Recently, I participated in a 10k running event called Garmin Run Asia Series 2024. As the name says, it is organised by Garmin every year, in different cities, across Asia. This time, the Bangkok run was organised at Rajamangala Stadium, where I went a day before to collect the race pack.
Rajamangala Stadium on Race Pack collection day
The Run
Since the run started in the stadium, it had a sporty feel to it. However, outside the stadium, most of it was in the back-alleys behind.
It had rained the night before, so the weather was cool, although humid.
Overall, I didn’t find the run as well-organised as the others I have done before. I couldn’t see any pacers in our run, although the event page did say they would be there. Also, it was a bit scary running on roads with buses whizzing by at high speeds inches from you. Even though there were traffic cones, one slip on the wet roads would have sent someone under the buses.
Garmin Run Asia Series 10k Heat Map
The Statistics
Unlike my previous runs where I go all-in for the first 5k and then sort of fizzle out, this time, I maintained a more or less steady pace throughout.
Garmin Run Asia Series 10k statsGarmin Run Asia Series 10k splits
You can see how the heart rate was more or less steady, rather than a sine-wave like before.
Garmin Run Asia Series 10k Heart Rate
As always, my favourite part was riding back after the run and watch the sun rise. Bangkok is beautiful early in the mornings.
Garmin Run Asia Series 2024 Participation MedalGarmin Run Asia Series 2024 Participation Medal
This was also my new watch’s first 10k, after I sold my older one.
Continuing my series, below are some motorcycle rides I generally do within Bangkok. These are when I only have a few hours, but still need to fulfil my wanderlust. What better way than to explore the city I have been living in for more than 3 years, but have hardly explored?
This is probably my favourite ride (Till now). I cross the Asok intersection to Ratchadaphisek Road and take the flyovers to Rama 3 road. I take the scenic section next to the river past Terminal 21. Past it, I cross the river on the Krungthep bridge, parallel to Rama III bridge, turn north and then back east crossing the river for the second time over the much bigger King Taksin the great bridge. Then cross Sathorn, Lumpini Park and back home.
This is a slightly longer ride I do when I want to grab a coffee and also do a ride. I take new Phetchaburi Road, then turn on to Srinagarindra Road where I follow the Yellow Line Monorail, till I reach Bang na-Trat road and turn left.
Meteor 350 on Srinagarindra Road
I generally go to this Starbucks on the highway, have a coffee and make a loop around the airport and come back via a different route.
Recently, I participated in a 10k running event called 12th August Half Marathon 2024, also called “Run for mom“. It is organised on the Thai mother’s day every year on the birth day of Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother of Thailand. The event is held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center also bearing her name. It was my fourth 10k in Bangkok.
In previous runs one of my main problems was getting transport to the venue so early in the mornings. However, thanks to the motorcycle, it was not a problem this time.
The Run
Queen Sirikit National Convention Center
The run was very well organised and started on time. This run also attracted some important people, including the governor and a handful of ambassadors. Coming from India, it was weird to watch them running with regular people and no security around.
The run was quite fun because we had to go over 3 flyovers and the last 2 had a view of the river, although it was a bit too dark.
Queen Sirikit National Convention Center
The Statistics
12 August Half Marathon 2024 10k statistics
I did slightly better than the last run, but still could not break the 1 hour barrier.
12 August Half Marathon 2024 10k SplitsHR Zones in 12 August Half Marathon 2024 12 August Half Marathon 2024 10k Heat Map
I made very good time for the first 5K, but kind of died after that.
12th August Half Marathon 2024 10k participation medal12 August Half Marathon 2024 10k participation medal
Keeping in mind that I am not getting younger, I don’t think my performance will get significantly better anymore.
However, turning 40 next year, I would be among the youngest in the next age bracket.
This was also probably my watch’s last 10k, as it is at the end of its legs.
As you can see from my last post, I bought a new motorcycle. Since then, I had been bitten by the wanderlust bug. My hands had been continuously itching to take the motorcycle on the highway. So, the soonest I could, I decided to drive from Bangkok to Pattaya Beach.
