We arrived home early yesterday evening around 7:30 after a wonderful spring trip to Thailand. This year the NESA (Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools) Conference was held in Bangkok. We had heard much about Bangkok from other staff who had attended previous conferences there and we can honestly say that it exceeded all of our expectations.
We left Saturday, March 29th from Alex on Qatar Airlines. We flew to Doha, Qatar and then transferred on to Bangkok, arriving after a combined 11 hours in the air. Qatar Airlines is definitely a first-class outfit. Planes are clean and the service is friendly. We had 3 meals on-board and various snacks. On the longer flight between Doha and Bangkok there were several first rate movies to view which each passenger could individually select and watch as well as numerous television shows and music selections. The airports we used in Doha, Bangkok and Chiangmai are modern state of the art facilities that pride themselves in moving passengers quickly and safely through their terminals. We had a 2 hour layover in Doha on our return trip and observed a more traditional Islamic culture than we see in Egypt. Obviously there is much more wealth in Qatar as it is a strong oil producing nation with a GNP per capita of approximately $78,000 with virtually no unemployment compared to Egypt’s GNP of $5,400 per person with a 10% unemployment rate or the US with $46,000 GNP per capita and 5% unemployment rate.
We arrived in Thailand Sunday morning and were met at the Airport by a driver who took us to the Narai Hotel (www.naraihotel.co.th/ ) in downtown Bangkok. The hotel is conveniently located just off the expressway yet in an area with many little shops. We rested for a while after we arrived and then ventured outside to look around at the little shops. When we visited Istanbul last year, it seemed like you could not walk more than a block or two and be invited by a “carpet” salesmen to view carpets inside their stores. Well, in Bangkok, the two main businesses for soliciting business on the curb are tailor shops and massage establishments. Bangkok is famous for their tailored clothing shops where they will make you a suit and shirt in less than 24 hours and their massage establishments with the girls out front offering a “foot massage” usually. These are legitimate massage establishments where you can get foot massages; head, neck and back massages; or body massages for a very reasonable price.
Thailand is also well known for their “Tuk-Tuk” taxis – sort of like a 3-wheeler that is often very colorful in decoration. Drivers will offer a tour for a very low price (10 or 20 Baht per person for an hour). 30 Baht is equal to a dollar in US currency. But for many of these drivers, there is a catch. They want to take you to “their tailor or jeweler” in hopes that if you buy, they will get a commission. We did fall for this and thought we were getting a tour of the downtown area of Bangkok, but instead were taken to 3 or 4 shops for sales pitches. We listened politely for the first couple but then became a little less patient at the others. From that time on, we only rode in Tuk-Tuks when we wanted to go to someplace specific and made sure the driver knew that so we wouldn’t get taken on a sales tour!
From the moment we arrived in Thailand until we left, we were greeted by nearly everyone we met (from workers to people on the street) with a traditional Thai greeting, the wai. The wai is generally offered first by the youngest of the two people meeting, with their hands pressed together, fingertips pointing upwards as the head is bowed to touch their face to the hands, usually coinciding with the spoken word "Sawat-dii khrap" for male speakers, and "Sawat-dii ka" for females. The elder then is to respond afterwards in the same way. It is said that Thailand is the land of smiles and everywhere we went people greeted us or waved to us with a smile.
Thailand was once know as “Siam” – remember “The King and I” was centered on Siam. Thailand means “free” land. It was never colonized by the European powers unlike many of its neighbors. Thailand is a newly industrized country, experiencing the fast economic growth rate in the world from 1985 to 1996. Pollution is a major problem in the cities (especially Bangkok). It was common to see people (especially outdoor workers like traffic police) with masks on.
Early Monday, we boarded a flight on Thai airlines for a trip up to Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is know as the “rose of the North” and is still considered the “Capital” of the northern area of Thailand. It is about 700 kilometers from Bangkok and at one time only accessible by the river. Now there is a major highway as well as air travel between the two cities. The population of Chiang Mai is approximately 250,000 in the city. It is surrounded by hills and mountains and many of the rural people still live in remote areas of the mountainside. The city is over 700 years old and features a wall and moat around the intercity area (where the people once lived for protection from Burma). We were met in Chiang Mai by our guide, Roong. For the next three days she showed us the sights of the city and the surrounding countryside. She took excellent care of us and made sure that we were comfortable in all that we did.
