Is Thailand still Southeast Asia’s best travel destination for single men?
How does the Philippines compare? Should you visit both countries, or perhaps ditch Thailand altogether?
You might have read that Thailand has gotten more expensive over the years. More and more tourists visiting Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya every year.
Naturally, some people have come to the conclusion that Thailand is good no more and we (single men) all need to move on to the ‘new’ single man’s paradise.
If you want my in-depth answer to this claim, I recommend you read the entire article and see how each aspect of Thailand compares to the Philippines (and vice versa).
If you’re in a rush and need the short answer:
It’s absolute nonsense.
Thailand is better than ever before. More girls. More nightlife options. Have prices gone up since the 80s?
Absolutely, but if you look at your paycheck, you might notice a similar trend š
For the most part, people tend to look at the surface level of things:
- Few tourists at any place = easy to get laid.
- Many tourists = difficult to get laid.
More often than not, this logic doesn’t hold true. Often times, it’s the complete opposite: Many tourists = easy to get laid.
Why?
Look at Thailand.
Bangkok has been the #1 most visited city in the world (2017), but at the same time I can’t think of any other city with more girls on online dating sites (ThaiFriendly, Tinder).
The same applies to the Red Light Districts and pay for play scene.
Look at Walking Street in Pattaya, Smooci in Bangkok …
… and then compare it to Angeles City, Philippines or any of the neighboring countries or any country in the world.
In my opinion, Thailand still is the best country for single men. If it weren’t, I wouldn’t be here anymore.
Should You Visit The Philippines?
My answer to this question will depend on specific circumstances, so let’s go over a few examples and I will make suggestions as to whether or not you should visit Thailand, the Philippines, or both.
- First Visit to Southeast Asia? Thailand
- Only Time/Money for either country? Thailand
- Can visit 2 countries? Yes, let’s do both in this case.
- Been to Thailand many times & bored? The Philippines
You see, any newbie coming to Southeast Asia will have a better experience going to Thailand for his first trip.
Infrastructure, accommodation – everything’s been perfected over the years. Everything is geared toward tourism.
However, there’s one downside …
You go to Thailand first, your standards will be as high as they can be.
If you visit places such as Angeles City after you’ve been to Pattaya, it will be nothing special. If you go straight from say a Western country to Angeles City, you will think it’s amazing.
Afterwards you visit Walking Street in Pattaya and can’t believe there’s something more extreme than Angeles. (Same applies to the Manila-Bangkok combination)
Table of Content
- Thai Women VS. Filipino Women
- Thailand Nightlife, or Philippines Nightlife?
- Myths about The Philippines (BUSTED)
- Food Options Compared (Street Food, Food Court, 7-Eleven)
- Public Transportation Thailand VS. Philippines
- Costs of Living Thailand VS. Philippines
- Condoms & ED Pills Selection
- Internet Slow in the Philippines?
- WHY The Philippines Trump Thailand …
1. Thai Women VS. Filipino Women
I cover this aspect first because the majority of single men will pick their holiday destination based on the attractiveness and availability of local women in any given country.
It’s easy to meet attractive Thai women. The same applies to Filipino women.
However, the extend of ‘ease’ is almost always blown out of proportion. Some blogs and YouTube videos make it seem as if every woman you approach in either of those countries will instantly sleep and fall in love with you.
Needless to say, that’s a complete and utter exaggeration.
Many local women will be interested (if you’re friendly), but many will also flat-out reject you. The way you get rejected differs greatly.
Thai women will often do a soft rejection – giving you their contact info (LINE ID) but then block you, never reply or meet up with you.
Filipino women will take a more direct approach – either tell you no or (also very common) flat-out ignore you and keep walking.
If your self confidence is alright, you’re probably better off with a flat-out rejection rather than wasting your time with a woman who isn’t interested and simply doesn’t reject you out of politeness.
I mention this here because some guys are interested in meeting regular women (mall, streets) in addition to the Red Light Districts and online dating.