I have done this trip before, but that motorcycle was not suitable for highway riding and I wanted to do it again, the right way.
Bangkok to Pattaya
On the morning of the ride, I woke up to find the city soaked in rain overnight, so I left with caution. The way out of the city was painful with morning traffic, but outside, I opened up the throttle a bit.
Since the motorcycle is new, I had to follow running-in restrictions. I drove at a steady 60kmph with occasional 10-20 second bursts up to 70kmph. At this speed, I could not keep up with traffic on the motorway, so had to drive on the frontage road.
Frontage road at Bang Phli
The motorway from Bangkok to Pattaya is highly developed, with 22 lanes (8 lanes on the upper level, 8 lanes in the lower level and 6 lanes frontage) in most places. There are restrictions on where motorcycles can be driven, so need to pay close attention to Google Maps, which is mostly correct as long as you select the motorcycle option.
On a bridge over Khlong near Bang PakongNear a lake at Bang PakongAt a PTT station
Stopped to take breaks many times to give the engine a break (and also sneak in some photos). Was quite impressed with the low-end performance of the engine. Gear shifts were mostly not required, as the bike can thump its way up in 5th gear from as low as 35kmph.
In Si Racha district, the view is quite nice as the road passes in between various hills.
Near a hill at Si Racha
Pattaya Beach
Because I stopped so many times, it almost took me 3 hours to get there. Once there, I spent some time chilling at Pattaya beach.
At Pattaya beachIn front of Pattaya BeachAt Pattaya Beach
After getting my feet wet, I went to a cafe to drink some coffee and have a snack. It was typical below-average tourist fare.
Coffee at a cafe at Pattaya beachBruschetta at a cafe at Pattaya beachView of Pattaya beach from a cafe
Pattaya to Bangkok
On the way back, I focused on making good time and only stopped at one place to take the below photo of the Bang Pakong river.
At a bridge over Bang Pakong river
On the way back, it only took me 2 hours to get back home.
Tripper
The Tripper proved its worth, as it provided very clear directions and I didn’t have to stop and look at my phone (which was nested safely away in my saddle bag) even once. On the 3 hour ride to Pattaya, my phone lost 23% charge, with tripper navigation as well as audio streaming (And the occasional photo).
Also, found a weird bug in that the tripper’s display and my polarised sunglasses seem to have the same polarisation plane when I am seated normally, which completely blanks out the tripper. If I move my head 10 degrees to the left or right or rotate my head 10 degrees clockwise or counter-clockwise, the display comes back.
This happens only with polarised glasses, regular sunglasses work fine.
Lessons Learnt
Learnt the below lessons which I plan to apply to my next trip(s).
Need to buy thick handlebar grips, as the factory default is too thin and cramps up my hands.
Always wear AirPods even if I don’t want to listen to anything. Active (and worst case Passive) Noise Cancellation is worth it to protect ears from traffic and wind noise.
Always wear sunglasses during the day time, even if it is not too bright, to protect eyes from the wind (I cannot, for the life of me, see through any helmet visor And keep it lifted up).
The USB charger is quite slow. So rather than wait for battery to drain and then charge the phone (Phone gained only 11% on the 3 hour trip back on charge, with navigation and audio), it is better to keep it connected from the beginning.
This trip also pushed my motorcycle over the first stage of running in, next trip should be faster.
I did have my eyes set on this one, but after a test ride, I didn’t find its riding stance suitable for long highway rides. Coming from a long history with the RE Thunderbird, the natural progression would have been to buy an RE Meteor 350, but at first, I didn’t like the Meteor 350 I saw on Royal Enfield’s website (I found it too modern, especially the allow wheels and the powered coated engine) and I found the Super Meteor 650 too busy, so initially decided to buy the Classic 350.
2022 Royal Enfield Meteor 3502022 Royal Enfield Super Meter 650
Royal Enfield Classic 350
However, when I went to the showroom, I saw the new Aurora Blue variant of the Meteor 350 and fell in love immediately and decided to buy that one.
Royal Enfield Meteor 350 in Aurora Blue
Anyways, these are my views after 10 days/200km, specifically, comparing it to my previous motorcycles.
