Are There Too Many Farangs in Udon?

Post by **westerby** » June 10, 2008, 1:16 am

I guess some of you have been in Udon for nearly 20 years or more and seen a few changes from a Farang perspective. But has the city now got too many Farangs and are they beginning to spoil the place?

Post by **Ricohoc** » June 10, 2008, 4:38 am

From my perspective as a frequent visitor and one who engages in conversations about such issues, it appears that the problem isn't quantity, but quality.

The farangs who come to Udon expecting it to be or attempt to convert it to another Pattaya or Phuket are the ones who have the potential "to spoil the place".

Just my two cents ...

Post by **rick** » June 10, 2008, 7:32 am

As someone who has so far only been once, but intends to keep returning,
from my point of view it is all about quality. Watching 20 stone drunks in shorts and singlets shouting abuse and falling off barstools is not my idea of a friendly environment or one which will make us welcome (apart from our wallets). Fortunately i only saw this once during my visit and this is why I avoided Pattaya.

I know some of you who have been in Udon for years may feel that Udon is getting too popular with tourists these days and too many come back! Well, every where in the world is these days unless you have a nice little bit of terrorism going on. Change will happen, just lets hope that any change benefits everyone as much as possible.

Post by **BKKSTAN** » June 10, 2008, 7:37 am

Ricohoc wrote:From my perspective as a frequent visitor and one who engages in conversations about such issues, it appears that the problem isn't quantity, but quality.

The farangs who come to Udon expecting it to be or attempt to convert it to another Pattaya or Phuket are the ones who have the potential "to spoil the place".

Just my two cents ...

I'll make it four cents!

Post by **saint** » June 10, 2008, 7:55 am

i would say yes, not only are we attracting the idiot element here now, that most of us can do without , but when i came here there was a lot less farangs and the local thais were more friendly towards us, now were getting sex tourists ect, i am finding that some of the locals are treating us with contempt, and i really cant blame them. another down side is , the more farang the higher prices go, including tesco, who seem to target huge increases on there farang orientated products. house prices and rents also increase, its a case of supply and demand i guess. there are a few farangs here that i would love to see the back of, that wasnt the case a few years ago.

Post by **Zidane** » June 10, 2008, 8:59 am

Four years ago when we first came to Udon I used to walk round the Charoensri complex and youd be lucky if you saw a couple more foreigners.The Thais used to point,smile and say "farang" and,yes,I would say were more friendly than now,particularily in the city centre.
Nowadays if you go in the complex you are falling over farangs....they are everywhere.
But I agree 100% that its quality not quantity thats the issue.We are starting to get the idiot monger element in Udon now.It just takes one or two of these posting on Pattaya websites about how cheap it is out here and more and more will come.
The number of bars here is miniscule compared to Pattaya and there are no beaches,so hopefully they will become disillusioned.
The problem is for those of us left here we are all tarred with the same brush as these idiots.
One upside,as I see it,is that we might start getting a few more decent farang restaurants which are a little bit in short supply at the moment.

Zidane

Post by **UdonExpat** » June 10, 2008, 9:11 am

It seems to me that the majority of the family people here pretty much keep to themselves and their circle of friends.

I haven't seen idiot farang behavior, but probably because I don't put myself in a situation where I'm likely to see it.

I sometimes go to restaurants around Chareonsri Complex during the day, but rarely in the evenings. I don't support tourist beer bars and won't spend my money there. They'll have to make it without me.

I do go to bars and restaurants that are not on the tourist route and support them.

If we don't like some elements that are coming here we shouldn't support the venues where they hang out. There are plenty of alternatives.

I shop at the chain stores and at local shops. I try to make major purchases with local companies. Five years ago I used to go to Chareonsri Complex at least weekly. Now it's every couple of months because I don't like some of what I see happening to the area. Perhaps I'm hiding from reality, but there are many realities out here and I'm choosing not to include the drunken sex tourist in mine.

Post by **donthani** » June 10, 2008, 9:16 am

many members seem to have a very possessive and protective attitude towards Udon maybe that because they have lived here longer than a lot of us ? ,there are still a lot of very nice people arriving here, surely they are entitled to enjoy Udon as much as you and I do , no one can stop roll of progress or the idiots coming ,this is not our country its up to the Thais to control it not us farangs , and in my experience the Thais treat there's and our idiots with the same contempt as we do , these people are easily avoided , Udon is a very large place , so don't let them get to you , plus they probably think the same about us as we do about them , this is not utopia its the real world , lets make the best and enjoy what we have , for the short time we may have left and not worry about a very small minority of idiots

Post by **stattointhailand** » June 10, 2008, 9:41 am

I don't think it's really fair to say that those of us that have been here a few years are all "goodie Goodies" and all those now arriving are "the devil re-incarnate".
Many of the newbies to Udon are very JAI DEE, whilst there are a few who have been here for donkey's years who can only be described as KEE.
If we embrace (not litteraly) those who are good, and welcome them to the community, I am sure they will improve the farang lifestyle of Udon. At the same time, avoiding those who are not good, will leave them with a choice of improving their behaviour to aquire new friends or returning to whence they came and to their old friends.

