Is Stickmans outlook correct?

[Guest]

This week stickman listed his 5 reasons for spending his life in Bangkok (possibly in response for recent criticism about saying how nice Singapore is)

 

They were, in summary

 

 

 

1) The people. Stickman loves their smiling, happy, fun-loving, carefree approach to life.

 

2)The variety and freshness of the food

 

3) The ease of buying medicine, seeing a doctor, getting a car fixed etc.

 

4) Streets full of attractive, approachable girls.

 

5) Cheap transport, food, and accommodation.

 

 

 

 

 

Id like to know whether this is a serious outlook, or just an attempt to get more people interested in Thailand, in order that stickman has more readers in the future.

 

 

 

My impressions, after only 6 months.

 

 

 

1) The people. Yes, they are carefree, but i dont think they are happy. I think their religion acts almost like an anaesthetic to the pain of life. Buddhists fully accept and expect pain and strife in life, hence it doesnt bring them down in the same way as westerners. I am shocked when i see businessmen driving their mercedes past limbless beggars lying on the pavement, and bargirls in expensive clothes kicking starving stray dogs out of the way. I believe they are more selfish than they are happy.

 

 

 

2) The food. Its ok, and very available everywhere, but could that be just because many Thais are too lazy to cook at home?

 

 

 

3)Ease of getting things done. I suspect the only reason getting hold of medicines and getting cars fixed easily is that there are no (or limited) consumer safety laws in place. Is that such a good thing?

 

 

 

4) After 6 months here, i think that nice Thai girls are fairly unapproachable. I have met a few stunning girls, but the success rate isnt high. 90% of the time, they are either too shy or too stuck-up to speak to a farang. I would also say that 95% of them are very plain looking, and only 1% of them stunning.

 

 

 

5) Cost of food, transport, and accommodation. Food and transport are definitely cheaper, but I dont think accommodation is. I suspect that most farang teachers here live in one or 2 bedroom bedsits or apartments, and some in modest houses, the same as they would in a western city. Do many teachers have penthouses on inner sukhumvit? Me thinks not.

 

 

 

 

 

Long-termers, which picture is the correct one, mine, or stickmans? Has stickman brainwashed himself?

[pattaya127]

I think you are "trolling" of some sorts. Your points are evidently highly forcing prejudices in order to fuel controversy. I am not moderator anymore here, otherwise i would delete your thread and ask you to rephrase your question based on less inflammatory ground. If you can't see any good about thailand, stay off the board.

[sanukdee]

Sounds more like he is depressed and seeing everything through a negative filter. Or suffering severe culture shock.

 

 

 

If this is how you, smeg really feel then why stay in Thailand?

[BelgianBoy]

P127,

 

 

 

I'm sorry to contradict you, but why delete Smeg ?????

 

 

 

I did read Sticks' weekly, and Smeg does raise some very good points here..................

 

 

 

The thruth lies somewhere in the middle, and it all depends of the time of the day I guess..........

 

 

 

Lets discuss this the adult way !

 

 

 

Cheers !

[Guest]

Stickman has an optimistic outlook. I would describe mine as realistic. I see many good things, but I dont agree with the majority of stickmans observations. Should I be deleted for that? I am not attempting to troll, I am just pointing out that Thailand isnt the paradise I read about on stickmans website before I came. I am enjoying the experience of being here, and have no doubt seen a lot more than most 2 week holiday visiting tourists do.

 

 

 

If I should be deleted for my view, and if this discussion area is exclusive to people capable of seeing Thailand only through rose-tinted spectacles, then please let me know Mr Pattaya.

 

 

 

Sanukdee, I shall probably leave later this year or early next year, but for now it is an "interesting" experience.

[cardinalblue]

I agree and the truth probably lies somewhere in between. Each person will have a different perspective about thailand based on his experiences here. It is not a question of right or wrong, but just matters of degree. Some people will find housing cheap and others more expensive. Some will say regular women are more approachable while others will say they are unapproachable.......

 

 

 

Both perspectives can be accurate.......

 

 

 

Cardinalblue

[buffalo_bill]

What for heaven's sake is inflammatory here. This bloke puts his words most carefully together, not a native speaker as it looks and I find his thread fully acceptable.

