Mai Thai, now and then

The first days I leave for a trip anywhere starts with a bout of homesickness. Distance is something felt through culture, people and space. The withdrawal symptoms of those elements on familiar terms happens almost without fail anywhere I go with anybody. And then I realized it's something that's in me, it's been creating stewing and making itself stronger for a long time. Homesickness is something created throughout years, realized in minutes, but curiously cured in moments.


I always had the perception of Thailand sold to me by travel agencies and tourists who just love Thailand. Most of my images I had of Thailand were probably much like anyone else's: good food, fantastic service, cheap 5 star hotels, massages, exotic beaches, lady boys and prostitutes etc. These preconceptions are a double edged sword. While they are very much what outsiders see of Thailand, they are also the real Thailand in some ways as tourism make up a huge part of their industry and thus contemporary Thai local culture. Locals also partake in most of these services, and many more locals work them.

In the days following a lot changed, and I began to like Thailand for a number of reasons. My father's college friend took me to two very good meals, and quickly my disdain for Thai food from my college days changed sides. I never knew Thai food could be so good! At Baan Khanitha in Sukhumvit, a nice but touristy restaurant in a traditional Thai house, I experienced the best coconut concoctions in my life.

Still visiting national monuments, I was still yet a beginner in Bangkok. Near Wat Po and Grand Palace, I stumbled upon hip young Thais from Thammasat University in cafes drinking, smoking and living the hipster life. They were pretty fun too, quick to socialize once I entered on their territory.

Just as I began to think that all Thailand nightlife had to offer were crass hostess clubs and sleezy sex tourists places, I landed on RCA.


Royal City Avenue. Now, I think I deserve a few local points for this one. Some well travelled tourists told us about it, a well known local club district about 100 baht taxi ride from town. I've never seen it mentioned in a guidebook and it's amazing. One street, tons of clubs, no cover (but remember to bring ID to show you are over 20), cheap drinks, great live and DJ music and Thais partying until the 3 am closing time. Everyone is friendly, I barely felt pretension, and all the party goers are just trying to have lots of fun in a wild dance party fashion.


Was I impressed? Let's just say I'm finally convinced that Thai youth culture has something going for it.

First Days in Bangkok

I had the pleasure of flying into Bangkok's spanking new airport. And here's what I thought of it: Star Wars futuristic. No joke. Grey decor all around with electronic walkways and acrylic white supports. It kind of sucks the only way to the city is an expensive shuttle bus or taxi. Both of which are actually horrible options because the traffic in Bangkok is INSANE.

I assure you that the caplocks was actually necessary. If you have ever (or when you do) go to Bangkok, there is bumper to bumper traffic in every part of the city at all hours of the day. After nearly 3 hours we checked into the wonderfully quaint Suk 11 guesthouse. For cheap sleeps in Bangkok, you have the option of staying on the backpacker happy Khao Sahn road or a slew of guesthouses scattered all over the city. 5 star hotels are also more affordable in Bangkok than anywhere else in the world. So go figure, you can go as high as you want or as low as you want.

I found this to be a reaccuring theme in Bangkok, extreme highs and lows. Beside a luxury mall selling Hermes and LV, you'll find MBK (left). MBK is popular mall where the locals and tourist go to shop for everything they need. It's the cheapest place in Thailand to buy clothes, shoes, bags, etc. Haggling is encouraged, even at official stores.

Also for transportation, depending on how much you have and how well you bargain, you can pay a lot or a little for the same tuk tuk or moto ride. While taxi drivers usually agree on a price or run the meter, tuk tuk and moto drivers are their own boss. More to come on tuk tuk and moto etiquette soon, there's a whole street culture here that more than deserves its own post.

One thing I will note: the sky train in Bangkok is extremely cheap and convenient. It runs at all hours and it's a sky train!! You can get a great aerial tour of the city while on your way to your destination. Today, that happens to be a Thai massage.

What is a Thai massage? It's suppose to be a massage that targets your pressure points to release tension. It also reminds me of yoga, as the masseuse will strech you in order to improve circulation. I went to two very official places for Thai massages, Health Land and the Wat Po School of Thai massage (the institute that issues masseuse licenses). Health Land was like a modern Western spa, complete with private suites and tea. The massage was great, and it was very affordable! It's a local treasure frequented by many wealthy Thais. At Wat Po, a famous temple with a massage school, it felt a lot more authentic though not necessarily better. I have two words for Wat Po: no mercy. Given the choice, I would go back to Health Land.

And oh yeah.... a lady boy lives on our street! He/she is so funny. I wave at her everytime I see her, but she shooes me off everytime telling me she doesn't like girls. My inappropriateness will continue.

To Bangkok!

No hate or anything, but actually I've never been a huge fan of Thailand. Maybe it's because I've been there when I was a kid. Maybe it's because everyone and their mom has some kind of exotic fascination for the place. Or maybe because I overdosed on Thai food during my U of C days.

However, to travel cheaply through the South East Asian region, it is almost absolutely necessary to stop in Thailand. Here, all roads lead to Bangkok. In the air, on the ground by car, and even by boat. My ultimate destination for now is Cambodia, for which there isn't a direct non-chartered flight. I'm mostly flying Air Asia, and don't freak out when I say no-frills airline, because Air Asia is huge in its own way. In fact, they're doing so well that the Malaysian government gave a subsidy to the official airline, Malaysia Airline, to give up it's unprofitable domestic routes to Air Asia. It is now Asia's leading low cost airline operating over 200 flights a day in 10 countries. And they go to all the places you want to go. For cheap.

How cheap you ask? Check it out yourself. Buying a ticket 2 weeks in advance, you can get a flight from Macau to Bangkok for about $30 US. And unlike Ryan Air (the leading low cost carrier in Europe), Air Asia doesn't fly into remote airports or make you take some $20 bus to that remote airport. You fly out and into major airports, with planes that could have been old American Airlines jets (in fact, I can remember flying worst AA jets). The downside: no assigned seating, no free food or drinks, delays *this I've only heard, my flights were all very punctual* and selective routes. General low cost carrier things, but I have to say that Air Asia is much better than any other low cost carrier I've taken.

Wat Arun, temple of the dawn, in Bangkok on Sept 15

So this is how I ended up in Bangkok. I thought why not? Save some money, check if Bangkok has anything that thrills me, and of course, go for one of those famed Thai massages.