We started our first visit to Thailand when we flew from Mumbai to Bangkok. Although many of our experiences were along the line of what we expected, there were a few surprises:
· We did not expect to see so many large temple (“Wat”) complexes as we found in an around Bangkok. Some of them, such as Wat Pho and Wat Phra Kaew are enormous. Wat Arun, not as big, is very beautiful. The number of buildings in these complexes and the painstaking way they are constructed take your breath away. There is consistency in style but there are numerous variations of the theme.
· The prominent role that Buddha plays in the life of Thai people was beyond what we expected. We felt proud to be Indians, as our motherland was where Buddha was born and reached his status as the “wise one”. Buddha statues are everywhere in the Wat complexes…hundreds of them.
· Also, unexpected was the extent to which Hinduism is woven in the religious life of Thais. Ramakien, the Thai version of Ramayan, depicts the same story with slight variations. We saw Ramakien paintings in temples, existing side by side with statues of Buddha, and we saw a magnificent performance by a major theater company.
· We had heard about the politeness of Thai people but it still was beyond what we expected. Namaste is the common form of greeting and everyone does that, especially those involved in the service industry. Of course, that does not mean that the Thais are pushover. The guards at Wats were quite firm in making sure you follow order.
· Although Bangkok is a bustling metropolis, the traffic is disciplined. Having been to India just before Bangkok, the difference was glaring. No one tried to get an edge over the others by flaunting traffic laws, and there was no tragedy of the commons on display. Nobody honked, unlike in India where everyone did.
· On the flip side, Bangkok is less colorful than India. The range of people, activities they are involved with, the colors, the excitement of India is lacking.
· English is used less than we had expected. Very few signs on stores or billboards are in English. Even most road signs are in Thai language. People speak very little English if any at all.
· Food does get monotonous. Unlike in India, the variety is limited. Bread is almost non-existent, and most dishes are rice, noodle and meat based. However, we had no fear of eating inexpensive food. Some of our dinners ended up costing less than $15, including drinks, and lunches, as low as $4.
· We felt no fear in walking even dark alleys at night. One pathway to our hotel was narrow and dark, but we did not hesitate in taking it.
· We were aghast at the extent to which Thai people use plastic bags. They carry everything in these bags: Salads, soups, sauces, pickles, cold water, toys; you name it. Of course groceries, purchases, and all that directly go in plastic bags without hesitation.
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There are a few places we would recommend for a tourist. The three major Wat complexes: Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho and Wat Arun are all worth a visit. They do tend to get crowded so try to go early. Also, wear modest clothes, trousers (not shorts), long skirts or pants (for women) and a garment that covers your shoulders. If not, you would be forced to buy something that meets the dress code at a shop conveniently located on premise. Meera had to buy a pink T-shirt just for that. Make sure that you do see the dance performance that is included in the price of ticket to Wat Phra Kaew. Free transportation to the theater is provided. The performance depicts stories from Ramakien, which is the Thai version of Ramayan, as I mentioned above.
Ayutthaya, about an hour and half from Bangkok, is worth visiting. Outfitters offer a morning trip or an evening one. The one we took started at 1 pm (we were picked up from our hotel), and we got back at 9 pm. For about $55 per person, we got to see five temple complexes in this historic city, a forty five minute boat ride around the city (it is on an island surrounded by rivers) at perfect sunset time, and a full dinner in a restaurant by the river. In addition, there was also a visit to see/ride elephants (we did not participate). This was well worth the time and money we spent.
Another tip is to take a full-day pass on river Chao Phraya that bisects the city. There are multiple stops one can take during the day all for about $7 per day. In the morning, we stopped to see Wat Arun (which we had not seen during the previous days) and Iconsiam …a very modern and enormous mall, supposed to be the largest in Asia. After having a lunch in a huge indoor Sook, we went back to the hotel for rest. In the evening we went to a fancy restaurant opposite of Wat Arun and had drinks/dinner. The view was magnificent but the drinks/food were not good. We had better luck with more humble restaurants near our hotel.
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