But...Bangkok IS a filthy, lawless, dangerous, corrupt, crime-ridden and chaotic city
But...Bangkok IS a filthy, lawless, dangerous, corrupt, crime-ridden and chaotic city
abbas wrote:
Bangkok has long been notorious for its massive traffic jams, which are still a serious problem. The recent construction of the elevated second-level, third-level and fourth-level expressways, many tunnels and flyovers, BTS and MRT systems, four new SRT lines and BRT Bangkok has eased some of the congestion along specific corridors, but has done little to alleviate overall congestion. The major reason is the continued popularity of private automobiles, and extensive consumer credit for automobile purchases.
Environmental issues such as air pollution, a large part of which is caused by the traffic and dirt left on streets from construction projects, was a major problem. Industrial pollution has also contributed to poor air and water quality. Though sulfur dioxide and ozone levels have fallen substantially, PM (particulate matter) still exceeds health standards in some areas. However, the large volume of trash in the canals must be cleaned out by other means. Mold growth is ubiquitous in Bangkok, as the wet tropical climate makes it grow, and many residents simply ignore it.
As in many other Asian cities, the sale of illegally copied copyright-protected material, mostly software and DVD movies, is widespread in Bangkok, but technically illegal.
Another issue which has given the city a reputation is the sex industry. Prostitution in Thailand is technically illegal, but can be found all over Bangkok in vast numbers of massage parlors, saunas, parks, and hourly hotels, serving foreign tourists as well as locals.
[edit] CrimeForeign residents and tourists alike complain of widespread scams and blatant price gouging. Elaborate gem store scams, involving earning the trust of a shopper by a westerner who is in cooperation with local merchants, have robbed tourists of thousands of dollars,[30] although overcharging is more of a common occurrence. Commission-based profiteering is common for restaurants, hotels, and other kinds of businesses. The Tourist Police lack police powers and are largely responsible for writing out reports for insurance companies for victims of theft. In more serious cases, they will translate reports to be passed on to the regular police in Bangkok. Also, despite stringent drug laws, the illegal drug trade continues to thrive.
Armed robbery and violence against tourists are rare, but murders involving tourists and long-term foreign residents do occur. A dramatic increase in the number of illegal immigrant workers in Thailand has resulted in many of the crimes being committed by these illegal immigrants.[31] However, Bangkok is generally considered safe from the standpoint of violent crime. The rates for violent crimes such as murders and muggings are fairly low when compared to other large Asian and international cities.[32]
Nice copy/paste job. Looks like it is from either the State Dept. or the CIA.
(1) If you have the good sense to take public transport and motorcycle taxis, it's easy to get around town.
(2) The air quality is not nearly as bad as China, or even LA. I've seen worse air in Las Vegas than Bangkok. Mold growth? Gimme a break....you can get cleaning solutions such as hydrogen peroxide to kill mold, mildew and bacteria.
(3) Crime and the drug trade....why some people travel abroad and attempt to get away with stuff that is still illegal, even though you've crossed an international border, is beyond me. Common sense and laws still apply. You do NOT want to mess with the Thai Police.
(4) Illegal immigrants are a worldwide problem, but they are like everybody else, just trying to survive. They generally try to avoid encounters with the law.
Just WTF is your employmennt ,douche ?
Please renounce your citizenry here . You are a midlife crisis embarassment to us all.
Why you got to ruin the movie Magic. There is nothing in movies that is real. Why would you ever compare the real thing to something in a movie. The problem in today's society is that people think they are living in a movie. Wake up. In the movies they will say or do anything to get people to buy movie tickets period...........
Who gets offended by a fictional hollywood movie?
Zach's tat wrote:
Just WTF is your employmennt ,douche ?
Please renounce your citizenry here . You are a midlife crisis embarassment to us all.
I am a Cunning Linguist. hahahahaha
I am extremely proud to be an American and I wear my USA national team shirt when I am on the podium at the local races. (Shirt was given to me by a national team member)
I will NEVER renounce my American citizenship. I pay American taxes, I vote in American elections, I donate money to American candidates and I stay up very late to watch American sports. I am not having a "midlife crisis," I am having a GREAT TIME. That being said, yes I might move back to Reno next year. We'll see.
