Posted on 10/16/2018 2:44:32 PM PDT by Simon Green
Last time I was in Paris, I thought I was in Beijing because all of the Chinese tourists there.
Do other cities in the other less-mentioned countries make decent tourism destinations? Phnom Penh, Vientiane, HCM City comes to mind.
Lived in Bangkok for two years as an adolescent.
That’s when I caught the so-called “yellow fever”. I’m still afflicted to this day.
Asian women rock!
Does it matter whether it’s a final destination or a stopover?
If the latter, London might get a boost.
Yes but not much of a boost...total spend...
What make any of them worthy of most visited?
Lovely, mystical place when I visited fifty years ago - the temples, drifting down the clongs (Sp?) - canals - of a lazy afternoon - good times.....
One night in Bangkok make a hard man humble.
Singapore, Seoul, Toyko, Taipei and Hong Kong are all great places to see. Very modern and all safe if somewhat expensive.
Vietnam is a place I have never been. I do not like Malaysia or Indonesia and don’t recommend them.
Thailand is a great place and lots of Westerners even retire there.
Thailand in general and Bangkok, in particular, is a lot fun. Start with the weirdly painted and decorated Buddhist temples and street markets that are really interesting. Snake handling shows, Thai boxing, the Thai opera with the outlandish costumes and makeup. Take a tour up to see “The Bridge on the River Kwai”
There are just so many things to do and see.
Some favorites:
The Jim Thompson house in Bangkok will make you proud of how Americans aided the world after WW2.
http://www.jimthompsonhouse.com/
The ancient capital of Ayutthaya is spectacular, better than the more famous Angkor Wat.
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/576
Phuket has great beaches but the road to the city from the airport is rather hair-raising. Indeed, the traffic in Thailand can be frightening but that is true of places like Portugal and Italy too.
You can easily take kids to Thailand as a family vacation. There are elephant rides. The “James Bond” boat rides on the canals in Bangkok are a total blast. There are river cruises through the Thai countryside.
For about $75 dollars (More now as this was 15 years ago) my wife and I hired a private tour guide and driver to take us all over them Bangkok for an entire day. The guide was knowledgeable and spoke both English and Chinese.
Once when we were there the traffic outside the hotel was suddenly stopped and an advertising parade walked down the street that featured two painted elephants, about 20 dancing girls, a band and jugglers. The whole thing was a live commercial for Chaing Beer.
Don’t get me wrong Thailand has lots of vice and sex stuff that can be fairly disgusting (Boogie Street) as well as just nightclubs and discos. There is also quite a bit of pollution in areas but that is true all over Asia.
There is a very modern hospital there just for medical tourism (i.e Canadians and Brits who can’t wait years for a transplant)and tourist who get ill or who are in accidents. In 2007 I took a group of high school kids from HK on an educational field trip to Bangkok and one of the girls developed acute appendicitis. She received excellent medical treatment in Bangkok. As good as she would have received in Hong Kong. Bangkok also has a good elevated train/subway and busses so you can around by walking if you want.
The best thing, international flights are fairly cheap. It doesn’t cost a lot more to fly from Dallas, Chicago or Houston to Bangkok than it does to go to LA.
Just remember - never insult the Thai king. They’ll put you in jail for that.
Disclaimer: I have no relatives in Thailand and do not work for a company that is affiliated with the Thai tourist industry.
My brother went to Hiram Scott College in the mid-60's. Scottsbluff was named after him. (small world)
One factor may be that (with some exceptions) China requires a visa to visit.
Harbin, for the food, nightlife and scenery.
Chiggers the size of mice...and ticks the size of rats...
Do not come to OK....
Nothing here is good....Tornadoes cat 4-5 every year....Hotter than hell in the summer...and colder than the Arctic in winter..
Don't come here.........
“Do you say the same about New York or San Fagcisco? They are worse than Bangkok”
Yeah, sorry, but neither of those places has a reputation for being an international mecca for pedophiles, and it certainly isn’t a reputation that has no basis in reality.
Sex tourism is giving American tourists a bad name over there.
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