Back in the land of the Elephant

Ah Thailand, the country you love to hate and hate to love.

Well it is good to be back where the living is cheaper, however I think that overall my savings are dwindling much too quickly. I wasn't planning on being back in Thailand but despite getting three job offers without even trying to look for work in Japan --no seriousy, I didn't even leave the hostel coffee shop in Tokyo and work just seemed appear -- I decided after experiencing a bit of what life is like in Japan, that it is not for me. The pace and intensity of work will be equal or perhaps greater than that in Melbourne which is the reason that I had to leave in the first place. There were also issues to do with the culture that just didn't gel with me - the image we have of Japan in the west and the reality can be quite different.

So I am back in Thailand until I work out my next move, which may be back to OZ for a short bit just get things back on track. China is still an option, but I am trying to be honest with myself and listen to what it is I really want to do. Maybe I will just keep travelling until my funds run out and then start on a new career once I get back home. In the mean time I am focusing on learning as much as I can about how life works in the places that I travel through.

Anyone who has been to Thailand will know about the Tuk Tuks in Bangkok and some of the other major cities. For those who don't a Tuk Tuk is kind of like a cross between a rickshaw and a motorbike and they are basically one of the chief modes of transport for tourists here.



Me taking a Tuk Tuk for a hoon around town.

One of my friends who has been living in Bangkok for a while now said that Tuk Tuks are bad news, as they are quite visibly unsafe and the drivers are looking to make a buck in whatever way they can. So this usually translates into quite high chargers to go from one location to another - so much so that it is sometimes cheaper to catch a metered cab (but do make sure that they put on the meter). However, like everybody these Tuk Tuk drivers are just trying to make enough money to get by and once you get to know a little bit more of how the market works you can actually get some really good deals.

One of the ways in which Tuk Tuk drivers (and taxi drivers too) make money is through commissions. Often times you will be offered a tour around the sites of Bangkok for just 20 baht (about 70 Aussie cents), the thing that is not mentioned however is that apart from taking you to this or that Wat (the standing Buddha is a common one which seems to be only open one day of the year, which always just so happens to be this one) you will also be taken to a tailor shop, or gems stone store, or seafood place. The reason for this is that one, if the drivers takes you to one of these places and you show enough interest within the shop (often times the merchant will try to back you into putting down a deposit) they will receive a petrol voucher - and secondly, if you buy something they will get a commission on that sale. The cab driver who drove me in from the airport said that he would a 25% commission from a tailors and 30% from a jewelery store sale. Basically commissions are available to anyone who brings in customers on everything from crocidle farms, to body massage places, to Muay Thai matches.

So it would seem that all of Bangkok, even all of Thailand run on a basis of commissions, where everyone gets a slice of the pie. Now, if you are aware of this and want to see the sites of Bangkok for 20 baht, or indeed for free as I did yesterday, you need just have a friendly chat witha Tuk Tuk driver about taking you around the sites while also taking you to some of these other businesses where you will show enough interest so that the Tuk Tuk driver can get his petrol voucher. You will be amazed at how appreciative the driver will be, which gives some sense of the level of poverty here. It helps of course if you are interested in the items you are enquiring about and it is a good way to shop around to get the best deal. Do be careful of the gem scam that runs here in Thailand, where you are told that for one time in the year you can get jewelery with gems stones set in them at whole sale and tax free prices, which will be worth double what you paid once you get home. If you are lucky, you might get half your money back.

Overall it can be a fun and educational exeperience where you get to a bunch of the city; the smog is major negative aspect to the deal however.