I made the bus, but I grabbed the cashmere: Bangkok... Just the beginning

I meant to do all this writing on the road... but intentions were washed away with high tides, green curry and cold chang beers enjoyed over a warm sunset.

I'll break the country up by the small bits that I saw, and more importantly, what I feel I didn't see.

Bangkok has, in all accounts given to me, been given a notoriously bad name. This, I can't quite figure out. I suppose in passing through, on the way to beach resorts, jungle adventures, crystal clear waters and the like, Bangkok may seem like a waste of time and energy. There is some truth to this, I believe, but in my first experience with the city, I guess I found these judgments to be rather hasty.

Transport.
Yes, there are lanes upon lanes of traffic... and relatively few crossing signs, which results in having to run out into five lanes of traffic, hoping to dodge taxis honking, pick-up trucks carrying numerous passengers in the open bed, tuk-tuks weaving between mercedes benz, and motorbikes threading through the mix. Without a bit of nerve, one may actually get stranded on one side of the street desperately hoping to make it to the Pad Thai stand on the other side.

There is also, on the topic of transport, the never ending haggling for transportation. As a Western tourist anywhere in Thailand, you have for lack of a better terminology, a target on your head. This is why, "Taxi!" "Taxi!" "Tuk tuk" are shouted with such frequency along the confusing soundtrack of Bangkok that one must have a great deal of focus so as to avoid being piled, headfirst into a taxi without any direction. Most taxi drivers, or tuk-tuk drivers will quote you a price, usually insanely inflated, (say 100 baht per person, which is the equivalent of about $3) to take you to the next tourist destination, the Grand Palace, Kho San Road (a popular tourist watering hole street), or simply to your accomodation. At first blush, $3 doesn't sound half bad. Multiplied by four, and even still, a $12 cab ride in New York City is reasonable. But, the starting price brings me to my next point... the starting price is just that, a starting price.


Tuk Tuk Taxi

Bargaining Culture.
Bargaining culture makes me very uncomfortable. I am not necessarily an honest person, but I am a terrible liar (wherever that leaves me), and thus, the idea that a quoted price may not reflect the worth of a product makes me very nervous. I suppose, in my naive brain, something should always cost what it is worth. (This later gets turned upside down as I pay a woman 100 baht for a hand-threaded bead necklace in Changmai and have to reflect upon what worth and value actually mean). But as a general rule in Thailand, you are never to accept the first price that someone quotes you. Based on the fact that I was a Western visitor to Thailand, the quoted price was, as to be expected, very inflated. (Cue nostalgia for Japan, where all business dealings are honest, straightforward, and fair... expensive, but fair). This bargaining culture includes transport, goods, and accomodation. So, if a taxi or tuk-tuk quotes you a price, generally speaking, you should first try to quote the lowest price you can imagine paying, depending on the number of people, and then work from there. My goal was to aim as low as possible to see if I'd get lucky, and at least if they went higher it was a valiant effort on my behalf. Again, I'm not real sensible in how much things "should" cost, especially not in an economy in which I am a visitor. As far as finding transport in Bangkok, you should try to stay clear of the train stations and tourist centers and flag a taxi on the street, and make sure the driver runs the meter. Cross town cabs are usually less than 100 baht, which is a serious discount, compared to 100 baht per person. The trouble is, some taxis won't even do that for you... and to be fair, in their world... you're a guest.


Woman selling goods... always bartering.

Pirate Economy.

Just because I feel like these things are related, I am just going to mention the Pirate Economy. A pirate economy is any economy that is not governed by the same rules as a "legitimate" economy. Anything bought or sold and not reported as a part of a nation's GDP is considered to be part of a pirate economy. The Black Market is the largest and most famous example of a Pirate Economy. In a non-legitmate economy, prices are not determined by the standard supply-demand curve, and engaging in a business transaction does not ensure safe policy as there is no supposedly no governing body to regulate these business matters. We find, though, in all countries other than first-world countries (and even some of those... think of stealing cable in Ireland, or downloading free music in the U.S.) pirate economy is alive and well. This system of bartering... of the value and worth of certain objects being a sliding scale is an example of how this is used, and works consistently. I want five pairs of harem pants for 500 baht, otherwise I will go to the stand next door. Throwing my first world weight around in the form of local currency is one example. Except for when the lady tells me, "No... I can't, I've got children to feed." I then feel bad, and she gets me for 600 baht, even though at 500 baht she would have still made a 120% profit on each pair of pants. It becomes increasingly complicated when what is being sold is supposed to be very valuable, even invaluable- such is the case with sex, identification papers, and well-being (as in bribing police officers to let you go...) Bangkok is probably more notorious for some of these pirate dealings than anywhere else. In my estimation it doesn't make it a dangerous place, if anything, I think it adds to the excitement.

Identification for sale on Koh San Road

Depressing Stuff.

On some level, there always is a dichotomy between what we are interested in seeing, and what it means to be an outsider coming into another country to "see." This is further complicated when those of "us" come from a first-world economy on "holiday" into a not-first-world country where things like haggling, bartering and ripping tourists off is on par with survival.

Home outside of Bangkok Central

Not only that, but I would argue that the influx of tourism into a place like Thailand seems to increase a general laziness. I found myself almost tossing my cans into the street when I was there, because it is actually easier to find a pile of trash than a bin to throw them in, and you can forget about recycling (except on the Chulalongkorn University campus). But something about the way Thailand works changes a person. By the time I left, I refused to pay asking price, and only tipped when absolutely necessary. Tourists come to drink, sleep with women (or men), and buy cheap stuff. In their wake they leave trash, disease, and I would assume a great amount of frustration with Thai people. I don't know, I didn't ask any Thai people, but coming from Japan where tourism is fairly low and Japanese people welcome tourists, the difference in attitude between Japanese and Thai was obvious. And rightly so.

Selling food outside Hua Lampong

Tigers are drugged so that hoards of tourists can come in and "pet" a Bengal tiger. Snakes are thrown in burlap bags to be tossed out before an audience to frighten them, when in fact, it is probably the snake that is more frightened than anything. Women sell themselves to men who can't get a date in their home country. Trash piles upon trash. People take advantage.

Man petting tiger, tiger sanctuary


Snake charmer and King Cobra, Snake Farm

And yet...

Even after saying all that I have said, there is something lively about Bangkok that is infectious. It has a healthy Buddhist community, a booming sex trade, an insane tourist industry; it's a fashion capital, and a bit of a slum all rolled into one sluggishly hot city, with lots of food stalls and tons of traffic. Once the haggling stops making you uncomfortable, and the heat of the city makes its way under your skin and into your blood... you feel alive. Food is cheap and spicy. Markets are crowded and noisy. Monks walk around all parts of the city, at all hours of the day and night. People are not overly nice, but they are not rude. Skyscrapers crest miles away from shanties hanging over the river. It is fashion, spirituality, grittiness, greed, lust and a bit of magic stewed together like a great bowl of Tom Yum soup. In short... it's a rush.