrote it so well. I wanted us to imagine the past, but you have provided reality that we can work from, because I was not even born until after Christmas 1967.

You have formed a good foundation for the intention of this thread in one single post.

I must now get some rest and will check in here when I wake up in 8 hours. Thanks for setting the right tone to this thread Mr Colaba-Mumbai. Goodnight and happy threading.

[harrry]

Duck eggs were the standard. Hen.s eggswerea rarity. Mekong whisky with coke was the cheap travelers drink. The girls from the Thermae were still girls and would go home with you when you ran out of money. Ko Samui was a full night ride on the old feries from Sathun Thani.

Bands were forbidden to play "Dixie" on US bases.

[DP25]

50 years ago, if you had tap water, it was probably drinkable. Today, you do so at your own peril.

Tap water is fine where I am, 90% of the water I drink is tap

[tigerboy]

I imagine a place that is hot, green, quiet, and peaceful. A place where an electric fan is a luxury item. Hundreds of sq km of uncut forests, and best of all, quiet! No earsplitting electric amplification of music or voices anywhere, that would be great I think!

[tmifune]

Found an xlnt thread if anyone is interested....

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Thailand-Years-t56390.html

[upinthesky]

Goes visit Laos if you want to know what has changed

[Travel2003]

I happened to find a video last year, made for Norwegian television, about the experiences of a young sailor on a general cargo ship.

The film is made like a travel documentory (letters home).

Made in the late 50s I believe.

Some of the scenes are from the river (manual ship cargo handling) and the streets of Bangkok.

Being a seafarer myself, it was very interesting to see how it was done in Bangkok 50 years ago.

[mauGR1]

Goes visit Laos if you want to know what has changed

Visiting Laos after being to Thailand has given me the impression to go 20/30 years backwards.

Might be that somewhere in the mountainous jungle some tribals are still hunting with arrows and bows.

I've been in a remote Isaan village for some week,a few years ago,i was amazed about the nearly symbiotic relationship between people and the nature around.

I watched some tribal people in India 30 years ago,they seemed to have come out from a very old age.

I feel lucky to have witnessed some way of living that is rapidly disappearing,not always for the best.

[BigWheelMan]

I spent a lot of time in Thailand 35 years ago. Bangkok had no skytrains, no metro and no 7/11 convenience stores. There may have been 2 million people here in the city then. Big corporations have come in, large foreign investment has built skyscrapers and the world has come to Thailand so to speak. Heroin was the drug being sold and you could come and go from Don Muang Airport, although U.S. drug agents worked in the background.

The pace of life was slower. You could meet a young lady at any intersection who would be willing to spend a week or two with you and she would never ask you for a dollar. If you ate she ate. If you decided to buy her something fine, if you left here with some money when you left great. The woman was just happy to be with you although she probably did not speak English and at that time I could not speak any Thai, but it was all good.

If you could not find accomodation in the north you were always welcome in a Buddhist Temple to sleep for the night. I remember waking up one morning with the young monks tickling then my Canadian girlfriends feet, and it was all in fun. I don't think that they had been that close to foreigners at that time. Dual pricing may have existed but it was not visible if it was. Pattaya had the beach with bungalow type accommodation and one street running behind the beach street. There may have been 20 foreigners there at any one time. There was one or two more modern type hotels. There was no scene, such as there is today.

You could travel up and down the Mekong river. The Pathet Lao were fighting in Laos and 14 year old boys stood armed in the street.

Everyone was laid back and relaxed, no one bothered you for anything. 1972-1979 Thailand. You would be the only foreigner on a bus going almost anywhere, Chaing Mai, Chaing Rai, Mai Sai, etc. You stood out then. I liked Thailand a lot more then, but my heart has all ways remained here after all these years, and since my family responsibilities in North America have ended, fortunately I have been able to return to Thailand and I figure to die here and have my ashes scattered in the Chao Phaya River.

A wonderful post although I was nearly in tears when I read the last part. Thank you for sharing.

Maybe when we think the past was always better times is a sign of getting old.

