This is it…
We have been to Thailand three times now, and every time we have
said “It was nice, but we wouldn’t go back unless it was for work or for free”.
Which is what the two latter trips were. But now, this is it!
We may not have seen and done it all but I have seen enough
and done enough to fully tick off Thailand for good. It’s not that it’s not a
good holiday destination because I guess for mainstream travellers it is. You
get the brochure of the white sandy beaches with no one on them and the
smiling, friendly Thai locals gifting you fruit or whatever and think everyone
else is or has done it so lets do it. Plus its cheap by comparison to other
beach holiday destinations.
So on the Plus…
The brochure is right, there are some sandy beaches, and
great food and a fruit shakes and some outrageous parties for sure. Its casual,
its dirty, it’s the backpackers paradise. The resorts for non-backpackers are
affordable for semi luxury and who doesn’t love a good barter for a fake Louis?
The food is definitely a favourite for me even though im a
terribly fussy eater. I still managed some wonderful curries, some quality
street food and some veggie dishes that I rave about still. The weather seems
to be always wonderful, even when it rains it’s exciting. I love a good storm
and wow does it deliver, I have been pretty much in every month so now know
what to expect and HOT is putting it lightly.
So the Scandies love it, the Ruskies love it and the old,
single Poms love it.
What the brochure doesn’t tell you is that those white sandy
beaches are full with Chinese tourists by the bus load [and I mean BUS LOAD, 2
or 3 at a time] and they don’t want to enjoy it they just want the photo. Those
pictures online don’t show the hoards of over weight Russians polluting the
beaches with the hands on their heads tanning the ‘under-boob’ or the filth of
just about everywhere.
It’s an assault on the senses for sure.
When I smell a blocked toilet or sewerage farm it will bring
me back to my Thailand days for sure.
They also don’t tell you that when you barter its for each
and every thing, even in proper shops they will bring out a discount on a
calculator for a pair of labelled sunnies that you assumed were from an
authorised dealer [as that is what it looks like] and in actual fact they are
fake. “Fake but good quality, best fake” is a personal favourite term of theirs
and just hilarious really. A real Louis will cost you from €500 up but the fake
will be €100 minimum for a good fake. P-a-lease!
In certain towns you see ‘gringo’s’ [as we used to call ourselves and white
people, they use ‘Farung’] with a Thai bride/hooker/companion/whatever you want
to call it. It’s all over and right in your face. Famous for sex trade. Famous
to pick up a wife real cheap to any man willing to support them even a tiny
bit.
It’s the type of place where they don’t want to talk to you
if you don’t speak Thai so you bust out a few hello’s and Thank you’s, but when
you learn a few more phrases then you’re the enemy. It’s a fine line.
I met some truly wonderfully people there but it’s the ones
that treat animals worse than rapists and murderers and we all know my thoughts
on that. If a person cant show compassion to animals then to me… there is a gene
missing. And wow is it ever evident here. You name it, and they will eat it,
abuse it, ride it, train it, cage it, or kill it.
- Elephant rides [Go to Pattaya and see the bus loads of
Chinese and Russians riding these poor elephants from 8am to 8pm non stop.
-Dogs, well they cage them up and skin them alive for fur or
for the illegal meat trade. Look up the Soi dog foundation and then tell me
what you think.
- Birds, any type of bird is caged for life for no reason at
all.
- Cats, same as dogs really but they survive better with all
the rats I guess
- They fish their seas out and one would think they would
look after their ocean and beaches as that’s why we came right? Wrong… They are
filthy, we took a 3 week trip from Phuket all around to Rayong and Pattaya and
the ocean was just filthy. So sad.
I’m in no way saying don’t go, by all means its an
affordable holiday [for South Africans that’s saying something] but I wont
promote it to anyone, I say be bold, be brave and be adventurous and hit the
road less travelled. Go where no one you know has gone yet, try the Philippines,
try Sri Lanka, try Malaysia, try Cambodia if Asia is your thing.
After all it’s just my opinion, if your tossing it up
between Thailand or Sri Lanka, you know my opinion.
“Each to their own I guess.”
By for now…
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