Moving to Thailand Part 1: Is Living in Thailand For You?
Posted: September 23rd, 2013, 4:39 pm
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From what I understand, there's still a lot of nice places. Just avoid well-known places like Bangkok, Pattaya, and Chang Mai. It should be obvious for the non-party types and those who want more than just indulging in p4p that those places should be avoided like the plague.zboy1 wrote:Loved Thailand but now all the douche-bags and degenerates from the West are moving into the country en masse, ruining what was once an awesome country to be in...I wish I could've lived in Thailand during the 80s and 90s--before things turned into a mess there...
Xiongmao - seriously, from the time you've spent here and from what you've written, you know absolutely f**k-all about Thailand. You of all people shouldn't even say a f***ing peep about this place.xiongmao wrote:Yeah, Thailand has been ruined, or at least Bangkok has.
I've done worse here dating wise than I was in Thailand.
Is it down to me? No. The problem is that top quality women here won't date me, because of what they've seen in the past as far as other farangs go.
Like 3 days ago I was walking down Sukhumvit late at night, somewhere around Soi 50. A couple of Indian guys were carrying really heavy loads. So some idiot farang comes up to them, and starts assaulting them, making them drop their parcels, and generally making fun of them.
I was mentally willing a few Thais with iron bars to come out and beat the guy to a pulp.
Stupid farangs have ruined this place for us all.
Issues...weird...yea, that's my point.kai1275 wrote:LMAO!!!
Xiongmao is a trip! Dude is just plain ol weird, that's for sure. Don't rake him over the coals so hard. He has issues... I left him alone a while back as well over various China related things because I eventually figured that maybe he is just thick or has some issue like Aspergers. Maybe he is just f***ing eccentric and too picky. There is no telling. I don't think most people here take him very seriously, but I understand your concern. For the HA guys that are newer, he could be giving a terrible impression on something or a place he has no f***ing clue about.
HA! Off the cliff indeed. He is kinda like that rambling grandpa you have to clean up after because he cannot take care of himself in a way. It's quite the chore fixing some of the way off base stuff he posts about.anamericaninbangkok wrote:Issues...weird...yea, that's my point.kai1275 wrote:LMAO!!!
Xiongmao is a trip! Dude is just plain ol weird, that's for sure. Don't rake him over the coals so hard. He has issues... I left him alone a while back as well over various China related things because I eventually figured that maybe he is just thick or has some issue like Aspergers. Maybe he is just f***ing eccentric and too picky. There is no telling. I don't think most people here take him very seriously, but I understand your concern. For the HA guys that are newer, he could be giving a terrible impression on something or a place he has no f***ing clue about.
It's one thing to be opinionated or a little off on a subject. But...to be completely off the cliff is a different story.
Change is inevitable and is the only constant. Thailand has changed but overall it's a helluva lot better than most places.
One of the few times I agree with PublicDuende, I think. Well-stated.publicduende wrote:XiongMao may well be one of the more naive travellers/posters in here, but honestly, I feel all the insults and the contempt pretty rude and excessive.
Honestly, AiB, from what I have read from your posts, if I ever needed some information on how to live in Thailand or Bangkok, people like you - who probably know a lot on one or two countries but nowhere as much on class or good manners - would rank pretty low on my call list. If you're such an advocate and lover of the friendliness and grace of Thai culture, how about exercising a wee bit of it yourself?
As fellow Italian Tiziano Terzani, one of the greatest and most learned writers on Asian cultures ever lived, said, a journey into a different culture is primarily a journey of discovery of the self. As such, it's only normal that everyone will develop their own views, opinions, likes and dislikes. Everything a traveler sees, hears, tastes and - well - f*cks, is a direct reflection of their own personality, their own past experiences, their preconceptions, their fears and frustrations, their desires and obsessions. The foreign setting is but a mirror. What is reflected on it is themselves, and all they are. The smarter of them should probably savour every moment and use it to build themselves as individuals, as well as citizens of the world.
