Am I To Blame for Cultural Decline in Thailand?
(An Open Letter to Thailand)
March, 2023
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S̄wạs̄dī kh̀a Thailand,
I see the hype.
I’ve already spent more than a month with you, and I don’t have plans to leave anytime soon. (Well, I did just make a border-run trip to Cambodia, but always with the intention of coming back.)
When I first arrived in Bangkok almost eight weeks ago, I immediately felt “in my element.” Having just come from the biting winter of Japan (and previously the UK), I was finally getting the warmth and sunlight I’d been aching for. “I feel like the sun is giving me a hug,” I’d exclaim to my new friends, taking every possible opportunity to soak up the sunlight—even when it was 30ºC and humid as hell. I knew there would eventually come a point where the blazing sun bothered me, but for now, I was here for it.
As I expressed in my open letter to Nicaragua, you remind me so much of this Central American country. I told Nicaragua about how, on my first morning in Bangkok, I befriended a girl named Amelie who had also spent six weeks living in León last year — only a few months before I did!
Once we’d begun bonding over Nicaragua, Amelie and I became inseparable, and we spent the next two weeks exploring Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Pai together. Walking through the thick, smoky air of street vendors; cramming into old buses without air conditioning; and riding scooters for the second time in each of our lives, we reminisced over how it all reminded us of Nicaragua. I kept insisting to her how Bangkok is like “the León of Thailand,” and Pai is “the Ometepe.”
I also think of stir-fried morning glory (a vegetable I didn’t even know existed two months ago) as your alternative to gallo pinto. Gallo pinto is a traditional Central American dish of rice and beans, and it was the cheap-AF staple vegan option that I could find at every “comedor” and street food stall in Nicaragua. As simple as it sounds, gallo pinto remains one of my favorite things on this entire planet. And just as I ate that dish almost every single day (often for more than one meal) for eight weeks straight, I’ve opted for morning glory with rice more times than I can count. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that garlicky, greasy goodness.
While you’ve reminded me so much of Nicaragua, I’ve also observed how different you are from Japan — and not just because of your weather.
For instance, right before arriving here, I realized that there was no way I’d ever heard the Thai language being spoken before. I had just boarded the plane in Osaka, and I immediately knew that the voice on the loudspeaker was not speaking Japanese, but something very unfamiliar. The staccato pronunciation of syllables is what stood out to me in particular, reminding me a bit of Tagalog, which I’d often heard growing up.
By the time I’d made it through immigration in Bangkok, I also realized that I hadn’t seen Thai writing before. I never knew letters could be so pretty! (As I do research now, it seems I’ve also never seen Tagalog in print!)
Speaking of language, I am so relieved at the amount of people who speak English here. Almost every single local I’ve encountered has seemed to speak some level of English, which has been such a nice change from Japan.
Before coming to Asia, this idea was one that I wouldn’t have gotten excited about. I knew that English was relatively widely-spoken among your citizens, and—at the risk of sounding self-righteous—I hated the idea of showing up in a foreign country, as a white tourist, and expecting locals to adapt to me by speaking English, rather than expecting visitors to adapt to their culture. It seemed entitled.
I also worried that high levels of English would equate to a culture centered around tourism, meaning I wouldn’t get a real sense of what you’re really like. (I’ve met a few backpackers who claimed to have this experience in Costa Rica.)
Now that I’ve brought up these issues, I want to address them from a more educated standpoint. I just went on Google to skim a few articles—to find out just how much mass tourism might affect Thai culture—and I ended up having a full Q&A session on ChatGPT. I’ve compiled my findings here, in case you’re interested:
After how isolated I felt in Japan, however, I just wanted to be somewhere that was arguably built for travelers like me — even if I was getting a less “authentic” experience. “Turns out I like solo traveling in less backpacker-y places ONLY when I know the local language — otherwise take me to all the tourist spots 😭,” I wrote in my notes.
Color me humbled.
Still exploring the contrasts between you and Japan, your energy is unmatched. For instance, the traffic. I’d never seen a quarter as many scooters and motorbikes on the road as I have here in Bangkok. There are so. many. vehicles. (And yet somehow, everyone seems to be a very decent driver.)
Bangkok is also so much more colorful than Japan or any other city I can remember. I typically hate big cities because they never have enough nature, and yet I can’t shut up to my friends about how amazed I am by Bangkok’s greenery. So many trees! I can’t. (In Japan’s defense, it isn’t a tropical country. Maybe if I had been there during cherry blossom season…)
I also find it quite amusing how much more laid-back you are than Japan (isn’t everyone, though?). This was clear to me as soon as I stepped off the plane. As I struggled to weave my way through travelers and suitcases staggered on various sides (or sometimes across the entire length) of the moving walkway, I thought to myself, “Japan would never.”
