I’m leaving Bangkok in a little over a week’s time. It’s been a really interesting 6 months or so, and now that I think about it, a really, really long time.
Sort of as a means of closure for myself I’m writing up this post to highlight the good and the not-so-good. I’m going to try to avoid the negativity, so think of it all as constructive criticism of Thai culture and society 
So let’s get the criticisms out of the way first…
1. Pollution
Let’s just face it, Bangkok has terrible, terrible pollution. Of all sorts. From the morning haze that you can see hovering over the city, to too many cars pumping smoke into the air, to 24/7 construction sites that drill and jackhammer at 4 in the morning, to all those hundreds of thousands of air conditioner units blasting hot air onto sidewalks. I have no idea what effect this has on one’s health and lifespan, all I can say is it’s not good.
2. Insecure People
This is a really broad generalisation, so any Thai people reading this shouldn’t take this personally. In general I have found that a lot of people here are insecure. They don’t like the way they look and they don’t like a myriad of things about themselves. Of course, the mass media can probably take some blame for this, in blasting out thousands of images of exotic hapa-looking celebrities and models on television and in magazines… but still, people seem to get jealous and worked up over really trivial things.
3. Lack of Courtesy and Manners
The two worst offenders are… 1) Chinese/Malay/Singaporean tourists, 2) Old Thai guys. They don’t seem to understand queuing up, waiting in line, saying excuse me or anything… it’s all me me me first and everyone else better get out of the way.
4. Spinelessness and an Over-reverence for Authority
Almost everyone here is guilty of this. They won’t stand up for themselves, they just kowtow to authority and social status, which in part contributes to #3 above – there are those old patriarchs who believe that they are the king of the world because everyone around them bows down to them. Again, it may just be Thai culture, but not my kettle of fish.
And now the good stuff:
1. People who have their life together
I have met a number of totally amazing long-term expats here. They all have successful careers or businesses, know where they are and where they’re going in life, and are very open-minded and down-to-earth. They’ve dug in and are here for the long-term, something I doubt I will ever do. Shout out to Paul, Joe, Chinarut, Jon, John, John, Jaki, Larry and everyone else.
2. Good food
Thailand has some of the best food in the world. Period.
3. Great party scene
There is always a party going on somewhere in Bangkok, no matter what day of the week it is. Lots of great people and an awesome vibe.
4. Progressiveness
Thailand’s really been on the uptake of capitalism and advancement. Skytrains, skywalks, huge megamalls and all the other good stuff that capitalism brings. I’m sure there’s a lot of bad stuff I haven’t seen either too…
So in a bit over a week for me it’s bye-bye Bangkok, both the good and bad.
- Aaron
[tags] personal, bangkok, thailand, lifestyle, peace of mind, pollution, krungthep, insecurity, manners, courtesy, party scene, nightlife, food, drink, spinelessness[/tags]
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Wonder if you’ll write the same thing bout Aus before you head off again?
hey – did the annual google on “chinarut” and found your page – thanks for the kudos!
i join ya on the food front and Japan is quickly trying to take the trophy away based on my last trip there – we’ll see if it lasts
the party scene here is just ok – if I had all the cycles in the world, I’d organize a party much like what you’ll probably experience in SF.
wait til you experience what drives SF at its root – you may not see the rest of the world the same way again!
always nice to have props up for Thailand and Thai peeps though – welcome indeed! =)