Dedicate To The Youth Of Modern India. Review on Thailand, General

The youngsters of today have the world at their feet. When I started my career in 1977, my salary was 1300 rs per month. A ticket to America cost Rs 20000 , passport and visa took years to procure.  foreign allowance allowed per year was 500 dollars.

Today the starting salary for an army doc is about 20000rs and the fare to America is 40000 rs  tatkal passport takes a week, tourist visa  a couple of days. There is no limit on dollars

So the youth can chose their places to travel.

Through this review I recommend strongly that you start your overseas journeys with Thailand. The reasons are

1. The Hospitality          .

Thais are  gentle and friendly . They are  mild mannered and  know how to pamper you. From the airport where visas are available on arrival too, to the cab drivers, to the hotel staff everyone is sugary sweet. It is most genuine respect and love for the tourist, not the put-ons .

For Thais, tourist is like God. They have been taught that they earn if tourists come and they show that gratitude every minute you are there.

Unfortunately their tourism has had many ups and downs because of tsunami, bird flu, political unrest, and other factors, so they become better behaved with each set back in the tourism cycle.

2.     Proximity

a flight from India to Bangkok takes only 5 hours. You can plan a 5 night long trip, spending much less time than going to Goa, . I generally leave on wednesday(I am a veg on tuesday) and am back on monday, missing only 4 working days of my clinic.

3.  Affordability

In Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore a 4/5 star costs 8000/12000 rs per day. In Thailand a great 4 star hotel can be got for equal of 2000 to 3000 rs per day and it is better than most 5 stars in Indian non-metros.

Actually if you book a package, a 5 night, 6 day trip, inclusive of airfare and a 3star hotel stay costs only 23 to 25 thousand rs per couple.

However I suggest that you ask the travel agent to upgrade you to 4 star and enjoy. It costs only a thousand bucks more per day and is worth the money spent.

1. Ease of currency-

Thai currency is baht. An american  dollar gets 37 bahts or 40 rs . Just take the rough formula of 1 baht= 1 rupee and you spend as you were in India.

1. Food and Drinks-

very tasty food, served in great ambience and no luxury taxes added to drinks. In a great place you get a beer for 65 bahts and a peg of scotch for a hundred bucks(1/4th the rates of indian restaurants).There is lots of variety and even fast foods and clean dhaba type noodle joints serving food at less than a hundred bucks per meal. I do not remember ever paying more than a couple of thousand bahts for a meal even with family and friends.

1. Tips-

the most painful part of tourism is tips. In Europe tips are added to the bill so you may not tip separately. In India also service charges are added in the bill but try leaving without tipping and you may be mauled. In U.S.A.  even the cabbies dispay on their dashboards' 12 percent gratuity will be appreciated'.

Thailand is the only place I have seen where tips are accepted most graciously, by bending twice, saying a sing-song thank you and a smile. Even a 10 baht tip gets the same reaction. Such expression of gratitude makes the tipper happy and wanting to tip more. In Delhi, less than 100 bucks tip is frowned upon even by valet parking the car.

1. Shopping-

If you want the most authentic duplicates of top brands, shop in Bangkok. The stuff is good. The shirts and the leather bags last years like the original stuff. It is the most successful counter-feit market with some degree of legitimacy to the industry. My Arnold Palmer shirts easily last 3 to 4 years.

You can shop till mid night. All credit cards are accepted. I got my eyes tested and lenses fitted to  a branded frame at 11.30 p.m. at night and paid 12000 bahts by card. No problems whatsoever.

1. Safety-

it is one of the safest places in the world. Mugging is unheard of. Ladies are safe alone. Saftey is also because of the sheer numbers of tourists at all times of the day and night. Whites, blacks, browns, orientals, all types of people at Patpong, the night market, all having a good time.

9.  Adult tourism-

you can have your first glimpse of adult tourism here. I shall touch on it a bit when reviewing Pattaya. However the adult industry here is of non-harasment type. No female will cat-call or chase you. Families will be left alone even in naked go-go bars.

1. Development-

it is like visiting a developed country. The flyovers, sky scrapers and the expressways are all a delight. Yes there are traffic snarls but if you time it right you can avoid them.

1. Golf-

is a big industry. You can learn, play and have golf holidays at the cheapest rates in the world.There are travel agents specialising in golf holidays like Tiger Travels in south Delhi which I use.

1. Massage-

it is like no other massage you will have. Thai masseues are females and they put that gentle pressure, with a swaying of their own bodies side to side. As a result, their hands are soft with no callosities. Adult type massage are also available for the sex tourists.

I advise that  you do not combine Thailand with Malaysia or Singapore. Enjoy the country and you will feel like going again.