ON THE WRITE PATH: travel journal for Around-the-World in 2015, 16, 18. |
I'm supposed to be happy in Paradise... but every "paradise" has "parasites" and worse. Get sick in Thailand or any tropical clime? Get checked out before you fly to somewhere they cannot properly diagnose nor treat whatever ails you. If you come from a country with expensive medical care it may actually be better and cheaper to have it dealt with locally. Same with legal and social issues. Sometimes it needs to be sorted out first. Other times ? LEAVE. Plan on never coming back. A Life Lesson that most of us learn the hard way. In Thailand: Don't get married until you know the family, community and culture. People aren't individuals here. Don't cross the street thinking that drivers will notice, care, or try to avoid you. Don't eat at MacDonalds and Starbucks. You are wasting your money. Don't be that Barbie-doll bitch-in-bikini sashaying your butt down the soi to attract attention. Don't act that way on the beach either. Don't disrespect the culture. Learn what to do and not do. You don't own this place. Travel brochures aren't reliable. They leave a lot out. Criticizing the local culture or mentioning obvious-to-you problems may end up with a jail-date or deportation. Yes, the locals here in Isan are basically kind and wonderful. But people avoid the police. Paradise has pitfalls. You don't want to fall into one. 4140 |