Pretty good video. Specific things:

Too many prostitutes: Most of the non-Thai people that complain about this went to the wrong places in Thailand. Pattaya was a tiny fishing village before the Vietnam war. Then, soldiers started getting shipped into the country for R&R. The Thai government didn't really know what to do with them, so they sorta passed the buck and decided to send them to Pattaya to relax. Bunch of stressed out dudes there, nothing to do, high demand for alternate activities ... the market answered.

Fast forward to today, and Pattaya knows exactly what put it on the map. I hate that place -- it is like what would happen if you took the worst/sleaziest elements of Vegas and Tijuana, and then built a "city" around it. Shittiest beach in Thailand, chock full of sleaze, disgusting. However, it is one of the most major tourist destinations. Gee, why could that be? Is it in spite of the nature of the place, or because of it? No false advertising here, you know what you're getting when you book a trip there. And if that is your thing, more power to ya.

Now, I don't want to act like prostitution exists in Pattaya and Soi Cowboy / Patpong in Bangkok, and is absent elsewhere. Far from it. Every town, down on to tiny ones, likely has a red-light district and brothels. The ones you hear about are sex tourism pits like those major ones, but the trade is alive and well pretty much everywhere -- and mostly caters to local Thais.

I've honestly never been to such an establishment or sought those services (in 11 years of being here), but I don't care that they are available. The most significant negative is that they are NOT well-regulated like, say, what I've heard about Amsterdam. Prostitution is technically illegal in Thailand. So the de-facto situation is that brothels have to pay protection money to police in order to avoid getting shut down or "inspected", etc.

Corruption is a major problem -- much worse than prostitution, in my opinion.


Too many ladyboys: It is certainly true that there are more trans people per capita here than pretty much anywhere else that I know of. It took me a while, being a country kid from Kansas, but I see that in pretty much the same light as the German narrator in the video at this point. Acceptance is good. You do you, man.

As a stereotype on the flip side of the coin, I think the ladyboys tend to be great in custom interaction kinds of jobs. Cashiers at 7-11, waitpeople at restaurants, etc. Polite, attentive, helpful. And often the most willing to attempt to use English. A lot of the best students that I've taught English to have been ladyboy leaning.


Freedom: I'm with @Mordhaus here. When your personal liberty is mainly due to the apathy / incompetence of the governing authority, and they may choose to get off their asses and revoke that at any time ... perhaps it isn't something to brag about. Very basic stuff like dissenting speech and protesting is met with being carted off for little re-education chats, etc. Pretty scary shit, actually.


Basically I tend to think that just like anywhere on Earth, there's a lot of good here and plenty of bad too. There's plenty of legitimate gripes with cultural elements and stuff in Thailand, but the most common ones (that the video pretty accurately listed) are pretty insignificant in my opinion.

That makes it much easier to understand why some folks cross the border to Tijuana for their dental treatment. Or Poland...

I remember hearing this in a Tijuana nightclub in 2000 and then on the buddha bar 3 disc in early 2002. Freaking awesome.

I'd prolly feel fine around them... I was in Tijuana for like 15 minutes.... the guys that rush you trying to get you to buy stuff was scarier than that, tho I should have taken that one man up on his offer to buy his virgin sister for a night now that I think about it.

I posted about this before, so many of the problems that drugs create are actually created by the War On Drugs.

Governments can't beat drug dealers, but Capitalism can. If Tesco's sold Fair Trade Cannabis, drug dealers would be utterly screwed in no time. Plus, farmers in Columbia/Afghanistan/etc would have a legitimate market, which would erode the illegal market, in turn decimating FARC/Taliban/etc's income and ability to operate. I saw one report that said half of the Afghan Taliban's $3B annual income is from heroin and cannabis sales.

The financial implications would be vast, tax revenue for governments would be a big help while the money, and therefore power, of drug cartels shrinks. There would be even more horrific violence here as cartels look to consolidate on their remaining business, I shudder to think of how the Zetas, the Tijuana Gang and the Juarez Cartel among others in Mexico would respond and it would take considerable political strength to get through.

Is legalising drugs the answer to peace on earth? The war on drugs is subsidising organised crime.

>> ^albrite30:

That music is what they call Dubstep in Tijuana, Mexico.

It's what they call shite in my house.

That music is what they call Dubstep in Tijuana, Mexico.

The comment you made insinuated a form of doubt, less a question mark.
I was just going along.

