Thailand

The word "Thai" means free, and therefore the meaning of Thailand is the land of the free.
The Thai people are originally thought to have lived in southwestern China and migrated to Southeast Asia over a period of centuries. The Khmer Empire ruled Thailand for many years starting in the 800’s. In the 13th century, several small states in the Mekong River valley united, expelled the Khmer and formed a kingdom called Sukhothai. Thailand was known until the mid 20th century as Siam, (from the Sanskrit word syam meaning brown race), likely reinforced by the first Europeans to reach Thailand, the Portuguese in 1511. However, Thailand was able to avoid foreign domination and remains the only country in Southeast Asia that has never been colonized. The current ruler, King Adulyadej, has ruled since 1946 and is a member of the Chakri dynasty, established in 1782. The population of Thailand is 67 million.

Part of the ancient wall and moat, Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai

With an estimated population of more than 1 million in the metropolitan area, Chiang Mai is Thailand's fifth-largest city. It was founded in 1296, and was at one time the capital of the ancient Lanna kingdom.

Our first meal in Thailand. We went to the fish counter and picked the seafood we wanted. They cooked it and brought it over. In Thailand, the food is brought as soon as it is ready, so you may get your salad last. Thai food is for sharing, so there are always lots of plates and utensils.

Beautiful restaurant with a view of the old iron bridge.

                           This sign was in the lobby of our hotel. Durian is a very smelly fruit, which is
                         popular with S. E. Asians. When you go to the market in Vietnam, you often smell
                          it. It is worse than raw fish and tastes just as bad, in my opinion.

Richard Parker is pointing out that our hotel, the Sakorn Residence, was highly rated at Booking.com. It was very reasonably priced, clean, good service, decent sized room and adequate breakfast, with a pool in a good location.  My only complaint was the mattress - very hard! 

Located in the lush foothills of the Himalayan Mountains 700 km north of Bangkok, the city was surrounded by a moat and a wall since nearby Burma was a constant threat as were the armies of the Mongol Empire. 









Until the 1920’s, it could only be reached by a river journey or an elephant trek. Chiang Mai formally became part of Siam in 1775.

The mode of transportation around Chiang Mai is the Tuk tuk. There are no 'car' cabs for travel in and around the city. Car cabs are only used to get to and from the airport or for long distance travel. This fellow was parked across from our hotel entrance. The drivers all snooze when they are not ferrying passengers. It is the same with the taxi drivers in Vietnam. Outside my building, I have often had to wake a driver up when I want ot go somewhere. Tuk tuk's are not the most comfortable means of transport - they kick up a lot of dust and dirt and passengers breathe in a lot of engine fumes - there is little regard for air quality.

Chiang Mai has become an increasingly modern city and has been attracting over 5 million visitors each year, of which close to 2 million are foreign tourists. The city has a cosmopolitan air and a significant expat population. A lot of attention is paid to making food and drink look as good as it tastes!

Bangkok

Richard Parker and his new Thai friends survey Bangkok.

Bangkok is a huge, cosmopolitan city with crippling traffic jams and serious air pollution. It is home to over 11 million inhabitants and is the capital of Thailand. Before 1792, when it was made the capital of Siam, it was only a small trading post and life evolved around the Chao Phraya River. Ordinary people lived on bamboo-rafts, while floating vendors plied the waters selling fruit and vegetables. The only stone structures built on land were temples and palaces.

           This sign was prominently displayed in our cab. 

It took over an hour to get from the airport to our hotel, not because of distance but because of traffic congestion. As we drove to the hotel along busy expressways, I got the impression of a typical large North American city, until I noticed the sign, at left!

Eastin Grand Hotel, Sathorn

We stayed at the Eastin Grand Hotel, Sathorn. It is in the heart of Bangkok's financial district but has direct access to the Skytrain. This part of the city rose to prominence after World War II, particularly from the 1980s onwards, when Bangkok established itself as a force behind Thailand's role as a newly industrializing country. Rapid economic growth led many multinational corporations to locate their headquarters in Bangkok.














Bangkok has become an international centre for business, transport and health care, and is emerging as a leader in the arts, fashion and entertainment. The city's spirited street life and cultural landmarks, as well as its infamous red-light districts, have given it an alluring appeal.

Bangkok, from the beautiful infinity pool at our hotel.

Bangkok's rapid growth amidst little urban planning and regulation has resulted in a haphazard urban sprawl with inadequate infrastructure systems. Poorly planned roads, despite an extensive expressway system, together with substantial private car usage, have resulted in serious traffic congestion and severe air pollution. Limited open spaces, Bangkok has one of the lowest percentages of green areas of any major capital in Asia, compound this problem.
 

Apparently, Canada is known not only for its bacon, but for its lobster as well. We saw Canadian lobster being promoted all over S.E. Asia. At an Italian seafood restaurant we like in Phu My Hung, it is called 'lobster Canadese'.

We had dinner by the pool, which was located on the fifth floor. Beautiful setting.

The pool at the Eastin Grand was spectacular.  An infinity pool located on the fifth floor, it had amazing views of the city. There was a restaurant next to the pool which served excellent meals. Our room rate included breakfast, like most hotels in SE Asia. Breakfasts are quite interesting because the hotels have to cater to guests from all over the world. There is always a huge variety from phu to omelettes and there are almost always baked beans!

Eastin Grand infinity pool.

I was not a huge fan of Bangkok. It is a big city like many others, but then, I am not really a fan of big cities. The best part of visiting Bangkok, for us, was leaving Bangkok to see the Bridge on the River Kwai. However, our hotel was lovely so it was a good way to wrap up our trip to Thailand.

Travel Tip:
Always carry kleenex and wet wipes. The travel wipes are better than hand sanitizer in a bottle - you never have to worry about the 'liquid' restrictions for carry on luggage that way. The 'Wet Ones' travel wipes are great (see below), but sometimes hard to find. I got a couple boxes at Jean Coutu in Ottawa. And you'll need kleenex because you never know what kind of bathroom facilities you will come across. The toilets almost always have the spray hose or a bucket of water with a cup for cleaning but often there is no toilet paper. I've never understood to hose thing - who wants to get soaking wet with no towel or paper to dry off?