Campers, Trailers, Mobile Homes

[WHISKERS]

In America, you see them everywhere . . . the peoples way to holiday I guess. But here in Thailand, you don't see them anywhere. No campgrounds . . . no trailer parks. It seems like a totally untouched indrustry. Is there a law against these kinds of vehicles here?? A ban maybe . . . I don't know. I see the workers who build all the homes in my area throw up these quickie cardboard , bamboo and tin roofed homes while they work in the area. Wouldn't campers make more sense?? Just thinking out loud . . . but it seems like big dollars could be made if this industry came to Thailand.

[Loburt]

Come on Whiskers. Those workers make next to nothing (some of them are illegal Burmese and Cambodians). The people hiring them don't give a damn about them and don't want to spend jacksh*t on them, even for basic safety.

Those wood and corrugated metal lean to's they're living in cost a millionth of what a Winnebago costs.

If there is a market for mobile homes in Thailand, and I'm not sure there is, that sure isn't it.

[PeeMarc]

In America, you see them everywhere . . . the peoples way to holiday I guess. But here in Thailand, you don't see them anywhere. No campgrounds . . . no trailer parks. It seems like a totally untouched indrustry. Is there a law against these kinds of vehicles here?? A ban maybe . . . I don't know. I see the workers who build all the homes in my area throw up these quickie cardboard , bamboo and tin roofed homes while they work in the area. Wouldn't campers make more sense?? Just thinking out loud . . . but it seems like big dollars could be made if this industry came to Thailand.

Some Thai film production companies have big converted buses and trucks for location work. Some of them very nice.

I've wondered the same thing sometimes, although I would never buy one or travel in one (not really my style of travel). But I could see potential in some sort of business with them.

[WHISKERS]

My point is that this is an Industry that seems to have bypassed Thailand. In a country that seems to be trying to conserve space . . . campers and mobile homes, seems to me, would be a great way to do this. Camper rentals and a few well placed campgrounds near waterfalls, National Parks and beaches might even draw some tourist attention.

[Loburt]

My point is that this is an Industry that seems to have bypassed Thailand. In a country that seems to be trying to conserve space . . . campers and mobile homes, seems to me, would be a great way to do this. Camper rentals and a few well placed campgrounds near waterfalls, National Parks and beaches might even draw some tourist attention.

Well, it's not so surprising. The real boom in automobiles is less than 20 years old here. Many middle class people (and the middle class isn't tremendously big yet) only got their first cars in that time. And in the countryside, the typical progression is motorcycle to pick up truck. Thailand was actually the second biggest market in the world for one ton pickup trucks during the 1990s. Don't know about now.

I'm not sure there is as much of a space problem as you think there is. Except in traffic-jammed Bangkok.

And frankly, I'd rather not see mobile homes in national parks. We've already had a lot of problems here with the well off over running national parks and protected areas in their expensive four wheel drive vehicles. It's not like the well off ever have to obey the rules.

Didn't mobile homes take off in the US, not because of a lack of space, but because of the urge to travel the wide open spaces?

And by the way, we already get hurricanes, floods, droughts and tsunamis in Thailand.

As soon as you put up a trailer park it's an iron clad guarantee we'll get tornadoes too!

[WHISKERS]

My point is that this is an Industry that seems to have bypassed Thailand. In a country that seems to be trying to conserve space . . . campers and mobile homes, seems to me, would be a great way to do this. Camper rentals and a few well placed campgrounds near waterfalls, National Parks and beaches might even draw some tourist attention.

Well, it's not so surprising. The real boom in automobiles is less than 20 years old here. Many middle class people (and the middle class isn't tremendously big yet) only got their first cars in that time. And in the countryside, the typical progression is motorcycle to pick up truck. Thailand was actually the second biggest market in the world for one ton pickup trucks during the 1990s. Don't know about now.

I'm not sure there is as much of a space problem as you think there is. Except in traffic-jammed Bangkok.

And frankly, I'd rather not see mobile homes in national parks. We've already had a lot of problems here with the well off over running national parks and protected areas in their expensive four wheel drive vehicles. It's not like the well off ever have to obey the rules.

Didn't mobile homes take off in the US, not because of a lack of space, but because of the urge to travel the wide open spaces?

And by the way, we already get hurricanes, floods, droughts and tsunamis in Thailand.

As soon as you put up a trailer park it's an iron clad guarantee we'll get tornadoes too!