We stayed at the Empress Hotel (www.empresshotels.com/empress_hotel.html), located near the main downtown area of Chiang Mai near the Ping River. The hotel, as with all the hotels we stayed at, featured large spacious rooms, excellent restaurants with American breakfast buffets and courteous service. After settling in for a short time, Roong took us down to the river to take a “Mai Ping River Cruise” in a “long boat.” The cruises are in small boats and travel up the Ping River for an hour. Along the way, you see fisherman, boaters and an ever-changing scenes with teak-houses and greenery. After an hour, we stopped at a traditional “Farmer’s House” and saw the many varied plants, fruits and rice that are grown in the area. Many of the herbs are used in cooking and for medicine. The smells are very pleasant. We enjoyed a snack of melons and pineapples as well as a fresh fruit drink. Our guide from the boat gave us a demonstration of how the farmers farm the land, harvest the crops and fish (using bamboo woven baskets to trap the fish). After the tour of the farm and snack, we journeyed back down the Ping River to where we began. Along the way, children and adults who were on the banks of the Ping would smile and wave to us. In the evening we enjoyed a delicious traditional Chinese meal at the hotel in one of the hotel’s restaurants.
On Tuesday, Roong took us 40 minutes out of the city to visit Bhubing Palace, high up on the mountain. This is where the Royal Family stays when they come to the Northern part of Thailand. The area is a virtual garden showplace receiving constant care. It is quite an honor to work here and they take their work very seriously. Everywhere you turned around, was another beautiful garden for all types of flowers. However, the specialty is roses of all colors which are planted at the royal instruction of the Queen of Thailand. Thailand has a constitutional monarchy form of government. The King and Queen have been in power for over 60 years and are beloved by the people. They have little to do with the actual running of the government – rather they focus on various projects to improve life in Thailand for the largest numbers of people. Recently they have focused on projects to aid the rural people with land reform, schools and hospitals. All throughout Thailand there are large bill board sized photos of the King, Queen and Royal Family. The prince and princesses are also expected to take part and sponsor community service projects for the people with their own money or money they are able to raise.
In addition to flower gardens, the Palace grounds feature fern gardens, timber areas, various cabins and residences as well as a vast water reservoir featuring a musical “Fountain of Celestial Water” for the people. The entire Palace area is referred to as the “Queen of Flowers” as it is often a favorite visiting place for the Queen when dignitaries from foreign lands visit Thailand.
After the Palace, we traveled down the mountainside to visit Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, one of Thailand’s most famous Buddhist Temples. According to legend, holy relics discovered during the reign of King Kuena in the late 1300’s were placed in a howdah on the back of a white elephant, which carried them to Wat Phrathat, the white elephant dropped dead due to fatigue from the long journey. The temple complex is comprised of ornate gold covered domes and various meditation and praying rooms. Several Buddhist monks of all ages, dressed in orange tunics could be seen in this area.
In the evening, we visited one of several “Night Markets” which Thailand is famous for in Chiang Mai. The market places are filled with booths and stands with people selling virtually anything from clothing, shoes, hats, jewelry, leather goods, ceramics, etc. to fruits, juices, vegetables, and other food items. We found a neat little family run open air café where we ate Thai food (for around $3 to $5 each). We enjoyed this place so much, we came back the next two nights as well. Thai cuisine blends five fundamental tastes: sweet, spicy, sour, bitter and salty. Some common ingredients used in Thai cuisine include garlic, chilies, lime juice, lemon grass, and fish sauce. Later on, we tried a 30 minute foot and leg massage in the market place. It seemed that every 4th or 5th booth was offering massages, all for around 80 Baht (about $2.75).
On Wednesday we enjoyed a full day in the countryside. We stopped at an Orchid and Butterfly Farm. Here we saw how orchids are grown (in glass bottles for a time, then suspended in the air by wire – never in soil). There were many beautiful varieties and colors (blue, red, yellow, purple, etc) of orchids. In the same area, they raised butterflies in a special enclosed garden.
