This Blog had its origins pretty much in random thoughts that have been banging around in my skull for years. The thoughts involve the choices Thailand has made in becoming a premier tourist destination – the opportunities both won and lost.
I was able to put these thoughts into a more cogent order after a short visit my wife Mali and I paid last year to the old “Royal Capital” of Laos – Luang Prabang. You might be saying right now “what does this have to do with Thai Tourism’ – well read on.
The understatement of all time would be to say that Luang Prabang is beautiful. I’ve been to many places around the world but Luang Prabang is one of the very few I believe that actually lives up to and even exceeds its hype.
A town of 36 Buddhist Temples, Luang Prabang nestles in a rain-forested valley on the Mekong River. A busy but orderly town and populated with friendly and graceful people the mood of the place enveloped us from the moment we arrived. It was just so different from the commercialized and in your face tourism industry of Lao’s big neighbour.
For an Isaan girl like my wife Mali, Luang Prabang was the equivalent of time travel. Coming from Isaan, with its cultural and spiritual links to Laos, Mali connected with the place right from the outset. From presenting alms at dawn to the Luang Prabang monks to watching naked kids running and waving to us from the banks of the Mekong, I heard Mali say repeatedly over three days – Just like Thailand when I was a child.
One of the things I found remarkable about Luang Prabang was the attitude of other foreign tourists. The old royal capital is now in the grip of a tour invasion (probably much to the distress of those who knew Luang Prabang from years back) but these tourists appeared to be in the main in total awe of the place. Apart from a French Tourist whining about the late arrival of his breakfast omelet, most visitors I came across appeared to tread and speak carefully so as not to destroy the town’s ambience.
In short, Luang Prabang was the centre of attention – not themselves. How long this attitude remains highlights the fragility of Luang Prabang’s future as a tourist destination. A bit like an egg in one of Mike Tyson’s boxing gloves.
Flying back to Bangkok after our visit it made me think about the choices a small nation like Laos will need to make in the future. How to keep a revenue earner like tourism going without destroying the intrinsic value of places like Luang Prabang.
We approached Bangkok at dusk and the contrast between the two “Royal Capitals” was stark. Luang Prabang is a small town, Bangkok a sprawling Mega City. It also prompted me to think about how lucky Thailand has been compared to its much smaller neighbour in terms of physical resources and their uses.
Thailand’s physical attributes are well-documented – Fertile soil, a long coastline with stunningly beautiful beaches, mountains and of course Bangkok which is a destination in itself. In human terms Thailand’s attributes are – a friendly population, Buddhist culture and some of the most vibrant nightlife in the world.
No wonder that Thailand has become a premier tourist destination with attractions that range from the sublime to the banal. Anything from meditation retreats in Northeast Thailand to cold beer and fornication in Kho Samui and Pattaya. Nothing seems to be able to impede the tourist juggernaut in Thailand.
However like a desperate gambler, has Thailand used up all its markers? Like its rainforests, Thailand seems to rapidly gobbling up all its natural resources – fishing villages to wall-to-wall condominiums in a matter of years. Don’t believe me – look what’s happening now to Kho Chang. What will be the state of the Thai tourist industry in say twenty years?
Ironically,I predict pretty much as successful as it is today. Thailand has been so lucky in terms of its physical/human attributes that I believe dumb luck will always see it through. It will always be warmer than Europe, for all its development still more laid back than the USA, and above all still have the beguiling ability to attract people.
From a spiritual perspective I believe that Luang Prabang has an intrinsic value that Thailand has long lost. But from a merchant bankers perspective, my money is on Thailand – “can’t beat that good luck.”
In the end my blog probably seems a bit pointless – trying to find a problem when everybody is saying “what problem”. But in a sense writing it has helped defrag my mind.
Now where’s that bottle opener!!!
Bill
PS
For anybody interested in my experience of Luang Prabang please click on the link below. There is laso a link on this page to a photo-gallery on Luang Prabang
http://www.isanvillage.com/Luang%20Prabang.htm
If I may add a little historical perspective to a very thoughtful blog from Bill.
What is now Laos was once a vassal state of Thailand before being annexed by the French and becoming part of French Indo-China.
In 1827, during the rule of Rama III, the Lao prince, Anou, rebelled and invaded Thailand.
The invasion was repelled. Anou was captured and dragged through the streets of Bangkok in chains. Thousands of Lao people were forcibly deported and resettled on the Thai side of the Mekong -Isaan – where they could be constantly monitored, and where their descendants live today.
Hence the strong cultural and spiritual links with Laos that Bill mentions
Khun Don, thanks so much for the mini-history lesson!
I had always been told that Thailand had never been [successfully]invades, since what is now Laos was once part of the Kingdom Of Thailand, that makes me want to read more about it!
Bill, another inciteful story about how folks relate in different areas! Patong Patty & I have met many from Laos that are now residing in Thailand, as well as other parts of the globe.
When we find a “new” Thail restaurant, about 75% of the time it is NOT run by Thai’s!! It seems the majority are VietNamese, Laotians, Cambodians or Chinese! After a short chat and actually eating the food, we know all too well!
Thanks Khun Don and Superman for your kind comments.
Yes, Laos and in particular Luang Prabang are remarkable places- not only in the physical but also most importantly from the human perspective.
Laos is still a place where you can say “wow” with total sincerity.
