17,000 Saudis visit Thailand despite ban

[Krataiboy]

And just think. . . all this because the Saudis got the oil and the Irish the potatoes.

[Naam]

The Grace Hotel is owned by the Saudi Royal Family (who also own the Savoy Hotel in London), they bought it in the '80s from the Thai owners which included the Chief of Police at the time. They immediately installed a Mosque and a ten pin bowling alley in the hotel. Nana became the Arab Quarter of Bangkok. I am not surprised that there are still Saudis coming to stay in the Nana area since I do not think that the Saudi Royal Family really wants to prevent Saudis staying at their Hotel. The ban is just a gesture in the hope that they may get justice.

[Sceptict11]

I worked in the KSA for longer than I care to remember !

In those days Saudi nationals were not allowed to book direct fights to Thailand.

What they did was fly to one of the Gulf States then book flights to BKK.

I never heard of any repercussions resulting from a Saudi having Thai stamps in a passport.

I did, however, hear of Saudi "behaviour" in and around Soi 3-4 and Nana Plaza!

[farang000999]

Say Cheese!

[Sceptict11]

farang000999

Are they Saudi bathing beauty contestants ?

[Naam]

I worked in the KSA for longer than I care to remember !

In those days Saudi nationals were not allowed to book direct fights to Thailand.

What they did was fly to one of the Gulf States then book flights to BKK.

I never heard of any repercussions resulting from a Saudi having Thai stamps in a passport.

I did, however, hear of Saudi "behaviour" in and around Soi 3-4 and Nana Plaza!

i not only heard but experience since many years "western behaviour" in various parts of Thailand

[Sceptict11]

Naam

I don't disbelieve you but Westerners don't have the "benefit" of a "righteous" upbringing and can fly to Thailand without resorting to subterfuge !

[robertthebruce]

Say Cheese!

iS THAT RED RUM IN THE MIDDLE.

[johnno2]

It is amazing at the crudeness of some of the comments about Saudis, their lifestyle, women, etc. What surfaces from such comments is a lack of basic manners and civility. Regardless of the perception or verified facts of the Saudi behavior in Thailand, the descriptions by various posters are tasteless and juvenile.

and true. i have worked there for 15 years, still there now. trust me, its true

[kuiburi]

PLus there has been some unexplained shocking deaths of sheep in certain upcountry farms!

Just pondering why Thailand under these circumstances? New Zealand must be much more almost Heaven for wild men in comparison.

Oohhhh , now I understand why my aussie mate told me that Kiwi's wear doublesized boots .

[balo]

I am sure there are many Saudis among the Arab population in Pattaya , where else can you find muslim ladyboys smoking shisha.

[Naam]

Naam

I don't disbelieve you but Westerners don't have the "benefit" of a "righteous" upbringing and can fly to Thailand without resorting to subterfuge !

an interesting perspective that condones that some Westerners in Thailand behave and are happy like the proverbial "pig in shit".

p.s. when was the last time the media presented a Saudi in Thailand

-arrested for shoplifting,

-caught having sex with children,

-homeless on a street,

-begging for money to buy a ticket to fly "home",

-overstaying his visa,

-dealing drugs,

-jumping from a balcony,

-cheating fellow Saudis with financial scams...

shall i go on?

[thaibeachlovers]

Despite the ban, Saudi Airlines will offer you a ticket between Riyadh and Bangkok on their website, albeit the 2nd leg is a code share with Malaysian out of KL. Strange........................

Not strange at all. In case you didn't know, hundreds of thousands of expats work in saudi. Many of them travel to Thailand, which is why the plane stops here. Then it flies on to another country for the saudis on the plane.

I used make the trip on Saudia quite regularly, as it was the only direct flight from Riyadh ( besides, it was usually only half full, so I could almost always get 4 seats abreast to sleep on ).

[thaibeachlovers]

It is amazing at the crudeness of some of the comments about Saudis, their lifestyle, women, etc. What surfaces from such comments is a lack of basic manners and civility. Regardless of the perception or verified facts of the Saudi behavior in Thailand, the descriptions by various posters are tasteless and juvenile.

and true. i have worked there for 15 years, still there now. trust me, its true

+ 1.

I only lasted 4 years, but that was more than enough. You must live on a compound and have little contact with them to last so long.

BTW I would doubt Benmart has set foot in the country to hold those opinions. Never mind saudi behaviour in Thailand, saudi behaviour in saudi is the problem.

[thaibeachlovers]

Where else can they fill their bellies with pork and booze and ravage pretty girls of the night? Thailand!

