A few thoughts on Thailand.

It's been a week and a half since I left the tropical paradise that is Thailand. 

And I thought to myself, "Most of my readers will never go to Thailand. 

I should educate them." 

While I can't give you a rundown on genuine Thai life, I can pass on to you a few thoughts of an American tourist vacationing in Thailand after six months in China. 

Let's begin.

"Where did all these Europeans come from???"

That's right. They all congregate in Thailand to get warm in the winter time. And some of them might be paler than you, the girl who's lived the last six months under the cover of smog. Score!

"There are bathrooms everywhere. AND WESTERN TOILETS...that aren't covered in pee or footprints!!"

I didn't have a picture of a toilet, but this was our bathroom on Koh Phi Phi in which we could take COLD showers because it was so HOT outside!

Oh, you're wondering what I meant about the footprints on the toilets. Remember that most people in China use squatty potties and aren't used to something raised off the ground. Now, use your imagination.

"The King is EVERYWHERE."

That's right. The king's photo is literally everywhere--restaurants, businesses, highway signs, you name it. He looks like a nice guy, but I would've paid for a picture of him pointing off in the distance with a caption that read: "Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera!"

"Roti and smoothies. That's it. I'm never leaving."

Roti: fried deliciousness that can be improved with banana, nutella, chocolate, and just about any other wonderful thing you can think to put on/in it. 

"Alright. Where did all the drag queens come from?"

   

But really. They call these people "Lady Boys" and you are guaranteed to find multitudes of them if you wander the Night Bazaar.

"Whoa--Buddha's worse than Santa."

 

He sees you when you're sleeping. He knows when you're awake. That's right. Buddha's EVERYWHERE. There were three big temples within two blocks of our hotel in Chiang Mai and spirit houses with teeny Buddhas were scattered all down the street.

"THREE STORY STARBUCKS."

 

Did you just pee your pants? Yeah, me too. 

There were two other Starbucks a short walk from our Chiang Mai hotel.

"Green. Oh green." 

I went from the first picture (Taiyuan) to the second picture. You can understand my excitement.

"Sa bai dee kaaaaaaa."

The all-around nice greeting that you hear multiple times a day in Thailand. Sometimes the "ka" stretches out into three syllables. 

Even Ronald knows how to do it the Thai way.

And, just when I thought I was beginning to grasp the four tones of Chinese, I was affronted with Thai's FIFTH tone. 

That's it. No more language learning for Laura. 

"I look like I have smallpox."

 

   Thanks, mosquitoes. There are well over 100 bites on those once-beautiful legs.

"Thai people are so...chill."

 

Thailand is famous for its abundance of "Thai smiles". Life there isn't lived according to time constraints--businesses don't open til late morning and don't close until late at night. And they played volleyball with us. What more could you want?

"MMM...eggs with flowers?"

 

    Unexpected.

   Yet delicious.

Of course, there is far more to Thailand than the few thoughts I have just passed on to you. 

But if I had to choose a third-world country to spend time in, it would probably be Thailand. 

And it's not just because they have a three-story Starbucks.