Bangkok, Thailand

March 4.5, 2009

Spent another couple of days wandering around the inner part of the City. It is amazing how some people make homes in small little hovels just down the block from modern condominiums. Overall the people are very friendly and certainly we haven’t felt at all uncomfortable.

The city is, by NA standards, dirty and smog filled but everyone seems to get along somehow. Traffic is fierce with lots of new cars and trucks on the road. Most people seem to ride scooters or motorcycles however they don’t seem to be bound by any of the traffic laws. Many of the curbs are very high – partly to channel rain water (this is the tropics) and, I would guess, to keep the scooters confined to the road.

By the way, when you are riding the transit system you can not but be impressed with the majority of Thai people. In massive heat and humidity they all look like they just showered and changed. If they have a uniform or if they work in an office then they are always immaculate. I have no idea how they do it in this climate.

If you don’t want to ride the transit system then you can take a taxi (looks just like a NA taxi) or a tuk tuk. A tuk-tuk has one wheel on the front and two on the back. It will hold two passengers in the back under a low roof and the driver sits in the middle front. They are everywhere in the cities and can be a source of irritation as they follow you down the street. If you take a tuk tuk always negotiate the price before you get into it and pay no more than that when you get out. Many tourists get ripped off because they assume there is some standard rate which there isn’t.