jdinasia Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 "So if you wish to deny this, don't bother because I can't believe you." You have made up your mind, why bother? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScarpoFongness4U Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 (edited) Outside looking in from USA I tell people I just returned from Thailand and they mention ladyboys and underage hookers It doesn't matter what I say about the music scene, the restaurants, the mammoth shopping malls, 2 hour massage for $10.00, or 45 minute taxi rides for $7.00 All they reply with is, Ladyboys and Underage sex This image is permanent as it is all ages, male and female So you're saying that "most" people in the US believes this way? If so, would that include you? What I mean is if you are one of those folks that believes Thailand is about ladyboys and underage hookers, why did you come to Thailand in the first place? Not having a dig at you, but it would seem to me that you yourself did not have this image of Thailand, otherwise you may not have come. I find this sort of attitude to be more prevalent in Euro folks. Most Americans couldn't tell the difference between Thailand and Taiwan. the 1st time I visited was at the prodding of a good friend who suggested a vacation away from the issues of dovirce and business, and I had promised him between wives, kids and girlfriends, I would visit when I was done with my parental responsibilities it was the best 10 day vacation, that turned in to 6 months, so much so, that I made enough friends to return in Dec, departing Jan 11 I am one of the people who tries to tell people there is so much more, but they truly, are not interested. I knew there would be a lot of hookers, I had no idea there would be an entire industry devoted to it, everywhere you look, and as far as the ladyboys go, I am from NYC, have no trouble spotting them, and, have even had to ask one to let my balls go, so I can walk past, telling her/him, that I know she thinks she is a woman, but she isn't, and I can see that, and, I also dont carry a wallet so, no problem.... another lesson/gift from NYC but make no mistake, I came for the massages the girls and the food I came back for the music, the massags, the girls, and the food Edited February 20, 2015 by ScarpoFongness4U Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berkshire Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Outside looking in from USA I tell people I just returned from Thailand and they mention ladyboys and underage hookers It doesn't matter what I say about the music scene, the restaurants, the mammoth shopping malls, 2 hour massage for $10.00, or 45 minute taxi rides for $7.00 All they reply with is, Ladyboys and Underage sex This image is permanent as it is all ages, male and female So you're saying that "most" people in the US believes this way? If so, would that include you? What I mean is if you are one of those folks that believes Thailand is about ladyboys and underage hookers, why did you come to Thailand in the first place? Not having a dig at you, but it would seem to me that you yourself did not have this image of Thailand, otherwise you may not have come. I find this sort of attitude to be more prevalent in Euro folks. Most Americans couldn't tell the difference between Thailand and Taiwan. the 1st time I visited was at the prodding of a good friend who suggested a vacation away from the issues of dovirce and business, and I had promised him between wives, kids and girlfriends, I would visit when I was done with my parental responsibilities it was the best 10 day vacation, that turned in to 6 months, so much so, that I made enough friends to return in Dec, departing Jan 11 I am one of the people who tries to tell people there is so much more, but they truly, are not interested. I knew there would be a lot of hookers, I had no idea there would be an entire industry devoted to it, everywhere you look, and as far as the ladyboys go, I am from NYC, have no trouble spotting them, and, have even had to ask one to let my balls go, so I can walk past, telling her/him, that I know she thinks she is a woman, but she isn't, and I can see that, and, I also dont carry a wallet so, no problem.... another lesson/gift from NYC but make no mistake, I came for the massages the girls and the food I came back for the music, the massags, the girls, and the food Fair enough. I suppose every country has some sort of reputation. At least expats in Thailand have it better than expats in Cambodia, Land of the Pedos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mencken Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 My issue is strictly with Immigration. The sourness, arbitrariness and the indifference. In short the lack of respect. Other than Immigration, I even find the bureaucracy helpful. How about that. Really enjoy all my wifes family and friends. Our Thai and mixed couple friends. I swear I've been to twenty weddings in five years. The odd Thai aside, I get along great with them. Far better than most farang - which I judge to be people I by and large don't want to be around either. Pulling a number out of my ass, Id say 75% of foreigners don't fit and never will and would be gone if it were not for the girls - or even more pathetically, boys. They have no interests, don't travel, live indoors, eat western food as much as possible, Not married, don't have kids. Will post to this board how all Thai eomen are out to screw farang. Its just a hangout. In short, sex or at least someone paying attrntion to them....paying. If your life is Phuket, Samui, Pattaya, etc...you do not even have the right to judge Thai people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdinasia Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 My issue is strictly with Immigration. The sourness, arbitrariness and the indifference. In short the lack of respect. Other than Immigration, I even find the bureaucracy helpful. How about that. Really enjoy all my wifes family and friends. Our Thai and mixed couple friends. I swear I've been to twenty weddings in five years. The odd Thai aside, I get along great with them. Far better than most farang - which I judge to be people I by and large don't want to be around either. Pulling a number out of my ass, Id say 75% of foreigners don't fit and never will and would be gone if it were not for the girls - or even more pathetically, boys. They have no interests, don't travel, live indoors, eat western food as much as possible, Not married, don't have kids. Will post to this board how all Thai eomen are out to screw farang. Its just a hangout. In short, sex or at least someone paying attrntion to them....paying. If your life is Phuket, Samui, Pattaya, etc...you do not even have the right to judge Thai people. You appear quite willing to judge other foreigners here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smotherb Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 When I'm in Thailand I tend to live on TVF from the comfort of my (actually the kids own it) veranda . . . in the morning . . . and then the rear patio in the afternoon. I feel no ambivalence towards me