Kat’s Window

One of the things that never ceases to strike me as visually bizarre is how a mansion stands neatly next to a chaotic row of houses made out of billboards and metal siding in Thailand. There are no firm and fixed dividing lines going through neighbourhoods, save a few gated communities often built around the more prestigious international schools. Rich and poor live side by side and don’t bat an eye at each other. This is beyond strange to many visitors from the west who are used to more clearly-defined ‘good’ and ‘bad’ residential areas.

In Thailand, one family may sit inside their meticulous fifteen-room house while on the other side of the fence another family can be found sitting in their raised bamboo platform living room. Sure, there are some notoriously poor parts of towns where people may hang on to their pocketbooks a bit tighter, but that won’t stop someone from building a dream home smack dab in the middle of it.

Crime does exist in Thailand of course, but it is not commonly of the ultra-violent nature frequently heard of in the west. Pickpockets are out there. Televisions go walking out when houses are left unattended. Clothing gets snatched off of lines. Cars get stolen. Repairmen visiting a house might choose to snatch something that will fit neatly in their pocket. Many homeowners have dogs patrolling the yards and an alarm system too, but stealing rarely takes on the armed and bloody fashion so often practiced elsewhere. When one reads about violent crime it very often involves gambling debts, whisky, and an explosion of tempers.

Thailand has never mastered the art of zoning let alone attempt it. Skyscrapers hover next to single story mom and pop stores. Shopping centres are tucked neatly next to low-rise apartments. Forget about residential zones, commercial zones and historical zones. It is a big potpourri zone out there, period. When it comes to residential sections, people don’t feel the need to segregate themselves away from others or karaoke clubs for that matter.

Thailand has a relatively small middle class. There is a bubble of incredibly rich floating on top and a whole bunch of working class who head off to low paying jobs in the morning. Interestingly enough, the working class does not resent this tremendously-obvious split in the distribution of wealth. The general attitude about wealth seems to be ‘I have what I have, you have what you have and it is what it is.’

If you drive through Thailand’s nicer neighbourhoods, it might be difficult to catch a glimpse of the much poorer communities that live in them. The grand houses sit on the streets. The shacks are tucked down narrow walkways. They are mostly invisible unless you are up high and able to get a bird’s eye view of the surroundings. If you are driving on the elevated expressways in Bangkok or happen to be up in a skyscraper, it is interesting to look down and search out all of the communities neatly tucked away in the strangest of locations.

A simple muddy path heading off a main road very often leads one to hundreds of houses made out of every conceivable leftover building material in every size, shape, and angle and all of the residents that go with them. Now, if this community were perched somewhere other than Thailand, I might have a sense of foreboding and not wish to take one step in its direction. That is not the case here.

A haphazard stroll down a path results in all of the neighbourhood children screeching with delight that a visitor is coming through. Soon you will be walking with fifteen children in tow and before you know it you might find yourself sitting on someone’s front porch staring at all of the curious and smiling faces that are staring at you. All of the children will walk with you back to the main road and you can be sure the little neighbourhood will be talking about you for weeks to come. I have never felt the least bit unsafe anywhere in all the years I have lived here. Amazing Thailand indeed!

There are many unique features of life in Thailand that become harder and harder to discern over time. Most undertakings are distinctive adventures in the first several months of living here. Going to the movies or going to dinner contains unexpected twists and turns at first. I have decided to document some of Thailand’s unique features; it is only a matter of time before they will become unnoticeable to me.

Let’s start with going to the movies. Movie theatres offer excellent bargains, fluffy seats, and the most excruciatingly loud sound systems and intolerably-cold air-conditioned temperatures I have ever experienced. An anthem for the King will be played with its accompanying video before the main show. The audience will stand until it is completed, take their seats and then begin to have full-volume conversations with each other or on their mobile phones while the movie plays. Hence the need for the blaring soundtrack.

Another unique feature of Thailand is the ‘nasal refresher.’ People like to carry around little Chapstick sized tubes of menthol or herb scented powder or liquid with them. When the surrounding air gets stinky or they simply wish to smell something nice and feel refreshed, they hold up their tube to their noses and take a good sniff.

Next, on to the platform shoe as this is the cornerstone of many a Thai female’s wardrobe. I am no fashion guru but for me the platform shoes of Thailand are some of the silliest things out there and looking at them makes my feet hurt. Sure, women do tend to run on the shorter side here but strapping on six-inch disco inspired footwear seems a bit drastic. Driving while talking on a mobile phone or wearing platform shoes may soon become illegal in Thailand. This should be a good indicator of just how gargantuan some of this footwear can be.

The mobile phone is a subject to itself. Mobile phones are immensely popular here and none ring in the good ole’ fashioned ‘Ring! Ring! Ring!’ way. Jingle Bells, Reggae tunes, Happy Birthday and the United States national anthem can all be heard. Flashing antennae, cartoon character accessories and unique carrying devices abound.

