501 Places

King's Brithday celebrations in Thailand

I’m watching the news from Bangkok with great sadness. I can’t begin to understand the politics and the troubled history behind the anger on the two sides of the dispute, and am not qualified to offer any opinion other than a wish for the fighting to stop quickly and a peaceful resolution to be found.

Inevitably though, seeing and reading the latest from Thailand takes my mind back only a few months to our visit in SE Asia. Although trouble was brewing already then and people we spoke to feared that something like this would happen, it was a very different Thailand and a very different Bangkok. By contrast we witnessed the happy celebrations of the King’s birthday; such very different scenes to the current chaos and violence.

I go back again to the same thought that keeps recurring on our travels: how can a nation that appears so content and peaceful to us, the visiting tourists, be at each others’ throats just over the horizon? We were in northern Uganda in 1993, when the LRA were just establishing their murderous presence there; in Peru a couple of years later, when there was still widespread fear of the Sendero Luminoso who had only recently lost their grip on much of the country; and again a little while later in Sri Lanka where tourists were kept well away from the bloody civil war that raged in the north. On each occasion we left enchanted by the warm welcomes we received, at the smiles, the laughter and the apparent contentment of the people.

How can we explain this contrast between nations that on one hand extend a warm welcome to visitors and on the other are busy tearing themselves apart? Maybe others have answers they would like to share; for me there are only questions. Are we just seeing a front when we encounter these smiling faces? A Thai person we met was quite amused at the ‘Land of Smiles’ label that is constantly applied to her country. She explained to us that the Asian culture and the spiritual beliefs of the peoples of SE Asia lead people to keep their troubles deeply internalised. There is little tolerance for moaning and griping about everyday ills, and while people may give an outward appearance of happiness, it is much to do with the pressure with the society to keep what is personal, personal.

Is is that as tourists, in a country for a week or a month, we just don’t get beneath the surface of a culture and its people enough to get beyond the superficial? The answer is probably yes, but maybe it’s a convenient deception. After all, given a choice of travelling to a place renowned for its happy smiles and warm welcomes, or one where the local people live in fear and deep suspicion of outsiders and one another, it’s obvious where most will choose to go. Do we just accept that we are only seeing a carefully crafted front when we visit a destination? And should this matter to us, passing through for a few days or weeks?

I hope Bangkok is peaceful again quickly, and the smiles once again replace the tanks and the guns. I’d rather see this great nation market itself again as the Land of Smiles; whatever lies underneath the surface of a welcome, the reality is that for a tourism market to boom, it is that first impression that is so important.

Akha women, northern Thailand - notice the Coca-Cola T-shirt?

In SE Asia, and no doubt elsewhere in the world, there is a growing trend for tourists to visit ‘tribal villages’. These are marketed as communities of people living in accordance with their ancient traditions. By inference, we are encouraged to believe that the state provides protection for these minority groups and that we, as tourists, can come face to face with a different culture while helping them financially by our visit.

We visited a number of ethnic villages during our time in Thailand and Laos. Most were normal working villages, but the most uncomfortable by far was a hilltribe village tourist centre just outside Chiang Rai. We hadn’t been so keen to go, but our driver had already taken us to the brilliant Wat Rong Khun and we had hiked up to a waterfall in the nearby hills. With a couple of hours to kill before our bus to the Lao border, we agreed to her plan of going to see the tribal village centre.

Our reaction was purely personal, but for us it was a place we didn’t want to hang around. Made up of four tribal communities, each one separated by no more than 100 metres along a footpath, this complex housed people from these ethnic groups who would normally have a large swathe of land on which to subsist. Here, penned in like animals in a zoo, they waited for passing tourists to wander up to their station. They would then perform a dance or offer scarves and trinkets for sale, in the hope of raising a few baht. Others may have found the same experience to be a positive one, but I couldn’t wait to get out and just felt wrong for even being part of something that made me feel instinctively uncomfortable.

Lao village

I have since read numerous articles, including this excellent piece by Tony at Contemporary Nomad about the compulsory resettlement of tribal communities in Thailand, and the overall policy in neighbouring countries of forceably integrating these communities into mainstream society. This is clearly a hugely complex subject and not one which I would pretend to understand. In our particular visit, did these people benefit from being in their enclosure and capturing a few crumbs from the passing farang? Financially they probably do benefit (although I wonder how much of the 300 baht entrance fee reaches them, and how much makes its way into ‘other places’). Is this the life they would lead if given the choice? I somehow doubt it.

We did visit other villages along the Mekong in Laos that left us with a more positive feeling. Sure, I learned that financial arrangements were made between the river boat company and the village elders – call it a landing fee. That’s perfectly ok. When we wandered into the villages we were mobbed by curious children and greeted with reserved smiles by the adults. Those encounters were far more pleasant, although even here there is evidence to suggest a dark side to the recent history of resettlement of ethnic groups along the river by the Lao government.

