"Tolerance, Despite the Turmoil" Thailand by DSwede

When I was telling people that I was planning to come to Thailand, I cannot even begin to quantify how many people asked why and told me to be careful. Yes, Thailand was hit by the tsunami about 3 weeks before I came here (on my first visit), but my plans were already made and reservations booked. And honestly, I did not see a reason to delay or rethink my plans. The tsunami did do extensive damage to the west coast of Thailand, but unlike what was shown on CNN, BBC and Fox News, the vast majority of the coast line was unaffected. Isolated pockets of beaches and towns were annihilated, while others were untouched. Walking around many of the beach areas in what would normally be the peak season was depressing. The lack of tourists and their money is probably doing more damage than the tsunami itself. But on the lighter side, the central and eastern areas of Thailand are relatively unaffected, except by the scared tourists who don’t know their geography to know these areas were sheltered.

And more recently, Thailand was in the spotlight due to political protests, uprisings, etc. The country needs to heel, but this forum is not the place to discuss such things. Tolerance is however the way of life in Thailand. Anything goes and all is welcome.

A crunch appetizer

Well, its subtropical, which means its hot and the sun is strong. There are basically two seasons here, hot and dry followed by hot and rainy. The people are friendly, even though you can’t tell by understanding their complex spoken and artistically ornate written language. They wear lots of smiles and say hello by placing their palms together in a prayer-like pose and bowing their heads. Traditionally this was a way to greet others in peace by proving they were carrying no weapons in their hands.

Thailand is heavily dominated by Buddhism, having temples, both new and old dotting the county side. Some of these temples are ancient, constructed of stone, while others are modern, ornate with gold, gems, colored tiles and gardens.

Thailand is still developing in the sense that in many of the mountains, there are numerous primitive tribes. These groups have come from bordering countries (Burma, Laos, Vietnam), some pushed by development, others simply migrating to new lands. The interior areas are still extremely poor and live difficult lives, but they people are still friendly nonetheless.

(for more pictures, feel free to visit my Thailand Gallery. If you enjoy the pictures, please leave a comment.)

Feel free to visit my other pages with a little more in depth thoughts on
Phuket - beach paradise
Ayuthaya - ancient capital north of Bangkok
Bangkok - the beating heart of modern Thailand
Chiang Mai - city tucked in the forests of northern Thailand, home of the long necked women
MapTaPhut - Near Rayong, central and south. Home of the navy and industry.
Pattaya - Adult playground and neon capital of Asia.
Hua Hin - Peaceful beach area southeast of Bangkok.

• Pros:Tolerance is however the way of life in Thailand. Anything goes and all is welcome.
• Cons:Tourist inflation is making it more it expensive.
• In a nutshell:With so much diversification, a week minimum is required in each corner of the country.