I came back from Thailand a few days ago, and altogether it was a pleasant experience being able to spend some time in another country.
Not like "OMFG I WENT TO THIS COUNTRY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE @#@&*#&@*~", but I was happy enough to say I enjoyed it pretty much.
Now that is just the overall picture. Some things I feel must be mentioned are going to be mentioned. Some things are just excellent, while some things just kind of want to make me destroy stuff. These are: The Praises & The Gripes.
The Praises
1. Service
Holy crap shit Thailand service pwns Singapore flat. Flat. No comparison whatsoever. The people there make an effort to smile when they serve you, and try their best to do whatever they can to really make you feel comfortable. Compared to Singapore, of which the working population at this period of time is largely comprised of part-timers, some of them students who are not really serious at their work. Well, Singapore does have nice service at some places, but generally its victory to Thailand here.
2. Prices
The stuff here is really really cheap. Maybe its because some of the goods that they sell there are made in Thailand itself. Like for example... FBT stuff. Yea, I'm pretty sure that's made in Thailand, so it comes across as pretty cheap to the average Singaporean. That's why I find it funny when we bargain for stuff, we ask for a discount of around 20 baht, and actually it's only nearly a dollar.
3. The Shopping Centres
Really a marked improvement since the last time I've been to Thailand, there is now a number of large shopping centres for tourists and residents alike to go to. Seems like an encouraging sign that Thailand will continue progressing and improve their attractions for tourists interested in shopping like my family.
The Gripes
1. The Transvestites
No offence to any of them in this section, but I find it slightly weird and disturbing that there is simply a vast number of transvestites in this country. Like you know when you say you're going to Thailand, people will mention transvestites, but when you get there, its a whole lot more than you actually expected. And it's weird when they dress as females (girl school uniform etc.) and speak in a hoarse voice very much like a male's. The number is seriously overwhelming. Go check it out for yourselves one of these days.
2. Infrastructure
The roads have potholes just about everywhere, and cockroaches roam the streets freely at night. Drains are not fully covered, and there are some spots where there is no lighting. Not the perfect conditions one would expect to have a holiday in, so it definitely can be improved.
3. The Old Ah Mas (I want to annihilate them)
This isn't really related to Thailand in any way. But, have you ever went on a tour bus, and met these strange group of old ladies who LOVE to sit in front of the bus, and consistently shoot the tour guide with plenty of questions, whether important or not. An example will be like:
Tour guide: "Now the elections are taking place in Thailand, that's why you see these posters/banners around the city."
#@*&~ Ah Ma: "Who is the best among them?"
LIKE WTFKNN DOES IT CONCERN YOU? Seriously when I keep hearing stupid questions I feel like giving them a final punch to send them to Hell.
And I remember a situation where their grandchildren wanted to sit at the front of the bus, then the bloody old grandmother SCOLDED the children just because she wanted to sit at the front herself so she could ask all sorts of useless questions like the one mentioned above. Seriously irritating.
Pictures are for next post. That's all I feel like saying now. Bye...
ivan fed the world.