The Good
The engine is so refined, I can hardly believe it is a Royal Enfield engine. There’re hardly any vibrations and absolutely no clanking. I am so glad they removed the pushrods and replaced them with a chain and overhead cam system. Even with a reduced stroke, the bike pulls quite well at low RPMs.
There’s still the trademark thumping. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the exhaust actually sounds good/better than the completely muted Thunderbird Twinspark. The exhaust-to-engine noise ratio is vastly improved. When cruising at constant speed, you can hardly hear the engine, only the soft, bass-rich exhaust.
I really like the dual-tone design, the chrome parts and the overall retro look compared to the regular Meteor 350. I love the spoke wheels, although that does mean giving up on having tubeless tyres.
The new rider seat is quite comfortable with a subtle but useful back-rest.
The LED headlamp is quite nice and illuminating at night.
The Tripper is useful, but a bit limited. I will dedicate a separate section for the Tripper.
Overall switchgear feels refined and comfortable to use.
The USB port for charging is very useful.
I didn’t like how the windshield looks, but I found it immensely helpful at moderate-high speeds. Allows me to keep my helmet visor open.
The Neutral
I am not entirely sure I prefer the new digital cluster as compared to analog dials. I don’t really like or hate it.
I don’t care for the ECO indicator or the gear indicator.
Because of the refinement, the engine feels the same every time I ride, which is different from the carburettor Thunderbirds I was used to, which felt different based on temperature, humidity etc.
This is my first motorcycle with a rear disc brake. The Dual-channel ABS is nice to have. The brakes do feel a bit mushy compared to what I am used to, though.
The Bad
I really-really miss the tachometer. I won’t forgive Royal Enfield for removing it.
They removed the kick starter to simplify the engine design. This means if the battery dies, you are screwed.
The engine does get hot during start-stop traffic in the city and could have benefitted from liquid cooling. However, unlike the carburettor motorcycles, it does not cause the Idle RPM to runaway or cause knocking during acceleration, thanks to the ECU.
The fuel level indication is wonky.
Meteor 350 at Bangchak Bang Na
The Tripper
Tripper on the Royal Enfield Meteor 350
The Tripper is a pseudo-navigation system developed by Royal Enfield. Here are my thoughts on it:
The tripper connects to the Royal Enfield app on your phone and receives instructions from your phone, hence is dependant on it. However, unlike doing navigation directly on the phone, using the tripper uses much less battery on the phone itself (I measured 6-7% drain per hour on my phone, all inclusive).
It uses Google maps data, so navigation is quite accurate. Supports live re-routing and previewing multiple routes before starting the trip. Has the regular Google Maps options to exclude things like tolls, ferries, highways etc.
At first, I struggled to understand tripper’s instructions and found myself stopping and reaching for my phone. However, once you make an effort to understand the symbols, it feels quite useful. I am now forcing myself not to look at my phone.
This has also increased my directional awareness of and I find myself paying more attention to the road and signs instead of my phone.
Meteor 350 at a pit-stop at Nonthaburi
Technical comparison with Previous Motorcycles
Here’s a comparison of specifications of different motorcycles I have had over the years (All single cylinder):
Recently, I participated in a running event called Bangkok 21K Park Run 2024. Even though the name says 21K, I participated in the 10k event, which was my third, ever.
Even though, in my last race, I had decided I would try to break the 1 hour barrier for the 10k, because of travel, excessive heat and medical issues preceding the run I was not able to prepare well. On top of that, monsoons started in Bangkok just a few days ago, so I was not sure whether the event would even take place. So, overall, I decided I would just enjoy the run without worrying about the performance.
Anyways, luck shone on us and there was no rain on the morning of the run.
Bangkok Park Run 2024 starting line
The run was in one of the most beautiful parks in Bangkok. If it wasn’t so far from here I live, I would got here regularly to run.
Bangkok Park Run 2024 starting line
The run itself was uneventful and enjoyable with great views of the park during sunrise.
Bangkok Park Run 2024
Considering I hadn’t prepared that well, I didn’t do too bad.
