There and Back Again with Korea Airlines
This trip to Thailand and Indonesia was my first trip to Asia. And my first time out of the United States since 2016.
This is the first time I flew Korean Air. I enjoyed the experience.
They gave us plenty of food, coffee, and slippers for comfort on the cross-continental trip. The second leg of my trip I checked in early enough to request vegetarian meals.
The in-flight entertainment had many [South] Korean shows. These seemed emotionally powerful but difficult to understand.
I watched a few American movies. The Notebook is popular with ladies, but I found it long and cringy. After an hour I moved on to Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes (same actress!) and Disney Jungle Cruise.
My friend Josh came in clutch by fixing my old Pokemon Red and Blue games before my trip. With the old-school Gameboy Advanced and my homeboy Kadabra, I became an unstoppable traveling Pokemaster.
The Seoul and Incheon airports seemed modern and organized. The trolleys played Beethoven as they cruised around. There is plenty of shopping for booze, smokes, and fashionable widgets. I saw a variety of robots and a live performance of traditional Korean music.
Life in Bangkok
Bangkok airports are not as put together as in Korea, but still solid. Food and coffee are far more expensive than on the outside.
I stayed a few different hotels in Bangkok. The Go Inn near the Grand Palace is nice. I also took a shot at the Siam Subway hostel and THA in Sukhumvit. These had various levels of amenities for coffee and breakfast. I found them charming.
It took me a while to get the hang of how to use Asian showers. Once I had slept off my jet lag, I had a great time. I toured the local palace and temples as well as the markets near Old Siam Plaza.
The Grab app is useful for getting around major metro areas in Southeast Asia. It’s similar to Uber/Lyft and food delivery rolled together. You can get food or goods delivered, or get a taxi to your destination.
The metro and buses can be useful if you know what you’re doing. Moped scooters are the fastest way to get around Bangkok. I found dodging and weaving through traffic unnerving. Get a helmet.
You are safe from theft and violence in Thailand relative to an American city. Locals familiar with the language and customs negotiate much better prices than foreigners. Thai do not have a problem with charging you an elevated gringo price. You have to haggle a bit. Watch out for unmetered taxis like tuk-tuks.
I enjoyed seeing local Muay Thai fights at Rajadamnern stadium. This experience showed how Thailand is proud of the growth of their sport and is open for business.
You want pizza? How about burger? Maybe orange juice or coconut?
The fighters do a traditional dance before the match. It’s called “wai khru ram muay," meaning “war-dance saluting the teacher.” The ritual symbolizes the established values of Thai culture.1
The music continues to play during the fight and tempo accelerates during the round.
The locals are working on their English, Russian and Chinese to appeal to tourists. It shows incredible ambition and work ethic.
Most English speaking tourists here come from Australia. It’s a few hours flight north for Ozzies to come on holiday to Southeast Asia. There’s a fair amount of western Europeans as well, particularly from the UK and Holland. There’s fewer Anglo and Latin Americans around.
An Englishman called Russian tourists “the rudest people you will ever meet.” I ran into one rude dude in a Bangkok dispensary but otherwise found them amiable. This speaks to the cultural rift between Russia and western Europe.
I’ve discussed my upset with the war situation as a mixed Russian/Ukranian guy. Thankfully we haven’t had any close family members die in the war. But Ukraine and its allies are literally up in arms.
Russia is well regarded in Thailand as well as China and India. People on the ground here don’t give a damn about the war in Europe or the politics of north Asia.
Shop Until You Drop
The street markets of Bangkok are an amazing experience. You can find street vendors and local shops at any time of day doing cash deals. The weekend and night markets, like Chatuchak, are especially vibrant. 2
I visited Chatuchak with my friends Yuva and Alex from Bali. There are rides like a Ferris wheel as well as plenty of food and clothes vendors. It has a local bus station and access to the river.
The shopping experience in Bangkok feels like US cities. But it’s safer and much more affordable. The street markets are unique.
And there’s legal weed! You can’t bring it into stadiums. And don’t try to take it out of the country. Most hotel rooms are non-smoking. But no one cares if you packed herb in your bags for a domestic plane or bus ride.
I once heard it said:
If you don’t believe money can buy happiness, you don’t know where to shop!
This saying stuck with me, but hadn’t resonated until I tried a Thai massage. For the price of 500 baht (about $16 USD) they took body to new heights of relaxation. I had no idea this was possible.
I don’t see myself as a masseuse. But I want to bring my friends here and show them the ropes on the next trip.
Showing Reverence
Tradition is strong in Thailand. Even in the city you see power symbols of Thai culture. There are many powerful symbols around town. For example Buddhist and Hindu temples, shrines, and monuments to the Royal Family.
Thai have a few taboos here worth mentioning:
Do not show the bottoms of your feet. They are unclean.
Do not disrespect the King
Do not disrespect the Buddha
Let’s talk about the King. Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia that was not colonized by European powers. Thai are very proud of their tradition and Royal Family.
This was a point of contention with their communist neighbors, China, and the Soviets. Communists abhor royalty. They have reconciled in recent years. Socialism in one country or something like that.
There’s a monarchist segment within the libertarian movement. I had never taken it seriously. But Thailand seems like a well put together place relative to it’s neighbors. Who needs democracy? Long live the King!
I concur that Thai massages are excellent and amazingly cheap!
I enjoy reading your Thai adventure! When I visited northern Thailand, I met numerous Russian ex-pats. I know some here in Taiwan as well. They’re all lovely people. Blunt, direct, but no issues!