You surely have your own reasons for loving Thailand. Are you curious about mine? I’d be happy to share them with you. I’d also love to hear your additions in the comments.
My First Time in Thailand
I first visited Thailand in 1986. I was fascinated by the exotic atmosphere and was infected with the “Thailand bug” from the very first moment. What fascinated me most at the very beginning was:
The famous Thai smile does me good. Even today, now that I’ve learned to look beyond it and understand the differences.
Thousands of islands, thousands of kilometers of coastline. One of the first things that absolutely enchanted me were the deserted beaches of Phuket. They still existed there in the 1980s, and you can still find them in other parts of the country today. It’s actually crazy that I now live in the north, far away from the sea.
Best enjoyed by the sea, with a palm tree and a fishing boat in the foreground. Ah, what a romantic.
I fell in love with curries right from the start. When I’m traveling in the south, my favorite is Massaman curry, which was recently named the best dish in the world by CNN Travel, ahead of pizza, sushi, and Peking duck.
Here in the north, less coconut milk is used. Gaeng Som Gung Khai Chaom was my favorite curry for a long time (a sweet and sour curry with pieces of omelet made with leaves from the Chaom tree). Hang Lae is delicious, but I can’t eat the fatty pork.
There are nearly 30,000 temples in Thailand. As a traveler, I got to know some of the most beautiful ones right from the beginning. At Wat Phra Kaew, I was particularly fascinated by the almost one kilometer long outer wall, painted with scenes from the Ramayana epic. Here in Chiang Rai, you simply have to see the White Temple. Ideally, combine it with the other colorful temples. 5 less known temples in Chiang Rai.
The term for flashy single story houses with flat roofs evolved into a simple hut on the beach. Very pleasant. Even today, there are accommodations for every budget, including right on the beach.
From my first trips to Thailand, I brought home a backpack full of mangoes, rambutans, mangosteens, and starfruit. My family had never seen anything like them. And then I raved about the different varieties of bananas I had tried. My favorite fruit is the mild Thai pineapple strongly challenged by the rambutans from our garden.
ศาลพระภูมิ “San Phra Phum” translates as “shrine of the land spirits or household spirits.”
Mindfulness and gratitude toward the spirits of the land on which one lives are the reasons for the offerings. They stand in front of almost every house or property, whether it is a small home or a luxury hotel.
Of Attitudes Toward Life and Stereotypes
Thailand is simply more relaxed in many ways. No wonder, with “mai pen rai” and “sabai sabai.” Food is also a way of life. But some things are also stereotypes. Because most Thai people would not describe their lives as relaxed.
Signs advertising “Nuad” are everywhere in Thailand, especially in tourist areas, where they seem to be on every corner. Thai massage has been registered with UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. So there must be something to it.
Thai massage with a “happy ending” also exists, mainly in areas around red light districts.
Even before I first came to Thailand, I was lucky enough to cook with Thai people. That’s when I discovered ginger and chili. A whole new world of flavors opened up to me. The variety is legendary, from sweet and sour to extremely spicy and even sour and bitter, which foreigners are rarely subjected to. Add dozens of different vegetables to the mix. This delicious food is available everywhere, inexpensive, and freshly prepared. No wonder Thai people are constantly eating or thinking about what delicious thing they could eat next.
The quote comes from this CNN Travel article, “The World’s 50 Best Foods”
A way of life. No problem, never mind, it’s not a big deal. The desire to play down unpleasant things. To me, it feels like a relaxation pill: don’t take everything so seriously, relax.
Two more important cornerstones of Thai well-being: having fun and relaxing. Without those, life wouldn’t really be worth living, would it?
It’s amazing how much helpfulness I’ve already experienced. Ran out of gas and got stranded? No problem. A minibus driver notices what happened and drives me to the nearest gas station and back. Then he even pours the gasoline into the tank himself.
In very touristy areas, this helpfulness is of course not quite as selfless. A tip is expected there.
Loy Krathong: Anyone who has experienced this festival honoring the ancestors will never forget the beautiful floating and flying lanterns.
Songkran: The Thai New Year is all about cleansing. If necessary, even with water-gun battles. The pickup trucks spraying ice-cold water are notorious. Great fun.
They’re simply practical when you constantly have to take your shoes off—when entering a temple, a home, a sala, or even a shop. For some travelers, this becomes a way of life.
How do we know we’re in Thailand? By the toilet paper on the table and the wet underwear after using the toilet. By now, I’ve really come to appreciate it. Definitely better than toilet paper here. A how-to guide.
At this weekend market, with its more than 4,000 small shops, getting lost is part of the experience. That way, I can always discover new products. Clothes, souvenirs, decorations, art, and live animals. I’ve even been here for some speed shopping during a layover at Don Mueang Airport.
Admittedly, they are real polluters and usually far too loud. Nevertheless, I find these colorful buses, often painted with a particular theme, a welcome addition to Thailand’s roads. The sound of some of them reminds me of the original Star Wars trilogy. A spaceship cruising down the highway.
By the way, you can get almost anywhere using public transportation. For example, you can conveniently book bus trips online through 12Go.
Looked more closely
During my time in Thailand, whether traveling, on vacation, or living here, I’ve come across many lovely things.