Bangkok 21k Park Run 2024 statistics
Bangkok Park Run 2024 splitsBangkok Park Run 2024 HR ZonesBangkok Park Run 2024 medalBangkok Park Run 2024 medal
I wrote about how I went sober (But eventually failed to maintain it), I wanted to reflect back on some of the worst benders I have been through. Why? Maybe just to remind myself why I shouldn’t drink like that anymore.
Below are some of my worst benders over the years:
Most of my engineering days were about booze. And since I was young, the benders were not that bad. However, there are some incidents I remember.
This was when I was living with my senior roommates. For some reason, one day we decided to drink whiskey at 9 AM in the morning. I have never had a good relationship with whiskey, so after many pegs, while I was at Sandeep Kalia’s house, I puked in the toilet. His kindly grandmother (We called her aaji) was very concerned what was happening, but the others told her I had eaten something bad.
One time we went drinking at PP’s garage pub and drank too much vodka. While others were puking, I was puzzled why I was lying awake in bed and not able to sleep. This was one of the first times I realised that alcohol affects my sleep so negatively.
One time we were returning from a drinking session at one of the dhabas and my motorcycle got tangled in a high tension electricity cable hanging on the road and launched into the air. I remember passing out, but luckily I was back to normal next day.
Our time in Gurgaon was the first time we had freedom to do what we wanted and we had money to spend because we were earning. Sood sahib was my roommate and very frustrated with his job. So, almost every evening, he and his degenerate colleague would come over and get drunk. It didn’t help me that I worked night shifts and went to work drunk many times. However, this was not the worst part.
I remember we gathered together with Chatur after a long time and started pub hopping at Saket. He came all sophisticated in a car, dressed in a suit, which we found funny, but probably helped getting us into fancy places. So we got drunk on cocktails and not being satisfied enough, drank at 2 more thekas over the night. Eventually, Chatur passed out and we somehow got home. Again, I couldn’t sleep all night while Chatur was puking in a pizza box.
While working night shifts, it was very common for us to go drinking after our shifts. One morning, after our shift, we went drinking with Amar sir, who was famous for making “lauly (Lovely) pegs”. We were standing on the road outside DLF Phase II Central Arcade (Less than 100m from where my parents were sleeping). Since it was peak winters, we all got drunk on dark rum. My body doesn’t react well to dark rum & I don’t remember getting back home. Next afternoon, I woke up with my knees bruised and vomit all over my bathroom. Somehow, I cleaned everything up before my parents saw but felt terrible. All afternoon I drank water and Gatorade, but there was hardly any pee and it burnt when I tried.
We once went on an office party and Karkose (who incidentally doesn’t drink himself) suggested I drink beer buster, which is beer mixed with tabasco sauce. It felt fun drinking it then, but I couldn’t sleep all night because my chest and stomach were burning. Horrible experience.
Xiamen
Baijiu at Zhongshan Road, Xiamen
I was drinking Baijiu at Zhongshan road with my office colleagues. It was very cold, so instead of sipping it like the others, I did shots non-stop. Big mistake! I couldn’t sleep because my chest and stomach were burning all night. I puked many times and next day the pain in my stomach was so bad, I had to see a doctor at the airport (I was travelling back to India). The doctor told me the 60% alcohol volume Baijiu had stripped my stomach of its lining and likely made ulcers. I couldn’t eat anything other than simple rice for at least a week afterwards.
I am just glad I didn’t puke in front of my colleagues.
I was at São Paulo for the second time and me and my colleague went drinking Caipirinhas at Eu Tu Eles. Now, Caipirinhas are one of the most deceptive drinks I have ever had. They are sweet and tasty, so it is very easy to have too many too fast without realising it. Anyway, I don’t remember how I got back to my hotel and what happened later. But next morning I woke up to find my hotel room smelling of vomit and my brain feeling like it was in a vice. I used many of the hotel towels o clean up the vomit and then hid the towels behind the AC unit on the balcony. One of the most shameful things I have ever done.