What do we do as tourists in these situations? Do we visit the tribal cultures in these environments hoping that a little or our money does make it into their hands, or we keep away, stopping the demand for such circuses, but subjecting these people to the alternative, whatever that is? Who benefits in the long run? Not the questions that the tourism chiefs would want visitors to leave with, but if ecotourism is to evolve maybe we will gain easier access to the answers.

Grand Palace, Bangkok

Using Bangkok purely as an entry-exit point to SE Asia, we ended up with three nights and only one day in the city. It was our final day, and we were relaxed at the fact that we would do little more than scratch the surface of this giant city. We have so many plans to visit this part of the world again soon that we were sure we would be back soon enough.

We met up with Surin, a friend from business school, who is born and bred in Bangkok. He had carefully planned out an itinerary for us, and we were soon on our way to the Grand Palace. This is a most impressive sight, with so many beautiful monuments and buildings squeezed into a an area surrounded by a 1.9km wall. It is also home to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, one of the most sacred sites in Thailand. The complex was crowded with visitors, both Thai and foreign, and each doorway to a building was a constant flow of human traffic.

The complex was built during the reign of King Rama I (the current king is Rama IX) in 1782, but many of the buildings within the site were built and renovated by subsequent rulers. We spent a couple of hours admiring the ornate carvings, decorated walls and the magnificent statues on display, before heading out of the Palace and towards the university grounds, where Surin showed us the places he had spent his student years.

Chinatown in Bangkok

We had lunch in a modest canteen at the back of a market, and left the ordering to our trusted Thai friend! It was a delicious meal; nothing fancy, rice, egg and a noodle dish that will probably mean we never order Pad Thai again, to avoid the disappointment when we remember this one! We even had a river view at no extra cost.

Our next stop was Bangkok’s Chinatown. We picked up some durian fruit, which I was determined to try, and some mango with chilli sauce. I was a bit disappointed with the durian. I was expecting something that stunk worse than a rotting corpse (although thankfully I wouldn’t be able to make a direct comparison). Instead I found it was actually not an unpleasant smell, and the taste was ok (not great; just ok). The mango with chilli was better, and I had never imagined the two would go so well.

Gold Buddha, Wat Traimit

We wandered through Chinatown, past the countless number of gold merchants, and visited Wat Traimit, housing the world’s largest solid gold Buddha statue. The Wat is a new building, and it seems that they hadn’t yet got round to welcoming tourists properly, as entry was free. It is an impressive statue, and is housed at the top floor of the Wat. Clearly they have a solid floor under the statue!

After milling around the markets of Chinatown for a while and passing through stalls that sold literally anything and everything, we took a ride to Siam Square, the shopping and entertainment district of Bangkok. It was a long slow ride, as by this time the worst of the rush hour was upon us and we crawled at snail’s pace through the gridlock. We were more than ready for our giant ice-creams in the food court of the mall.

The shops in the mall were remarkably familiar with the same high end boutique names you can find in London, although maybe more exclusive. They even had a Lamborghini showroom on the 3rd floor! I hate shopping, but was entertained by the sights that we enjoyed wandering through the many floors of the mall. Surin had promised us a lot of food, and he certainly kept his promise, as we stopped for yet another favourite snack, mango and sticky rice.

It was remarkable that we managed to eat dinner that evening, but somehow we squeezed in a very tasty meal at Nara, an upscale Thai restaurant in the Central World Plaza. We ate so much more than I had an appetite for, but by that time fatigue and an all-day culinary workout had dulled my sense of being full. The diners seemed to be a mix of mainly middle-class Bangkok residents with a few westerners.

The greatest entertainment of visiting the malls was without doubt seeing the young people posing for photos at every opportunity. Whether it was next to statues, posters, Christmas trees, you would find several girls (and even the occasional guy) striking a pose in all seriousness while their photographer/partner was invariably armed with a large, flashy camera. The first time we saw this we were sure we had stumbled upon a model shoot, such was the professional demeanour of the photographer and their subject.

We enjoyed Bangkok, and having a local friend to show us around made it a better experience. We missed many sites that we will have to leave till next time, we didn’t see much of the seedy part of Bangkok that we know exists, and we never made it to the fabled Khao San Rd. But we saw enough to know that next time we are heading east, we will look forward to visiting this vibrant, modern city again.

Foot massage in public: Chiang Rai

It’s hard to walk down a street in the big cities of SE Asia without seeing a huge number of massage establishments. In some places massages are even available in the public squares or in the doorways of buildings. I’m not talking about the seedy image of massage parlours, but regular places where both tourists and locals can relieve the stress in their joints and muscles. (That being said, the seedy places are present everywhere too and sometimes the distinction between the two is maybe less obvious than appears from the surface)

On our recent trip to this part of the world we indulged in a massage on an almost daily basis. It seemed like a very pleasant way to spend an evening, and at an average of $5 for an hour it was a cheap night out; and we were helping local businesses too! During the course of our time in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia I pretty much went through the menu of standard massage services available, so I thought I would list the types of massage normally on offer and share my experiences.

