And I always seem to meet someone who’s sure they’re MI6, or CIA, or a Marine, or Mossad, or an assasin, or international drug/gun smuggler - some people truly lose the plot in Thailand, which is sad…[/quote]
I think I mentioned elsewhere that I was the guest of a Thai couple on their raft house on the Kwai, up near the Burmese border, maybe a couple of hundred k from Bangkok. Very tourist route at its start in Kanchanaburi, but they thin out a lot as you head NW. Nice limestone mountain scenery, and the waterfalls well filled at this time of year.
The lady of the house was extremely gentle, soft spoken, kind, but there were one two pictures and certificates that puzzled.
Turned out she’d been a police marksman/woman/person…er sharpshooter, SWAT team leader and small arms instructor, before a (largely recovered, as far as I could tell) stroke took her out of the game.
I wasn’t quite crass enough to ask about kills, but I did wonder.
I was only in Bangkok once, and I hated nearly every minute of it. I was rather indifferent in Taiwan up until I was in BKK, but after 3 days of being harassed and bothered by every type of lying crook and pimp, I was so happy to be back in Taipei where people don’t even bother to hand me fliers!
Seriously, I felt like I could trust no one in BKK. People were all trying to make money off of me and I felt like every time I left the hotel, there was a dollar sign stamped on my white forehead.
My impression was that if I was a fat, alcoholic, white guy who couldn’t get laid without paying for it, I would have liked it there a lot more
Funny… long ago I used to attract those Bangkok street hustlers like flies. Now they leave me alone. Maybe it’s something in the way I carry myself when walking around Bangkok. I tend to avoid the places where they ply their nefarious trades, but even when I’m walking around places like Sanam Luang (street hustler central), they don’t approach me nowadays.
I didn’t have any actual hassle at all from hustlers or scamistas, apart from some old guy in Hualumphong station, who kept feeling my leg and rabitting on at me incomprehensibly (possibly for massage marketing purposes?). He pissed off when I swore at him.
I still think the general vibe was much worse though. I don’t think they’d have got away with the Misinformation Desk even 5 years ago, and the general attitude when making any kind of public transport enquiry seemed to be fuckin’ farangs should take taxis.
I first went in '99 and people were whinging about the changes back then.
glad to see it is still going on today.
I’ve probably been there about 20, the longest stint was 3 months, and I’ve been to all four corners of the Kingdom, and each has its own appeal. The best part about Thailand is you can find whatever you like (no matter how sick or pure) and there is a town that perfectly fits your need.
the country is developing, slowly but surely (minus the odd political step back) and it cares less and less about backpackers or holidaying English teachers taking respite from their work in NE Asia.
they want ex-patriot and jet set tourists, this is where the money is and this is where the corporate dollars have lined up to enhance the visitors experience. in this regard there have been great improvements.
might not be the adventurous traveler’s cup of tea, but in 2010 Thailand is pretty far removed from an adventurous travel destination.
I havent been to BKK sadly since bout the time of Christ. But I do remember sitting on the bank of the Chao Pyra (wusthename of that river that flows thru bkk?) at the Mandarin Oriental outdoors cafe eating a papaya (yes not banana) split and drinking a cupa coffee. Very civilized cafe where they replaced both table clothes after every person, no matter if it got soiled or not.
I also remember the HEAT and that it often took 40 mins to cross HALF the street because the lights dont quite allow you to get all the way across. I remember the cafe with 60 types of dishes for lunch for bout a buck each while a coke costs also a buck.
I remember going from one 5 star hotel to hang out at another 5 star hotel as the only “real” entertainment because the city was just too hot and i really had no interest in temples or wet markets or any of that shitzle.
Of course the massage parlors with the girls with humongous tits. Titty massage for bout 1000nt (never tried it but a female friend did…weird i know).
The niteclubs where my boss was right bout the girls… they dont look anywhere as nice the next morning.
I never had a chance to go down to pataya when it was supposed to be still somewhat nice (all those exotic other places were still being discovered at that time).
All this circa 1985.
But i remember the fantastic orange juice from those tiny Thai orange thingies. And that wonderful fruit Mangosteen. A fruit of the gods, surely.
And of course all the thai girls sound so cute with their very cute kittycat like language (when spoken by girls)
