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Thailand
Country Report
by Dave Covey.
The kingdom of Thailand is the gateway to the Far East and a wonderful place to live. The culture, architecture and laid-back lifestyle are a welcome change from the west. This article offers an overview from a tourist's perspective with the following in mind;
a) Diving parties invariably include non-divers and/or those that like to experience more than just their resort/boat/hotel.
b) My articles on Samui and the Similans provide fine detail on diving on the east or west coast of Thailand, along with other background information.
History
Thailand was known as Siam until 1939. The country's chequered history includes various squabbles (or migration) as a result of the activities of Kublai Khan, the Burmese, Khmers and later the Japanese. The Bridge on the River Kwai is a lasting memorial to those who died on the notorious Thai-Burma railway in WW2. The Vietnam War and The Killing fields of Cambodia played their part in the latter half of the 20th century. Refugees from these conflicts can still be found in villages along the border.
The Monarch, king Rama IX is 75 years of age, having ruled since 18. The Monarchy and Buddha are revered in Thailand, indeed andquot;The King and Iandquot; starring Yul Brynner as King Rama v (1868-1910) remains banned.
Geography/Climate
Thailand is bordered by Burma (Myanmar) to the north and west, Laos (North and East), Cambodia (East) and Malaysia to the south. The climate is tropical and the landscape varies from Mountains (in the north and to a lesser extent in the south) to flat rice growing land in the centre and east. There are 3 Seasons; Hot, Cool and Wet (Monsoon). In the Hot season (Easter) the temperature can exceed 40°C, while in the cool Season it drops to 25°C (or as low as 10°C in the Mountains of Chiang Mai). The timings vary, depending on where you are. I suspect this is because the country divides the Indian Ocean from the South China Sea. The Monsoon on Koh Samui occurs in November yet takes place in April 8 hours (by road) away on Phuket.
The country has 2 coastlines; to the east lies 1500km of coast skirting the gulf of Thailand, while on the west there's 560km skirting the Andaman sea. Both offer magnificent islands and marine conservation areas for the vast amount of wildlife to be seen above and below the waterline.
Note: Malaria and Dengue fever are never far away. Speak to your GP about preventative measures and do not travel uninsured!
Population, Culture and Religion
I'll simplify this as follows:
a) Thailand is 95% Buddhist. The remainder varies, with a Muslim stronghold in the south (harmonious, despite events elsewhere).
b) Up to 10% of the population are ethnic Chinese, hence the widespread celebrating of the Chinese New Year in February. The population of Thailand is 56 million.
c) Monks wear Orange; Nuns wear white. They CANNOT TOUCH THE OPPOSITE SEX so do not be offended if a handshake is turned down.
d) Never touch a Thai person's head, or point with your feet (The head is the highest and feet the lowest part of the body in Thai culture).
e) Thais greet each other using the " Wat" (hands together in "prayer" position). The junior person "Wats" first (it's polite to "wat" a Monk/Nunn or Goverment official whenever you come into contact with them).
Bangkok (Central)
Bangkok is the nation's capital. It has many places of interest including palaces, temples, markets (some floating) and a wealth of entertainment venues. It is usually hot and covered in smog so I don't recommend staying there long. The Airport includes a domestic terminal for most internal destinations and is a gateway for China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Anchor Wat, Philippines, Bali, Australia and New Zealand.
Note: Australia and New Zealand are 24 hrs flying time from London. Breaking your journey in Thailand allows you to get a suntan, buy some bargains, dive and relax. It also reduces the risk of deep vein thrombosis.
Chiang Mai (north)
Thailand's second city is north of Bangkok near the border with Burma. I travelled by sleeper train (14 hrs/£20). This region seemed to be the agricultural capital in so far as fruit, flowers, rice, and bananas were growing everywhere and were beautiful. One of Thailand's best exports is orchids. A box of 20 cost less than a packet of cigarettes in UK and lasts more than a month.
One of my best days in chiang mai consisted of;
a) A trip to the Thai/Burma/Laos border, known as "the opium triangle".
b) A display of elephant logging followed by a 2 hour elephant trek in the jungle.
c) Bamboo rafting on the Mai Kong river (this flows into Vietnam, as seen in 'Apocalypse now').
d) An Oxcart ride.
e) A visit to a snake farm, followed by a trip to an umbrella factory and a jewelery maker. (The umbrellas were the decorated variety associated with the Japanese).
