九 | Thailand Part 1

cre: 九 | Thailand Part 1

October 1, 2016

I’m not sure the next time I get to this hemisphere, so I’ll try to maximize my travel here. Sounds pretty expensive, yes I’m far from rich, but the trips are surprisingly really manageable. Well, for my part, I’m closer to places like Thailand, Mainland China, Japan (all on my wishlist) so the flights are cheaper than what you’ll see from the US. Second, I use my student status and take advantage of websites like Student Universe that offer student discounted fares for flights. Third, the accommodation is not expensive either. Whether you are a heavy Airbnb user or prefer the comfort of a hotel, the rates are quite reasonable in the places I have visited. It’s even better if you’re traveling with a friend or two to share that cost. You just need to plan well and stick to your budget.

In short, yes I am currently in Thailand! To be exact, I’m writing this sitting on a tour bus with a group of travelers, headphones listening to “A Seat at the Table” going to visit the temples of Ayutthaya, then taking a boat ride back to Bangkok. It’s actually day 2 of my stay in Thailand. Yesterday I went to the infamous Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok, which I will be entering. First of all, I will talk about my first impressions of Thailand.

So we took the red-eyed flight from Hong Kong to Bangkok, which was about 2 hours 20 minutes. Short and nice, except I ate a sausage / pork / idk what kind of meatloaf it was that turned my stomach upside down. Which was a common theme here in Thailand, but somehow haha. We stayed in Sukhumvit, a busy tourist area in Thailand with many hotels and restaurants. There are pink taxis everywhere, stray dogs running around and very strange smells. Thailand’s infrastructure is also quite underdeveloped. I noticed as soon as we got off the freeway that there are no lampposts here. Drivers just need to be aggressive when turning at an intersection; I am surprised not to have seen an accident. It makes sense that Thailand is ranked 2^sd in the world for traffic jams. It is densely populated and many auto companies manufacture here like Toyota and Nissan. There is an abundance of cars with little road, and no direction for traffic as during rush hour you can be stuck in a delay of up to seven hours! That’s what a local told me. Some vans actually have restrooms because they need to be prepared for such delays after work. So to avoid the traffic jam you have to leave in the morning around 6am which is why I had to get up around 5.30am for this tour I’m on.

Traffic jam during the hour of silence

Even the aisles get stuck

It’s another thing, Thailand thrives on tourism. This is why they treat visitors so well. Most of the explorations you will do will need to be done with a tour guide to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience. All of my tours were done with an English speaking guide. We were picked up by car from our hotel and returned to our hotel, yes, talking about service. There are also the crooks outside the hotel trying to rip you off for a cab ride, or take you on a bike ride around town, “I’m fine bruh”.

I will tell about sharing my adventures in part 2.

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