My First Trip to Bangkok Changed My Life
Before I came to Thailand, I had already been to 37 other countries. For many years, I didn’t want to visit the land of smiles because everyone went there. The movie The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio came out in 2000, when I was 21 years old. Back then, it seemed like the whole world packed their bags and flew to Thailand. I didn’t follow the crowd. I went to South America and Africa. It was good. But now I know that I’ve missed out on more than 20 years.
First 12 Hours in Bangkok
When I finally arrived in Bangkok, I took a shower in my hotel, walked down the old town Soi Rambuttri, and took a seat at a street food restaurant. I thought it was quite brave at the time because, like everyone else, I had the usual concerns about the safety and quality of the food and absolutely no desire to spend my vacation in the bathroom.
But I sat down, ordered, ate, ordered more, ate everything, and stayed for 12 hours. I had lunch, an afternoon snack, dinner, and a late-night snack, and 10 beers in between.
A neighboring massage parlour charged guests five baht to use the restroom. My seat remained the same, but my tablemates changed every 20 minutes. I sat next to shy Japanese women, loud Englishmen, and drunk Germans. Tuk-tuks drove by. The street dog occasionally came and restored order. A souvenir lady showed me the wooden toy that sounds like a frog. The Thai waiters couldn’t believe how much Thai food and Singha beer one man could consume.
The Food Was Breathtaking
During those first 12 hours in Bangkok, I ate papaya salad, grilled chicken, prawns, fish in a salt crust, and clams. It felt like I had arrived in heaven. The food was breathtaking. The beer was ice-cold, and the people around me were from all over the world. Everybody was happy. Everybody acted as if they had found paradise, as if we had all won the lottery, because this is how Thailand makes you feel.
It’s like an instant coffee for your soul. It fuels your heart with joy and happiness, and it feels like a dream. Harmony, fantastic food, smiles everywhere, beautiful women, and the scent of barbecue in the streets. Gentle and kind people. No rush and no bad vibes. It sounds like Woodstock. Nothing wrong with that.
The price tag for my part of the bill for 12 hours was $17.
That Introduction to Thailand Changed My Life Forever
That introduction to Thailand changed my life forever. I became so obsessed with Thailand that I visited the country up to five times a year. The immigration lady asked me, “Why do you come for one day?” And I could only say, “Because I love Thailand too much.” And she said, “Oh, very good. Welcome.”
What It Means to Be a Bit Like Thai
I became a person who wanted to be a bit like a Thai, for real. What does it mean? Thailand makes you smarter because it demonstrates in so many ways that karma is real. If you treat karma right, treat people the way you want to be treated. Easy. Tough, but easy in the end because it makes your life so much easier.
Traveling and Eating Are the Two Best Things You Can Do in Life
That’s why I think traveling and eating are the two best things you can do in life. When you are the foreigner, the farang in a foreign country, food is the easiest way to get in touch with foreign culture and the people.
To all the people who say one day in Bangkok is enough, let me tell you this. One life isn’t enough.
