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I heard Vietnam was pretty bad with tourists and they expect a tip / bribe to get anything done, they will even delay your entry or departure if you dont pay them enough in bribes / tips
especially if your a returning Vietnamese from the US
Vietnam is more corrupt. If you want to move faster at customs during arrival at airport, just give the guy some money and you can move ahead of the line.
In Vietnam you see Uncle Ho everywhere, in Thailand it's the king. I've heard of corruption in Thailand, including the current PM whose brother was former PM. Not sure how bad it is. I'm sure there's corruption in Vietnam like China too, I have no idea which has more...
I figured I'd jump in on this with my 2-bahts worth for clarification's sake. While Thailand has its share of corruption, so does just about any other place else in the world. It's fair to say that corruption in Thailand is almost always an internal matter. It seldom has anything to do with foreigners/tourists who are on vacation in the country.
What corruption have you heard of that can be directly pointed at Thailand's current PM, Yingluck Shinawatra? Being the sister of former PM, Thaksin Shinawatra, is not evidence of corruption. If corruption in Thailand was that big of a concern to the average vacationer or tourist, there'd be an enormous decline in the rate of tourism.
That said, tourism only continues to increase. Keep in mind too, that tourists aren't the only people who spend time in Thailand. International business brings in a large number of people, and there are plenty of expats living in the country as well.
Last year there was a record number of 22,353,903 tourists that visited Thailand. This year it's possible that statistic could be even greater. It's worth mentioning that not all tourists are there on vacation to relax, unwind and do some sightseeing. Some people are there for what is called "medical tourism", which also seems to be increasing. "Sports tourism" is also bringing in more people.
First of all Thailand are not democratic, they are monarchy and they are not allowed to insulttheir king no matter what, second of all Vietnam is much more corrupt than Thailand cheers!
Why not just cut in line, instead of paying? That seems to be the culture!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay Wong
Vietnam is more corrupt. If you want to move faster at customs during arrival at airport, just give the guy some money and you can move ahead of the line.
I figured I'd jump in on this with my 2-bahts worth for clarification's sake. While Thailand has its share of corruption, so does just about any other place else in the world. It's fair to say that corruption in Thailand is almost always an internal matter. It seldom has anything to do with foreigners/tourists who are on vacation in the country.
What corruption have you heard of that can be directly pointed at Thailand's current PM, Yingluck Shinawatra? Being the sister of former PM, Thaksin Shinawatra, is not evidence of corruption. If corruption in Thailand was that big of a concern to the average vacationer or tourist, there'd be an enormous decline in the rate of tourism.
That said, tourism only continues to increase. Keep in mind too, that tourists aren't the only people who spend time in Thailand. International business brings in a large number of people, and there are plenty of expats living in the country as well.
Last year there was a record number of 22,353,903 tourists that visited Thailand. This year it's possible that statistic could be even greater. It's worth mentioning that not all tourists are there on vacation to relax, unwind and do some sightseeing. Some people are there for what is called "medical tourism", which also seems to be increasing. "Sports tourism" is also bringing in more people.
Oh I just heard that there was some speculation about Yingluck because of the family ties, but I don't know anything about it so I won't comment. It might not be anymore than rumour and hearsay.
Countries can be pretty corrupt and still get a lot of tourists. I mean unfortunately Thais themselves don't really have a reputation for being very honest and principled...
Oh I just heard that there was some speculation about Yingluck because of the family ties, but I don't know anything about it so I won't comment. It might not be anymore than rumour and hearsay.
Agreed. Ans that pretty well sums it up. Think about it. The OP has the impression that Thailand is a "MORALLY CORRUPT country". The reason given for that impression? "From all the stories I hear of hookers and tranvestites". So then it's safe to assume that Thailand is a morally corrupt country because of stories about hookers and transvestites that someone heard about? Does it sound reasonable to lump the entire country into the same basket solely based on stories about a very small segment of the overall population?
