Last Days Thailand

When we initially decided on living and working abroad, we planned on staying in Phuket for three months. A few days into our time in Thailand however, we realized that while wonderful, this place was not going to hold us for that long.

Thailand in general is a wonderful place to be; the people are extremely friendly and welcoming in every way, we love the food, and fresh fruit is available wherever you look, the weather is superb (occasionally a bit too hot, but we were asking for that when we came here at this time of the year), getting around is easy and comfortable, there are massage parlors a-plenty, and − best of all − it’s all highly affordable!

On the downside however, we were a little too bound to our Karon apartment for work (finding good enough internet was not always easy), and Phuket itself turned out to be too touristy (even in low season!) for our taste. The authentic Thailand we love was just too overshadowed by resorty tourism of the kind not all that culturally interested. Not exactly what we were looking for; we missed being challenged by foreign surroundings.

So after discussing a long list of possibilities, we decided on Japan as our next destination. This is a dream come true for both of us, since the country has been on our list ever since our first big trip in 2008.

Our last days in Phuket we spent re-doing all the things we loved most, and eating at our favorite little haunts. We also did a few things we wouldn’t usually do, just to have done it or seen it. One of the days we spent at a “beach club” (basically a country club by the beach), working by the pool and enjoying a steady stream of overpriced but delicious mango smoothies. Beyond that, we visited Patong, one of the places Phuket – sadly – is famous for. I was going to write a long piece on the system of tolerated prostitution (but on the darker side) and how I, who is fully in favor of legalized, regulated prostitution feels very torn in such places. There’s just too much to say about this, so I’ll let the pictures do the talking instead.

En route to Tokyo, we had a whole day’s layover in Bangkok, so we went to an afternoon showing of the new “X-Men” movie (both of us liked it quite a bit, but then again we are both fans of X-Men in general). In Thailand, going to the cinema is a telling experience, because before every show, they play a very moving movie about King Bhumibol (see an example here), and everyone stands to show their respect. I am currently reading one of the king’s biographies (he grew up in Lausanne), and at least on the surface, he seems highly revered. Cinemas in Thailand are also sinfully comfortable, and for our last day we chose a special one whose plush seats could be reclined to beds, enjoyed popcorn and drinks, and had a complimentary foot massage afterwards. If only they didn’t cool the rooms down to US-standards, this would be a perfect experience.

We also enjoyed a wonderful culinary evening at “Progressive Indian Cuisine” Restaurant Gaggan, which we warmly recommend to anyone passing through Bangkok. Set in a beautiful colonial building away from the hustle and bustle, we enjoyed chef Gaggan Anand’s dishes such as “Viagra” and “Alchemist’s Cake”. He interned for Ferran Adrià from “El Bulli”, and it was a true treat before our take-off for Tokyo (see pictures here).