Foot massage. A good place to start, but be warned that the masseuse is unlikely to stick to the feet. In my first foot massage in Bangkok the lady worked up to my knees and lower thighs, and then later on my back and shoulders too. A nice way to drift away while being massaged, and you will usually get a drink of tea to enjoy while you are receiving your massage.

Back and shoulder massage. One hour on the back and shoulders is a long time, not only for the masseuse but also the recipient. It was amazing how a small person could inflict such pressure on my back! I tried this once, and then resolved to have an all-over experience. As with most of our massages, Sam and I were laid in adjacent beds so we were able to stare across and see what the other was going through, while the girls were able to laugh at us with great amusement, knowing that our lack of Thai, Lao or Khmer meant that they could say what they wanted without any fear of us understanding. My size 11 feet seemed to start the jokes off every time.

Lao massage. The Lao equivalent of the Thai massage, but softer. Or so they said. Someone didn’t mention that to the girl who pounded away on my back and pulled my arms through angles they had never seen. I was asked to put on a pyjama suit for the session at the start. About half of the massage involved me lying on my front while the masseuse worked on my back and my legs, and the other half while she worked on my front. Everything (apart from private areas of course!) was fair game for the massage, and I came out feeling like I’d been in a fight- and lost.

Khmer massage. The Cambodian variation on the all-over massage, but this one was sold as being gentler than its Lao/Thai equivalents, and indeed it generally was. We took 1.5 hours for this one, and I was so relaxed after 45 minutes that I may have fallen asleep at some point just before she threw her full weight onto my back with no warning. I don’t know if it was the loud slap on the back that woke me or the sudden pressure of having someone pounding away mercilessly on my back, but there was no chance of sleeping after that.

Oil massage. Like the Khmer massage but with oil, this one is not for the shy or sensitive. I was asked to shower first, and coming out of the shower with my towel the masseuse asked me to lie face down on the table, and then immediately pulled away my towel. For the next hour it was strategically used to hide my modesty while she worked away on my arms, legs and shoulders with copious amounts of oil. An initially uncomfortable experience, but probably my favourite massage in the end, and certainly the most gentle. It was also the only time the lady giving the massage spoke any English, and she was able to give me a little insight into her life. She didn’t like the job at all, but worked to pay for her studies in hairdressing school. She studied from 8 till 2, and then worked in the massage parlour from 2.30 till midnight, 6 days a week, and had a strong ambition to own her own hair salon.

4 hand massage. A final night indulgence, where two masseuses work on you at the same time. I have heard from others that when done properly it is a carefully synchronised operation that is wonderful to experience. I guess I don’t know, as I had two young girls only one of whom was taking it seriously and the other was busy chatting up the Kiwi guy on the next bed who had just announced that he was single. “You want Cambodian girlfriend?” was her only English line, but one she was determined to use to full effect. The massage was forgettable, although the hilarity that ensued from us ribbing the Kiwi guy made up for it!

Seeing Hands massage. Without doubt the best massage of the trip, and the only one performed by men. We both had an hour session with the blind men of Siem Reap. With no social care system in place, the disabled are left to fend for themselves, and Seeing Hands is a venture that gives the blind a means of self-support in an otherwise hopeless situation. The masseur found his way effortlessly around my back and shoulders and the pressure he exerted was a world away from that of the 45kg young girls. In fact it was frightening at times, knowing that he had so much strength in his hands to do me serious damage. I needn’t have worried, as he worked expertly on my spine before pulling my arms through controlled contortions that brought tears to my eyes. Paying the men is of course a act of trust, as they cannot see how much money is put into their hands, but their skills and bravery deserve the highest praise.

Back home now I wouldn’t dream of paying western prices for such a service, but certainly next time we are in Asia I will look forward to more sessions of pain and torture, delivered with a good price and a beaming smile.

Final rehearsals for the big parade

Dec 5^th is a very important day in Thailand. It is the day on which this nation celebrates the birthday of its beloved king. As well as being a public holiday, it is a time of national celebration. We flew on the morning of the 5^th from Bangkok to Chiang Rai. Travelling to the airport we saw many banners and posters marking the special day, and many of the people were wearing yellow or pink, the adopted colours of the king.

In Chiang Rai the observance of this occasion was even stronger than in Bangkok. A major parade passed through the city in the early evening, and earlier in the day we slipped into the town’s  school grounds to observe the final rehearsals. As the parade passed through the city later every person  stopped whatever they were doing as the young band members and servicemen passed through.

Marching with passion

It was striking to see the reverence with which the king is held. Like the queen in Britain he is carefully to remain distinctly separate from the political machinery of the state, and has remained very popular through all of Thailand’s recent political troubles. Yes, there are some draconian sanctions for those who dare to criticise him or disrespect him, and I would be naïve to assume that he is universally popular. However I have visited a number of countries where repression has meant that people are afraid to discuss the state and its leaders, and I did not feel that in any way here.

The party is in full swing!

There is a genuine respect and admiration for the way he has led the country, even among those who may not be ardent royalists. He is considered a man of the people, a title that carries power wherever it is given. For us it was a bonus to be in Thailand on such an auspicious day and enjoy the fervour with which the people celebrated.