Matt Fong’s Blog

I canceled my swim this morning because of thunderstorms that could be heard in the distance. Anyway, it’s noon now and it’s raining like I’ve never seen before (and I spent 4 years in the Seattle area!). It’s coming down hard…but hopefully it will only last for a couple of hours.

This leads in to all the things you miss hopping from one tourist destination to another–it’s more than just the change of seasons and thunderstorms impeding your workout schedule! I’ve backpacked around a lot, but only recently spent the last 6 months living and working in Thailand. I currently work in a resort area that I had visited as a tourist two years ago…and thinking back, there are soooo many heart-warming moments you miss simply passing thru. Everything from the warm smile I receive from the moto-taxi driver I use daily to eating at that local seafood restaurant at the end of the beach.

After writing several other thoughts I’ve realized this is a big topic, so I am going to leave it at that, for now.

I was planning on moving into a new apartment on the first of June but the timeline has been accelerated with the shitty living conditions at my old apartment.

Thailand apparently is experiencing a drought and is in dire need of its yearly monsoon season (which I though had already begun). Whether this is the case or not, my old apartment has suffered from only intermittent access to running water for almost a week (I’ve had water maybe 3 out of the past 7 days). The Thai’s talk like this is a normal occurrence. They tell me, at some houses water is turned completely off 12-hours a day–everyday. Realize I do not live in the sticks of Thailand, in fact I probably live in one of the most modern areas of Thailand. Either way, its times like these when I become thankful for the simple luxuries of living in a developed country.

Songkran, the Thai New Year?s festival, is probably the most celebrated holiday in Thailand. Westerns and Thais alike know it as the days almost all of Thailand breaks out in huge water fights. Pickup trucks carrying big buckets full of ice-cold water and celebrating adults and children prowl the streets looking for a showdown. The water play and subsequent wet clothing are a welcome relief from Thailand?s hot summer months.

Being my first Songkran in Thailand and with all the built up anticipation, my friend and I decided to participate in 4 different days of Songkran. The holiday is celebrated during different days in each province so all-out-water seekers (or overly energetic farang) are able to attend one after another by traveling to different cities. First was Bangkok?s Khao San Road, then the Thai beach resort and college town of Bang Saen, Si Racha, and finally the infamous Pattaya.

Khao San Road tops the list followed by Pattaya, Bang Saen, and Si Racha. The festivities in Bangkok weren?t city-wide but in the backpackers area of Khao San the area was packed with Thais and backpackers enjoying the holiday. Unique to the other Songkran celebrations was the closure of roads making for a more relaxed and safe environment. Pattaya gets a thumb down only because of the way too numerous farang looking only to cause havoc and embracement with their ridiculously cold water and overpowered water devices. Bang Saen was mostly pick-up truck to pick-up truck water wars and Si Racha has a nice after-Songkran festival with music, a beauty pageant, shop vendors, and food stalls.

By the end I was all songkran?ed out?but I?ll be ready next year!

I arrived back in Thailand the other day and had a chance to attend the Pattaya International Music Festival. I was pleasantly surprised by its size. For those who don?t know, Thai students have their school break from March to May, so the festival was packed with young people. There were three venues located up and down Pattaya with loads of street vendors participating in selling items along Beach Road. MTV was there along with big name Thai and international singers. It?s nice to see locals relaxing and enjoying themselves?you should definitely attend if you have the chance.

It was nice returning home after spending the last six months on the other side of the world. This hasn?t been the longest I?ve been away from home, but I certainly missed it?I think it has something to do with being so far away.

Here?s a rant about U.S. Customs, skip it if you wish:
As usual, I was welcomed back to the United States by our ultra-polite (sarcasm to the 9th degree!!!) United States Customs Officials. I don?t know who?s in charge of hiring these people but they seem to find the rudest people. I?ve re-entered the U.S. several times and twice my bags have been searched and on both occasions customs agents have been purposefully rude. This most recent time the officer took it upon himself to rip open Ziplock bags that were holding some of my belongings?even after I brought it to his attention they were Ziplock bags and could be opened properly without being ruined from the top. Then, after ripping through my bag like a child rips through presents on Christmas he tells me ?I forgot how your items were, why don?t you put them back.? This only bothered me a bit, then I looked to the other side of the hall where this confused, but innocent, non-English speaking old lady was being screamed at (of course in English) for accidentally queuing in the wrong line and then being accused of trying to enter the U.S. illegally. To think these government officials are the first people visitors come in contact with is appalling. In contrast, on the way back to Thailand I was searched by a TSA official who was ultra-polite and even offered to repack the belongings he needed to re-xray. Forget TSA reform, reform the U.S. Customs Service.

