Thai Lessons...

This week's blog comes from the pleasant confines of the Korn Cafe in Chang An. It is located in a small commercial area adjacent to the rather august town square. Unusually for China, the area has been designed as a pedestrians only precinct, which makes strolling in its environs so much pleasanter than usual. The whole area is somewhat italianate in style, even going so far as to include a three story campanile at its heart.  The lack of traffic almost draws a sigh from me, so pleasant it is to be free at last from that ever-present intrusion. In such conditions, one feels free to focus on the task of composing this week's offering. As ever, when writing these blogs, I find myself to have a wide range of possibilities to choose from, each with its own merits. In the end though, I have concluded that a little reflection on some of the lessons learnt in Thailand would not come amiss.

These tips are intended to be helpful to the would-be traveller. The idea is to allow the enjoyment of some of the pleasanter aspects whilst avoiding some of the more 'catch-all' pitfalls that seem to ensnare so many there. Thailand is a very beautiful country, which the discerning traveller can enjoy on many levels; it is also extremely dangerous, both on a personal safety level and, particularly at the time of writing, on the political level. So, without further ado, here are my own personal top ten tips for enjoying the time you spend in Thailand. Bear in mind, as you read these tips, that they are the work of a middle-aged Westerner who has a penchant for enjoying his pleasures slowly; they may not, indeed defintitely will not, apply to everyone.

1.     Beware of hiring motorbikes! My own personal experience lasted about twelve hours before my orientation was changed from the vertical to the horizontal by a van driver who had apparently never quite got his head around the concepts of lanes. My experience was by no means unique; hundreds, maybe even thousands, of tourists are injured or even killed each year on the roads of Thailand. Much like myself, many came with years of experience of motorbikes and think they should be able to handle themselves relatively easily in this new situation. Thailand is not Europe though, it is not the US either. Totally different rules apply here or, to be more exact, no rules apply here. There is much to recommend the carefree approach to life that many Thais have, it makes them a joyful and happy people, but perhaps it does not serve them that well on the road, where it comes across as irresponsibility, immaturity and an almost total lack of imagination as to the consequences of their actions.

2.     If you wish to stay on the outside of Thailand's infamous prisons, then don't say anything about the King, his extended family, or even the concept of monarchy itself. You may feel that monarchy is wonderful or you may consider it the ridiculous remnants of a particularly poor form of government but, in Thailand, keep your views to yourself.  In the legal system in Thailand, there is a particularly 'diffficult' piece of legislation that comes under the apparently benign heading of section 112. This relates to the 'lese majeste' laws. 'Lese majeste' applies to anyone who "defames, insults or threatens the king, the queen, the heir-apparent or the regent", and can be punished with up to 15 years in prison. Many rational observers of the situation may view this as quite obscenely excesssive, but be warned, it is the law in Thailand and ignoring that fact could land you in a very 'challenging' situations indeed!

3.     If you plan to stay in the country for anything longer than a couple of weeks, do yourself a favour and at least make some attempt at learning a little of the language. No one will expect you to know that much, the Thais themselves realise that it is not an easy language for Westerners to master based as it is on the use of tones (much like mandarin), but ... making the effort will garner you much respect from the locals. The very basic of basics in Thailand is the phrase 'Sawadee Kah' (if you are a female, 'Sawadee Khrap' if you are a male). You will be greeted by this phrase, sometimes accompanied by a prayer like hand-gesture knowing as 'wai-ing', everywhere you go. It is polite to respond in like fashion. This greeting works for 'hello', 'good morning', 'good day' or even 'good night'. If you can manage nothing else, at least use this phrase!

4.     This one is kinda obvious, but perhaps worth re-stating as it is such a basic truth about Thailand: it is hot! Not hot as in a 'phew, what a scorcher' type day in the UK. Such a day would be considered very mild here. Not hot as in a pleasant Pensylvania afternoon where the mercury pushes pleasantly past the mid 20's C., but hot as in really, really hot. When I left a week ago now, the temperature was around 41C. (106 F.). This basically means that it is best to confine physical activity to the two ends of the day and to avoid any such exertion between the hours of 1330 and 1630. My own favourite way of coping, as befits a flaneur, was to duck into an air conditioned cafe and either read (usually the excellent Bangkok Post or novels by Henry Miller, my personal favourite 'du jour'), write, follow your nose on the internet or, as many Thais do (when they decide not to simply 'kip' it out), indulge in a little socialising. Make sure you drink enough. Tis not enough to sip occasionally – you need to think in terms of three to four litres of liquid per day. Failure to do so can result in such things as heat stroke. I personally experienced this in Chiang Mai a while back and I would not recommend the experience!

