Thailand is known as ‘The Land of Smiles’ and I think it’s a pretty apt description. Thais are friendly people, and in every shop you are greeted with a smile, palms pressed together in a praying gesture, and a slight bow. Courtesy and respect are refreshingly prevalent qualities here. Yet Thailand is a land of contrasts; Cannabis is legal and available on the high street, yet possession of hard drugs can lead to very long prison sentences. Vapes are banned as they ‘encourage young people to smoke’, yet cigarettes are only £1.80 a packet. Prostitution is illegal, yet beautifully made up women (and men) looking for clients are everywhere.
Sexpats abound. These are the old, wrinkled white men who stroll arm in arm with expensively dressed and manicured Thai girls, young enough to be their granddaughters. Whilst we might frown on this arrangement, with high poverty levels and a lack of equality for women, who can blame these young girls for seeking out a rusty white man who will shower them with designer clothes and expensive meals?
The other night some of the volunteers caught a tuktuk home. The house has a pet dog, Consuela, who lives outside and wanders freely. She is the most gentle, affectionate Collie-like hound. As the group got out of the tuktuk, Consuela ran to greet them. In an instant the driver pulled out a 12” machete and attempted to hack the dog, claiming she had bitten him. Fortunately one of the terrified girls grabbed the dog and, after an angry exchange, the driver drove off. We learnt that it is normal for tuktuk drivers to carry machetes for protection. Clearly under the ‘Smiles’ there is a deep, sinister undercurrent where life is cheap.
I am now in Bangkok for a few days which is the most extraordinary city of contrasts. There is the outstanding beauty of the ornate temples, and the serenity of Buddhists monks, in the midst of the noise and chaos of the worst traffic jams I have witnessed. The Skytrain is a super efficient transport system, which puts the Underground to shame. The trains are air conditioned, clean and on time, yet homeless people sleep in their shadows. Even the weather is a contrast. Everyday I head out into the exhausting humidity of the morning, only to be soaked to the skin by a torrential downpour minutes later. God knows how many Wet T Shirt Competitions I have inadvertently entered this week.
I didn’t go in…Husband really isn’t happy about me being in this crazy city alone, however the most risqué thing I have done this evening is use my illegal vape and eat 2 bags of crisps. I guess there is always tomorrow…
