We just returned from a trip to Thailand. It was relaxing, comfortable and felt easy compared to China. Thailand is aptly nicknamed the “Land of Smiles.” Throughout the two weeks we felt genuine warmth and ease in our interactions with people, from the street vendor who tracked us down to return a shopping bag we left and a friendly woman whose new restaurant we visited, to ping-pong players in Bangkok who stopped mid-competitive match to play with Julia, and an older man who gave us free juice. People were warm and affectionate toward Julia, similar to what we experience in Xiamen, although fewer photos were taken. Notably none of the tourists hailing from Europe and North America gave her a second glance.
We spent a few days touring the streets, markets and temples in Bangkok and exploring Krabi province, but most of the trip was spent on the beach on Koh Lanta, a laid back and somewhat less developed island in Andaman Sea that’s home to Thai Muslims, Thai Chinese and Sea Gypsies (Chao Lay). The western side of the island, with its sandy beaches, small beachfront hotels and bungalows, restaurants and stunning sunsets, is where the tourist industry lies. The island is 30 km long with several different beaches to choose from, with a couple geared toward families and others toward the backpacker crowd.
The eastern side is home to smaller villages, which we only caught a glimpse of one day on our drive to Lanta Old Town, a small fishing village on the west coast, with a few restaurants and shops catering to tourists. From the back of our songthaew on the drive we caught a glimpse of local life -markedly it was mainly of children, but that may just be where my eyes were drawn. A small toddler Julia’s age playing in the dirt in front of his house, two young boys engaging in a playful Muay Thai match, and a few older kids playing volleyball in a field near some sort of plantation, probably rubber. The houses were small and in rough shape, there was a lot of trash on the side of the road (though we noticed that everywhere on the island), and clearly very little infrastructure or development overall. This sight was stark in contrast to the west side, as is how our means and resources and the means of other tourists who visit the island compare to those who actually live there.
