Thailand is so extreme

[1BADDAT]

I find Thailand to be pretty extreme in many ways. I have not noticed this as much in other countries. One person that I met traveling here put it this way, "There are some very beautiful things right next to some not so beautiful things" I think this accurately describes what one may see while sightseeing here.

If you go to Krabi or other beautiful beaches here you commonly see trash piled up.

There is a popular seafood restaurant near my house where there are commonly Porches Lamborghini's and other exotic cars in the parking lot. Directly behind this parking lot is a very poor area. The very poor and very rich and in close proximity to each other.

When driving on the highway there are people going 150+ kph and <50 kph all on the same road. Also the road manners are either very passive or very aggressive.

I have a feeling here that is similar to when I am in Vegas. In Vegas I am never bored and feel average. I am either feeling really up or down depending on how things are going that day. Things can change in an instant and that seems to be the norm for me in Thailand. When I am in the U.S. at my house I am usually more even keeled.

Those are just a few examples. Was wondering if others shared my viewpoint.

[JLCrab]

When I spent time in New Delhi roughly 20 years ago, there were large mansions in neighborhoods that were built by the British in which wealthy Indian families now lived. And there were ramshackle squatter camps between the mansions with no utilities. The squatters never bothered the families and v.v.

[In Search of Space]

Most countries have similar extremes

[daoyai]

I also notice the paradoxical nature of this land more than anywhere else I have lived..... one minute you smellin' shit, the next, jasmin flowers.

[Costas2008]

What's extreme about Thailand?

In Vegas there are after your dollar, in Thailand there are after your Baht.

There are beautiful and ugly sites and locations in Thailand, same same all over the world.

There are good and bad people in Thailand, same same all over the world.

Trash pile up in Thailand, go to London, Paris, Rome or Athens and look where people dump the rubbish on empty plots.

Driving in Thailand, did you ever tried to drive in Rome or Athens.

London and Paris becoming the same.

Still trying to find something extreme here......but I can't.

Ahhh, yes, the ex politicians? May be...........

[CharlieH]

I tend to agree Costas, the only thing that stands out as extreme to me, that I have not witnessed in other countries is the poor disabled disfigured people who crawl along on their stomachs pushing a bowl in front of them begging, now that for me is extreme.

Talking of other cities, Thessaloniki, drove there once, and the traffic was crazy, also the toilets, just two foot prints in concrete either side of a hole !! Now that was extreme and smelled awful. Not one of my best memories of the Greek mainland.

[1BADDAT]

What's extreme about Thailand?

In Vegas there are after your dollar, in Thailand there are after your Baht.

There are beautiful and ugly sites and locations in Thailand, same same all over the world.

There are good and bad people in Thailand, same same all over the world.

Trash pile up in Thailand, go to London, Paris, Rome or Athens and look where people dump the rubbish on empty plots.

Driving in Thailand, did you ever tried to drive in Rome or Athens.

London and Paris becoming the same.

Still trying to find something extreme here......but I can't.

Ahhh, yes, the ex politicians? May be...........

A taxi passenger was killed over 50 baht or something less than a year ago. You don't find that extreme?

[CharlieH]

What's extreme about Thailand?

In Vegas there are after your dollar, in Thailand there are after your Baht.

There are beautiful and ugly sites and locations in Thailand, same same all over the world.

There are good and bad people in Thailand, same same all over the world.

Trash pile up in Thailand, go to London, Paris, Rome or Athens and look where people dump the rubbish on empty plots.

Driving in Thailand, did you ever tried to drive in Rome or Athens.

London and Paris becoming the same.

Still trying to find something extreme here......but I can't.

Ahhh, yes, the ex politicians? May be...........

A taxi passenger was killed over 50 baht or something less than a year ago. You don't find that extreme?

Senseless, yes, But thats not unique to Thailand, many countries have similar instances.

[Costas2008]

What's extreme about Thailand?

In Vegas there are after your dollar, in Thailand there are after your Baht.

There are beautiful and ugly sites and locations in Thailand, same same all over the world.

There are good and bad people in Thailand, same same all over the world.

Trash pile up in Thailand, go to London, Paris, Rome or Athens and look where people dump the rubbish on empty plots.

Driving in Thailand, did you ever tried to drive in Rome or Athens.

London and Paris becoming the same.

Still trying to find something extreme here......but I can't.

Ahhh, yes, the ex politicians? May be...........

A taxi passenger was killed over 50 baht or something less than a year ago. You don't find that extreme?

An innocent driver was shot down by an unknown person, while siting in his car waiting for the green lights to turn on, a year ago, in Detroit USA.

You don't find that extreme?

