DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - What are foreigners perceptions of Thailand?

**casinobonyanes** · 10-04-2006, 08:00 AM

I do not think the Thais want to change the perception. It is not the Thai way, westernised or not. They walk away from it and pretend it doesn't exist. There are threads on this forum with posts from long-time posters, some not farang, one of which I have just read and clearly summarises their view. The issue doesn't need to be put to Thai citizens and it won't be. It is not a perceived problem for them. They can and do deal with it their way.

I have to agree with you. We can analyze this whole situation to death and offer our opinions, but in the end, it's their country and theirs to run it as they see fit. If enough people felt bad about how their country is perceived (and this goes for any country), then the people themselves have to change it, not any outsiders. Sure if enough Thai citizens were truly concerned that their main image may be that of an adult playground, then they will have to act on it.

But again, many of us know that even if they would want to crack down on the foreign dollars that support this 'entertainment,' what good is that when this 'entertainment' is something that is widespread throughout the country. As stated before it's not like foreigners are the only ones that have frequented these places. It's institutional. And of course, we are talking billions of dollars a year, a significant part of the GDP. There's no way you can make that go away with what little money people make these days.

But as mikeheart alludes to, I have also met many people who never even talked about the 'entertainment nightlife.' They are curious about the beaches, food, and shopping. So there are many other perceptions. But this is one of the more pervasive ones.

So, in conclusion, it's not our business to "change" the perception of what Thailand is like. Many of us know the real Thailand outside of "entertainment." So it's pointless to target only one aspect of this, when there are so many other factors and billions of dollars at stake. Change rests with the Thai people, if they want to change any negative perceptions.

10-04-2006, 08:00 AM	#49
casinobonyanes Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 472 Senior Member	I do not think the Thais want to change the perception. It is not the Thai way, westernised or not. They walk away from it and pretend it doesn't exist. There are threads on this forum with posts from long-time posters, some not farang, one of which I have just read and clearly summarises their view. The issue doesn't need to be put to Thai citizens and it won't be. It is not a perceived problem for them. They can and do deal with it their way. I have to agree with you. We can analyze this whole situation to death and offer our opinions, but in the end, it's their country and theirs to run it as they see fit. If enough people felt bad about how their country is perceived (and this goes for any country), then the people themselves have to change it, not any outsiders. Sure if enough Thai citizens were truly concerned that their main image may be that of an adult playground, then they will have to act on it. But again, many of us know that even if they would want to crack down on the foreign dollars that support this 'entertainment,' what good is that when this 'entertainment' is something that is widespread throughout the country. As stated before it's not like foreigners are the only ones that have frequented these places. It's institutional. And of course, we are talking billions of dollars a year, a significant part of the GDP. There's no way you can make that go away with what little money people make these days. But as mikeheart alludes to, I have also met many people who never even talked about the 'entertainment nightlife.' They are curious about the beaches, food, and shopping. So there are many other perceptions. But this is one of the more pervasive ones. So, in conclusion, it's not our business to "change" the perception of what Thailand is like. Many of us know the real Thailand outside of "entertainment." So it's pointless to target only one aspect of this, when there are so many other factors and billions of dollars at stake. Change rests with the Thai people, if they want to change any negative perceptions.
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