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**Lilwilly** · 02-20-2004, 07:24 AM

I have just returned from a lovely vacation in Thailand. I did notice on the beach at Phuket there were some minimal costumes on some ladies. One in particular walked the lenght of the beach in nothing more than a very brief thong and a lovely body. A lot of older and heavier ladies of European background sunbathed and strolled on the beach topless. Many in the USA would consider this an indecent act, fortunately Thailand and many other countries are not so prudish.

**Falcon46** · 02-26-2004, 03:42 PM

Just for the sake of putting this in perspective... 500 baht comes to about $12.70, which is cheaper than a day pass at damn near any nudist resort! lol Of course it'll cost a lot more than that just to get there though. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

**OZJames** · 02-26-2004, 04:15 PM

When going to Muslem countries or any other country for that matter we must always be careful not to offend the local custom. Phucet is a tourist place and lax dress code seems to be TOLERATED. I am sure if the thong clad person went to other parts of Thailand and paraded about she would quickley be charged.

I understand that a lot of Balinese people do not like the nudity that westeners impose on Bali. I know that the $ wins out but ignoring local customs and standards of living (their standards) causes hatred and terrorism.

We should not be so arragant to think that our dollar is more important to them than their religion and beliefs.

JAMES

**MikeJB** · 02-26-2004, 04:21 PM

Maybe these countries do so well with nudity because they dont have Bush and the rest of his radical right extremeists going around trying to censor and ban everything in the name of decency and trying to protect the public they so ignorantly think ask for or need such protection and dont have enough guts to protect themselves. I wonder how people over there have responded to all the recent "wardrobe malfunctions" over here.

**Rex** · 02-27-2004, 07:16 PM

Re Bali attitudes.
We are sometimes advised, in travel guides etc, that nudity upsets Balinese people.
I have been to Bali several times, got off the beaten track, mixed with the ordinary people, and I'll recount some of the things I've seen.

Older women, in villages away from large tourist centres, walking in the street, wearing just a sarong around the hips. Apparently, this was customary everywhere, before the leering tourists arrived. [Yet the mothers, wives, girl-friends and daughters of the same leering idiots, will often be top-free on the beach, or around the hotel pool.]

A truck-driver, pulling up at the side of a country main road, stripping, and cooling off in the roadside creek, in full view of anyone driving past.

A young Balinese woman, just one street back from the main street in the busy town of Ubud,
nude, washing herself and her baby, in the creek.

The young gardeners, at one hotel we regularly stayed at, skinny-dipping in the river, on their way home from work, in view of the hotel gardens.

I have not seen the following, but got the story from a Balinese friend, the lead singer in a rock group, who lives in the small city of Klungkung, renowned for its heritage buildings.
He told me that it is a tradition in Klungkung, for mixed groups of people to bathe in the local river, at a certain spot, and most of these people choose to be nude, and no-one cares. This story was corroborated by others, in a most matter-of-fact way.

I suppose the moral is, don't believe everything you read in the official tourist literature!

**Naturist Mark** · 02-27-2004, 07:43 PM

quote:
Originally posted by OZJames:
[qb] When going to Muslem countries or any other country for that matter we must always be careful not to offend the local custom.
...
I understand that a lot of Balinese people do not like the nudity that westeners impose on Bali. I know that the $ wins out but ignoring local customs and standards of living (their standards) causes hatred and terrorism.[/qb]

While Indonesia is a Moslem country - the world's largest, Bali is Hindu. Hinduism does not particularly condone casual nudity, but it is not as openly antagonistic as the majority of Islam.

The terrorist threat in Bali is from non-Balinese Islamic terrorists who struck against symbols of the west, i.e. Australian tourists (who they apparently thought were Americans).

I am inveterate listener to BBC news (I feel smarter when I hear the news in a British accent). But it took me an embarrasingly long time to realize that the "Barley" bombing wasn't in Northern Ireland. (note: BBC newsreaders invariably pronounce "Bali" as "Barley", I don't know why.)

-Mark

**OZJames** · 02-29-2004, 04:11 PM

Naturist Mark, Have you ever had a bath in Bali ?

How do you pronounce "Bali" ? I bet you can't spell it like you can spell our pronounciation (and the Brits pronunciation) of Bali = barley !!

