12 Things I HATE About Thailand 

How about you? What points do you agree/disagree with? Thanks to Ling App for supporting this channel. Start your language learning today: ling-app.com/?referrer=ThaiTalkPaddy

The social media obsession is very intense. When I'm out with Thai friends and I take photos with my phone they demand the photo sent to them IMMEDIATELY so they can post on fb/insta. It's like bruh, you can't wait til the evening or what....

So glad you're calling out the creepy foreign men! I personally hate how cheating is normalized there. When i lived in thailand i met a guy who i dated for a month before i found out he had a wife. I told this to another thai friend and she said it happens a lot (cheating is more like an open secret in many thai relationships)

For me, the lack of road safety in Thailand is a critical issue

Hi Paddy! I'm Paddy from Singapore. I had once lived in Thailand five years as a monk and I still visit the country every year, so I can fully relate to your sentiments. Believe it or not, there's a place in Thailand that's 100% free of those things you hate: Wat Pah Nanachat, the International Forest Monastery in Ubon Rachathani. I recommend you go during the cool season and stay there for a short retreat, perhaps five or seven days. You'll get respite from ALL those 12 things you hate, and gain something more. Love your sense of humour, by the way.

You forgot 'Thai time'.

0:17 "I speak the language to a degree of fluency..." I'm pretty sure that's what's called an "understatement" 😆

I love the "fuck off, I don't care" 😂😂😂 you're definitely one of the great men out there Paddy.

I just moved to Phuket 3 months ago from Portugal and I'm loving it. I agree with you about Patong and the creepy men. I stayed in Patong for a week when I first arrived to be near my visa agency and was so depressed! But I'm now in Chalong, have made friends with some fabulous very positive minded women and am enjoying my new life. I also agree about the heat but prefer it over winter in Portugal any day. 😊 I just get up early and go for a long walk along the beach before it starts getting hot. The food is a bit too sweet for me, too much sugar so I often buy and cook my own food. I'm studying Thai furiously and hope to be reasonably fluent one day and I'm planning to buy a flat and stay here for a looooong time. 😍

Hi Paddy. I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand in the Early 70’s. I am fluent like you are and married to a Thai. My hatred or dislikes about Thailand, where the same 50 years ago it’s sad to say, even though things have Changed none of this has. I learned long ago that it’s not what you have, but who you are. Beauty comes from the inside out.

The phone addiction is crazy. The first time I did go out with only Thai people, everyone was on there phone all the time, except me, because in my western country it considered to be rude. So after a while they asked me, if I don't have any friends, because I'm not on my phone.

I hate a certain type of people from a certain country who have 5 or 6 guys going up to women on Beach Road in Pattaya ostensibly looking for a group discount. It is just these guys.

Overall very good video, like someone that commented I think 'hate' is too harsh. I live in Thailand and agree with your list but I wouldn't say hate, but it is a good word for clickbait. Don't misunderstand me, I am a long time subscriber and love your videos. Instead of 'hate' I might say dislike, annoying, tiresome, but that wouldn't get anyone interested. That's why I don't hang around with expats, too much complaining from them or like you said the way they talk about the women. Anyway, keep up the great work and congrats on 200k! 🙂

As a Thai person, though living in Canada now, I agree with many of those points. The underdevelop waste disposal infrastructure, the pollution, the traffic, the self-image issue, also frustrate me everytime I go back. The sex industries, and subsequently the sex tourists I think is less of a people problem and more of a systemetic/regulation issue. Case in point would be to look at Amsterdam's red light district. I think if the ministry of tourism was to regulate it for benefit of the workers, it would resolve a lot of this and everyone would benefit from it. I think the workers feel like they need to hustle because they don't know when they'll get shutdown. It also puts the workers in a precarious position without worker protection of any kind. And then there's also a lot of corruption from police or local mafia they have to deal with. I think simply accepting and regulating the industry is the only way to ensure everyone will be happy. I think the obsession with taking pictures and using of cellphones while at a group hangout might just be specific to the demographic of people you hangout with (young people 🤣?) I definitely pullout my phone to show pictures or lookup things but they are more to enhance the conversation. I am guilty of taking pictures but my justification is because I want to share it with my friends who aren't there. I think motivation matters though. That said I'm usually a one-snap person. I don't need 15 takes of a same photo. The Thai people obsession with Thai food is definitely not something I've run into. If anything, I would say my friend circle is obsessed with Japanese food! I wonder if that's your experience because the people around you feel the need to flex Thai food to sell you Thai culture.