Bangkok
Once we moved to Bangkok, I discovered how cheap and easily accessible booze is. But since I have absolutely no friends here, there have not been many social occasions for me to go on benders. There have been just 3 incidents, all with office colleagues. Unlike the other incidents, I drank too much not because I was having fun, but because of peer pressure.
I was just visiting Bangkok and it was my farewell party. 6 of us finished many crates of beers within a few hours. I don’t remember how I got back to the hotel.
Stacks of beer bottles
We (the wife, the kid and the dog) went to the kid’s friend’s house, whose parents are north indian. He doubted from the beginning, if me, as a Bengali would be able to drink much. To prove him wrong, I got shit-faced. Soon, I proved him correct by missing my step in the dark, losing my balance and falling into their building fountain. Again, I don’t remember how I got back home. Next day I cursed myself and promised I will never get into such a situation while out with the kid or the dog.
The last and most recent incident was when I went out to drink with my colleagues. 3 of us went through 8 bottles of wine in 6 hours. I came to, next day covered in bruises and my room smelling of vomit and me still drunk and stumbling about. Unfortunately, soon, the AC servicing guys came and saw the state the bathroom was in. I have never felt worse in my life than that day. My nails, my room etc all smelt of booze and I felt sick. It was truly the worst day of my life & the day I decided to give up alcohol for good.
I am still not at a stage where I can look back at all this and laugh about it. But just the act of typing all this out has strengthened my resolve to not get drunk ever again.
Recently, I participated in a 10k running event organised by Srinakarinwirot University called SWU Run Together ‘24. It was my second 10k in Bangkok.
My last 10k didn’t go too well because my knees started seizing up around the 5km mark. Which was strange, because I regularly run more than that on Sundays without issues. So for this race, I re-evaluated my tactic. Instead of matching pace with everyone else and running slow, but consistent, I decided to run faster at my natural pace but slow myself to a walk for 50 metres every 500 metres.
Luckily, this tactic paid off and I finished the race with much better numbers than last time.
Amazing Thailand vs SWU Run Together 2024 statistics
Amazing Thailand vs SWU Run Together ‘24 splits
Amazing Thailand vs SWU Run Together 2024 HR Zones
Overall, this run wasn’t as well organised as the last one (They couldn’t completely block traffic and we had to dodge between cars), but was more fun, because it included climbing up (and down) some flyovers and bridges over khlongs.
As you can see above, I finished the 10k almost 20 minutes before the last one. My heart rate also stayed consistently at the higher zones.
My only regret? Missing a sub 1 hour 10k by 48 seconds (As per the official race results; my watch started tracking early).
Maybe next time?
SWU Run Together 2024 participation medalSWU Run Together 2024 participation medal
I think at this point in my life, I can safely call myself well travelled. Although I have never been to the quintessential western cities (Like New York, London or Paris), I have been to some pretty off-beat places.
I have a job where it is quite easy to shift my base to different places. I had a few offers to move again recently, and I was conflicted about it. So recently I started making a list of ratings for various cities I have been to, based on different parameters. These parameters are only based on things that are important to me.
Below are the cities, I have been to, rated on various parameters between 1 to 10.
Some things to remember
I am only including major or metropolitan cities
These ratings are purely based on my preferences and observations. Does not take into account other metrics I don’ deem important to me
I do not take into account finances like income or cost of living. I assume proportional income everywhere
This is probably the first thing one notices about a city, when you enter the airport and then when you leave it.
No doubt, Melbourne is the best city in this regard I have been to. Everything is clean and perfect. The roads, buildings etc. are all as should be in a utopian society.
Although I didn’t spend too much time in Helsinki, I found its infrastructure to be top-notch, too. The heated pavements were something I had never seen or imagined.
Budapest/Vienna/Prague all rank pretty high in this regard, too and São Paulo feels just like a quintessential European city.
San Francisco is beautiful, too, but I couldn’t un-see the mounds of human feces on every street corner and the sheer amount of homeless people.
Indian cities rank lowest. Although Delhi has a pretty good metro system, that is it. Everything is filthy and unkempt. Kolkata is even worse. Bengaluru, which has a huge potential has horrible roads and no water.
