Thailand vs. Costa Rica
As everyone already knows about Brazil, let's consider Costa Rica since it's somewhat off the beaten path, but is still representative of the Latin experience.
Pros of Thailand
1) You've got to know the scene in Costa Rica (Thailand is much more forgiving). Ripoff tourist traps exist everywhere.
Walking around drunk and lost after dark is seriously dangerous.
You cannot simply plop down in Costa Rica and hit a club or the scene without knowing the deal. You'll either pay a fortune if you go to the wrong club, or be disappointed if you expect a 'Girlfriend Experience' (GFE), depending on your knowledge and expectations entering into the scene.
If you expect Costa Rica to be different than Thailand then it's a valid alternative.
2) Consistency: Costa Rican ladies are very variable in terms of giving a truly "into it" kind of session. And not all are Costa Rican; many are Colombian, Nicaraguan, and Dominican.
Many ladies in Costa Rica are authentically warm and into the action, yes, but not with the same consistency as in Thailand. If they are not, they aren't going to fake it as well as a Thai.
Costa Rican ladies don't play the GFE game of affection the way their Thai sisters do. The easy GFE that Thailand is renowned for, and the tendency to seduce newbies, is largely absent in Costa Rica. Great action with "temporary only affection" - the norm here - is the hallmark of these ladies.
While you can get the GFE or longtime in Costa Rica, a lot depends on your attitude, wallet (figure US $250), and your ability to discern.
3) Thailand is a better bargain if the stay is longer than the airfare differential (depending on where you're coming from). If you're in Costa Rica for a month or more, and you want top end action every day, you have to be above middle class level.
4) Absence of legalized gambling. For some, this is a plus. If you have no interest in it or have a gambling problem, it can save your ass.
5) Altercations: If you stray too far into areas unknown, danger may lurk, not unlike Phnom Penh or Vietnam in Asia. As such, Costa Rica is more dangerous than Thailand.
While the Costa Ricans have the same Thai Mai pen rai ("Live and enjoy") attitude (they call it Pura Vida in CR), they do not become silent to save face during a potentially obnoxious altercation, attitude problem, or disagreement.
Latinos will forcefully push back an attitude problem onto you. Latinos are often rough and impatient when given crap, while Thais are generally patient and gracious. Remember: you're in a Spanish neighborhood while in Costa Rica.
They have Latin tempers, so have at least as much patience with Costa Rican Time as you do with Thai Time concepts, as they are essentially the same.
6) If you prefer Asians to Westerners (in this case Hispanic Caucasian and Indians), Thailand is the place to be.
Where They're Equal
1) You'll find fully the same short time action in both destinations. Costa Rica is a great weekend getaway (if coming from the States).
2) Climate: Both Costa Rica and Thailand are tropical, no doubt about that. The city of San Jose is cooler and dryer being up at 4,000 - 5,000 feet elevation, though the beaches and costal areas of Costa Rica are hot and humid - exactly like Thailand.
3) Accommodations and Food: The same. You can get accommodation levels ranging from any standard quality chain such as Marriott, Hilton, Radisson, to local established midrange hotels, to cheap local dives in both places.
The same with the food, ranging from exquisite dining experiences to local eat-in cheapies, to standard chains (McDonalds, KFCs, 7-Elevens).
4) Katoeys: Both places have plenty, though the Costa Rican clubs and indoor beer bars are all female. Ladyboys are usually on the street in both Costa Rica and Thailand, and in both places they're uncannily feminine appearing.
5) Lap Dances: Got to say, the lap dances in Costa Rica are great, and are often a "very receptive full on molestation" sampler of the sex to come, should you choose the lady. It's the same hot experience as in Thailand. Not at all like the very restricted format of strip clubs in the States.
Pros of Costa Rica
1) If you accept the deal in Costa Rica, in the sense that there are no "bargirl games of romance", or that there is little real potential of an open-ended relationship (mistress/girlfriend or even wife) to come from a typical encounter, then the scene really is hot and great - without the risk of love games.
This can be a Positive. There's little chance of walking around buying jewelry for a bargirl or feeling all sappy over her after a great night of action. A goodnight kiss, pay the money, a cab ride home, and you're out of there. A clean and excellent short time experience, you feel like a new man, and you haven't fallen in love.
Some guys don't like, or expect, "romance" or the patronization that can be viewed as fake or inappropriate for the real nature of the encounter. Do your business, enjoy it, and leave your "long-timer" romantic heart out of it. You're a monger who travels light.
GFE experiences are not uncommon once you've been with a girl more than once and you both like each other, but it isn't standard.
2) Better value for shorter trips: when you look at the airfare price difference if coming from the States, then you have additional cash on hand for action.
$100 buys you two sessions at an indoor beerbar club, or one session for a stripper at a fancy reputable club like Kamur where you can check out the talent with a very intimate lap dance before selecting a girl. If you're Spanish-fluent and comfortable doing the local scene with $15 - $25 short timers, the same $100 will pay for five sessions a day. Great value.
3) The very easy ability to "telecommute" for business. Your cell phone will work transparently in Costa Rica just the same as back in the States. This is a real big plus if you have an established business cell phone that you need operational 24/7. You can make and receive calls as if you're home - no one knows.
That, along with in-room high-speed wireless Internet, allows full mixing of business and pleasure. Simply tremendous.
4) Excellent Eco-tourism: if you want to do some serious rafting, rain forest and repelling, especially in a Latin American environment, Costa Rica is the place to go to. Thailand has a similar tropical environment, but hasn't developed eco-tourism the way it's done in Costa Rica.
5) Language Barrier: English is more widely known and used in Costa Rica than in Thailand, and Spanish is trivial to learn compared to Thai. Language is only a real problem when you enter deeply into really local scenes and don't speak basic Spanish.
6) Great coffee, every time, any time of the day. Among the best in the world.
7) Latin ladies are consistently hotter if you're into the Western concept of physical beauty and voluptuousness (i.e., bigger hips and boobs).
8) Travel time: going to Costa Rica from the States is in terms of hours, not days, and you won't be on a plane for more than about five hours, typical of a domestic flight.
You can spend a long weekend there as an option, which you can't do with Thailand. Let's face it: short getaways are just not possible with Thailand.
9) Legalized Gambling (either a good or bad thing): Just like Las Vegas, but expect fewer Race books, crap game action, and sports books. Plenty of Blackjack, slots, Pai Gow, poker, and especially Roulette.
One Decision That's Easy To Make:
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