Now that I am retired I come to Thailand 1-2x per year for 30-60 days at a time. I can't be bothered with areas like Patong, Pattaya, and lower Sukhumvit. I love trying out areas in Thailand that aren't "typical" places to visit and actually now have a system for where to go each time I return...one time North, next time South, then East Thailand and so forth trying out medium sized cities and towns and have been rewarded by awesome experiences. The 20-30 Thai words I know get me a lot of good will and I try to add a little more each time...I am in awe of your abilities and have a lot of respect for your Thailand experiences!

Thanks for turning on "CC" again Paddy! 👍 Great vid + the first one l've been able to enjoy in quite a while. 😁

Great video! Good points and I laughed along the way!

Congrats on 200K 🎊

The immigration system is terrible as well. No matter how long you live, how fluent you are in Thai, you will have no more rights than a tourist just out of the airport. Thi really sucks! The process of getting a residence permit is absolutely impossible

Wow great vid 💯👏🏼👏🏼 Thanks for sharing your time with us all. Cheers from 2 Canadians 🇨🇦 living in Mexico. 🇲🇽🥰✌🏼

I'm so glad you just said traffic and not Thai driving because as a fellow Aussie driver I will say that I much prefer driving here compared to Australia because even though it can seem a little crazy sometimes more often then not if you put your indicator on then you will be allowed to merge whereas back in OZ I think more often than not they will accelerate to not let you merge. I love riding my step-thru's too.......used to have large bikes in Oz but now I just love Thai style. Once again another awesome video from the guru :)

Love your content mate! 🤟

Paddy,,,, awesome video,,,,, especially #3 Lower Sukhumwit, Pattaya and Patong.... creates a lot of the other issues you mentioned....congrats on 200K

I think You pretty much nailed it mate . The food I haven't really experienced it in that way but the general obsession with food does get to me sometimes.

Sidewalks: Try Chiang Mai where there are NO sidewalks! - esp Nimman (And: I didn't like dodging motorcycles on sidewalks in Bangkok either!)

Thai TV would be my #1 thing. The crazy random cartoon-like noises in almost every TV show is so distracting I can't watch for more than two minutes.

I agree with you 100%. I love Thailand but the hot temperature, humidity and monsoon annoy me the most. That's why I only go there during December or January (same as Lao and Vietnam).

#13, "Street dogs" Nothing against them as a whole but there are some mean and nasty ones. My time in Thailand I was bitten by a street dog and a monkey.

We always love your content Paddy. Over the years it's great to see your honesty and personality develop. Thailand has it's problems ,but like you, it's our second home too.

not all thais are obsessed with thai food. some of them also love western, japanese, korean, chinese, mexican food and so on. maybe you haven't met them yet xD source: me and my friends, im thai and as much as i love thai food, i also enjoy sushi, tonkatsu, sukiyaki, shabu shabu, korean bbq, pasta, steak, pizza etc. it really depends on the day and how broke i am 😭😭thai food is relatively cheaper here of course

I appreciate your thoughtful and judicious takes!

these are all pretty common for a lot of Asia. I'm right up there with you on about 100% of these

love your video paddy, great scene , great interview, any chance going back to thailand ?

