I was shocked, awed, discombobulated and, of course, just a bit jealous (but only temporarily) when you said you were moving to Thailand in May. Thanks for thinking about me when you where wondering about cool places to go in Asia. My short answer for where to go is that all of the places to go and visit are cool. Never stop moving. Never stop smiling back at people who smile at you. Never stop starting up those conversations that can lead to who-knows-where. But, I don’t think I have to tell you that. You’re the epitome of friendly. But, where to go? What to do? That depends on what trips your trigger. What blows your dress up? I know why I go. I’m a tourist. I’m also an amateur cultural sociologist/anthropologist. But that doesn’t mean what I like will be what you like or vice versa. But I have seen some of Asia. Don’t just think Thailand. Think Asia. All of it. If you’re living there, it’s easy.
Bangkok is tourist Thailand. It’s relatively young (15th century). It’s urban. Jesus, it’s urban. The the metropolitan area has 15 million people (4,900/sq mi or 14,000/sq mi in Bangkok proper). Compare that to the Great State of Oklahoma with 4 million people (55.2/sq mi). The metro transit system, especially the Skytrain (BTS) and underground (MRT) rail systems are good in Bangkok. However, the traffic is horrible. Thankfully, the food is cheap. The Phở is incredible. Just watch out for the little green things that appear to be green beans on the plate when you get a plate of something for dinner. They’re not green beans. Smell them first. I like Thai food but it’s so damned hot. Mandatory sights in Bangkok are Khaosan Road, the place to meet backpackers; Soi Cowboy (booze, strip joints & sex trade); Grand Palace (think Siam); Buddhist temples such as Wat Arun and Wat Pho (temples – Wats – abound in Thailand and they’re big!) – but there are much better places for Buddhism than Bangkok or Thailand for that matter; Jim Thompson House (think expatriate – there are far too many of them in Asia – I say far too many because it seems so many of them have grey hair and their arm around an 18 year old Asian chick); Siam Paragon (Asia has the majority of the largest shopping malls in the world) and the Chao Phraya River – before trains, planes & autos there were rivers.
From Bangkok there’s the train south to Singapore, North to Chiang Mai, Northeast to Vientianne and Northwest to Rangoon via a bus in Kanchanaburi (Bridge Over River Kwai). In Thailand, Ayutthaya (ancient capital – Thai Bhuddist Heaven – is a day trip by train from Bangkok) is on the way to Chiang Mai (13th century – cool walled city & jumping off point for jungle trekking via elephants). I like Chiang Mai. It’s laid back and relaxing but if you want laid back and relaxing I vote Luang Prabang in Laos and Hanoi in Vietnam. Those are cities that cause me to say “Wait a minute. I need to get the Hell out of here.” Luang Prabang reeks of Bhuddism. It makes you want to give up everything but a couple of robes and a bowl. Hanoi is … timeless. A watch? What’s a watch? Think Asia.
You won’t see all of Thailand in the tourist cities like Bangkok and Chiang Mai. You’ll see a lot of it in the country. There are buses to everywhere. Cheap. But, language issues will happen the farther you get away from the tourist centers no matter where you are in Asia. That leads me to my ultimate definition of “well-traveled” – you were the O-N-L-Y person on the overnight bus to [fill-in-the-blank] that could speak English but not speak the local language. When that’s happened 10 times in 10 different countries, let me know. I know where you can get the Official BackPacker merit badge. Just kidding. That was my ego talking. You didn’t tell me why you’re moving to Thailand and moving implies a sense of long-term time commitment. Lots of travelers go places to teach English and many of them teach outside of the larger cities. I don’t know if that’s what you’re doing but I’ve met a lot of English teachers and they all get some time off to do a little sightseeing. I hope you get into the rural countryside. Remember that rat, dog and various other animals and insects are considered delicacies in many parts of Asia and communal water spigots are the locations where many rural Asian women dress out the meat for the evening meal when they have meat to eat. You won’t see sights like that in the big cities. Also, local markets aren’t as visible in the huge urban centers like they are in more regional and local cities. Think night markets for delicious and sometimes very interesting foods. Also, vegetarians will find some of the largest vegetable markets in the world as the growing season is so long and food is so easy to grow. Restaurants also cater to vegetarians because of the high incidence of people who do not eat meat due to “religious” and/or economic issues. Think Asia as borders tend to be arbitrary and artificial. Asia was there long before modern, and often Western, geopolitical influence molded the current borders of countries. If you stay long enough in one country, sooner or later you’ll have to make a “visa-run” or you’ll wind up being an illegal alien. Take advantage of that “visa-run” to see some other places.
