Thailand: Disneyland for backpackers

Jan. 17, 2009

Hello, from the Land of Smiles.

I must apologize again for being terrible at keeping this little travel journal updated. I've been on the beach for several days... or is it weeks? Who knows. I'm totally bragging. I know it's like 12 degrees in New York now. Hahahahahahaha.

I figured when planning this trip that by around this time of year, more than four months on the road, I'd want to head somewhere warm and beachy to hang out and stay still for a little while. I also figured it would be a great opportunity to sit down and start some serious writing.

As I was buying my plane tickets last summer, visions danced through my mind of me bronzed and basking on an empty Thai beach, a laptop (cheaply purchased in Bangkok) on my lap (a good place to place one) and a Pina Colada or some other coconutty concoction in my hand. But the truth is lying on the beach all day is not conducive to creativity. And also, I don't have a laptop cheaply purchased in Bangkok because the BKK and this little country are not as affordable as I expected.

Thailand is overloaded with tourists. A fellow backpacker quoted some statistic that around one in six people in Thailand is a tourist. The Thai people have taken advantage of the popularity of their beautiful country and created a place that is easy and convenient in which to travel. Just walk into any hotel on Koh San Road and you can book a ticket to any region of the country, or of SEAsia for that matter. You'll find yourself the next day on a nice air-conditioned luxury bus with a crowd of 40 other Westerners headed for tropical paradise. But it's not tropical paradise. There are 7-Eleven's everywhere. This country kind of reminds me of Florida.

OK, granted besides Bangkok, I've only been in the islands where tourism is the main industry and prices are jacked up. Tomorrow I'm headed to Koh Phi Phi, the beautiful beach where The Beach was filmed. But the popularity of that movie and the spread of the news about the beauty of this area through word of mouth has brought in the masses. The other day I ate at a KFC in a mini-mall.

Don't get me wrong, it is kind of nice to be in a sunny, clean country with well-paved roads and understandable traffic patterns. I don't begrudge the Thai people for trying to capitalize on the massive tourism industry. I've had lots of fun here over the past couple weeks. I reconnected with Ben (see above picture), a fun Canadian I met in India a few months ago who is one of the best travelers I've yet met. I also befriended a slew of new people from England, Canada, the U.S. and Australia. I attended a trance party in the jungle and a beach party under the full moon. I've climbed a waterfall and seen an elephant and eaten lots of spicy coconut soup and pad thai.

It's all been great fun in the sun. But for some reason, it all feels sort of uninspiring.