A Question For Expats

[Jersey_UK]

Biggest misconception about Thailand? "The nightlife in Bangkok is great!" You hear it everywhere. It's in every guide book and brochure. Truth is unless you're reeeaaally keen on drinking in whore-bars or dancing drunkenly to 50 Cent and other chart rubbish on Khao San road there's actually very little to do of genuine interest in Bangkok at night. There's plenty of places to go, true but they're virtually all the same dull standard.

I used to really enjoy extended stays in the "Naughty Nightlife", not so much for the gals (honest!) but for the 24/7 easy drinking (actually the most I ever did was 24/5 ) - so when the NSO arrived it was actually no bad thing for me..........putting the lights out made me at least think about going home to sleep.

But now my drinking is barely noticable - I just got bored of doing it - I find that the "nightlife" in Thailand is as dull as <deleted>. Probably an age thing as well! As for the "naughty Nightlife", unless I am drinking and can "pretend", I just find it too depressing as well as boring.

If it wasn't for the Missus, I would not be coming back to Thailand - apart from maybe a 2 week beach and sun holiday around 2030. Hopefully this WILL be my last year of trips to Thailand. IMHO There IS so much more of the world to see and do than is available in Thailand. I can't beleive I have already wasted so much of my life in the place.

But each to their own.

[sabaijai]

Forget what the travel guides tell you about street food. Using a little common sense I've NEVER been sick from street vendor food.

cv

I've never seen a travel guide that advised against street food in Thailand. Most seem to wax eloquent on the subject, describing common street foods with relish. Do you have a particular one in mind?

That said, I don't think I have a single Thai friend who could make the claim you have. Especially during the hot season, it's not uncommon for Thais to get thong ruang (diarrhea) from eating food prepared by a street vendor. Bangkok is much better than the provinces on this. When Bangkok Thais travel upcountry they often come back complaining about thong sia.

The main culprits are salmonella and E. coli, both of which the Thai government's own tests find regularly in food samples from markets and street vendors.

[qualtrough]

Speaking of street food, in my younger days I used to eat that a lot. A couple things I have seen in the last month make me wonder about that. First incident was seeing a group of sausages falling into a filthy puddle on the street only to promptly be replaced on the grill, and the second was to see a dog pissing into a bucket used to collect water dripping from ice--water to be later used to wash dishes. I think I will stop looking now. Those incidents aside, I still patronize them ocasionally.

[usatrader]

One, If a Thai Women is with a Male Farrang, she is a whore. The specific’s of this being a correct assumption or not is directly correlated as to where (location and area) you see them and how they act, where they are going and or what they are doing when you do see them.

Mostly, being widely general here, normal Thai women, particularly those with strong family ties and education would prefer to stay far away from most Farrang they see here.

However, as many members here will attest, proper and respectful associations can be formed both inside and more so outside the country with Thai women who are not whores and or bar girls.

The reason is self evident in much of the Farrang behaviors one sees constantly being exhibited by so many and so frequently. But not all of course. There are many Farrang living here that have a genuine respectful affinity for both Thailand and the Thai people no doubt about that. They are not in the majority I am afraid.

Two, speaking post Vietnam and of the US GI period, say 1976 onwards, the idea that a visitor or newbie Expat can or should trust another Farrang more than a Thai would be an extreme miscalculation and or assumption.

In my opinion, one would be hard pressed to substantiate and argue, particularly since 1976 and most particularly within the last 5 to 7 years, that the quality and character of many foreigners, either visiting and or living here has not declined detrimentally and significantly as to who comparatively would be more likely to do you some sort of harm if given half a chance.

Three, that the ways of the people living and working in say certain areas of Bangkok, Patty beach and or say Phuket are atypical stereotypically of respectable ordinary family oriented Thai’s not only in those areas but particularly outside them in other parts of the country. To some degree yes but in fact in many degrees not at all.

( No! I have no disrespect or disdain for whores or bar girls or those that associate with them as to their Thai-ness, womanliness or humanity. Just a plain simple observation about another type of Thai woman period. My two Bhat anyways. )

[Ron]

I really enjoyed reading all the entries about how people relate to Thailand and Khon Thai, but I must add that I have observed that young Thai men carry a lot of repressed violence with their cultural bagage. When it comes out, it's always to the death, and not until one cries uncle! I've been in many places in Thailand both tourist areas and villages. Now, I have been staying with Khmer people in lower Isan, and observed when a party is held either a wedding or disco dance at the local wat, there is a large presence of well-armed police. Aye, the youngsters know martial arts and like to fight. Recently, there was a wedding across my road of a girl who married a boy from another village. I saw the police carry away four times young boys badly hurt to the hospital. Due to my seemingly fortune compared to other family members I have heard threats of violence against my wife and one time against me, but that was only jealous gossip. For me, I take the low profile and have had only trouble with German falangs, mostly while on a piss-up. I never once had trouble with Thai people not counting the occasional problems with Pattaya's taxi drivers over rip-off prices. My wife has told me that they had said very bad things in Thai and she was afraid of violence. I look for trouble only after drinking spirits a lot, but generally a peace man but not without aggression that came with my American cultural suitcases. Thank you for you reading of my lollygaging!

