Amazing Thailand

Sawadikapp!!! Yes I just came back from Amazing Thailand. Phuket to be exact. And yes, I am still on vacation from my day job (hah!). Unfortunately, my fantastic 2-week vacation is coming to an end.

This entry is not gonna be about Phuket. I’m still speechless on the beauty of that beach-haven (but serioiusly, I’m proud of Redang too… it’s slightly better) … and it’s gonna take a while before I can find all the right adjectives for it.  So you’re gonna have to wait for that one.

I’m more interested in talking about Thailand as a whole and how far it has gone when it comes to tourism.

I’ve been to most of the major towns and tourist spots in Thailand, namely Bangkok, Haadyai, Songkhla, Chiang-mai, Koh Samui, Phuket, and  the southern regions of Pattani and Narathiwat. So although I haven’t been to all the major cities in Thailand, I have been to most of them throughout my life.

The one thing I noticed about Thailand no matter which city I am in, is the value they put on each and every tourist that arrives in their country. They have a profound respect on how much a tourist can bring, and they will go out of their way to make sure that tourists feel welcomed and will experience a stay that they will never forget.

For example, Thailand has now a rule that the Airport Authority has enforced, whereby free local simcards are given out to each arriving passenger at the airport. Not only that, a guide will be standing there to explain how the Thai telecommunication system works, the charges that apply, and why they are giving away these simcards for free. That’s one thing I haven’t seen here in Malaysia (or any other country yet for that matter) since each Telco here is still pushing for their sales and trying their best to make profit out of each person they see, regardless if it’s a local or a tourist.

The Thais are also of a different level when it comes to service. They seem to put an extra amount of effort in whatever services they offer and I keep seeing that for whatever services both our countries offer, theirs is always slightly better and of higher quality. For example, I once took a taxi when in Bangkok and we were kinda lost in getting to my restaurant. Even though the driver couldn’t speak English, he actually took the initative to park the car, took out his map and actually went through the route with me in order to figure out how to get there. Whereas here in Malaysia, I was recently following a tweet string of a fellow KLite on how a taxi driver actually refused service to a tourist when he was asking for directions. The driver just waved him off and actually said “Ini KL la. Takde masa aku nak tunjuk jalan. Kalau bayar lain la” (This is KL. I don’t have time to give directions, unless there’s payment). Sad isn’t it? A compadre’ of mine told me that it’s because the service industry in Thailand survives and thrives on tips and gratuity. OK sure. But honestly, so do we… so why the difference?

The other thing I noticed about Thailand is the cleanliness of their country. Sure it’s not as insanely clean as it is in Singapore… and I’m not talking about metropolitan-like clean sidewalks and streets… even in the rural areas or a small town like Phuket, everything is clean and it looks like someone just swept the ground at any moment of the day. And believe it or not, that is actually the case! There’s always someone sweeping the grounds to make sure that everything looks good! And when I was in Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Phuket, it was amazing to see the locals actually sweeping the public beaches to remove garbage, right at the break of dawn. Hence why their beaches actually have golden or white pure sand… that basically ends up in a breathtaking view every single time! They care... and continue to care… naturally… without any law enforcement or campaign… which is truly remarkable. Sadly, I don’t see that attitude among us here… except for a few… who sincerely want preserve and protect what we have.

I also believe that another reason behind Thailand’s success in the tourism industry is their pride in their heritage and tradition. They are not just proud of it, they FLAUNT it. They push it and they sell it like mad. And, unlike us, they don’t charge a premium for it. It’s just part and parcel of visiting Thailand. It’s almost as if one can’t get away from it as soon as you get there. Yet, they still manage to be internationally friendly to ensure that the tourism is sustained throughout. Let’s take their language for example. Thai language is almost the one and only language spoken there. There’s no English in their basic education system and communicating with a Thai is actually close to impossible without the assistance of sign language. But, they adapt… they ensure that each and every major sign are also written in English and those in the tourism industry (from guides all the way to the roadside peddlers) are able to speak English (though minimal) in order to communicate with the tourists. They go out of their way to get it done. And it’s only because, like I mentioned earlier, they value the tourists that much and they know how much their lives depended on them. I’m not saying we don’t. But we’re not as serious about it as they are.

There’re still many other factors leading to Thailand’s success in tourism, namely freedom from religious and traditional limitations and less strict laws for tourists. I’m not going to comment on that but it does have a profound effect on tourism.

The reason behind my strong salutations to our northern neighbors is only out of experience and nothing else. Each and every time I visit Thailand, I have nothing but good things to say about it. And it’s unfortunate when I compare it to the comments I receive from friends and colleagues who visit Malaysia. It seems that things are always better up north.

What’s amusing is that the numbers don’t show. According to Tourism Malaysia’s statistics, we had 20.9 million tourists in 2007 while Thailand had only over 14 million in the same year, according to their Tourism Authority (no solid data yet for 2008 and 2009). So the numbers don’t add up to what I’m saying I guess. But somehow, I see more tourists there than I do here, anywhere I go. Hmm… One wonders when it comes to statistics.

Photos from Phuket in the next entry! Already on FB!!

Won’t be around next weekend but will definitely see you guys in March. Don’t forget, you’re share of 50Gs is just waiting for you. Here’s a tip. Brush up on your song knowledge!!