Daily Archives: February 11, 2005

Dos and don’ts of coming to Thailand

[b]DON’TS:[/b]

Don’t take up any offer of a ten baht tuk-tuk ride or you will be taken for one BIG ride.
Don’t complain about the standard of English here, your Thai language skills aren’t exactly that hot.
Don’t try on a t-shirt if you aren’t going to buy it, the vendor doesn’t need the smell of your hairy armpits all over her goods.
Don’t go walking around Bangkok shirtless hoping for a good tan or you will get a right tanning at the nearest police station.
Don’t go throwing your cigarette butt around downtown Bangkok, you don’t want to be made a few dollars less off.
Don’t feed a 20 baht bunch of bananas to an elephant on the street, you don’t want to promote cruelty to animals.
Don’t buy a rose from a child beggar at night, you don’t want to promote child labour.
Don’t take the advice from a taxi who recommends you go for a naughty massage, he’s not taking you there cause he likes you.
Don’t buy a Buddha Image for household decoration, it doesn’t belong on top of your TV.
Don’t take advice from any Farang who has spent the past 20 years sitting on a bar stool at a bar-beer in Pattaya, he knows nothing.
Don’t come here for 3 years and complain about all things Thai, or the locals will ask “Why don’t you go home?”
Don’t presume she fancies you just cause she asks where you stay, questions like that are the ‘norm’ here.
Don’t dictate to the Thais about their Human Rights, our records are nothing to boast about.
Don’t argue with a Pattaya songthaew driver, you don’t need a plank of wood over your head.
Don’t whistle to the King’s anthem in the cinema, the Thais are rather sensitive about such things.
Don’t walk around drinking a bottle of beer, you don’t want to be mistaken as a drunkard.
And finally, don’t walk around Chatuchak with all your valuables in your handbag, you may seriously regret it.

[b]DOS:[/b]

Do get off the beaten track, there is more to Thailand than just writing boastful postcards and drinking banana shakes.
Do learn how to say a few Thai dishes in Thai, you don’t just want to eat Phat Thai and Fried Rice throughout your entire stay.
Do buy gemstones at a reputed establishment, the tuk-tuk drivers recommendations are nothing to be desired.
Do dress politely, you don’t want to be seen as having no self-pride.
Do give a tip at a nice restaurant, not everything the Lonely Planet states is true.
Do, if you wish, donate money to a respectable charity for the underpriviliged, and not some dodgy beggar on Silom.
Do keep your alcohol consumption under control, or you will enjoy a free breakfast as guest of the Corrections Dept.
Do say ‘Hello’ to the local kiddies, the local adults won’t think you are a kind of a pervert like in the west.
Do take a shower regularly, you sweat and get more smelly here than you do back home.
Do take your shoes off when entering a Thai house, they don’t need your sandals dirtying the floor.
Do have respect for their religion, in their eyes your religion is just as ‘weird’.
Do speak politey to the authorites, you don’t need to be sat around all day.
Do be careful and ask around first if you want to see a ping-ping a-go-go show on Patpong,you don’t want to be relinquished of all your cash.
Do be patient, the Thais don’t appreciate Farang who lose their temper just cause the waitress got the order wrong.
Do, as western girls, dress modestly in the Muslim areas of the south, you want to be seen in a good light.

See also Dos and donts of dating a ‘proper’ Thai girl

The Mega Bridge in Bangkok

I took some pictures last week to show you the progress of the Mega Bridge that will eventually cross the Chao Phraya River – twice! As you can see from the picture below, the bridge will be 51 metres high in order to let the big container ships pass safely underneath.

“The bridge will be the longest cable stayed bridge in Thailand. It features two A-shaped towers located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River that combine traditional Thai design and contemporary architecture. As seen from the roadway, the towers are a stylised representation of the traditional Thai greeting where the hands are steepled together in front of the body as the individual bows and utters a greeting. The towers are a symbolic gesture of welcome to visitors of Bangkok.”

Source: www.roadtraffic-technology.com

What is quite unique about this design is that it crosses the Chao Phraya twice. This is due to a bend in the river. In the middle section there is a giant intersection for people who don’t want to continue over the entire 4.2 km length. Each direction of the bridge will have four lanes.

The bridge will eventually be part of the outer ring road which will also connect with the new Bangkok International Airport at Nong Ngu Hao. Incidently, this is also in Samut Prakan. I will share more pictures with you in the future as the work progresses on this bridge.

What a day!

Today has been by far, the worst day of this year for me. I received 3 results for 3 distinctive subjects. It was not pleasant! However, I can only smile as one subject I did alright but wasn’t at the top. Though the other two, I was very disappointed. To be honest, I failed those 2 particular tasks. One was a group assignment where I was rushed because a friend did not contribute and the other one is a paper where the subject was Law! I guess from now on, I have to study much harder. However, 3 more results haven’t yet come out. One is a double weighted subject where only 29% passed. I hope I pass, if I do not, I might have to repeat this year.

I know my mum in Thailand will read this and be disappointed but I’m too afraid to tell her face to face. So, this is one way of getting her to know it. However, these marks aren’t very big in terms of percentage. What really counts is the final exam. Though, I hope to do well with the assements so I can feel more relaxed in the final exam.

I am in no mood to write anything else today. Let me put this to myself tonight and hopefully, things will go back to normal by tomorrow.

-_-‘