Why is Thailand such a success compared to the Philippines?

[metisdead]

I think we're getting a bit off topic, this is not a history lesson about WWII or about Hitler.

[Strangebrew]

Really Thailand is a success? Compared to what? Thailand has lately been begging to be Hub of this or that. They lack the creativity to come up with there own idea's They either copy, steal, and outright ignore copyrights of others. They price fix openly they overvalue there Baht What does Thailand offer the world? Oh excuse me they did say recently they have the cure for Ebola and AID's. They are the Hub of smuggling, Human trafficing, drug runners, And a great place for criminals. But even after all of that I like Thailand, I just wish the people would wakeup and smell the coffee stop trying to be the Hub of anything and work on fixing internal issues then the Hub's will follow. The things I enjoy here here is when you get away from the cesspool of city life you discover the real Thailand. Where people are less focused on the material things in life. Come on Christmas? and Santa Claus in Bangkok when in fact it is about making the all mighty Baht. Also this fighting over a temple access and who owns what get over it Your Buddhists remember the teachings of Buddha.

[thailiketoo]

Really Thailand is a success? Compared to what? Thailand has lately been begging to be Hub of this or that. They lack the creativity to come up with there own idea's They either copy, steal, and outright ignore copyrights of others. They price fix openly they overvalue there Baht What does Thailand offer the world? Oh excuse me they did say recently they have the cure for Ebola and AID's. They are the Hub of smuggling, Human trafficing, drug runners, And a great place for criminals. But even after all of that I like Thailand, I just wish the people would wakeup and smell the coffee stop trying to be the Hub of anything and work on fixing internal issues then the Hub's will follow. The things I enjoy here here is when you get away from the cesspool of city life you discover the real Thailand. Where people are less focused on the material things in life. Come on Christmas? and Santa Claus in Bangkok when in fact it is about making the all mighty Baht. Also this fighting over a temple access and who owns what get over it Your Buddhists remember the teachings of Buddha.

I think you want the Thai bashing thread this one is about Thailand vs Philippines success.

Now take a look at the two GDP's below and tell me which country is a bigger success?

GDP

272,067 millions of USD 420,167 millions of USD Or per capita $14,136 $6,597

Or did you want to talk about beer bars and go go clubs, street safety and automatic weapons in restaurants.

Or maybe Catholic vs Buddhist traditions of peace and tranquility.

[smotherb]

Well Thailand was never colonised in the first place, while Philippines were like colonised by nearly everyone lol.

Philippines were colonized by Spain who later gave control of the nation to America. Spain is not nearly everyone.

LOL. Nothing was "given". The Philippines was taken from Spain during the Spanish-American War in 1898, which lead to the Philippine Revolution and then the Philippine-American War.

yeah and the Brits briefly took control from Spain in the 1860's and the Japs had it in WWII, but that still does not make it "nearly everybody"

[tropo]

Really Thailand is a success? Compared to what? Thailand has lately been begging to be Hub of this or that. They lack the creativity to come up with there own idea's They either copy, steal, and outright ignore copyrights of others. They price fix openly they overvalue there Baht What does Thailand offer the world? Oh excuse me they did say recently they have the cure for Ebola and AID's. They are the Hub of smuggling, Human trafficing, drug runners, And a great place for criminals. But even after all of that I like Thailand, I just wish the people would wakeup and smell the coffee stop trying to be the Hub of anything and work on fixing internal issues then the Hub's will follow. The things I enjoy here here is when you get away from the cesspool of city life you discover the real Thailand. Where people are less focused on the material things in life. Come on Christmas? and Santa Claus in Bangkok when in fact it is about making the all mighty Baht. Also this fighting over a temple access and who owns what get over it Your Buddhists remember the teachings of Buddha.

I think you want the Thai bashing thread this one is about Thailand vs Philippines success.

Now take a look at the two GDP's below and tell me which country is a bigger success?

GDP

272,067 millions of USD 420,167 millions of USD Or per capita $14,136 $6,597

Or did you want to talk about beer bars and go go clubs, street safety and automatic weapons in restaurants.

Or maybe Catholic vs Buddhist traditions of peace and tranquility.

It doesn't matter what anyone does, the Philippines will never be as successful as Thailand, which doesn't come as a surprise to anyone who has visited both countries... however, this doesn't affect an expat's life at all as the money goes about the same distance in both countries. Some things are more expensive, some things are cheaper and it balances out. If you're a "sexpat", then the Philippine is much cheaper by a large margin.

... however, as a resident of both countries (full time in Thailand and part time in Philippines and 9 years ago full time in Philippines), life is very much more relaxed in the Philippines because the people are not aggressive whereas Thai people are very aggressive. I'm considering moving back permanently actually.

The one-year entry stamp you get being married to a Filipino is just incredible. You enter with your wife and get a one year stamp for free and never have to consider visas again for a year....whereas in Thailand the constant reporting, yearly extensions and re-entry permits are a headache.

