Having been totally in love with Thailand for so many years, it is interesting to note the differences now I have a filipino girlfriend. I haven't been out there yet, but here are some impressions:

Food: filipinos seem to eat a lot of tinned and prepared food - even spam and corned beef. I haven't heard of or tasted any Philippine food that is anything like as nice as all Thai food!

Crime: Mae was mugged last night on the way back from the bank. Lost a lot of money, phone, keys. Hurt arm and hand. Its common in the Philippines. And her home town is basically too dangerous for me to visit - hijackings of coaches, and near to an area where kidnappings are common.

English: Mae left school at 15. She speaks really really good English.

Women: I'm probably not the right one to comment after 2 failed Thai marriages, but I am talking not only about my experience but reading the Philippine forums too. (NB The filipino ladies are the majority contrbutors to the filpino equivalent of Thailand UK).

They are a romantic bunch! Their desire to put their husbands' first seems geniune. There are threads on their forum of guys virtually forcing their wives to go home to visit the family when they really didn't want to leave their husbands even for a week or two. If this is true I think its what I need - you guys know that over the years I have always put my Thai partners first, and it is really nice to have that fully reciprocated.

Thats not to say that some or most Thai ladies aren't like that too. But I think for a lot of Thais the family at home will often come first, and the attitude is what can my husband give to me rather than what can I give to him.

Like all stereotypes, a load of subjective and potentially racist waffle I'm aware - but interesting nonetheless?

Ian

Interesting thoughts Ian. I've never been to PI but I'm going for a week in January so I'll be able to comment more about the place when I get back.

I have a few comments which I have gleaned from people that have been there.

English:Everybody speaks English pretty much as the first language.

Crime: I have booked a taxi from my hotel to pick me up at the airport. They have given me very strict instructions.

quote:

INSTRUCTIONS FOR NAIA INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL
MANILA AIRPORT PICKUP

Dear guest……Once you clear CUSTOMS, walk out the exit doors, CROSS THE ROAD, AND WALK DOWN THE ARRIVAL EXTENSION RAMP ON THE RIGHT SIDE. At the bottom of the ramp, do not walk across the road, but instead look at the signs overhead and wait under the sign that lists the letter 'W'. We chose 'W' because it's at the end of the row, very few people wait there, and it's easy for the driver to identify you. For security reasons, the driver won't be holding on to any sign, but instead, he will approach you and hand you a Hotel business card with your name on it.

If a driver approaches you before you cross the road or at the top of the ramp, do not go with them. Some drivers may falsely claim to be with our hotel even though they are not. If in doubt, make the driver phone the hotel and you talk with the front desk attendant to confirm that you have the right driver. Our drivers will not hesitate to make the call.

As you can see this is to stop any dodgy taxi driver taking you around to the rear of the airport and robbing you.

They even have armed guards outside 7/11.

You guys might be interested in this thread:

http://www.huahinafterdark.com/forum/thailand-v-s-philippines-t7783.html

Thanks Caller - that seems to confirm what I thought. I am planning to meet Mae next Summer - but in Thailand! It will be interesting to see what she makes of the place.

Ian

i found that the filipinos that i worked with in thailand could speak thai very well.

They can sing better than Thai's

quote:

They can sing better than Thai's

But can they play guitar better than Sek Loso? And do they ave any bands cooler than Carabao???

Ian

If there is a Thai cruiseship floating about somewhere, there will be a P'pino band on it covering both, note perfect!

Having a brother living in the Philippines (Cebu) I have visited a few times and my experiences tell me

• Nearly every Filipino/a is bilingual (at least); English and a local dialect.
• Local cuisine seems non-existent; in Cebu it appears to consist of salted fish and......er....that's it!
• Crime is a problem. Anywhere that handles money will almost certainly have armed guards. I remember on my first visit going with my sister-in-law when she paid her cable TV bill. Entry phone into the office and a large man cradling a pump action shotgun sat inside. Most ex-pats seem to live in gated estates or condos with armed security.
• Like Thailand, the women are either very beautiful or old crones; there seems to be no in between. Therefore the opportunities to be conned by a pretty face are numerous. But, again like Thailand, if you go into a relationship with your eyes open and thinking with your big head rather than your little one then it will be very enjoyable and may even lead to something permanent.
• All the above is based purely on my personal observations, usually seen through a cloud of San Miguel. I may be way off the mark.

Lets face it, Thailand is a wonderful place. And still relatively safe too - as long as you keep out of the way of the pu yai. I hope it lasts.

Its interesting to think about why. Is it Buddhism? Just the Thai character? It can't be their god forsaken governments or the influence of the royals.

But my filipino gf is something else. A really wonderful lady. Yes, my eyes are open. Things will progress slowly. But right now, after her mugging on Friday, my thoughts are with her.

