Thailand'S Lost Its Mojo?

[StreetCowboy]

Disagree with the original poster- Bloomberg just had an article pointing out Thailand manufacturing/industry is leading the world in several areas- e.g. Thailand overtook the US to be the biggest producer of pick up trucks this year and it is also global leader in producing/exporting agricultural products. Thailand is also ranked this year as the most attractive emerging market for invesmtent (after China) by Goldman Sachs if i recall.

As to Thailand's neighbours- Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar- these are all WAY more corrupt,ineffiencient and standard of living is way lower for expats if you are looking for modern conveniences, stable elecricity and water supply, decent hospitals etc

Think you are missing the point here.

If you wanted to live/visit a place with car manufacturing, engineering output and a good investment climate, combined with modern conveniences, stable utilities and decent healthcare, Europe or the US meet those requirements pretty well (at least in the long term re investments).

The irony here is that Thailand is becoming increasingly similar in many ways, in many places, to what foreign western immigrants to Thailand left behind in the first place.

Similar to a survey undertaken in the UK as to what would constitute the perfect holiday. The runaway winner was the option of transplanting your local pub with all your friends to a tropical beach. Funny sounds like Pattaya, Koh Samui or Phuket.

Aspirational middle-class Thais are chasing the American dream of a suburban mini-McMansion with 2 cars in the drive.

There's nothing wrong in all this and none of it is particularly surprising, and for many foreign people Thailand provides exactly what they seek, namely familiarity and convenience with better weather.

i was responding to your paragraph about thai companies, navel gazing etc- to show infact that its the opposite . Plus making the point that whatever thailands mojo is, it is far more mojorific than its neighbours in every category- at least in terms of being expat.

I concur. I didn't leave my home country because it offered a stable investment environment and extensive opportunities in technologically based industries. I didn't leave my country because it had an excellent education system and an excellent health care system. I didn't leave my home country because the roads were safe. I really don't object to any of those things, and I don't begrudge the Thais any improvements that they have achieved.

SC

[balo]

Well, Thailand has a pretty good infrastructure. The only countries in SEA that are liveable for most expats are Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.

Been to a hospital in Myanmar or Laos? Rather scary experiences...

Have you ever been in Phnom Penh ?

Maybe Cambodia is a poor country but in PP they have everything an expat wants , good Khmer and French food, bakeries. hospitals . friendly people

The city is more clean than Bangkok and easy to get around.

[LongThaimer]

Well, Thailand has a pretty good infrastructure. The only countries in SEA that are liveable for most expats are Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.

Been to a hospital in Myanmar or Laos? Rather scary experiences...

I would add Indonesia to that list.

Manila is alright to live ............

As long as you have a personal body guard with an automatic rifle.

no difference between crazy thai MF and a filipino one .....

[bendix]

I always find it ironic that people come to Thailand and spend their time whining that it's not like it is 'back ome', and then when it becomes more like back home through something as welcoming as economic development, they whine that it's too much like home.

Moral of the story. People are miserable buggers.

[Beetlejuice]

Certainly has not changed as much as some other countries.

I thank my lucky stars that I am in Thailand. Problem is some people don`t realise when they are well off.

[BookMan]

Certainly has not changed as much as some other countries.

I thank my lucky stars that I am in Thailand. Problem is some people don`t realise when they are well off.

Thanks for posting that most recent photos of a group of your female friends who you hang out with in thailand. The old photo of young chldren 'back in the home country' is a bit old though isn't it?

[Beetlejuice]

Certainly has not changed as much as some other countries.

I thank my lucky stars that I am in Thailand. Problem is some people don`t realise when they are well off.

Thanks for posting that most recent photos of a group of your female friends who you hang out with in thailand. The old photo of young chldren 'back in the home country' is a bit old though isn't it?

Is It?

I would be interested to know how you view those photos? Otherwise what`s odd about them?

[Ulysses G.]

Thailand's better than ever 'cause it offers much more variety and appeals to more markets than it ever has. You want a more primitive, rural life, Thailand still has a VAST area of countryside that hasn't changed much in centuries except most villages have internet, cellular service, and fairly reliable power. But you can turn it off if you wish.

Other countries "moving on" is nonsense except that it really means that they are making progress in becoming more like Thailand.

I think the OP is just whinging 'cause Thailand's not as poor as it was and so doesn't make him feel like a big, rich, important Great White Hope, which fragile egos and small wallets need. And given worldwide inflation and the decline of the dollar, the OP's probably feeling the pinch.