5.     Get yourself out into the countryside. Many visitors to Thailand go to Bangkok or Patthaya and believe they have see the country. Both these places have their attractions, but are more suited to certain classes of tourists than others. There is so much natural beauty in Thailand as to make the experience quite mind-boggling at times. The fauna and flora are a wonder to behold; the place quite literally teems with life. In recent months, the Thai military government, it their seemingly infinite wisdom, have decided to put the prices up in the National Parks. For Thais, they increased the charges a tiny amount, meaning that the entrance fee for natives is now around 40 baht (£0.80). For tourists, it went up a very large amount to the literally princely sum of 400 baht (£8.00). This, apparently, was a popular move with some Thais, but is hardly likely to help the already severely flagging tourist industry. Luckily, there is far, far more natural beauty in Thailand than is confined by the National Parks.

6.     The last point allows a rather neat seque into the next: the inherent racism within Thai culture. This comes as something of a shock to those who expect a Buddhist based culture of tolerance and acceptance. To be fair, Thais are generally pretty tolerant and accepting, and certainly friendly by nature, but the casual racism with which they regard outsiders can become a tad annoying at times. To be even fairer, it is far from unknown for other groups of people to harbor similar delusions of their own grandeur and believe they are in some way special, chosen or somehow better than others, but the Thais are more open about it than most. This is a somewhat controversial issue, indeed many will deny that it exists at all, often using some pretty impressively convoluted logic to demonstrate how attitudes towards farangs are not racist. My opinion, for what it is worth, is that such people are in some sort of denial. There is a belief for many Thais (by no means all), unfounded and unsupported by any fact, that anyone not Thai is not as intelligent, are culturally less developed, and are of lesser ability and value. The value of Thai superiority is drummed into the kids from an early age, and if they have never left the country, they will encounter few views amongst their peer group to contradict this somewhat odd notion.

7.     On a somewhat less controversial note, one has to say that Thai food is simply superb. I cannot vouch for the whole range as I am vegetarian and therefore refrain from the many meat and fish dishes on offer. Even given that restriction, the choice is still amazingly large, invariably tasty and very uniquely Thai. My personal favourite was Rad Naa, a dish of mixed vegetables in a bean gravy, served in a high-sided bowl with some very thick noodles. Away from Bangkok, in the smaller towns, the food tends to be very fresh and often locally sourcecd. The drinks are also a pleasure, particularly the many forms of fruit shakes, although care needs to be taken with these because of the Thai's habit of sweetening everything, usually with some form of a syrup or just straight sugar. On the more natural side of things, coconuts are a boon. The juice is great for rehydrating; many believe it to be as good as over-the-counter phramaceuticals such as rehydrat. You also get the pleasure of spooning out the white flesh afterwards. Fruit is also both varied, fresh and amazingly cheap.

8.     Speaking of fruits (as in 'oranges are not the only … '), I think I should say a few words about kaetoys. Many a guy has gone into a bar in Thailand and, not quite believing their luck, found himself 'pulling' a stunning looking 'girl', only to discover on subsequent inspection that what he has pulled is not a girl at all, but comes complete with the extra plumbing more commonly associated with being a guy. My only advice in such circumstances, would be to extract yourself (no pun intended … ) as seemingly and as politely as possible. Of course, there are some who feel that such a situation is not a problem at all. If this is what rocks your particular boat, then I personally have no problem with that. A good friend of mine, oddly with an often expressed horror of homosexuality, feels that spending his nights in Thailand with ladyboys does not qualify for that epithet. I would respectfully beg to differ but … each to his own!

Yes, they are all ladyboys. One cannot blame some guys for getting a tad confused at times!

