Is Thailand changing/modernizing for better, or for worse?

[NZdick1983]

I remember about a year ago... you guys laughed when I suggested that the very core of Thailand was changing..

Nah bro, it's all the same.. you think too much! etc, etc..

With all the news, policy changes, etc since then.. do you notice a shift, or change in the attitudes of Thais towards foreigners?

Or are you isolated in your farang bubble - with nary a care in the world?

Have there been any tangible changes you can see/feel? or am I just too fooking sensitive and need to man-up, use more sandpaper when I chark wow...

Be honest - I have no vested interest as to your answers, just curious... cheers guys.. chook d krup!

[nidhogg]

I remember about a year ago... you guys laughed when I suggested that the very core of Thailand was changing..

Nah bro, it's all the same.. you think too much! etc, etc..

With all the news, policy changes, etc since then.. do you notice a shift, or change in the attitudes of Thais towards foreigners?

Or are you isolated in your farang bubble - with nary a care in the world?

Have there been any tangible changes you can see/feel? or am I just too fooking sensitive and need to man-up, use more sandpaper when I chark wow...

Be honest - I have no vested interest as to your answers, just curious... cheers guys.. chook d krup!

Think you need to define more closely what you are asking. You start off with changing/modernizing and then go onto attitudes to foreigners.

Or do you think these two things are somehow linked?

[NZdick1983]

You are right - I could have worded it better... (my bad).

I meant, has Thailand changed (in a general, open sense for better, or worse) and focused *as an example on that one point (Thai/Farang relations)...

Interested to hear your opinions, Thanks Nid.

[VocalNeal]

If one lives in the sticks and is the only gay in the village i don't think the attitudes have changed at all.

If there are changes it is because the foreigners have changed or more correctly the type of foreigner that comes here has changed and the behavior and attitude of those foreigners.

[terry57]

I actually feel Thailand is changing for the better, the streets are being organized, pavements cleared , canals are being cleaned and developed for public use, parks are being revamped and Corruption is certainly under the spot light.

That the good bits,

Regards the guys who clean my Aircon every 6 months they're still fookin useless monkeys.

[Norton]

in a general, open sense for better, or worse

76 provinces, 795 distrcts, thousands of villages/communites populated by 67 million people all having a specific attitude towards foreigners. How an individual Thai views a farang is based on the behavior of an individual or local group of farangs. There is no "general" attitude. However, over the 45+ years since I first set foot here, access to mass media by Thais has greatly increased resulting in a Thai to form a "general" attitude about farangs. Sometimes positive. Sometimes negative. Bottom line Thais like the citizens in any country form an opinion based on media they are exposed to and/or interaction with an individual.

In my case, to answer your question, the attitude of Thais toward me is better.

you think too much

Indeed.

[lob]

yes ive been claiming for a year or more, there is a definite social change taking place , my take on this is firstly money. secondly education . i notice the kids dont take the shit so easily any more. there have been many news reports of kids standing up to the establishment bullies, teachers cant smack the kids about like they did, power of tinternet, school uniforms coming in for questioning, school haircuts being challenged. ive also claimed , there seems to be quite a few working girls prepared to stay with a falang for a good life rather than the stipend.

[Dragonfly]

I remember about a year ago... you guys laughed when I suggested that the very core of Thailand was changing.. Nah bro, it's all the same.. you think too much! etc, etc.. With all the news, policy changes, etc since then.. do you notice a shift, or change in the attitudes of Thais towards foreigners? Or are you isolated in your farang bubble - with nary a care in the world?

I don't think anyone here would have claimed that Thailand has not changed, because it has dramatically in the last 10 years !!!

for worse or better ? a bit of both, in some areas for worse, in another for better

it's modernizing for sure and it is trying to become a normal country without normal people, which is why those changes feel kind of strange to be honest.

so it's a mixed picture, as for attitude towards foreigners, it was like that already in time of crisis, in 1997 for example, it's just cycles, like we have in Europe against immigrants.

Thais have changed, they travel more, they are more aware of their limits now, so it's positive, but at the same time, strangely it makes them less interesting to interact with.

[NZdick1983]

^ Very good posts/points, all of you...

I found the Thais a fickle bunch, easily led by fashion trends and easily influenced by the media (which is ultimately controlled by the government)

Of course Thailand has changed in 10 years...so has my country... some would say for the better, some for the worse... depends on your perspective..

A teacher will interact with the Thais on a totally different level than say a retiree, etc..

Loytoy seemed very positive (much like Terry) for a long time, then recently changed swears that things have changed greatly in a negative way. This made me wonder and start this thread.

I could also swear, hand on heart.. that Kiwis have changed since I have come home... is that just me changing.. or is there some truth to it?

Of course, salt of the earth Isaan people will always be my favorite Thai people... they seem less likely to change with time...

*VN you mean "the only guy in the village right?"

[ENT]

You're right about Kiwis changing.

The number of tall poppy knockers have increased, and there's more gratuitous violence and theft in what used to be peaceful towns.

Thailand's changed in 10 years too, Thais are decidedly fatter now, kids, adults and monks, all going to fat.

More shite processed foods being consumed, and I don't see many Thais walking any greater distance than to the 7/11.

So, there's now an increase in diabetes, atherosclerosis and spinal/posture problems along with general malaise from absorbing destructive chemicals in foods.

[NZdick1983]

As long as my beloved Fukuoka, doesn't change (much) I'm a happy chappy...

Then again, wifey said they had to post signs in Fukuoka to warn the Chinese pests.. opps 'tourists' to refrain from farting, burping, shitting, in public...

Japan seems to be gaining popularity especially with Chinese tourists...