JAMES

**Naturist Mark** · 02-29-2004, 06:36 PM

quote:
Originally posted by OZJames:
[qb] Naturist Mark, Have you ever had a bath in Bali ? [/qb]

Would that be a barth in barley?

quote:
[qb]How do you pronounce "Bali" ? I bet you can't spell it like you can spell our pronounciation (and the Brits pronunciation) of Bali = barley !!
[/qb]

Did youse guys learn dat pronunciation from the Japanese? [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_razz.gif[/img]

Bali = Ballie or 'b?-lE Listen

-Mark

**nunne** · 03-01-2004, 11:14 AM

There is one sect of Hinduism in which the monks and nuns take onto themselves a life of abject poverty and lack of all wordly goods. The monks always go about naked, and the nuns wear white dresses or sarongs. I remember seeing a documentary where a woman from the west was exploring India and it's cultures. She met and talked with one of these monks. It showed him sitting along a very busy street, and he was completely naked.

As said above, the Hindus don't particularly condone nudity, but they also are quite tolerant of it. More so, I would suggest, than John Ashcroft.

**OZJames** · 03-01-2004, 03:08 PM

Naturist Mark, "the Japanese" ! no we didn't, remember you beat them off in WWII.

Thanks for the audio. I could not quite hear properly - is it like "mat" "bath" "Bali" ?

Does Webster have a propor "English" pronunciation audio SO we CAN all LEARN to SPEAK "English"

All the information re the Hindu's likely attitude nudity in Bali does not answer this question. If they are so tolerant then why do we get told that Balinese people are offended by tourist nudity ? Is the offence only to Indonesian Muslems who also happen to live there ? Perhaps its a bit like America & Australia, most people are not comfortable with nudity in public so why should the Balinese be any different - therefore we should be careful not to offend just as I would in USA or you would in Australia. Respect for others way of life, beliefs, religions etc is very important.

JAMES

**Motorcity Nude** · 03-01-2004, 04:55 PM

quote:
Originally posted by MikeJB:
[qb] Maybe these countries do so well with nudity because they dont have Bush and the rest of his radical right extremeists going around trying to censor and ban everything in the name of decency and trying to protect the public they so ignorantly think ask for or need such protection and dont have enough guts to protect themselves. I wonder how people over there have responded to all the recent "wardrobe malfunctions" over here. [/qb]

Your political commentary / opinion is distracting to a constructive conversation.

Just because you "feel" something, doesn't mean you're required to write it down.

Political opinions are the most likely to be controversial - why insert such an off-topic comment ...

Btw - XXXXXXXXXX******* (self-censored to keep from encouraging a political flamewar)

MCN, who comes here to discuss a common interest - and it's NOT POLITICS!!

**Baron Lake** · 03-01-2004, 06:31 PM

Hi MotorCity,
While MikeJB may be (imho) occasionally "over the top" in presenting his views this does not, in this case, negate his contention that the ignorance of the Radical Right is a primary force in opposition to social nudity. And, when the political comments are relevant to the topic I see no valid reason for their exclusion. Come on,you cannot REALLY believe politics are not involved in social nudity.(?)
BTW, thanks Mike for keeping your recent posts to more readable lenghts. (are you really just one person or in fact a group of poli-sci undergrads who take turn posting? Come on fess up. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] just kidding.
B.L.

**Jochanaan** · 03-01-2004, 06:34 PM

quote:
Originally posted by nunne:
[qb] There is one sect of Hinduism in which the monks and nuns take onto themselves a life of abject poverty and lack of all wordly goods. The monks always go about naked, and the nuns wear white dresses or sarongs. [/qb]

I thought those were Jainists, not Hindus...? [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif[/img]

As for Bali, until very recently it was primitive and somewhat isolated. A couple of decades ago (maybe it still exists) there was a bra brand called Bali, probably to suggest it was natural. But my guess is that the Balians who are against nudity or topfreedom are Muslims, settlers or converts, living in cities. Back-country traditionalists seem to retain their primitive lack of concern for clothes. I hope they never lose it!

**Jochanaan** · 03-01-2004, 06:37 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Motorcity Nude:
[qb] Your political commentary / opinion is distracting to a constructive conversation.

Just because you "feel" something, doesn't mean you're required to write it down.

Political opinions are the most likely to be controversial - why insert such an off-topic comment ...

Btw - XXXXXXXXXX******* (self-censored to keep from encouraging a political flamewar)

MCN, who comes here to discuss a common interest - and it's NOT POLITICS!! [/qb]

Hey, give the fellow a break! He's young, after all. And we're all political animals to some extent. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img]

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