So it's really all about the OP losing his mojo and projecting that misfortune onto Thailand itself. Sorry!

After you've lived in SE Asia a while, it no longer feels particularly exotic. That has always been true. Politically, Thailand has always been relatively unstable, that's not new.

Time to move along, nothing to see here.

I approve of much of this post. Granted,Thailand does not seem as exciting as when I first got here and was a newbie, but, some things have improved a lot and I still love the place.

[GuestHouse]

The OP has noticed a change, he attributes the fact that things are not as exciting to failings he attributes to Thailand. Perhaps neglecting the fact that he's 30 years older.

[TaoNow]

The problem with a thread like this is that it is a wind-up (i.e., trollish).

People who live here and have integrated successfully with Thai society do not post on TV once a day or every other day (unless, of course, they are the Holy MODS).

I would advise newbies to the General Forum of TV to take, with a grain of salt, the observations of its frequent posters on the General sub-forum.

In most cases, they seem not to be able to find "a life" with regular Thai folk.

And they probably never will....

Edited February 29, 2012 by TaoNow

[Beetlejuice]

The OP has noticed a change, he attributes the fact that things are not as exciting to failings he attributes to Thailand. Perhaps neglecting the fact that he's 30 years older.

Good point.

None of us are getting any younger and as time passes by we become bored with the adventures we used to have, have less energy, everything is more expensive and not forgetting, less desirable to women, although I do agree Thailand is a lot tamer than it used to be, especially in Chiang Mai with all the clamp downs.

Just have to adapt and get on with it, or consider moving somewhere else. Those are the only options left open to us these days.

The parties over folks. Try taking up gardening or a hobby instead.

[StreetCowboy]

...

I approve of much of this post. Granted,Thailand does not seem as exciting as when I first got here and was a newbie, but, some things have improved a lot and I still love the place.

How much of the "does not seem as exciting" is because you are sadder, older, and wiser now? I dread to say perhaps a tad cynical, jaded or set in your ways?

[Beetlejuice]

...

I approve of much of this post. Granted,Thailand does not seem as exciting as when I first got here and was a newbie, but, some things have improved a lot and I still love the place.

How much of the "does not seem as exciting" is because you are sadder, older, and wiser now? I dread to say perhaps a tad cynical, jaded or set in your ways?

Ulysses G is one of the nice guys of Thai visa, so stop being mean to him, you bully.

I think reading in-between the lines of this thread, it means as time goes by, we ain`t getting our leg over as often as we used to or it costs a lot more to do so with less choice.

Edited February 29, 2012 by Beetlejuice

[kerryk]

Thailand's better than ever 'cause it offers much more variety and appeals to more markets than it ever has. You want a more primitive, rural life, Thailand still has a VAST area of countryside that hasn't changed much in centuries except most villages have internet, cellular service, and fairly reliable power. But you can turn it off if you wish.

Other countries "moving on" is nonsense except that it really means that they are making progress in becoming more like Thailand.

I think the OP is just whinging 'cause Thailand's not as poor as it was and so doesn't make him feel like a big, rich, important Great White Hope, which fragile egos and small wallets need. And given worldwide inflation and the decline of the dollar, the OP's probably feeling the pinch.

So it's really all about the OP losing his mojo and projecting that misfortune onto Thailand itself. Sorry!

After you've lived in SE Asia a while, it no longer feels particularly exotic. That has always been true. Politically, Thailand has always been relatively unstable, that's not new.

Time to move along, nothing to see here.

Shame that you feel the need to resort to arrogant assumptions about my gender, race, nationality, source of wealth and level of wealth. And by the way you score 0/5, definite fail.

If Thailand ticks every box on your wishlist fantastic. Personally I feel Thailand has lost a lot of its particular charm and appeal as it has "developed" in the last 30 years. It's not that I seek rural poverty as some glorious backdrop, and every country in the region and beyond has its issues, but I just feel that an element of what made this country special has been lost.

If you disagree, that's your absolute right, you just don't need to be rude about it. The perils of anonymity.

What is rude is to come on a Thai forum and tell everyone Thailand sucks. That is really rude. Why don't you go to that Burma forum and tell everyone that Burma is a wonderful place. I don't know the name of that big expat Burma forum. I guess you do.

[StreetCowboy]

Thailand's better than ever 'cause it offers much more variety and appeals to more markets than it ever has. You want a more primitive, rural life, Thailand still has a VAST area of countryside that hasn't changed much in centuries except most villages have internet, cellular service, and fairly reliable power. But you can turn it off if you wish.