This contrast became even more prominent during my week with Amelie in Pai. For one, our hostel had the most informal check-in situation EVER. I’d booked two nights for us online, and when we arrived, the owner wasn’t around, so I texted the Whatsapp number she had posted on the wall for guests to reach her. She wasn’t working that day, so she sent a friend(?) to show us our beds and collect cash from me.
Later, when Amelie and I would decide we wanted to stay another night, I’d let her know via Whatsapp, and she’d stroll onto the property the following morning—fanny pack across her chest and barefoot—calling out “who owes me money?!” and waiting for us to come to her.
She also rented out scooters, simply asking for ฿150 (less than US$4.50) for each day we intended to use it. No insurance charge or request to see a driver’s license, no passport or deposit… she never even got my passport number.
Or Amelie’s first name.
And that’s just how Pai was. I loved it.
Another thing that threw me about you — and I don’t hold this against you, but I just found the contrast so fascinating — was seeing rats dig through trash bags piled up on the sidewalk during my second night in Bangkok. 48 hours earlier, in Osaka, I couldn’t even find a trash can or bag on the street, and yet, there was somehow barely any litter.
Speaking of rats, I had a fun encounter with one a few days later in Chiang Mai, when Amelie and I were taking a midnight stroll around the old town. It was one of those moments where you accidentally kick a piece of “trash” on the ground in front of you as you’re walking — or so you think, until you register that this particular piece of trash is warm and soft and has the ability to scamper into the night. Yeesh.
That wasn’t the only interaction Amelie and I had with a wild animal that week. Just the previous day, she had been sitting under a leafy pergola (had to ask ChatGPT bestie for that word) at the pool when she heard something drop onto the chair directly behind her — only to turn around and see a garden snake! Yoikes.
And then, two days after the rat incident, Amelie and I were sitting at a semi-outdoor restaurant in Pai when I noticed a lizard chilling on my foot!
Your animals sure have cojones.
Of course, you are so much more than your similarities to Nicaragua, your contrasts to Japan, and your wild critters. You amaze me.
For one, your food. In addition to my stir-fried morning glory addiction, I’ve also had some AMAZING pad see ew, fried rice, tofu with cashew nuts, and panang curry dishes. (By the way, less than $2.50 for a panang curry dish that I would pay at LEAST $12 for in the States?! I can never go back!)
Also, plenty of spring rolls. After not seeing a single vegetarian spring roll in Japan, I haven’t been able to get enough here.
Oh, and those little rice flour and coconut pancakes, kanom krok? Amazing! I did not expect those to be my thing from looking at them, but Amelie and I decided to try some at a food market, and I was super impressed.
On the other hand, I have to say… I generally have not been impressed with your Thai tea. Thai tea is one of my favorite drinks back in the States, and yet, it’s usually pretty bland here. I hate to say it, but my sister makes it better. (Except for the one in Kanchanaburi.)
Speaking of Kanchanaburi, you can probably imagine that I went there to see your gorgeous, stunning, awe-inspiring, breathtaking Erawan National Park. It was absolutely worth the trek out from Bangkok. Erawan is officially my favorite national park ever, and the first place in a long time to give Bled a run for its money as My Favorite Place on Earth™.
Oh, and the sticky waterfalls up in Namtok Bua Thong were also pretty stunning. As you can predict, I went there with Amelie during our stay in Chiang Mai, and we had a blast walking up the limestone rocks as crystal-clear water cascaded down the formations, rushing over our feet. This park reminded me so much of Guatemala’s Semuc Champey.
Man, so many great times. It’d take forever for me to recount all of my favorite memories from the past month in detail, so to wrap up this letter, please enjoy a few notable snapshots (almost all of which featuring Amelie 😂).
We forgot to take photos in our Thai massage ‘fits. 😔 But Amelie and I got our first Thai massages together in Chiang Mai, and they had us put on these shirts and pants that were majorly over-sized—with straps that we couldn’t quite figure out how to tie on our own—which made us feel silly 🤪
Anyway, thank you for a wonderful few weeks. I can’t wait for another month together! You can expect another letter from me (focused on my time in the islands) soon. ❤
Sincerely,
I can’t wait to see them famous beaches!