[Neeranam]

I would tell them that Thailand does not have a brothel on every corner.

You can't know what a brothel looks like then!

Bangkok and Khon Kaen certainly do.

Most Westerners know so little about Thailand that they may say, "Oh, Taiwan, yes..."

I think that should read Most Americans.

Common misconceptions - all Thai people are smiling and happy to see you - <deleted> - 90% of smiles in Bangkok and tourist areas are not real, they are just after your money.

[Richard Hall]

- all Thai people are smiling and happy to see you - <deleted> -

100% correct 'coz they are not happy to see YOU but ME. It's gotta be my natural charm Just take things a little easier and ya gonna be a much happia camper. Cheer up a bit and give it your best higland smile

Just a couple of days ago I was asked by a Thai friend why some foreigners never smile and appear to distant themselves so much. I answered that rumour has it that all Thais are just out to rip off "farangs" because Thais are really bad people. We kept walking while having a good laugh together.

Cheers,

Richard

[Ulysses G.]

But each to their own.

That's right. The nightlife here is still wonderful after many, many years, no matter what a few old fuddy duddies say.

[Stephen Cleary]

Just to get in a few words myself:

Here are some clear misconceptions, and not just from foreigners residing abroad.

>All Thai women are after the foreigners money.

>Moreover, all the Thais are interested in nowt else out of the foreigner - but screwing him for his money.

>Half the female population would rather be residing in Farangland than in LOS and are all gagging for a Farang boyfriend.

>All Thai men are promiscuous drunkards.

>All the monks in Thailand are genuine practitioners of the dhamma and meditation and are not interested in acquiring any material possessions.

>The entire Police force are corrupt scoundrels who you can pay off anytime you get into trouble.

>There are so-called sophisticated Farang mafia gangs scaring the wits out of the local Thais.

>Thais don’t like foreigners who can speak Thai so what’s the point in learning.

>All the foreign single males who come to Thailand are only here for the bars and girls.

Blah Blah Blah….there are loadsa more. Agree to with lots of points posted already, just thought I’d post a few of my own.

BTW; there are many a foregner who has lived in LOS for years and years, never been bothered to learn a word of Thai, never been interested in anything 'Thai', hangs around wolfing beer all day talking about stuff like 'The Second World War' and the latest 'Boston Red Sox' victory all day. Holds only the upmost contempt for anything Thai but loves doing nothing more than...... informing a newly-arrived tourist about all the ins and outs of Thailand - when the reality is - he knows very little indeed.

[Butterfly]

This poster is right, the Nightlife here is "DONE". Not necessarily a bad thing, but there are better places. Even Singapore sounds like a better alternative. The only good thing here are they Katoeys Bar if you are into that kind of thing

Edited January 28, 2006 by Butterfly

[Richard Hall]

Just to get in a few words myself:

Here are some clear misconceptions, and not just from foreigners residing abroad.

>All Thai women are after the foreigners money.

>Moreover, all the Thais are interested in nowt else out of the foreigner - but screwing him for his money.

>Half the female population would rather be residing in Farangland than in LOS and are all gagging for a Farang boyfriend.

>All Thai men are promiscuous drunkards.

>All the monks in Thailand are genuine practitioners of the dhamma and meditation and are not interested in acquiring any material possessions.

>The entire Police force are corrupt scoundrels who you can pay off anytime you get into trouble.

>There are so-called sophisticated Farang mafia gangs scaring the wits out of the local Thais.

>Thais don’t like foreigners who can speak Thai so what’s the point in learning.

>All the foreign single males who come to Thailand are only here for the bars and girls.

Blah Blah Blah….there are loadsa more. Agree to with lots of points posted already, just thought I’d post a few of my own.

BTW; there are many a foregner who has lived in LOS for years and years, never been bothered to learn a word of Thai, never been interested in anything 'Thai', hangs around wolfing beer all day talking about stuff like 'The Second World War' and the latest 'Boston Red Sox' victory all day. Holds only the upmost contempt for anything Thai but loves doing nothing more than...... informing a newly-arrived tourist about all the ins and outs of Thailand - when the reality is - he knows very little indeed.

Thanks Steve, you brought it right to the point. One of those unfortunately very few posts reflecting real indepth sight for people seeking legitimate information about life in Thailand which are so hard to get hold of nowadays. Good to know that are still people like you out there. Keep it up.

Cheers,

Richard

[greenwanderer108]

most Thais practice/understand Buddhism