I can remember being here in 1989, when some Thai people would stare at me as if I just landed from another planet, there were beggars on every street corner, the make the Farang pay more attitude was firmly in place 20 odd years ago, some Thais would actually point at me in restaurants or in the street saying loudly, FARANG!, FARANG!, European style food was almost impossible to obtain, driving on the roads was like crossing craters on the moon, full of holes, many were just dirt tracks and the only supermarket in Chiang Mai was Makros on the super Highway, the super highway only being a few miles long in those days.

Also those were times when Thais were still ignorant about protected sex and were dropping like flies from AIDs. I can remember there were scores of funerals taking place on a daily basis.

It was a simpler way of living and pre times before Thai women caught on that Farangs could be a lucrative means of financial gain and income. So in some respects they were better times, but it had it`s downside. Summing up I would say modern day Thailand has much improved and everyone has a better standard of living.

Edited February 12, 2010 by BigWheelMan

[Colabamumbai]

I spent a lot of time in Thailand 35 years ago. Bangkok had no skytrains, no metro and no 7/11 convenience stores. There may have been 2 million people here in the city then. Big corporations have come in, large foreign investment has built skyscrapers and the world has come to Thailand so to speak. Heroin was the drug being sold and you could come and go from Don Muang Airport, although U.S. drug agents worked in the background.

The pace of life was slower. You could meet a young lady at any intersection who would be willing to spend a week or two with you and she would never ask you for a dollar. If you ate she ate. If you decided to buy her something fine, if you left here with some money when you left great. The woman was just happy to be with you although she probably did not speak English and at that time I could not speak any Thai, but it was all good.

If you could not find accomodation in the north you were always welcome in a Buddhist Temple to sleep for the night. I remember waking up one morning with the young monks tickling then my Canadian girlfriends feet, and it was all in fun. I don't think that they had been that close to foreigners at that time. Dual pricing may have existed but it was not visible if it was. Pattaya had the beach with bungalow type accommodation and one street running behind the beach street. There may have been 20 foreigners there at any one time. There was one or two more modern type hotels. There was no scene, such as there is today.

You could travel up and down the Mekong river. The Pathet Lao were fighting in Laos and 14 year old boys stood armed in the street.

Everyone was laid back and relaxed, no one bothered you for anything. 1972-1979 Thailand. You would be the only foreigner on a bus going almost anywhere, Chaing Mai, Chaing Rai, Mai Sai, etc. You stood out then. I liked Thailand a lot more then, but my heart has all ways remained here after all these years, and since my family responsibilities in North America have ended, fortunately I have been able to return to Thailand and I figure to die here and have my ashes scattered in the Chao Phaya River.

A wonderful post although I was nearly in tears when I read the last part. Thank you for sharing.

Maybe when we think the past was always better times is a sign of getting old.

I can remember being here in 1989, when some Thai people would stare at me as if I just landed from another planet, there were beggars on every street corner, the make the Farang pay more attitude was firmly in place 20 odd years ago, some Thais would actually point at me in restaurants or in the street saying loudly, FARANG!, FARANG!, European style food was almost impossible to obtain, driving on the roads was like crossing craters on the moon, full of holes, many were just dirt tracks and the only supermarket in Chiang Mai was Makros on the super Highway, the super highway only being a few miles long in those days.

Also those were times when Thais were still ignorant about protected sex and were dropping like flies from AIDs. I can remember there were scores of funerals taking place on a daily basis.

It was a simpler way of living and pre times before Thai women caught on that Farangs could be a lucrative means of financial gain and income. So in some respects they were better times, but it had it`s downside. Summing up I would say modern day Thailand has much improved and everyone has a better standard of living.

Thanks Bigwheelman. It was the same in Goa India in 1971 I was one of the first foreigners on the beach there, there were no foreigners, no hotels you could walk barefoot anywhere. I'm not dead yet, 59.

[Colabamumbai]

Goes visit Laos if you want to know what has changed

I took one of the business cards from the hotel in Vientianne in 1972. It had directions to the opium den a block away. I asked them how they knew that I was coming.

