52 replies to this topic

[kliome]

I'm sometimes surprised at the amount of negativity towards Thailand as a country, culture and population, found on this forum.

Lately, especially, it seems as a few people have only negative things to say, despite spending a lot of time on the board and constantly planning to head back to LOS!

It can't just be the cheap prostitution and ladyboys? Can it? I mean some people still have only negative things to say about them too, the lazy, thieving, ignorant. rude ..

It would be nice to have at least one thread to shine some positivity on to the country which some of us still love, and perhaps convince a few more newbies it's not such a bad place to visit.

[kliome]

For me the food is unbeatable, I love the fact I can buy a delicious 30bht home made noodle soup or rice dish on almost every corner at almost any hour.

Even though some Thais come across as ignorant and racist, I have some admiration of their sense of nationalism, their loyalty towards the monachy and faith and dedication to buddism. Some things which are to a degree sorely missed in some western cultures IMHO.

Back in my home country things are so sterile and structured, I even enjoy the fact things are so disorganised and a little mad in Thailand, and with it that sense you can 'do what you want' (within reason!).

[badpress]

The more you visit Thailand the more negativity can be found. The extortion, the greed, the lies, the distain toward anything not Thai, the total disorganisation of the place. It all becomes so evident after a while. But the fact that all this can be totally ignored, and almost embraced, over a few weeks/months, makes one realise how incredibly wonderful the place really is. And the fact it is so far from perfect,makes it almost perfect!!!
After so many years spending my holiday periods in places like Benidorm, I could quite honestly say that after first visiting LOS in 2005, I will not be spending my free time anywhere else but there for many years to come.
And the amount of truly good guys I met there, from forums like this, guys who are now good friends, only cements my thoughts on why Thailand is such a good place.

[onetruesaxon]

Thailand is like a wife a fine line between love and hate.

On a personal note for me its a place where I can lose myself and do what i want any time I want. Whether it be scuba diving, sightseeing eating or just going for a walk nowhere and seeing the sights, the sound , the smells of food being open cooked in front of you.

I like the fact that its not just a place where it stops and goes to sleep. You can get food at any time of the day or night and not have to pay through the nose for it either.

I have spent days just traverling around on the skytrain in Bangkok going nowhere but seeing diffrent parts of the city. or just jumping on a train or bus north or south to see diffrent parts of the country and not being rushed while doing it. getting there and not no where you are going to stay but always finding new and nice places to stay.

Love it or hate it ? It's in your mind and soul.

[petesie]

I've been visiting LoS on and off for 23 years....you guys have captured most of my feelings in the previous posts and love it or loathe it I just cannot imagine going anywhere else for a vacation...

While we all have a bad experience from time to time there's always a wee gem to be found round the next corner which takes your breath away with their honesty and friendliness...

The Thais stick together through thick and thin and there's a lesson for us all...

[Rossco]

I like Thailand with all its inherent chaos. It can be frustrating and irritating but so can many other countries who claim to be 1st world.

Unfortunately the forum does focus on the nightlife and LabyBoys. That is not really representative of Thailand overall. If we dwell in a world of prostitution and illegal activity we are hardly going to meet Mother Teresa.

The forum does a great job of representing our interests but this hardly represents Thailand as a whole.

I can appreciate that BMs visiting have limited vacation time so direct all their energy at the nightlife in Pattaya, Bangkok and Phuket.

There are other places to see and enjoy. How many BMs have been up country as a tourist? Visited the floating market, Orchid farm, Bridge on the Kwaii. What about the Royal Palace tour. Take the fishtail boat along the river in Bangkok.

Taking all of that then add in a pleasant tropical climate and terrific food.

A great deal of the negativity comes from individual bad experiences - in a world of booze and prostitution. I am surprised there are not hundreds more bad experiences.

[RobiSLO]

I like Thailand with all its inherent chaos. It can be frustrating and irritating but so can many other countries who claim to be 1st world.

Unfortunately the forum does focus on the nightlife and LabyBoys. That is not really representative of Thailand overall. If we dwell in a world of prostitution and illegal activity we are hardly going to meet Mother Teresa.

The forum does a great job of representing our interests but this hardly represents Thailand as a whole.

I can appreciate that BMs visiting have limited vacation time so direct all their energy at the nightlife in Pattaya, Bangkok and Phuket.

There are other places to see and enjoy. How many BMs have been up country as a tourist? Visited the floating market, Orchid farm, Bridge on the Kwaii. What about the Royal Palace tour. Take the fishtail boat along the river in Bangkok.

Taking all of that then add in a pleasant tropical climate and terrific food.

A great deal of the negativity comes from individual bad experiences - in a world of booze and prostitution. I am surprised there are not hundreds more bad experiences.

I can only agree with your words. Until I went to Isaan and met honest working non P4P Thai people I had only prejudices and picture of Thailand a one big "adult playground" . Ok if you are gullible you can still get conned in a second but.... Thailand is really much more than Just Nana, Bangla and Pattaya.

BR

[Thailand-junkie]

.....

[redrock]

Excellent topic Kliome. I bitch and moan too much about a place that obviously has me spellbound. Truth is I've sat on a beach or in a bar or on the back of a motorbike taxi or ball deep in some Thai lad many a time and thought, fuck me I love Thailand!

