Features of Thailand in pictures

I already wrote about my first impressions of Chiang Mai, where he touched upon the peculiarities of Thailand a little. Now I would like to supplement that post (I will repeat something), as well as additionally upload some photos that remained in my archives and did not get into other articles. Of course, I do not pretend to be complete of all the features, there are much more of them, and we have already written about something in our articles. A certain collective post ...

By the way, there is still such a moment, the closer to the resort, the less Thai-style everything becomes. In general, I noticed that the resorts are similar to each other - hotels, cafe-restaurants, tourists. They will be good to lie on the beach for a week, but nothing more. You can't see the country there and understand what's in Thailand, what's in Turkey, what's in Egypt (I haven't been to other resorts, but I don't think I have to). When we lived on the island of Phuket, we felt it very much, despite the fact that we did not live in a resort area. It hurts him differs from the north of Thailand in its atmosphere. Therefore, the peculiarities of Thailand will be mainly associated with Chiang Mai..

The content of the article

one Motorbikes and pedestrians
2 Internet cafe
3 Water and laundry
4 Food
five Accommodation for local residents
6 Unsanitary conditions and garbage
7 Holidays
eight Temples, monks and landmarks
nine Farangi and sex tourism
10 Smiles, safety and people
eleven Thailand Photos

Motorbikes and pedestrians

Walking on foot is very annoying, since there are practically no sidewalks. At first, you get scared of motorbikes rushing past. Traffic in big cities is spooky. Old mopeds not only rumble, but also spew clouds of gray smoke. In small towns, it is easier in this regard. And if you become a full participant in road traffic (how to rent a bike), so you immediately stop noticing it all, despite the large number of scooters scurrying around. Especially if the driving itself is enjoyable..

Bike parking

A bunch of bikes

On a bike in a suit

One of the few sidewalks in Chiang Mai

Thai style pedestrian crossings

On the streets of Phuket

Thailand for little people

Sang-teo is often run on footpegs

Internet cafe

They are everywhere, on every corner. All correct Thais sit in the Internet cafes in the evenings. I don’t know what they’re doing there, they’re probably playing games. It still remains a mystery why not to do this at home, because the Internet thing is available to everyone..

Internet cafes in Chiang Mai

Internet at the railway station - payment with coins

Thai keyboard

Water and laundry

There is a very convenient way to buy water - there are vending machines on the streets where you throw a coin, and you get cheap and seemingly clean water (1 ruble-1 liter). In the south, they are less common, but everywhere in Chiang Mai. You can also buy large white water bottles (inside 15 liters).

Laundries are no less common. They can be immediately noticed by a large number of clothes hanging on hangers, at first I confused them with stores. There are two types - just self-service washing machines (20-30 rubles washing, found everywhere in Chiang Mai) or a full service - washing + ironing (50-70 rubles / kg, available everywhere). We did not try the second option, since someone told us that Thais add a lot of washing powder, and it was not necessary somehow.

Water Vending Machine

Free water at the bus station

Laundry just in the form of washing machines

Laundry - clothes are drying outside

Food

Most of Thailand's population is engaged in food production. Staying hungry is unrealistic, food is everywhere. The streets are lined with bikers (motorcycle and sidecar) selling everything from grilled meats to fruits. The stove is also in this wheelchair, and, as a rule, is a gas cylinder and a burner. Cafe with tables is no less common. I know that not everyone likes Thai cuisine, but we made our way in our time. About cafe in Thailand read in our article.

Large pans with food

Macaw stands next to the Ford dealership

Offering to Buddha at every home

Accommodation for local residents

Many Thais live in simple housing, or, more roughly, in barracks. As I understand it, this is due to the low living standards of the local population. On the other hand, how much is needed when it is warm all year round, and only rains bring inconvenience. By the way, I looked several times and did not «barracks» Thai houses, when the door was ajar, and was surprised at the almost empty room without furniture.

Phuket barracks

New condominium coming soon

Unsanitary conditions and garbage

Rumors about unsanitary conditions are exaggerated. Yes, of course, there is garbage, sometimes it smells on the streets (next to food shops, as a rule), and in some places waste is discharged into gutters, but this all pales before what you feel and get in this country. I want to visit India to compare. They say that everything in this regard is unusual. Anyway, Asia is Asia, either like it or not.

Washes the baby next to the hut

Sleeps in broad daylight

Narrow streets of Chiang Mai

Holidays

Thais have many holidays and, accordingly, weekends of the year. They celebrate their own holidays as well as some European ones. All holidays are large-scale and are celebrated throughout the country. An indispensable attribute of any event is food and the launch of sky lanterns. Most of all, of course, is remembered Songran, with its splashes, fun, and watering each other.

Exhibitions and all sorts of hand made fairs in general are held every week.

Songkran Thai New Year - Direct Hit

Flower Buddha, Chiang Mai Flower Festival

Kids launch lanterns into the sky - Loy Krathong and Yee Peng festival

At the Night Bazar in Chiang Mai

Girl earning money by dancing at Night Bazar

Temples, monks and landmarks

The main attractions are temples of different shapes and colors, each more beautiful than the other. Some of them are significantly different from the rest, such as White Temple in Chiang Rai or wooden temple of Truth in Pattaya. Honestly, after a while you stop perceiving them as a tourist attraction, and if you come there, you just want to stay there for a while, sit, think, and not take pictures and look around.

There are also all kinds of parks with sculptures on religious and philosophical themes, as well as national natural parks with waterfalls and hot springs..

White Temple in Thailand (Wat Rong Khung)

Temple of Truth in Pattaya

A typical temple in Chiang Mai

Monks walk everywhere in the city

And often go barefoot

Morning exercise - monks collect for food

Old man monk at the bus station

Some bus stations have a personal enclosure for monks

Farangi and sex tourism

The opinion of Thailand as a country of sexual debauchery is also exaggerated. Sex tourism, of course, is developed, but this is mainly in Pattaya, in other parts of the country it is little or not noticeable at all. The most striking, of course, are couples that differ greatly in age ... And lady fights (they are also called electronics), on the contrary, are not noticeable at all, and sometimes only by the voice you can understand who you are dealing with.

Farang and Thai

Farang and Thai in the dash

The club is not for everyone

It may well be that this is a ladyboy. Thais are all short

Smiles, safety and people

They really smile, just like that. And this is very nice. In general, in my opinion, they do it sincerely, for the most part. Perhaps because they are not at all aggressive because of their Buddhist religion. In thai new year Songkran, drunk Thais climbed to kiss me, not sort things out. This atmosphere of friendliness is very much lacking here, in Russia. Yes, there are crimes, and attacks on foreigners, and theft, how could I do without this, but never and nowhere did I feel so safe as in Thailand.

Of course, I cannot judge which Thais are in general, since we were not friends with any of the Thais, and did not penetrate deeply into their lives. Therefore, I don’t know what it’s like to live side by side with them for a long time. From the point of view of wintering, it is quite comfortable.

Drunk Thais climb to hug and confess their love!

Grandparents playing checkers

The usual thai blond

Thailand Photos

And followed by individual photographs that were taken just during the walks, not related to any specific features of Thailand. Without special words, just with short signatures.