Other countries "moving on" is nonsense except that it really means that they are making progress in becoming more like Thailand.

I think the OP is just whinging 'cause Thailand's not as poor as it was and so doesn't make him feel like a big, rich, important Great White Hope, which fragile egos and small wallets need. And given worldwide inflation and the decline of the dollar, the OP's probably feeling the pinch.

So it's really all about the OP losing his mojo and projecting that misfortune onto Thailand itself. Sorry!

After you've lived in SE Asia a while, it no longer feels particularly exotic. That has always been true. Politically, Thailand has always been relatively unstable, that's not new.

Time to move along, nothing to see here.

Shame that you feel the need to resort to arrogant assumptions about my gender, race, nationality, source of wealth and level of wealth. And by the way you score 0/5, definite fail.

If Thailand ticks every box on your wishlist fantastic. Personally I feel Thailand has lost a lot of its particular charm and appeal as it has "developed" in the last 30 years. It's not that I seek rural poverty as some glorious backdrop, and every country in the region and beyond has its issues, but I just feel that an element of what made this country special has been lost.

If you disagree, that's your absolute right, you just don't need to be rude about it. The perils of anonymity.

What is rude is to come on a Thai forum and tell everyone Thailand sucks. That is really rude. Why don't you go to that Burma forum and tell everyone that Burma is a wonderful place. I don't know the name of that big expat Burma forum. I guess you do.

He was probably just trying to be helpful. Those of us that live here probably lack the perspicacity to see it, and those of us that don't might be saved a wasted journey. I still don't really see what he's driving at, but maybe he could provide some details and fill us in.

Maybe he's unhappy about something, and just wanted to sound off, and maybe look for some empathy. I know how he feels, I had a pair of shoes like that. I'd only had them a few weeks and one of the soles started to come off. I never got much sympathy, but then I only mentioned it as an aside - I never started a specific thread on it. Anyway, the replacement shoes are much better - from a well-known and respected brand, Anyway, I share the OP's interest in talking cobblers, so don't be too hard on him

SC

[theblether]

Disagree with the original poster- Bloomberg just had an article pointing out Thailand manufacturing/industry is leading the world in several areas- e.g. Thailand overtook the US to be the biggest producer of pick up trucks this year and it is also global leader in producing/exporting agricultural products. Thailand is also ranked this year as the most attractive emerging market for invesmtent (after China) by Goldman Sachs if i recall.

As to Thailand's neighbours- Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar- these are all WAY more corrupt,ineffiencient and standard of living is way lower for expats if you are looking for modern conveniences, stable elecricity and water supply, decent hospitals etc

Think you are missing the point here.

If you wanted to live/visit a place with car manufacturing, engineering output and a good investment climate, combined with modern conveniences, stable utilities and decent healthcare, Europe or the US meet those requirements pretty well (at least in the long term re investments).

The irony here is that Thailand is becoming increasingly similar in many ways, in many places, to what foreign western immigrants to Thailand left behind in the first place.

Similar to a survey undertaken in the UK as to what would constitute the perfect holiday. The runaway winner was the option of transplanting your local pub with all your friends to a tropical beach. Funny sounds like Pattaya, Koh Samui or Phuket.

Aspirational middle-class Thais are chasing the American dream of a suburban mini-McMansion with 2 cars in the drive.

There's nothing wrong in all this and none of it is particularly surprising, and for many foreign people Thailand provides exactly what they seek, namely familiarity and convenience with better weather.

You are missing the point Sir, don't come on here eulogizing a country ( Mynamar ) that has spent the past 50 years terrorising, raping, murdering and torturing it's own people.

Your picture of paradise is a fantasy.

edited for clarity.

Edited February 29, 2012 by theblether

[smokie36]

Stick it in the pot Ian!

Does it taste anything like lobster I wonder?

[IanForbes]

The OP has noticed a change, he attributes the fact that things are not as exciting to failings he attributes to Thailand. Perhaps neglecting the fact that he's 30 years older.

Bingo! Give GuestHouse a kewpie doll from the top shelf. I can show you LOTS of wild places in Thailand where a motorbike or vehicle passes every hour or so. There are still hill tribe people living as they did centuries ago.

A local tribesman using a bamboo pole and woven line for catching eels with shrimp for bait on a home made hook

And where there is no power the women build a wooden waterwheel to pound their rice into flower.

And this craftsman making a river boat out of teak wood planks and doing it with no power tools.