9.     For my ninth tip, I think I will go back to the problems of travelling in Thailand. Covering long distances by rail can be an onerous chore, mainly due to the slowness of the trains. Because of this factor, and because of the relative expense of flying, many choose to utilise the long-distance buses. They certainly look and feel luxurious, usually being double-decked and having such creature comforts as wi-fi, TV and deeply reclining chairs. The problem I have with this mode of transport is twofold. Firstly, the construction: as one blogger noted, these things seem to be 'made of discarded yoghurt cartons and held together by paper clips'. One sees them being worked on in grubby workshops, guys with acetylene torches welding skinny struts together that look as if one could easily bend them with minimal force and using just one hand, if so desired.  Secondly, the drivers: these are sometimes completely knackered before they even start, having worked unreasonably long hours.They can also be beetle-juice fuelled maniacs, often with little or no experience, but who do have a somewhat inconsiderate habit of disappearing once they have wrapped the bus around a tree or plunged it over a ravine. It seems that almost every week one reads of yet another multi-fatality accident involving these things. If at all possible, it is better to steer clear...

10.    The final tip that I have room for addresses the problem of accommodation. Hotel prices are cheap in Thailand. If you are paying anything more than £25 a night away from Bangkok, then you should be living in some kind of air-conditioned palace. Reasonably luxurious rooms can be had for far, far less. If you wish to stay in any one place for an extended length of time, say a month or more, then think about renting a flat or house. This was my personal choice and I ended up in a flat with a single bedroom, lounge, bathroom and verandah, complete with TV and wifi thrown in, for the princely sum of £60. A German friend found a very decent and much more modern flat, complete with air conditioning and access to a garden, for £50. Houses in Kanachanaburi started from around £100 a month and a two bedroom place with access to a pool could be had for £135. Not at all bad methinks, such an amount would not even cover the council tax back in the UK.

Having come to the end of my ten tips, I have the feeling that there is so much more that I have left out. Such things as haggling, arranging your own trips, local buses, spiritual retreats and best value buys all deserve a mention, but space and time are at a premium, so I had better wrap-up this weeks missive at this point.

My newly found watering-hole is still quiet and pleasant, even though the time has moved on to five in the evening now. As cafes go in China, I have to say that this is definitely one of the better offerings. The pleasantness of the ambient music (nice and quiet!), the availability of magazines and books, the sumptuous nature of the sofa-like chairs, all go to make an excellent impression. Last week, I was feeling somewhat cynical as to the standard and the interest of cafes on offer in China, or at least in this part of that enormous land. This week, much to my surprise, I have come across several really rather plesant offerings which shall be explored and reported upon over the next few blogs. A pleasant prospect for a foot-weary flaneur!

Plus ça change....

This week flaneurial remarks originate from the essentially very cool 'Chillhouse' cafe on the River Kwai Bridge Road in Kanchanaburi. It certainly lives up to its name, the air conditioning being left on at a constantly low temperature; so much so in fact that one is almost relieved to leave the place and feel the comfortable warmth of the Thai streets once again. During the heat of the middle of the day though, I am fond of spending an hour or so within its chilled environs. Oddly, one scarcely sees another Westerner there, the cafés regulars being mostly reasonably well-to-do Thais who invariably greet one and all as they enter the premises with the ubiquitous 'Sawadee Khrap' (or 'Sawadee Khaa' even, if they happen to be female). This is often said with a bow of the head and even a clasp of the hands in a prayer like gesture.

Such politeness is an essential in Thailand – the simple acknowledgement of another person's presence and an expression of respect. To experience this once again came as something of a pleasant relief after the indifference (at best) of China. In fact, the first few days here have been spent re-acclimatising myself to the very different culture. There is an expectation here, almost a demand, for politeness and acknowledgement; failure to do so can easily offend, even if unintended. Thailand is very much 'the land of smiles' but one must ensure that one smiles back!

The atmosphere this year feels subtly different though; there is something of an uneasiness about the place that was not readily apparent during previous visits. There is a tension in the air, an almost palpable sense of anxiety, almost of foreboding. When I last left Thailand in April 2014 it was still a place of political chaos and turmoil but that is almost the normal state of affairs in Thailand. It generally lurches from crisis to crisis but somehow, through it all, manages to survive and even, to a certain extent at least, to prosper.

In May of 2014 however, there was a coup, lead by the now Prime Minister, Prayuth Chan-Ocha. Originally, a state of martial law was introduced and a curfew, which must have slowed down the night-life a tad in such places as Patthaya, Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Fortunately now, the worst of the restrictions have been eased and things have got back to something like normal, superficially at least. Coups are not unusual in Thailand, they seem to be a regular political event that punctuates attempts at establishing democracies every few years. There have been accusations, particularly from those aligned with the deposed Pheu Thai government, that the military have not been particularly even-handed and are favouring their opponents with the subsequent changes and the proposed reforms to the democratic process.

