Bangkok

[ringothegringo]

Interesting. Thanks for the post.

I actually found Philippines to be much more expensive than Thailand. I thought hotels were much nicer and much cheaper in Thailand. I found food more expensive in Philippines. Getting around the Philippines was much more expensive for me because it was all islands and you have to fly everywhere (100 dollars plus) versus Thailand where you can get about anywhere on a bus or train for less than 20 dollars.

Of course I was a tourist not a resident when visiting Thailand and Philippines. Perhaps Philippines is more expensive for tourists but less expensive for residents.

I think the language barrier is the real deal breaker for Thailand. I can deal with a big language barrier for a month or two but beyond that it becomes a pain.

I agree that the people in Philippines are more laid back, more humble - whatever you want to call it.

When you say you noticed a lot of foreign women in Pattaya are you talking about visitors or working girls? What nationalities did you see?

I found all attempts to position Pattaya as a "family friendly" destination highly entertaining.

[Jim]

Well now, the Phils is significantly less expensive. 300 Baht is $1 and 500 pesos is $1 and I found a lot of prices having the same number making them lots more expensive in dollars.

Certainly the Phils being islands makes it more expensive to travel between cities. Also Thailand has more nice things to buy which cost more money. No one needs to travel or to buy expensive things. I talked to people about rents and NO ONE paid as little in Thailand as I do [$250 for a private house on a quiet street] and I know lots of people who pay less than I do in Subic.

When you say you noticed a lot of foreign women in Pattaya are you talking about visitors or working girls? What nationalities did you see?


I was talking about tourists, women with their husbands and women alone in shopping malls. These were older not particularly attractive women. Just tourists, I met some New Zealanders and Aussis. I also noticed a lot of French tourists. France had a colonial interest in this region at one time. There was even a French language magazine in my Bangkok hotel for Frenchmen living in Thailand. On my bus my hotel, there was a New Zealander couple who had just finished hiking in Nepal at 15,000 ft.

In the Phils, I see fewer lady tourists and have never heard French spoken in sixteen months. In Pattaya along the beach there are tons of boats lined up to whisk tourists away to their daily adventure. I have seen very few families in Angeles and Pattaya had lots of couple in the malls and even in the bar area. Of course, most tourists were men but I'd put it at 80% rahter than 95%.

[ringothegringo]

Yeah I agree Pattaya is a strange place for couples but they are there.

In the Philippines the hotels were significantly more expensive and much less desirable than Thailand. In Thailand I stayed in very nice hotels in major cities for $15-25. In the Philippines I usually paid between $30-40 for a much less desirable room in a much less desirable hotel.

I am sure you could get a very nice place in Thailand for $250 if you do a long term lease, especially if you do not live in a major city.

You have definitely spent more time than I have in Philippines but I think I may have spent more time in Thailand.

[Ciza29]

Jim,
Correct me if I am wrong but I believe a dollar is around 33 baht. When I was in thailand the first time I got 50baht per dollar. Things were really cheap then. If you are getting 300 baht then it is the cheapest place on earth.

The last time I was in Bangkok, it was getting a reputation as being the new Hong Kong. I saw a lot of money and wealth which is not typical of the rest of Thailand.

I did not find the people of Thailand to think they were supior. Although they did have enough self esteem that you would not find a 19 year old with a 62 year old.

In that sense, I guess the Phils are more humble or desperate.

[Jim]

Ringothegringo,

You’re right that when you live some place for awhile you learn where to get the best deals in either price or selection and a tourist never gets to that point. I think the consensus is that prices are lower in the Philippines but I know if someone lived there he's find cheaper prices than I did.

Ciza,

You are right. A Baht is worth $.03 so 30, not 300 equal a dollar. And a peso is worth $.02 so 50 not 500 equal a dollar.

The last time I was in Bangkok, it was getting a reputation as being the new Hong Kong. I saw a lot of money and wealth which is not typical of the rest of Thailand.

I did not find the people of Thailand to think they were supior. Although they did have enough self esteem that you would not find a 19 year old with a 62 year old.

I was certainly not there long enough, nor did I meet enough people to be an authority of this. I did see lots of couples with large age differences but I had no idea if these were long term relationships.

It seems sorta obvious to me that most of the men on this board go to Colombia because they prefer the women that want to date them in Colombia to the US. These women are prettier and younger. Finding a country where you can date high quality women of your choosing is the reason for all of us to travel.

It seems that when you find a country where you can not only date beautiful young women but that they really respect you and think they are lucky that is not a bad thing. Every man on this board deserves a GF who appreciates him and treats him like a king.

Why do you think Mitch has low self-esteem? Everywhere she goes her friends tell her she's lucky. Her parents like me and are very happy for her. Her brothers and sisters in Butuan adore me. When I returned to Subic [Mitch had met me the night before in Angeles so I was with her] Grace ran half way down our street to hug me and Jessamae danced for 30 minutes. When everyone tells you are lucky, you have high self esteem.

[JMitch1959]

Jim,
You handle critical comments well, and give a reasoned response. That's a maturity level that a lot of people aren't capable of.

I appreciated your recent responses to Micky and to Ciza. I felt Ciza took an unfair shot at you and your girlfriend. I'm not sure why people think a young woman can't be happy with an older man? Different cultures have different views about age; and there are many other factors that determine whether or not a couple have a good relationship. Best of luck to you and your girl friend.

[Jim]

That's for your comments, JMitch.

I realize that my life may seem weird to some but what some people forget is that probably less than 5% of American men travel to foreign countries to meet women and that maybe 80% of the men and 95% of the women consider all of us [including Mickey and Ciza] weird at best and perhaps even hard up or perverted.

I don't claim that anyone needs to follow in my footsteps. Most American men are not even aware that they could travel and improve the quality and quantity of women they date. GRINGOTALK is about offering alternatives for people to consider.

It really is hard to understand why, when you have a woman who treats you like a king, the fact that she is young or pretty would be a disadvantage.

[Sailover]

"It really is hard to understand why, when you have a woman who treats you like a king, the fact that she is young or pretty would be a disadvantage."

That is often left over from the American culture of punishing men for being attracted to young women. (or ANY women.) While it is okay for an AW to spend a fortune to puff herself up, it is NOT okay for a man to respond to it. Which means AW are all lesbians, only puffing for each other, OR hypocrites for wanting to look attractive then hammering a guy for responding. Which do YOU think it is?

[ringothegringo]

Less than 5% of American men travel to foreign countries period.

[Ciza29]

Sailover,
Are you upset with the American Culture for punishing men for being attracted to 12 year old girls? Damn laws. Those 16 year old girls wearing jeans are just wanting 40 and 50 year old guys to hit on them. And then to hammer you when you grab their asses. *****es. And when you ask a woman out and she says no, obviously she must be a lesbian.

Jim,
When playing sports if someone told me I was lucky, they were suggesting that my performance was not based on skill. To say she is lucky implies that she has something she doesn't deserve. Do they know you well enough that they mean she is lucky because you are an amazing guy or is she lucky because she won the Filipina lottery?