I think the biggest attraction for me is the exoticness of it all. It's about as far removed from Scotland as you can get. Everything's a curiousity to me. I've been there 10 times and I feel I've not even scratched the surface. It's gone beyond sex. It's a culture study now. Fuck knows, maybe I'll get bored of it one day - but no in the near future.

[kliome]

Excellent topic Kliome. I bitch and moan too much about a place that obviously has me spellbound. Truth is I've sat on a beach or in a bar or on the back of a motorbike taxi or ball deep in some Thai lad many a time and thought, fuck me I love Thailand!

I think the biggest attraction for me is the exoticness of it all. It's about as far removed from Scotland as you can get. Everything's a curiousity to me. I've been there 10 times and I feel I've not even scratched the surface. It's gone beyond sex. It's a culture study now. Fuck knows, maybe I'll get bored of it one day - but no in the near future.

I think you've got a good point there Red, despite spending almost more time in Thailand than Europe over the last couple of years it still feels totally exotic, especially when you take a quiet moment either in the heart of walking street or up north, way of fthe beaten track, it's special in so many different ways.

I love the markets in Thailand, I rarely buy anything, but the sites, smells, colours and sounds still give me a little buzz.. And walking around Buakaow market on Friday morning, or passing through Wat Chai market late at night, it's not rare to bump into a stunning ladyboy or shy femboy with a 'twink' in his eye who's more than happy to stop for a chat, go for a drink or something more. Where else in the world?

[manfredmann]

Great thread Kliome.

I think it's always a good idea to point out and focus on the positive side of life and I believe that makes life better. Negativity just brings more negativity - doesn't it - and life's hard enough already.

Personally, I have lived in many countries on many continents, and in various locations within them, and I have never found a place where there weren't things that can really bug you...even in my home country. (that's one of the reasons I haven't lived there in a long time)

As has been pointed out, most here are in Thailand for a short vacation and are focused on sex and drinking (or so it seems) and don't get to experience the amazing kaleidoscope of things to see and do in Thailand. I've lived in Asia for years now, in various locations, but haven't been able to get to Thailand yet. Sadly enough, and mostly because of working all the time. But I DO plan to make it this summer...finally.

However, as an artist, I have made a point of seeing and reading enough 'about' Thailand to know it is absolutely amazing and wonderful! And I have several friends who have moved there and said the same. It is a country I am considering living in, at least part time, in the future.

The rich and diverse beauty in Thailand is both stunning and inspiring and I can't wait to finally get there. The wonderful nature of Thai people, in so many ways, adds to its uniqueness and attraction.

With regard to all the 'negatives', I agree with your observation and that's why I think this is a great idea for a thread. Much of it is just cultural and labeling something as a negative, stupid, wrong, etc, etc, is often just an indicator of the fact that we all see the world through our own colored lens, or the color of our own cultural lens, and assign value/judgment thus. Right and wrong is often a cultural perspective and who is to say whose is better or more correct? For example, in Western thought, we tend to 'identify, organize, and label', through logic and the perspective that things should 'make sense'. Eastern thought is almost the complete opposite of that, not seeing the world as logical or able to be organized and labeled...ie; through observation of life, Eastern thought sees life as often illogical and absolutely full of contradictions and, in that, see it as reasonable and sensible - but in an entirely different way. Who is to say who is right? If one simply observes life and nature, the Eastern perspective seems more accurate, actually.

I have learned that the more open minded we are to all things, even things that drive us crazy or just seem wrong to our sensibilities, the more we stand a chance of expanding our own mind and increasing our happiness and pleasure. And I think that is one thing all the BMs will agree with, at least in part, as our interest in ladyboys certainly is an open minded avenue to walk.

Personally, I can't wait to spend lots of time in Thailand traveling with my ladyboy girlfriend (hopefully) or even by myself, far off the beaten path, spending time with monks, visiting some elephants and tigers, going to markets, cooking, snorkeling, hiking, biking, riding on boats, and about a hundred other things...exploring, exploring, exploring. Can't wait!

[dixon cox]

Negativity just brings more negativity - doesn't it - and life's hard enough already.

That's very true and it is an issue which I have tried to address in my own life for many years. As many here are well aware, I can often be a cantankerous twat and I wish I wasn't. Therefor I tend not to post so much these days unless I have something constructive to say. I do slip-up occasionally, so please forgive me.

I actually find it difficult to be happy, but SE Asia is somewhere which helps me move in a positive direction far more than anywhere else in the world I have been, particularly England, which I find difficult to enjoy despite essentially living there. It's a shame but England gives me the spending power to get away from it to better places, such as SE Asia, so I am bound to be here in England much more than I want to be.

I've always thought the list of negatives regarding Thailand and SE Asia in general far out-weighed the list of positives in number, but the few positives were so massive that the negatives simply paled in comparison and became just simple niggles.

I adore people watching and SE Asia is the place to be for that. I only wish that sometimes I could just be a fly-on-the-wall and remain un-noticed by the locals to really absorb the localness.

manfredmann, I wish you would post more often as I really do enjoy reading your input