Edited January 16, 2015 by tropo

[thailiketoo]

Really Thailand is a success? Compared to what? Thailand has lately been begging to be Hub of this or that. They lack the creativity to come up with there own idea's They either copy, steal, and outright ignore copyrights of others. They price fix openly they overvalue there Baht What does Thailand offer the world? Oh excuse me they did say recently they have the cure for Ebola and AID's. They are the Hub of smuggling, Human trafficing, drug runners, And a great place for criminals. But even after all of that I like Thailand, I just wish the people would wakeup and smell the coffee stop trying to be the Hub of anything and work on fixing internal issues then the Hub's will follow. The things I enjoy here here is when you get away from the cesspool of city life you discover the real Thailand. Where people are less focused on the material things in life. Come on Christmas? and Santa Claus in Bangkok when in fact it is about making the all mighty Baht. Also this fighting over a temple access and who owns what get over it Your Buddhists remember the teachings of Buddha.

I think you want the Thai bashing thread this one is about Thailand vs Philippines success.

Now take a look at the two GDP's below and tell me which country is a bigger success?

GDP

272,067 millions of USD 420,167 millions of USD Or per capita $14,136 $6,597

Or did you want to talk about beer bars and go go clubs, street safety and automatic weapons in restaurants.

Or maybe Catholic vs Buddhist traditions of peace and tranquility.

It doesn't matter what anyone does, the Philippines will never be as successful as Thailand, which doesn't come as a surprise to anyone who has visited both countries... however, this doesn't affect an expats life at all as the money goes about the same distance in both countries. Some things are more expensive, some things are cheaper and it balances out.

... however, as a resident of both countries (full time in Thailand and part time in Philippines and 8 years ago full time in Philippines), life is very much more relaxed in the Philippines because the people are not aggressive whereas Thai people are very aggressive. I'm even considering moving back permanently actually.

The one-year entry stamp you get being married to a Filipino is just incredible. You enter with your wife and get a one year stamp for free and never have to consider visas again for a year....whereas in Thailand the constant reporting, yearly extensions and re-entry permits are a headache.

Thai people are aggressive? All Thai people are agressive? Most Thai people are aggressive? Maybe look up football hooligans and then tell me who is aggressive. When Thai people win a sports event they don't riot and tear up the town. Thais are mild people difficult to anger. I've reported here for ten years and I have spent a total of 3 hours at immigration for 210,240 hours in Thailand at a cost of 1900 baht per year. Keep it real here eh? Stay away from Chiang Mai and you'll be OK.

[tropo]

Really Thailand is a success? Compared to what? Thailand has lately been begging to be Hub of this or that. They lack the creativity to come up with there own idea's They either copy, steal, and outright ignore copyrights of others. They price fix openly they overvalue there Baht What does Thailand offer the world? Oh excuse me they did say recently they have the cure for Ebola and AID's. They are the Hub of smuggling, Human trafficing, drug runners, And a great place for criminals. But even after all of that I like Thailand, I just wish the people would wakeup and smell the coffee stop trying to be the Hub of anything and work on fixing internal issues then the Hub's will follow. The things I enjoy here here is when you get away from the cesspool of city life you discover the real Thailand. Where people are less focused on the material things in life. Come on Christmas? and Santa Claus in Bangkok when in fact it is about making the all mighty Baht. Also this fighting over a temple access and who owns what get over it Your Buddhists remember the teachings of Buddha.

I think you want the Thai bashing thread this one is about Thailand vs Philippines success.

Now take a look at the two GDP's below and tell me which country is a bigger success?

GDP

272,067 millions of USD 420,167 millions of USD Or per capita $14,136 $6,597

Or did you want to talk about beer bars and go go clubs, street safety and automatic weapons in restaurants.

Or maybe Catholic vs Buddhist traditions of peace and tranquility.

It doesn't matter what anyone does, the Philippines will never be as successful as Thailand, which doesn't come as a surprise to anyone who has visited both countries... however, this doesn't affect an expats life at all as the money goes about the same distance in both countries. Some things are more expensive, some things are cheaper and it balances out.

... however, as a resident of both countries (full time in Thailand and part time in Philippines and 8 years ago full time in Philippines), life is very much more relaxed in the Philippines because the people are not aggressive whereas Thai people are very aggressive. I'm even considering moving back permanently actually.

The one-year entry stamp you get being married to a Filipino is just incredible. You enter with your wife and get a one year stamp for free and never have to consider visas again for a year....whereas in Thailand the constant reporting, yearly extensions and re-entry permits are a headache.

Thai people are aggressive? All Thai people are agressive? Most Thai people are aggressive? Maybe look up football hooligans and then tell me who is aggressive. When Thai people win a sports event they don't riot and tear up the town. Thais are mild people difficult to anger. I've reported here for ten years and I have spent a total of 3 hours at immigration for 210,240 hours in Thailand at a cost of 1900 baht per year. Keep it real here eh? Stay away from Chiang Mai and you'll be OK.