Fashion comes and fashion goes; this year has brought two trends that hopefully will fade away. The first is the ‘bandanna-with-the-fake-bright-orange-and-yellow-hair-attached-to-it’ accessory. This is very popular with younger females, but sorry to say, makes wearers look like they are part of a circus troupe. The other funny fashion trend is T-shirts declaring, “I am single!” in Thai. I wonder if this trend will follow its wearers as their lives progress, on to “I’m dating!” “I’m married!” “I’m pregnant!” and “I’m divorced!” T-shirts, whereupon the “I’m single!” T-shirt could be worn again.

Paying attention to how you look is also important. Many people place mirrors on their desks so that they may gaze at their reflection throughout the day. Actually, I am not sure if this is a matter of vanity or practicality.

Karaoke machines in strange locations are another wonder. They pop up in supermarkets, video parlours or get stuffed into the smallest of restaurants. Singers of every age can be found belting out tunes throughout the day. Some karaoke booths are of the open-air style, while others are like phone boxes with seating.

Even going bowling is an adventure in Thailand. Full-service restaurants and bars are on hand and the shoes come out of vending machines. Unfortunately, taking pictures inside the bowling alleys is not allowed, as management seems convinced people want to document and copy their architectural feats and not just take pictures of their friends being silly.

Even traffic lights have their own way of doing things here. At major intersections policemen sit in little booths at the corner and are in charge of manually operating the traffic lights. Most visitors refuse to believe this when I tell them.

The ’song-taew’ or ‘two bench’ pick-up truck is a form of public transport commonly seen in Thailand. Drivers of these vehicles follow set routes much like busses do and people simply pile on and off these vehicles as they go. If there is no more room left, dangling off of the tailgate while holding on with one hand is a valid option.

One of my personal favourite ‘uniquely Thailand’ features would best be called “The Restaurant Sitting In A Lot Strewn With Garbage.” As roadside eating venues are popular and sometimes space is short, tables end up being placed wherever they can possibly fit. My neighbourhood boasts such a venue and it is always jam-packed. Luckily, the garbage is of the non-stinky plastic variety and poses no threat other than the non-aesthetically pleasing sight it provides.

These are some of the reasons why still to this day I never tire of gazing out at Thailand.

On a Friday night I met up with members of the private non-profit organization ‘Foundation for the Better Life of Children.’ Project Coordinator Mr Sitiporn Tamniamnjam had invited me to come along with the group. Their aim is to encourage children to get off the street and into the foundation’s shelters. The organisation has been operating for the last thirteen years and has eighteen full-time employees and five volunteers, all of whom are former street children themselves.

Mr Sitiporn told me, “We work from 10 am until 6 pm or later because the kids wake up late. Most of them have left home because of domestic violence or because their parents have been arrested and they no longer have a home. All of the kids sniff glue. Some of them take amphetamines. Three years ago there were about 14,000 children on the streets and that number has increased dramatically.”

When asked what members do to help the children he said, “Our organisation counsels the children. We try to find the reason why they are on the street and give them encouragement to change their lives. We try to educate them. The children move around the city so we go to different locations looking for them. We try to get them to stay at the shelters but most of them want to be on the street with their friends. Many of them end up working as prostitutes to get money.”

At about 7 pm we arrived in a park near Memorial Bridge on the Chao Phraya River. The children recognised members of the group and quickly gathered around. Most were filthy and high from sniffing glue. Snacks were organised and the kids ate ravenously. All of the street children were male. “Thai culture teaches females that it is dangerous to be alone. Female victims of domestic violence will choose to live with relatives rather than face the dangers of the street. If the girls do leave their families, they turn to prostitution. This satisfies their financial needs so that they don’t have to live on the street,” an organization member explained.

A young boy agreed to talk with me about his life. Joy, which means ’small’ in Thai, has been living on the street for the last two years. When asked his age, he had to think for over five minutes before he hesitatingly replied, “Fifteen.” He was high on glue when I spoke to him, partially incoherent and distracted.

He told me, “My house is near here but I don’t want to stay there. I don’t have a happy family so it is better to stay out.” When asked how he spends his days he replied, “I ask for money. I sleep anytime, anywhere. I get about 100 baht (US$2.27) a day. I buy food and glue.” Glue costs five baht a container and provides, “uncountable hits” according to Joy. When asked about his glue habit he stated, “I started sniffing glue about one year ago. I just wanted to try.” When asked if he wants to stop sniffing glue he answered, “No idea.”

Joy said he would sleep in the park that night and explained, “I used to go to the shelter but I wanted to be with my friends. Sometimes I sleep at nightclubs. I think of going home sometimes. I know how to contact my parents. I have a step-mother and I have a sister. My father has three wives and he has a lot of money. He sells diamonds.” Joy was unsure of the age of his sister.

