sansara : thinking of thai character around kao san

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Thinking of Thai character around Kao San

30.05.2011 : Bangkok, Thailand

(published on 24.10.2011)

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Whether you like Bangkok or not depends on where you live. Is it chic Siam Paragon, panoramic views from Bayok Sky and luxurious condos at Asoke?.. Or is it backpacker Kao San and Samsen where you can rent a room in a tiny hotel resembling hen-coop for 120 baht only? Or maybe bawdy Patong and night life for sale of Nana... For long time Bangkok has been about quiet backlanes of Sathorn with its food courts at office buildings and embassies for me. But this year none of my friends could let me stay with them and I've taken typical backpacker route to Samsen. And got myself a room with good view from the window.

The room was in a town-house decorated with lots of wood on the inside and belonged to a misanthrope old woman. Why misanthrope? Because the sign "Baglamphoo Guesthouse" ot its gate sometimes would just disappear. My friend used to joke that it is in accordance with old woman's mood: every day she decides if she wants any people or not. This place is especially good for loners: spacious quiet room with balcony is only 200 baht. Per person. There was no table in the room so I asked for a small stool. You can get somebody else's wi-fi if you really try.

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I was in Bangkok for some time in March until decided to go to Phuket. I was too lazy to go to bus station and therefore chose tourist bus which was leaving right from Kao San. I regretted it a lot: agency is saving money by uniting many routes together and therefore those who go to Phuket or Krabi have to go to Surattani first, change few micro buses and in the end they make you face the choice of either losing 8(!!) hours waiting for an old bus and traveling to Phuket or paying 200 more for a faster micro bus. Even with taxi to the bus station and waiting time it still would be faster and cheaper. I've also heard many times that they often steal money and valuables from the luggage. On the top of everything these buses stop only at overpriced food courts for tourists only and at tourist agencies offering you same overpriced tours. It feels very Thai and very unpleasant.

It's morning at the ferry in Surattani. I am starting to feel something is going wrong but don't year realize by how much.

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This one and all the next photos were taken in May when I used to go along same streets, eat in same and wait for my flight to Tel Aviv. How it happened that I went to Israel instead of Philippines, Borneo or China was explained in Malaysian story and now this is photo of my favorite Thai food: sweet rice with mango. I liked it so much that overcame my laziness every time to walk whole lot of 15 minutes from my room to Soi Rambutri.

Some time ago I was totally sure that the small street with hotels, shops and cafes was famous bawdy Kao San, I didn't even know name Rambutri then. But Kao San is about three times wider, noisier and bawdier. Even at early morning it looks like this:

I bought a small womanly dress before leaving. Firstly I urge myself to have at least one womanly thing in my wardrobe in case I ever would want to look like a girl. Then after I would have not worn it a single time for too long I just give it away to a friend. I should have bought myself few t-shirts instead, they are nice in Bangkok.

As I've already said, the basic difference between Thailand and Indonesia is that you are most likely to see symbolical heads of enemies on poles in Indonesia and heads of mannequins with special hair-dos in Thailand. Indonesia is all about centuries old culture and Thailand is all about service for sale.

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I've already had enough of Indonesia but I still love it and sometimes do miss. Especially when I notice Balinese style statues with characters from Ramayana in a restaurant at Soi Rambutri.

There is no Hinduism in Thailand, I remember only one temple at Silom within Indian part of Bangkok. But then there is going to be a special house for spirits with offerings next to every house, hotel or even shopping mall. These remainders of local tribal believes are much closer to Hinduism than to Buddhism because Hindus particularly deify various natural phenomena such as caves, waterfalls, big trees and etcetera.

They also deify royal family in Thailand. The king is considered to be equal to Buddha.

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I've finished comparing Indonesia and Thailand and now I want to draw few more parallels between Thailand and neighboring Malaysia. The latter is mostly known as muslim country but there is much more religious variety than in primary buddhist Thailand. Malaysian buddhist temples seem the most beautiful to me. I found one of them in the same part of Bangkok, I used to pass by it every day.

Obviously this temple is Chinese.

