Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia. Duhhh, so what else is new! Thailand is where I have lived since 1992. My first trip to Thailand was in February, 1976. How did I come to visit and eventually live in Thailand?
In August of 1975, my wife, Sunee, and I were married in Virginia while I was studying Hebrew at the Foreign Service Institute. I was an Air Force linguist and this was my second language training course. My first was Chinese Mandarin back in 1972 at The Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. I had already spent two years in Taiwan and loved every minute of it. When I met Sunee, she introduced herself as Chinese from Thailand. I could have sworn she said she was Chinese from Taiwan, so I married her as quickly as I could. We were stationed immediately after our marriage in Athens, Greece, and we went to Thailand in February of 1976 to meet her parents. I got on the plane thinking I would be returning to Taiwan, but instead ended up in Thailand. Things have not been quite the same since! I actually worked for a Thai company (The Nation Publishing Group) for a year before becoming an English teacher.
Anyway, so what about Thailand? It is a developing country with a lot of natural resources. Up until the late 1980’s, the primary money maker for Thailand was the export of rice. Then some foreigners ruined everything and discovered Thailand as a vacation destination. Tourism is now the number one cash cow for Thailand and the Thais are perfect hosts for this tourism. In fact, it is my professional opinion that Thailand is the best vacation spot for Americans for several wonderful reasons:
1. Visas for Americans are free at the airport, which means absolutely no hassles coming to visit.
2. Thailand and the United States have been busom buddies since the end of the Second World War.
3. American pop culture is alive and well among the younger Thais.
4. Many of the top political, military and social leaders were educated in the United States.
5. Thai society is a nonconfrontational society. This means that a Thai will never get in your face for a mistake you made. To raise one’s voice in public is a sign, according to Thais, of ill manners.
6. The Thais genuinely like Americans.
Given all of the above, your two-week stay in Thailand should be absolutely wonderful.
Here are some frequently asked questions and their answers:
What will the weather be like in June in Bangkok?
See the Climate page for specifics but since Thailand is in the tropics, it will be hot. Remember the statement made by Robin Williams in the movie Good Morning Vietnam as he got off the plane in Saigon? He called it a setting for “London Broil.” Be prepared for London Broil on your visit to Thailand. Actually, as I point out in the Climate page, it is not all that unpleasant since we should see rain about every afternoon at 3 P.M. This should cool things down a bit. Everything is air-conditioned so not to worry too much. Just bring the right kind of clothes.
About | Chulalongkorn | Thailand | Climate | Bangkok