100% agree with all 12 mate. Especially the growing disrespect from foreigner's towards Thai women. My girlfriend is sick of it. Some are that fucked up they hit on her when we are together lol. They think every Thai woman is a bar girl

I agree on all 12! I think you could add the non-existent driving standards, Thai politics and the truly awful lese majeste law. The food one really struck home, Thai's whole frame of reference is around food. For example if you ask for directions often you will get something like " go straight up the road until you reach the noodle shop turn left then go past the rice congee shop and turn left again" 🤔

Hey bro, just came across your channel. Your Thai is great! I have been here almost the same time as you, but my Thai isnt anywhere near as good. Your a great motivator to get better at the language, thanks!

About the footpaths, I have often wondered how people in wheelchairs cope. I can't see how they could possibly manage.

I agree with you 100% about everything having lived here twenty four years myself. #3 I have often said those exact words on forums regretted mentioning later. Phuket, Koh Samui, Pai , Khao San Road or about anywhere foreigners hang you will never see me there. In my opinion they are all tacky and phony.

As a thai you right

Hey Paddy love your channel keep up the good work fellow Sydney sider! Just got back to Oz from Thailand 2 weeks ago after spending 2 months there with my Thai partner of 6 years who is an Australian citizen and has no intentions of moving back there full time even though her family live there in a nice house in Sa Kaeo province. 1. Heat and Humidity this year was a shocker 39+ everyday pretty much for 2 months 🥵, that was the last time we go back in March April had my many fun years of Songkran, November December from now on only. 2. Maniac Drivers so many with no F-----g idea on how to drive no such thing as road rules in Thailand. 3. Rubbish, plastic ect ect surely a few more bins around the place wouldn't hurt, never a bin to be seen anywhere when you need one.

Great video. It makes me want to learn Thai, to be honest. But it sounds SO hard to master. True Thai food can sometimes be a bit too spicy for me. Have you tried the Vietnamese kitchen? It's really exciting blend with European and Asian traditions.

Hi Paddy. You have one of the best Thai focused channels on RU-vid . Hate should be replaced by dislike . The traits you highlighted about Thai people relate to lack of depth . That's the message you sent without spelling it out. The culture isn't about intellectual discourse . How many Nobel prizes did they win? They won culinary prizes, beauty pageants , artistic rewards . Whatever they excel in is related to their culture. Furthermore their traits are formed by educational standards and focuses. They may not be clued up about Western history but then again are we in the West truly tuned into Eastern cultures and history? We are who we are because of the environment we're born into. Food is the cornerstone of Thai's mindset. Beer drinking is like a religion in Australia . Horses for courses. Is anyone,like you, become fluent in Thai they aren't outsiders. They just don't look like the locals . All Thais don't look alike either . From my observation people of Thai/ Western ethnicities are fully integrated into Thai society . Anyway, keep up vlogging, you're very talented.

Congratulations on 200k

Keep up the good work 🙂

Excellent 😀

G'day mate, awesome video Paddy. No chance of a defamation case coming your way! 555 Always tastefully done.

I've always appreciated your videos. I have nixed my plans to retire there mostly due to to air quality. I still enjoy the fine coverage of the people and culture you and others like you provide. You're a class act, Paddy don't ever change.

Hi Paddy! Love your channel, been a fan for a long time now. I'm a Thai studying in London, and every year when I go back to visit my family, I... 1) always trip on the broken footpaths 2) see creepy men all over- the conversations I hear whilst walking through tourist areas are weird to say the least. 3) want to shout at everyone for using plastic excessively 4) want to shout at everyone for using their phone all the time- even though we're at a family gathering 5) wish the Thai cops and govt would do more to tackle littering and road safety

I agree with just about every point there Paddy. As a Thai born Australian I can see it from both sides. Growing up in Australia there are a few things I dont like about this country but am happy to overlook some of them due to the way of life we lead here and the stuff you mentioned about Thailand are very pertinent too. That being said, some of the points about Thailand could relate to some of the things us Australians do. I guess over time I have learnt to let bygones be bygones whether here in Australia or Thailand. There are some freedoms in Thailand that I envy that we dont get here in Australia due to over regulation in my honest opinion. Then when it comes to healthcare that is something I dont like about Thailand too. i.e. Money talks there. I digress though. I still think all of your points hit home for me. All valid to some degree, but I can easily over look some of these things and stay away from Bangkok to avoid most on that list. Out in the outskirts or more rural areas I find are more rewarding and closer to the culture most tourists look for.