In no other country does it seem so easy to express one’s sexual orientation. Even 13-year-olds often know that they do not want to live as heterosexual men. Later, this is expressed in the whole range, from a little hair clip to the more beautiful-than-a-woman version of a former man. Ladyboys can be more daring and express sexy femininity more openly than women. They are also extremely narcissistic beings. More to discover.
Are there any Thais without a “Chue len” (nickname, or “play name”)? Very few. They are usually very short, like Ae, Ti, Doi, or U. Often, they have a meaning, such as Nueng (one), Daeng (red), Uan (fat), or Lek (small). Then there’s another category, like Benz, Golf, or Google. Nicknames can sometimes change. When there were too many Pims at the orphanage, a new employee was renamed Sim.
Speaking of the orphanage, when I worked there, I often witnessed the meditation before school started at the village school. 300 students sat completely still on their mats in front of the classroom for 15 minutes.
Perhaps it’s the influence of Buddhism. Whether you’re a woman traveling alone or driving along a deserted country road at night, you can feel safe in Thailand. When I read reports from South America by comparison, I’m reminded of how happy I am to be able to move around here so freely and without a care.
Of course, I’ve also encountered some rather large monitor lizards along the canal road. In a park in the middle of Bangkok, monitor lizards up to 2 meters long look quite bizarre.
Most of the time, they’ve been run over, but sometimes I see live snakes on the road. Once, I even saw an arm-thick python at night.
Who hasn’t heard about it? The moving story of the miraculous rescue of a youth football team through international cooperation in 2018. The film The Cave shows the challenges that had to be overcome and how hundreds of helpers contributed to the rescue.
“Complex” would be a cautious way to describe its taste. Wikipedia describes it as “reminiscent of walnuts and vanilla, but with a strong fruity top note and a distinct onion-like flavor.”
Thailand’s national fruit is highly revered and commands a high price. The special relationship with durian became clear in 2018 when four baked durians were launched into space aboard a test rocket by Blue Origin. It is unclear whether Jeff Bezos or Thailand’s space agency GISTDA paid for the four-minute flight.
It is not easy for Central Europeans to learn. The writing system doesn’t make it any easier. Nevertheless, I love the language for words and expressions like “gin len” (กินเล่น), literally “eat play,” meaning eating when you’re already full but still snacking. Similarly, “tiao len” or “noon len.” “Bin khau” (ปีนเขา) means climbing, literally “fly mountain.”
Oh, how entertaining this series about a quirky family who “migrated” from Bangkok to the seaside is. Deliciously told by Colin Cotterill, who also writes the famous Dr. Siri stories. Along the way, you learn a lot about the country. Jimm Juree, I hope to read more from you again soon. The trilogy on Amazon.
Living in Thailand
Living here is a completely different experience. I’ve looked beyond the surface and had to deal much more with the negative aspects as well. Nevertheless, there are still plenty of reasons to love Thailand.
Simply pleasant. Sometimes it’s just a formality, but often it’s also genuine respect shown toward me as an older farang. No matter how crowded it gets, older people are not jostled here.
A means of transport for all kinds of goods and a vehicle for the whole family. Fun, extremely practical, and also very cheap to maintain.
This ethnic minority in the border mountains of Chiang Rai Province fascinates me. Until the 1980s, the Akha made their living from opium. Today, their mountain-grown coffee is highly valued. Although their traditional religion has largely been replaced by Christian churches, some traditional ceremonies are still practiced. The traditional headdresses worn by the women can weigh more than 2 kg.
It feels like there are thousands of cafés in Chiang Rai. Apart from the big chains like Amazon and Black Canyon, everyone seems to think they can make a living by opening a coffee shop. Behind this is the typical Thai mindset: “If it works for my neighbor, it will make me money too.” Building an attractive café and buying an expensive professional espresso machine are not seen as investments that need to pay for themselves. The concept of a business plan seems to be unknown.
Coffee lovers benefit from this. Shops with their own roasteries produce delicious Arabica and Robusta beans in different roast levels. Some also know how to market themselves well, such as the 1:2 chain with its post-industrial design, where bloggers and influencers love to take photos.
Cycling makes me happy. Cycling in Thailand makes me twice as happy. Whether it’s a road cycling trip with friends or a multi-day tour with overnight stays. It’s not just the variety of landscapes that makes it so enjoyable, but also the fantastic infrastructure, with plenty of accommodation options throughout the country and a generally well-developed road network. Cycling in Thailand is very pleasant. Outside tourist areas such as Koh Samui or Phuket, I find cycling safe, as long as you know what to watch out for.
Bike for Dad record: By the way, on December 11, 2015, more than 600,000 people around the world, especially in Thailand, were cycling at the same time to honor King Bhumibol. I was there in Chiang Rai when 10,000 cyclists gathered at the park by Sala Glang, the provincial administration office, and rode a short route through the city.
Last but not least. This is actually one of the reasons I live here. The purchasing power of people from the “Western world” is enormous in Thailand. What is completely unfair to Thais means a comfortable life for us. Labor is cheap, which makes many services affordable. The higher your expectations for a lifestyle like the one “back home,” the more expensive life here becomes.
More on the topic of Cost of Living in Thailand
I’m sure that if I think about it some more, I’ll come up with even more reasons.
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My tips for you: trips in Chiang Rai province
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Many thanks to Sasin Tipchai for his wonderful photo. ขอบคุณมากครับ (Thank you very much.)
My suggestion for organized tours in and around Chiang Rai, Thailand