Edited February 12, 2010 by Colabamumbai

[harrry]

I imagine a place that is hot, green, quiet, and peaceful. A place where an electric fan is a luxury item. Hundreds of sq km of uncut forests, and best of all, quiet! No earsplitting electric amplification of music or voices anywhere, that would be great I think!

Well 50 years ago you wouldn't have got that here. At least the amplifiers and loadspeakers are usually of fair quality now. 50 years ago they were small speakers driven to maximum distortion.

[flying]

HISTORY OF CHIANGMAI

Chiang Mai (Zimme) 100 years ago - by Archibald Ross Colquhoun

[Ulysses G.]

Goes visit Laos if you want to know what has changed

I took one of the business cards from the hotel in Vientianne in 1972. It had directions to the opium den a block away. I asked them how they knew that I was coming.

Well I sure couldn't find any - not that I was looking.

They did sell ganja out of big wooden barrels at the day market though.

[harrry]

Goes visit Laos if you want to know what has changed

I took one of the business cards from the hotel in Vientianne in 1972. It had directions to the opium den a block away. I asked them how they knew that I was coming.

Well I sure couldn't find any - not that I was looking.

They did sell ganja out of big wooden barrels at the day market though.

Those were the days the big "Coke" factory was on the way into town....Well one of it's products was CocaCola

[CLEVERTREVOR]

25YRS Ago I had Thai friends in the gem trade. I met them in Brisbane Australia - Had overstayed their visa by 8 yrs

Their family all from Bangkok - Told me about swimming in the klongs + catching fish and actually eating them. They lived near the centre of Bankok . now in their 60s - Had fantastic childhoods playing around the streets and klongs .

I'd love to meet with them again , because if they sold the family property up , they now be Baht billionairs !!!

[IMA_FARANG]

I first arrived in Thailand in 1977...not quite 50 years ago, but 33 years ago. There were still people then who complained about how Thailand had been "spoiled" by all the foriegners.

For all the "night life" Patpong was the place to go, with Soi Cowboy and second and slightly lower class choice. There was no Patpong market and you could actually walk down Patpong road. Their was a 1 A.M. curfew, and the bars all closed (due to the unpleasent events in 1976). Thais walking out after 1 A.M. were quite likely to be taken to a police station and questioned at best. There were certain hotels that had all night clubs/lounges/bars that stayed open until 6 A.m. in the morning, if you stayed in those hotels any bargirls in the place couldn't leave after 1 A.M. which lead to an 'interesting" situation for a single guy with money. The Thermae was the place for after hours meetings...it was packed and yes they were all bargirls. You entered through the rear and the toilet was the first thing you saw. There was actually a policeman at the front door of the Thermae to tell you the place was "closed"...but it was obvious to even first timers you walked down the alley to enter the place via the back.

In 1978 I went to Phuket. I took the overnight bus from Bangkok with my Thai girlfriend to Phuket. About 12 hours on the bus, left Bangkok about 5 P.M. and got to Phuket the next afternoon. Phuket was a much smaller and quieter town. The beach I stayed at only had electricity from aout 4 P.M. until 11 P.M. Then the lights went out. The local fisherman used to bring their catch up to the beach and unload. There were a lot of small restaurants, many with open walls, across the road to the beach. They bought the fish from the locals, and cooked it on charcoal barbeques. My girlfriend and I had 6 crabs, 6, large tiger shrimp, and a large steamed fish. The crabs were 1.5 baht each, which my Thai girlfriend thought was too expensive. I had a large beer, she had a coke. My beer was 35 baht, the most expensive item on the whole bill. They didn't even charge us for the steamed rice, it was free. (I think the exchange rate was about 25 baht to the dollar then.)

Edited February 13, 2010 by IMA_FARANG

[jomtienbob]

Goes visit Laos if you want to know what has changed

good point

[Colabamumbai]

Goes visit Laos if you want to know what has changed

I took one of the business cards from the hotel in Vientianne in 1972. It had directions to the opium den a block away. I asked them how they knew that I was coming.

Well I sure couldn't find any - not that I was looking.

They did sell ganja out of big wooden barrels at the day market though.

That is not Ganga although it looks like it. I thought the same 35 years ago, remember it is illegal in Thailand