I am keeping it real and I don't drink beer or any other alcohol.

Yes, Thai people are aggressive compared to Filipinos and the difference is significant. It's an average generalization. That's the comparison I'm making. I'm not comparing them to drunken football hooligans. What does that have to do with a Thailand vs Philippines comparison? Perhaps if you spent more time in the Philippines you'd understand the difference.

There's a big difference between getting a year stamp for free when you arrive and having to get income letters or organizing funds in a bank account - having to remember to report 4 times a year... getting re-entry permits before each departure. You're the one who should keep it real.

Edited January 16, 2015 by tropo

[thailiketoo]

It doesn't matter what anyone does, the Philippines will never be as successful as Thailand, which doesn't come as a surprise to anyone who has visited both countries... however, this doesn't affect an expats life at all as the money goes about the same distance in both countries. Some things are more expensive, some things are cheaper and it balances out.

... however, as a resident of both countries (full time in Thailand and part time in Philippines and 8 years ago full time in Philippines), life is very much more relaxed in the Philippines because the people are not aggressive whereas Thai people are very aggressive. I'm even considering moving back permanently actually.

The one-year entry stamp you get being married to a Filipino is just incredible. You enter with your wife and get a one year stamp for free and never have to consider visas again for a year....whereas in Thailand the constant reporting, yearly extensions and re-entry permits are a headache.

Thai people are aggressive? All Thai people are agressive? Most Thai people are aggressive? Maybe look up football hooligans and then tell me who is aggressive. When Thai people win a sports event they don't riot and tear up the town. Thais are mild people difficult to anger. I've reported here for ten years and I have spent a total of 3 hours at immigration for 210,240 hours in Thailand at a cost of 1900 baht per year. Keep it real here eh? Stay away from Chiang Mai and you'll be OK.

I am keeping it real and I don't drink beer or any other alcohol.

Yes, Thai people are aggressive compared to Filipinos and the difference is significant. It's an average generalization. That's the comparison I'm making. I'm not comparing them to drunken football hooligans. What does that have to do with a Thailand vs Philippines comparison? Perhaps if you spent more time in the Philippines you'd understand the difference.

There's a big difference between getting a year stamp for free when you arrive and having to get income letters or organizing funds in a bank account - having to remember to report 4 times a year... getting re-entry permits before each departure. You're the one who should keep it real.

Philippine doorman vs Thai doorman. 90 address reporting done by mail. Bank letter takes 5 minutes and I do it at the same time I am doing other banking business. Paperwork is done one time on my computer and only the dates have to be changed yearly; I've been doing this for 10 years. You think I don't know how to do it? My company has many employees from the Philippines who never want to go back and more want to come ever year.

[tropo]

Philippine doorman vs Thai doorman. 90 address reporting done by mail. Bank letter takes 5 minutes and I do it at the same time I am doing other banking business. Paperwork is done one time on my computer and only the dates have to be changed yearly; I've been doing this for 10 years. You think I don't know how to do it? My company has many employees from the Philippines who never want to go back and more want to come ever year.

I have nothing to do with Filipino or Thai doorman. Could you explain what this has to do with the discussion? All I know about Thai doormen is that they often kick the crap out of foreigners in Walking Street, which has been well documented on this forum.

The fact that you have Filipino employees who don't want to go back doesn't mean jack. They (all) love travelling and living overseas no matter where it is and this says nothing at all about Philippines vs Thailand... because they'd be quite content living in Iceland given the opportunity. Thailand would be low on their list of places to live if they had choices. It all comes down to how much money they are making abroad and what their life was like in PI...and also how desperate they are to support family members back at home and how poor they are in PI.

...which is all besides the point as I'm referring to expat life in the Philippines. I was specifically making a comparison of the two countries from an expats point of view.

BTW, how much time have you actually spent in the Philippines and where in the Philippines have you been? Perhaps you're getting all your info from your Filipino employees. If you've been living in Thailand for 10 years, your knowledge of day to day life in the Philippines would be rather limited.

Edited January 16, 2015 by tropo

[thailiketoo]

Philippine doorman vs Thai doorman. 90 address reporting done by mail. Bank letter takes 5 minutes and I do it at the same time I am doing other banking business. Paperwork is done one time on my computer and only the dates have to be changed yearly; I've been doing this for 10 years. You think I don't know how to do it? My company has many employees from the Philippines who never want to go back and more want to come ever year.

I have nothing to do with Filipino or Thai doorman. Could you explain what this has to do with the discussion? All I know about Thai doormen is that they often kick the crap out of foreigners in Walking Street, which has been well documented on this forum.

The fact that you have Filipino employees who don't want to go back doesn't mean jack. They (all) love travelling and living overseas no matter where it is and this says nothing at all about Philippines vs Thailand... because they'd be quite content living in Iceland given the opportunity. Thailand would be low on their list of places to live if they had choices. It all comes down to how much money they are making abroad and what their life was like in PI...and also how desperate they are to support family members back at home and how poor they are in PI.

