OK - so this is my complaint post. I have written mostly about the positive things that Thailand and SE Asia have to offer (and they do have a lot of wonderful things to offer). Nonetheless, today's post will give me a chance to get a few things off my chest.
Here is a link to a blogpost about the 10 most annoying things about living in Thailand. A great place to start!: http://www.earthoria.com/10-most-annoying-things-about-living-in-thailand.html/comment-page-1
Expanding on those topics...
Blatant corruption - I have actually seen police officers stop motorcyclists and pretend they're writing a ticket. The motorcyclist will open the seat and magically have money there. The officer will take the money, put it under the clipboard, then strategically slip it into their pocket. It's top-down. I've understand that the officers have a quota to reach so their boss can also get a cut.
Incompetently run ‘public service’ companies - the electricity on one side my townhouse has been shut off twice since I've been here. I paid the bill...but apparently the "shut-off engineers" get paid for each shut-off, so they're eager to shut the electricity off even if you've paid. Also - several people on my street had to complain to the local electrical authority about power surges. At night the lights would flicker and electrical appliances would slow down and speed up - weird!
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| Here is a picture of a man doing electrical maintenance. He's the one who looks like a terrorist walking on the electrical wires. Could be part of the problem??!!?? |
The Noise - OMG! Does anyone here use a muffler? Also - what is with people making loud noises before 7 a.m. -or - bands playing past midnight? Let's not even start on the birds and dogs. The birds here seem so much louder - their high-pitched and aggressive chirping wakes me up every the morning!
My own thoughts:
Motorcycles - They rein supreme and OWN the streets, sidewalks, alleyways, bicycle lanes and any other spot that the police don't patrol. I have almost been hit by a motorcycle driving on the sidewalk. And I thought sidewalks were for people. Silly me!
Sidewalks - These were not constructed with human beings in mind. Probably constructed especially for motorcycles. I have stumbled more times than I can count (no - I was not drinking), because the sidewalks are uneven, have missing parts, no lights and sometimes you have to go out into the street to continue walking. Crazy!
Air Conditioning - Most restaurants here are outdoor locations with fans. A few have air-conditioning but this causes their prices to be higher. OK - I know some folks will say, "Good - they shouldn't have air conditioning - it's better for the environment!" And they're right...but, damn it's hot!
Stairs - They could've made the steps a bit bigger to accommodate our big feet. Just sayin'
Smells - I don't even know where to start here. There are some lovely food smells here, but there are also some really bad sewer smells as well. It's a real turn-off.
All that said...I'm still glad I came to the Land of Smiles. I am having the experience of a lifetime traveling around Thailand and SE Asia. I feel very lucky indeed!
I'm off to the Philippines on Wednesday. I'll write my post after I return next week. Until then...all the best!
