Bangkok Smiles

Thailand is not only one of the most popular travel destinations in the world, but also a place that provides a resting space for travelers who visit nearby nations. It shares borders with several Southeast Asian countries and offers a mature tourist industry for all the necessary arrangements. It's easy to travel inside Thailand, and is still comparatively inexpensive. The culture and atmosphere are relaxed and puts the traveler at ease. It took only a few hours after arriving from China for our shoulders to relax and for us to feel at home again in Bangkok.

It wasn't our original plan to come to Thailand in October. Instead, we expected to be entering Nepal overland from Tibet crossing the Himalayas, and then traveling south into India. We adore Nepal, and were looking forward to a return visit. However, the current political situation is unstable, with nightly curfews, closed borders and random Maoist strikes. We decided not to ruin the fabulous memories of our 1999 trip.

This is our forth visit to Bangkok. Our first experience was in 1996, and our last was five years ago when we stayed in the city for a week on our way home from Nepal. Then, we could feel the makings of a world-class city, and so much had changed in this direction since our first visit.

Cars, trucks and Tuk Tuk (Thailand's trademark three-wheeled taxi) used to spit black smoke, choking pedestrians in their tracks. Since our last visit, a requirement for new mufflers has been imposed, and breathing is much easier. The taxis are mostly new with air conditioning. There is still thick pollution that hangs in the air at rush hour, but it seems much lighter than before.

In the past, we didn't see many stores selling genuine brand name goods, instead, most were knock-offs of designer names. To our surprise, we are now seeing major shopping centers offering the "real deal", with Thai customers being the primary shoppers. (This does not mean bootlegged brand name products have disappeared.)

Modernization and high-rise constructions are also progressing. The sanitary situation is much improved, and I would even say it's superior to that of many of the cities we visited in China. The bad traffic congestion is still the same all around the city, but the overhead surface trains called BTS are now operational and a new subway system began running in August this year. We still see evidence of a developing country, such as shanty neighborhood markets and street food venders, but somehow, they now seem charming.

The progress in this city is not one of overnight development, compared to the worldwide global face-lift taking place in many cities we've visited. Bangkok has been slowly remaking its image, has staggered during the Asian crisis, and is now back on track. My impression is that the changes in Bangkok have been over several years.

In any case, modernization and the associated stress level apparently have not translated to nervous expressions on its citizens. Thais who live in this cosmopolitan city still show their large, white-toothed smiles today just like we saw back in 1996. The warmth of the Thai smile is a big reason we continue coming back.