...which is all besides the point as I'm referring to expat life in the Philippines. I was specifically making a comparison of the two countries from an expats point of view.

BTW, how much time have you actually spent in the Philippines and where in the Philippines have you been? Perhaps you're getting all your info from your Filipino employees. If you've been living in Thailand for 10 years, your knowledge of day to day life in the Philippines would be rather limited.

Tropo I think the doorman is self explanatory. I have Philippine employees who have worked in many countries and prefer Thailand over the Philippines. I was there last year for a wedding. Half of the company went. We were all glad to get back home. Dangerous, bad infrastructure, lousy food, poor service.

I honestly didn't know the thread is from an expat point of view. For an American vet there are advantages to living in the Philippines but I chose Thailand and 99% of the American vets I know feel the same way even with the advantages of health care and SS in the Philippines.

For a retired guy the immigration here outside of Chiang Mai is no problem. I assume you are a Chiang Mai kind of guy so you will have problems.

I'll just sum up what I feel is relevant to the topic. Thailand has a better infrastructure, climate, work force and a big head start on industrial growth. The food is better and I like a Buddhist atmosphere better than a Catholic atmosphere.

[tropo]

Philippine doorman vs Thai doorman. 90 address reporting done by mail. Bank letter takes 5 minutes and I do it at the same time I am doing other banking business. Paperwork is done one time on my computer and only the dates have to be changed yearly; I've been doing this for 10 years. You think I don't know how to do it? My company has many employees from the Philippines who never want to go back and more want to come ever year.

I have nothing to do with Filipino or Thai doorman. Could you explain what this has to do with the discussion? All I know about Thai doormen is that they often kick the crap out of foreigners in Walking Street, which has been well documented on this forum.

The fact that you have Filipino employees who don't want to go back doesn't mean jack. They (all) love travelling and living overseas no matter where it is and this says nothing at all about Philippines vs Thailand... because they'd be quite content living in Iceland given the opportunity. Thailand would be low on their list of places to live if they had choices. It all comes down to how much money they are making abroad and what their life was like in PI...and also how desperate they are to support family members back at home and how poor they are in PI.

...which is all besides the point as I'm referring to expat life in the Philippines. I was specifically making a comparison of the two countries from an expats point of view.

BTW, how much time have you actually spent in the Philippines and where in the Philippines have you been? Perhaps you're getting all your info from your Filipino employees. If you've been living in Thailand for 10 years, your knowledge of day to day life in the Philippines would be rather limited.

Tropo I think the doorman is self explanatory. I have Philippine employees who have worked in many countries and prefer Thailand over the Philippines. I was there last year for a wedding. Half of the company went. We were all glad to get back home. Dangerous, bad infrastructure, lousy food, poor service.

I honestly didn't know the thread is from an expat point of view. For an American vet there are advantages to living in the Philippines but I chose Thailand and 99% of the American vets I know feel the same way even with the advantages of health care and SS in the Philippines.

For a retired guy the immigration here outside of Chiang Mai is no problem. I assume you are a Chiang Mai kind of guy so you will have problems.

I'll just sum up what I feel is relevant to the topic. Thailand has a better infrastructure, climate, work force and a big head start on industrial growth. The food is better and I like a Buddhist atmosphere better than a Catholic atmosphere.

The doorman comment is not self explanatory, that's why I asked you want you meant. I still don't know. How about explaining it so there's no confusion. As I said, Thai doormen horror stories in Pattaya are legendary. There's even YouTube footage of many brutal assaults.

I have no problems with my retirement extensions in Thailand and I don't live in Chiang Mai.... but it is still a lot of messing around compared to the Philippines. I'm merely stating that for a married man in the Philippines life is very easy visa-wise. You surely should be aware that many married expats living in Thailand have lots of drama getting extensions. Many single expats also have problems if they don't meet the financial requirements.The visa forum is loaded with such threads. This was not all about you. In the Philippines you can be broke and still stay with your family, which is impossible in Thailand as you are means tested every year.

Obviously 99% of the American vets you know prefer to live in Thailand because you're in Thailand and that's where they are. I'd be pretty sure that far more American vets live in PI than in Thailand, but I don't have numbers, so you'll probably come up with them soon.... Generally it seems that European expats prefer Thailand whereas the Philippines gets more North American expats, which is no surprise considering the history of the two countries. Americans are so common in the Philippines that in my region, Central Visayas, ALL foreigners are called "Americanos".

Regarding safety... once again, that depends on where you live. Where I live, a provincial town of about 50k in Leyte, you can sleep with your doors unlocked. By comparison, in Tondo (Manila) your life would be in danger just walking around.

I'm not disagreeing with most of what you say about Thailand vs Philippines. I live in both countries with my eyes wide open so I have a fairly good idea about life in both countries. I actually live with a large Filipino family, so I'm pretty clued up in the day to day goings on here. Life is really good where I'm sitting. It just seems you select certain relatively insignificant points just to be argumentative. I have plenty of time on my hands as I'm bracing for another tropical storm (3rd in 5 weeks), so fire away.