[1BADDAT]

What's extreme about Thailand?

In Vegas there are after your dollar, in Thailand there are after your Baht.

There are beautiful and ugly sites and locations in Thailand, same same all over the world.

There are good and bad people in Thailand, same same all over the world.

Trash pile up in Thailand, go to London, Paris, Rome or Athens and look where people dump the rubbish on empty plots.

Driving in Thailand, did you ever tried to drive in Rome or Athens.

London and Paris becoming the same.

Still trying to find something extreme here......but I can't.

Ahhh, yes, the ex politicians? May be...........

A taxi passenger was killed over 50 baht or something less than a year ago. You don't find that extreme?

An innocent driver was shot down by an unknown person, while siting in his car waiting for the green lights to turn on, a year ago, in Detroit USA.

You don't find that extreme?

That sounds much more random than extreme since there was no justification or motive.

Detroit is a good example of an extreme place in the USA. It was once the center of economic growth, and now it is a wasteland.

[mauGR1]

If we are talking about wealth disparity, i think USA is not much better than Thailand or Asia.

Perhaps EU is just a bit more balanced..

Pls correct me if i'm wrong.

[h90]

I saw it worse in NY

[h90]

If we are talking about wealth disparity, i think USA is not much better than Thailand or Asia.

Perhaps EU is just a bit more balanced..

Pls correct me if i'm wrong.

The EU only because they take more than 50% from every wealthy person and pay the non working one.

So that balance is artificial and if the economic has a problem it is almost impossible to finance.

[mauGR1]

If we are talking about wealth disparity, i think USA is not much better than Thailand or Asia.

Perhaps EU is just a bit more balanced..

Pls correct me if i'm wrong.

The EU only because they take more than 50% from every wealthy person and pay the non working one.

So that balance is artificial and if the economic has a problem it is almost impossible to finance.

I've never been wealthy, they were taking me 50% nonetheless

For the rest, i agree with you.

[dao16]

One of the most extreme places I have seen in the US was LA. A friend of mine from there (we are both Americans, but he is from LA) took me to the Westin Hotel near downtown. Beautiful hotel. We went up the tower and there was a rotating restaurant on top that takes about an hour to give you a 360 view of the city. We drank martinis for an hour and had a great time.

On the way back, we walked though skid row to get back to the car. Worse than anything I have seen in Thailand. Just a few blocks difference.

Don't get me wrong...I love the US and I love Thailand, too. But you can see some pretty stark contrasts in both countries...they are just different ones.

EDIT/ADDITION--I do understand, though, how someone from certain parts of the US (including where I grew up) might not be used to contrasts like that, since smaller communities tend to be more homogeneous.

Edited July 14, 2014 by dao16

[lucifer666]

Guessing you have never been to London then, where Rolls Royces and Bentleys are parked next to people living in cardboard boxex

[Jaggg88]

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When I spent time in New Delhi roughly 20 years ago, there were large mansions in neighborhoods that were built by the British in which wealthy Indian families now lived. And there were ramshackle squatter camps between the mansions with no utilities. The squatters never bothered the families and v.v.

If you want to see extremes then go to India - Thailand pales in comparison

[Robert24]

I completely agree with with Jaggg88. The wealth disparity is far higher and more obvious in countries like India and Bangladesh. Go to Mumbai and you will think Thailand is quite normal.

[duanebigsby]

What's extreme about Thailand?

In Vegas there are after your dollar, in Thailand there are after your Baht.

There are beautiful and ugly sites and locations in Thailand, same same all over the world.

There are good and bad people in Thailand, same same all over the world.

Trash pile up in Thailand, go to London, Paris, Rome or Athens and look where people dump the rubbish on empty plots.

Driving in Thailand, did you ever tried to drive in Rome or Athens.

London and Paris becoming the same.

Still trying to find something extreme here......but I can't.

Ahhh, yes, the ex politicians? May be...........

A taxi passenger was killed over 50 baht or something less than a year ago. You don't find that extreme?

And people showing up to eat dinner at ChIpotles with AR-15's is normal?

[joecoolfrog]

My immediate thought was that the OP had never been to India ! I vividly remember my first trip to Cambodia and remarking that the poverty seemed far worse than anything I had seen in up country Isaan. My well travelled companion replied that most of Africa and Latin America were just as bad or worse.

The fact is that the World is a very unequal place , that is why so many of us juggle capitalist desires with liberal sensibilities.

[VINCENT2012]

you must be the only one who think that here man.......! the tropical weather and the bad archa or leo beer perhaps?

tell us again in ten years !

americans,.... americans......these are amazing people to me!

quiet a lot more extreme than thais ....even in what they say, think, or do.

just have to remenber nixon and the watergate, clinton and his blowjob, today spy games in germany ....etc etc etc....!