I don't live in Bangkok, I live in a much more suburban area, Samut Prakan. New homes are going up everywhere. Mostly Townhouses, but many 2 and 3 bedrooms homes also. Nearly no land(yard) comes with these homes and the farms are disappearing at an alarming rate in this area. They may not be conserving land for space purposes, but more likely they can build more homes in a smaller amount of space. As far as vehicles go, from what I can see more people here have newer and better vehicles than what I see in America.

Yes, camper and mobiles homes in the U.S. started out as recreational vehicles and were used primarily to vacation and get away from home for awhile . . . but . . . now there are mobile parks everywhere and people live in them full time. In Maine, for example, you can find used mobile homes for under $5,000. on rented land of course. lol . . . I'm not sure about tornados . . . I guess they follow mobile parks everywhere . . .

[friendlyCat]

given Thailand's heat and humidity, a metal box is not the ideal architectural structure. Not to mention increasing commodity prices for food and oil....

Interestingly, there are few recreational vehicles in Australia.

[eagle]

Modern Mobile homes in the US are made so cheap that people get sick from the formaldehyde in the flake board used to construct them. Small trailors given to over 80,000 of Katrina Victims caused them to get sick supposedly from the toxic fumes. They were removed from the trailors.

http://www.citizensugar.com/1043702

[PeeMarc]

It'll be a very dark day if they ever have these kinds of hell-holes in Thailand. They ain't called 'trash' from nothin'.

[friendlyCat]

harsh, Peemarc. For many of the "working poor" in the USA, the mobile home is their only option of buying, rather than renting.

And btw, that picture you posted would be one of the nicest mobile home parks that I have ever seen.

....and no, I do not and have not lived in a mobile home....

[Fishingdude44]

And Remember, they are called Moblie Homes, When a Tornado's come, They get really moblie!! lol

[motmot]

It'll be a very dark day if they ever have these kinds of hell-holes in Thailand. They ain't called 'trash' from nothin'.

Personally I find the gated residential areas more hell holes then trailer parks. And they are booming in Thailand.

At least a lot of trailer parks have poetry inside them.

[zeusbheld]

harsh, Peemarc. For many of the "working poor" in the USA, the mobile home is their only option of buying, rather than renting.

therein lies (part of) the problem.... why is it so compulsory that everyone should own rather than rent? seems a bit daft to buy a crappy mobile home when you can rent a decent apartment for less.

[zeusbheld]

It'll be a very dark day if they ever have these kinds of hell-holes in Thailand. They ain't called 'trash' from nothin'.

Personally I find the gated residential areas more hell holes then trailer parks. And they are booming in Thailand.

At least a lot of trailer parks have poetry inside them.

even the concept creepy, those 'gated communities.' first place i saw one was in LA... they were like special forts for whitey to keep the brown people out. don't know who they're keeping out here, but if the security guard's as good as the one in this apartment building, i doubt they keep *anyone* out.

but... poetry? in trailer parks? where??? do tell. did you actually live in one, or is this just bourgie romanticization of the working class?

[eagle]

PeeMarc wrote:

It'll be a very dark day if they ever have these kinds of hell-holes in Thailand. They ain't called 'trash' from nothin'.

I'd say all classes of people have their trash and ya can't judge the lot from a few. Middleclass families in the US can have 6 or more toilets in their homes and produce more trash then a small village in a supposedly 3rd world country as some like to call them. The fuel from private Jets alone rivals the harm to the Ozone of poor people squeezing a living off the planet.

I wonder how the future will judge the flush toilet as water becomes more and more scarce. Its so convenient though

:roll:

[Zombiedriven]

I actually lived in a travel trailer for quite some time.

I still own it by the way. It is a nice thing to have that little 27' pull behind.

It has everything I need in it a separated bedroom. a real kitchen. storage space and the like. Hell it even has a Air Con that works rather well.

I also lived in some manufactured homes that puts most stick built houses to shame. And they cost a third of a stick built home. It is not the house that is trashy it is the people who choose to be trashy that lives in them.

[WHISKERS]

As we always seem to do, we've only looked at the dark side . . .

Camping is fun!! I do not consider "Mobile Homes" as recreational vehicles, although some, very few, are actually used that way. AND, trailer parks should not be confused with Campgrounds. In many middle class surburban families, both Mom and Dad work very hard and lead very stressful lives. Campgrounds become a very nice source for a quickie get-a-way especially when a long weekend presents itself. Some campgrounds I've been to are amazing . . . providing swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, horseback riding and beautiful scenery. They are just places to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. "Campers" come in all shapes and sizes. Some just slide on the back of a truck, while others are just small trailers that pop open into a beatiful little living spaces. These "Campers" can be designed or redesigned to fit your every need. I've been in some and my first thought was "Where do we sleep?? After rearranging some of the furniture, it turned out it could sleep eight people.

