In my latest blog I describe Thailand as a delightful place to travel and truly it is. My main purpose for going to Thailand was to obtain an entry Visa into India and do some Scuba Diving which is one my favorite recreational activities. Not only was I able to accomplish both of these goals but I also had a chance to do some exploring . I quickly discovered that Thailand has something to offer almost everyone and I was impressed with the ease with which I was able to communicate and travel inside this small kingdom.

To reach Thailand from China, I flew directly from the southeastern city of Xiamen (in Fujian Province) to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. To reach to Xiamen from my home, I had to take a 24 hour bus ride which was very comfortable because there were beds on the bus.  The flight from Xiamen cost about 40 USD through Air Asia which was dirt cheap the only inconvenience being that no seats were assigned so it was "every man for himself" upon boarding the plane. Also, I was a little nervous when the plane began its descent and no announcement or seatbelt sign came on. It seemed like it was just 5-10 minutes before we landed when the pilot finally mumbled something about safety belts and upright trays. 

My introduction to Bangkok was quite thrilling especially since I was seeing it all from a taxi that was doing literally 140 Kilometers an hour (about 85 mph for you Americans out there) on the Airport toll road. When we finally got off the expressway and my heartbeat had stabilized, I observed that even at 1:30 in the morning, the streets of Bangkok were alive with traffic, vendors selling everything under the sun, restaurants, foreigners, and prostitutes. After we blew right past my hotel, which I spotted and my taxi driver didn't, I finally arrived, quickly checked in, and went to bed.

The next day I had to take care of a little business; getting my visa application to the Indian Embassy before noon. This turned out to be an expensive endeavor since I paid my taxi driver five times more than I should have to get to the embassy as well as finding out that the Indian Government applies a hefty surcharge to any American VISA applications. None of this stopped me from submitting my application and my passport which would be returned to me six days later, they told me.

I had already decided to spend my first few days in Thailand on one of the exotic southern Islands that lie in the Gulf. I spent the rest of the day figuring out how I was going to get down there as well as looking for the best airfare deal to India. All the while I was working on these little projects, I had a chance to see Bangkok in daylight and gather my first impressions of this major city. It didn't take me a long time to fall in love with Bangkok. As a person who loves big cities but also appreciates culture and history, I found that Bangkok has a wonderful mixture of the new and the old. While it has all of the characteristics of a modern metropolitan city,  such and fabulous shopping areas and scores of banks and internet cafes, it also contains many cultural places of interest such as beautiful temples and monuments which are spread out across the city. It was also easy and fun to take advantage of Bangkok's excellent transportation system which includes a subway, a sky train, and boat taxis that move up and down the Chao Phraya River.   

After an overnight bus ride and a 4 hour ferry ride , I arrived on the Island of Koh Phangan, which is part of a group of over 40 granite islands in the Gulf of Thailand. Here I was able to relax in a beach house and explore the Island on a motorcycle. The island was lush with tropical vegetation and a variety of tall mountains and beautiful waterfalls made this place a veritable paradise. Scuba diving at the famous "Sail Rock" was fun although it was the first time that I had gone diving with so many people. It was quite disappointing, when we saw something very big move past us, to discover that instead of a hammerhead shark or a large barracuda, it was simply two divers from another group going in the opposite direction. I was sorry to have to leave this charming Island but I had to return to Bangkok to retrieve my passport and Indian visa.

I arrived back into Bangkok on New Year's Day at 3:30 in the morning. After arguing with a taxi driver about why I wasn't obligated to pay him an extra four dollars just because it was New Year's Day and pushing away a few hookers who were keen on offering me their services, I found my way to my hotel and took a three hour nap before getting up and preparing to explore the city. 

I feared that everything would be closed on New Year's Day but what I discovered was that I could not have picked a better day to explore Bangkok. Not only were all of the temples open, but the entrances were free and Tuk Tuk rides to anywhere in the city only cost 20 BHT (about 50 cents) because the government was subsidizing the gas costs as a holiday promotion. By the time the hot sun had mercifully begun to disappear over the horizon, I had visited many of the city's attraction including  Wat Intharawihan, home of a 32 meter tall standing Buddha, Benchamabophit, a famous Marble Temple, and the Anantasamakhom Throne Hall. In addition, I visited the Golden Mount (a temple with a great view of the city), the City Pillar Shrine, and the beautiful Temple of Dawn, which was located across the Chao Phraya River. I was  also successful in not falling prey to the numerous gem and gold scams that were presented to me throughout the day by rickshaw drivers and Buddhists that I met in temples. 

Many people have inquired of me whether or not I spotted any women that looked particularly masculine during my travels. The answer is yes. In addition to its exotic islands, ornate temples, and beautiful monuments, Thailand is also famous for its large shemale population. When I made my first sighting, behind the desk of my hotel lobby, there was no wondering involved. A large adam's apple, strong calf muscles, and a pretty but  suspiciously masculine face made it abundantly clear to me that I was looking at a shemale. Throughout my time in Bangkok, I saw others at restaurants and on the streets. I have seen and heard various explanations, including religious and cultural ones, as to why the transsexual population is so high in Thailand but whatever the reasons may be, the fact is, it is much easier legally speaking to have the operation done in Thailand than in other countries.  

Later, I spent a little time in the beautiful northern mountain city of Chang Rai before heading north into Laos and continuing onto China. I look back fondly on my experience in Thailand and I hope to return some day and see many of the other attractions that the country has to offer. I believe that the fact that Thailand, which means "Land of the Free", has never been colonized by western powers is one of the main reasons that this country's rich culture and exotic beauty remain largely unspoiled. The only regret that I had when I left this little kingdom was that I didn't have time to stay longer.