impressions from Thailand

spices, smiles and everything between

Jumped into the metro last second. There is only one empty seat. Got it. Let me put these backpacks on the floor. Better. I raised my head. Everybody is looking at me. Why? There is an announcement. This is a completely different language. Everyone in my row is Thai. Fuck. What the hell am I doing here? How did I find the courage to come to Thailand alone? All the words on the signs have 80 letters!? Take a deep breath. I am the only one without a mask. That’s why everybody is looking at me.

Sawadee khrup. These were my first minutes in Thailand. I have begun my adventure on 24 October 2022. I don’t know when it’s gonna end yet. This is the map of my journey until today 6 Dec 22.

After 4 weeks in Thailand, I went to Laos for 2 weeks, and now I am back in Thailand, Koh Phangan.

I landed in Bangkok on my first day, with only 2 days’ reservation in a hostel in Chinatown. The weather is fucking hot and humid. Walking in Chinatown is sensational. The colors are bright, and the smell of spices, chili pepper, fish, dazzling oil, and meat is soaring in the air.

The motorbikes are running in all corners, trying to find their way in the slowly moving crowd, creating an immense noise around. 

I quickly discover that these scenes are not particular to Chinatown, they can be seen in other parts of Bangkok, in Chiang Mai, in Surat Thani simply on every street.

There are so many street food vendors complementing the small family restaurants, composing a terrific street food culture. Women in charge, of making delicious noodle soups, curries, spicy salads, and stir-fries. 

I also spot so many families, the father is watching television inside, under the photos of the king and statues of Buddha. They seem to never stop working or living. 

Life is moving in circles, night markets are open when the day is over until delivering the flag to the morning markets and vendors who prepare meals for other working classes. It feels incredibly safe to walk on the streets any hour of the day since there are always people watching the streets. Jane Jacobs is right again.

The most fun way to commute is by calling a motorbike. Most of the drivers are riding crazy to get away from the traffic jam. You feel like you are in a simulation game in the back seat. 

Taking a glance at the sidewalks, girls are looking nice, and boys are too.

Is there a temple in every corner? They sure are beautiful. They are covered by engravings and platings handmade by thousands of people’s efforts. And yes, I stopped taking photos of monks after 3 days.

The notion of jumping on a stool on the sidewalk to delve into a soup, riding on a motorbike without a helmet, wearing flip-flops, and the smooth transition from street to home creates a continuous flow and a welcoming environment. 

Of course, this flow is getting interrupted in modern parts of Thailand, mainly in Bangkok, where tall condos, metro lines, and massive shopping malls create isolated, disconnected, and non-walkable areas. 

What was the picture of Thailand in my head before I arrive? Maybe a less developed country, definitely less tourism, street food and motorcycles, and fewer smiles.

Yes, I would never guess the amount of positivity people scatter around. Despite all the problems in the country, it is sure that this is still the land of smiles.

Of course, it is very easy to make wrong interpretations after one month of traveling. I don’t know the background behind the Thai smiles and greets.

The weather is sweltering, working hours are long, prices and wages are low, and there is an absolute power ruling the country whom people are scared to talk about. There is serious drug addiction, corruption, prostitution, and mass tourism.

While mass tourism brings money, it also creates gentrification, pollution, and fragility. I talked to many Thai people about Covid, and they said they all closed their shops or downsized and go back to the villages in the last 3 years due to the lack of tourism. 

That being said, having less personal distance, the energy that a sunny and hot climate brings, and following recklessness instead of security reminded me how I missed living in a developing country after 1 year in Berlin and Europe. I started to think, what do I value in my life right now? More stability, security, and income, or more volatility, affinity, and warmth?

jəə gan,

can