Comments on: Five Things I Wish I Knew About Thailand Before I Got Here

By: chebizarro

chebizarro — Wed, 21 May 2014 10:16:28 +0000

In reply to Rickerbacker. I work for a well-known international NGO that has an office in Bangkok that I visit roughly once a month. When it comes to Thais and racism I would say - if it walks like a duck and sounds like a duck, it's probably a duck.

By: Greg

Greg — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 16:00:19 +0000

Thanks Bill, glad to hear you went through the same "Ah ha! Phew!" moment I did. There's certainly a lot of nice, normal people here. It might take a bit more energy to find them and get to know them, but they do exist. However, one thing that makes Bangkok such a cool city is that it DOES have that dark side. Even though guys like me and (presumably) you don't spend too much time there, it does give the city an interesting, unpredictable edge, which is part of the reason I like it so much. If you want to learn more about 'real' Bangkok people, check out the podcast I do - link at the top left of the page. :)

By: Bill

Bill — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 11:25:04 +0000

Im so happy i found this blog, and read paragraph 3...i was getting anxious for the same reason, i was even getting ready to cancel my trip, now i will try to forget what i read, which is to much...

By: Greg

Greg — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 16:32:52 +0000

Glad you found it helpful! Feel free to drop me a line if you have any other Bangkok questions and/or rants about this weird city. :P

By: Fariha

Fariha — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 11:26:31 +0000

Thanks, Greg! That was great advice ;)

By: Greg

Greg — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 18:23:58 +0000

Hi Fariha, welcome to Bangkok! I can only imagine what horrors you came across Googling that phrase. If you haven't already, check out http://www.chickynet.com for some non-bargirl centered networking with other expat women.
And yes, everyone does offer advice. With each passing year, you build up a bit more 'street cred' as it were and your opinions begin to carry a bit more weight, but one thing Thailand seems to instill in everyone is an opinion. 😀

By: Fariha

Fariha — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 16:24:36 +0000

Before moving to Bangkok (just under a week ago), I googled 'single female living in bangkok advice' (I'm quite literal you see). I guess you can imagine the shit that filled up the first few listings on google :S

One other I would add (being Asian) to the first item on your list is 'everyone has an opinion about Thailand and freely offers advice).

By: Frodo Douchebaggins

Frodo Douchebaggins — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 03:36:00 +0000

Since I got here — well, more accurately, since I emerged from my initial alcoholic sex fiend period — I’ve lamented the lack of serious writing about Bangkok. This city goes far beyond the usual and tiresome litany of beers, bars, girls, near-girls, and gem scams, with a robust life that manages — despite the best efforts of globalization — to retain a distinctly Thai flavor. The time is ripe for "Bangkok 2.0," but no one seems to be chronicling it: writing about Thailand in a way that goes beyond the things for which it is infamous either(i) spends most of its time consciously differentiating itself from the usual "Private Dancer" fare, (ii) devolves into a simple cataloging of wholesome attractions, or (iii) opts for a kind of store-bought spirituality that is equally uninteresting and unrepresentative (Greg to Differ refreshingly free of these vices). The only English-language effort that I’ve come across that forges a truly nuanced contemporary literary Thai voice is "Sightseeing" by Rattawut Lapcharoensap. We need his farang counterparts, and lots of them.

By: Greg

Greg — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 11:59:24 +0000

Thanks for commenting everyone. Rikkerbacker, sometimes I can see your point... Thais often presume that Thailand is simply the best country and using anything but their own home-grown solutions would be tantamount to showing their weaknesses, which I guess can come off as arrogant. What I really hate is the 'You just don't understand Thailand' argument, said by people when they can't formulate an intelligent argument in defense of something that's wrong with Thailand.

Francis: Good question - I think there's a different between feeling welcome and feeling like an equal. I can go to my friend's house and know that I'm not part of the family, but I know I'm welcome. More importantly, living in Thailand may never make me a citizen of Thailand, but the opportunities it offers make me a citizen of The World, which many of my friends back home will never experience.

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:58:13 +0000

Hilarious!!! #6 Everything is not cheaper. *cough* CARS