Morning Glory

Was able to make a week long getaway to Thailand.

Flying initially into Phuket gave me a warm feeling of welcome since it felt like Kerala. Roads flanked with rubber trees, mountains and almost the same vegetation too. At times it felt like driving through the KK (Kottayam-Kumili) road.  Of course, the Thai roads are wider, cleaner and well maintained. Am not sure why I cannot just be a tourist and stop observing stuff but my curious eyes couldn’t be stopped.

There are so many things this Asian country is doing differently, things that India could easily adopt. India can no longer blame everything on its high population. Even though we visited during the off-season, there was no dearth of tourists, and one has to applaud the way things are organized. Perhaps it’s because Thailand thrives on tourism and has given it serious attention.

Even when there are traffic jams, no one honks like in India. For Indians, the horn seems to be an inbuilt safety tool! Maybe if the roads inspired more confidence, honking would naturally disappear. I do not find fines that could have changed the habit in Thailand but maybe Indians would need fines to change this habit.

Tourism’s Economic Impact

• Pre-pandemic: Tourism contributed around 18.3% of Thailand’s GDP in 2019, making it one of the most tourism-dependent economies in Asia.
• Pandemic dip: That figure dropped drastically to 2.2% in 2021, reflecting the global travel shutdown.
• Recovery phase: By 2022, tourism rebounded to 7.24% of GDP, and it's expected to keep rising as international travel normalizes

While tourism is vital, Thailand also relies on:

·         Exports (especially electronics, vehicles, and agricultural products)

·         Manufacturing

·         Private consumption and digital initiatives, like the planned digital wallet program

We were picked up from the airport by a sweet driver cum guide named May. She could manage English just enough for us to understand stuff. Thanks to her, we tasted our first Thai cuisine from a wayside restaurant. Hubby ordered Egg Thai pad and me Chicken Pad Thai. The former tasted better but neither of us could finish it. 

One would have been sufficient.

It is there I observed a few Japanese tourists order something green. Upon inquiring with May, came to know that it was another popular dish, the Stir Fried Morning Glory. It did taste good and felt healthy. While I thought it was the same Morning Glory (blue flowers) that is found widely in Kerala, it seems even Malayalees are eating the Thai version in some areas. 

Ipomoea aquatica—locally known as kalmi cheera or valli cheera in parts of Kerala/India—is indeed used in traditional cuisine, especially in rural and coastal communities where it grows naturally near water bodies.

 

While in Old Phuket town, I had the first hand experience to see how they keep the place clean. Though it was raining heavily, a raincoat clad worker was busy sweeping the roadside and removing litter.

Keeping the streets clean

Enjoyed watching a goat all dressed up while sipping a coffee, can you spot it?

During island hopping, the boats(all of them I assume) that bring tourists are required to collect all waste materials and take it back with them. While on one island the food was at a restaurant, the one provided by the boat that took us was perfectly organized at the island itself. I think Thai’s are taught waste management pretty well (folks are fined too).  I remember how the driver who took us to the Bangkok airport made me take the water bottle that I had forgotten in the taxi. He refused to take it with him. ‘I am responsible for the waste that I create’ is the motto that India should enforce. This will make folks find the nearest bin if any or carry it with them until one finds it, maybe even their own home. I found large plastic bags filled with thrash waiting to be collected from designated areas.

Their historic places and temples too are kept clean and well maintained. We also went to a bee/honey and cashew factory. Some of their ideas are worth copying. Tourists have a wide choice and am sure none leaves without buying something!

Most folks visiting Thailand have been informed about their Seven 11 stores, 7-Eleven was born in the USA, but today it’s owned by a Japanese company

It is a mini supermarket which stocks pretty much everything a tourist and even the locals need. Ready to eat food, hot and cold drinks, grocery etc. It is located almost all over Thailand. Our first visit to this store was to have hot coffee while on the drive from Phuket to Krabi and later to purchase some stuff.

Then they have their massaging centers beckoning us from everywhere. We tried all of them and it was worth it. While Ayurveda massages are good, Thai is more practical and does the same job too. Need no undressing (except for their aromatherapy), need no bathing afterwards (Ayurveda oils). From leg massages to entire body massages which differs from place to place and upon the masseuse, we enjoyed it each day and did the final one at Bangkok just before we were to go the airport. One of them recalled her days in Mumbai while young and working in a famous spa resort.

Their live music bars are also relaxing and if the nearby restaurant can bring over the food then it becomes even more convenient. Maybe during peak season things are different.

We were told to buy their famous inhaler and it works too. What are the stuff tourists are asked to buy from India?

All of their construction sites have the following board which depicts the number of project days, accidents and so forth. Maybe India does too but am yet to see one.

Along with Chinese and Russians, Indians make up a considerable percentage of tourists to Thailand. Am sure most of our politicians and officials have visited too. Who is going to make the change in India? Am sure not the rich since they are happy in their closed existence. It is up to the rest of India to make the change. 

If at least Kerala cannot catch up with Thailand, it is indeed a shame. Kerala Tourism needs to make travel affordable and convenient for all kinds of tourists, from backpackers to the wealthy. (After all, it’s the state with the highest number of five-star hotels in India.) Yes, the roads need to be wider, and there should be well-managed restrooms everywhere. In most tourist spots in Thailand, restroom use was charged separately unless it was included by a tour operator.

(But then, my Malayali mind also says: leave Kerala as it is, just clean it up. I’m sure the state cannot handle much larger crowds. Even now, a weekend trip to Munnar means getting stuck in traffic)

We ended our trip in Bangkok, which is supposed to be a shopper’s paradise. All kinds of goods are available, original and imitation but they aren’t cheap. It’s a huge city with night markets that come alive at the end of each day. It was fun to watch the vendors setting up their stalls from our hotel.