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Travel The MEGA Travel Thread!

^ Lol yeah.

JF: Actually only spade and that other guy that called me gay seem to be 100% I <3 thailand (and even spade thinks pattaya sucks, so that alone makes him 90% I <3 Thailand ;)). Read through this thread.

A few months back you posted here about how you were angry about a ripoff by a cabbie in America. To demonstrate, this sort of thing is actually PART of thai society - you'll encounter it day-to-day and will need to develop strategies to simply ignore it and not allow it to ruin your day. I have a feeling you're in for a mixed bad that is at least as shocking as it is wonderful.
 
The Thai people are the friendliest and most hospitable people I've met without a doubt. I don't know how anyone can't have noticed it. This whole getting ripped off all the time in Thailand, don't think it's nearly as bad as you're making out. The only people I can recall ever trying to rip me off were tuk tuk drivers but I knew what the cost of the journey should be most of the time so could just laugh at them and walk off or haggle for a more realistic price. I don't even count that as a scam or a rip off it's just someone being opportunistic and if Farang will fall for it then who can blame the drivers.
 
count me in in the 90% I <3 Thailand faction :).
or maybe that should be 80% as chaweng is too touristy for me...

the friendly people, great landscape & lots of nice beaches, relaxedness, easyness of travelling, good medical standard the hygienic (and btw delicious) food make it one of the top destinations in asia for me.
the rip-offs and tourist tax are very modest compared to even relatively remote areas of bali (which along with lombok is incredibly expensive compared to thailand!).
and i've heard that that's even less of a problem up north...

and did i mention that you don't have to be very catious about the food in thailand. not having to spend a few days sitting on the toilet during holidays is a definite plus ;)
 
I think the part about getting ripped off is pretty much the same in most countries in asia. I've gotten ripped off in India and Cambodia, but not yet in Thailand. I think it's because I've learned my lesson and I know better. I found thai people to be nice in general but they seem a bit shy. Cambodians are by far the friendliest people. Indians come close second.
 
I found the Cambodians to be more on the shy side than the Thai's. Much more reserved.
 
That is far from my experience. Everywhere in Cambodia I've always got everyone smiling to me saying hello and very eager to talk. I've had the same experience in Thailand but to a much lesser extent. But I haven't been outside of bangkok yet so I'll just leave my opinions about thais in general out until I've seen the whole country. Anyhow, I really love it here...I'm really considering doing some teaching in english here as I've heard nothing but positive experiences about it from my girlfriend and all her friends.
 
I found the Thais everywhere to smile at me in the streets even in Bangkok, especially away fom the main tourist areas (in BKK) where I spent a fair bit of time. I'd get a very warm welcome in the local cafes, the owners and staff would sit down to talk to me, remember me when I went in, know what I wanted to drink etc. I got invited into a wee shack to watch some thai kick boxing and given some beer one day when I was just walking along the street. The freindlyness of the Thais is infectious, it had me smiling and talking to strangers in the street. They really cheered me up near the end of my trip when I was deciding whether to do more travelling or come home and was stressing a bit about money and things. People being so happy and lovely makes you never want to leave.

I really didn't find the Cambodians nor the people of Lao (and defo not the Vietnamese) to be anywhere close on the whole, in general they were friendly if need be but often indifferent and certainly not as outgoing as the Thais. I guess it really depends on the individuals we met as we've all had pretty different experiences within the different countries. There are exceptions to the rule in every place.
 
Well, I lived for the most part of a year in one of the least-farang areas in bkk (one of the many side-roads branching off the highway between V. Monument and Din Daeng), and I found the Thais there to be not even a bit less nasty than those in Khao San.

One particularly incensing episode happened near the end of my stay: the moto driver I patronized, on a daily basis, would episodically decide to jack up the pre-agreed price (for the exact same daily trip) on a whim. I tried being patient, but after three such episodes I boycotted him and found another (who, of course, proceeded to do the same). This just a single example - I am not saying that it in itself was THAT bad, but my experience was that the moto driver was one of every single Thai I dealt with on a daily basis, ALL of whom (and I emphasize the ALL because I actually had a hard time FINDING exceptions even when I actively saught them out!) deal in such a conceited manner.

It might be the Middle-Easterner in me taking this too gravely, but I found the Thais (with the exception of a grand total of 2 individuals) to have absolutely no honour (in the sense I define it) whatsoever.
 
I'm pissed that I actually went to 'The Beach' as in the 99 film and they have totally ruined it.

