What do we think of Thailand?

[smudge ★]

Where I do my PT, the gym is on the other side of a short hall. If a piece of equipment is unavailable to me on the PT side, I go to the gym side. There is an older guy there who has no qualms with offering his 2¢ on pretty much any subject.

One day they were discussing selling/buying homes. He said he would love to sell his home and move to Thailand. I think he was there maybe when in the service?? He said it was beautiful, and he loved it. It seems his wife likes the UP better. (He didn't say why)

Another day the subject du jour was health insurance. He was complaining (shocker) about the cost of insurance for his wife. He said it was $1000/month. He said if she had a serious medical issue, it would be cheaper to take her to Thailand for their healthcare since she is a citizen. 

Anyway, I've never been to Thailand. Anyone here been? Is it really nice??

Discuss (with two s's because that's how the word is spelled)

[Longjohn ★]

I have friends that have lived there three years. They are still learning the language. It’s quite difficult and their alphabet is really strange. The pictures they post look nice.

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

I admit I know very little about the place, so if asked about it I pretty much get tongue-Thai'd.

[Further]

It is supposedly ground zero of the world sex trade    

[Ralphie ★]

Phuket

[maddmaxx ★]

40 minutes ago, smudge said:

Where I do my PT, the gym is on the other side of a short hall. If a piece of equipment is unavailable to me on the PT side, I go to the gym side. There is an older guy there who has no qualms with offering his 2¢ on pretty much any subject.

One day they were discussing selling/buying homes. He said he would love to sell his home and move to Thailand. I think he was there maybe when in the service?? He said it was beautiful, and he loved it. It seems his wife likes the UP better. (He didn't say why)

Another day the subject du jour was health insurance. He was complaining (shocker) about the cost of insurance for his wife. He said it was $1000/month. He said if she had a serious medical issue, it would be cheaper to take her to Thailand for their healthcare since she is a citizen. 

Anyway, I've never been to Thailand. Anyone here been? Is it really nice??

Discuss (with two s's because that's how the word is spelled)

Some pics from my oldest son who lives there at the present time now that he's divorced from his Malaysian wife.  It doesn't seem that long ago that I was posting pics from Malaysia and writing about my "new" Chinese family.  He may not be able to stay much longer however as he's running out of reasons to extend his visa.  

[maddmaxx ★]

As for making your money last...........sure.  He lives in a hotel (guesthouse actually) for about $12 per day including breakfast.  He's not a citizen so I can't tell you how good their medical is. He has good internet for business.

It would take a bit of getting used to for the average American.  

[Wilbur ★]

1 hour ago, Further said:

It is supposedly ground zero of the world sex trade    

This, is why I am always suspect of people who are enamoured by the place. 

[Randomguy]

1 hour ago, Further said:

It is supposedly ground zero of the world sex trade    

Not the robotic sex trade.

[Ltdskilz]

I've heard its a very friendly place to ride bicycles (not that there's anything wrong with that).

[Randomguy]

1 hour ago, maddmaxx said:

As for making your money last...........sure.  He lives in a hotel (guesthouse actually) for about $12 per day including breakfast.  He's not a citizen so I can't tell you how good their medical is. He has good internet for business.

It would take a bit of getting used to for the average American.  

It looks beautiful, though, and the price is right! 

It really does seem like yesterday that you were telling us all about the new family.  I didn't realize that he was already divorced.  Was he the impossible one or was it her or both?

33 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

This, is why I am always suspect of people who are enamoured by the place. 

The younger Brits seem to love the place, my buddy's wife's son and girlfriend keep going back, and the other son and his gf have gone and loved it, too.  I imagine you could find seedy areas in every country if you want to bang the financially disadvantaged.

[smudge ★]

1 hour ago, Further said:

It is supposedly ground zero of the world sex trade    

Maybe this is one reason his wife has no desire to go back....??

I should be brave and ask him why he likes it and she doesn't. But then I'd have to talk to him directly. sigh...

[maddmaxx ★]

1 minute ago, Randomguy said:

It looks beautiful, though, and the price is right! 