Edited January 17, 2015 by tropo

[smotherb]

Well Thailand was never colonised in the first place, while Philippines were like colonised by nearly everyone lol.

Philippines were colonized by Spain who later gave control of the nation to America. Spain is not nearly everyone.

LOL. Nothing was "given". The Philippines was taken from Spain during the Spanish-American War in 1898, which lead to the Philippine Revolution and then the Philippine-American War.

You have that out of order; the Philippine revolution preceded the Spanish-American war. Aguinaldo had already fled to Hong Kong as a result of the Philippine revolution, during the Spanish-American war, the Americans brought him back to Manila. American refusal to grant Philippine independence led to the Philippine-American war and subsequent colonization of the Philippines until independence was granted after WWII.

[Berkshire]

In the Philippines you can be broke and still stay with your family, which is impossible in Thailand as you are means tested every year.

If this is how it is in the PI, therein lies the problem. So the PI can attract a lot of real bums, that's just fabulous. I just wonder, if the visa is so hassle-free in the PI and painfully difficult in Thailand, why do so many expats--especially young guys--still choose Thailand? Hmmmm.

The PI had a huge US military presence back in the day, with Subic, Cubi, Clarke...etc. Not surprising that a lot of guys would choose to stay.

[tropo]

Well Thailand was never colonised in the first place, while Philippines were like colonised by nearly everyone lol.

Philippines were colonized by Spain who later gave control of the nation to America. Spain is not nearly everyone.

LOL. Nothing was "given". The Philippines was taken from Spain during the Spanish-American War in 1898, which lead to the Philippine Revolution and then the Philippine-American War.

You have that out of order; the Philippine revolution preceded the Spanish-American war. Aguinaldo had already fled to Hong Kong as a result of the Philippine revolution, during the Spanish-American war, the Americans brought him back to Manila. American refusal to grant Philippine independence led to the Philippine-American war and subsequent colonization of the Philippines until independence was granted after WWII.

It is probably more accurate to say that the US didn't want to grant that particular group of revolutionaries independence. Either way, even to this date the Philippines is not one cohesive country of like mind. It was even less cohesive at the time of the revolution where there wasn't even a national language and communication between different islands would have been problematic. There is no way that one group of revolutionaries based around Manila could speak for the whole country.

Edited January 17, 2015 by tropo

[Rajhulmaheesh]

Ask again in 5 years.

Thailand has better GIRLS.

[smotherb]

Ask again in 5 years.

Thailand has better GIRLS.

Better for what?

[tropo]

In the Philippines you can be broke and still stay with your family, which is impossible in Thailand as you are means tested every year.

If this is how it is in the PI, therein lies the problem. So the PI can attract a lot of real bums, that's just fabulous. I just wonder, if the visa is so hassle-free in the PI and painfully difficult in Thailand, why do so many expats--especially young guys--still choose Thailand? Hmmmm.

The PI had a huge US military presence back in the day, with Subic, Cubi, Clarke...etc. Not surprising that a lot of guys would choose to stay.

A few expat bums has no influence on the Philippines economy. They are not a strain on the economy. They are not supported in any way by the government.

I'm referring to the visa you get if you are married to a Filipino and arrive with her at the airport. If you are not married you have to get tourist visa extensions every 2 months.

Do you have any idea about how many young guys stay in the Philippines in order to make a valid comparison with Thailand? I don't but I'd be interested in seeing a statistical comparison if you have one.

[tropo]

Ask again in 5 years.

Thailand has better GIRLS.

A very insightful post!

Should I ask you to enlighten us as to what makes a girl "better"?

Probably not. We don't want this thread closed.

[smotherb]

tropo, on 17 Jan 2015 - 09:08, said: “It is probably more accurate to say that the US didn't want to grant that particular group of revolutionaries independence. Either way, even to this date the Philippines is not one cohesive country of like mind. It was even less cohesive at the time of the revolution where there wasn't even a national language and communication between different islands would have been problematic. There is no way that one group of revolutionaries based around Manila could speak for the whole country.”

Please enlighten me on any particular dislike the US held for the Philippine revolutionaries. The 1898 Treaty of Paris ceded the PI to the Americans as the spoils of war with Spain and they took it along with Puerto Rico, Guam, and temporarily, Cuba. The Philippine revolutionaries wanted their independence; hence, the Philippine-American war.

The fact that no group of revolutionaries centered around the capital could speak for the whole country is painfully truthful in most countries. The 65 or so "dialects" in the PI is a cause of division, but that fact is still apparent today--many non-native Tagalog rural school systems still teach Tagalog as a foreign language. However, language, culture, race, religion and to some extent ideology are divisive factors in most countries.

Since we are discussing a situation almost 100 years before the IT revolution; communication, even in the same language in a developed country, was a problem everywhere; and we are specifically addressing a third world country in the late nineteenth century.

