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Impressions of Thailand

Impressions of  ThailandMy travel preparations for     attending the First NORTH     EAST INDIA TRADE AND INVESTMENT WEEK in Bangkok on October 1-4, 2007, were very hectic. Piling workload, daughter’s ensuing half-yearly examinations, and pressures of nuclear family living pushed it to the last hour. At the last minute, I decided to go with just one pair of jeans, few essential garments and things, a laptop, a camera, all packed into my laptop travel bag to fit it into the cabin to avoid problems with checked baggage.

Although VOA (Visa On Arrival) is available at Bangkok, it was a wise decision to get the visa stamped beforehand at Delhi. The flight was uneventful except the noticed warning to few Indian fellow passengers by the Thai hostesses not to drink too much of the free stuff. There was some turbulence as we neared the coast of Myanmar. The landing was quick at the showcase ‘Suvarnabhumi International Airport’. The airport was a gift from the people of Thailand to their beloved King His Royal Highness Bhumibol Adulyadej (the Thai version of  Sanskrit Bhumibal Atulya Tej) on attainment of his rule’s diamond jubilee. He is the longest reigning royal in the world.

I was surprised to see the long waiting hours for VOA. It’s probably due to the Sunday holiday attack! I gave my friends company for some time and we were finally out of the customs green channel by 10 AM. As we cruised along towards the hotel, the emerging prosperous Thailand was unveiled. A new skytrain line is being built to the airport. There is an elevated express toll road to avoid the nasty traffic jams of Bangkok. The skyline is clean and has a distinct Thai architecture, not haggard like our Indian cities. Roads are wide and clean. (Thais have good hygienic habits and love to keep their environs clean. It was a relief to be away from our spit smeared roads and walls for some days). Being a Sunday, there was not much traffic on the road and we reached Hotel Ambassador at Soi (Lane) 11, Sukhumvit, the place where all the delegates would be put up for the conference. The rates per room in the three-star hotel is Baht (Thai currency) 1500. The currency is stronger than our Rupee (1US$=Rs. 40.0=Bahts (B) 33.5).

I bought a prepaid international calling card for 300 B and a local calling card for 100 Bahts. One can buy a mobile SIM for as low as 100 B and its OTC (Over The Counter), no need of identity proof.

I checked in at the Youth Hostel at 25 Soi, Sukhumvit. The rate for single AC room, including breakfast was 800 B, which was booked through the Internet. It was at walking distance from the Hotel Ambassador at Soi 25. Life membership of Youth Hostel Association cost Rs. 1000/- in India.

I tried a ‘Tuk Tuk’ –the Thai version of the Indian auto rickshaw. They are as notorious as our Dilliwala autos; it’s worse here, being meterless. The guy knew English but was more interested in taking me on a tour of Bangkok, than to my place of stay directly. They get 5 liters of gasoline from the shopping joints, jewelry boutiques, etc., for bringing customers. Finally I took a taxi, which has a minimum fare of 35 B. Taxies are Toyota Corollas and air-conditioned.

I had a rendezvous with my Orkutian friend Saptarshi Pathak at 1 PM. Saptarshi speaks near-fluent Thai and is an MBA from a Thai International University. His assignment was my reinitiation into the Bangkok Shopping experience: I have to buy at least a business suit for wearing at the inaugural ceremony. He came at 1:30 and we both went out for lunch. The lunch was great, rice and Thai curry for 290 B for two.

We took a taxi to MBK shopping mall, a huge shopping arena. There were people and shops everywhere. I bought goods worth 8000 B which included things ranging from a pinstriped business suit (2200 B), a huge FRP 360 degree bag (2000 B), black shoes (990 B) and assortment of garments, electrical items, a yellow golf hat with Royal Thai insignia to wear on Monday (the day of the king, when Thais wear the yellow garments to show respect to the King).

