Creative Mélange The Wander Issue | Page 40

The Alcazar of Southeast Asia: Thailand Thai Uyen * Alcazar: ?Alcazar?means ?cast le?or ?bast ion?in Spanish. Here I want t o emphasize t he rapid and st eady development of Thailand as a Sout heast Asian count ry. ?Alcazar?is also t he name of t he most renowned t ransvest it e cabaret show in Thailand. I came t o Thailand in t he middle of a humid summer, when everyt hing suddenly became fanciful in t he blurred curt ain of rain t hen shined bright ly in t he next morning. I t was t he first t ime I had been t here, and everyt hing was just as fascinat ing as ant icipat ed. The count ry was a mixt ure of modernit y and t radit ion, of West ern and Asian, of nat ural and art ificial. Each dest inat ion of my it inerary had it s own glamour, yet shared one feat ure in common: t he lovely smiles of t he Thai people welcoming guest s int o t heir home. * Did you know t hat ? ? 1. The monet ary unit of Thailand is t he baht ; US$100 is approximat ely 3500 baht . The general cost in Thailand is quit e reasonable and affordable for t ourist s. 2. Taxis are not available in Pat t aya! The most popular public t ransport here is songt haew, which means ?t wo rows? in Thai and refers t o it s t wo- bench seat s. Songt haew is a shared t axi for it can carry a maximum of 10 people. The st art ing fee for each group of passengers is usually 150- 200 baht . The fee is det ermined by t he driver subject ively, so bargain wit h t hem! 3. The Thai are well- known for t heir court eousness and hospit alit y. You can st art your day being greet ed by t he hot el recept ion wit h a pleasant smile, cont inue wit h t he smiles of a t axi driver or t he t icket seller, and end your day wit h t hat of t he t our guide. 4. M ango st eamed glut inous rice, rolling ice- cream, or grilled oct opus are t he food t hat you should t ry in addit ion t o t om yum, som t um, or pad Thai. 5. Tourist s should be very considerat e when t alking about religion or ent ering any religious sight . 41 40