Kerry

Well we have finally returned from Thailand. It was to be our dream trip and we planned and researched for over a year.<BR><BR>Once I got back to the United States I kissed the ground. I am so happy to be back in America! Thailand was the absolute pits!<BR><BR>Here is why:<BR><BR>Air pollution was absolutely incredible. I am not talking about the typical code green type day in LA, but air so fould you can taste it. From our high rise hotel in Bangkok close by buildings were completely covered up in smog. The air was terrible in Chaing Mai also.<BR><BR>Poverty was so sad and nearly everywhere. Sure there was some nice hotels and offive buildings in Bangkok but in general people lived in tin roofed buildings and appeared so desparate. Lots of begging and touts that hassled us every moment we went out of our hotel.<BR><BR>Sprawl: The cities including Phuket and Chaing Mai which were sold as quiet small villages ran for ever. One tin roofed building after another.<BR><BR>Terrible water pollution- the rivers were full of brown and gray filth.<BR><BR>Deforestation: Looking out of our plane window through the smog we could see lots of cutover hills and wasteland where forests once stood.<BR><BR>What a terrible sad place. Don't let the tourist division people on the board talk you into visiting that sad country. We were fooled don't be a victim yourself!

Martin

Ahhh.. more craps from the same people who brought us Kevin35! <BR><BR>Kerry34, you are an absolute lier! I'm in Bangkok on my way to Malaysia and the weather for the past 4 days has been great! Where is the pollution that you can taste with your tongue? Are you a snake that taste the air with it's tongue?<BR><BR>Stop this kind of crap please!<BR><BR>Martin

Cindy

I am also in Thailand.<BR><BR>It is the cool season in Thailand. Dry, sunny and only 96 degrees today. The smog will lift in the summer when the rain starts, until then there is no weather to speak of.

Sarah rey

OP is talking a load of utter rubbish!

Randy

I have to agree with the orginal poster. Instead of spending money on its people, Thailand government is spending money to promote its tourism.<BR><BR>Basically Thailand is is hot, humid, rundown, smoggy mess. Though I did like the people. (Land of smiles).

Henry

Bangkok is not Thailand, just as New York is not the USA. Many areas are quite beautiful, especially the islands in the south. Even Jacques Cousteau said the islands in southern Thailand are the most beautiful places he has seen. The Northwest part of the country is also beautiful, as is the area west of Bangkok. Also, I took the bus from the land area near Ko Samui to the land area near Phuket and I have never seen more beautful scenery. I do not agree at all with the first message sender.

Peter

How does a government spend money on making a country not hot and humid? Perhaps the Thais should A/C their country and then perhaps destroy the ozone layer in the process. We Americans contribute more to global pollution then any other country and yet we have ignorant red neck bastard who never travel post idiotic things here!<BR><BR>Humidity in Thailand is low at the moment - it's the DRY season! Temp will be at it's highest next month and that is when the Thais have a holiday call "Song Gran" - water festival. Lovely holiday and if you people really travel I highly recomend it.<BR><BR>Peter B.

graham

to "Kerry"<BR>isn't it time you were getting on with your homework! I'm sure mum doesn't know you are using the internet for this!Leave this forum for the grown ups!!

Elaine

Have to agree with the majority of posters here. On the specific point Kerry made about Phuket and Chiang Mai, I don't know what brochure she looked at, but I can't believe that any company would get away with describing a 30-mile long island and Thailand's second largest city as "quiet small villages". So much for doing a year's research!

Tommie

I am afraid that the Thailand tourist division is paying people to say wonderful things about a country that is as the orgianl poster stated- the absolute pits!<BR><BR>How many shantytowns and tin roofed buildings can a person look at all day?

wundero

Kerry, sorry your trip failed so completely but allow me a question: what exactly did you study and prepare during one year? Of course, tour operators and tourism promotion offices try to give you the best of pictures of any country they wish to sell you a trip to. Next time you should better consult travel forums before and not after a trip. I have been to Thailand several times during the last 20 years. I agree that Bangkok and Chiang May are not what you would call beautiful cities and pollution is certainly bad. But in both cities you can find some beautiful places. Firstly the temple areas but also e.g. the river terraces of the Oriental and Sheraton Hotel in Bangkok or the surroundings of Chiang May. Phuket has indeed become very touristy and crowded but the Krabi area is still beautiful with its lots of small islands and bizarre limestone formations. Of course, many of the people are poor according to US standards. But the same applies to, for instance, many Eastern European countries, where cold winters add to poor housing.