It really does seem like yesterday that you were telling us all about the new family.  I didn't realize that he was already divorced.  Was he the impossible one or was it her or both?

The younger Brits seem to love the place, my buddy's wife's son and girlfriend keep going back, and the other son and his gf have gone and loved it, too.  I imagine you could find seedy areas in every country if you want to bang the financially disadvantaged.

I'm sure it was both.

[Parr8hed]

All I know about Thailand is that I am not sure of the capital.

And I have heard stories from military people that were stationed there.  It seems very wild from the (most likely embellished) stories.

[Parsnip Totin Jack ★]

I'd like to visit Thailand one day, the pictures look lush and they eat well. A bike tour would be cool to do, a friend and his wife went there and Vietnam last year for two weeks. My first job at a hotel restaurant I made friends with some guys from Thailand. Sam Saksomboom (RIP), Lek and Nooie taught me Thai cuss words, yet mah, quay sot. A lady who attended my spin class for many years, Somsri, said I could visit her and her sister there when she moves back. She missed Thailand. She and her husband moved here so their daughter could attend American high schools and university. The drawback to visiting is its reputation for the sex trade. I fit the profile and would feel uneasy because of that. 

[Green Grass]

I've been.  Bangkok is very crowded.  Primary mode of street transportation is  a three wheeled taxi called a tuktuk.  My recollection is that the tuktuk drivers all spoke English, seemed well educated and knowledgeable about American politics.  High functioning people and the best they could do is drive a tuktuk.  Also, water taxi's called long tail boats are a means on transportation on the river that runs through Bangkok.  River is filthy dirty.   Lot's of Indian immigrants in the clothes making business.  Wife and I both had a bunch of clothes made...ridiculously inexpensive. 

Went to a city called Pattaya.  Lots of open air places along one big street...kick boxing matches, bars, and prostitutes galore.  Young girls.  Was walking hand in hand with my wife down the street and was propositioned several times as if my wife wasn't even there.  

Phuket is a pretty westernized resort area.  Incredible white sand beach on the most aqua colored water I've ever seen...Indian Ocean.  Went on several excursions around Phuket.  Phuket got decimated by that Tsunami a number of years ago.  

Lots of Western men vacation there because of the sex business.  I'm always suspect of guys who talk about frequenting Thailand.  Pretty sure I know why they go.

 

 

[Randomguy]

1 hour ago, Old#7 said:

The drawback to visiting is its reputation for the sex trade. I fit the profile and would feel uneasy because of that. 

It is the oriental country I would most like to visit, but would feel weird as hell for the same reason.  I will wait until things are normal and I have a girlfriend to take.

Vietnam is another I would like to check out, but I don't know much about other than people tell me it is beautiful.  A Vietnamese dude used to cut my hair, always told me he would take me to Vietnam and meet his sisters, who were better than all the American girls (including the girl I was dating at the time).  I believed him.

[pedalphile]

13 hours ago, smudge said:

Discuss (with two s's because that's how the word is spelled)

That kind of attention to detail isn't going to please the regulars round here - I mean to say, the morans.

[Wilbur ★]

11 hours ago, Randomguy said:

you could find seedy areas in every country if you want to bang the financially disadvantaged.

You need to go to Thailand to appreciate the difference between there and what you described.  Everything for every fetish available and openly marketed.  The reputation is well deserved. 

[Randomguy]

14 hours ago, smudge said:

Discuss (with two s's because that's how the word is spelled)

Uh, the distilled spirits council in the US would disagree with your flagrant language foul!

http://www.discus.org/

[tybeegb]

"Went to a city called Pattaya.  Lots of open air places along one big street...kick boxing matches, bars, and prostitutes galore.  Young girls.  Was walking hand in hand with my wife down the street and was propositioned several times as if my wife wasn't even there."

Stayed a couple of days in Pattaya at a big hotel on that stretch of road.  Here's a picture of that street.  And one of the "International Meeting Street".  Nice place to visit but wouldn't want to live there.