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[phibunmike]

merlin1, on 2006-01-31 01:00:07, said:

I keep wondering when Isaan will receive its share of visitors.

shhhhhh...........

[charlesfrith]

[quote name='Jiu-Jitsu' date='2006-02-02 09:04:05' post='630396']
[quote name='charlesfrith' date='2006-01-31 11:35:26' post='628312']
I'm skipping some reality here on the narrative. The following sentence says......

Now consider how the Thais see the foreign girls, running around in bikinis, having a drink or ten, seeming footloose and fancyfree and then imagine how far you think that they would get reporting a case of rape in Thailand.

Well, sex is a very complex subject and I want to make it clear that I adore this country and particularly the women, but I only have a couple of Thai male friends after many years of living here. It's so tough to make genuine friendships, although they are valuable if achieved. I challenge most occidentals to be honest about how many male Thai friends they have and if none why? It's because in the main they are not very warm. That said Thai guys who are cool do keep themselves to themselves.

However for whatever reason(s) this is also the country where I sometimes wonder what short circuit is wired in the cortex for the guys who manage or work on the periphery of the prostitution trade. OK it's a 'money' short circuit but the evidence is on the streets. Thai men are largely unbothered by any exposure to intrusive intimacy, nudity, sexual acts and unrestrained commercialisation of their sisters bodies to foreign men. Money and the culture of using women for recreational purposes in their own environment might be responsible for the absence of deep seated hostility. To make matters worse Thai women who work in the trade loathe them for reasons I don't think it would be appropriate for foreigners to discuss.

By coincidence I clarified this last night when I asked a very good Thai female friend why 30-40% of taxi drivers seem impossible to win over no matter how courteous or patient one is. It had never occured to me that an Occidental with a good command of Thai and knowledge of the routes has immediately just dropped some 50% in value as a gullible fare. Those are her words not mine. I was so ready for jealousy and resentment to be the reason.

So I have to say the obvious. This country is crawling with what I view as the loosest of feet and the freest of fancy women, possibly in the world. It's also largely through choice not circumstance. It's a lifestyle decision one that should be discussed in a more mature context, but again, it's sex and the irrational descends on the subject.

But to suggest that Caucasian women 'set a bad example' is an extraordinarily mono directional view of the world. I can see how the reasoning starts off but c'mon... A grip is needed.

I guess it's a tangential topic to the original post, but it's one I'm itching to find intelligent views on and maybe even learn a few things.

[/quote]
[/quote]

You appear to have misunderstood my meaning. That is probably due to my style of writing.
I wasn't implying that the female tourist's behaviour was improper.
The implication is that a certain type of male may see her as fair game. For instance, sitting and chatting and having a drink with a Thai male may be viewed as an invitation...

I'm not trying to insult anyone. We choose to travel to Thailand, so we should inform overselves and others of what to expect.
That's why we are here.
[/quote]

I apologise. It seems I did take your post out of context. Thanks for clarifying the point.

Rgds

c.

[Boomee]

Wow this topic certainly got people talking.Ive got a friend who has been liveing there for about 3yrs,he was going to open a business there but relized that Thailand is changeing for the worst,so he's going back to the UK.It's a shame that the Thai's are so money hungry,I think that whats going on in Samui will be country wide,no tourists means no money,no money means hungry people.

[cutter007]

Nothing would make me happier than to see Samui's economy colapse. It is an island full of gangsters, and the police are nothing more than their lackeys. The island has been going into the gutter for years and it is a shame because it is a beautiful place. som nam na samui.

[sriracha john]

Boomee, on 2006-02-02 16:01:13, said:

Wow this topic certainly got people talking.Ive got a friend who has been liveing there for about 3yrs,he was going to open a business there but relized that Thailand is changeing for the worst,so he's going back to the UK.It's a shame that the Thai's are so money hungry,I think that whats going on in Samui will be country wide,no tourists means no money,no money means hungry people.

You started ... but keep it going ... extrapolating the scenario to the logical end...

hungery people means...... desperation???

desperation means...... ?????

[Johpa]

cutter007, on 2006-02-02 19:51:01, said:

Nothing would make me happier than to see Samui's economy colapse. It is an island full of gangsters, and the police are nothing more than their lackeys. The island has been going into the gutter for years and it is a shame because it is a beautiful place. som nam na samui.

So perhaps we just wait for Samui to catch up with the rest of Thailand where the police are the gangsters and the gangsters are the lackeys of the police?

[the_webninja]

I Plan on Moving to that Island to Live in the next few years. Once I am there I will do everything I can to contribute to the Security of the area. If anyone wants to speed the process up a little they could give me Job over there. I feel like Thailand should grant me a Long Term Visa just for my willingness to make a positive contribution to the place. I could have helped out in the Tsunami efforts too. How many things have to happen before they do something to get a Quality Guy like me in Country?

Hey you never know, I might radiate such awesome Karma that the Muslims in the South migth Flee the Country at the News I was in Town.

[sriracha john]

Will the Labour Ministry issue a work permit for a job title of:
Dreamer
??


if so, you'll likely fit in rather nicely.