13. Money - How many times a day do you hear the word baht? I live in a small village here and I hear that word more than any other.

"Saving face" annoyed me greatly while living in Thailand. It's fantastic to have pride, but I experienced many times people who demanded and received respect from others who clearly didn't deserve it. Often met with the "mai bpen rai" attitude from those being taken advantage of.

Hi Paddy, agreed with everything you say, I been married with my Thai women almost 35 years, now we are retired and live in Thailand since 2020. In my opinion the worst thing about life in Thailand is the excessive and antiquated bureaucracy which not only affects foreigners, but also very frustrating for Thai people themselves, Thailand loses billions of Thai baht every year just because of the bureaucracy inefficiency

Thumbs up 👍 Paddy

I agree with most of what you mentioned, especially lack of sidewalks and also how crappy places like Patong and Pattaya represent Thailand for some. So much more to discover. I would add 4 things that Thailand should improve: - Zoning: there is some charm to "real life" but zoning or planning is needed. Look at Phuket these days. Still some nice places in north west of island and also in th south around Rawai and at the very tip but for the rest you have uncontrolled development and I think the island lost its charm. but then again maybe the locals like it better now. - lack of investment in public transport: some will point to the BTS but even that is too little for a city like Bangkok. needs many more lines (and also what is it with trains that seem half the length of platforms??). this is especially a visible issue when you compare the situation in China, Japan and Korea where mass transit is really developed. also better train links between cities would be great - Scams and no regulations: seems like you always have a few scams. but perhaps the most annoying for tourists is in places like Phuket where now you have restaurants advertising price exclusive of service and tax. Not huge amounts but feels like taking advantage and not good for the country's image - lastly, road safety.... And here always pisses me off to see foreigners being idiots on scooters with no helmets, flipflops, top off and driving erratically... but yeah this is a big one since well without public transport in most places outside Bangkok, you gotta drive to get around

ฉันเป็นคนไทยและเห็นด้วยทุกข้อ ดีใจที่คุณกล้าพูดออกมา 👍👍

Great, great feedback. I have hindered myself as to language learning, it can really set you back. Probably can't disagree with social media use. I live near Patong but no longer go in there. Unless I must. Learning the language is the secret 👍🏼

I’m Thai American and honestly I agree with all of your points. Thailand’s not perfect but it works somehow for me. The best point you made was #1. I can accept everything else if Bangkok could have the traditional four seasons (SSFW) 😢

I don’t agree that Thai people obsess with only Thai food. In shopping malls there are many Japanese, Korean, western food brand restaurants while it’s rare to see Thai food restaurants brand. Yes we see Thai food in the food court but Thai food restaurant as big brand are rarely seen. (Btw Thai food restaurants I mean is Kabkhao with rice , I don’t mean something like MK)

Currently my only hate is how much difficulty I am having in learning the language! My wife is Thai and we plan to retire there but I can’t understand a word my mother in law says to me! (And don’t say that’s a good thing!)

Paddy, don't worry that there might be hate comments... your heart is always in the right place. That is what makes your videos so enjoyable to watch. :)

hey paddy, would love to hear your thoughts on cannabis in thailand :)

Brilliant points & happy that yours are pretty much mine… even though I too don’t like to ‘hate’. I’m in Korea part of each year but in Thailand for most of it… so believe me, for these 2 countries populated by naturally good looking people and seeing what they are doing to themselves (surgery.. without thinking of the future, bloodlines or the damage) it makes me sad… and I’m obsessively observing what I witness. And yes, regarding the sex industry and those who drone in about it, maybe they would think twice if they look at how it all became so popular here (and other countries)… essentially grown out of war. Good video & proud to be your 100th thumbs-upper on this video (yes, I too am affected by social media… 555;)

This is a very interesting watch being somebody who has been through an extremely similar trajectory but in Brazil. I can say that every single point you made applies heavily to my relationship with the country, which I also regard as a second home. Even the 'always' feeling like an outsider' part. I am now a citizen, and although ethnically pretty much anybody could pass as a Brazilian, if you have green or blue eyes they will like to focus on that and 'other' you for it even though there are loads of people with light eyes in the South.

