This morning – our first morning in Bangkok – we were taken for a ride, literally and figuratively. In what must have been a set-up, (although it was so clever, sometimes I still wonder), our tuk tuk driver took us to IFC, (International Fashion Center), Bangkok. But scam or no scam, we had a great experience there. And guess what?
We Weren’t the Only Ones(!)
When we reconnected with our traveling buddies, they had their own story to tell. They had set out to see the famous Grand Palace. They hitched a ride on a tuk tuk, but the tuk tuk driver told them it was a holiday, so the Grand Palace was “closed.” Long story short – they ended up at IFC, too! No way! Yes, way! But that’s not the end of the story.
We went back the next day for our fittings. Our orders were delivered to the hotel the day after that, as promised. I opened up the package and checked my shirts. They looked great. But then I realized — they didn’t have pockets. I had made a point of telling Lucky, (the gentleman who helped us at IFC), that it was really important for my shirts to have pockets. When I saw that there weren’t any, I couldn’t believe it.
I sent Lucky an e-mail explaining the situation. Lucky replied by suggesting that, if it was alright with me, send the shirts back to him at a specified address. He’d have pockets put on, then he’d send them back to me. He would include an extra shirt for my trouble.
That sounded good to me. In the end, it all worked out. And wouldn’t you know it — the extra shirt from a fabric that Lucky picked out himself with no input from me – is my favorite one. That guy is something else.
Our tuk tuk experience this morning is so “Bangkok.” — Kind of wild. Kind of dangerous. But fun and amazing at the same time. In fact, Thailand itself is pretty amazing.
A Touch of Thai History
If you look at a map of the world and look at Thailand and it’s neighbors, Thailand stands out like a beacon of prosperity and freedom in a part of the world that has seen so much of the opposite. How did they manage it?
One thing in their favor – and to the Thais’ credit – is that Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country that managed to avoid colonization. Each one of Thailand’s neighbors was colonized by Portugal, England, France, Spain, or the Netherlands. That’s the way it was – people from the Old World sailed to the New World and took control wherever they could.
The argument has been made that because of improvements in infrastructure, modernization, etc., people in colonized lands were better off because of it. OK – There were some benefits. But I don’t think many native people who lived under colonial rule would say they were better off because of it.
Being colonized was once described to me this way: It’s like someone shows up at your house, uninvited. They come in, take over, and then never leave. Maybe they replace the plumbing or buy some new furniture. But no matter what they contribute, the longer they stay, the more you want ’em out.
What Made Siam Different?
So how did the Thai’s manage to avoid being colonized? From what I’ve read, it was a combination of luck and the skill of the Thai, (Siamese), rulers of the time. The “luck” part is that Siamese lands were situated geographically between the French-colonized Far-East and British-colonized Burma and Malaysia. Siam was sort of a buffer zone between the two superpowers of the time. That’s one thought, anyway.
More important, it seems, was the foresight of the Siamese leadership to establish Siam as a legitimate player on the world stage. They had a system of government, where local leaders reported up to more powerful leaders until they reached up to the King of Siam. It was similar, at least in a way, to Old World government structures.
Siamese leaders promoted cartography. They commissioned accurate maps to be made of Siamese territories where none had previously existed. Seems like they were keen on establishing borders and boundaries. They pushed for the establishment of a common Thai language. Policies like these established Siam as a legitimate “state” in the eyes of Old World leaders, as opposed to just being lands and people to be conquered and colonized. That’s how I understand it, anyway.
England and France still had eyes on the Siamese prize, of course. Warships from both countries each took their turn sailing up the Chao Phraya River looking for trouble. Siam made many concessions and gave up a lot of territory in treaties, but it managed to remain independent from foreign rule.
In the mid-19th century, a Siamese king named “Monkut,” also known as “Rama IV,” arranged for his son to have a Western education. You know the story – “The King and I.” That young fellow, named “Chulalongkorn,” (and later, “Rama V”), managed to continue to hold off hostile foreign interests, mostly through negotiations and treaties. By the time he died, in 1910, the current border of Thailand had been established.
Back to the Present
But enough history, already! It’s our first afternoon in Bangkok. We were “taken for rides” as our welcome to the city. The whole experience was stressful. What do people in Thailand do when they get stressed out? They get a massage, of course. We’ve only seen about a thousand massage places since we’ve been here.
Our travel-mates have taken note of a place where the masseurs and masseuses are blind. The proceeds go to an institution that promotes the welfare of blind people. Sounds good. The charity part, sure. But getting a massage from someone who “sees” with their hands? This should be interesting.
To be continued…
Featured Image: Temple of the Emerald Buddha inside the Grand Palace. Source: Sodacan/Wikimedia Commons