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Postman
Countries can be pretty corrupt and still get a lot of tourists. I mean unfortunately Thais themselves don't really have a reputation for being very honest and principled...
Really? My wife is a Thai and about as honest as anyone can ever be. If she wasn't, I wouldn't have spent decades married to her. I wouldn't change a minute of the life we've shared together. She's not an exception either. Most other Thais that I personally know are also very honest and principled --- people I'm glad to have as friends and acquaintences. Thais are just ordinary people who are no different in many ways than you or I. There are good ones and there are those who aren't. As people, they aren't much different in that regard as people in any other country. People can form an opinion based on those they've met, encountered or seen. But considering the overall population, a few rotten eggs can indeed be quite noticable. That's very true. But it doesn't necessarily represent or give a better understanding about the population as a whole.
If a person spends most of their time in areas where it's likely to encounter dishonest people, then sure, that impression can seem pretty strong. But it greatly lacks being able to make a fair overall comparison. You've gotta get out and about, and spend real time getting to know people. There's a lot of people there. Making an assumption that Thais have a reputation of being dishonest and not principled solely based on a select few is not an accurate gauge. Otherwise, a person would have no real idea if the "reputation" is an accurate and deserved impression or whether it's a false impression.
I've also heard people complain about Thailand and Thais when the real reason turns out that they had a marriage or relationship that went sour, so they extend their own bad experience to include everyone else. Sure, a bad experience is something personal. It's not fun or enjoyable. But is it accurate to apply to everyone else?
I'm not saying all Thais are honest and principled. No matter wher you go, there are bound to be some who fit that description. I've crossed paths with plenty of them too. But I am saying that I don't think it's fair or accurate to judge an entire country simply because some of the people happen to be scumbags and a-holes. Like I said, you can find people like that in any country.
You've spent time in Thailand. Are there any good things about Thailand and Thai people that you feel are positive? I'd guess there probably are. Otherwise, why bother going back?
Yeah it's funny we're talking about this, I saw my Canadian friend yesterday who's married to a Thai woman who's been having relationship problems. He came on here on a working holiday visa, married her (she had Australian PR, which seemed to have something to do with it) and since then has been having problems. I've only heard his side of the story, but he talks about her being dishonest, flakey and strange, but of course she's just one person, and he himself isn't always upfront. Stories of problems with 'intercultural' marriages don't seem uncommon, but in this it was more than this. I think cultural differences are relatively minor, if you share the common language (her English is decent).
But yeah, I think the impression may be unfair since most people's experience of Thais is in the tourist resorts where there are so many people who try to take advantage of you. I admit my subjective view of Thais is biased, but I've met Thais that did seem honest.etc. I don't think Thais or other Asians are overall less honest than Westerners, especially from the Anglosphere though, it's just a more dog eat dog culture I guess. Plus another thing, someone who knows my friend and his wife (who is himself married to a Fillipina) said that she just had a hard time saying what she really meant/or cutting things off to save face, which is like a stereotype of Asian culture in general.
Tourism in Vietnam is picking up, but yeah, still an emerging market. You'll definitely be prime target for touts and all kinds who see you as a walking dollar sign. Beware of xe om taxi drivers (motorbike taxis). Agree on a price beforehand, and make sure they aren't taking you in circles. I.e. get any idea of how long it takes to where you want to go. Since it's the only real form of transport in most cities you'll likely be using them quite a bit. In Thailand a lot of tuk tuk drivers want to take you to dodgy travel agents, be wary of them...
Ugh, Vietnam is still like that? I visited Vietnam in 2000 and 2002, and that was my biggest annoyance. I.E. Constant motorbike taxis constantly following me around, trying to get me on their bike, everywhere I went.
I find Thai are more used to foreigners, and more used to foreigners haggling with them. They tend to give a fair price, if you show that you know what prices should be.
Vietnamese can be quite cut-throat, i.e. creating high minimums universally set among all the drivers...so you lose your bargaining leverage.
That being said, I've found myself walking long distances in both countries, due to unfair prices, at times.
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