Dam it. 2nd one here. Looking forward to this.

Most definitely lower Sukhumwit can get annoying. Many years ago I lived near Asoke, so if I went somewhere on Sukhumwit, it meant going the direction of Thonglor, Ekkamai, Phra Khanong.

RN it's so fkn hot man. it's comparable with Melbourne but with double the humidity. When you get involved in business here it's so so next level frustrating and depressing. It can pull you into a hole where you just don't want to wake up every day. Just last week I have spent hours in a police station fighting extortion where I found a mother/son combo stealing condo deposits....to cover their ass they reported me to the police for them 'losing face', so, even though I had 10k stolen, evidence out the yingyang showing they've done this to more than 20 people... the cops want me to "make a deal" of paying her and them off. Fkn joke.

Brilliant takes on the country Paddy, agree with mostly all of these especially the heat, my god Thailand weather is its own hell🥵

My exact list as well. 👍

In order of what I think needs improvement: 1. Foot paths/sidewalks 2. Thais' phone addictions (don't think this can be helped) 3. Traffic 4. Excessive trash in ecosystem

good points 😊

I want to retire in Thailand so badly, but as an American, the thought of learning that language scares the heck out of me. I want to try to learn the language of whatever country I end up moving to. I guess that is the main reason I am seriously considering the Philippines, because communication would be easier. I really want to give Thailand the first shot though.

Wow, what an eye opener

To me it's the hypocrisy of the people, on so many levels.

Not everywhere is polluted. I was in Nong Khai for a couple of months and it never looked, smelled, or felt polluted. Also it was hot but not too most days and some nights I needed two blankets. I stay away from the more touristy areas and one of the reasons is I don't want to bump into the creepy foreign guys. I did stay in Sukhumvit before the pandemic, having no idea of its reputation. I just wanted to stay somewhere that's not the Khaosan Road for once.

hello from a village in rural nongkhai province. nothing seems to be done about farmers burning crops. it is completely unnecessary to burn the stubble. why don't the authorities just visit the farmer when they see smoke? motorcycles not keeping the rules ( do they know the rules? ). almost non existent recyling from the authorities, only private people who make some money are doing this. soooo difficult to be allowed to feed in electricity to the grid. a lot of food eaten daily by thais is not healthy, for example rice and noodles. but the ingredients to make healthy food are readily available. obsession with signing paper document copies with no time to read them. I regularly walk the length of my soi to pick up rubbish. cars changing lane right in front of and close to my car.

Number 12 made my day 😂😂

The garbage/plastic situation makes me sad! Mai ao tung plasteek krub

Agree with this list im lucky im half thai, when i go to Thailand they treat me like a Thai person even if my thai is not so good, but working on it you where spot on

I hate the online obsession with foreign men dating bar girls, it's not even a little bit interesting. All these RU-vidrs talking about it constantly. "Today, I'm interviewing Steve and he dated a bar girl for 3 years and it ended badly" NO SHIT

I agree with you 100% Paddy on all your observations, as a Westerner who has lived here for decades I have seen all the things you mentioned.

100% agree with all your points - esp plastic surgery & status virtue signalling points. Love this "Paddy unhinged" version too! Will you be doing a "12 Things I LOVE About Thailand" video?

Really enjoy your channel and insights into Thai Culture and the people of Thailand. That being said, you could have deleted the word "hate," maybe substitute it with a much more moderate word, like "12 Things About Thailand That Bother Me" and you still would have had an entertaining video that sounded the right tone. Totally get that you were trying to be a bit playful with this and not chasing clicks, just think that the Thai people would appreciate not being "hated on," ya know? Looking forward to your next postings.