[smotherb]

In the Philippines you can be broke and still stay with your family, which is impossible in Thailand as you are means tested every year.

If this is how it is in the PI, therein lies the problem. So the PI can attract a lot of real bums, that's just fabulous. I just wonder, if the visa is so hassle-free in the PI and painfully difficult in Thailand, why do so many expats--especially young guys--still choose Thailand? Hmmmm.

The PI had a huge US military presence back in the day, with Subic, Cubi, Clarke...etc. Not surprising that a lot of guys would choose to stay.

A few expat bums has no influence on the Philippines economy. They are not a strain on the economy. They are not supported in any way by the government.

I'm referring to the visa you get if you are married to a Filipino and arrive with her at the airport. If you are not married you have to get tourist visa extensions every 2 months.

Do you have any idea about how many young guys stay in the Philippines in order to make a valid comparison with Thailand? I don't but I'd be interested in seeing a statistical comparison if you have one.

The few expat bums to which you refer are largely retired American servicemen, most of whom have military pensions exceeding the minimum retirement income required in Thailand-- a meager amount that seems to stifle so many European and ANZ expats' who attempt to qualify for a Thai retirement extension. Other farang expats there are from ANZ and to a lesser extent from Europe.

To be sure, the PI does not have the numbers of farang expats Thailand has, which in my opinion makes the PI more attractive. However, the PI tourist industry lacks the wherewithal to attract the numbers of tourists Thailand sees. Much of that lack has to do with the additional cost of airfare from Europe, the absence of adequate civil and technological infrastructure, the abundance of natural disasters, and the overall corruption, greed, and thievery of the underemployed natives to which Thailand pales in comparison.

I never had a problem with visas in the PI. When I was single and living there, I simply paid an 'official' a few bucks to put an extension stamp in my passport--stayed for three years without leaving one time. After I was married to a Filipina, I got a Balikbayan--returning to country--stamp in my passport, which was good for one year for each entry. It was supposed to be while accompanied by wife; however, after having several such stamps and speaking Tagalog, there was no need for my wife to be with me. In fact, just after Marcos was ousted and Aquino came in, my wife's Balikbayan was denied because she traveled on an American passport, so she got a 21 day visa exempt entry, but I still got the one year Balikbayan.

Only in the PI, ya gotta love it. I always used to say, the corruption and greed were so bad, you could have killed someone's mother, and all you had to say was, "Gee, sorry I killed your mother, how much is that?"

[thailiketoo]

Ask again in 5 years.

Thailand has better GIRLS.

A very insightful post!

Should I ask you to enlighten us as to what makes a girl "better"?

Probably not. We don't want this thread closed.

I think one answer is in the bars. The system is different and anyone who has been to both places knows the differences but since we can't discuss the specifics of prostitution I can't go there.

The other obvious difference is the rule of law as applied to women fleecing foreigners. The Philippines is far more dangerous for the inexperienced farm boy from the West.

Both Thai and Philippine women can sing and dance; Philippine women have the definite edge singing blues and being well endowed for men who are into chests. In fact the only difference most men can tell the difference (not speaking) is the chest area.

I see nothing but good if the movement of people in ASEAN is applied to go go dancers who can sing from the Philippines to Thailand.

If it wasn't for the dangers of the Philippine legal system and cooking for Farang Lotharios the Philippine women would win hands down.

To total it up, Dancing - equal. Singing - Philippine wins because of language ability. Rhythm - draw. Cooking - Thai. Figure - Philippine (unless you like girls shaped like boys). Ladyboys - toss up.

For the survivalist - Thai Issan ladies (jungle food experts).

After ten years really not much difference given you have survived the families of both countries; women are women.

Now if a guy is really serious about the above; Africa has got some well shaped women who really can dance and run track. Now that's some serious rhythm and running ability and don't every girl want diamonds on the soles of her shoes.

What was the worst thing I've ever heard said about a man? "He was the most incredibly hideous dancer I had ever seen and not to mention how embarrassing it was to have to be the one he was smashing pelvics with," That's bad. Thai girl or Philippine girl not going to say, incredibly hideous. So either way either is better than a lady that would say the above.

Edited January 17, 2015 by thailiketoo

[smotherb]

Ask again in 5 years.

Thailand has better GIRLS.

A very insightful post!

Should I ask you to enlighten us as to what makes a girl "better"?

Probably not. We don't want this thread closed.

I think one answer is in the bars. The system is different and anyone who has been to both places knows the differences but since we can't discuss the specifics of prostitution I can't go there.

The other obvious difference is the rule of law as applied to women fleecing foreigners. The Philippines is far more dangerous for the inexperienced farm boy from the West.

Both Thai and Philippine women can sing and dance; Philippine women have the definite edge singing blues and being well endowed for men who are into chests. In fact the only difference most men can tell the difference (not speaking) is the chest area.

I see nothing but good if the movement of people in ASEAN is applied to go go dancers who can sing from the Philippines to Thailand.

If it wasn't for the dangers of the Philippine legal system and cooking for Farang Lotharios the Philippine women would win hands down.