 

 

 

Opposition , banzai !

 

 

[Guest]

"After 6 months here, i think that nice Thai girls are fairly unapproachable. I have met a few stunning girls, but the success rate isnt high. 90% of the time, they are either too shy or too stuck-up to speak to a farang. I would also say that 95% of them are very plain looking, and only 1% of them stunning"

 

 

 

IN GENERAL, people who have only stayed in the kingdom for a short time would not have the language skills, nore know the customs in dating a non-pro. Things take time. Consider it Junior high part 2 and you have to relearn how to date Thai style and have the language skills to make them feel confortable around you.. If you dont , yes they can be unappraochable.

 

 

 

It also depends on the person.. If a guy can not get a stunner back home as a girl friend, how does he expect to get a non-pro one here

 

 

 

I agree a decent apartment will run you around 25000B, almost the same as in the west, slightly cheaper considering you are talking about a big city.

[Guest]

I think this post provides a better starting point for commenting on some of the points raised by Stickman in his recent column. In brief, BelgianBoy is right; the truth lies somewhere in the middle. The devil is in the detail.

 

 

 

1. I don?t have the energy right now to properly describe my feelings about Thai culture, so I will keep this short for now, and I start with the easiest adjective, ?carefree.? I certainly do not think Thais are ?carefree?, but I see how Farangs can easily get that impression. And, unfortunately, there is more than a grain of truth in the following:

In reply to:

---

I am shocked when i see businessmen driving their mercedes past limbless beggars lying on the pavement, and bargirls in expensive clothes kicking starving stray dogs out of the way. I believe they are more selfish than they are happy.

---

Notwithstanding this unattractive feature of the local culture, there is still something very charming about Thailand even after eight years in the Kingdom. Properly articulating exactly what that is, however, is not easy after seven or so beers

 

 

 

2. This truly is matter of individual taste. I have a hard time going more than two or three days without a proper Thai meal. There is a variety of food available now . That wasn?t always true, but it is certainly improving. I thank global capitalism; it is a good thing.

 

 

 

3. Ease of getting things done? I am not sure what Stick is talking about here, and smeg definitely has a point. It is much easier to get things done in the U.S. because the markets (as in the 'Free Market') is much less open here than in the U.S. But it is getting easier here thanks to Tesco and Carrefour. It is hard to find a bona fide ex-pat or Thai -unless he or she happens to own a small shop - here who thinks otherwise. Again; thank you global capitalism.

 

 

 

4. Even more a matter of individual taste. I am still enamored of Thai woman, but I can appreciate how anyone spending too much time in the bar scene could feel quite differently. Ordinary Thai girls are approachable, but certainly not in the way that BGs are, and you need to speak Thai. Not bar Thai; but reasonably passable Thai. After eight years, I rank my Thai barely passable. Someone else in another Thread (I think it was on a masters program in Thai studies) commented that you need at least four or five years to gain fluency in Asian languages. In the case of Thai, I consider that an understatement, but even if you don?t, it is hard to dispute that you will not be sufficiently fluent or familiar with Thai culture after six months to appropriately approach good Thai girls. Sorry.

 

 

 

5. Smeg is generally right. Stick may be correct when he claims accommodations are cheaper, but the price of what I consider a suitable western style apartment is on par with prices in major metropolitan cities. Maybe not London, Tokyo or New York prices, but not absolute bargains either. Cars and western commodities are more dear here than in the U.S. Otherwise, Bangkok and Thailand is much cheaper than the U.S. And because that 'otherwise' is quite big, Thailand is overall much less expensive than most Western cities.

 

 

 

Conclusion: it?s a mixed bag. Delete the post? Why? Because it is critical of some aspects of living in Thailand? That would truly speak poorly of this board.

 

 

[buffalo_bill]

Smeg,

 

 

 

I am sure you overvalue Stick's latest reflections on the Thai world. He just listed a few aspects which make this country worthwhile for him and that is it. I also never have been raped by a 10+ non-pro-stunner so far but that might have a thousand reasons. Cannot eat Thai food but still come back again and again. Take it easy.

 

 

 

Bbill