I suppose the whole world is changing - in varying degrees... nothing is constant, except my love for my girl, of course... (where is the vomit emoji?)

*I made up/embellished the shitting part... just to strengthen my point..

[Dillinger]

As long as my beloved Fukuoka, doesn't change (much) I'm a happy chappy

There's a huge fault line running through the place, it'll change alright, possibly as soon as you buy those 2 condos

[NZdick1983]

Thanks for the glowing positivism, Dill!

Thing is.. if/when we buy one or 2 investment apartments in Fukuoka city -

1. We will buy apartments made after 1981 (when they were compulsorily strengthened against earthquakes)

2. We will have earthquake insurance (her brother sells insurance)

3. (and most importantly) the value of our investment is in the land, not in the apartments... as our apartments are near 30 years old - they have well and truly depreciated well below replacement value... *especially if we buy bank foreclosures.

4. If you saw how I shake, rattle and roll on the bed, earthquakes are child's play... (reung deg deg) after copious amounts of raw-garlic.. I get up to 100 on the Rich-a-scale

[Iceman123]

Dick, you don't have a milch cow by any chance?
I have a pile of magic beans I am trying to offload.

[NZdick1983]

Have my mother-in-law...

second thoughts.. nah, you can't have her, she's too nice... take my mother...

she's a heffer... f'n cow she is...

Fee-fi-fo-fum... you can shave her and call her a donkey for all I care...

[terry57]

Ya gota get this shit dialed in Richard.

The interactions one has with Thais are Governed by what sort of Thai one encounters regularly.

I live in the Main business district of Bangkok and everyday see the Educated Thais heading off to work the same as every other foker world over.

I also see the working class Thais working their stalls everyday trying to make ends meet in this shithole.

I also see the shit heads pimping girls in Silom, these lot are the real trash compared to the previous two categories. Low class shit bags best avoided like the plague.

I also attend every Industry show that comes to Bangkok and see the well to do Thais that are well traveled and educated.

The average Thai who has little education, never or can't afford to travel will move ahead slowly but the medium and Hi-So Thais know whats going down in this world.

Things are changing quickly here, I see it everyday.

Fookers still can't clean an A-C properly but we do not want to go there EH.

Arigato to you Richard, you Dolphin eater in Training.

[Bettyboo]

Is Thailand changing/modernizing for better, or for worse?

Before:



After:




How is that progress???

[DrB0b]

Is Thailand changing/modernizing for better, or for worse?

Before:



After:




How is that progress???

Dunno, but neither of those pics is of a Thai.

[Dragonfly94]

Immigration gets worse, more forms, more photocopies, more queuing and more agents pushing in

[Neverna]

I haven't seen the slightest difference or change in the last year.

[Dragonfly]

the things that really got worse are the attitude of the women here, and the whores in particular

Thai women have become self-obsessed with their look (breast, nose etc...) and have huge ego issues in terms of self-images and peers expectations. They are self-absorbed narcissists, and the selfies and facebook mania in Thailand is a clear demonstration of that narcissist behavior. Not sure what triggered it. Greater economic freedom ? or boredom ?

The whores are exactly the same, they are as self-absorbed as the "hiso" bitches. It's quite sad, really.

Women in the US have been like this for quite a long time, but it seems that the silly Thai bitches are about to catch them up.

[ENT]

Narcissism is defo the main drive among young Thai these days, all living in an isolated, hermetically sealed electronic world governed by their mobile phones, nearly all day, sucking up all that attention demanding brainwash on the airwaves.

The girls have scooters and mobiles,..... have gun will travel.....liberated.... into lalaland.
So the blokes start going even more gay.

The western cultures all do it too, but Asians do it with a gusto.

[Maanaam]

Attitude towards farang, I can't really comment because down south here the attitude has always been good (except for the occasional Chinese-Thai Merc driver, who are just as arrogant towards Thai too). Life in Thailand is very different for the farang when you are far from the tourist areas.
I'm in a big city, so it's not that I'm interacting with yokels. It's either Southern people are friendlier, or the lack of wife-beater-wearing beer guzzling, rude tourists means they have not become jaded.

[terry57]

It's either Southern people are friendlier, or the lack of wife-beater-wearing beer guzzling, rude tourists means they have not become jaded.

I think this sums up the situation very well, It's all about where one decides to live and play in Thailand to how ones opinion is formed.

I'm very lucky as I first came here in 87 and lived amongst Thais I consider to be some of the best people I'd encountered.

To this day I am of the firm opinion that the Average working Thai not involved in the Sex industry is a decent person.

If one wants to find the worst of the Thai it's not hard, we all know where they gather. It's always where the foreign filth go to buy their whores.

I was with normal decent Thai people for many years before mass tourism took over and the locals sold out to big business.

I never complain as it's the way of the world innit.

Here in Bangkok I see the same decent people working their stalls making an honest living, mainly the woman. I respect them, they work everyday under sometimes trying conditions.

On the other hand down in Pattaya there is always trouble and conflict between the Mongering shit heads and the local filth running the girls.

Fook both parties they deserve each other and I piss in their general direction.

live in a community surrounded by normal Thais like many farang do and have a happy existence.

It all boils down to what sort of person one is.

You're either a piece of filth trolling bars in the worst shit holes in Thailand or you're here to live a peaceful existence amounst mainly decent people.

All up to you how your experience plays out.

[NZdick1983]

Yeah, I guess you guys are right... it depends on your location, local environment..

I noticed people were becoming more self-obsessed - even when I was living there.. with fake book, line, viber, and cyber media in general taking over their lives...

Stupid lame thread 55 has Thailand changed? doohh... of course it has!

I'll put more thought into any new threads I start in future... (gomen-a-sai) sorry!