Life at home was good, except for the minor cold I caught. I had a chance to visit Tacoma and had a wonderful time seeing the friends I have left behind at UPS. One friend has already signed a contract to teach English in Indonesia and I think I?ve convinced another to give TEFL in Thailand a try. Anyway, when/if they come it will be good. My other friend from the Bay Area, I convinced a long time ago and is coming next Wednesday!!! I?m glad because things were getting a little boring.

I?m not the type of person who takes western values and uses them to judge eastern societies but the Sri Racha Tiger Zoo in Thailand is absolutely disgusting by anyone?s standard. I?m not an animal lover or by any means an animal rights activist and I thought I saw it all when I visited a zoo in China but Sri Racha Tiger Zoo takes the cake.

Before visiting, I?ve heard stories of people loving it or hating it; loving it because they sell adorable pictures of tourist holding baby tigers, or hating it because it’s poorly maintained with tiny animal holding areas. I can handle animals living in these types of environments?after all, they?re animals and I?ve seen many human beings living in worse comparable conditions.

However, the Sri Ratcha Tiger Zoo goes one step beyond substandard living conditions. Tourists who enter immediately encounter the weirdness of the zoo, with tigers, pigs, and dogs all in the same exhibits. The zoo?s management claims they have succeeded in using their unique breeding technique in raising tigers that do not attack?but in reality their tigers are so drugged up and out of their natural environment they don?t know what?s going on. If the tourist continues on they come along another tiger exhibit, this time with two African people wearing barbaric looking cloths caged up along side tigers. The implication is obvious and wouldn?t be tolerated in America, but what?s management thinking, is this suppose to be funny?

Anyway, the zoo also appears to breed alligators to be killed for their skin and also features pig races and the scorpion queen. 300 baht will buy you a ticket, but do you really want to give your money to such a poorly managed establishment?

A friend from my TEFL course recently moved from the run down industrial city of Chonburi to the nearby beach resort town of Bang Sean?and what a difference a short songtaew ride makes. While the beaches in Bang Sean aren?t quite pristine, nearby Burapha University with its student population adds a nice flare to the town.

Anyway, I?m sooooo jealous because the apartment she rents overlooks the gulf of Thailand with a chill patio area where you can daze forever at the crashing waves. Other reasons why my opinion of Bang Sean is so high: I treated myself to a 300 baht all you can eat buffet, of the best western food I?ve had in Thailand at the Tides Beach Resort along the main beach strip in Bang Sean.

I meet up with Justin, Kate, and their English teaching co-workers from South Korea for New Years Eve in the backpacking slum of Khao San Road in Bangkok. I had a wonderful time but the mood was noticeably low as Thailand was still recovering from the aftermath of the tsunami. Interestingly, Thai?s actually follow a different calendar than most of the western world; so in Thailand the year is 2548 because they follow a calendar based Buddha?s death. Anyway despite the somber mood, this New Year?s was no different than the rest and I managed to have a good time .

Surprisingly this was the first time I?d ever ?experienced? Khao San Road, having spent so much time in Thailand. It?s a laid back place that I?d recommend for a night or two?just don?t get too hung up in the shopping?there?s more to Bangkok!

I made my first visa run to get an extension on my thirty day tourist visa. From Ban Phe the border run cost me $50 USD with most of that going to the Cambodian government. It was a hectic and expensive day with 1100 Baht for a Cambodian visa, a 300 Baht same day departure tax (Cambodian), a 100 Baht SARS health check (also Cambodian), and a couple hundred baht for local transport. By far one of my worst experiences in Thailand and something I?m not looking forward to doing again in 30-days.