In mid 2024 I ventured to Thailand to see what all the fuss was about . On online forums the Southeast Asian country was heralded as being a great place for digital nomads to relocate to, due to its lower cost of living and more liberal society. I found a place that was generally over polluted, lacking in adequate infrastructure with a struggling economy.
Bangkok has been reported as “one of the best cities to visit in the world”. It is so polluted that one has to wear a facial mask in order to tolerate breathing in the air. I visited during the Asian heatwave that claimed lives, where the heat index adjusted for the heat island affect reached 50 degrees Celsius in a Bangkok suburb. This urban heat effect due to the lack of greenery also exacerbates the suffocating symptoms of pollution. I took a cab ride once and breathed in air from outside the car, creating a toxic environment for driver and passenger. I wouldn’t be surprised if cab drivers struggle to make it past 50 years of age in highly polluted cities as a result. Traffic jams were horrific.
Traffic is bad often because the communal transport system is poorly connected. Major tourist hotspots like Khao San Road, famous for its backpacker partying ethos, is nowhere near a train station, nor the Wat Arun Temple. A tuktuk or taxi ride is the solution, where one must haggle for an affordable service. Once at the destination, one is bombarded by trinket peddlers whose prices are often absurdly high even by Western standards. This was most cringeworthy on a boat ride in the floating markets approximately 1.5 hours drive from Bangkok city, where I was offered a bag of lychees for the equivalent of six Aussie dollars, a similar price that I could get them for back home. I haggled the merchant down a few bucks to which she reluctantly accepted, drifting past me in her merchant boat at a snails pace. Very awkward.
I procured an excellent guide for my time in Bangkok, who complained of a struggling economy and his own drug habit that he was able to escape. He took me to a Muay Thai gym that I trained at for a session. I hoped to train their consistently - the weekly fee for doing so was $160 Australian, a price triple that of what I could procure in Australia. Another gym in a more commercial area asked for $80 AUD for one kickboxing class.
Wishing to escape the smog of Bangkok, I ventured down to Hua Hin, three hours train ride south. The train had no air conditioning and thus induced much sweat. Once I arrived there, I understood that the town was not a quintessential Thai beach paradise. It’s primary economy seemed to be prostitution, where entire streets were devoted to Thai massage parlours, with scantily clad women beckoning travellers in. Public beaches with good amenities were non existent, so a moto ride to find a back alley to access a beach was the only way to have a swim without paying for goods to be kept at a sun lounge monitored by resort staff. A prominent tourist attraction overlooking the city was completely deserted and seemed to house a homeless community.
I had visited Southeast Asia in 2017 and had the time of my life, as the climate was more comfortable at that time of year and the tourist presence was strong. Chiang Mai had great bars and an awesome water hole. The jazz bar that was open and full of life seven years prior had shut - entire restaurants were used to store motos rather than serve patrons. Venues that were still open had few customers. There was still a tourist presence at hotspots like a nearby mountain temple, where one can take a moto ride (without a license, very libertarian!) and seek refuge from the heat, but travellers seemed to stay indoors on the plains. On the way back down the mountain I visited a zoo that had kangaroos that appeared malnourished.
Cannabis is legalised in the country and one must be careful of its affects. Edible cannabis is easily accessible and outrageously strong, vomit and paranoia inducingly so. Illegal drugs are easy to procure from peddlers along the main nightlife spots in Bangkok, streets that were void of sufficient party goers when I was there.
I was hoping to relive the fond memories I had of Thailand from my 2017 trip in 2024, but the country underwhelmed. It was stinkingly hot, so I could’ve travelled at a cooler time of year, but there was a sense of poverty in the country that should be prospering more considering the international investment over the years. It may be better down south at the famous aqua water resorts of Ko Samui or even two hours drive east of Bangkok in Pattaya, but they’re not accessible by train from Bangkok and therefore prohibitively difficult to get to for the frugal or impatient.
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