^^^ wholeheartedly agree . I've seen the absolute worse from aussie "tourists" in the Phillipines , they treated my fellow countrymen like shit and expected them to be their slaves . No you want a person to help you , ask politely and don't say hey you gook boy get me a drink

I probably should have rephrased that and what I meant was Phuket IS the new Bali and outside of it is ok.
But yeah I agree there are places which are nice and isn't overrun with tourists.
I've been to Hua Hin which is a quiet beach resort 2 hours drive south of Bangkok and because its home to the Royal Family , all the debauchery and drunken antics you find in Phuket is very minute and the tourists you get there are generally families with their kids. Its a really nice place to chill out if anything and the town isn't overrun with bogans but instead tourists who are there for some quiet time.
I've been to Thailand 6 times already and you're right, a little simple courtesy to the locals can go a long way.
Its a small price to pay but some Aussies think its too much of an effort which really shows how out of touch they are.

Edited by SocaWho: 27/8/2014 09:16:18 AM

See even with Patong nearby, I still go to Phuket and enjoy it (in the north of the island) or slightly north in Khao Lak and i find it quite lovely. The place is big enough to still have nice spots away from the scummy places. Even if you're there to lie by a pool all week and indulge, places like Laguna or Mai Khao are great options and you can spend your whole time pretending Patong doesn't exist. I can get away with a bit of Thai language from when i lived there so i'm comfortable enough staying away from the western areas.

I also rate Hua Hin highly, although i haven't been back there for over a decade now. It was easy enough to get there from Bangkok for the weekend or if you had enough time you could drive from there to Kaeng Krachen national park which is just stunning.

Bali on the other hand is small enough that it feels like a prison, where it is impossible to escape the hordes of Bogan families and lads footy trips.

Its a good idea to go to the lesser known tourist havens like you said. You're right there are some gems out still unknown. I find that the bogans only stick to the main hub and don't bother to research the lesser known places.
I was in Hua Hin a year ago with my old man and its still a quiet place. At night although you have tourists flocking the bars, theres a bit of a nightlife etc , but on the whole its pretty low key and the vibe is just right.
I just liked laying by the pool during the day and it was pretty chill. Theres not a huge security presence at all since it attracts the right demographic of people...day or night.

Edited by SocaWho: 27/8/2014 02:00:31 PM

The key to getting help from locals is at least trying to speak to them in their language, even if you straight away ask if they speak English
My german is pretty good for a learned language (got a 46 atar score for it) but I found myself completely lost in some parts of Germany, but they smiled and straight away helped me

Absolutely. Im not surprised that Aussies have a pretty bad rep as travellers these days because they complain when foreigners speak another language here in Australia and still complain when they go overseas to see that not everything is in English.
Some Aussies have this notion in their head that because Australia is a great place to live and the dollar is great here , that gives them a right to look down on people from 3rd world countries.

Edited by SocaWho: 27/8/2014 03:01:28 PM

Edited by SocaWho: 27/8/2014 03:01:48 PM

Germans have a bad rep because they're very direct (and that whole first half of the 20th century thing), but they're some of the most generous and most helpful people I have ever met.

True, its bad to see how many people go and expect everyone knows English and then think they're stupid because they don't understand a foreigner in their own country
However I've found that people in other countries, especially in Europe, love "the Ozzies", lost track the amount of times I've been asked if I have a pet kangaroo :lol:

Edited by The Maco: 27/8/2014 03:49:20 PM

Absolutely, they're so polite and considerate its why they're seen as snippy and over the top punctual