1. Food - There is something about Thai food, the way they blend the tastes – sweet, spicy, sour all in one. Superb.
2. People – The Thais are polite and gentle. They are hospitable. They are relaxed about morals – for them it is a free land, do as you please. They don’t stare at you to remind you that you are foreigner in their land. They simply accept and accommodate.
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| Chai, our tour guide, with the boys; his fiancee at the back |
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| Thanks for everything Chai! |
Talking about people, let me digress just a little. I must mention a few words about our tour guide. His name is Chai and he runs a travel agency called Sea Expert. When we first met him at his office, his welcome remark was very strange. He said, "Don't worry, I will give my life to you. You can trust me, just look into my eyes." We thought it funnny and weird that he said such things. I think it just shows his humility. Chai was good company as he spoke English. He even took us for lunch to a place where they served his hometown food - salted fish curry. If anyone needs his contact, let me know. We learnt many aspect of Thai life and mindset through him.
What fascinated me?
3. Religion – Entering a wat is so peaceful. The smell of incense and jasmine soothes the senses. Though many Thais are Buddhists they are quick to embrace the differences in other religions. They welcome people of other religions into their wats and shrines. The code is to remain respectful – remove shoes, observe silence and dress polite.
4. Cleanliness – The beaches in Phuket are much cleaner than say Port Dickson or Penang in Malaysia.
5. Appearance – Most Thai women appear slim and slender. They make efforts to take care of their looks, you can see it in their hair, skin and dressing. And there is also an effort to highlight all their assets. The men too are generally slim. I think you can count the number of obese Thais in any city.
6. Morals – The Thais are very relaxed about sex. They see it more as a need than virtue. Our guide talked about it so casually as if he was talking about the weather. Most Asian men will avoid the topic if there are ladies present. In fact, one of his questions to N went like this – so, did you bong bong last night?
7. Alive - the main cities seem to stay alive 24 hours. The nights are more vibrant than the days.
8. Fruits - There seems to be a thriving fruit culture here. You can easily get fresh fruits almost anywhere. This includes fruity juices. A meal is never complete without fruits, a healthy practice.
9. Regalias - I noticed many billboards of politicians in full ministerial uniform complete with all kinds of regalias. There seems to be a need for recognition and attention by means of medals maybe, or to gain respect and to maintain a certain status
10. Famous couple - If you have been to Thailand, you would know whom I am referring too. Their posters, pictures and boards are everywhere. The Thais adore them, at least it looks that way.
What didn't fascinate me?
7. Language - It is so difficult to communicate in English. Even those in the tourism line know only a few words. Our guide spoke well but the pronunciation left us blur at times. For eg, the word ‘kind’ is pronounced as ‘kai’. When I asked him, why don’t they feel the need to learn English, he said it was too much of a hassle to learn as they have to mind their ‘s’ ses. For eg, one chair is a chair but two becomes 2 chairs, why? Instead, they prefer if you learn Thai words.
8. Taxi kings – Outside Phuket town, taxis rule. They never quote anything below 500baht even for a short journey. There is no metred system, the vehicle are their own MPVs. The Phuket state government should seriously look into this. They are also quite territorial – they wait outside certain hotels and deem all hotel guests as their customers.
9. Pricing – There seems to be no standard pricing for things. All depends on location.
10. Tuk tuk kings – If you don’t look Thai or talk Thai, they will start you with a minimum 100baht for the shortest of journey. No metres to gauge mileage. The customer is at the mercy of the tuk-tuk driver and everything boils down to negotiation skills. The best way to handle them is to be respectful when you negotatiate.
11. Monks – Being a Buddhist land, I expected to see a lot more monks in saffron robes, but where are they? They are not even visible in the wats and shrines.
I can be reached at sivakay2009@gmail.com.
