Laos was attacked savagely by the US during the Vietnam war....I bought jewellery made from shrapnel in Luang Prabang that is still being found today. Cdm's experience may be, at least partly, the result of the horrors that Uncle Charlie- wealthy white folks- imposed on an innocent population.
Ruthrieston (June 25th, 2021)
And this is different from wealthy white folks travelling thousands of kilometres in search of young brown flesh to exploit?Originally Posted by Oliver2
Yeah, but we're just fucking them, not killing them. There's a difference.
Oliver2 (June 25th, 2021)
This is probably the best advice for any farang.
Unless you're in a long-term relationship (LTR) (spanning years, not weeks), there's really no need to make this visit, unless you enjoy eating with your hands while sitting on a hard floor, sleeping on beds that are even harder, bathing with buckets of cold rain water, and sitting around like an inanimate hood ornament totally alienated from your surroundings. More than likely they're poor. When you're there, you will be living like a poor person too, regardless of how much money you have in your wallet. There's nothing fun about this.
It's a totally different matter for those in LTR's. I've always believed that it's impossible to really bond with a Thai partner unless you've met the family and at least attempted to bond with them as well. Setting boundaries and clear expectations for your role within the family is a critical step in the process. Unfortunately, most fail at this. They will love you and respect you over time, but your role as "financial sponsor" can never be erased. Their lists of needs are endless, and without firm boundaries regarding finances, the relationship will most likely fail - and your bank account will be drained. If the boy you're in a relationship with can't accept the word "no", then it's time to find another boy.
a447 (June 25th, 2021), gerefan2 (June 25th, 2021), GWMinUS (June 28th, 2021), Nathan B (June 27th, 2021), Ruthrieston (June 26th, 2021)
Villages are good for parties though.
No screwing around when they throw a party in the village for whatever celebration... Songkran, wedding, funeral, whatever. Hundreds of people, lines of tables all setup, never ending flow of food and booze for days on end, those huge speakers that take up the entire box of a pickup truck, maybe some of the younger folks get dressed up in traditional moralm dress and do some dances for the crowd, et al. And they last for days, not just a single night.
I've had lots of good times in the villages. Even the boring trips were quite good, as we'd always stop at the market before getting there, so had lots of food. Hang out with the family, cook up and eat a nice meal like jao-aawn or something, have a few beers, laugh and giggle, maybe play some hi-lo with the neighbors, et al.
Granted, I never slept the night in the village, because fuck that. I want my mattress with an air conditioner, thank you very much. Both villages were only about 30 mins outside of Khon Kaen though, so day trips were easy, and were always a worthwhile trip.
Nathan B (June 27th, 2021), Ruthrieston (June 26th, 2021)
I would suggest that "savagely" does not go far enough. In its undeclared war with that independent country, the US dropped more bombs over Laos than it dropped in the entirety of World War II. Laos is the most bombed country in history. The US on average dropped a planeload of bombs every eight minutes, 24 hours a day for nine whole years. The CIA even set up its own airstrip in the Lao jungle which saw more flight movements than in all airports in the rest of the world at the time.
What the USA did to Laos was the gravest of war crimes. That it contributes only a fraction of what it costs each year to clear the unexploded ordinance that remains just adds to the disgrace.
And yes, StevieWonders, that bears absolutely zero comparison to westerners exploiting young Asians. That you should make such a comparison is disgusting!
Dodger (June 25th, 2021), GWMinUS (June 28th, 2021), Oliver2 (June 25th, 2021), Ruthrieston (June 26th, 2021)
I once stayed for a few days in a village in Isaan - all-night Morlam extravaganza, lots of gay boys bopping along, then a lengthy ordination for four village guys (my companion was one of them) in the morning. Unforgettable.
The attitude towards gays was “Don’t ask, don’t tell”; the cousin of my companion was a slightly effeminate 40-something who lived in the village. I enquired about his sex life there and was told “Lots of boys like to try”.
They are both forms of white imperialism, as a well-known “leftie” like Oliver should understand. Any difference is in degree, not kind.
I'm not quite sure what "being gay in rural Thailand" has to do with the "U.S. bombing of Laos", but it sure would be nice if we could get back on topic.
It would also sure be nice not to have you constantly running around the board complaining about who should and shouldn't be allowed to post, and what subject material people should and shouldn't post about and in which topics.
Geez, take up smoking weed or something already...
How can someone live permanently in Thailand, and still be this uptight? Now there's an oxymoron for you. The locals in your community must love you.
mr giggles (June 25th, 2021)
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