Thailand Trip Some Details—- Hawaii Plastic Surgeon

 As I mentioned last post,  I would give you some details on Thailand. specifically Bangkok,  instead of about my reasons for going. To review–I go to train in Muay Thai and to reassess my life and changes-much like a retreat. Yet many of you may not be interested in that. So you want to know more about Bangkok? Well allow me to be your eyes.

First Bangkok,  Thailand is huge population, Estimated people in the city during business hours is 15 million ( yes the official census is  8 million, not counting ilegals). Its a city of where you can find anything….legal, illegal, moral , amoral what ever your fancy. You want high class —well its there, you want low class scum its there too. Yet most Thai people are like anywhere else. They go to work , come home and see their families and then go to work again.

A lot has been written about the sex trade,  but that is probally less of a percentage than any other American or European City probably , its  just more open and visible. One of my plastic surgery colleques wife has claimed she will never allow her husband to go Thailand becasue of the sex trade. Well I have news for her, go down to Wakiki in Honolulu and anything you have in Thailand is right here. Even though that is what many times is written about, believe me its not what Bangkok is about. 

In the many years I have been going there,  I have met some of the most interesting people on earth. These range from local Thais,  such as our friend who is the daughter of ex-Thai diplomat who speaks 3 languages fluently, educated in the best American and European Universities to my Muay Thai instructor who has no education except Muay Thai and his one travel experience is to fight in Switzerland. Japanese business people to American retiree’s are all there. They come for the change and to do business in the Kingdom. A Kingdom it is ..do not speak in negative manner about the King or his family or you may end up in jail.

Yet I think the best way to understand this place is to see photos. A picture is worth a thousand words they say, so I will show you some with some comments.

Beggars are seen as with most of South East Asia on the street.

The poverty around is seen , yet when you think about it its not a “bad poverty”.Many of these beggars are actually brought in by Asian mafia to work and earn money from other countries. Sad to see, but at least they are not starving as you will see in some African countries. Most Thais have an excellent diet. Fruits and street food such as grilled chicken are abundant and very very cheap. No one starves in Thailand. The weather is tropical so no one freezes and did you know the government clinics provide health care at least  the basics. Yet at the same time there is no welfare as we know it in the west so everyone works or there is no help except from churches or the like. This I think is good, they do not have generations of welfare recipients who are dependant on the State as virtual slaves.

Overall to be a “poor person” in Thailand is not that bad from what I can see. Maybe you will not own a car, but people are happy for the most part , eat well and respect each other. Certainly most of us  would rather have that,  then be a member of some street gang in L.A. California. Life is simple and its a world of difference here to be poor than to be some inner American City poor. At least that is the way I see it.

The life in Thailand is easy going, land of smiles most happy. Seems it has never changed much in many many years. 

Little Fish drying in sun

There is food all over Thailand sold on the street and cheap. I calculated to survive you can live on about 1 us dollar a day. Not at Starbucks or the fancy places but you can live. That’s for food. Rent I do not know what the cheapest way to go is for living.

Communication is easy,  they are used to tourist and English is spoken by enough. Yet to accomplish something complex maybe need a good translator. Most activities do not require complex language. All the street vendors and sales people know how to tell you english numbers like “thirty two baht” instead of “sahm-sip sorng baht” which is 32 in Thai. So that money is not a problem when you want to buy something. 

You can buy anything in Bangkok. They have the best department stores with all the brands if your into that or the weirdest stores and street shops in the world with everything from fried insects to your favorite flavor in ice creme. Its all there and if you look you can truly find anything you could possibly want.

One area which is easy for new tourist is called Kao San Road and this is shown in the picture below. This is one of the main “back packer” areas with all types of tourist. There are lot of hostels there and the crowd is mostly Caucasian hip types and a few from Korea and Japan. The Thais there are mainly to sell what they can to these tourist. I don’t care for that area much because its a tourist spot and I like the natural environment of the Thais.

Want to buy sunglasses??

Yet there is a lot for tourist to do. Temples are all over the place and historic places to see.  The textile industry with Thai silk is excellent as is the gold and precious stone shops all over.  You can check any travel book on Thailand and find the current districts to shop in for what you want. 

As for me,  I do not buy much so I can not offer such advice and if I were to buy gold or jewels I would probably be ripped off. I don’t know that industry so I stay away but for people who do know it can be a bonanza.

Its a circus like atmosphere in some places day and night

The places you go will depend on what you want to do. The tourist areas are like a three ring circus. So many people selling the strangest stuff and westerners drinking beer.  This will be 24 hours a day in some places as with so many people arriving at all times of day and night it never stops.

The night life as in night clubs and discos etc are endless as well. There are the “entertainment districts where you can buy ladies ( if they are ladies) such as nana plaza a real western man hang out for those seeking cheap female company.  There are traditional disco and DJ music places for Thais and westerners to enjoy music and drink. Personally when I travel I prefer the places that the local people go. There are two night clubs I have found suitable to my taste. One is the Q-bar and the other is Hollywoods. The Q bar is owned by a guy from New Jersey who opened his first club in Viet Nam until he was run out of there and now he is Bangkok. We have had drinks together a few times and his place does sport some of the best Dj’s in South East Asia. The HollyWoods is almost 100 percent Thai.  I go sometime and have been welcomed by the Thais. Its fun to watch the Thai Stage show with their version of go go dancers  ( not nude) and music and light show is very good . The most unnerving thing is to to the rest room. There a guy will come up to you as you stand in front of the Urinal doing your thing and he will give your back a massage. Its weird but apparently accepted by the Thais. You must tip him of course. For you that are less adventurous stick to the Q bar. Yet for me what is the point in traveling if your going to a place you could go to a similar place like in your home town.

HollyWoods Night Spot

There are so many bars and night spots in Bangkok ranging from the  most eloquent sophisticated to the most simple girly beer bars.  The variety in my opinion surpasses New York and Tokyo where I have spent a lot of time.  So like shopping in Bangkok, the night life is ….what ever you want to find its there–its there!

My advice to you don,t be afraid to check out some place which is not for tourist. You should be polite and when in Rome live like the romans not like the American ,Japanese or European that you may be.  Thais are very nice people but of course always use common sense as far as safety goes, I have found Bangkok safer than most American cities by far.

How to get to various places is the huge challenge for most visitors. Try to get some help to explain to Taxi drivers where your going. The sky train is excellent and easy to use, but is very limited on where you can go in Bangkok. The water taxi is little more difficult to use but its what so many Thais use and I found it cuts hours off my travel time.  The Thai people get a kick out of watching an American travel by Water Taxi.

Well there is so much to do in Bangkok and so much written on the internet I do not want to bore you with these things yet I hope I gave you a little insight into Bangkok. As stated the pictures tell more than my words So here are a few more….

draw your own conclusions