Edited February 29, 2012 by IanForbes

[folium]

Disagree with the original poster- Bloomberg just had an article pointing out Thailand manufacturing/industry is leading the world in several areas- e.g. Thailand overtook the US to be the biggest producer of pick up trucks this year and it is also global leader in producing/exporting agricultural products. Thailand is also ranked this year as the most attractive emerging market for invesmtent (after China) by Goldman Sachs if i recall.

As to Thailand's neighbours- Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar- these are all WAY more corrupt,ineffiencient and standard of living is way lower for expats if you are looking for modern conveniences, stable elecricity and water supply, decent hospitals etc

Think you are missing the point here.

If you wanted to live/visit a place with car manufacturing, engineering output and a good investment climate, combined with modern conveniences, stable utilities and decent healthcare, Europe or the US meet those requirements pretty well (at least in the long term re investments).

The irony here is that Thailand is becoming increasingly similar in many ways, in many places, to what foreign western immigrants to Thailand left behind in the first place.

Similar to a survey undertaken in the UK as to what would constitute the perfect holiday. The runaway winner was the option of transplanting your local pub with all your friends to a tropical beach. Funny sounds like Pattaya, Koh Samui or Phuket.

Aspirational middle-class Thais are chasing the American dream of a suburban mini-McMansion with 2 cars in the drive.

There's nothing wrong in all this and none of it is particularly surprising, and for many foreign people Thailand provides exactly what they seek, namely familiarity and convenience with better weather.

You are missing the point Sir, don't come on here eulogizing a country ( Mynamar ) that has spent the past 50 years terrorising, raping, murdering and torturing it's own people.

Your picture of paradise is a fantasy.

edited for clarity.

Not sure where the "eulogies" appeared in relation to Myanmar. I would be the first to decry the actions of the military regime there since 1962.

I am not sure either where I stated that Thailand "sucked". The point I am trying to make is quite simple is that in the last 30 years Thailand has lost a degree of its charm and magic, none more so then in the larger towns, cities and tourist resort areas where the vast majority of foreigners reside.

What helped make Thailand such a captivating place 30 years ago was that it was to a large degree the only readily accessible SE Asian nation. As the region has opened up it has become very apparent that Thailand's charms were not exclusive and in fact were outshone in many respects by other destinations.

And no it's not some weird desire to gawp at impoverished peasant farmers in decorative native dress. The "human zoo" style of tourism is utterly warped but sadly widely practised.

What does make Myanmar interesting at the moment is its palpable attitude that times are a'changing and opportunities are finally arriving for a hugely deserving slice of humanity. Sure the whole opening up of the country might just be a short term ploy to play the US off against China and the generals may well have no real intention of yielding any power, but the small changes that have happened are very important to the people of Myanmar.

Getting just a superficial taste of this change is similar to exploring East Germany in the immediate aftermath of the reopening of the Inner German Border in 1989. It sure beats the political pantomime currently being played out in Thailand which will probably end in tears and yet another setback on the road to decent governance.

Similar to having a current boy/girlfriend many people are very happy with the choice they have made. Other people, myself included, are tempted to move on to the next option even in the knowledge that no choice is ever perfect.

[theblether]

Disagree with the original poster- Bloomberg just had an article pointing out Thailand manufacturing/industry is leading the world in several areas- e.g. Thailand overtook the US to be the biggest producer of pick up trucks this year and it is also global leader in producing/exporting agricultural products. Thailand is also ranked this year as the most attractive emerging market for invesmtent (after China) by Goldman Sachs if i recall.

As to Thailand's neighbours- Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar- these are all WAY more corrupt,ineffiencient and standard of living is way lower for expats if you are looking for modern conveniences, stable elecricity and water supply, decent hospitals etc

Think you are missing the point here.

If you wanted to live/visit a place with car manufacturing, engineering output and a good investment climate, combined with modern conveniences, stable utilities and decent healthcare, Europe or the US meet those requirements pretty well (at least in the long term re investments).

The irony here is that Thailand is becoming increasingly similar in many ways, in many places, to what foreign western immigrants to Thailand left behind in the first place.

Similar to a survey undertaken in the UK as to what would constitute the perfect holiday. The runaway winner was the option of transplanting your local pub with all your friends to a tropical beach. Funny sounds like Pattaya, Koh Samui or Phuket.

Aspirational middle-class Thais are chasing the American dream of a suburban mini-McMansion with 2 cars in the drive.

There's nothing wrong in all this and none of it is particularly surprising, and for many foreign people Thailand provides exactly what they seek, namely familiarity and convenience with better weather.

