Why would I want to vacation in Thailand?

[sekmet]

Having read TV forum news and discussion ,  I  wonder why I would want to vacation here. The flight is about 17 hours one way and US $1500. From what I  read, the beaches are polluted, taxis and Tuk Tuk are mafia, dual pricing for tourists, dubious inquests when tourists die, and a high traffic fatality count.

 

But lots of people still go. what is the allure?

[55Jay]

Danger.  Intrigue.  Cheap rice, beer, sand, and poontang. 

 

Oh, they've got temples here too. 

[impulse]

Even with all its warts, over 99.9% of tourists get back home alive, many with stories they can tell their grandkids (many others with stories they can't tell anybody but the priest or that lady who does the STD tests).

 

Scams, petty crime, lax law enforcement and traffic dangers are not much different in any exotic tropical location that caters to low budget tourists around the world.  In fact, those are the very conditions that attract a lot of tourists- consequence free hedonism.

 

And there are still great places in Thailand off the beaten path, just like Pattaya was off the beaten path decades ago.  It takes less effort to get off the beaten path today, but it's just so easy nowadays to stay on it and settle for the easy destinations.

 

Still, living in BKK like I do, I wouldn't recommend a 17 hour flight to anyone who can reach a Mexican or Costa Rican or Cuban beach in a couple of hours. Especially for a 2 week holiday.  That 17 hour flight turns into a 30 hour journey and a couple of days of jet lag on each end of the trip.  Makes Yucatan or Baja look pretty good.

Edited November 29, 2016 by impulse

[daveAustin]

Cheap booze?

[Pdaz]

Lots of young(ish) girls (and guys if that's your thing) who would be happy to spend some quality time with you in your hotel room. Despite the denials lots of tourists are here for sun, booze and cheap sex.

[Flanno]

Nah 17 hours on a plane is too long. Stay home or go to Mexico.

[mania]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

Even with all its warts, over 99.9% of tourists get back home alive

 

That is pretty good considering they have more road deaths here in 2 days than my home State has in a year

[Thaiwrath]

It's not compulsory to holiday here, but neither is trolling.

[Kwasaki]

1 hour ago, sekmet said:

But lots of people still go. what is the allure?

 

Lots of nice places to be in Thailand only the clever tourists know this.  

[impulse]

32 minutes ago, mania said:

That is pretty good considering they have more road deaths here in 2 days than my home State has in a year

 

If your home state had 80% scooters and 65+ million people, they'd have more road deaths than Thailand.  A lot more.

 

I did the math on that a few years back based on the fatality rate for motorcycles and the relative number of scooters back home (USA) and in Thailand, and things don't look so bad here.  

 

In spite of horrendous looking (to an outsider) driving habits, most Thais are pretty good at defensive driving.

 

Edit:  I still hate driving here because of the need to be defensive all the fricking time.  Driving long distances back home relaxes me.  Here, it drains me mentally.

Edited November 29, 2016 by impulse

[nausea]

It's not so much about why people come, but why people keep coming back. Read "Mandalay" by Kipling, it will give you a flavour of the attraction.

[geronimo]

Arrive and you will find out.

 

[impulse]

2 minutes ago, geronimo said:

Arrive and you will find out.

 

Ya big tease, you.

[mania]

27 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

If your home state had 80% scooters and 65+ million people,

 

In spite of horrendous looking (to an outsider) driving habits, most Thais are pretty good at defensive driving.

555

Probably true , but to be honest if my home State had those stats I'd move

 

I would agree the bike riders are pretty aware but the truck/cars drivers I rate pretty far down below

being able to pass a drivers test in most countries

Edited November 29, 2016 by mania

[impulse]

11 minutes ago, mania said:

Probably true , but to be honest if my home State had those stats I'd move

 

I'd just stay off the scooters.  Which is good advice for tourists in Thailand.  

 

But on an aside, the government back home would never let it get that bad.  If the deaths got too high they'd figure out a way to ban scooters or make riding one so expensive that only the rich could afford them.  Which is in contrast to Thailand, Vietnam, etc, where the government allows people the choice to do dangerous things, because of economic realities.

 

Same with tourists.  To a large degree, they're allowed to do a lot of things that may end up killing themselves.  The ones (99.9+%) that don't: they have a ball.  The tiny portion that do, not so fun.

[anotheruser]

Part of the appeal is that it is in the center of SE Asia. So many people come to Thailand and see the areas around it. The hey day of people flying long ways to get here seems to be coming to a close. However there are many places in the region close by that make Thailand a logical destination. 

 

If you aren't coming to explore SE Asia and other places there is little reason to spend that kind of money just to come here. If you are American and have a limited amount of vacation time also not that much incentive to travel so far for a week.

 

If you like markets and cheaply produced Chinese trinkets you will find that in abundance. If you like shopping in malls there are many choices as well. Just expect to pay more for virtually anything inside of them then you would in the USA.

 

If textiles are your thing you would be as good going to Guatemala versus coming here.

 

For the guys that come every year and do large amounts of time you are going to find they have a girl or guy or some friends and don't do any of the tourist things anymore. 

 

If you are a nature lover it is becoming increasingly depressing.  Thai food is renowned and the first few times I was here I quite enjoyed it. 

 

People say cheap booze but it really isn't that cheap. It isn't necessarily expensive but these days they also don't give it away.

 

I guess that leaves sex. The price of that is also creeping up but it is widely available. The hookers are likely to treat you more nicely then the ones back home.  

 

So these days the appeal is it is becoming the shopping mall for people in the region to come shop and blow off steam. The backpacker types increasingly scurry through hurriedly to one of the more affordable side countries.

 

There really isn't anything to fly this far for the average person in North America. 