Thailand is booming, growing at 4.5-5%. Its infrastructure is great. Last year, the trade surplus was US$5.5 Bn. It has a foreign exchange reserves of US$ 74.4 Bn. If we superimpose on India’s population of 1.2 Bn people, the figures translate to a trade surplus of US$101.5 Bn and a foreign exchange reserves of US$1.43 Tn. It’s quite prosperous, and has a per capita GDP of US$3176 in 2006; compared to US$ 2825 in 2005. Bottom line of this great country, the only country never to be colonized by any foreign power remains strong and is surging ahead.

Its other economic and social indicators are impressive as well. Life expectancy for male is 69.23 years, while for females 74 years. Population growth rate is 0.91%. The country enjoys a very high literacy rate at 96%. The population is mostly Buddhist. Muslims, mostly in the Malay Peninsula are 4% of the population, Christians 1%, others 1%. The population is united through the Thai language. There are about 30% Chinese origin people, but they are also fully integrated. The demographic assimilation is similar to Assam, through the language and eventually through intermarriage.
Thais are aware of their kinship with Assam. They know three things about India. Ahom, Asom and Bomputr (Brahmaputra). They are very eager to visit their kins in Assam. They also have a custom of showing their birth charts to find out about their past life. And the most prized answer is to have their past life near Bodhgaya. They save to visit Bodhgaya at least once in their life time.

Saptarshi has been living there for the last four years. He is a young man of twenty-five, molding into the Thai culture. I asked him about the society. Thais are shy people, very humble. If two cars hit each other, both the drivers will apologize; in Delhi they will bang their heads. Thais regularly eat outside and are prolific spenders. The malls are full of local people apart from tourists.

Large pots used for rainwater harvesting. These houses can withstand floods as high as 11 feet. The boat is made of Stainless Steel.

Bangkok is known for its nightlife. The section of the population employed in the sleazy trade is about 2%. Thai beaches, massage, spas, homestay, etc., attract millions of tourists every year and the tourism earnings are a huge portion of their GDP. In Phuket alone, the earnings from tourism are about $10 Bn as my friend Tharadol Thongruang, Counselor (Commerce) at Delhi tells me. Thai Airways is one of largest airlines in the world and plays a big role in giving the much needed connectivity to the world, through the Star Alliance.

I took a stroll in the evening in the neighborhood where we were staying. There are Thai massage bars, and sleazy joints abound. The taxi drivers approach as one walks along. They offer various nightlife packages. If you say no, they don’t bother. I think the oldest profession exists everywhere and the faithful will always find their way into it, be it in Guwahati or Delhi. In Bangkok, it is institutionalized. The city is very safe. Drunken girls walk alone at wee hours of the night.

The King is the centre of Thai lives. He is their father, demi-god. I saw many places where his photos and statues are worshipped. They wear yellow to celebrate his day every Monday. Thais worship many Indian Gods too. I saw a ‘Shiva’- half man half woman idol being worshipped near our hostel. They also worship ‘Brahma’- along the way I saw a place where hundred were visiting a wayside ‘Brahma’ temple. There was a balcony where some Thai girls were dancing. This particular idol was once vandalized by a drunken man a few year’s ago and he was butchered by a mob, then and there.

Thais eat quite liberally from beef and pork to oysters. They also consume a lot of green vegetable. Beef and meat are synonymous. For the religious minded Hindu, the best bet is to go for chicken, sea fish dishes. Youth hostel offers American-style breakfast.

The first time in life I felt fortunate to have the ‘chinky’ look. In Delhi my whole family is sick of being mistaken either for a Nepali or something as remote as Singaporean. I have conveniently passed off for a Malay origin Thai in Thailand. My colleague Biswadeep and Zeliang also shared this advantage. There are certain areas where local Thais are discouraged or have to pay little more. For example in the Siam Niramit Cultural Centre, ticket for a tourist is 1500 B, but for a Thai it is 2000 B.

By Manoj Kumar Das
New Delhi