For fun Joy likes to play football and swim in the river. If hypothetically given 5,000 baht (US$113) he would buy a bicycle, a shirt and a bag. “A bicycle is definitely the thing I want the most. Someone gave me 1,000 baht once. I bought a lot of noodles with it,” he said.

Joy says he can read a little but he cannot write. To get money from tourists he uses the English sentence, “I am hungry. I have no money. Five baht.” When asked what he wanted to do with his future he responded, “I want to be a chef. I know how to make fried eggs and rice.”

As Joy’s friends walked around the park sniffing glue out of plastic bags and playing with each other, he became more and more distracted. When asked if he missed his family, he said that he did not know. To the question, “Are you happy?” Joy responded with an emphatic “Yes!” and added, “I don’t need help.”

Joy left to join his friends. They were enjoying the company and were absolutely fascinated by digital pictures of themselves. Spirits were high and glue bags were full. Darker moments are certainly waiting for these children.

To contact ‘The Foundation for the Better Life of Children’ call Mrs Rattana at 02-574-1381.

I am an expatriate. Sounds exotic and strange even to me, but this only means I am someone who has chosen to leave his or her native land to live somewhere else. Looking up expatriate on the Internet out of curiosity, I found loads of sites on where to buy the food one might be craving, how to save more money, how to make overseas investments, how to join an expatriate club, and various how-to-move-there and what-to-do-once-you-are-there sites. Learning how to survive in your new country is important. But what comes after that when the mystery of how to function and what is going on wears off? What happens when the charm of the Thai smile fades away? What happens when the mating dance has ended? Trust me, on some days it has.

I have lived in Thailand for three years. I now have come to accept the fact that I will always be viewed as an outsider no matter how long I live here. Part of this is, of course, due to the fact that I am not married to or dating a Thai person. I once saw an interesting question posted on the Internet, “”Thais and Foreigners: Oil and Water?”" I would have to say yes indeed to a certain degree.

Although I shop at the same store every week and my face is more than familiar, sales clerks will still point at me and say, “”Farang!”" which means “”Foreigner!”" It can get slightly aggravating. Sometimes I just point back and say, “”Thai!”" with a smile. But it serves as a reminder: I don’t fit in. Not just physically, but mentally, too.

Foreigners are often accepted in Thailand because of the money, status and/or knowledge that they bring with them. And believe it or not, many Thais still hold foreigners at arm’s length. This holds particularly true for the older generation. The younger generation seems almost too willing and eager to embrace western values and is more open to interaction.

Relating to Thai society as a westerner can be a tricky task indeed. Debate rages all the time about what life in Thailand is all about. You can talk about what it means to live in Cairo, Beirut, New York City, Zurich, Glasgow or Rome but such heated arguments would never come up. Everyone has his or her own firm definitions of the plusses and minuses of life here. Everyone eventually gets settled in and finds a niche.

Some join clubs. Others can be found perched on bar stools. Others shop until they drop. Golf is discovered. Some perfect the art of living off of almost no money and working as little as possible. Others work hard. Most play hard. And I’m certain every expatriate has ‘one of those days’ when they walk around scratching their head wondering what the heck they are doing here.

Although even in our own countries we all find our niches, here the niches become more exaggerated. Decadent behaviour, loss of personal moral code and/or spending too much time looking in the bottom of an empty but soon-to-be-full-again beer glass claims some victims. Others just buckle down and get on with life. Everyone’s perspective on reality changes; some seem to lose perspective entirely. From the guy perpetually angling for a buck to the ‘good time Charlie’ to the backpackers who never leave, to the high-flying executive or housewife, there is absolutely no one or correct definition of ‘Bangkok Expat.’

Being an expatriate often involves hanging out with other expatriates. It’s a diverse crowd indeed and I enjoy finding myself at tables where over ten nationalities are represented. Although Bangkok has no official downtown, expatriates tend to gravitate towards Suhkumvit Road or Silom Road and also tend to frequent the same restaurants or bars again and again. You meet a friend of a friend. They bring their friends. Before long you know almost everyone. Bangkok, although it is a gigantic city, can have a very small town feel to it sometimes.

You see the same groups of people weekend after weekend. You make friends, but what do you really know about them? Only what they tell you, usually. As Bangkok hosts thousands of cheap restaurants, no one usually bothers hosting guests at home. You meet up, you head out. Like everywhere, there are ‘good’ people and ‘bad’ people, but truth said, Thailand makes a great hiding place for many and a good place to forge a new identity. Sound strange? Well it is.

P.S. This observation is in no way intended to slight the excellent group of friends I have in Thailand, but a note to you: ask yourself what you really know about me and how you can be sure it is the truth. Then you should see my point.