Random Thoughts of Travel: Thailand Edition Part 2

Had a few more random thoughts that came together during my month in Thailand. Again, these are just my personal thoughts and observations that I wanted to share as I make my way through my travels. More than happy to discuss them!

Smile — An International Hello

In Thailand the smile is highly regarded. If you have a wonderful smile, people go out of their way to tell you, which is just a great way to make your day .The major chip brand Lays even has a smile campaign going. Each bag of chips has a smile on it and they encourage you to take a selfie with a bag up to your face.

Before I came here I had been told I have a wonderful smile and since my arrival even more people have been complimenting me on it. Generally I do my best to smile regularly because I try to be a very positive and optimistic person. During my travels so far I have received lots of smiles back and it has even helped to start some conversations with all sorts of people. A genuine smile, not that creepy “hey how you doing” smile, will break down barriers and make you approachable.

For me, especially here in Thailand, it’s an international hello. Try shining that smile more because you’ll not only feel better, but you’ll find others think better of it too!

Pedestrian Crossings in Chiang Mai

During my travels in Thailand it’s become very obvious that motorists rule the streets. As a pedestrian, you better be aware of your surroundings. There’s definitely no time to be on your cell phone sending an email or text while you walk, because there’s a good chance you need to dodge a car, motorbike or avoid the street food cart. Now crossing the street here, well that’s pretty much a live version of the classic arcade game Frogger.

In Chiang Mai, they appear to care a little more about pedestrians than other cities in Thailand. They had specific pedestrian crossings that had lights and a button to push to stop the on-coming traffic. For the most part all the motorists stopped to let you cross safely and I didn’t even have to run. Why I say most part is because you still get a few assholes on motorbikes who don’t stop and just keep going. But considering the nature of the crossings everywhere else, this was a huge improvement.

Visas on Arrival

Look, I know different countries have varying levels of relationships. Hailing from the United States has it has advantages and disadvantages, but mostly it’s a positive one when traveling to other countries. For the most part we don’t need a to apply for a visa to gain entrance to countries we visit, just a valid passport for entry in select places. There may still be a visa, but we can pay for it and the entry fee once we arrive.

Now I have traveled to places like China, and soon Vietnam, both of which require a visa from the embassy to gain entrance to their country. Vietnam, from talking to a few fellow travelers and online research has now allowed tourists who arrive by plane to finally get visas on arrival, but they still require you to gain an “Approval Letter” for entrance. This seems to be a good step in the right direction, but still somewhat cumbersome.

In this modern world, when borders seem so traversable, and tourism so important to developing countries, why place any restrictions? Governments should facilitate entry for travelers looking to explore, spend their money and help their economy. Otherwise it seems you will see a decline in tourism because it’s easier to go to a neighbor country and spend your money there.

Tourists Traveling in Groups

Okay I have to admit, this was originally going to be about Chinese Tour buses, but I quickly realized the other day it has to do with ALL tour buses of international tourists. The Chinese just get a bad rap, when it’s everyone.

What is it with these people though? They get off their bus and just flood whatever place they just arrived at. They are oblivious to anyone else and display very little socially accepted manners, if any at all. They are like school children on a field trip without parent teachers, which we all know is chaos even with them. Add in the fact that their tour bus pretty much blocks or slows traffic, which only increases the annoying factor.

Everyone should have the opportunity to travel to new places and explore different countries. It’s understandable how some people prefer to travel on pre-planned trips, but there needs to be some sort of standard protocol taught to these groups. It wouldn’t be hard to have it played in their buses, in any language and repeated for every stop. Things like, don’t cut people off, patiently wait to take pictures, don’t whack people with your selfie stick, throw your trash away or take it with you (not on the ground), DON’T FEED THE WILDLIFE, etc. It just feels like these basic things that my parents taught me should be shared universally so we can all enjoy these places equally.

Street Food and Little Shops

The economy here in Thailand is definitely an interesting one. It ranges from a very western feel of shopping malls, larger businesses and chain restaurants to small shops, street food and small markets. What’s really fascinating though is the small shops and street food.

It’s remarkable how the it all functions like clockwork everyday. Different Thai people seem to have a small function or role that supports another role or function in the economy. Some of them may be street food vendors, motorbike taxi drivers, mechanics, tailors, suppliers, or office workers. They each function from a small shop or street, but all play a role that keeps the economy ticking away. Each one important on different levels, but still needed because much of the infrastructure is different in Thailand. For example, many of the apartments are like studios, where they lack kitchens to cook their food. Many appliances that we use are not as affordable or available that we use in the west. These factors as play into these specialized roles or jobs in the Thai economy.

Why I bring this up is because I am curious how a country like Thailand, or even a major city like Bangkok can bring itself to become a modern economy that includes a greater number of its citizens? How do you educate, or transition many of the changing roles that exist? There’s no right answer, but it’s something I plan to follow.

Parking Garages

For how crazy the streets are, the parking garages are very organized. Not only are they organized, everyone parks extremely well. Every car backs into their space, which is rather impressive given the tight spaces for each car. I would guess, and even wager that over half of Americans could not do this properly. It would be fascinating to challenge a group of Americans to do this, time them, and see how accurate they were with their parking within the lines.

Mass transportation - Trains

During my travels last weekend, I jumped on the train from Bangkok that took me to the border between Thailand and Cambodia. What’s fascinating is how the train was used by the Thai to travel to the local villages and towns outside of Bangkok.

While I have used Amtrak more regularly on the East Coast, I don’t feel we utilize trains enough in the United States. It doesn’t help that we haven’t optimized these transportation hubs or train stations in city centers, but this still is a fun way to travel. It seems like it might be a less impactful way to travel as well, given the amount of cars it might keep off the highways, but I need to look into that more before I make a bold statement.

All right, that wraps it up for today’s random thoughts on Travel. If you have anything to add, please share it below, otherwise I will share more soon!

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