They can afford girls and booze of any kind in there immidiate neighbouring countries, as far as pork is concerned I don't think its an attraction here in Thailand.

sent by skyaslimit using thaivisa forum mobile app.

why bother with utmost uneducated assumptions? i bet my [not so] sweet butt that the resident "anti Saudi brigade" has no idea about Saudi Arabia or its neighbouring countries.

I worked there for 4 years. Is that long enough to know something about saudi?

Now, how do you want to send your butt to me?

[thaibeachlovers]

They should complete the list with how many of these Saudi's drank Alcohol, slept with women outside their marriage and ate pork.

Then they would have a never ending list....

Only Saudies slept with women outside their marriages and drank alcohol?

sent by skyaslimit using thaivisa forum mobile app.

Try that in saudi and you'll be jailed and flogged.

[thaibeachlovers]

"Islam, as a religion, does not seek out converts aggressively unlike Catholics and Evangelists. Yet it's growing much more? Ever wondered why?

The perception of world wide conversion is to believe all Moslems are like the loony terrorists and uneducated pakistani and afghan fanatics. Most are not."

Firstly sorry for the method of reply, I am currently in a hotel in Bahrain for work. I have worked in a few Arab countries, Algeria, Libya, UAE, and soon Saudi Arabia.

The first thing I can think of to your comments is the word CULT!!!

The second thing is the ability to (not be able to) reason, and I am talking about technical things as well as religious here. It is all " parrot fashion", out of a book.

Take a look at the Arab states now and what turmoil there is, if it wasn't for dictators holding them in line (Gaddafi, Saddam, Mubarak...) there would be and is chaos. This is undeniable, democracy doesn't work!!! The second Ayatollah Whatever says Jihad it's all over. Look at the recent elections in Iran, if the Ayatollah said you couldn't stand for president that was it.

Why do these people always want to live in "Western" countries? Then when they do why do they want to change those countries that have accepted them for what they are to be the same as the countries they just left?

Is this a form of "fifth column"? Some countries in Europe have a staggering amount of Muslim immigrant population. Is it a 2 way street? try building a Catholic church in down town Benghazi!!!

I am not trying to go off subject here or hijack the thread but your post needed an answer.

As for people "painting" these people into a stereo type, well, why was the sewerage line on one of my rigs blocked with condoms, there were no women on the rig.....

I'll leave that one for you to work out.......

The saudis think it is their right to build a mosque in London, but try building a church in Riyadh, never mind in Mecca.

Christians can't even hold services in saudi.

[Naam]

Christians can't even hold services in saudi.

proof that inspite of your alleged 4 years in Saudi Arabia you know only the usual stereotypes.

[thaibeachlovers]

Christians can't even hold services in saudi.

proof that inspite of your alleged 4 years in Saudi Arabia you know only the usual stereotypes.

I should have added in public.

Perhaps it has changed a bit in the years since I left, but I wouldn't think much.

Any churches in Riyadh yet?

[emiratesgooner]

Apparently the nerve gas used on Syrian children also came from Saudi Arabia. Etc.etc.etc. theres a lot of heavy duty crime coming from that place and while I agree with the "blue diamond" post above, I think you will find there are places in SA where you could experience all those crimes that you listed happening in Bangkok, with a cherry ontop.

But obviously, countries with strict religious laws and taboos, be they sex or gambling, you will always see a mass-exodus towards countries where those taboos are rightly laughed at. Because fundamentally people accept many of the social norms out of duty (usually to their ancestors or direct family) but don't agree with them and find them difficult to live by. You can also chart globally nations where people are allowed to express themselves (in whatever way) and map them with nations that are generally happier and healthier and less violent. Is interesting.

Yunla, you've obviously NEVER visited, lived or worked in Saudi Arabia.

May I suggest you get first hand experience of a country/nation before writing tosh!

And yes, I visit Saudi Arabia many times a year for business purposes and what you've written borders on absolute nonsense.

As for your second paragraph, I personally could not understand a single sentence.

FOYS

Have to disagree with you there, best to be avoided at all costs, as for not understanding his second ''Paragraph'', what was the problem, its plain and simple ??

You have the absolute right to disagree with me, your prerogative.

When Yunla states "Apparently the nerve gas used on Syrian children also came from Saudi Arabia", the Western media has disclosed the supply actually came from Europe.

Regarding Yunla's second paragraph, I don't understand a word because he refers to "countries", "nations", and the cause of population movement without citing any reference to his or others empirical research on such a huge subject.

I trust this clears up for you my perspective, "plain and simple". If not, please feel free to reply.

Just a thought, I recognise a tinge of racism in your posts, just like Yunla, or would you like me to explain why I've written this statement as well?

FOYS