Entry #2 - Arriving in Bangkok

            After having been in Bangkok, Thailand for a day I can certainly say that I have made the most of my time here already.  Having arrived very early on the morning of Saturday the fifth at three o'clock in the morning we checked into a lovely little boutique hotel on Siloam serene rd, just few blocks away from the notoriously famous Patpong red light district area.  Considering the area, the hotel was very nice and it was here that I gained my first true perception of how diverse the city is in terms of prosperity and wealth being situated not so far from poverty and a working class doing literally whatever it takes just to get by.

            A few short hours later we checked out of the hotel to venture out and explore the city of Bangkok before meeting with Professor Viengrat Nethipo at Chulalongkorn University to discuss Thai politics through a historical narrative.  While making our way over to the university we encountered various aspects of the Thai culture but what was most noticeable while walking to and around the park at the center of the city, was the vast presence of banners representing king Rama IX.  Tying right in with our political discussion the professor later told that the total expenditure of promotional spending is something like 20 Billion baht per year which is about the same amount it would cost to build an additional sky train in the city which is desperately needed.  This was astounding to me particularly because the city of Bangkok seems to have such haphazardly designed transport infrastructure and the most effective form of transportation is in fact the subway line but only if you live and work near the few stops that exist.  Adding an extra line would greatly reduce traffic in the city and provide for more eco-friendly commutes, but much like everything else in Thailand, the king reigns supreme and is regarded very highly.  So for Thai people the spending on royalist propaganda is not perceived as wasteful as foreigners like me perceive it to be, however that is not to say that everyone agrees on such copious spending.

            Next up on the agenda after a little walking around and our seminar lecture was a meet up with Thai students from the university over a hot pot lunch right next to campus.  It was very interesting talking with them and the opportunity to converse with students who also study international relations, offered great insight to harnessing a more global perspective.  Through some great conversation I was able to gain an understanding of how people my age fit into the grand scheme of things in a country that is much different from my own.  Thinking back to our conversations it is actually pretty funny too realize that we spoke of the four things people say you should never talk about, those four being politics, sexuality, race, and religion.  Normally I wouldn't bring up any of these topics after just having met someone and conversing with them, but being students of similar disciplines the topics somehow found their way into discussion and provided for the exchange of some great thoughts.

            Keeping up with the theme that some may consider taboo, our tour group went out to a well renowned restaurant called cabbages and condoms.  This restaurant and resort partnership is part of a not for profit nongovernmental and organization called the PDA.  While enjoying some delicious food we learned about the organization's mission to promote family planning and safe sex practices in order to spread awareness of aids prevention.  Prior to my visit to this interestingly unique venue I was aware of the presence of HIV in southeast Asia, however what I did not know was the role that nongovernmental organizations played in fighting the aids epidemic and how combatant efforts oversees are so much different.  In southeast Asia and Thailand particularly the government has not done a whole lot to address the situation and that quite unfortunate, but as resourceful people, those who came together to form the PDA really did some great things and continue to keep on track with the mission to this day of aids prevention and family planning.  It's too bad that the government does not have this same vested interest but it awesome that people who wanted to make a difference stepped up to the .plate and formed an organization that could address several problems that need to be treated.

            After a long day of learning about politics and the functions of nongovernmental organizations in Thailand I went out to hit the town with a couple of friends that live right outside Bangkok.  It was a real treat to be able to meet up with some great people that I know and they were able to show me all of things that I would have otherwise missed out on without such a connection.  In my opinion unwinding and experiencing the night life can be just as important as formal teachings and tour group activities since it really gives a local perspective of what life is like for Thai people.  I was also able to pick up on a few Thai phrases from my friends that would make the rest of my stay in the area a little easier to adapt to.

            All in all, my first day in Thailand was a blast and I learned and experienced way more in this short amount of time than I could have ever imagined!