Its now a tourist attraction with about 20 speed boats on the beach.

Tho the rock scenary and waters are still amazing. :)
 
Another example: There is a Chinese gemstone dealer that I patronized more than many of those around him because I found him to be one of the more honest dealers (not surprisingly, most of the other dealers were Thai, and the one Thai that I DID work with was actually a tranny - my third favourite was a woman from Hong Kong... you get the idea). But anyway, HE had a Thai saleswoman working with him. Every now and then when she weiged the stones, they'd get into an argument and she'd reweigh them and write down a different number, and appear clearly frustrated.

At first, I imagined he may have been treating her unfairly, particularly being a foreigner and her boss... however...

Later, as my language skills slightly improved, I was able to discern that she was constantly trying to rip me off while he was trying to do normal business with me. The fact that he kept giving me gifts whose value I am able to independently verify only makes it even more apparent.

And I remind you that these were people in the gemstone industry who knew that I knew what I'm talking about when I talk about it - this wasn't the tourist-to-store scam at play, and while the chinese man understood this fact, his Thai assistant appeared to be hardwired to rip off farang even if it meant fighting with her boss!
 
I am actually surprised that when a certain situation involving Yab*a, she took care of me and didn't steal my wallet or phone.

So I gave her about $200 US equivalent as a thank you.
 
That would be very annoying to have to deal with, I was there for a very short period of time compared to you so maybe I didn't get a chance to experience all the dishonesty that goes on. I've read a lot of people who initially love Thailand end up coming pretty jaded & frustarated with the place because it's not what it seems to be initially / on the surface.
 
^ Well I'm glad I was able to get across at least how this happened, I really don't want to come off as being judgemental - and I do acknowledge that I am to some extent - but there seems to be an element that almost inherent to the culture that I simply don't think is right and which - yes - does take time to sink in. My first couple of weeks in Thailand were pleasant, too. See my BL blog if interested, it should be in there somewhere early on.

I'd like to mention a third example that really has to be mentioned because it blew my mind so much...

My first position was at a Junior Highschool that is really in the middle of nowhere (some 20mins EAST of Swanabum airport or however you spell that). It was near a prestigious university of sorts.

Anyway, one day the kids were having a talent-show sale. My coworker (another English teacher) and I were looking about and really meant to support the kids and buy as much of their stuff as possible. One girl tried selling my friend a clay model, but before they made the transaction a teacher overheard and quickly told her something in Thai. My friend looked at me completely dumbfounded (he spoke Thai well enough to translate). He told me that the teacher had literally ordered the poor kid to raise the price, "because she's selling it to a farang"!!

I mean I don't care how rich we were, looked to be, or even seemed to be - it is the principal (here we are with principals again!). A society that teaches deceit of any kind in its highschool is definitely condemnable as far as I'm concerned.
 
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TheSpade said:
Avoid at all costs though I think you're going to Phuket which I don't rate a whole lot higher.
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I'll be pretty much all over SEA in the coming year, Phuket is just my port of entry and where I'll be for four weeks getting TESOL certified.

Bangkok is where I'll almost certainly end up; the only other places I'm in a hurry to get to are Ko Samui and Angkor, in Cambodia (as opposed to Angkor, Wyoming, lol).

But no stone will go unturned, purported shithole or otherwise. :)

Jam, you are making me a bit nervous.... I have acquired nowhere near the street-smarts that would be proportionate to my street-experiences. :D Unscrupulous Thais could probably easily distract me with some shiny object while they rob me blind.

Perhaps you could direct me toward the 2 "honorable" Thai you met. Looks like I'll need all the friends I can get. =D
 
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Cambodia is lovely. Go to Sihanoukville. I <3 the place. Little laid back beach town with so much going on. :)
 
I loved Cambodia so much - the people were an absolute delight to get to know. <3 To have gone through such recent horrors (recent in the scheme of things), and to have such a happy, grateful disposition is a testament to the character of the Khmer people.

When you're there, you have to eat as much Chicken Amok as you possibly can. It's the goods :D
 
StarOceanHouse said:
hey junctionalfunkie, how much does the TESOL certification cost here in thailand?
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For right around $2000 USD, I got tuition for a 4-week course and accommodation for that period in a private, air-conditioned hotel room. Apparently, food is not included. I imagine I'll be eating a lot of street food or foraging in the wilderness.

Sihanoukville added to the pending itinerary! :)
 
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