[biachung]

Had the same thoughts a while back, I drove past a bus graveyard once, was just outside bkk, mobile home paradise I thought, hmmm i could drive to china or even further, Super highway is still a few years away but imagine the potential, buy a cheap mobile home and keep going...

[zeusbheld]

As we always seem to do, we've only looked at the dark side . . .

Camping is fun!! I do not consider "Mobile Homes" as recreational vehicles, although some, very few, are actually used that way.

RVs are CAMPING??? baaaaaaahahahahahhaa

be kinda cool if you have work where it doesn't matter where you live, though, as you can live anywhere.... and then change after a couple weeks, live anywhere else...

[WHISKERS]

As we always seem to do, we've only looked at the dark side . . .

Camping is fun!! I do not consider "Mobile Homes" as recreational vehicles, although some, very few, are actually used that way.

RVs are CAMPING??? baaaaaaahahahahahhaa

be kinda cool if you have work where it doesn't matter where you live, though, as you can live anywhere.... and then change after a couple weeks, live anywhere else...

Haven't you ever seen that one lonely little RV parked in the shadows of a Wal-Mart parking lot late - late at night??

[zeusbheld]

Haven't you ever seen that one lonely little RV parked in the shadows of a Wal-Mart parking lot late - late at night??

was you wasn't it. i couldn't do it. i'm a city boy these days; all that nature'd get to me.

[motmot]

but... poetry? in trailer parks? where??? do tell. did you actually live in one, or is this just bourgie romanticization of the working class?

It's in the stories & the people...I've been to such places, spend time in them, know people living in them,...I come from working class family.

It's no romanticization. I think you misunderstood what I mean with poetry, which ain't all about romance. Poetry can be very dark.

[steevolution]

but... poetry? in trailer parks? where??? do tell. did you actually live in one, or is this just bourgie romanticization of the working class?

It's in the stories & the people...I've been to such places, spend time in them, know people living in them,...I come from working class family.

It's no romanticization. I think you misunderstood what I mean with poetry, which ain't all about romance. Poetry can be very dark.

maybe what he means is that inside a trailerpark is real, whereas behind the high walls of a gated community is real... phony. as in Stepfordwives type phony. not that the trailertrash don't ASPIRE to phoniness, they just cain't afford it yet. so they're stuck with reality, livin closer to the bone.

those robot wives have beautiful soft silicone lips at either end. don't never sag or get overripe. but it COSTS, that phony illusion of perfection/happiness/safety does.

[zeusbheld]

but... poetry? in trailer parks? where??? do tell. did you actually live in one, or is this just bourgie romanticization of the working class?

It's in the stories & the people...I've been to such places, spend time in them, know people living in them,...I come from working class family.

It's no romanticization. I think you misunderstood what I mean with poetry, which ain't all about romance. Poetry can be very dark.

no i don't think i misunderstood what you meant about poetry, but i you obviously misunderstood what i meant about romanticization. since you seem so unaware of how i'm using the word, no offense but you're about the last person i'd look to as a lit critic, as this is pretty basic stuff.

i'll be slightly less of a prick than usual and elaborate: Charles Bukowski for example is plenty dark, but romanticizes the bejesus out of skid row. 'romantic' when used to describe literature has sweet **** all to do with moon-and-june tinpan alley romance, at least there's no necessary connection.

and poetry can come from anywhwere. believe it or not you don't need a trailer park. i can think of at least one insurance exec who was a far better poet than Bukowski.

[zeusbheld]

but... poetry? in trailer parks? where??? do tell. did you actually live in one, or is this just bourgie romanticization of the working class?

It's in the stories & the people...I've been to such places, spend time in them, know people living in them,...I come from working class family.

It's no romanticization. I think you misunderstood what I mean with poetry, which ain't all about romance. Poetry can be very dark.

maybe what he means is that inside a trailerpark is real, whereas behind the high walls of a gated community is real... phony. as in Stepfordwives type phony. not that the trailertrash don't ASPIRE to phoniness, they just cain't afford it yet. so they're stuck with reality, livin closer to the bone.

those robot wives have beautiful soft silicone lips at either end. don't never sag or get overripe. but it COSTS, that phony illusion of perfection/happiness/safety does.

trailer trash can be plenty phoney; they are, after all, human. they just can't afford the decorative surgery to supplement their pretensions.