Back To Bangkok

"Where are you headed?" asked the 60ish ostensibly Dutch man as I climbed in the speedboat after hurling my backpack into it.

"Back to Bangkok," I said and heard all the times I've ever heard that phrase all at once.

Back to Bangkok is almost a cliche that in this part of the world probably outpaces Back to Basics or Open for Business. That's because – to borrow a twist on another cliche – within Southeast Asia, even into South Asia – all roads lead to Bangkok. "Why?" is almost alchemy – some science but a little big of serendipity and magic. Certainly one could argue that far more comfortable, clean, economically powerful and First World Singapore could have taken the mantle as the travel center of Southeast Asia – and Singapore Airlines gives it a small claim toward that goal. But no, Bangkok is the gravitational center of the region.

I surmise it's because Thailand – and its capital in particular – is the most developed place in a less developed region without making the jump to First World (like Singapore), putting up the wall of Communism (like Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos) or having gone completely dark in the world (like Myanmar/Burma). Thailand offers a range of price points from super-budget-backpacker to ultra-luxury.

Moreover, there's a literal and figurative place for everyone. Thailand is extremely accepting and probably has more diplomatic relationships than most countries. Planes land in Bangkok daily from all over the world – much more so that in US cities – from every continent on earth and from some countries you might never have guessed have airlines had their own carriers (I had never seen planes from Nepal, Bangladesh, Brunei, Laos, Cambodia, Qatar, Ethiopia, Kenya or Pakistan when I first came here). For many, Thailand is a country they can access easily without visa restrictions unlike so many of the Western nations – which is why you can find large Arab families enjoying high-end Bangkok shopping malls or even coming here for medical care at US accredited hospitals (which also happens in Singapore where the hospitals are all meet US accreditation standards). Thailand may have also gained a leg up on Singapore in the 60's and 70's when Lee Kuan Yew wouldn't let even the Beatles in with their long, hippie hair and messy clothes whereas.

Hippie and Disco were golden eras for Thailand and especially Bangkok. As long as everyone can respect the King and the Buddha, they were, and are welcome. 

So travelers – particularly backpackers – as far as Nepal, Bhutan and India to the West; China and the former Indochinese countries to the East; Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia to the South and sometimes Myanmar to the Northwest; and of course anyone traveling Thailand itself – usually hub through Bangkok. Rest assured, wherever you are, and however little money you have left, there's some budget airline ticket, train or bus that can get you back to Bangkok.

Once you get here, well, then there's everything you need. Your embassy, great medical care, a good phone line to call a lifeline, a shower, an affordable place to stay and cheap delicious food. You can always regroup in Bangkok.

So I returned for yet another One Night In Bangkok. At this point, there's nothing in particular I wanted to do or see other than eat some of my favorite street foods and see a movie (Avatar in this case). I can always see a movie in Bangkok – which I won't go into, but you can use this link to learn about why the sewers may smell awful and you can't drink the water, but the movie theaters are light years beyond ours. 

Unlike any other prior visit, I chose a Hilton property. I figured I'd get the points, a Doubletree is always nice and I needed someplace new to stay (although the Doubletree cookies are NOT the same as home and I wouldn't recommend them). I also didn't need quite as fancy as the deal I got at the Conrad Residences. Most of the Hilton properties – like most of the big chains – are either along the Chao Praya River or along Sukhumvit Rd – one of the longest and most central streets in Bangkok. I've never stayed around Sukhumvit before and as a resident, never cared much for the congested, foreigner catering area. Sukhumvit is an eclectic mix of tall office buildings, major hotels, fancy malls, not-so-fancy-malls, street food, red light districts, high end restaurants, low end restaurants, high-end condos, average old housing, the Sky Train and some old train tracks crossing through it. And always traffic.

Walking down the street yesterday, I wondered what first-time visitors to Bangkok must think, especially when they stay on Sukhumvit? Bangkok is very familiar to me and I have the advantage of understand the language and culture – and when I walk down Sukhumvit, I'm not sure what I think. Would I have liked Bangkok more had I started with a nice hotel off Sukhumvit? Would I have thought it was even crazier and more debauched if that's how I started? Would I have ever come to know the heart of Thai urban life if that was my exposure? It's impossible to turn back time and see with fresh eyes – or to know where the other path may have led. But Sukhumvit is not the Bangkok I started from – the Bangkok of back soi neighborhoods with families, local shops and where the nearest mall was practically City Hall. If you started with Sukhumvit, you might not think such things exist in Bangkok. I'm not sure if Sukhumvit is the Bangkok I would want again. I'm also trying not to judge because not everything that's different is bad and sometimes things grow on you….but…..??? I suppose that's something to solve another time.

Now it's on to Singapore where there will be no crazy, debauched streets and everything will be as clean and sane as it appears. Of course nothing's perfect and my poor friend Tony who gets married Friday brought COVID back from China  - where he and his Singaporean fiancee are currently working. While Tony is feeling better, many things revolve around the question of when he tests negative. Other things – like certain guests choosing not to come as a result of his test results – have already been decided. Will there be a rehearsal dinner? Unlikely. Will there be a wedding? That's still the plan. Will I now be the witness for the marriage certificate and the Jewish explainer of the ketubah? Yes, now I will. Was I already slated to be the emcee? Yes, that too is true.

Good thing I just finished Love In The Time Of Cholera because now it's Singaporean Intercultural Interfaith Wedding In The Time Of COVID. All I can say is, "I'm all in."

Singapore, I'm coming home – there's work to do.