The train from Bangkok going south takes you as far as Singapore. I love Singapore. I know it’s not Thailand but it’s (IMHO) the most orderly city/country in the world (okay, maybe after Amsterdam) and one of the most prosperous. There are reasons why it is so orderly. Some of them are not very humanitarian. In Asia & the Middle East it is “acceptable” to import labor temporarily and house/feed the people that are imported in substandard conditions, isolated from the mainstream culture and economy of a country. Trade-offs, you know. You need to see it, but more than that I’d recommend understanding why I say it’s high on my list of most orderly places that I’ve ever been. Sometimes, law and order come with a very high price. Singapore (and Asia in general) makes me glad I have an American passport. On the route to Singapore you have Phuket, Krabi and Ko Samui in Thailand. One, or more, or them shouldn’t be missed. Think tropical islands and incredible beaches. Think natural beauty including great karst topology. Think wonderful diving. Think cheap sex trade and all of the degenerate behavior that goes with it. Ah, yes, youth and sinful living. Along with all of the older guys who refuse to grow old gracefully.
In between Thailand and Singapore there’s Kuala Lumpur (KUL – airport). It’s my home base in Asia. Why? Air Asia. As I write this I looked on their web site for current sales and I found the following airfare (all one-way): KUL to Kota Kinabalu: $25; KUL to Jakarta: $10; KUL to Manilla: $43; KUL to Saigaon (Ho Chi Minh City): $10; KUL to Kathmandu: $45; KUL to Phnom Penh: $10; KUL to Gold Coast: $75; KUL to Beijing: $63; KUL to Xi’an: $45; KUL to Bali: $30; KUL to New Delhi: $75 and KUL to Hong Kong: $45. Holy Shit, Batman! I’m ready. Let’s roll. Think Asia. These all all urban areas I’d highly recommend to anyone going to Asia who wants to explore Asia in all its urban splendor. You can get to Kuala Lumpur from Bangkok or back in under four hours by plane for under $65 (I’ve seen as little as $25) or under $50 by train in a little over a day but the amount of time it would take by train depends on how often you want to stop on the way. Figure one day at a minimum and at least two to three days minimum if you want to sightsee on your way there or back.
Go see Ankor Wat or Bagan. They’re what’s left of civilizations that flourished a thousand years ago. They didn’t have microwaves or flush toilets in those days but these two areas are huge archaeological dig sites that give us a glimpse of what the world was like a long time ago. I have a BA in History for a reason. I love that stuff. Find great tourist attractions at the Top 1000 Wonders of the World list or the UNESCO World Heritage List. Find the haunts of degenerate Western/Eastern foreigners by Googling “asian sex trade” as the common sex trade tends to take hold where the tourists go – potential customers and all that jazz. Find backpackers by googling “[country] backpacker” but you can also find the backpackers by simply going to the hostel websites. Just understand that travel in Asia can be so cheap in certain areas of the continent that hostels don’t flourish in those areas like they do in the more expensive areas of Asia or in Europe. Backpackers also tend to go where the tourists go. If you want to see rural areas in Asia Google “[country] bus transportation” and go get on a bus and ride around for a few days. It’s so easy and cheap to go from large city to large city in Asia and cities of a million people aren’t that big in that locale. Sometimes buses run every hour between major hubs and that doesn’t include the mini-buses that run when they get full. I like to save money (no hotel/hostel cost) and time (the day is for sightseeing) by traveling overnight by bus or mini-van but some people can’t physically/psychologically deal with overnight bus or mini-van travel. Once in a larger city I make day trips by bus into the countryside just to look around a little. Finding a place to stay is usually no problem if I decide to overnight and, if it is, I always try to find out before the last bus back leaves.
My current plans call for me to be in Asia for about 90 days sometime in the months of January thru April of 2017. If you’re there, expect a visit. In the meantime, if you have any logistical questions such as cell phones, internet access, transportation, etc. call me. I have you on my phone so I assume you have my number. Also, I’d be interested in knowing why you’re “moving” to Asia. That’s a very serious word in my world when it involves anything more than a U-Haul rental.