A few days later I bathed in hot springs before venturing into the hills to see the Karen tribe, ethnic Burmese driven from their homeland by their (Cold War relic) Government. The Karen are famous for their women with long necks. These women weave sarongs and sell crops for a living. A man climbed 120 feet up a tree to collect honey while I was there ... using a single strand bamboo ladder!!
Note: There's no love lost between Thailand and Burma. Gun fire/border disputes occur regularly and there are refugee villages (including the Karen) throughout the area. The need for vigilance cannot be underestimated when traveling near the border, but I nonetheless recommend you go.
(Chiang mai is also renowned for it's legendary night market)
Surin (east)
Surin is located some 9 hours from Bangkok by train. My wife comes from this area and Khmer is her first language (the Cambodian border is a couple of hours south).
Miles and miles of flat, open landscape, rather like the fenns in UK, surround Surin. The local economy thrives on rice and livestock production. Foreigners seldom venture this far and you therefore find people stare (out of curiosity) or practice their English. I had a lengthy conversation with a monk while waiting for a train to Buri Ram. My having a Thai wife goes down very well and my attempts at speaking the language are warmly received ... even though I sound like Manuel from Fawlty Towers!!
The night market in Surin transformed the town. I was particularly struck by the delicacies on display; scorpion, locust, dung beetle, cockroach, maggot-like grubs, ants eggs etc., all fried and served in a spicy coating. I'm a great believer in "When in Rome" and tried the lot (24 years in the Army gave me a head start!). Scorpion and locust are fine, ants eggs are delicious but I steered clear of ....Duck embryo!!
Note: The Karen in Chiang mai regarded barbequed Tarantula as a delicacy, cooked in banana leaf and the fangs used as toothpicks.
The many bars, restaurants and street vendors cater for western palates if you don't fancy local cuisine.
In autumn Surin hosts an elephant festival. The elephant is sacred in Asia and the Mahouts dress and parade them through the streets. There are also some interesting ruins from the Khmer era (to rival Anchor Wat) a couple of hours away by bus.
Had Yai (South)
Had Yai is near the border with Malaysia. The towns' economy centres on the sex trade arising from its geographic location (men south of the border get "The call of the Salmon" at weekends!!)
The border is handy for the expat community, required by law to "Border Bounce" from time to time. The hotels, bars and restaurants are adequate/affordable (many restaurants are 'al fresco'), and there's a bus station with regular busses to Bangkok/Samui/Phukett etc.
Note: The border region with Malaysia has seen a marked increase in violence since Sept 11 2001, indeed several hundred people have lost their lives in 2004. There's no direct threat to tourists (YET) but extreme vigilance must be observed by anyone travelling here or in popular tourist resorts. The FCO website has the latest info re current threat.
On December 26 2004 the west coast was hit by the Indian Ocean Tsunami resulting in substantial loss of life. Thai authorities believe Phuket will recover quickly but it may take longer for Khao Lak, Koh Phi Phi and other remote areas to do so. The east (Gulf of Thailand) coast remains unaffected and open to divers and tourists.
Phuket was also ravaged by the Indian Ocean Tsunami. The Tourist Authority of Thailand, along with Thai Prime minister Taksin Sinawatra believe Patong will re-open in a few weeks but it may take longer for remote areas to do so. The effects on divesites are not known. (04.01.05)
Other factors
Public transport is cheap and affordable. I've covered this in my entry for Samui, along with details of International/Domestic flights, Exchange rates, Visa requirements etc.
Thailand is right to be proud of its tourist industry and I strongly recommend you take a look.
Dave Covey
DMT/ALST
Samui
Thailand
gen_woolfe@hotmail.com
www.divesamui.org
Acknowledgements
I'd like to thank Harry Bonning for some of the photos accompanying this report. Harry works in the property market and has his own website: www.kosamuiproperties.com
Links
a) Satellite weather map of Thailand
b) British Embassy, Bangkok
c) Tourist Authority of Thailand
d) Commonwealth War graves commission-Far East campaign.
e) www.bangkokpost.com www.thenation.com English Language newsmedia.
f) Wrecks in Thailand
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