Schumi

Ok Guys and Gals,<BR><BR>You don't like a country - then stay in your own! Simple as that, no need to bad mouth them or to look down on the poor people. <BR><BR>Have any of you look at a tourist brochure for some of our(Americans) great cities? Talk about propaganda!<BR><BR>Schumi<BR><BR>

ThaiTraveler

Well we have finally returned from the United States. It was our dream trip and we planned and researched for over a year. Once I got back to Thailand, I kissed the ground. Actually, I was so happy to get back, I humped the ground. America was the absolute pits!<BR><BR>Here is why:<BR>Air pollution was absolutely terrible. LA smog was so bad you could taste it on your Big Macs and large fries. From our high rise hotel in New York City, you can see the smog level. Poverty in South Central LA was rampant. Sure there were some nice houses but in general people lived in small ramblers and looked thuggish and desparate. Lots of begging children trying to see us oranges and crack.<BR><BR>Sprawl: The cities like Charleston and Savannah which were advertised for southern charm had a Walmart on every corner. Strip malls one after another.<BR><BR>Terrible Water pollution: The river near Detroit was green and glowing.<BR><BR>Deforestation: Try looking out the plane window while flying over Oregon, lots of barren mountain tops and land.<BR><BR>What a terrble place. Don't let the magazine ads fool you, America is full of filth and poor peasant-like people. We were fooled, don't be a victim yourself.<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>**** Makes sense to generalize a whole country based on few experiences, doesn't it?

topper

ttt

Kerry

I liked the poster who tried to link my comments on Thailand to the terrible things about America. Very sharp witty.<BR><BR>But any problems in America (and we have problems) can not compare to the extremely hard conditions in Thailand.<BR><BR>The pollution in Bangkok on a typical day is 10 times worse than LA on a code red day!

sue

We say, each to his own, and we love Thailand, sure our first time there 6 years ago was a culture shock but hey thats what travelling is all about, discovering other (less fortunate, rich, diverse) places and countries in this big wide world of ours and a holiday is what YOU make it, so stop griping & enjoy the fact that you have the opportunity to travel, lifes too short as it is.

deej

kerry &gt; it is extremely unfair for you to compare the us and thailand. ever heard of the term 'emerging market'? it was only twenty or thirty years ago that a river in the US caught fire because it was so polluted.<BR><BR>there are some extremely beautiful places in thailand. obviously u missed them or were too blinkered by your own frame of reference. to characterize thailand as the 'absolute pits' is a gross generalization and simply not true.

kang

The initial cultural shock by visiting a poor country is usually bigger to Americans than to people from other parts of the world, say, Europeans. The reason is that Americans in general are less knowledgable to world affairs; most people simply don't care what is happening outside North America. <BR><BR>However, that doesn't mean Americans are any more arragant or less friendly than the Europeans. In fact, to the contrary, speaking from my own knowledge in China, many Chinese feel that it is easier to make American friends than European friends. I guess once Americans abroad understand better about the local issues, they in nature tend to be more open minded and maybe even more willing to learn from or to help out local people and the host countries.

topping

ttt

Roberta

I, too, was a bit shocked as we traveled from the Bangkok airport to our hotel, the stunning Sheraton Royal Orchid. After flying in from super clean Singapore, my friend and I lookd at each other and wondered out loud 'what have we gotten ourselves into?' Well, we had the time of our lives. Great sights, great food, and greatest shopping.<BR>(psssssstttt....wanna buy a watch?) As two forty-something women, we were never harassed. Lots of smiles and laughter despite the huge language barrier.<BR><BR>Not everybody in this world has indoor plumbing. Go and see, experience how most of this world survives everyday. Then be very glad that you live in the best country on this planet! That is what travelling is all about. If you do not like it, then next time stay at home.