Ten thousand children died in africa today. I got over this car driver pretty quick.
OooOOoooooo Too soon


>> ^bamdrew:

... whut?
... they stopped the race... because he died... are you postulating that he faked his death and is living it up in Tijuana?... too soon, BoneRemake, too soon.
>> ^BoneRemake:
>> ^bamdrew:
uhhh... so... Dan Wheldon just died right then...
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/17/sports/autoracing/Da
n-Wheldon-Crash-Vegas-IndyCar.html

I guess. If the news said it, IT MUST BE TRUE.

... whut?
... they stopped the race... because he died... are you postulating that he faked his death and is living it up in Tijuana?... too soon, BoneRemake, too soon.
>> ^BoneRemake:

>> ^bamdrew:
uhhh... so... Dan Wheldon just died right then...
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/17/sports/autoracing/Da
n-Wheldon-Crash-Vegas-IndyCar.html

I guess. If the news said it, IT MUST BE TRUE.

This bill ignores the real problem. Not justly dealing with the illegal immigration problem that exists in the western states. Tijuana any one, or Nogales? What about the 100 mile inland search and identify checkpoints? I was stopped but never searched every time I went from Arizona to Texas; I was questioned as well.

That's the hardest thing about this bill is that it seems to be doing some good, when in reality it is not. It skirts the issues, and only tightens its grip around civil rights and the freedom of citizens to move from place to place; without fear of repercussion or because of their pigmentation. It also puts a heavy hammer over the police to force them to do their jobs; whatever that may be.

There is an illegal immigration issue, but it hardly requires racist, or unconstitutional laws to solve it. As stereotypical as this sounds, a large amount of people will think that if a bill is not in place then illegal immigrants will get a free ride. That does a disservice to all Naturalized Citizens(Some of which may be more informed of US history than any Naturally Born Citizen), and it disenfranchises the conservative right; hardly needed at the moment.

Whether it is liked or not; illegal immigration is Illegal and that will probably never change.

>> ^acidSpine:
Come to Australia. We've got more god-forsaken desert than you can beat a war drum at. You guys could bulldoze shit and build fuck off walls that would make the Chinese blush to your hearts content.

Australia will let 7-8 million immigrants in?

>> ^alizarin:
How does "stop committing war crimes" lead to "I have to move"? Just stop committing war crimes.

Aside from the white phosphorous, which is illegal and over which there was a big debate and investigation here recently, everything else in this "creepy music" video is just war. Funny how no one is bothered by rockets being placed inside a UN facility, but later are horrified at it becoming a military target.

>> ^Asmo:
Are you a war criminal? If so, move directly to jail or hell, your choice.
If you aren't, how about standing up against Israelis who are? Then mebbe one day there will be a lasting peace between the Israelis and the former owners of the country you now occupy.

Lovely optimism. Nice cut-and-dry war-criminal/innocent terminology there too. I've been hearing about lasting peace ever since I was old enough to understand that some people will blow themselves up for the opportunity to kill me. I would also love to hear about American plans to restore the rights of the former owners of the currently-occupied United States, aka the Native Americans.

--------------------------------------

What most people don't seem to grasp, is that there's no one to make peace with at the moment. Fatah controls the west bank mostly, and Hamas controls Gaza. Those two organizations are currently AT WAR with each other. Neither group can be said to be in power over a clear majority of the Palestinian population, and Hamas has made it clear that it will never accept any agreement Fatah makes with Israel.

I want peace. Every Israeli you ask will tell you the same thing. But I want to live, also. I want to be safe. And at the moment, I can't feel safe if I know there's a chance my bus could explode or that a random rocket might land on my roof.

Imagine for a moment that Iraq wasn't on the other side of the world, but rather, shared a border with the US. Let's say in the south. Instead of Mexico.
Now imagine suicide bombers were crossing into Texas on a daily basis, and some terrorist group was firing rockets from Tijuana on San Diego at a rate of 10-15 rockets a day. What would you want your government to do?

I saw this girl in Tijuana once who could do the penny farting thing

I'm a Capricorn, but most women say I'm a Cancer.

In reply to this comment by schmawy:
I'm a Leo, how 'bout you?

In reply to this comment by kronosposeidon:
Thanks Mr. Serious!

In reply to this comment by schmawy:
Hey baby what's your sign? Want to come out and see my custom van? Yeah, alriiiiight.

*promote