My review on Thailand.

Since I more or less lived on the road for 5 years I decided at one point to travel to Asia, and while I was there I visited 3 countries. Thailand was the first runner out, and I had heard so much positive about this south east Asian country that I was looking forward to go there.

I came to Bangkok, the Capital - and my first experience was that I thought I had landed in a Cuckoos nest - taking into account how different it is from Europe. Since I do avoid the major cities, I grabbed a cab and left to Pattaya - where my Norwegian friend was enjoying his holiday.

Pattaya is called the city of sin, I did not like it - and to be honest I was more disgusted of what I recognized than anything else. I know that they are complaining in England this days about some grooming gangs abusing young women, or even children - but the same people who are complaining about this, should take a trip to this Godless city in Thailand.

You could see old (white) men hand in hand with young Thai women and even children, guess they were in "love" - but this is not my cup tea. Keep in mind that Pattaya is originally a small fishing village that started growing during the Vietnam war because of American soldiers who used it as a holiday camp from the war, with all the culture they could bring.

So, to be honest - if you mix the Thai culture with the American culture this is what you get. I left this place after a short while, and explored the rest of the country which is much nicer. My parents visit Phuket every year, and for them it is an Eldorado. Nice weather, cheap and extremely good food - and I will credit them for having the best food in the world.

However, my favourite city must be Chiang Mai, which is northwest in the country - this is probably the city which is least polluted by tourism, and therefore a place you can stay for longer periods. I must admit that the temperatures in south east Asia was a bit too much for me, so it it is impossible for me living there long term since I love the seasons.

The nature varies much, depending on where you are in the country - from nice sunny beaches, to tropical jungle up north where you find the Golden triangle. In north east there are big rice fields and farm lands, additional to this you have some beautiful islands you can also visit. Take a look on the map before you are travelling there, so you will have a picture of where the water is clean - just for mentioning it.

Conclusion:

Thailand is a country with high quality food, and you can travel around for a reasonable price. I couldnt get hold of the people there, as they always smiled (the land of the smile) - but after a while I figured out that the smile is more or less painted on their face, and in Norway we would call it fake. Travelling there as a single man is also a challenge since they constantly tries to hook you up with their women, and it seems to me that it is an (family)industry to send young women from the countryside to the bigger cities to find a white man who can support them financially. As there are more countries in south east Asia that might be less cynical - you would prefer to visit them since Thailand can be a bit too much, and again I will credit them for their food. (cannot say it often enough)