[Byxtysaaqwuz]

Quote[/b] (process @ Oct. 28 2004,22:35)]gotta admit my first impressions wasnt good!
Hot, a little smelly & smogy......but things all changed when i was in bkk, the politeness, service & respect Thai's have for foreigners out weighs any negative values the country holds.

Just wondering....what "negative values" are you talking about?

[bestworkothlo]

Well im what you would call a fairly seasoned traveller,
i have been luck enough to visit many different countries.

Including several third world countries, i would have to say the main
impresion that i perceived would relate to how amazingly happy and
friendly Thai people are.

A country that is so rich in culture, it reminded me actually of when i was in Greece, staring in awe at the Acropolis & Apathanon, looking at something that wa 200 years old and trying to compare it to something back home in Australia, and thinking how can i, when we really have
nothing like that, we are only like 200 years old.

Well now im married to Thai and life couldn't be better!

[AmfitNom]

My first impressions...?
Arriving at a very quiet Don Muang Airport on a warm Friday morning, the immigration official stamping my passport while I had a beer in the lounge, the drive into town on almost deserted highways, the wide avenues with trees and canals, (klongs), wonderful, fell in love with the place immediately.
But it was an extreeeemly loooong time ago!

[UHlVExs7]

'Hot, a little smelly & smogy' was a negative aspect for me.
Although this opinion is based only on the arrival. Coming from the cold old UK & departing at don muang was a shock! the heat, smell & smog was madness. Nothing changed in Bkk. Travelling to south of Thailand was the greatest experience I had there, I just looooove samui!!!

[Mappaindy]

Mine was a minor negative very very first impression...I was a little annoyed by the constant "Prosad...." (that's what is sounded like to me then, without any knowledge of the language) annoucements at the airport right after touchdown. And I'm quite sure the lady at the immigration counter didn't like me, she seemed to take forever to check my passport but spent less than a minute checking other people's passports.

But that soon changed when I got in the taxi. It was F1-racing on the highway.

[inchaaruutaa]

Mine was as follows:

WHERE IS THE A/C!!!?

[ErnestTU]

hahahaha to makiyo.
you were lucky..normally we get stuck on the street

[opelayday]

Mine was coming out of the airport and being amazed at how such a grey and overcast looking day could be so hot (it's not like that back in England!), asking a taxi for Khao San and ending up in the more remote Khlong San in Thonburi and wondering where everyone else was, just about found my way out and got shown around the city by a couple of Thammasat students for a couple of hours in exchange for answering one of their questionnaires. And hooked ever since

[Finkevannon]

i was impressed with the level of service & friendliness in all areas of life - fast food joints, dept stores, street vendors, food stalls, strangers, etc. totally different from what i usually experience here in nyc. i guess, like its weather, people in thailand are warm, while its cold here.

[BenBoobmers]

My first experience was at night, flying over Bangkok coming from the south of the city, I noticed, there was not many street lights compared with Sydney at night, But all of a sudden I see all the lights in west Bangkok, went out for about 1 minute, there was a black out and then the lights came on again, I was thinking to my self, is this typical of Bangkok to have power supply problem's. After landing, I had 2 weeks in Bangkok and had know problems with power for the rest of my trip.

[Optosypoeds]

When I was there, I was wondering why all the farang guys love the Thai women that are pencil thin.

I'm American of Thai descent and after seeing that I felt "unpretty".

[TiepayWrary]

where is the a/c, why is the toliet so small, where is the hot water?

Despite all these minor inconvences, Thailand had made a great first impression on me. I spent my frist night in thailand in the company of a complete stranger. I had arrived in BKK at 8pm and my next flight wasn't susposed to depart untill 7am. I had 11 hours to kill and I didn't want to get a hotel and sleep. I spent a few hours haning out outside the main entrance of the airport chain smoking (yes I know it is a nasty habit). After a few hours of just relaxing out side of the airport I was aproached by a beautiful Thai woman. She sat down next to me and just started talking. She told me she was waiting for her boyfriend from Germany to arrive. She checked the arrivals screen and noticed that her boyfriends plane had be delayed by 3 or 4 hours. She asked me if I had ever toured Bangkok. This was my frist time there so obiviously I had not. So we went into the parking garage, I piled my luggage in the trunk of her car, and we spent the next 2 hours driving around Bangkok and talking. Never before have I just gotten in the vehicle of a stranger I had only know for 30 min. This was great. My first impression of Thailand was that it is a nation of friendly people.

[UHlVExs7]

gotta admit my first impressions wasnt good!
Hot, a little smelly & smogy......but things all changed when i was in bkk, the politeness, service & respect Thai's have for foreigners out weighs any negative values the country holds.

I love the food, the women, the service, the respect, the assessability, & the counter fit goods lol

[ErnestTU]

cliniquehappygirl

take it easy..be yourself, be confident and be smiley then you'll be very cute

[inchaaruutaa]

How did everyone feel when you seen Thailand firsthand? Were you shocked, impressed, or utterly confused? How has the first impression had impact on you since?

What were some of the things that helped you form your opinions of Thailand?