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Published: January 13th 2010
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I crossed into Thailand on the 6th, and was looking forward to all that I had heard from so many different and varied travelers. Thailand seemed to have a lot to offer, from tropical islands dotted throughout the south to the bustling metropolis that is Bangkok to the rugged northern jungles and hills. I would be very much on the beaten path, but I was expecting as much. Thailand seemed to be a haven for backpackers and as such a massive tourist boom has happened, especially in the last ten to fifteen years. Known as Siam till 1939, it was the only country in south East Asia to not be colonized by a European power. Throughout my journeys to previous countries on this trip there has always been certain influences I've noticed from past conquerors. In the Philippines it was the Spanish and then America. Indonesia was the Dutch. And in Singapore, Hong Kong and bits of Malaysia it was the British. So this was refreshing to see a culture that evolved all on it's own without external influences. From what I've seen so far in my time here in southern Thailand, people seem genuinely friendly and don't seem to hassle
foreigners nearly as much as some other countries I've been too. Thailand is referred to the land of smiles, and Thai people seem to smile a lot but I learned that they don't necessarily show only happiness by smiling but convey other emotions through smiles too which can sometimes be confusing. They also really love their King, with every shop having framed pictures or calendars of him hanging on the walls. Criticizing him is something you wouldn't want to do in this country.
When I arrived in Surat Thani, a gateway town for the eastern islands, I took a room right next to the train station and walked the immediate area for a bit at night. I ran into an Aussie guy who had apparently been robbed of some money and was looking for some weed to ease his misery. I think he was under the influence of something already cuz he was acting pretty erratic.
The following day while getting my stuff together in the lobby, I met three Finnish people who were heading up to Bangkok later on in the evening. Since my boat was leaving to Ko Tao in the evening as well I hung
out with them for the day. We picked up a bottle of Sang Sum, a type of rice whiskey or something, and drank at a park and walked the city. I got to sample some authentic Thai food for the first time too. It was fun hanging out with them and we parted ways in the late evening, when I rode a motorbike taxi to the port. I'm glad I survived the trip cuz my driver was flying down the roads as I held on for dear life with my backpack behind him. I arrived at the port and bought a ticket on the overnight boat. While waiting I ran into the Aussie guy again, he was still looking around for weed and said his shoes had been stolen this time.
The overnight boat was quite a neat experience. I was packed with about a hundred other people below deck of what appeared to be a fishing vessel, hardly any sleeping room available. It felt like we were refugees being smuggled into another country or something. Good times. I made it to Ko Tao early the next morning.
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