Bill
Well I don’t mean to be disrespectful but i believe the history book didn’t mention anything about present Laos ever belonging to thailand, if they did it’s wrong. From what I know, Thailand invaded the many kingdoms of Laos. Laos had seperated into many different kingdoms, some main some minor. Some of the lands taken from ancient laos are the present day northeast and northern thailand. The resemblance between the Lao culture and language is due to that fact that the Lao states were taken and the people forced to live under siamese rules. The languages of the northeast is Lao and the different dialects are still lao(such as chiang mai). I believe a total of 14 states were taken. This is the word of mouth between most of the laotians i have come across. I may be wrong but this is what the lao history says, btw i’m an issan so this was what i heard growing up as well.
I’m not sure what you mean, Victir. The dialect spoken in Chiang Mai is pasaa nua. While it has some resemblance to lao (like ‘sao’ for yee-sip), the two are vastly different; my friends who speak Northern couldn’t read Lao script nor could they understand what Isaan people say in local lingo. In the same way, I also doubt that Isaan folks could read Lanna script, or understand pasaa nua.
I also read pretty much the same that Khun Don wrote about Prince Anou. Whether he was the prince of a unified Lao state or the ruler of only one small kingdom, I don’t recall, however.
Either way, I regard it as a plausible explanation for the cultural similarity between Isaan and Laos. Evidence of the harsh Thai punishment for the Lao betrayal is also aplenty in Vientiane. Just check out Wat Sisaket for starters.
(One of these days I will write a blog about Lao and Thai language similarities and pitfalls – Victir, I’d appreciate the comments of local. Btw, did you read Pira Sudham’s accounts of Issan life, and if so, how accurate are they?)
Thanks for the telling me the information. But i am from Chiang Mai. My mother speaks pasa nua(northern language) as you say, but my father speaks issan or lao. I can understand both clearly as i can tell that the languages are so similar, that is why i say they are similar. The lao greeting is sabaiddee, you can if you want to, add sabaiddee jao, and this will sound like pasa nua’s greeting. In the olden days, jao was added to each ending of which i still use today because my father says it often. I don’t know how many dialects the lao language has, but i’m sure the one you here is not the one i speak. i speak closely to the pasa nua but no accent, that is why i say they are similar. My mother still speaks pasa nua here to the lao people here and they understand so in this fact you are wrong about the understanding, but this may be due to them being accustom to hearing it in the media. I’m not sure why. The only thing that can be distinguish in my senses is the accent. it seems to be spoken in a much higher tone than regualr lao. As for the writings i know they are different, i can not read lanna, or read lao. But they are closely similar just like the languages and in some cases some lao people are able to read lanna and vice versa if taught or exposed. As for the lao punishments, i always hear that siam was always waging wars with others and the onslaught was heaviest in Lao destroying many temples and such. I’m sure that there were such punishments for the lao people back then. As for the languages, i speak both fluently although i am a native thai speaker. I know what the similarities are as i speak both. Lao is a higher tone and thai is a lower tone. The words used are vastly similar althought at times they’ll have different meanings. In my opinion they are too similar although most thai people not accustom to hearing lao will not be able to understand lao and vice versa. I’m thai by heart so please don’t think that i am trying to bash thai as i am myself. I just happen to grow up here with a lot of lao influences around here so i heard a lot. and no i have not read pira sudham’s account of issan life, perhaps i’ll read it. piom mar america when i was song kourp so i don’t know if the accounts can be true for me.:(
Old stories—Thailand invaded Laos. Laos invaded Thailand. Burma invaded Thailand. Thailand invaded Cambodia and vice versa.
I went to Luang Prabang last year. I love it cos I had no linguistic or finalcial difficulties traveling there. I could ride my bicycles around Luang Prabang in two hours. It is a very small town.
With thoundsands of tourists, Laung Prabang will change. Let’s hope– in a good way–like a better hospital.
According to the Lao Ministry of Education, Lao words and borrowing words( used as part of Lao language) are:
67.56% Lao
24.97% from Pali
5.90% from Sanskrit
0.53% from Khmer
0.40% from Thai(Siamese)
0.28% from Chinese
0.23% from French
The Thai language is made up from the following:
55.55% from Lao
24.97% from Pali
7.41% are Thai
5.90% Sanskrit
5.53% from Khmer
0.28% from Chinese
0.23% from English
To know the truth about Lao and Thai, DO NOT learn it from Thai source or Lao source….. This are the books that will reveal the truth about Both Thai and Lao….. Khampee Khun Borrom, Bhavadesad Thai Vieng Chun, Pongsawadan Lao and Lanna scripts…. within this books I mentions, it will reveal that we all are Ai Lao(Lao) descendants.
edition page 9. David k This is from Maha sila viravong in the book Pongsawadan lao page 42. King Fa ngum ask king OUthong ” You want to go to war” after taking Roi Et and many town of Ayuthaya. King Outhong reply ” We are brothers of the same parents , we are both sons of borom . If you want land take the land from the forest of fire that is the forest of three post to the land of Nakorn tai. When my daughters is fully grown I will sent her to you for marriage.” Then king Outhong sent gifts to Fa ngum . A gifts of 100 elephants , 20 thousand gold , and 20 thousand silver.
Here is the lao king from laojakarath.
From jieng hai ( chieng rai)or jieng lao
lao gaok( lao roots)
Lao Kao Kaeo Ma Muang
Lao Sao
Lao Tang
Lao Kom
Lao Lae
Lao Kap
lao Kun
Lao Khiang
Lao Kin
Lao Thoeng
Lao Thung
Lao Ton
Lao Som
Lao Kuak
lao Kwin
Lao Cong
Com Pha Huang
Khun Cuang
Lao Ngoen Huang
Lao Chun
Lao Ming
Khun Moeng
Lao Meng
Meng Hai(Meng rai) first king of lanna
From the chieng mai chronicles second Wyatt.
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