Ian

Hi Ian
I first went to the Philippines in 1984 and then a couple more times in the 80s and then not again till 1996. Another half a dozen trips between 2001-4 and I have to say it is the only country I know which really deteriorated over a twenty-year period.
Don't really know why, but it felt an awful lot safer the first few times than the last. I think religion does play a part. Time spent in Central America has makes me think that Catholicism and poverty are poor bedfellows. Beggars in India, North Africa and the rest of SE Asia don't seem to sniff as much glue or aerosols as those in the P'pines and Central America. And aren't nearly as angry about their destitution. Just what I have seen, who knows? But it can be really hairy there and also heart-breaking.

quote:

It can't be their god forsaken governments or the influence of the royals.

IanB,

I think it is the above as well as the influence of Bhuddism.

Bu my reackoning it is all about RESPECT and RESPOSIBILITY. I look at the majority of people I know in Thailand and they have ULTIMATE RESPECT for the Royal Family, respect for Elders and respect for others. There is also a lot of belief in "what goes around comes around". I think this has a massive difference in making a good society.

Respect is a 2 way street and as can be shown in the UK it is erroded in both directions and causing massive complications.

C'est la vie

I have a friend married to a filipino and he has no intentions whatsoever on living there, far different from others I know with Thai partners, some of the things he has siad made me think "it must be him", but hearing from others I think not. However, all I have seen is good coming out of the Phillipines, maybe the good are jumping ship leaving the situ behind!

quote:

I have to say it is the only country I know which really deteriorated over a twenty-year period.

With this and my post, could it be the sign of things here in the UK?

Could be an interesting philosophical debate! No mention of law and order or long prison sentences. Yet right wingers in the UK think thats the only way to fight crime?

I cannot imagine the police in the Philippines are any more incompetent or corrupt than the boys in green in Thailand? Or maybe there is more chance of gwetting caught in Thailand? Presumably both countries have long sentences and horrible prisons, so that cannot explain any differences?

I personally do not think that respect for the royal family has anything to do with it. The royal family were not respected during much of the 20th century, in fact right up until quite recently. How much respect do Thais have for the Crown Prince? Even for the royal family, respect has to be earnt.

Both Buddhism and Catholicism promise horrible sorts of retribution for sinners. Catholics can be forgiven, Buddhists can earn merrit back. Not much difference there?

Yet there does seem to be a link between Catholicism and crime - e.g. Latin America. Maybe its something to do with centralised authority taking responsibility away from people? Maybe priests spend too much time attacking condoms and gays and not enough on important things?

To make it more complicated still, Malaysia seems to be extremely safe too. How does it compare to Indonesia? Maybe it really is a cultural thing?

Whatever the answer, I think it means that we cannot say that things are going to get worse in the UK just because they did in the Philippines. After all, crime in the UK is falling quite rapidly - but don't tell the Daily Mail!!!

Ian

quote:

Originally posted by IanB:
I cannot imagine the police in the Philippines are any more incompetent or corrupt than the boys in green in Thailand?

I believe they wear brown and not green.

New uniform colour will apparently be

Light Brown and Khaki



Bangkok Post: POLICE / NEW UNIFORMS - Boys in tight brown set to loosen up

Lets be PC and simply say they are "uniforms of colour"

Ian

quote:

Both Buddhism and Catholicism promise horrible sorts of retribution for sinners. Catholics can be forgiven, Buddhists can earn merrit back. Not much difference there?

I thought Catholics basically just had to ask for forgiveness, not earn it.

I think the Thais teach respect, it's ingrained in them and it makes a big difference. They start with respect until you show them you don't deserve it, we tend to expect you to earn it first. Trouble is, I think the more they mix with us the more they change.

BigRed

I think a big difference between the Philippines and Thailand is the colonial influence of the Spanish. The Philippines would almost be more comparable to a South American nation in many ways.

quote:

I think a big difference between the Philippines and Thailand is the colonial influence of the Spanish.

maybe there is a difference between colonised and non-colonised countries with thailand being a good example.
in terms of values and beliefs etc.

ianb (or anyone else), do filipinos view the west much differently than the thais, in general??

quote:

Originally posted by IanB:
I personally do not think that respect for the royal family has anything to do with it.

To make it more complicated still, Malaysia seems to be extremely safe too. How does it compare to Indonesia? Maybe it really is a cultural thing?

monarchy might have something to do with it. indonesia does not have a traditional head of state and, despite being culturally similar to malaysia, both countries having a malay muslim majority, has citizens who are far more likely to be victims of violent crime.

ian.

quote:

maybe there is a difference between colonised and non-colonised countries with thailand being a good example.
in terms of values and beliefs etc.

ianb (or anyone else), do filipinos view the west much differently than the thais, in general??

I don't know the answer to that. But I would point out that India was colonised - I imagine crime rate are low there? Also Cambodia and Vietnam were brutally colonised, and neither currently has a royal family, (or at least not one that is respected!), yet have lower crime rates than the Philippines.

A guy married to a filipino once described the atmosphere there as macho - if you bumped into a man chances are a fight would start. Is that something to do with it?

Ian

Ian

Whilst the Spanish influence is noticeable in the Catholicism and most names, the main cultural influence seems to be the US. Certainly the gun culture.

I remember seeing signs at the domestic terminal in Manila saying that guitars and guns must be checked into the hold.

Gun culture = high rates of violent crime, IMHO.