You are missing the point Sir, don't come on here eulogizing a country ( Mynamar ) that has spent the past 50 years terrorising, raping, murdering and torturing it's own people.

Your picture of paradise is a fantasy.

edited for clarity.

Not sure where the "eulogies" appeared in relation to Myanmar. I would be the first to decry the actions of the military regime there since 1962.

I am not sure either where I stated that Thailand "sucked". The point I am trying to make is quite simple is that in the last 30 years Thailand has lost a degree of its charm and magic, none more so then in the larger towns, cities and tourist resort areas where the vast majority of foreigners reside.

What helped make Thailand such a captivating place 30 years ago was that it was to a large degree the only readily accessible SE Asian nation. As the region has opened up it has become very apparent that Thailand's charms were not exclusive and in fact were outshone in many respects by other destinations.

And no it's not some weird desire to gawp at impoverished peasant farmers in decorative native dress. The "human zoo" style of tourism is utterly warped but sadly widely practised.

What does make Myanmar interesting at the moment is its palpable attitude that times are a'changing and opportunities are finally arriving for a hugely deserving slice of humanity. Sure the whole opening up of the country might just be a short term ploy to play the US off against China and the generals may well have no real intention of yielding any power, but the small changes that have happened are very important to the people of Myanmar.

Getting just a superficial taste of this change is similar to exploring East Germany in the immediate aftermath of the reopening of the Inner German Border in 1989. It sure beats the political pantomime currently being played out in Thailand which will probably end in tears and yet another setback on the road to decent governance.

Similar to having a current boy/girlfriend many people are very happy with the choice they have made. Other people, myself included, are tempted to move on to the next option even in the knowledge that no choice is ever perfect.

Folium I was in West Germany when the wall came down, I saw the Trabants queueing up to get into my home town, and I saw the people cry in the street when they realized they had fed a lie for 45 years.

You have just came from one of the greatest countries in the world, which was wrecked by military dictatorship over the course of the last 48 years, and now the people are on their knees.

You compared that regressed country to Thailand. Check your OP,

[folium]

Folium I was in West Germany when the wall came down, I saw the Trabants queueing up to get into my home town, and I saw the people cry in the street when they realized they had fed a lie for 45 years.

You have just came from one of the greatest countries in the world, which was wrecked by military dictatorship over the course of the last 48 years, and now the people are on their knees.

You compared that regressed country to Thailand. Check your OP,

We seem to be discussing this from 2 different angles.

I am not saying and have not said that Myanmar was anything other than a repressed basket case for the last 5 decades. Even during that time there was a certain magic about the country and it's people notwithstanding the appalling situation they were in.

Now with change apparently underway it is fascinating to witness change finally happening. Many Burmese mention Thailand as how they do not wish to see their country develop in terms of its tourism. Will Myanmar end up with its own versions of Pattaya, Phuket and Koh Samui? Possibly but perhaps after 50 years there may be sufficient desire to get it right now they finally have the chance.

[farangme]

Visited wife's ailing relative in main hospital in Sakhon Nakhon. Deplorable conditions. Can only imagine what its like in Myanmar.

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[Beetlejuice]

All this has to be put into perspective.

Many farangs come to Thailand for they’re retirement believing that it`s going to be a new lease of life for them. Some examples: making interesting new friends, living the high life with a full agenda of social activities, young desirable woman eager to be their companions and so on. This is what the impression is of Thailand abroad.

But the reality can be completely different: nasty old anti social ex-pats, struggling with the Thai language, can be a bit of a culture shock, living the high life becomes too expensive and the young beautiful girls of their dreams do not appear on the scene. Then once we have made the bold decision to live out the rest of our lives in Thailand, we end up doing not much more than we would be doing in our own countries. So in other words, all that has changed is our environments and everything else has remained practically the same, which has become a disappointment for some. Perhaps many have found themselves living in a sort of isolation here? I can fully understand and that it can bring on some discontentment, not because they are running down Thailand or become a sad load of old farts, but because this has to do with the individuals themselves and what were their expectations of the country, did it happen for them or not?

But of course everyone’s situation is different and maybe the lifestyles that were expected or believed would be did not transpire or for others it suits them fine. It`s as the wise man says; some good, some not so good, another man`s meat is another man`s poison.

So for me, I can understand everyone’s point of views on here.

Edited February 29, 2012 by Beetlejuice

[Rg100875]

If you dont like dont go simple.

People are very different and like different things if its not for you then its you loss. All the more for us

[hellodolly]

I thought Myanmar was a 30 day entry only? is that not the case?