To total it up, Dancing - equal. Singing - Philippine wins because of language ability. Rhythm - draw. Cooking - Thai. Figure - Philippine (unless you like girls shaped like boys). Ladyboys - toss up.

For the survivalist - Thai Issan ladies (jungle food experts).

After ten years really not much difference given you have survived the families of both countries; women are women.

Now if a guy is really serious about the above; Africa has got some well shaped women who really can dance and run track. Now that's some serious rhythm and running ability and don't every girl want diamonds on the soles of her shoes.

What was the worst thing I've ever heard said about a man? "He was the most incredibly hideous dancer I had ever seen and not to mention how embarrassing it was to have to be the one he was smashing pelvics with," That's bad. Thai girl or Philippine girl not going to say, incredibly hideous. So either way either is better than a lady that would say the above.

I'll have to disagree about the chests. After almost 50 years of sight and touch with ladies form both countries, I see no discernible difference in breast size. Some are large, some quite small, in both countries. I do note a significant number of Thai girls with knees wider than their calves--the piano stool calf affliction. I note no such prevalence in Filipinas. However, I find Thailand has a greater number tall ladies, slim ladies, and light-skinned ladies. However, I have always had a weakness for little dark girls--LBFMs as some used to say.

[tropo]

Please enlighten me on any particular dislike the US held for the Philippine revolutionaries. The 1898 Treaty of Paris ceded the PI to the Americans as the spoils of war with Spain and they took it along with Puerto Rico, Guam, and temporarily, Cuba. The Philippine revolutionaries wanted their independence; hence, the Philippine-American war.

I don't know what the specific"dislikes" were, but surely the fact that the US didn't recognize the Philippine Declaration of Independence speaks for itself.

Perhaps it was bad timing as the Revolutionaries decided to declare independence right in the middle of the Spanish - American War.

[tropo]

I'll have to disagree about the chests. After almost 50 years of sight and touch with ladies form both countries, I see no discernible difference in breast size. Some are large, some quite small, in both countries. I do note a significant number of Thai girls with knees wider than their calves--the piano stool calf affliction. I note no such prevalence in Filipinas. However, I find Thailand has a greater number tall ladies, slim ladies, and light-skinned ladies. However, I have always had a weakness for little dark girls--LBFMs as some used to say.

Not if you visit the provinces. Skinny (slim) girls are the norm, not the exception. It is normally caused by malnutrition. That's why so many bargirls "blowup", when they start to make a few pesos. The richer the communities the more fat the people.

[thailiketoo]

I'll have to disagree about the chests. After almost 50 years of sight and touch with ladies form both countries, I see no discernible difference in breast size. Some are large, some quite small, in both countries. I do note a significant number of Thai girls with knees wider than their calves--the piano stool calf affliction. I note no such prevalence in Filipinas. However, I find Thailand has a greater number tall ladies, slim ladies, and light-skinned ladies. However, I have always had a weakness for little dark girls--LBFMs as some used to say.

Well.....

[balo]

I'll have to disagree about the chests. After almost 50 years of sight and touch with ladies form both countries, I see no discernible difference in breast size. Some are large, some quite small, in both countries. I do note a significant number of Thai girls with knees wider than their calves--the piano stool calf affliction. I note no such prevalence in Filipinas. However, I find Thailand has a greater number tall ladies, slim ladies, and light-skinned ladies. However, I have always had a weakness for little dark girls--LBFMs as some used to say.

Not if you visit the provinces. Skinny (slim) girls are the norm, not the exception. It is normally caused by malnutrition. That's why so many bargirls "blowup", when they start to make a few pesos. The richer the communities the more fat the people.

I do not agree with you there. Its the food that is so completely different , they eat more unhealthy food than Thais and more fat and calories. Of course you can eat the wrong food in Thailand and "blowup" but if we compare the traditional Pinoy food with Thai food , only a few simple rice dishes are the same.

[tropo]

I'll have to disagree about the chests. After almost 50 years of sight and touch with ladies form both countries, I see no discernible difference in breast size. Some are large, some quite small, in both countries. I do note a significant number of Thai girls with knees wider than their calves--the piano stool calf affliction. I note no such prevalence in Filipinas. However, I find Thailand has a greater number tall ladies, slim ladies, and light-skinned ladies. However, I have always had a weakness for little dark girls--LBFMs as some used to say.

Not if you visit the provinces. Skinny (slim) girls are the norm, not the exception. It is normally caused by malnutrition. That's why so many bargirls "blowup", when they start to make a few pesos. The richer the communities the more fat the people.

I do not agree with you there. Its the food that is so completely different , they eat more unhealthy food than Thais and more fat and calories. Of course you can eat the wrong food in Thailand and "blowup" but if we compare the traditional Pinoy food with Thai food , only a few simple rice dishes are the same.

Are you suggesting that the people all around me are not skinny and my eyes are deceiving me?

