Happier Abroad Forum Community

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcGebCkvdkE

The author goes into how a farang got violently attacked.

I am visiting Thailand since about 50 years very regularly and I cannot complain.
Some foreigners are really acting in a very stupid way.

If you walk around with a golden watch don't be surprised it is gone.
If you invite girls into your hotel room don't be surprised to wake up rather late with headache and your wallet, computer and other items including the girls disappeared, never seen again.
Don't start any quarrel with ladyboys and stay away from drugs...

For your own safety, if you stay long-term don't stay somewhere in a nobody-area in a house with cheap rent, but choose a well-guarded condominium unit or serviced apartment etc. where many other foreigners are living too - do not invite unknown people into your rooms.
Yes, it costs more, but it is worth the money, believe me.

About Pattaya area, it is very safe during 7 AM up to 10 PM, many people out everywhere, but after 11 PM many shopping malls, shops, restaurants etc. slowly close down and past midnight, except some typical bar areas, the city is getting rather dark. Make sure you are back in your room around midnight.

Just use common sense....

Beware: Winston Wu found Taiwan to be very repressive, with people very uptight and unapproachable.

Taiwan and Thailand share the same Asian culture, street food, night markets, agricultural produce, and natural attractions.

Roccia wrote: ↑

December 28th, 2023, 8:19 pm

Beware: Winston Wu found Taiwan to be very repressive, with people very uptight and unapproachable.

Taiwan and Thailand share the same Asian culture, street food, night markets, agricultural produce, and natural attractions.

From where do you get this?

Taiwan has many similarities with Japan, because it was a former colony of Japan. There are many Japanese in Taiwan and many people in Taiwan if they have any relation to tourism, lke hotel staff, restaurant owners, etc. can speak fairly good Japanese too, especially older people.

I do not think there is much in common between people in Taiwan and in Thailand. Totally different mentality...

Roccia wrote: ↑

December 28th, 2023, 8:19 pm

Beware: Winston Wu found Taiwan to be very repressive, with people very uptight and unapproachable.

Taiwan and Thailand share the same Asian culture, street food, night markets, agricultural produce, and natural attractions.

No way. They are totally different. Taiwan is like a monastery, very square and bland. Even Japan has far more interesting culture than Taiwan. Thailand is very dynamic and full of eye candy and stimulating distractions that put your senses on overload. Just go to Bangkok and see for yourself. There's activity everywhere like a huge potpourri. You can walk for hours and see interesting stuff. But Taiwan is very bland, every square mile is like a copy of every other square mile. Thai girls are more friendly and social too. Not as closed off. Taiwan also has a very negative energy and vibe that Thailand doesn't have. Thailand is more wild too, like the old world. Not bland and sterile like Taiwan, which only cares about safety and privacy and nothing else.

I'm not saying Thailand doesn't have its negatives too. Of course it does. But it doesn't feel as repressed or negative or cold or unsocial like Taiwan does. I agree with what Yohan said above too.

Winston wrote: ↑

January 2nd, 2024, 7:35 am

No way. They are totally different. Taiwan is like a monastery, very square and bland. Even Japan has far more interesting culture than Taiwan. Thailand is very dynamic and full of eye candy and stimulating distractions that put your senses on overload. Just go to Bangkok and see for yourself. There's activity everywhere like a huge potpourri. You can walk for hours and see interesting stuff. But Taiwan is very bland, every square mile is like a copy of every other square mile. Thai girls are more friendly and social too. Not as closed off.

I suppose it is what you are used to. If someone American who had never been out of the country went to Taiwan, he might find it interesting and different.

There are parts of cities in South Korea where block after block looks the same. Jakarta is like that, too, a lot of dull looking concrete if you go to certain areas, but other areas are much more interesting. Singapore is interesting the first time. The 10th time, it's like one guy who went to Singapore said-- the whole country is like one big shopping mall.

I went to Thailand and it didn't seem as exciting as you described. It was interesting. But I was there for two or three nights worth of a trip for business and didn't walk through the whole city. I did ride one or two stops on the brand new subway for an acquaintance to take me out to dinner.

I also went out to eat to this food-court type concession area to order tom yum soup, a seafood soup that had become popular in Jakarta-- a spicey soup with lemon grass and other flavorings. There were nice little brick buildings with food-court type windows, a lot neater and more civilized that eating outdoors in Jakarta. I remember there was this guy about 6'5", supposed to be dressed like a woman, I suppose, with thong panties pulled up into his midriff area, pretty weird. I got the soup and it was a bowl of liquid fire with crab legs in it, and no shrimp or vegetables. I couldn't taste anything but spicy. I asked someone about it and described what I thought tom yam was and they said that was tom.... something else.

If you've never been somewhere, even ordering food or going to the mall and seeing how things are different can be an experience.

Winston wrote: ↑

January 2nd, 2024, 7:35 am

Roccia wrote: ↑

December 28th, 2023, 8:19 pm

Beware: Winston Wu found Taiwan to be very repressive, with people very uptight and unapproachable.

Taiwan and Thailand share the same Asian culture, street food, night markets, agricultural produce, and natural attractions.

No way. They are totally different. Taiwan is like a monastery, very square and bland. Even Japan has far more interesting culture than Taiwan. Thailand is very dynamic and full of eye candy and stimulating distractions that put your senses on overload. Just go to Bangkok and see for yourself. There's activity everywhere like a huge potpourri. You can walk for hours and see interesting stuff. But Taiwan is very bland, every square mile is like a copy of every other square mile. Thai girls are more friendly and social too. Not as closed off. Taiwan also has a very negative energy and vibe that Thailand doesn't have. Thailand is more wild too, like the old world. Not bland and sterile like Taiwan, which only cares about safety and privacy and nothing else.

I'm not saying Thailand doesn't have its negatives too. Of course it does. But it doesn't feel as repressed or negative or cold or unsocial like Taiwan does. I agree with what Yohan said above too.

Taiwanese people seems to be very polite and clean people to me. I met some Taiwanese in America, they are pretty much low key, polite, sanitary people like the Japanese. In America, I rarely encounter Japanese people. I don't know where they all live as there is no Japan Town. There are some Japanese people in Edgewater NJ. . I met two Japanese girls in my High School, but they were dead quiet as a mouse. One was tall and ok looking and the other one was short and average looking. Koreans and Chinese dominate the landscape. So far, I have no negative experience with Taiwanese people as they are just like a figure in a wall painting.