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Epik_Teacher
Joined: 28 Apr 2010
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 Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 4:40 am Post subject: |
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| Draz wrote: |
Having a general populace fully committed to screwing visitors over is exactly as valid for judging a place as annoying government policies or having a thousands of years out-of-date city plan. Geez. |
Sounds like Korea! |
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RMNC
Joined: 21 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 5:20 am Post subject: |
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| Tourism in Korea is a joke. No one wants to go to Korea, they want to go somewhere nice or interesting. |
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ZIFA
Joined: 23 Feb 2011
Location: Dici che il fiume..Trova la via al mare
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 5:29 am Post subject: |
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| RMNC wrote: |
| Tourism in Korea is a joke. |
There are 2 main problems:
1) The way Koreans treat foreigners is too uncomfortable for most.
2) The nice areas of natural scenic beauty have been spoiled by tacky development. |
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RMNC
Joined: 21 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 5:31 am Post subject: |
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Not to mention there's nothing interesting or nice in Korea. Beaches? Sunshine? Good taste? Nope.
Not to say that I don't like Korea, 'cause I do, but Korea blows as far as a travel destination. I'd rather go to Bora Bora. |
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Murakano
Joined: 10 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 4:34 pm Post subject: Re: thailand overrated |
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| loveless wrote: |
| liftn wrote: |
| a real disappoint, overpriced, LOUSY service and business sense. Never again |
no! just, NO! gee, where did you go?  |
wondering this too...Khao San Road and the usual tourist traps I suspect.
There are some fantastic places off the beaten track....if you do your research.
| flakfizer wrote: |
| nukeday wrote: |
You'd sing a different tune if it happened in Korea.
I understand that is part of the tourist fabric of Thailand. But come on man...the airport? Are you kidding me? Khao San Road, Phuket..cool, I get it. But the AIRPORT? That is your country's image. Bangkok is a hub and many people might end up at that airport merely for transit. Image is important - at least Koreans understand that. Hell, Incheon airport is the nicest place in the country. American airport security may be rude in the name of "safety," but trying to scam people out of money? Pathetic. |
I guess you've never tried to take a taxi from Incheon Airport. |
it happens not only in Asian countries...I've had taxi drivers in my own country (UK) try to take the scenic route with me! |
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BoholDiver
Joined: 03 Oct 2009
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 6:28 pm Post subject: |
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Almost everyone on this board would rather go to Tahiti, if they could afford to pay $30 for a continental breakfast.
Interesting thoughts about reciprocal treatment to people with poor manners. In my experience, it doesn't click in their head that you are doing the same thing. Like yesterday on the subway when 5 ajummas tried to barge me out of the way and I pushed back. Man, I was the 'rude disrespectful foreigner' in their eyes. What did I do? Same as them.
Confuscianism in Korea is a problem. Older people demand respect but there is little onus on them to set a good example for younger people.
Edit: Back to topic before mommy comes to scold the little children. Thailand has a grat system set up for travelers. There are a lot of scams but generally even if you get scammed, it's peanuts.
Touts are annoying. You just have to know how to deal with them.
1. Ignore them. Straight up. Don't even acknowledge their existance. If they step in front of you, turn the other way. If they touch you, remove their hand from your body and continue on.
2. If they dangle something in your face, move their arm.
3. Ask for a 90% discount. take it or leave it. They ask for 50 baht, offer them 5.
| RMNC wrote: |
Not to mention there's nothing interesting or nice in Korea. Beaches? Sunshine? Good taste? Nope.
Not to say that I don't like Korea, 'cause I do, but Korea blows as far as a travel destination. I'd rather go to Bora Bora. |
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Artris
Joined: 09 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2011 4:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Draz wrote: |
| Louis VI wrote: |
| nukeday wrote: |
I actually had someone try to rip me off at the Bangkok airport! Trying to give me $5 change for a beer when I gave a $20. The guy rounded up 100 baht to $5 to begin with, then tried to pull that one.
When I pointed out his mistake, he gave no resistance in giving me the correct change. I can't help but feel his error was intentional. |
OF COURSE! Taking advantage of naive tourists who are ill prepared is done at every turn. Even those who love Thailand the most recognize that foreigners there are charged more just because they are foreign (and able to pay more), that prices are fluid and any opportunity to outwit the ignorant of their cash is done. This is not a reason to judge the country negatively. It IS a reason not to go there in the first place if you have done your homework and found out that you must barter and be aware regarding money in every instance. It is just as silly to judge Thailand based ont he practice as it is to judge India, where the same thing is done. Open your eyes and put things into context. Is America awful because of airport security attitude? Is Rome a bad place because of the traffic? Geez. |
Having a general populace fully committed to screwing visitors over is exactly as valid for judging a place as annoying government policies or having a thousands of years out-of-date city plan. Geez. |
Indeed. I had a horrible experience in Phuket, but of course I also knew what I was getting into. My bad experience wasn't because of the bargaining (for the most part). Mostly Phuket was overcrowded and then there is all the sand. Why I went to Thailand to go to a beach, thinking back, is beyond me. I can do that here or in the states for a bit less.