 

 

[Deepinthailand]

You answered your own non sencical question. Don't come.

I would also point out this forum is a very small % of people holidaying or living  in Thailand and as such is only a straw poll of life here.

Edited November 29, 2016 by Deepinthailand

[chrisinth]

4 hours ago, sekmet said:

Having read TV forum news and discussion ,  I  wonder why I would want to vacation here. The flight is about 17 hours one way and US $1500. From what I  read, the beaches are polluted, taxis and Tuk Tuk are mafia, dual pricing for tourists, dubious inquests when tourists die, and a high traffic fatality count.

 

But lots of people still go. what is the allure?

 

OP, the allure is everything else that you haven't mentioned......................

 

Apart from the troll aspect of your post, you are leaving yourself wide open if your holiday planning is based on TV forum news & discussions.........................

[opalred]

surf 

sun

sex

std

[rijb]

Go to your nearest Thai restaurant.  Tell them you're single, rich and looking for a wife.  You'll get the same result as here.  But, with less variety.

[Deepinthailand]

34 minutes ago, opalred said:

surf 

sun

sex

std

I told you not to mess with that ladyboy?

[1FinickyOne]

It seems like you have spent enough time in Phuket that you should know the answer... now, if you are as disenchanted as you sound, maybe try visiting someplace that is more traditional and Thai then some place that is a tourist hub and has little connection to being in Thailand... 

 

ps - yes, you other posts seem to out you as a troll...

Edited November 29, 2016 by kenk24

[Mitkof Island]

1 hour ago, opalred said:

surf 

sun

sex

std

H.I.V

Spread Disease

Dead

[1FinickyOne]

7 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said:

anymore of a troll than the forty something foreign guy that can,t speak a word of Thai with the knocked up twenty something visiting her parents. Or the idiot that managed to lose his passport numerous times or the guy with the super lazy bar girl unwilling to clean the house when hes at work?

 

I would say with all respect, I have no idea - if there is a standard for rating trolls, I have not seen it... 

[sekmet]

4 hours ago, chrisinth said:

 

OP, the allure is everything else that you haven't mentioned......................

 

Apart from the troll aspect of your post, you are leaving yourself wide open if your holiday planning is based on TV forum news & discussions.........................

 

Yes, I know. But reading the TA forum is equally limited, but more positive as a contrast. The truth is somewhere in between . 

[vistascape]

1. i dont go there for the beaches.

2. taxis in bangkok are good.

3. tuk tuk is for tourists only. skip them.

4. w.t.f. tourists die? its not syria man.

 

i like thailand/asia because its so different from my country.

 

i hate my country because:

* everything is expensive. high taxes.

* there is nothing to do here. boring

* its a feminist society (anti male society) which makes me very upset.

* extreme coldness and always dark outside

* there is no culture and traditions to be found here.

* too much rules and regulations which makes me upset. there is no freedom here. everything is forbidden.

 

thailand/asia is the opposite to this. thats why i love thailand. all people are different. chose the place you like. thats it :)

 

in my country, the life lives on you. in thailand, you live the life.

Edited November 29, 2016 by vistascape

[geronimo]

1. i dont go there for the beaches.

2. taxis in bangkok are good.

3. tuk tuk is for tourists only. skip them.

4. w.t.f. tourists die? its not syria man.

 

i like thailand/asia because its so different from my country.

 

i hate my country because:

* everything is expensive. high taxes.

* there is nothing to do here. boring

* its a feminist society (anti male society) which makes me very upset.

* extreme coldness and always dark outside

* there is no culture and traditions to be found here.

* too much rules and regulations which makes me upset. there is no freedom here. everything is forbidden.

 

thailand/asia is the opposite to this. thats why i love thailand. all people are different. chose the place you like. thats it :)

 

in my country, the life lives on you. in thailand, you live the life.

Would you be a Brit by any chance?

[ChidlomDweller]

First time, come if you want to see the world.  It makes more sense to visit Latin America if you're in the US, but once you've done that a couple of times, why not come to Thailand and see it with your own eyes?  

 

Bangkok is still one of the best cities in Asia IMO.  The mix of Asian culture, beautiful women, great food, good infrastructure (relative to Jakarta, Manilla, etc.), among the best shopping malls in the world...  I like the sense of design and the beautiful places you can find.  For instance, once you got away from the main roads and walk down a small soi, you quickly discover enchanting small restaurants, coffee shops, spas...  None of these are by themselves a reason to come, but together it's what makes a good, rewarding holiday, and why I kept coming back before moving here.  

 

If I had limited holiday time, say two weeks, I'd give places like Phuket and Koh Samui a miss.  Maybe go to Pattaya for 3 days because it's only a 2-hour drive from Bangkok, not because the beaches are that great, but for some very memorable people-watching.  I definitely don't think Thailand is worth it for a tropical beach holiday.  You can find nicer beaches in Latin America, so no point.  But I think visiting Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Pattaya to observe the craziness, combined with some other trips like Myanmar, Vietnam, etc....  Definitely worth it.

 

By the way 1,500 sounds high to me. 

Edited November 30, 2016 by ChidlomDweller

[starky]

On 29/11/2016 at 0:30 PM, Mitkof Island said:

Easy answer: (1) Cheap Booze (2) Bargirls nothing more. That is the majority of foreigners both tourists and expats. But you also have the Full Moon Party morons. Again Getting wasted, getting drugged, getting robbed, getting raped, getting constantly ripped off, walking in piles of garbage, a sea of piss and shit to swin in, injured by stupid pet tricks , and getting killed are the highlights. The young foreigner morons are willing to pay anything to go.

Which one are you?

[anotheruser]

msg, msg, come for the msg.