The jury is very much still out on the coup and the justifications for the further actions of the new government. There is a sense of dis-ease here though now, possibly even a sense of the dangers of the upcoming challenges to the future of Thailand. Personally, I would like to write more about such issues but, given the state of affairs here and the restrictions, it would seem wise to desist. Many of the issues could not sensibly be discussed without entering into areas that could conceivably fall foul of article 112 of Thai law (that pertaining to 'lese majeste'). Currently, this is being applied very widely here, and there have been several cases of even foreigners being locked up for prolonged jail sentences (between 2 and 15 years) for stepping over what is a very vague line here in Thailand. Those interested may wish to look up the subject online; perhaps after doing so, they will understand my reluctance to address certain issues...

As ever, and as was the case in China, presentation seems to be nine tenths of statistics. Officially there is no problem with the tourist trade but at the street level here in Kanchanaburi things do indeed seem somewhat quieter. At the far end of the River Kwai Bridge Road from where I stay there are a selection of bars where one can find, if one wishes to indulge such tastes, a variety of distractions on offer. The last time I was here these bars were invariably full of Westerners seeking all manner of 'distractions'. This year, when I have had cause to pass that way, they make a sorry sight. Groups of girls in denim shorts and black t-shirts, usually adorned with some suggestive logo, sitting around tables outside the bars, looking vaguely bored as they chat away with each other over the loud music constantly playing in the background, but with ne'er a customer in sight, the inside of the bars completely bereft of clientèle.

Not all such changes are negative of course. Tourism has had a major, and usually negative, effect on the environment here in Thailand. Many of the beaches, for example, had become very overcrowded, littered and subject to the attentions of many of the less savoury characters in Thai society. Many now, such as in Phuket, are more or less back to their former glory. Other aspects of the environment are getting a chance to recover too (one sometimes wonders about the nature of economic success, especially after spending a couple of months in China. Often, the best possible thing for the environment seems to be... a complete lack of economic activity!)

Many of the ex-pats, a trenchant community normally and devoted to their alternative lifestyles in Thailand, seem to have packed up and left. Those that remain seem conscious of the need to keep a low profile and not risk drawing the attention of the powers that be. It is hard to tell where all this will lead in the coming months and years. Personally, I intend to stay for a couple of months and then perhaps leave for quite some time, or at least until the current situation has resolved itself to some extent.

From my point of view, it would be a shame not to spend at least some time here as, for me at least, it always strikes me as a tremendously beautiful country. Life positively teems here in ways that are, at times, quite staggering to behold. As pointed out in previous blogs, day-to-day life has many drawbacks and complications, mainly caused by the politics and the underlying culture, though that same culture has much to recommend it too. In recent years when I have come to Thailand, despite being well aware of many of the problems, the pluses have very definitely outweighed the minuses. This year, on my most recent visit, this perhaps can no longer be said. The people are still pleasant, it is still 'the land of smiles', but those smiles sometimes seem somewhat strained these days. Buddhism, and particularly the Thai version (Therevada) is as absorbing as ever. The fascinating flora and fauna remain forever beautiful and forever abundant. But beyond all this... one cannot help but wonder where Thailand is heading and does one want to be anywhere near this country when it gets there...

Back in the Chillhouse I sip my very generous blueberry smoothie. The original Americano was finished long ago during one of several edits and rewrites of this particular edition of the blog. One is conscious of the need to be careful here and to skirt around certain areas and issues 'just in case'. One of the reasons for enjoying the Chillhouse is its selection of newspapers on a charmingly old fashioned teak stand as one enters the premises. Reading the previously redoubtable Bangkok Post, always a fine newspaper and an informative read on previous visits, one is struck with just how carefully the articles are now phrased. One learns as much from what is not directly stated as from what is. It has become, at least as far as Thai news is concerned, a very much 'between-the-lines' read.

It is difficult to see how things will turn out here but the developments since I was last in Thailand, a mere nine months ago, have been drastic indeed. Many things that one took for granted are no longer possible in the current climate. It is difficult to guess how all this will pan out over the coming few months but, for my part, I think I may well be inclined to keep my flaneurial activities to somewhat less potentially volatile situations in somewhat less volatile places...