Good things about Thailand and SE Asia

[Repatriate]

Alright, I guess I should make this thread since people get the wrong impression that everything in SEA is bad and start to wonder what's the point of going abroad. I can say that if you compare social environment and general comfort a country like Thailand still comes out ahead to the U.S. especially for your average middle class American.

Another thing to consider is that as an expat from a developed nation you really hold all the cards. That means locals may be living tough lives full of inequality but you can choose to live in a bubble as big or small as you want to create for yourself. Who you include in that bubble and what you do with it is largely up to you as well.

Good things about Thailand that I can think of:

1) Man made floods aside, the weather is great if you like sun and warmth year around. This is especially true if you enjoy beaches and outdoor sports like diving, swimming, and boating.

2) You can still find a girlfriend here quality or not. Thailand is good for flings and if you're a decent looking young man on the prowl there are opportunities and sexual adventures to be had. If you want to find a good quality woman that is much harder though and it's rather difficult to find one that is compatible with non-Thai values or marriage stability. I won't rehash what i've said in a different thread but expat men who marry Thai women end up having to conform to Thai language and values in order for the relationship to work.

3) Thais are generally non confrontational on the exterior. There can be a lot of passive-aggressiveness but they generally won't get in your face daily about anything and real physical violence is still rare. Your mileage may differ if you work for a conservative thai org like Ladislav did though.

4) City infrastructure is decent and SEA is a nice central region to base yourself in because long stay visas and modestly priced condos are easy to find. If you have modest means you won't go broke living in Bangkok like Seoul, Tokyo, Singapore, or Shanghai.

5) If P4P is your thing then Thailand is still the world's leading destination for this. So if you're too old/ugly to play with regular girls and or don't care to invest the effort then there's p4p. Girls can be as attractive or ugly as you want them to be.


Cambodia and Laos are increasingly popular options as well. I have been to Phnom Penh and Vientienne many times and I found both capital cities to be pretty rustic and too "backpacker" for my tastes. I have no idea what it would be like to live there though. I know one Singaporean expat who owns a restaurant in Phnom Penh who seems to enjoy it a lot and dates regular girls there all the time. However you'll inevitably be dating lower class girls because that's all that's available. Judging by his girlfriend(s) i'd say it's culturally comparable to Thailand in many ways but cheaper to live there.

[green1976]

It would be interesting if somebody know something about Laos
I have heard mixed reviews considering how is life there for an average western male.

I read also that is quit difficult to take a lady in our hotel..the point is,like every country in SEA,there's some P4P available,but as this country is ruled by one party communist,they put some hurdle on it.

Many people told me also that everyday life is not so cheap and even more expensive than Thailand because many items are imported from Thailand.

Thailand stay and will be my number one destination for sure as i enjoy many things,particularly P4P,mainstream ladies,food,quality of life and prices.

Problem,not alone on this one,life is getting more difficult everyday here in the West and 1 Euro start to be a true 1 Euro.
Not being a cheap charlie but this is how it is now for many of us.

So Cambodia would be on my number two spot.
Sadly,as i learn right now and speak little Thai,no Thai is spoken in Cambodia.

The country is far away poorer than Thailand,infrastructure are not on the same level but the essential is there for me.

If i could not afford any more in a decent way my Thailand trip,living on a Pattaya level..i would definitely retreat my stay in the countryside in Thailand or in Cambodia.

Things are clear..is not because our economies are unhealthy that this would stop me to go and enjoy my life.

The second option of spending or living with no more than 1000 euros per month is on the table.

With this money,is still easily possible to have a good quality of life,have some girlfriends around or take some bargirls when the feeling is there.

[Winston]

Check out these interesting trip reports about Thailand on the Single Dude Travel Guide:

http://www.singledudetravel.com/2011/05 ... -thailand/

http://www.singledudetravel.com/2011/12 ... -thailand/

http://www.singledudetravel.com/2011/05 ... -thailand/

[Winston]

Wow check out my friend's incredible trip report from Thailand! His experience there is the exact inverse of Ladislav's in that he's having a way better time there than the Philippines. He is a retired mental health counselor and an expert in psychology, so his observations about people are VERY credible and accurate.

Hey Winston,

Of course it is normal to feel the depressive feelings you are feeling in the sterilized culture of Taiwan. You are in a place where you feel isolated and have few people that understand you and so far as I know, you do not even speak the local languauge. As I told you, I have been to Taiwan and it is not much different (to me) socially than being in the United States.

When I am in America I spend about 95% of my time being depressed. Now I am typing you from Chiang Mai, Thailand, which is not even a very good "mongering" city as such cities go--certainly no Angeles or Pattaya or Bangkok--yet yesterday I had a date from the OK Cupid web site (I have been on this site in America for 3 years and not had a single date from it), the night before a young woman shared my bed (for free) and this afternoon I am getting an oil massage from a young lady that another lady wants to introduce me to as a potential girlfriend. After just five days here I had a drama-filled Thai girlfriend whom was a great f**k and here in Chiang Mai I can go to a whorehouse or massage parlor anytime I want--so the burden of going without sex is lifted. Not to mention that I have met some really cool people, both farangs (foreigners) and Thai--the Thai woman I had the date with yesterday was a vegan and we ate at one of Chiang Mai's many vegetarian restaurants. I have made acquaintance with many people and because I can speak Thai I have many women flirting with me who otherwise would probably not give me the time of day.