I personally focus on the latter options and think they are the most efficient ways of meeting girls that match your criteria.
Thai Women OR Filipinas More Attractive?
I don’t like these types of discussions because they tend to be based on generalizations and the premise that all women of a certain country look a certain way … which is NOT true at all.
Many Thai women aren’t 100% Thai … they are a mix: Thai-Chinese, Thai-Laos, Thai- Cambodian – and they all look slightly different.
There are enough attractive women in both countries.
Instead of showing a Thai and Filipino model from a magazine and pretend that’s relevant for the average guy visiting the country, I put together a clip showing Filipino girls who you’d see on the streets (malls, Red Light Districts, clubs).
That way you will get a better idea in regards to the type of women you will ACTUALLY encounter in your day-to-day life there.
As for Thai women, IĀ have hundreds of videos on my YouTube channel covering Thailand – just watch any of them.
Maybe one generalization that would be somewhat true is that overall women in Thailand tend to be slimmer (some would say skinny) whereas women in the Philippines tend to have more curves.
That’s about it.
In terms of skin color, attractiveness and sexual-openness, you find a wide range of women in both countries.
TIP: Another way of finding out if the local women match your taste, is to sign up for online dating in the respective country (prior to going there).
2. Thailand Nightlife, or Philippines Nightlife?
There’s not much to say in regards to comparing nightlife in both countries. If you’ve been to both countries, you know why …
NOTHING compares to Thailand. NOTHING.
Thailand has it all. The most bars. The most girls. The most girls also means the highest number of attractive girls. The most clubs and nightlife options overall.
Oh, and I almost forgot …
- The most massage parlors.
- The most online escorts.
- The most ladyboys (lol, unfortunately).
Knowing this, why would you still go to the Philippines? What would be better/different there compared to Thailand?
Here’s what I’ve found to be better …
Alcohol sale around the clock. Unlike Thailand, you can buy alcohol at any convenience store (7-Eleven, Ministop) at any time of the day. In Thailand, you can’t do that past midnight and need to buy your beer or alcoholic drink from street vendors or at a bar/club.
English fluency. Not that you need to have an in-depth conversation with a working girl, but it can be nice to be with a horny girl that speaks perfect English whispering all kinds of naughty things in your ear. That for sure adds to the experience.
Liquor (such as Smirnoff vodka) is slightly cheaper. 190 Philippine pesos ($3.60) for the bottle you see below. In Bangkok, this would be around 300 Thai Baht ($9.60) – of course, saving $6 on liquor is not a reason to visit the Philippines, but it’s a nice bonus nonetheless.
Entire video of night out, including pre-drinking ritual is included in the Philippines Guide.
Myths about The Philippines (BUSTED)
The biggest myth I have addressed already – namely that you have so much exotic value that you’re considered a God and have all the women falling for you.
The only two other Philippine myths I am aware of are that it’s very dangerous and very dirty (particularly Manila).
Upon arrival, I think it’s only natural to feel a bit unsafe.
It’s unlikely that you’ve been to a place with some many ARMED guards EVERYWHERE. I really mean it. Imagine every 7-Eleven in Thailand (even in the most remote areas) had an armed security guard.
Many banks in Manila have 2-3 security guards with shotguns. They will first check your bag (if you carry one), ask what you intent to do – only then will the guard inside the bank unlock the door and let you in.
With so much gun presence, it’s easy to conclude that it’s unsafe.
After a few days, you will get used to all of this … and feel comfortable.
It’s almost as if all the guns and guards have subsided into the background.
Are The Philippines Dangerous?
If you use common sense, stay in cities which are considered safe (Manila, Angeles City, Cebu, Subic Bay), you should be fine.
No need to worry or fear for your life.
Worry about snitching … but that’s something you should be aware of anywhere you go (it’s not unique to the Philippines).
Is Manila Dirty & Overcrowded?
The other misconception I’ve heard was that Manila is totally overcrowded (people living in graveyards), massive traffic jams all day long and dirty streets.