The whole rip you off thing is only bad if you don't want to bargain. I looked at it like a game and managed to score some pretty good deals. I also had someone pull the old 'switcheroo' on me for, of all things, a pair of nail clippers! I got back to the hotel and removed them from the bag to find a very rusted, beaten up pair. Win some you lose some. I lost to just about every taxi cab driver I used, except one.
I had a good time in Bangkok. The food was good, the shopping was good, the tours looked good (missed mine), and the zip-lining was fun. The city was very interesting.
I wish I had visited Chaing-mai. I will if I ever go back. I hear that is the place to go. |
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travelnguy
Joined: 27 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 3:55 pm Post subject: |
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We just spent a month in Koh Samui. Taxis are a ripoff there and on Phuket. However, once you realize this, hire a scooter or a car for your trip. It's much more convenient and saves heaps of money.
This was our 5th time to Thailand and it gets better every time we go. Sure there are more people. Sure prices are going up. But that's the case in the rest of the world too.
Hope you go back and have a better time. It's a great country. |
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Underwaterbob
Joined: 08 Jan 2005
Location: In Cognito
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| Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 4:36 pm Post subject: |
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Me and the GF/now wife spent most of our time in Thailand on Koh Chang. It's quite a bit less tourist trap than Phuket/Koh Samui etc, but unfortunately probably won't stay that way for too much longer.
If you take the overnight bus from Khao San Rd, for the love of whateverdeity get an upstairs seat unless you want to be in close proximity to the only bathroom on a one stop, 13-14 hour bus ride on a bus with poor air-conditioning usually containing a drunken backpacker or five in 30-40 degrees Celsius weather. |
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madtownhustl
Joined: 04 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 8:31 pm Post subject: |
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| I miss Thailand so much. I went through slight depression on the bus from Incheon to my home once I got back. Koh Phangan is amazing. Koh phi phi is paradise. But yes, Phuket, mainly Patong is a hole. Good fun for a night I'd say tho... |
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liftn
Joined: 04 Jun 2010
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| Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2011 10:04 pm Post subject: |
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| scratchpiece wrote: |
You're one of very few people who had a bad experience in Thailand.
Lemme guess.... you were down in the islands? Phuket?
I live over here and I've been down there as well... didn't enjoy it.
Le
t me know what city you were in though |
we went to all the islands and all were a ''letdown'' and i talked to other foreigners and they said about the same thing....sukd. they felt the same way. take cambodia anyday!! |
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Koreadays
Joined: 20 May 2008
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| Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2011 3:03 am Post subject: |
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Ive been many times..but its not only thailand, LAOS, Vietnam, cambodia is all the same. thailand is commercial now.
everyman and his dog are there. it's not the lost oriental paradise.
its a place for locals to cash in on tourism by ripping off foreigners.
but thailand can be cheap if you live like a thai.
thailand over rated? I don't think so.. you get what you pay for.
I mean , what ever it is you want, thailand will have it.
people saying Foreigners get treated bad here in Korea or ripped off..
I don't agree it's as bad as south east asia.
the Koreans will try, but they wont beg like the SE Asians.
and you don't find touts at ever site seeing spot in Korea.
Korea is very calm compared to SE Asia.
Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Burma they will follow you all day waving something at you to buy, they follow you right back to your hotel!
its's crazy!
it actually takes away the joy from your trip it's so bad.
I have been visiting thailand for over 10 years very often. and I must say, I have seen major changes! Thais are more money hungry now.\
and the country is not cheap. rooms, drinks, food is on par with Korea. sometimes more expensive than Korea.
thats just crazy!
and for what????
it's time to move to South America for holidays I think. |
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rumdiary
Joined: 05 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 2:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Don't waste your time and money going to Thailand. They don't even have four distinct seasons. Jeju is the way to go! |
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Stan Rogers
Joined: 20 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 5:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Thailand used to be better in the past. It's not nearly as much fun as it used to be and it's a lot more expensive now too. |
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Triban
Joined: 14 Jul 2009
Location: Suwon Station
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| Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2011 6:43 pm Post subject: |
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The Philippines seem to still be okay as long as you don't go to Manila/Boracay.
I guess it's due to the fact that it is mostly island. |
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