I agree with everything besides #10. I'm literally eating laab moo phed whilst watching this at my local market in Thonburi!

I disagree with #10 that we are too obsessed with thai food . We have many kinds of food in Thailand. Where is your stat from?

As someone Thai, these are all something I agree with. Every time I go back to visit Thailand, everyone at the table is on their phone. No one talks to each other. I hate it. It’s so so rude

Maybe it's just my social circle but on food, I actually find it to be quite the opposite. I'm Thai but many of my friends say they prefer Japanese or Korean food to Thai food. Some even say they don't like Thai food at all, but they were from international schools so they were very rich and probably didn't grow up eating Thai food

Lived in Bangkok almost two years . Only thing I missed was cooler weather. Loved everything else 🤷🏻‍♂️

what about the non venting of plumbing here? Or are we used to the crappy smells

I haven’t come across too many Thais who aren’t keen to try different cuisines and all that I know are pretty big fans of Japanese, Korean and Italian in particular. And regarding all the social media/phone/photo obsession, all I can say is as a 62 year old (Australian), I thought that was just common to everyone in the world under the age of about 45. The younger the age the more intense the obsession. I work with people from all over the world, mostly under 40, and their phones are surgically attached to their hands I’m sure.

Road safety. I've been involved in a Thai traffic accident. I was okay, but a guy on the motorcycle that hit the van I was in was going 200 km/h at night, no lights on. He was seriously injured. We prayed for him and even all visited him at the hospital. I thought its sad for people to drive in such a way where they don't care about their life. Think about your loved ones and the loved ones of others. I'll never forget seeing that guy seriously injured in the middle of the road like that. Terrible sight.

I love Thailand too. Fair points in the list. Motorbikes on footpaths are my only major quibble, but sabai sabai

I have lived here for five years, and I can only agree with every single point. It is very well observed and well summarised and not at all exaggerated, it is simply the truth. I have had similar experiences with integration and it is a bit frustrating, but you have to recognise that Thailand is not the western world in this respect and it is just developed differently.

Lol I agree thefootbaths are lethal in pattaya in some streets and only walkable single file. Most of the new paving is OK. I've seen whole streets having areas to be relaid just a few months after being laid. I'm very happy here though. Maria and Col.

❤ enjoying

I LOVE and HATE Thailand at the same time just like you mate! 2 years into Thai dating culture and the emotional rollercoaster and toxicity of dating Thai girls is absolutely unmatched by anywhere else on planet earth!

#14 noise always loud music blasting every where you go! as a thai I am totally agreed on the garbage it's so annoying to garbage pile up every corners of the street in BKK and the beaches

Absolutely couldn’t agree more about most of them points, I love Thailand and the people, in my opinion it’s the best place in the world and I’m married to a Thai but some of the obsessions they have got pisses me off.. especially the points you made about cosmetic surgery, my wife has mentioned a few times she wants a nose operation to make it look ‘farang’… I’ve literally begged her not to have one and she’s beautiful the way she is! Also being on her phone all the time, I’ve often moaned at her because we’ll have friends round for house and she’ll be sat there on her phone, it annoys me because it’s rude! And the last thing, taking about 1000 photos every time we make or go out for food 😂 what’s that about? Just eat your food and have a nice conversation🤦🏻… anyway, another great video paddy, cheers dude!

Oi oi oi 🍻 there matey 👍

All your comments are true and me being only a Thailand lover and not having your experience i can’t disagree with any of them. I will add one more, Thai love to save face about everything, so no matter how serious or hard is the event that just happened they will continue their lives as nothing at all happened, and it will get very worse if you try to start an argument about it…this is what i learned. Foreign feel like in limbo when this happens haha 😊

Lived in Thailand (BKK) for 6 years many moons ago. Agree 💯 with every point you make. That said, I'm now retired and moving back!