Thailand:

Culture schock

23.03.2017 - Jordan

 

 

Thailand, a new country for new adventures! 

 

From France, we think it's a heaven on earth for holidays. And it's true! We have been completely amazed by the landscape diversity of the North (Yes, the South and its beaches will be for the next journey)! However you will understand soon why we enjoyed this country and its strong culture! 

 

 

 

 

Poipet - Bangkok 

 

Everything went well for our first land border crossing, from Cambodia to Thailand. It was simple, you just fill out the papers, and like most backpackers, you lie on your hostel address. Of course, nothing too serious, but to cross we must say exactly where we're going to sleep, which, in general, we don't know at all! We are used to find on the spot, it's easier and more spontaneous.

 

On Thai side, we jump in a Van which drives us towards Bangkok, the capital, and then... 

 

BOOOOOOOOOM. 

 

A vehicle crash? No. (And luckily, if you see how the driver behaves. We are not far from an accident and really scared). 

No, that 'shock', is the difference between Cambodia and Thailand. Welcome to two extremely different worlds separated from a simple border. 

 

If I stereotype a bit Cambodia: we were used to dirty roads and the red dust, to the rudimentary infrastructures, to the uncleaned areas, to this pleasant slowness feeling and to the feeling of seeing a country which only starts to develop. 

 

This image, that we could imagine and transpose to the neighbouring countries of Cambodia, has just got completely destroyed on Thailand:

 

Welcome to the United States. 

 

Dozens of huge trucks, with colourful neon lights and paints, are on these new highways. These recent roads involve that everyone drives at an insane speed. The giant 4X4, pick-ups, and other 'luxurious' cars (Audi, Mercedes and BMW) pass us at high speed. Let's add some enormous advertising panels to the kit. 

 

Excuse me, GIGANTIC. 

I've never seen this before in my life! 

 

 

And then, what to say about our arrival in Bangkok? By night, it's just crazy. All of a sudden, the elevated highway dive in the middle of the city. We are in the air, floating, passing along new illuminated buildings, again and always with neon lights. Below, the city lives fast. Bangkok seems retro-futuristic. We have the feeling to live in a comic book: the opposition between the old concrete and the glass constructions give a timelessness feeling. And then, this silence in the van cabin makes the moment magic. 

 

To end on high note, lost in this metropolis, we take a tuk-tuk surrounded by pink neon lights. Here, those vehicles are almost ready for car races! Here it is, now we are in a movie! The driver starts fast. He's doing slaloms between the cars, accelerates, take shortcuts and has fun by scaring us. If we don't hang we fall!  

 

That is how, after a few hours in Thailand, we already understand that Thais are warm-blooded!

Bangkok