Travel in the Philippines and Thailand, Terrorism, and warnings by smart traveller and iAustralian Embassy Philippines

How are you today my name is John and am a New Zealand citizen and have been a resident in Australia for 45 years over the last few years I have been residing in the Philippines.
I would like to say a few words about the Philippines. and Thailand
These involve the website smarttraveller,Australian Embassy in Manila Philippines and about terrorism and safety in the Philippines, and a warning and advise on travel to Pattaya Thailand.

Smarttraveller information .
I have read this for Thailand and and Philippines and have noticed a few things I would like to point out.

Philippines
I have been living and travelled around the Philippines by myself and with Philippino's extensively.
I have travelled by road own car,van , bus, air, ferry, trike, jeepney ,tricylce, motorbike and bicycle.

I have been in the regions of Mindinao, Leyte, Biliran,Samar, Luzon and the following cities and towns Manila,Cebu,Davao,Batangas,Angeles City,Puerto Galera,Moaboal,Ormoc,Butuan Cagendero,Suragia, Catbalogan,Tacloban, Naval,Biliran. I have driven by myself from Davao in Mindanao to Angeles in Luzon.a feat in any ones estimation. I have travelled on the Superferry from Mnaila to Davao twice. Travelled extensively by air around the country.

Terrorism
The high level of terrorism alert for Philippines is not correct and should be downgraded to a ciivil war that has been going that is of Muslim origins and primarily based in the Southern part of Mindano namely Zamboanga province. I can't talk about General Santos as I haven't been there but my friend Clem has family and a house there he can tell you what goes on there.

The only problems I have had in the Philippines are having my wallet stolen from my apartment in Puerto Galera,being tricked by a con man in Angeles city in a card game.
Some of your reports and warnings are not accurate and the incidence of them is not that many. Do you but a warning to travellers going to Australia about road safety with the high level of deaths on the road. No.

Davao Mindanao, there is a low level of terrorism, crime and drugs because they have a huge police presence and is very safe. There is a swat/response unit that is like the secret police consisting of all the different members of the various ethnic groups and know everything. I know because I have meet them and drank with them and been out on the town and become quite friendly with them. The Mayor of Davao has a hit squad that eliminates drug traffickers and people doing the wrong thing.

The rest of the towns I visited the Police and Army presence was low except for check points which they never stopped you. There is a problem with Police in Manila they are called Crocodiles they pull you over for commiting a driving error and extort money from you. I was in a taxi twice in Mnaila on differnet occassions where we were pulled over and fined the driver for going through a red arrow light, the evidence they said was that the crossing sign was blinking red and I argued with them about this they were incorrect to use this as the basis for fining the driver, they still issued the fine and took my name down.

The Jeepney,,Bus, trikes,vans, ferry air,and driving around by yourself is safe generally.
Travel by sea is generally safe and Superferry is the safest and best provider.(check out there website)
Travel by air is safe and the best is Cebu Pacific and have a website for bookings and issuing tickets and have brand new aircraft.
Travel by road is safe but need to be careful because the Philippino bus's and vans drive very fast and are erratic and you drive on the other side of the road. On the island of Samar the road is very dangerous from Allen to Tacloban is a national disgrace and a normal 100ks trip can take 4 hrs with not many service stations. Driving in Manila is very difficult and it is easy to get lost you need a driver.

Sex industry in the Philippines
Is primarily based in Angeles city exists in other places but not as big and is safe well controlled and has a low level of disease as the girls in the bars get checked once a week, it is primarily heterosexual based with hardly any homosexual acitvity. There is no soliciting on the streets only in clubs where you meet the girls. They are registered and go to a health clinic once a week and the mama San controls and looks after them. There is a low Police Presence here only the tourist police. There is some minor crimes here such as con men and some shootings but these seem to be caused by ruthless bad mannered foreigners who own business's and foreigners who do stupid things and upset the locals.

Australian Embassy Philippines
I have the miss fortune of having to deal with this office over 3 situations. Twice for a tourist visas and an ongoing one for a permanent spouse visa.which has been going on now for 9 months.
The embassy is unfriendly, hard to contact, uses the internet for everything, poor customer service, difficult to get to see face to face unless you scream and shout,not full declaration of what is required when you apply for a visa, and lack of trust of the Philippinos in general.
Other than the slow apathetic service and huge amount of different forms, paperwork and lack of trust there are 2 things I can't understand the need for a criminal check in New Zealand and a medical examination for me.
I am a New Zealand citizen and left NZ when I was 7 years old and have been working and residing and have been of good character for 45 years and served on sporting boards voluntarilly for a period of 5 years in one case.,
The other one is why do I a New Zealand citizen have to get a medical examination when I can come and go as I wish and am treated the same as an Australian citizen.
I am beyond caring about whether my wife and I go to Australia and know this is not the type of service and help that Australian Government employees should be giving. I have spoken to the embassy in Hong Kong and they were easy to contact and provided good guidance.

On a another note I can't understand why you are giving aid to the Muslims in Zamboanga, when this is putting your staff in a terrorist zone, and without using some of the money for the other needy people Catholics in the Philppines, and not using it for leverage for peace.
Why do you support terrorists(Muslims extremists) and there families. When you and your government are supposed to be fighting the war on terrorism. The government or previous government is a total contradiction on what you say.

Pattaya Thailand(85kms south of Bangkok)
A friend of mine who was Australian citizen committed suicide in Pattaya.
This is a pretty graphic website be warned.
http://teakdoor.com/thailand-and-asia-news/13577-pattaya-australian-man-dead-after-falling.html#post732543

I have done a lot of research on the net on this place, been there and researched suicides,aids in Thailand and researched your website smartraveller.

This place is the sex, crime and suicide capital of Asia.
There are some very serious problems there. Sex is uncontrolled you get solicited on the street, when riding a motorbike and in bars and while going for a walk. Most of them are unlicenced workers and the licensed ones only go for a checkup once every 3 months. There is high level of suicide by long term foreigners, one a week,52 a year. There is also a lot of paedophila going on there my friend told me he slept with 500 boys over a 5 year period I can only assume they were over 16. Your chance of getting a sexually transmitted disease is high and foreigners should take precautions. Aids is a problem and there are conflicting reports on this matter but the testing in Thailand by international standards is inferior and you can get a wrong reading.
Your warnings on smartraveller regarding Pattaya is nil, your mention of sex industry is nil, your mention of sexually transmitted diseases is limited to be aware of HIV/ Aids
There are 6 million people travelling to Thailand and high percentage are males from all over the world.
I don't know how many Australian's go there. Every male not married is going for sex whether male or female and they need to warned wear protection, only sleep with girls from licensed bars and the Thai govt should be pressured to get the girls,male workers to get weekly medical check for girlsboys ,men in bars that are registered, the police should be vigilant against solicitation on the street by prostitutes do reduce sexually transmitted diseases,.and paedophila should be looked at in Pattaya. Etc
There is a high rate of suicide in Pattaya amongst the long time foriegner.
One suicide a week this equals 52 a year not as bad as the road toll in Australia but it, needs to be looked at they mainly are jumpers the preferred method in Pattaya very strange. There needs to be a warning as a start on smart traveller on suicide and depression for long term residents in Pattaya and where to seek help, and try and find what is causing the high level of suicides in Pattaya and get some form of prevention.
That is a few of the problems in Pattaya and I haven't even looked at the crime issues there.