I checked into it if you want to live there long term bring your money and be prepared to live under Shari law There last time was there they were talking about making it illegal for a man and wife to hold hands,.

[farangme]

I have to agree with beetlejuice. While TL has certainly changed in many ways over the years, its primarily the individuals who are changing as they progress through life. The only constant is change. Funny how some posters complain TL has changed too much and others that it hasn't changed enough. There's something for most everyone in LOS. If its not your cup of tea now, or never was, move on. No reason to linger about and bring others down. Something that amazes me is the number of posters that speak in absolute terms of opinion when discussing topics on TV. Hasn't the mail pen rai attitude rubbed off more? Isn't that why many folks come to TL? To get away from the attitudes and stringent rules of wherever they came from? Enjoy what you can, while you can, wherever you can, because one day you will no longer will be able to. And that is something you cannot change.

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[true blue]

I always find it ironic that people come to Thailand and spend their time whining that it's not like it is 'back ome', and then when it becomes more like back home through something as welcoming as economic development, they whine that it's too much like home.

Moral of the story. People are miserable buggers.

theres nowt as funny,as people.

[theblether]

Folium I was in West Germany when the wall came down, I saw the Trabants queueing up to get into my home town, and I saw the people cry in the street when they realized they had fed a lie for 45 years.

You have just came from one of the greatest countries in the world, which was wrecked by military dictatorship over the course of the last 48 years, and now the people are on their knees.

You compared that regressed country to Thailand. Check your OP,

We seem to be discussing this from 2 different angles.

I am not saying and have not said that Myanmar was anything other than a repressed basket case for the last 5 decades. Even during that time there was a certain magic about the country and it's people notwithstanding the appalling situation they were in.

Now with change apparently underway it is fascinating to witness change finally happening. Many Burmese mention Thailand as how they do not wish to see their country develop in terms of its tourism. Will Myanmar end up with its own versions of Pattaya, Phuket and Koh Samui? Possibly but perhaps after 50 years there may be sufficient desire to get it right now they finally have the chance.

I'll accept that Folium, yes there is a kind of magic in Mynamar, an old country charm if you like. When you like behind the charm though all you can see is an unremitting tragedy.

India was the Jewel in the British crown, but Burma was loved like no other. Let's not get into a Colonialism argument, but just look at the reality of Burma 1948. It probably had the best Civil Service per head of the population of any country in Asia, it had relative stability, unbelievable natural resources, it had major companies such as Burmah Oil, the Anglo-Burma Tin Mining company, it has one of the largest shipping fleets in the world, alongside an educated middle class with outstanding multi-lingual abilities and a tremendous ethnic mix.

It was a stunning country at the date of Independence, and what happened after was a human catastrophe.

So yes, go look and admire the fading architecture, the ramshackle roads, the decrepit vehicles and down trodden people who will flash you a smile and treat you kindly. Go see the Burma Banks and go up to the mountain ranges, the stunning temples etc you get the idea. But look at it with sadness for what might have been.

I wouldn't swap the post-war history of Thailand as compared to Burma.

On your other point about the possible effects of the country opening up and suffering some negative consequences as a result, I agree. There will be negative consequences for some, There will be a mad dash to industrialization, to build massive sea ports, to build a tourist infrastructure etc.

That is the price of progress, of freedom, of people having the choice and ability to improve their lives. I think we would all like a Time Machine so that we can go back and sample places of yore, but yore is where they will stay......welcome to the future!!

edited for clarity

Edited February 29, 2012 by theblether

[theblether]

I have to agree with beetlejuice. While TL has certainly changed in many ways over the years, its primarily the individuals who are changing as they progress through life. The only constant is change. Funny how some posters complain TL has changed too much and others that it hasn't changed enough. There's something for most everyone in LOS. If its not your cup of tea now, or never was, move on. No reason to linger about and bring others down. Something that amazes me is the number of posters that speak in absolute terms of opinion when discussing topics on TV. Hasn't the mail pen rai attitude rubbed off more? Isn't that why many folks come to TL? To get away from the attitudes and stringent rules of wherever they came from? Enjoy what you can, while you can, wherever you can, because one day you will no longer will be able to. And that is something you cannot change.

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I agree with beetlejuice too............you can change your clothes, you can change your hair, you can even change your country, but the one thing that will track you down everywhere you go is your personality.

[ARISTIDE]

Spend sometimes in remote part and you will feel like you're in Burma. But in Burma you might go to jail for just being white.