Maybe that’s the case in some parts of Manila (same applies to Bangkok), but the areas that you are (and should be) staying in are clean, safe and definitely not overcrowded.
- Makati
- Fort Bonifacio Global City
- Bel-Air Village
If you stay in the wrong area of Bangkok, you might also think it’s run-down, dangerous and slum-like.
Food Options Compared (Street Food, Food Court, 7-Eleven)
The malls in the Philippines are big, very fucking big … and there’s many of them. If you thought Bangkok has too many malls, go to Manila or Quezon City to rewrite your definition of ‘many’.
However, what many don’t have are extensive food courts you find at almost any mall in Thailand. Go to Terminal21, Siam Paragon … or any Tesco Lotus and you’ll find large food courts with hundreds of meals to choose from.
You top up a stored value card and grab your meal from any of the stalls.
In the Philippines, it’s mostly individual restaurants (such as Tokyo Tokyo) that you find at the malls. Price-value is so-so. I paid 240 PHP ($4.60 USD) for this meal.
7-Eleven Thailand VS. 7-Eleven Philippines
7-Eleven in Thailand is not really a convenience store, it’s more like a little supermarket.
In the Philippines (Indonesia, Vietnam) it really is a convenience store where all you find are basic meals and a very limited selection.
Go to any Thailand 7-Eleven and you are able to choose from dozens of dinner meals, rice, meats …
After having spent years in Thailand and occasionally eating 7-Eleven food, I don’t think I have sampled more than 20% of their meal options.
In short: AMAZING SELECTION.
Philippines 7-Eleven offers this:
I like, however, that 7-Eleven Philippines (and Ministop) offer certain inexpensive energy drinks that you won’t find ANYWHERE in Thailand.
These are 20 Philippine pesos each (20 Cents USD) and contain a very interesting mix of ingredients.
Caffeine is standard, of course, and so is taurine – but some versions also contain L-Theanine andĀ bacopa monnieri.
I’m a big fan of caffeine pills (dirt-cheap & very effective); these Booster C energy shots are a good alternative. Most of the other energy drinks (Red Bull, Monster) either contain lots of sugar or are 5x more expensive.
In Thailand, the only available energy drink without sugar is Red Bull Sugarfree but it comes with artificial sweeteners and isn’t exactly dirt-cheap.
If you’re into ‘nootropics’, you will like those energy drinks. Also very low calorie (20 per drink) – ideal for pre-workout.
In terms of street food, Thailand offers way more options – I personally also prefer Thai food over Filipino food (tends to be very fatty).
Public Transportation Thailand VS. Philippines
‘Traffic is horrible in Manila. Avoid at all costs.’
That’s one of the first things you read about when researching Manila online. It is bad, but not as bad as you might think.
Coming from Bangkok, I actually thought traffic in Manila was OKAY. Certainly not worse than Bangkok (specifically Sukhumvit Road) during rush-hour.
Traffic jams aren’t an issue for me; are they for anyone not working a 9-5 job? I mean, if you stay in Manila short- or long-term, do you ever need to expose yourself to traffic during peak hours? I doubt it.
Plus, there’s the Manila MRT.
Yeah, it’s overcrowded (see below) but it works just fine. Avoid peak hours and you’ll have no issues.
GrabTaxi in Manila
That’s the taxi app I’ve used most of the time. The alternative would be UBER.
Taxi apps work fine in Manila and Quezon City. Outside of major cities I’ve had difficulties finding a driver or had to wait for long periods.
In most parts of Thailand (certainly Bangkok & Pattaya), there’s little need for mobile taxi apps as there are always taxis driving past you – either that, or motorbike taxis.
In Manila, there are white and yellow metered taxis but they are not as abundant as the metered taxis in aforementioned Thai cities.
The benefit of using a taxi app such as GrabTaxi in Manila is that you get dropped of at the exact location whereas in Thailand, you have to hope the driver speaks OK English in case you want to go to some location that isn’t near a BTS/MRT station.