Am I happier here--Fuckin-A I am happier here. I could live contentedly here for many years and probably could find a quality woman within a year or two while f***ing my brains out in the meanwhile. Location and how you click with a culture matters a great deal, and I did not click as well with the Pinoy culture though it was okay. I am the opposite of Ladislav who lived here and did not click well with Thai people or their culture.

You probably need to make a move and plan your trip to China because otherwise you will probably sink more into a depressive funk. It is quite normal given your lack of sexual, lack of connection and feelings of being misunderstood (which are real feelings) by your family and the culture at large.

Remember, it is not YOU--it is THEM!!!! You are just in a place that doesn't fit your needs and it is beginning to wear on you. Find a place that fits your needs and the rest will take care of itself.

Wishing you the best,

[MrPeabody]

I actually liked Bangkok and thought it was livable. There are modern malls, large stores to buy electronics, the skytrain and metro for transportation, great food - not only Thai but Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, Chinese, and other nationalities. I think I would rather live in a city than the country where you have to deal with snakes and insects that look like monsters.

[PaulB]

Thailand is great but it's not for everyone.

[xiongmao]

Chiang Mai is getting popular with digital nomads (i.e. work from their laptops anywhere in the world). There seem to be enclaves of expats in a range of Asian countries now - Chiang Mai, Bali, Guangzhou and Cebu seem to be good places if you want to meet up with the occasional Western dude.

I think I'll join the Guangzhou crowd as it's a fascinating city which just happens to be packed full of beautiful women, and with practically no Western men to date them!!!

[zboy1]

Chiang Mai is getting popular with digital nomads (i.e. work from their laptops anywhere in the world). There seem to be enclaves of expats in a range of Asian countries now - Chiang Mai, Bali, Guangzhou and Cebu seem to be good places if you want to meet up with the occasional Western dude.

I think I'll join the Guangzhou crowd as it's a fascinating city which just happens to be packed full of beautiful women, and with practically no Western men to date them!!!

Xiongmao, do you think having so many Westerners moving to--and living in Asia--a good thing in the long term for Asia? Personally, I don't like the idea of having all of these Westerners coming to Asia and poisoning Asian countries by bringing in Western ideals, values, and outside influences that may have a negative effect on the people and the countries in Asia? To be honest, I don't particularly like Westerners in general due to me having had some bad experiences with Americans/British people in my life. Of course, I don't mean all Westerners are bad--just some. Same goes for foreigners in Asia. What's your opinion?

[xiongmao]

There are so few foreigners in Asia that they won't have a great deal of influence.

One of my Chinese friends reckons people are the same in every country - I guess she's right. We all want pretty much the same things.

I need to go to China to redress the balance of so many Chinese coming over here.

[NorthAmericanguy]

There are so few foreigners in Asia that they won't have a great deal of influence.

Yea, I agree. Westerners go to places like Panama, Mexico or Italy. Or to be more specific, westerners go to places around the world that are trendy and are accommodating to western women.

[NorthAmericanguy]

Xiongmao, do you think having so many Westerners moving to--and living in Asia--a good thing in the long term for Asia? Personally, I don't like the idea of having all of these Westerners coming to Asia and poisoning Asian countries by bringing in Western ideals, values, and outside influences that may have a negative effect on the people and the countries in Asia? To be honest, I don't particularly like Westerners in general due to me having had some bad experiences with Americans/British people in my life. Of course, I don't mean all Westerners are bad--just some. Same goes for foreigners in Asia. What's your opinion?

In the grand scheme of things it's already too late.... Remember the opium wars.

[PaulB]

There are so few foreigners in Asia that they won't have a great deal of influence.

Might be true in China but definitely not in all of Asia. Just look at how Thailand has changed its visa regulations over the years.

[Winston]

Here is a travel documentary about Thailand called "Fascination Thailand".



Description:

Thailand is a land of smiles and sunshine, the gem of Asia. A fascinating land of contrast, chaotic traffic, serene temples, poverty, wealth, hustle and contemplation. The metropolis of Bangkok boasts many wonderful sights such as Wat Phra Kaeo, the Temple Of The Emerald Buddha, that is highly revered by the Thai people. The city's most important landmark is also its most beautiful temple complex, a wonderful work of art comprising golden Chedis and numerous resplendent buildings. The River Kwai Bridge: the film of the same name made the bridge world famous. In Kanchanaburi the railway spans the wide River Kwai and this bold construction consists of steel and concrete, not wood as was depicted in the film. A bridge that symbolises the brutality of war built by thousands of prisoners of war under the command of the Japanese.

Thirteen kilometres north of Bang-In is the former capital of ancient Thailand, Ayutthaya. The most famous historic site in Thailand has retained its exotic appearance. Chiang Mai is the most important city in northern Thailand and is located within a fertile river valley three hundred metres above sea level. The centre of the first independent kingdom in Thailand situated within the famous Golden Triangle. The Hmong are the largest of the northern mountain tribes. They originated in Laos and Southern China and it is believed that this tribe, divided into clans, once had its own kingdom.

Thailand is a mysterious land full of contrast, natural beauty and superlative exotica!