Food
Food is subjective, so the ratings are purely based on my own personal preferences.
Truly, I have never had food as good as Istanbul, ever.
Bangkok comes second, because of the sheer variety of the food available here. You have cheap (but hygienic) street food vendors as well as many Michelin starred restaurants within a block of each other.
Delhi and Kolkata come next, followed by São Paulo & Bengaluru.
Weather is subjective and since I prefer warmer weather, I have rated Bangkok the highest.
Delhi and Kolkata are lowest because of the filthy air quality year round. Delhi is even lower than Kolkata because of the extreme heat during summers and unbearable (because there’s no heating anywhere) winters.
Walkability
I love walking (and street running), so walkability is important to me in a city. Perhaps it is not too surprising that these ratings mirror the ones for infrastructure as both these things are closely related.
Most cities in my list are extremely walkable, except the Indian cities, where walking on the streets is like gambling with your life. Maybe a few important ares in the cities have proper pavements, but certainly not throughout the city. To top it off, most motorcycle drivers feel free to ride on the pavements and cars try to run you down even at zebra crossings.
Historical Artifacts
Istanbul again wins hands down in this regard, being one of the oldest cities in the list and having been shaped by multiple empires.
European cities rank next, I love the thousands of years old architecture.
European colonised cities rank lowest, simply because they are not old enough to have significant historical artefacts, especially with the propensity of these colonisers to erase ethnic history.
These ratings are purely about how the locals treat foreigners and expats.
Bangkok rates pretty high, because Thais, with some exceptions are very friendly and welcoming people. Although, if your appearance is very different from what they’re used to seeing, expect stares. Brazilians in São Paulo are also very friendly and welcoming. Because of their multi-cultural make up, there’s no one in the world who looks “weird” enough not to fit in there.
I found most Europeans if not outright racist, at least pretty cold towards outsiders.
Australians are the worst. Although I did meet a few friendly Australians, most of them are racist pricks.
Dog Friendliness
I admit, some of the cities in the list above I visited before I had a dog and didn’t really notice how dog friendly they were, so the rating for those cities is from internet research.
Most cities in developed countries and São Paulo are as dog friendly as can be. Dogs are allowed almost everywhere – in malls, restaurants, cafés, bars, public transport, hotels. There are very little restrictions on what the dogs can do and where they can go, because their parents have enough common sense. These cities also have public dog parks.
India is not at all dog friendly. While pets are tolerated in Bengaluru and Kolkata, there are very few places where pets can go, limited to designated pet-specific businesses. Taxis won’t agree to take you if you have a pet. The public transport is not even human friendly, so I won’t even talk about dogs.
Delhi is the worst of all. People there actually hate dogs. There are severe restrictions on having dogs even in your own homes. Dogs need to take a separate lift when going out and they can’t be walked within the society grounds.
Bangkok is somewhere in the middle. Most people love dogs. Dogs are allowed in taxis and Tuktuks , but not in metros and buses. Most restaurants/cafes and malls allow dogs in the outdoor areas on leash and indoors in a pet buggy. Some malls and restaurants allow pets freely.
I moved to Bangkok 3 years ago. After living here all this time, it is time to do a report card of things I like and things I don’t like.
Things I like (love) about living in Bangkok
The weather is awesome.
In summers it never crosses above 35C and in winters it never goes below 25C. I simply love the weather.
I love the sudden & heavy nature of the rains especially that it almost never happens during commute times.
There’s ample sunshine all year round, something I really need and appreciate. UV is quite high but can be managed with sunscreen.
There are many beautiful places to visit and stay at, within a few hours drive. Hotels and AirBnBs are cheaper than in India. The nearest beach is 70 minutes drive from my place.
Bangkok (And even Thailand) is multi-cultural. People from all over the world live here, with Europeans and Japanese being most common.
Salaries are higher than India for the same level of work.
Tax rates are lower than India. It makes me feel sick to think how much I paid as taxes in India and how little we all got back.
Gadgets are cheaper not only in absolute value but also accompanied with higher purchasing power because of higher salaries.