This is how a typical roof of Thai buddhist temple looks like: it's pointed red with lots of gold. Buddhism in Thailand is mostly Theravada which is different from other doctrines in the idea of compassion. Your own personal liberation is still the main. That's why it's convenient to be monk in Thailand: they are respected and helped since helping Sangha it's extremely good for one's karma. But a common being, especially foreigner is just an ordinary being, you can do whatever you like with them provided you would make enough offerings to Buddhas later on. It's not pure Buddhist doctrine, of course, it's only how it gets simplified in minds of egoistic ordinary beings. So don't expect any sincerity or help in Thailand, and it's not only because of language barrier.

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Sanuk-sabai mean joy of spirit and comport of body and are often named the basis of Thai culture. They also seem to be the reason why it's so nice and comfortable in this country. But no place can be perfect and no country is inhabited with angels only. If whole culture makes something the most important then it most definitely points to a certain problem inherent to it. Generally speaking any kind of culture is the way to smooth over sharp ages of peculiar national character that has been perfected over centuries. One of features of Thai character is irascibility and jealousy.

If you hadn't heard something clearly and just raised your voice to ask you may get true aggression as an answer, not so strong but still. If you hadn't bought the item you were bargaining for then expect the same. All the situation where you don't behave according to their image of tourist most probably would irritate local people. And here I don't mean drunk people who cannot control themselves, all my conclusions come from normal life situations. Making an Indian angry is quite hard, for example, you really have to try. Also Thai men and women are pathologically jealous.

Staying within limits of visible sanuk-sabai is possible only when you play in total accordance with the rules set by locals. These are sharp teeth and claws under ribbons and plush - irritability and jealousy under sanuk and sabai. Sometimes I even think all the Asian attraction to cute things is there only to compensate for hidden aggression. How would you look at Thailand then?

Add a bit of sexism to it all: they do treat men and women differently in Thailand. In many situations foreign men are most likely to be forgiven only because most of service workers are women naturally hoping for certain profit. But not foreign women. Especially not those foreign women who don't plan to spend too much money or let anyone into her bed.

Tourist places in Bangkok, Pattaya, on the South eventually gave me completely different approach to Thai serenity. Maybe I can start liking this country again if I spend more time on the North, I still hope. But you must be bored of my whining already so there's a bright photo with Thai sweets and motorbike drivers.

Postbox with nice written script on a board.

There is certain ornament on gates of houses.

And same kind of ornament on bridges over numerous canals.

I am doing last route around the place where I used to live.

It's time for me to put on my bag and go to the airport. There is internet and air-conditioning there while Bangkok is hot like an oven, even Thai people walk around with tissue to wipe off sweat. Here it comes to another reason why I do not like living around Kao San so much: there is not MRT or SkyTrain. There are many buses and boats though but finding them is complicated because you cannot ask Google and have to ask local people instead.

I always managed well with the buses but I've never found where to get onto little boats going narrow city channels. The only I've found only something like a pier.

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I've seen them going by in many sides of the city.

The bust was supposed to stop next to SkyTrain and I I got off where bus conductor told me to. However there was so sign of a station nearby. It took GPS too long to start working and I was slightly lost in all these overpasses. There is no story of Bangkok without this kind of picture.

This photo would have been my very last if only I hadn't gone astray and suddenly found myself near to MBK. Then I've decided to go shopping for a birthday present to my dad. What can a backpacker daughter give as a present to her businessman dad? After long consideration I've decided on a tie. Then I had to go to a place where I couldn't have made wrong choice: Siam Paragon, first floor. When I walked into BVLGARY and CHANEL I still felt quite sure but doors of Hermes shop suddenly filled me with fear so I took plastic slippers of my bag, hid them inside and put a new and clean blouse on. I even brushed my hair! On the next day I would be complaining to my dad what a stress I've had to go through because of him :)

I was glad to say farewell to Thailand and don't know if I am ever going to come back. Moreover their visa is no more free while world is full of countries where you can spend up to half year without need to waste time on documents. Farewell venal Thai women and Thai men with their fake smiles. Farewell Son Tam and Tom Yam, since I've stopped eating shrimps, tomatoes and peanuts you do not attract me that much anymore. Farewell sticky rice and mango, I will miss you the most but I still hope to meet you once again somewhere in Laos, Cambodia or Vietnam.