There is something to be said about someone willing to pack up, move to the other side of the world and make a life for themselves over an extended period of time. It is a different path from the one most people take - true some of those people may believe that the ones on this path can't hack it and have nothing going for them at home (not denying this isn't true for some, but there is a small core of people who have done well.) But they probably couldn't do this themsleves. At the very least most people back home can't imagine going this route.
I'm similar to Jason in many ways - minus the business-class trans-Pacific flights and jet-setting lifestyle. I've been out in Korea for years, and while I'm not getting rich I've made a life for myself, while enduring a love-hate relationship with this place. I can understand why Jason would feel aggrieved at seeing Bangkok portrayed that way - it hits closer to home for someone who has lived overseas. It's typical for people to dismiss what he is saying, because of their own smaller perspectives and a need to be petty and malicious. If you want to cast blame on him for the incident at the health club, well, I've had similar issues over here in Korea to me too, and I wasn't running nearly as fast as he was - most places do not expect that someone may want to use treadmills for something more than a stroll while watching TV. In my case at least, it was just one result of being in a different environment. But I guess I'd be as "guilty" as he was, right?
I don't agree with everything I've seen Jason do on here, but I've corresponded with him in the past, and I'm sorry I missed meeting him when I was in BKK a few years ago. I'd say that anyone who would be quick to dismiss Jason's perspective as a long-term expat find the capacity to approach it with more maturity. His a d@mn sight better than how I've seen people in his position conduct themselves here in Korea.
Get a life...no one cares about your stupid city
seoul purpose wrote:
I've been out in Korea for years, and while I'm not getting rich I've made a life for myself, while enduring a love-hate relationship with this place. I can understand why Jason would feel aggrieved at seeing Bangkok portrayed that way - it hits closer to home for someone who has lived overseas.
I'm an American that's lived in Korea for a few years as well and I still think the OP's post is a joke.
It's a fictional movie, for one, and Bangkok can be just as sh*tty as portrayed.
So what?
Every place has it's good and bad points and people will have a myriad of perspectives.
I, for one, think BKK IS a sh*thole and of the 40+ countries I've spent a decent amount of time in, Thailand is way down there at the bottom of places I'd ever want to return to and BKK is high on the list of reasons why.
But even if it was my favorite place in the world, it's a fictional COMEDY. What's the problem here?
Funny thread, though.
666EnergyDrink wrote:
I am extremely proud to be an American and I wear my USA national team shirt when I am on the podium at the local races.
That's special...
i like the ukranian and israeli working girls on 90 day tourist visas in tokyo. they all speak english, have college degrees, and work for money, skipping the stealing and cheating that you get in thailand.
"buffalo 66"
seoul purpose:
love to share some love-hate stories before i check out hopefully for good in a couple of weeks
Aren't you the one who used to post your debauchery in Thailand on this website? You promoted the same image.
I have friends who lived and worked in Thailand, the disparity between the ex-pats and Thai resulted in these guys (nerdy)"with" the local women. The relationship by thier accounts was opportunistic.
Whaddya mean? Ya seen one crowded, polluted, stinking town...
You're talking to a tourist whose every move is among the purest. I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine.
I can feel the devil walking next to me. Oh, wait, it's just Jason and a case of 666 Energy Drink.
Send me an email thru this address. This goes for the American fella in Seoul who opined about BKK a few posts above too. To that guy, I definitely get what you said, about BKK, and the point you made about this just being fictional comedy - I was just saying that many people probably wouldn't get where Jason was coming from if they haven't been abroad for an extended period.
666EnergyDrink wrote:
Here's my point:
Name ONE Hollywood movie where a significant amount of the action occurs in Bangkok and does not focus the story around partying, drugs, violence and/or prostitution.
That last one, "Bangkok Dangerous," with Nicholas Cage, was even more stupid.
This is funny because EVERYONE person i know that has traveled to bangkok has had a vacation that revolved around exactly those things...
666EnergyDrink wrote:
This movie is incredibly stupid and an insult to Thailand
*Thighland
It's funny that they do the opposite thing with Paris. In movies you see a nice city with beautiful white people speaking nice French. Then when Americans go there they see that there are a lot of black, Roma, Eastern European and Maghrebi people and that also people in Paris don't always look thrilled to be living there.
Tell you what... next time there is a movie, or an athletic event, or a carnival, or a Broadway play, or anything on TV, don't watch it or go to it. Just stay home and watch paint dry because that is the only thing that is real in your Bangkok world. Get a life