Thailand: The land of smiles

We spent sixteen days in Thailand, from the border with Cambodia to Bangkok, and then south all the way to Malaysia. Like every place we have been, I would have liked to have stayed longer, but I have to keep reminding myself that this is not a vacation. Still it must be one of the best opportunities ever!



Thailand is the most developed country that we have been to on our journey, and things move much faster here than in Cambodia, Laos, and even China. When your on a bike the most notable thing is the cars, and in Thailand there are way too many of them, at least in the cities and the big highways.

Once you get off the main highways and into countryside you begin to really experience the beauty of the country and its people. This is where our true vision of the trip comes into play and we really get the chance to interact with local people. The friendliness of the people equals that of which we've seen elsewhere in Southeast Asia, and it's not uncommon for somebody to hop on their motorbike to show you the way or for somebody to stop and ask us why we chose the hottest months to cycle!

We met this group of cyclists on the road near Krabi. The have a club that goes out a few times a week. We asked them if they knew a bike shop around but since it was Sunday, everything was closed. Instead they called a friend who brought the right tools to take off David's rear cassette and tighten mine. Once we shared an ice-cream, some jokes, and a group picture, we headed out and cycled for 30 kilometers together.

Over 14 million tourists a year visit Thailand. Most tourists only visit a few specific areas, spending very little time and lots of money. I came for the first time nearly two years ago, and tried hard to stay away from the main tourist destinations. This trip we had no choice, and I can't tell you how much enjoyable it was. My first trip I took a night bus from the beaches near Krabi in the south to Bangkok and I had no idea what I was missing. This time it took us over eight days of straight cycling to cover the same ground and we saw barely any tourists. Once we got of the main road, the one that connects Bangkok with Malaysia, we began to really enjoy our ride. Through small fishing villages, salt flats, and hundreds of miles of untouched beaches. We road down the east side of the isthmus for four day before heading west to the border with Myanmar, and then down the west coast. The geography changed dramatically throughout our ride, as did the culture. Besides the industry outside of Bangkok, we passed many plantations of palm, coconut, pineapple, and rubber. The amount of virgin forests and national parks throughout the south is astonishing as well. At first glance you really begin to pat Thailand on the back, but if you look into it you realize that they are just stealing the resources from Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia. While in Laos we passed a few massive hydroelectric plants, destroying the ecosystems of the area, and powering Thailand's greed.

More to come later but check out my pics here for now, David's blog, and keep an eye out for some new posts on gokunming.com.