You clearly have a lot of life experience on Thailand and the fact you're semi-retired on in full-blown blogging mode gives you the time and pleasure to share it on your website, or here. Yet, to slap it on people's faces like it's the ultimate truth if they dare say something that doesn't sound as perfected, final and crystallised as your gospel; to ridicule everybody who has their own subjective views on a specific culture or place or person, well that's just stupid and wrong in my book.
My 2 cents.
I think that is little absurd and off the mark. I think he doesn't like bullshit, lies, and sheer exaggerations. Where do you even get stuff like this from? Marry native and get defensive about their adopted homeland? WTF does that even mean? Have you ever lived in Thailand before? What about SkateboardStephen? Is he the same when it comes to Brazil? Should they only talk about the bad things more? What about me and China? All 3 of us are constantly dumping ammunition at garbage information related to the countries we have alot of knowledge about. I cannot speak for the other 2 very much, but from what I have read from them, is nothing but balanced and realistic views of the good and bad of the countries they lived in. I do not see any White Knight-ish stuff from any of their posts. If you saw any, I would love to see it.Jester wrote:One of the few times I agree with PublicDuende, I think. Well-stated.publicduende wrote:XiongMao may well be one of the more naive travellers/posters in here, but honestly, I feel all the insults and the contempt pretty rude and excessive.
Honestly, AiB, from what I have read from your posts, if I ever needed some information on how to live in Thailand or Bangkok, people like you - who probably know a lot on one or two countries but nowhere as much on class or good manners - would rank pretty low on my call list. If you're such an advocate and lover of the friendliness and grace of Thai culture, how about exercising a wee bit of it yourself?
As fellow Italian Tiziano Terzani, one of the greatest and most learned writers on Asian cultures ever lived, said, a journey into a different culture is primarily a journey of discovery of the self. As such, it's only normal that everyone will develop their own views, opinions, likes and dislikes. Everything a traveler sees, hears, tastes and - well - f*cks, is a direct reflection of their own personality, their own past experiences, their preconceptions, their fears and frustrations, their desires and obsessions. The foreign setting is but a mirror. What is reflected on it is themselves, and all they are. The smarter of them should probably savour every moment and use it to build themselves as individuals, as well as citizens of the world.
You clearly have a lot of life experience on Thailand and the fact you're semi-retired on in full-blown blogging mode gives you the time and pleasure to share it on your website, or here. Yet, to slap it on people's faces like it's the ultimate truth if they dare say something that doesn't sound as perfected, final and crystallised as your gospel; to ridicule everybody who has their own subjective views on a specific culture or place or person, well that's just stupid and wrong in my book.
My 2 cents.
XiongMao is not an experienced ladies man, but dammit, HA is supposed to be a place where ordinary men can learn to search for love.
AIB, many White men who marry "native" get pretty defensive about their adopted homeland. Go easy.
I am not sure if you're referring to something in particular, but I can't recall a specific episode where XM was (willingly) spreading lots of bad information, on China and more recently Thailand. Opinions, yes. But opinions are clearly subjective, and since everybody knows how "fresh" the guy is on China, Thailand or Asian cultures in general, it's only obvious that any of us would take what he says with an extra pinch of salt. The only point I was making is: why the contempt? We all know Winston too can be pretty biased about whatever culture he lived in, yet that doesn't necessarily make his insight something to throw away in contempt or ridicule. It's his life, his outlook on the PI or Russia, and he is being honest enough to put that up on a public forum, for everyone to decide what to do with it. That is, in itself, a laudable effort, and not something anyone should be clashing under the weight of his (allegedly) superior or deeper experience.kai1275 wrote:AiB is a brash dude for sure, but Xiongmao does not seem to learn much of anything. Anyone still learning would not spread lots of bad information and opinions so wantonly about. If you guys had extensive knowledge on some particular place he was living in, he would drive you crazy too. Naivety does not begin to describe Xiongmao. I dug into him hard at first, but learned to leave him be eventually, but not everyone is going to learn that kind of patience with a guy like that so easily.
Something is really off about that guy. You could say the same for a handful of dudes here. Like Professor, Bannano, Ghost, Winston, etc. Those guys come off as strange, eccentric, and awkward. By itself it's not a big deal really, but then those same guys are all very very opinionated as well. It's one thing to be learning and another to spouting off about stuff and being way off base about it. Eventually someone is going to call you out on your bullshit and challenge your thought processes as well.