Costs of Living Thailand VS. Philippines
Thailand wins again.
Cheaper. More apartments & hotels to choose from.
In Manila, expect to pay at least $40 for an OK hotel room or AirBNB. Contrast that with Bangkok or Phuket where you’d get a nice hotel room for $20.
In the Philippines, you are often expected to rent long-term and pay several months’ worth of rent as a deposit.
In Thailand, it’s very easy to find monthly or 3 month rentals at nice condos in any price range (starting at ~$120 for a basic room with no air conditioning).
Condoms & ED Pills Selection
My recommendation for both countries:Ā BRING CONDOMS.
There isn’t much difference when it comes to buying condoms in either Thailand or the Philippines – the selection is very limited and quality of those condoms is poor.
Don’t expect to have an enjoyable sexual experience if you’ve bought your condoms at Mercury Drug (Philippines) or 7-Eleven in Thailand.
Ever Tried Custom-Fit Condoms?
If not, then you are missing out.
On rare occasions on which I had to resort to standard condoms, the experiences was subpar. Standard condoms are not a good fit for most people – they are either too small or too big.
I believe this is one reason why some guys say that not using a condom at all is so amazing and how big of a difference it makes – simply because the regular condoms you find at convenience and drug stores are so bad.
These condoms (Durex) tend to come in two sizes: regular & large. There’s no middleground.
The custom-fit condoms come in 60 different sizes!
I am not promoting any particular brand but instead simply want to open your mind to the idea of custom-fit condoms and how they lead to a much, much better sexual experience than the standard ones.
Next time you’re thinking about going raw, perhaps try one of those custom-fit condoms first …
ED Pills Thailand / Philippines
In both countries, ED pills (Cialis, Viagra) are prescription only.
In Thailand, you can still get them from a pharmacy without a prescription – or the generic version from a street stall. It’s illegal, but you CAN get the medication that way.
In the Philippines, their are more strict at pharmacies and buying from street vendors is high-risk (IMO) particularly because there are no street stalls selling these items but rather guys walking around offering them.
I personally wouldn’t buy from them and if you do a bit of research you will come across articles stating that often times, the street sellers are in with police.
You buy the medicine without prescription only to be stopped by police a few minutes later.
Please be aware of this because some of the vendors will go down with their price to almost zero.
On many occasions, I’ve been offered an entire box of either of these drugs for less than $1!
Totally not worth the risk.
Internet Slow in the Philippines?
If all you do is browse the web and watch YouTube videos, you will have no issues in regards to the Internet speed in the Philippines.
Uploading content (videos) is a different story …
Keep in mind, the Internet speed test you see in the video, I did in Angeles City. Internet speed is slightly better in Manila.
Contrast that with Thailand where you have blazing fast Internet – most places I’ve stayed at had minimum 20Mbps Upload / 30Mbps download.
WHY The Philippines Trump Thailand …
Thailand is too far ahead of most countries when it comes to nightlife (options) and pay for play.
Unless Thailand Red Light Districts are being closed down, there’s no way you’ll find a better experience anywhere else in the world.
That being said, the Philippines does offer advantages over Thailand.
In particular two that might be of importance to you:
- English Fluency
- Visa Restriction
I have touched on the fact that most people in the Philippines speak good English already.
Maybe after a while in Thailand, you get annoyed by the fact that you have to resort to baby English when asking for directions or talking with girls … I get it.
Then going to the Philippines can be a nice change.
Perfectly-written English everywhere and you can have a conversation with most people; whether that’s the taxi driver, you’re about to exchange money or want to ask a random security guard for directions.
What do I mean by Visa Restrictions?
If you want to stay in Thailand for more than 3 months at a time, you … well, you can’t do that as a tourist (without getting married, etc.)
You have to get out of the country, no matter what.
In the Philippines, you can extend your tourist visa several times for up to 16 months (without having to leave the country).
All you need to do is go to theĀ Bureau of Immigration in Makati (Manila), fill out a form and pay a fee.