On my return from Ko Samet, a laid back island paradise a few hours outside of Bangkok, I met a lovely group of folks on a boat ride back to the mainland. Ashley, China, and Max, three American students on vacation from their Chinese studies in Taipei and their friends Amy and Marc, resident Thai ex-pats. We got to talking a bit and they offered to give me a ride part of the way to Bangkok...which turned into eating an incredible Thai dinner together...which turned into one of the most memorable nights of my trip.
So, it turns out that Marc, originally from Switzerland, is the son of a man who owns about a quarter of the planet's toothpaste tube market. Considering how many people use toothpaste, you can imagine he's doing quite well for himself. We arrive at the house, or should I say estate, in a gated neighborhood of Pattaya. It is by far the largest single residence I've ever been in, complete with a massive swimming pool, private beach, bowling alley, music studio, and an incredible view of the Gulf of Thailand. We indulge in the comforts of the home... Max and I jump off a three story tall turret into the pool, Marc and I jam a bit in the music studio (of course there is an unused trumpet lying around), and Ashley kicks my butt in a game of bowling.
The six of us eventually decide to leave the house and hit the town. Marc and Ashley show us around the crowded, brightly lit city streets teeming with tourists from across the globe and locals trying to profit from them. We checked out a few of the bars and a nightclub, and walked the streets of one of the largest red-light districts in the world. Thailand is full of prostitutes and they are generally not looked down upon as in other cultures. Most Thais have the attitude that the down and out gotta do what they gotta do to get by. However, it was a little disconcerting seeing young kids in that environment peddling roses and things to foreign sex tourists at one in the morning.
We eventually head back to the house and crash, each of us in our own private guest room (quite a change from the $5/night bungalow with no plumbing that I stayed in the night before). The next morning I had to catch a bus back to Bangkok to meet a friend at the airport. Having woken up late, we gulped down some freshly made carrot juice that one of the maids had made us and dashed off to the bus station. Marc, Amy, Ashley, Max, China, and I said our goodbyes and I headed out of Pattaya on a hot and crowded bus.
I sat next to a cynical older fellow with a thick German accent. He had lived in Thailand for more than ten years and was working as a journalist for an Australian travel television channel. Gazing out the window at the Thai countryside, I could see countless ponds with little turbans spinning in each one. My neighbor explained to me that much of the world's shrimp are farmed in these ponds, then shipped to Africa to be shelled and cleaned (because labor costs are slightly less than Thailand), and finally shipped to markets in America, Europe, or East Asia to be sold and consumed. It seems crazily inefficient how great a distance shrimp travels to finally end up someone's dinner plate.
Our conversation eventually turned to the insane political situation in Thailand. My neighbor warned me that I may not be able to leave the country when I planned to due to a massive demonstration that was to take place and potentially shut down the airport (as has happened in the past). In 2006, the Thai military staged a coup, ousting prime minister Thaksin and other government leaders. Common Thai people generally supported Thaksin's government and have been up in arms about the government takeover ever since. The former prime minister was put on trial for corruption and nepotism. It was recently ruled that he would be stripped of nearly half his family's $2.3 billion fortune. Fortunately the ruling came just a few days after I left Thailand and the demonstrations have just recently begun. The German told me that the king of Thailand, whom everybody adores, is currently maintaining relative stability in the country. However, King Rama IX is well into his 80s and when he is gone, a military dictatorship similar to that of neighboring Myanmar could be a real possibility for the future of the country.
Our conversation eventually turned to the insane political situation in Thailand. My neighbor warned me that I may not be able to leave the country when I planned to due to a massive demonstration that was to take place and potentially shut down the airport (as has happened in the past). In 2006, the Thai military staged a coup, ousting prime minister Thaksin and other government leaders. Common Thai people generally supported Thaksin's government and have been up in arms about the government takeover ever since. The former prime minister was put on trial for corruption and nepotism. It was recently ruled that he would be stripped of nearly half his family's $2.3 billion fortune. Fortunately the ruling came just a few days after I left Thailand and the demonstrations have just recently begun. The German told me that the king of Thailand, whom everybody adores, is currently maintaining relative stability in the country. However, King Rama IX is well into his 80s and when he is gone, a military dictatorship similar to that of neighboring Myanmar could be a real possibility for the future of the country.