Healthcare is cheaper than India and insurance plans cover yearly tests and OPD visits.
Fuel is cheaper than India. Consequently,
Taxis are cheaper than India and better, too
Airfare for travelling within Thailand is much cheaper than airfare for travelling within India.
Electricity is cheaper than India.
The rivers are well maintained and have great river-view dining and entertainment options. I also love the Khlongs that branch off the rivers into the cities. I love travelling the city by boats.
Much better air quality than North India.
People are very considerate & conscious of passing infectious diseases to others and self-isolate even for minor things like colds and wear masks.
Food and beverages are abundant, varied and cheap.
Thai food in Thailand is better and cheaper than Indian food in India. No one (except Indian expats) brings food from home to office. Everyone eats outside.
International food in Thailand is about the same price as in India, but the quality of food and restaurants is much better. Even the high-end restaurants here are not more expensive than mid-range restaurants in India.
Indian food is more expensive than in India, but that is to be expected.
As of 2024, there are 35 Michelin starred restaurants in Bangkok alone. Many of them in the vicinity of where we stay.
Rents are about the same as Delhi for comparable locations, but places are much better. But income is higher, so we can afford to stay at a much better location compared to what we did in India.
Better infrastructure, any day.
Thais are religiously tolerant. Keep their religious views private and don’t force it on others.
Relatively safe at night. Relatively safe for women.
More pet friendly, although not the same level as the west.
Most restaurants allow you to bring pets. Most of them also serve the dog water and are kind to them.
Most malls allow you to bring pets if they are in a pram. Some allow them on the floor on a leash even.
Most AirBnBs and many hotel chains are dog friendly.
Pet-friendly transportation exists, although at a slightly higher cost.
Most Thais are very polite and friendly.
Things I dislike about living in Bangkok
Very few microbreweries, because of laws designed to maintain the duopoly of ThaiBev and Singha.
No hill-stations that compare to Indian hill-stations.
Thais are obsessed with ice. Most drinks and even water served at restaurants are 80-90% ice unless you beg them not to.
Metros are more expensive than India. In most cases, cabs are cheaper than metros if 2 or more people are travelling, but traffic is horrible, so people prefer paying extra for the convenience.
International schooling is much more expensive than India. It is because International schools here hire only native English speaking teachers and they don’t come cheap. Even at higher rates, school infrastructure are not as expansive.
Thais, especially Thai women are extremely vain. They care too much about how they look. Although, this doesn’t affect me directly.
It is common for them to body-shame each other for putting on a single kg of weight. Plus sized shops are named Fatty-Fatgirl plus size, Fat girls and Chubbers. Consequently, cloth sizes are different, too. I wear M sized shirts and pants in India. In Thailand, same shirts are L or XL and pants are XXL.
Cosmetic procedures are incredibly common here. Many malls have entire floors with “clinics” dedicated to such procedures. Most women above 30 take monthly Botox injections.
Obsessed with fairness, much like India.
Obsessed with social media. Are always on their phones even when out for meals with others and even dates. I saw the same thing in China.
Have a strange relationship with ambient temperature.
Like to keep indoor temperature very chilly. But then wear jackets and coats. What a waste of energy unnecessarily cooling a place.
Cannot handle temperatures above 30C.
Cannot handle temperatures below 20C.
Treat pets very strangely, is irritating.
Don’t sterilise their pet.
Many Thais keep part-time pets. Basically this means that the pet stays on the streets, but comes home to feed. Such people won’t let the “pets” be taken away and sheltered, neither will take responsibility when the “pet” harms someone.
Don’t let their dogs meet other dogs on the street even though the dog is begging for it.
They also try to project their desire to have a baby on the dog. Come on just let them be dogs
Keep wiping the saliva from their dog’s mouths.
Scold their dog if it sniffs another dog’s butt.
Don’t do anything when their unsterilised horny dog mounts another one at the dog park.
Too non-confrontational. Will take abuse and insults without any retaliation.
Overall, the positives outweigh the negatives not only in quantity but also in intensity. Looking forward to many more years staying here.