Some of us are more likely to point out BS than others and call it like we see it. AiB is that "dude" when it comes to Thailand. He is un-rivaled on Thai knowledge. Until more of you learn Thai and accomplish more on a personal level, I doubt many will give anyone else that level of respect.
Perhaps he is getting more grumpy lately, but f**k can you really blame him? Look at the way this forum has changed in the last 6 months. So many new people, and the last thing anyone here wants is to regress and go back to the old HA ways, where BS and bad information ran buck wild with only weirdos like Adama, Odbo, and the other black and Asian racists were willing to say anything back. Those cats are gone. Only the lazy guys are left dominating right now.
The growing pains now are fights over credibility, laziness, and effectiveness. DJfourmoney, AiB, Zboy, falcon, Rock, Silver, Djean, etc and others trying hard to provide ideas, reports, information, and resources people can use to get the hell outta the US for whatever reasons they need. Writing, contributions, etc. feel useless when idiots or people with good intentions are throwing trash on the floor in the HA house. If I drop my shoes on the floor in the room, my wife will pick them up, but she will tell me why she did not like me doing that too. So if you cannot handle the biting back, don't barking out loud for no good reason.
If xiongmao couldn't handle the heat in the kitchen he probably would have quit HA a long time ago anyway. I personally think he ignores 99% of anything said to him anyway. He knows what he is doing.
I have no problem accepting I am brash and outspoken. I am what I am.publicduende wrote:XiongMao may well be one of the more naive travellers/posters in here, but honestly, I feel all the insults and the contempt pretty rude and excessive.
Honestly, AiB, from what I have read from your posts, if I ever needed some information on how to live in Thailand or Bangkok, people like you - who probably know a lot on one or two countries but nowhere as much on class or good manners - would rank pretty low on my call list. If you're such an advocate and lover of the friendliness and grace of Thai culture, how about exercising a wee bit of it yourself?
As fellow Italian Tiziano Terzani, one of the greatest and most learned writers on Asian cultures ever lived, said, a journey into a different culture is primarily a journey of discovery of the self. As such, it's only normal that everyone will develop their own views, opinions, likes and dislikes. Everything a traveler sees, hears, tastes and - well - f*cks, is a direct reflection of their own personality, their own past experiences, their preconceptions, their fears and frustrations, their desires and obsessions. The foreign setting is but a mirror. What is reflected on it is themselves, and all they are. The smarter of them should probably savour every moment and use it to build themselves as individuals, as well as citizens of the world.
You clearly have a lot of life experience on Thailand and the fact you're semi-retired on in full-blown blogging mode gives you the time and pleasure to share it on your website, or here. Yet, to slap it on people's faces like it's the ultimate truth if they dare say something that doesn't sound as perfected, final and crystallised as your gospel; to ridicule everybody who has their own subjective views on a specific culture or place or person, well that's just stupid and wrong in my book.
My 2 cents.
I understand telling the truth may sometimes be insulting and contemptuous, but it is what it is, the truth. You can say what you want about it being someones personal truth but sometimes black is black and white is white. Sometimes there are no shades of grey. I also understand what you are attempting to do here, but I think you're off the mark.Honestly, AiB, from what I have read from your posts, if I ever needed some information on how to live in Thailand or Bangkok, people like you - who probably know a lot on one or two countries but nowhere as much on class or good manners - would rank pretty low on my call list. If you're such an advocate and lover of the friendliness and grace of Thai culture, how about exercising a wee bit of it yourself?
It's not just what I say, this is the thing. My word is hardly gospel, I am imperfect, and sometimes, I am even wrong. But many of my statements about what he's said are far from subjective, they're spot on and fact.. Yet, to slap it on people's faces like it's the ultimate truth if they dare say something that doesn't sound as perfected, final and crystallised as your gospel; to ridicule everybody who has their own subjective views on a specific culture or place or person, well that's just stupid and wrong in my book.