in Makro or Home Shop which are the only other two places I ever visit apart from the garden centre where I'm made most welcome. No idea about the rest of the place, not interested. Yes, that is one way to avoid hassles, severly limit interaction. I prefer to interact. However, I make my stays in tourist traps and farang centers infrequent. I have many Thai friends and enjoy a variety of pleasurable activities. Perhaps a benefit, I do not have a Thai wife or girlfriend. My wife is outgoing and has many more Thai friends than I. We live a comfortable life with little hassle for visas, neighbors, sleaze-mongers, or corruption. My only real complaint is Thai driving. Sure, Thailand is not as good as it used to be; neither is anywhere else. We have created a world of entitlement, unscrupulous ideology, political correctness, and a severely limited private life. You have to be smarter than the problem, perhaps that is the major problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJP Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 When I'm in Thailand I tend to live on TVF from the comfort of my (actually the kids own it) veranda . . . in the morning . . . and then the rear patio in the afternoon. I feel no ambivalence towards me in Makro or Home Shop which are the only other two places I ever visit apart from the garden centre where I'm made most welcome. No idea about the rest of the place, not interested. Yes, that is one way to avoid hassles, severly limit interaction. I prefer to interact. However, I make my stays in tourist traps and farang centers infrequent. I have many Thai friends and enjoy a variety of pleasurable activities. Perhaps a benefit, I do not have a Thai wife or girlfriend. My wife is outgoing and has many more Thai friends than I. We live a comfortable life with little hassle for visas, neighbors, sleaze-mongers, or corruption. My only real complaint is Thai driving. Sure, Thailand is not as good as it used to be; neither is anywhere else. We have created a world of entitlement, unscrupulous ideology, political correctness, and a severely limited private life. You have to be smarter than the problem, perhaps that is the major problem. I have neither the time or the patience for lots of interaction these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdinasia Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 I live in the countryside. I work. I enjoy riding my motorcycles. I enjoy my colleagues, both foreign and Thai. I enjoy BKK but admittedly because I only go there once a month. Life is always what you make of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post TheSpade Posted February 20, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted February 20, 2015 The average Thai I encounter is indifferent at worst (no problem for me) and polite (but not overly friendly nor unfriendly) at best. Doesn't bother me at all. Don't feel any obvious resentment, no hate, no anger. They just don't really care. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FACTOR Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 So stay in Cambodia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tocquinio Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 how serious is this resentment of foreigners On a day to day basis the vast, vast majority of Thais don't give us a second thought. They're too busy getting on with their own lives. On occasion I've met some foreigners who say stuff like "Thais hate us" etc. and after 5 minutes in their company I have to commend the locals for their astuteness. They don't hate us mate. They hate you. Over the course of my long time here naturally I've encountered Thais who obviously don't like westerners but on the whole they've either treated me pretty well or with complete indifference. Spot on. There is a 'nob head' factor in every country. Most Thais I've met have been good people. Polite, helpful etc. A few don't even notice you're there (and why should they) and a very small number are nasty pieces of work who can't stand foreigners . My own country (UK) has a higher percantage of 'nob heads' in my opinion than Thailand. Although the comments about 'it ain't what it used to be' ring true. It's more built up in the resorts and visa abuse and right wing policies have made staying in Thailand for lengthy periods a little more unpredictable than it used to be. The politcal situation is still the same as it's always been. An election gets won and the army null and void it. Same as my own experiences over the last 12 years in Thailand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScarpoFongness4U Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 I was just reading a history book and it happened to mention a coup in 1933 when the country was Siam It sure did sound familiar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post hawker9000 Posted February 21, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted February 21, 2015 I live in Sedate City, so I may not be a good example. As a rule, I don't find Thais rude. I have been told on more than one occasion that they do not like being seen as a sex tourist destination. And the joking that goes with it. From the internet and such. "... they do not like being seen as a sex tourist destination." Oh, what a shame. But they're completely OK with the ubiquitous prostitution that goes on within their own culture? Where do the oh-so-proud "we've never been colonized by anybody" thais think prostitution in Thailand came from?? (Please tell me you're not one of the nimbies who repeats the "brought to Thailand by the US military during the Vietnam war" fairy tale over & over.) It's not like legions of foreigners invaded Thailand one day and introduced the never-before-seen concept. And the hard-earned bad reputation is hardly about being a "sex destination" anyway. That's easy enough for tourists & expats to stay well clear of. Not quite so easy to avoid the scammers, the police, the snatchers, the double-pricing (er, the 5x & 10x pricing...), the lack of equal treatment under the law, etc., etc., etc. No. The truth here is that the revenue that came with reliable tourist industry growth has now begun to taper, and there's not as much of the pie to go around as there used to be. That breeds frustration, envy & resentment. And I sort of doubt the growing proportion of Chinese in the tourist mix is likely to improve those attitudes much. The "sex destination" thing is the LEAST of their problems, but a good way to point the finger at foreigners... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micmichd Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 (edited) Nothing's as easy as this. Thais do not have to change their way of life, Farangs have to integrate and change their arrogant attitude towards Thailand. Edited February 21, 2015 by micmichd 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Credo Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Why would I want to integrate into a country where I can't stay in for long term? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldragon Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Well, the PM has gone on record saying TH needs to attract a better class of tourist. I'm sure that also goes for expats, and is a bit of a reflection of what Thais think about us as a whole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micmichd Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Why would I want to integrate into a country where I can't stay in for long term? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micmichd Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Just to find out if it's worth all the hassle. Emigration is a hassle everywhere, and it'll be the same in the neighbouring countries soon. Alternatively you can stay a lifelong globetrotter, which is also a respectable decision. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DLock Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Why would I want to integrate into a country where I can't stay in for long term? Why do you think that? You are misguided. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawker9000 Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Why would I want to integrate into a country where I can't stay in for long term? Precisely! Integration by foreigners is the very LAST thing Thailand wants. As evidenced by their unequal treatment of foreigners in every respect. Property ownership. Business ownership. Work & employment. Treatment under the law. Dual-pricing. Someone else here just got finished saying thais don't like foreigners. Why? Because they don't like foreigners doing what thais themselves famously do when they patronize their sex industry! Nope - greed wants exploitation, and exploitation wants short tourist visits punctuated by as large a money drop as possible; not integration. The Land of Smiles days are just something in the past. And that's a real shame. That aspect of thai culture was a national treasure. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micmichd Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Try to live one week at the financial level of an average Thai, and you'll find out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawker9000 Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Try to live one week at the financial level of an average Thai, and you'll find out. Were there not "average Thais" in Thailand 10, 20, 30, 40 years ago? Have they suddenly become so destitute in just the last few years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micmichd Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Yes, but average Thais were far much poorer then in days of the Indochinese War. You know the rich finally lost this war, don't you? And Thailand is a very well developing country now. That makes the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metisdead Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 A post containing a link to Andrew Drummond's site has been removed. Please understand Thai Visa is not employed as a tool to obtain information for Andrew Drummond nor do we use material from his web site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A1Str8 Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 All of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Cypress Hill Posted February 21, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted February 21, 2015 Why would I want to integrate into a country where I can't stay in for long term? Precisely! Integration by foreigners is the very LAST thing Thailand wants. As evidenced by their unequal treatment of foreigners in every respect. Property ownership. Business ownership. Work & employment. Treatment under the law. Dual-pricing. Someone else here just got finished saying thais don't like foreigners. Why? Because they don't like foreigners doing what thais themselves famously do when they patronize their sex industry! Nope - greed wants exploitation, and exploitation wants short tourist visits punctuated by as large a money drop as possible; not integration. The Land of Smiles days are just something in the past. And that's a real shame. That aspect of thai culture was a national treasure. So bloody what? You think America, Britain and most of the great powers of Europe didn't practice protectionism? All the hypocrites who've benefited from their homelands' past protectionist policies in terms of education systems, free healthcare, social housing are now sitting comfortably behind computer keyboards berating a developing country with a duty to prioritize its own people. What should Thailand do?? Make it a level playing field so that wealthier Westerners can come here and buy up swathes of land to rent it back to the Thais?? Make it a level playing field so that better-educated can come here and take jobs off the Thais in fields like medicine, law etc?? Pi55 off! Up until very recently, the Thais turned a blind eye to abuses of the visa system so it was simple to stay here long term without any hassle but where did that get Thailand? Lumbered with a reputation for being the go-to destination for paedophiles, criminals on the lam, boiler room kingpins, sexpats and a human trafficking industry struggling to meet the needs of an army of foreign deviants, that's what. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micmichd Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 This is getting ridiculous, it looks like you're talking of two different countries. The last thing Thailand needs is to solve Farangs' sexual and economic problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marko kok prong Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Personally i live in a small village,the major medium size town is 10km away,and is unusual in that it does not have the main road go through it,the nearest major city,Petchabun is 98km away.I can honestly say i have never encountered hostility or unfriendliness,or ever been overcharged,the locals seem very happy when you speak Thai ,there are quite a lot of falangs around the local area,so it is not as if i am a rarity,so all in all i am very content here,of course the attitude will be different in the major cities and tourist area's,but even then ,speaking a bit of Thai,and establishing you actually live in Thailand,i think you get a more positive attitude than if you are just a tourist[no disrespect inferred to tourists-we all started out as one]. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camelot Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Let's be honest. Those who bitch about life in Thailand would probably find something to complain about wherever they lived. Their negative attitude to life is probably why they ended up in this country in the first place. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micmichd Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 It's worse. Some fight everyone that has a different opinion of Thailand, if only their prejudices are supported by some kind of authority - mass media, or doctors. I tried to repeat Milgram's experiments on obedience to authority. Some German would torture for 50 Euro per month - against his own attitude, only following authorities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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