People just don't have much of anything to eat - it's that simple. When people have money, they can make choices of what to eat, but the poor eat whatever they can get and they just can't eat enough. That keeps them slim, trust me... and there's a lot of poor, skinny people here.

[balo]

I'll have to disagree about the chests. After almost 50 years of sight and touch with ladies form both countries, I see no discernible difference in breast size. Some are large, some quite small, in both countries. I do note a significant number of Thai girls with knees wider than their calves--the piano stool calf affliction. I note no such prevalence in Filipinas. However, I find Thailand has a greater number tall ladies, slim ladies, and light-skinned ladies. However, I have always had a weakness for little dark girls--LBFMs as some used to say.

Not if you visit the provinces. Skinny (slim) girls are the norm, not the exception. It is normally caused by malnutrition. That's why so many bargirls "blowup", when they start to make a few pesos. The richer the communities the more fat the people.

I do not agree with you there. Its the food that is so completely different , they eat more unhealthy food than Thais and more fat and calories. Of course you can eat the wrong food in Thailand and "blowup" but if we compare the traditional Pinoy food with Thai food , only a few simple rice dishes are the same.

Are you suggesting that the people all around me are not skinny and my eyes are deceiving me?

People just don't have much of anything to eat - it's that simple. When people have money, they can make choices of what to eat, but the poor eat whatever they can get and they just can't eat enough. That keeps them slim, trust me... and there's a lot of poor, skinny people here.

I am not talking about who is poor or rich , just the fact that the diet has more fat in it , I read some research on that , Thais normally have a very healthy diet.

Thais are in general slimmer than the filipino girls I have seen, might be because they are a bit shorter and the genes got something to do with it.

[tropo]

I am not talking about who is poor or rich , just the fact that the diet has more fat in it , I read some research on that , Thais normally have a very healthy diet.

Thais are in general slimmer than the filipino girls I have seen, might be because they are a bit shorter and the genes got something to do with it.

I am (talking about who is rich or poor), because it's the biggest influence on whether a person in the Philippines is skinny or fat. It has nothing to do with the quality of their diet, but total calories consumed. There is no magic way to overcome the effects of calorie deprivation. High calorie fat foods are harder for the poor population to get hold of as they can't afford them.

You've seen some Filipinos and made your conclusion. I see them out the window and everywhere I go - thousands and thousands of them everyday, and they are not fat around here.

I'll let you into a little secret. Usually once a Filipino has money to eat well they choose to get fat. It's a cultural preference actually. It is only the foreigners who like them skinny. They don't find skinny attractive at all and even if they know that lettuce leaves are the way to health, they will prefer to get fat. That's the reason why bargirls fatten up more than Thais. The only thing that tempers this obsession is that they know that foreigners tend to prefer skinny girls.

Edited January 17, 2015 by tropo

[smotherb]

I'll have to disagree about the chests. After almost 50 years of sight and touch with ladies form both countries, I see no discernible difference in breast size. Some are large, some quite small, in both countries. I do note a significant number of Thai girls with knees wider than their calves--the piano stool calf affliction. I note no such prevalence in Filipinas. However, I find Thailand has a greater number tall ladies, slim ladies, and light-skinned ladies. However, I have always had a weakness for little dark girls--LBFMs as some used to say.

Not if you visit the provinces. Skinny (slim) girls are the norm, not the exception. It is normally caused by malnutrition. That's why so many bargirls "blowup", when they start to make a few pesos. The richer the communities the more fat the people.

I do not agree with you there. Its the food that is so completely different , they eat more unhealthy food than Thais and more fat and calories. Of course you can eat the wrong food in Thailand and "blowup" but if we compare the traditional Pinoy food with Thai food , only a few simple rice dishes are the same.

Are you suggesting that the people all around me are not skinny and my eyes are deceiving me?

People just don't have much of anything to eat - it's that simple. When people have money, they can make choices of what to eat, but the poor eat whatever they can get and they just can't eat enough. That keeps them slim, trust me... and there's a lot of poor, skinny people here.

I am not talking about who is poor or rich , just the fact that the diet has more fat in it , I read some research on that , Thais normally have a very healthy diet.

Thais are in general slimmer than the filipino girls I have seen, might be because they are a bit shorter and the genes got something to do with it.

balo, I go to the provinces every time I go back to the PI, two months ago last. The girls are heavier than ever, especially after a kid or two. I agree their diet is a big part of the blame--junk food if they have any money, rice and kalamay if they don't; and in either case, too much of it.

We could go on arguing our opinions forever, but without empirical evidence, it will never be solved. Let's see how many TV posters are willing to fund our study.

I propose we go to the PI and interview a representative sample of women ages 18-25 in urban, suburban, and rural areas of at least 20 provinces spread between Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. Of course we would need funding for travel, hotel, meals, and research fees for entertainment and sporting activities--to study the effect of food, drink, and exercise on their height and weight. Two million baht ought to be a reasonable budget for the three month undertaking and we would, of course, provide the TV members a complete audio/visual/written report of our study.