From there we traveled to the Chiang Dao Elephant Training Center. Crossing a swinging bridge over the Ping River, we found ourselves in a working elephant camp. Here we watched as the elephants bathed in the river and then put on an exhibition of their logging skills. Elephants are often used in the hill country for logging as the terrain is too rough for machinery. The elephants are trained by “mahoots.” These mahoots vary in age from teenage boys to older men. It is said that an elephant will have the same mahoot until either he or the mahoot dies (and in most cases it is probably the mahout who goes first as elephants live to be nearly 100). We watched as they dragged lumber, picked it up with their trunks and tasks and stacked it neatly in piles. One of the younger elephants also demonstrated his artistic skills by painting while holding an artist’s paint brush with his trunk. After the show, we took a 90 minute elephant ride into the hill country to a Lisu Tribe settlement. The elephants moved along at a leisurely pace. There are many similar settlements in Northern Thailand where people live a subsistence lifestyle without any of the “modern necessities.“ On the way back from the settlement, the elephants took the River for part of their journey. Both of us were on a “saddle” while the mahout rode on the neck of the elephant. When we returned back to the camp, we enjoyed a meal along the river while the elephants were released into the mountains to rest, eat and enjoy themselves for the rest of the day.
After lunch we took a peaceful two hour river raft ride down the Ping River. Our raft was made of bamboo and we had a guide on the raft who guided it down stream. Along the banks of the river we saw elephants and water buffalo grazing. Every once in a while kids might be swimming or fishing in the river. In the evening we explored other parts of the Night Market before returning to the little café for a late supper. Thursday we spent the day exploring Chiang Mai on our own. The temperatures during the day get pretty hot (between 32 and 35 degrees C) and it is quite humid. People do not like to spend much time out in the sun. In the evening, the city comes to life and the markets are bustling.
Friday we bid farewell to Roong and headed back to Bangkok to attend the NESA Educational Conference held at the Shangri-la Hotel (www.shangri-la.com/en/property/bangkok/shangrila) in downtown Bangkok. The hotel describes itself “With lush gardens, river views and a signature spa, the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok offers guests the warmth of the Thai capital amid the serenity of a tropical retreat” and it is truly that. As we arrived at the hotel, the first people we saw were Al and Betty (two teachers who taught with us last year at Schutz and are now at a school in Saudi Arabia). They took us up to their room while ours was being cleaned. It was so nice to see them, it has been nearly a year since we saw them last. We joined Al and Betty later in the evening for a long-neck boat ride through the “klongs” (canal streets like Venice) of Bangkok. We agreed to a 60 minute ride but as that time came, we were still a distance from the hotel and the driver wanted more money to takes us back. We disagreed and told him that he needed to get us back at no extra as we only wanted a 60 minute ride. He was upset and gunned the engine of the boat – next thing we knew, the engine stalled and there we were somewhere on a klong in Bangkok. Luckily, another boat came along and we hopped on and returned to the hotel. We figured that the boat captain suffered some bad “karma” for trying to overcharge us!
The next three days, we were pretty busy with the conference. Speakers come from all over the world to present their ideas. It is interesting to visit with the speakers and other participants in the conference and share ideas. In addition, it gives you a chance to find out what is happening at other schools in other parts of the world to gain some ideas of where you might want to locate next. Sunday evening, a few of us went to “Pantip Plaza”, one of the largest electronics/computer shopping centers in Bangkok. One of the guide books describe it as: “For those of under the belief the particular country you come from is the pinnacle of high technology, a visit to Pantip Plaza will be a revelation! Pantip Plaza IS 5 floors plus of IT heaven!” If it relates to technology, you will find it here – including loads of pirated software and DVD’s. Every ten feet or so is a little booth with covers of DVD’s and software – no disks, just the covers. The shop will take your selection from binders full of titles and cash payment, and then deliver the goods in 10-20 min, as the contraband is stored off site.
After looking around Pantip Plaza, we took Tuk-Tuks to a local restaurant recommended by the Tuk-Tuk drivers. Prices were not listed for some of the menu items and we literally got taken to the cleaners for what we ordered. Considering that we ate very cheaply most of the time I guess we can’t complain too much. It wouldn’t have been so bad if the food had been really good!
The conference wrapped up on Monday and we headed back to Egypt Tuesday. We left at 9:15 and arrived back in Alex around 6:30. Overall we were in the air for nearly 11 hours (with the time changes). It was nice to get back to familiar surroundings.
We enjoyed Thailand and will consider it in the future as a possible place to teach. It has a rich history with a beautiful and variety landscape. The people are genuinely proud, gentle and ready to please all at the same time.
