Thai Impressions

As promised, I said I would come back to write up a few impressions during my recent trip to Thailand. Sorry it’s taken longer that I intended.:o

A few of you know that Thailand is a country very close to my heart, I lived out there for 7 years in the 80s and my daughter was born there, so during that time I integrated fairly well into it’s society.

Since leaving to come back to UK in 1987 we have been back several times but I think it is this recent trip (which was the best one so far) has left a bigger impression on me this time.

We spent a bit more time in Bangkok this time (last trip was primarily to attend my father-in –law’s funeral so we weren’t really Bangkok tourists then). We usually stay in the centre of Bangkok close to Siam Square – the area that, with the development of two tiers of sky train, walkways and general hubbub is the most developed of the city. Here you can count numerous shopping malls within roughly a half mile radius that would put Bluewater to shame. I said in a previous post, that it’s consumerism gone mad. With all the infrastructure plus skyscraper hotels and malls, precincts with geysers spouting water to keep the humidity down and sky high TV screens, it was all just reminiscent of the film Blade Runner. But you only have to just go out of that area and you find yourself in the familiar sights (and smells) of Bangkok with the street traders, noodle stalls and, of course, the beggars. The area around the river still smacks of the old colonial east with the Victorian style trading offices and the old buildings on stilts.

So, after a few days of this mayhem we were looking forward to our trip up to Chiang Mai. It must be 25 years since I last visited CM and, although it has developed and sprawled over that time, it still retains that comfy cosiness that I remember. The town positively bustles and is so vibrant. It is now a sophisticated city, second to Bangkok with Hill Tribe culture mixing seamlessly with that of North Thailand to give a heady mix of colour, flair and fun. Night Bazaars rule in this town and every Sunday a magical night market takes place running for over 1 km selling artefacts of every sort. The people of Chiang Mai are genuinely nice and helpful and I felt very safe there.

Contrast this vibrancy with the sad state of Pattaya – a town that has been stripped of his last remnants of dignity. Gone is the last vestige of Thai culture to be wholly replaced with an industry relying solely on sex (and just to make things worse, the US Pacific Fleet were in and the whole of Pattaya’s bar girls were atremble.) Fortunately just beyond Pattaya is the still relatively undeveloped Jomtien Beach. Half way down this strip you will find nice clear beaches, peace and quiet and a touch of what Pattaya used to be like in the 70s with fishing boats still moored there.

For me though, Thailand is about its spirituality as it still integrates painlessly with the everyday commercial life and bustle, Temples placed next to skyscrapers, Buddha statues hewn into rocks next to disco’s. Buddhist monks chanting next to music blaring from shops – it all seems to work though.

I love it. 🙂