Mother Thailand

For those who has not yet visited Thailand...

It's like being embraced by a gentle mother, welcomed by a friendly stranger and teased by a silly sister.

Having been in Thailand several times I always am surprised by the hospitality and eager to help out (although some try to squeeze you for a couple of hundred baht)

The people
I find the Thais to be very friendly, they are happy to flash a smile and have a silly sence of humor, if you do something wrong they love to call you out and laugh and point (in a sweet childish kind of way), they are helpful when they can and open to share with you the good things in life. Somewhat proud the Thai will something's say Yes (as if they know what you're talking about) use simple English and go slow when speaking. They are mostly soft spoken and very polite, if they do not know English they might be quiet. Most Thai are Buddhist and some are Muslim, all are peaceful and respectful if you are.

Getting around and shopping
At first glance Thailand can be dirty and hard to navigate due to their alphabet and language but with a simpler use of words and some hand gestures you can go a long way. However be aware if someone tells you something is closed or they try to sell you something else instead of your chosen activity or route (this is the usual scam). Be price savvy, if you suspect they are overcharging for something (yes taxi trips, boat tickets, scooter hire, anything really) try to haggle, if they are not budging go see the stall/shop next to the one you're in (most often they stop you on your way out). You can haggle on almost anything, exemption is food though, if you find yourself in a pricy restaurant pick another one, back alleys, small food stands or bazaars is a super cool way to get to taste Thailand!
      When getting around a scooter is your best bet it can be as cheap as 150 baht per day, taxis are cheaper by taxi meter (you have to remind them to turn it on) local buses are the cheapest but very loud, warm and noisy, tourist buses have air conditioning and snack on board, flying is cheap with AirAsia but not always on time clocking in from 700 baht in low season. Waiting for bus/flight/ride can be a while, grab a seat and a coffee, they will show up..

Eating
The restaurants are mostly built simply, a shed some bamboo walls and some colour slapped onto a concrete wall, don't be fooled, they have a great palate! Tastes like Tom Yam (80-120 baht in price range) - a soup with either tofu, chicken or seafood seasoned with lemongrass, kaffir like leaf and chili, it's both sweet and sour with a world of flavor!
Another homerun is the Thai spicy papaya salad, sweet and sour with green papaya as a base, refreshing after a whole day in the sun. Almost no one missed the green and red curry, they are different flavors not an indication of spicyness (most people think green equals less spicy) but more varieties can be found, Penang curry is the red curry but more spicy using black pepper, massaman curry means Muslim curry and have a serving of hearty potato and sometimes pineapple and peanuts in it (not too spicy).
        Don't miss out on the desserts, the Thai have a special pancake that is called Roti and is delicious like puff pastry with fruit, condensed milk or sometimes Nutella, be sure to try coconut ice cream if you get a chance, it's a cooling treat dairy free to keep you tummy happy.
The best prices for food I found was the small but still super tasty family restaurants (not always the fancy looking ones) you can get a dish for as low as 30-40 baht. To get seafood you can walk past most restaurants and point to the food you want to eat, note, these can be very pricey so ask before you sit down. I would advice against eating endangered species and/or shark since this is not ethical nor sustainable for future generations.

Sleeping

Getting a hotel, a bungalow or a home stay is easy in Thailand, no need for prior booking if you are not staying in a fancy resort, you have a myriad of options if all you need is a room, and air conditioner, internet booking sites like hotels.com and booking.com have a higher rate and yes, you can get a better price from the hotel/hostel in person by saying you can stay a couple of nights. Although a trial night can be good so you know if you have a bar or a noisy road, a rock hard bed or something else you'd rather trade (it's not nice to agree to stay for two hours weeks and the first day you know why the room is so cheap) look out for noisy road, roosters, clubs hard beds, ensure a fully functioning air conditioning, moskitos (if possible read the reviews of the place you're staying in)


Nature!
See past the trash and busy streets filled with old mopeds. You can really see the nice things of this special place. Turquoise waters and coral growing meters from shore, lush forests teaming with life, chickens, goats and cows loose to wander where they please.
A diving or snorkeling trip is almost mandatory (snorkel from around 600 baht for a whole day, dive from around 3000 baht), take a trip with one of the many tourist information offices and be sure to get one with some snacks or food since thais can really drag out time and a hungry tourist is not a happy tourist, get a good deal and ask them for best price. Shop around for a good travel agency and if your happy with the first one go back for more ;) Hiking is a good opportunity to see some things the normal tourist often misses, take a trip to one of the waterfalls or caves or go hike up to the view point. You can see eagles, monkeys, snakes, spiders, millipedes and all sorts of butterflies! As well as houses built in the most off grid location ever imagined - don't be surprised if you hit a wifi spot in the middle of nowhere, water and beer can be found too. Ask your guide if you need to carry water or if there will be stops on the way.
 I would strongly advice against tours using elephants, chained monkeys, photographing with tigers, caged birds or aquariums, they are often very poorly cared for, drugged or even beaten or
dismembered to not be dangerous to people.



Need I say I love #thailand ?