[bobfla]

TIT or TIFT

12 years ago was my first visit to Thailand and that was three weeks of hel_l in Pattaya. Just on the of leaving, an elderly & charming Thai explained that Pattaya was Farang-land and not the real Thailand. He went on to suggest that I visited Koh Samui before I left. Promptly falling in love with the place and the islanders, I’ve returned there 2 & 3 times a year. However first came McDonalds then an ATM on every street corner. Meter cabs……what a laugh, just 6 traffic cops to police 350+ of this mafia gang. As an elderly, obese, disabled guy, the cabs stop, open a door and say “500 Baht” and not “where are you going?” My usual response is ‘baba-babore’ and to f**** off! This literally leaves me a prisoner in my resort, just next to a renowned health resort, and on the other side, with the most awful 24 hour restaurant bar (that seems to sell booze 24 hours also). My bungalow was just 150 meters from where that dreadful rape took place. However if it is possible, when the two confessed fishermen returned for a re-enactment the media circus was even more horrendous. Young school kids running through my resort to lollygag at this horrendous scene on the beach, with all the excitement of an arrival of Father Christmas. A couple of hours after the TV cameras and top brass left, two police with rifles, big enough to knock down elephants, plus infra red sniper scopes went down to patrol the beach. Waking up the next morning, I came to the reluctant conclusion that central London was more attractive, especially after nearly three months of torrential rain there. The last 3 or 4 years has seen a steady deterioration both in the infrastructure and more importantly the attitude of the islanders. The LOS has seen the last of me and I cannot even say “chok dee” to them!

[Malice in Wonderland]

bobfla, on 2006-02-03 11:06:11, said:

TIT or TIFT

12 years ago was my first visit to Thailand

This literally leaves me a prisoner in my resort, just next to a renowned health resort, and on the other side, with the most awful 24 hour restaurant bar (that seems to sell booze 24 hours also).

For such a seasoned traveller with so much to say why did you book a place to stay next to Buddy Beer ???? DUMMY!!! or not quite the know it all you pertain to be???? Hmmm. I wonder......

[sierra01]

Very intersting thread, good points for the island, bad points against etc. Now look at it from your Mr & Mrs average tourist's side, what do they see? They see the news on the telly, they read the papers, and everything they see/read about Samui is bad, very bad. It's not surprising that the numbers of UK tourists visiting is down.

The expats that live there, and to a certain extent the other expats that live in the rest of Thailand, know the truth about safety on the island, Mr average tourist doesn't.

The safety subject can be debated here until the cows come home, and will have virtually no effect on the tourists at all.

[womble]

cutter007, on 2006-02-02 19:51:01, said:

Nothing would make me happier than to see Samui's economy colapse. It is an island full of gangsters, and the police are nothing more than their lackeys. The island has been going into the gutter for years and it is a shame because it is a beautiful place. som nam na samui.

That's nice, so every single expat and Thai worker deserves to end up in the gutter due to your sweeping generalisations.

Those of us that live here know the truth, yeah it's not perfect far far from it, but it certainly not the hel_l whole some make it out to be.

Remember after the tsunami the media tried to bring phuket down with half truths and sensationlist reporting, thats whats happening to Samui now.

Many things are in urgent need of adressing here in Samui, but thats not surprising considering the immense growth that has occured in the last 5 years. As always things in Thailand have to get bad before they can be made good, actually world wide press coverage may well be our saviour.

[bobfla]

Malice in Wonderland, on 2006-02-05 03:48:02, said:

bobfla, on 2006-02-03 11:06:11, said:

TIT or TIFT

12 years ago was my first visit to Thailand

This literally leaves me a prisoner in my resort, just next to a renowned health resort, and on the other side, with the most awful 24 hour restaurant bar (that seems to sell booze 24 hours also).

For such a seasoned traveller with so much to say why did you book a place to stay next to Buddy Beer ???? DUMMY!!! or not quite the know it all you pertain to be???? Hmmm. I wonder......

I have been staying at the same sweet resort for 11 years and the Thai family treat me much as a son. About 3 years ago I went back to London, returned 6 month later that evil Buddys had infected it self there. Being grossly disabled, where I stay is a flat location and I was just able to tolerate the new joint. Especially when they converted the pond into a large (1.8m deep) pool. Since I can only mobilise on crutches, very obese, swimming is the only real exercise I can manage. Does that answer your question smart-*rse? :-(

[Patsycat]

I've just read the whole 6 pages. I wish I could have visited Samui 10 or 15 years ago when it seems it was really "Paradise". I have only visited for the past 3 years and loved it. Coming from cold, grey Europe it is Paradise for many people compared to where we live. I don't go there for the Full Moon Parties, girly bars (i am a girl!). I have even made friends with other westerners who i met and we met up last year and will meet up this year again. After reading everything on TV both good and bad all i can say is nothing is going to make me cancel my holiday in a place i think is "Paradise".

So, on a lighter note, who wants to meet up for a drink around Easter?!

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Patsycat, on 2006-02-05 16:26:36, said:

I've just read the whole 6 pages. I wish I could have visited Samui 10 or 15 years ago when it seems it was really "Paradise". I have only visited for the past 3 years and loved it. Coming from cold, grey Europe it is Paradise for many people compared to where we live. I don't go there for the Full Moon Parties, girly bars (i am a girl!). I have even made friends with other westerners who i met and we met up last year and will meet up this year again. After reading everything on TV both good and bad all i can say is nothing is going to make me cancel my holiday in a place i think is "Paradise".

So, on a lighter note, who wants to meet up for a drink around Easter?!

Paradise? The place is getting dirtier by the minute. May take another look just after Easter. See you there. Maybe.