Not sure how much four cents is, but thats my two penneth

Post by **Kudjap or Bust** » June 10, 2008, 10:41 am

For my 2 cents worth, I agree with all the above but IMO it's the, what seems to be monthly, increase of beer bars in town which is a factor for attracting the less than desirable persons from the likes of Patters.
I have to wonder how many of these bars will still be going in a few months time. There are a lot more falang here now compared to when we first moved here but hardly enough to support all these bars. Maybe when they start shutting down the idiot element may disappear with them.
Now I'm all for entrapaneurial ventures but beer bars are just not that.

Post by **tingtongfalang** » June 10, 2008, 11:24 am

UdonExpat wrote:It seems to me that the majority of the family people here pretty much keep to themselves and their circle of friends.

I haven't seen idiot farang behavior, but probably because I don't put myself in a situation where I'm likely to see it.

I sometimes go to restaurants around Chareonsri Complex during the day, but rarely in the evenings. I don't support tourist beer bars and won't spend my money there. They'll have to make it without me.

I do go to bars and restaurants that are not on the tourist route and support them.

If we don't like some elements that are coming here we shouldn't support the venues where they hang out. There are plenty of alternatives.

I shop at the chain stores and at local shops. I try to make major purchases with local companies. Five years ago I used to go to Chareonsri Complex at least weekly. Now it's every couple of months because I don't like some of what I see happening to the area. Perhaps I'm hiding from reality, but there are many realities out here and I'm choosing not to include the drunken sex tourist in mine.

=D> =D> =D> =D> Bravo. Hey we're on the same page. I'll pass on the Night Market meetings too...don't think I'll fit in.

Make that six cents Rico and Stan.

Post by **RALPHCUSENS** » June 10, 2008, 11:36 am

" Bravo. Hey we're on the same page. I'll pass on the Night Market meetings too...don't think I'll fit in."

Tingtongfalang,
If I were you, I would give it a try, you may be pleasantly suprised!

Post by **stattointhailand** » June 10, 2008, 11:36 am

Hey tingtong, this threads only got ONE PAGE (you HAVE to be on the same page)

Post by **RALPHCUSENS** » June 10, 2008, 11:37 am

" Bravo. Hey we're on the same page. I'll pass on the Night Market meetings too...don't think I'll fit in."

Tingtongfalang,
If I were you, I would give it a try, you may be pleasently suprised!

Post by **PopsIcafe** » June 10, 2008, 11:41 am

Bravo. Hey we're on the same page. I'll pass on the Night Market meetings too...don't think I'll fit in.

Tingtongfarang....the night market get together is just that, the only company we have been enjoying is our wifes and our friends..no bar girls. Yes there are the beer girls but we treat with respect.

IMO yes there are more farangs here then when I first came here. There have been many of those farangs who are here for the same reason those who have been for some time. The misfortune is that with the good you will get the bad. I am not saying we are all angels...far from it.

Pop's

Post by **marjamlew** » June 10, 2008, 2:00 pm

Is there an underlying current in this thread that suggests that:
everyone who arrived after the date of my fist arrival is a scumbag and should be made to leave?
If this is the case it was Nov 96. And even though I no longer live in Udon I would like to give notice to everyone who arrived after Nov 96 that you now have a month to leave so Udon can be returned to the paradise I then found. I hear Pattani is nice at this time of year

Post by **stattointhailand** » June 10, 2008, 2:08 pm

I'll get my coat

Post by **marjamlew** » June 10, 2008, 2:12 pm

and ya bullet proof vest too na

oldfield · Post by **oldfield** » June 10, 2008, 2:17 pm

I don't go out very much (at night ) so i miss out on a lot of the 'action' in the evenings but I have had a couple of experiences in the daytime recently.

Last week I was walking in Nongprajak with the gf and we saw a farang driving around the park on his motorbike. nearby 2 policemen were standing and talking. Anyway, this farang (who was German and about 50-55) drove up to the policemen, got off his bike and started ranting and raving at them - in German!! My gf went over to try and help, but the guy was just balling and shouting and pointing at 2 kids on a motorbike (who hadn't done anything it seemed). The German was red in the face and kept punching his fist into his palm. Nobody knew what was going on so I said to my gf 'lets go'. i'm not sure what he was going on about, but we think he was complaining about people driving around the park on motorbikes - which is exactly what he was doing.

we saw the same guy again 2 days later at Tesco lotus - shouting at a Thai girl (looked like his gf). We made a sharp exit - needless to say - I was embarrased!

What a whack-job!

Yesterday we went shopping at Homemart and whilst buying something another farang came over to us (and the clerk), and starting shouting about the noise of the music at the store! And guess what - he was German too!!! Again it was very embarrasing.

What the hell is going on?

Post by **stattointhailand** » June 10, 2008, 2:30 pm

oldfield wrote:
Yesterday we went shopping at Homemart and whilst buying something another farang came over to us (and the clerk), and starting shouting about the noise of the music at the store! And guess what - he was German too!!! Again it was very embarrasing.

What the hell is going on?

Think I can explain that one oldfield .......... don't think he was complaining about the music ........ he was probably complaining about ME, coz I left me beach towel on some garden furniture I was cumin' back for later