My First Day as a "Farang" (Non-Thai in Thailand)

Wow - Thailand!  I honestly had no idea what to except on arrival - would it be like India? Japan? or very Westernized?  Well, getting off the red eye after about 3 1/2 hours sleep was a little rough, but I was ready to start the day in Thailand.  My first endevour - customs.  In front of me lay a huge line for the Visa, after a mere 2 hours of waiting with the rest of the people from the plane, I finally made it to the front of the line.  "You don't need to be in this line", was the response from the guy at the counter.  ARGH!!!!  I guess that line was just for Indians, and other SEA people.  Anyway, I decided not to shoot myself, and instead found the correct immigration line - which took about 5 mins to go thru.

So here I am in Bangkok - 2 days to sight see and soak up the culture.  Thailand is beautiful, clean, and the best part - I'm not getting harrassed on the street!  I was awed by the ability to peacefully walk down the street - soaking up the atmosphere and the wonderful smells of street food.  The food really is delicous, and very exotic - I really don't have a clue what some of the dishes or fruits are.  Before eating, I went first to my hotel on the infamous backpacker street of Kao San Rd.  The place was simple, inexpensive, and colorfully painted - just the type of room I was looking for (not to mentiona 24 hour bar and restaurant).

I checked in, left my bags, and went out to explore the city.  The people I have met are quite friendly.  If I pull out a map looking confused, someone comes up and points you in the right direction.  They also give you tips about getting around the city, such as if you take a government sponsored tuk-tuk and ask to go to the TAT office (tourist bureau) they must take you free of charge.  They get a gas coupon, you get a free ride.  Since TAT offices are scattered around the city, they are usually near what you want to see - and also is a great way to learn about what Thailand has to offer.

My first day I toured around the city going to various temples (wats), places with scenic views, and the city palace.  The Thai love their royal family.  Everywhere, men, women, and children wear yellow shirts to show support for the King, and light blue for the Queen.  I also learned that every day has a color, and since the King was born on Monday, that's why his color is yellow.

The next day, I spent shopping.  I went to Siam square - the famous shopping area.  It was kinda nice to see some Western restaurants again - like Starbucks, Dairy Queen, and weirdly enough there are tons of KFCs.  I was able to find some cheap nearby markets and stocked up on clothes to wear while volunteering.

At about 8:30p, I boarded the night train heading for Nong Kai, in North Eastern Thailand.  It was fairly basic accomodations, but it was quite interesting since I'd never traveled on a sleeper train before.