[h90]

If we are talking about wealth disparity, i think USA is not much better than Thailand or Asia.

Perhaps EU is just a bit more balanced..

Pls correct me if i'm wrong.

The EU only because they take more than 50% from every wealthy person and pay the non working one.

So that balance is artificial and if the economic has a problem it is almost impossible to finance.

I've never been wealthy, they were taking me 50% nonetheless

For the rest, i agree with you.

Actually most countries take something like 70%.

You pay a rough 50% from your income and when you buy something from the rest they take another 20 % VAT (Unless it is Gasoline, Alcohol, Cigarettes, than of course they take more).

I can't explain that to Thais....They think I exaggerate.....

[garyinhuahin]

Clearly, OP has led a very sheltered life.

[maximillian]

Where there is light, there is shade. Where there is wealth, there is poverty.

Thailand extreme ? Compared to what ?

Have you ever been to Nigeria, Mozambique, China, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Irak, Afghanistan ? Just to mention a few.

Thailand may be a step down when compared to Western countries but still is one of the best in SEA.

[Loptr]

What's extreme about Thailand?

In Vegas there are after your dollar, in Thailand there are after your Baht.

There are beautiful and ugly sites and locations in Thailand, same same all over the world.

There are good and bad people in Thailand, same same all over the world.

Trash pile up in Thailand, go to London, Paris, Rome or Athens and look where people dump the rubbish on empty plots.

Driving in Thailand, did you ever tried to drive in Rome or Athens.

London and Paris becoming the same.

Still trying to find something extreme here......but I can't.

Ahhh, yes, the ex politicians? May be...........

A taxi passenger was killed over 50 baht or something less than a year ago. You don't find that extreme?

Senseless, yes, But thats not unique to Thailand, many countries have similar instances.

Please name 1 similar incident anywhere in the world during the same time frame... I double-dog dare you...

I don't care if you're a mod or not, but at what point during your tenure in Thailand did you become an apologist for the bizarre things that take place here?

[Loptr]

What's extreme about Thailand?

In Vegas there are after your dollar, in Thailand there are after your Baht.

There are beautiful and ugly sites and locations in Thailand, same same all over the world.

There are good and bad people in Thailand, same same all over the world.

Trash pile up in Thailand, go to London, Paris, Rome or Athens and look where people dump the rubbish on empty plots.

Driving in Thailand, did you ever tried to drive in Rome or Athens.

London and Paris becoming the same.

Still trying to find something extreme here......but I can't.

Ahhh, yes, the ex politicians? May be...........

A taxi passenger was killed over 50 baht or something less than a year ago. You don't find that extreme?

And people showing up to eat dinner at ChIpotles with AR-15's is normal?

It's legal, what's your problem with that?

[BudRight]

OMFG, if Skid Row was cleaned up, if that guy in Detroit had lived, if India didn't exist, would that make Thailand any more or less bizarre?

[IMA_FARANG]

When I spent time in New Delhi roughly 20 years ago, there were large mansions in neighborhoods that were built by the British in which wealthy Indian families now lived. And there were ramshackle squatter camps between the mansions with no utilities. The squatters never bothered the families and v.v.

--------------------

I haven't been in India in years.

But when I was in Bombay (yes, it was still called Bombay then) there was a very expensive nightclub close to my hotel.

At night I used to see the wealthy Indians and their wives with jewelry on going into that nightclub. The admission fee alone for the night was ,more than the beggars sleeping outside the nightclub could get begging in a month.

The wealthy Indians and their wives in their beautiful gowns and Saris would actually step over the sleeping beggars to enter the nightclub without even looking at the beggars.

Thailand is nothing compared to that.

Edited July 14, 2014 by IMA_FARANG

[kovaltech]

What's extreme about Thailand?

In Vegas there are after your dollar, in Thailand there are after your Baht.

There are beautiful and ugly sites and locations in Thailand, same same all over the world.

There are good and bad people in Thailand, same same all over the world.

Trash pile up in Thailand, go to London, Paris, Rome or Athens and look where people dump the rubbish on empty plots.

Driving in Thailand, did you ever tried to drive in Rome or Athens.

London and Paris becoming the same.

Still trying to find something extreme here......but I can't.

Ahhh, yes, the ex politicians? May be...........

Good Greek food, extremely rare to find in Thailand,... ;-) i would die for some...

[techboy]

Just the opposite. Have noted great extremes in many venues here and the many other countries which I have lived or visited. Certainly back in the States. I cannot believed you used there as an example.