First amazing memory of Thailand

[Mick]

This is sort of a sister to the "First trip to Thailand" thread, in which I have not posted. When I first came to Thailand it was not a trip, but a two year stint of work.

My first memory is leaving Don Muang Airport in a car, and being surrounded by motorcycles with girl pillions all riding sidesaddle, many not apparently holding on to anything except their handbag. I was amazed how they did it as they weaved through the traffic, without falling off.

[Cobba]

I once took a rented motorcycle with the ex TGF on the back for a day trip from Chiang Mai to Doi Inthanon. The one way trip is about 1.5 hours. After a long day of site seeing, we returned. Getting close to Chaing Mai, i pulled into a gas station for fuel which woke up the TGF......... I was shocked to hear that she had been asleep on the back of the bike.......... Like OMG ..................

[MarcTwoSix]

As I mentioned in my Thread

It was sitting at that lobby bar in the Westin trying to get my senses and courage before heading out into BKK
The lighting in Thailand both inside and outside always seems dim to me
So that made it seem all the more overwhelming

Hearing the black American lounge singer.....wondering what he story was. How did she end up there
Just looking around at all the other people in the bar

It felt like the movie Lost In Translation

I know Asia is just so different than anywhere else but I don't know why it felt like Mars to me when I've been to Italy and other places before

[justcruzing1]

Mick I also was amazed at the millions of mopeds with girls riding side saddle and staying so composed as the driver weaved in and out
and Cobba, I have told here before, I had an Aussie girlfriend who used to fall asleep on the back of my 750 Honda and I would ride home with one arm around her holding het against my back while clutchless gear changing etc.

The thing I 1st experienced, as so many BM's have, was the Mad Dog driver of the taxi from Swampy to BKK. I have been a adventurer/risk taker and enjoy high speed and adrenaline pumping experiences but after a 10 hr flight it was scary being in an older Camry doing 190klm/hr switching between 3 lanes and missing slower vehicles by inches.

[OZZYGUY]

My first amazing memory of Thailand was the food and how different it is to the Thai food back home.

[Cobba]

Mick I also was amazed at the millions of mopeds with girls riding side saddle and staying so composed as the driver weaved in and out
and Cobba, I have told here before, I had an Aussie girlfriend who used to fall asleep on the back of my 750 Honda and I would ride home with one arm around her holding het against my back while clutchless gear changing etc.

The thing I 1st experienced, as so many BM's have, was the Mad Dog driver of the taxi from Swampy to BKK. I have been a adventurer/risk taker and enjoy high speed and adrenaline pumping experiences but after a 10 hr flight it was scary being in an older Camry doing 190klm/hr switching between 3 lanes and missing slower vehicles by inches.

One that sticks in my mind was the first time i visited, and ate lunch at one of the beach front bungalow restaurants down at Rawai beach Southern Phuket. The exwife and i had finished eating and walked out the front of the restaurant to the road to cross (our rented motorcycle was waiting on the opposite side of the road)....... To our left waiting to cross was a young European girl. I looked both ways and could see a steady but intermediate flow of traffic coming from the right so didnt cross, before i heard the sound of skidding tyres and a load thud to the left. As it turns out, Eurpopean girl was looking for oncoming traffic from the left on the lane closest to us, and walked straight out in front of an old man on a motorcycle that came from the right. Both were hurt pretty bad and too my amazement, all on lookers rushed to help the girl and i was the only one that when and assisted the old mad that was grazed all over from coming off the bike skidding down the road skin to bitumen. Luckily it was a low speed accident at a guess, 60km/hour.

[bacwaan]

the TGs sitting sidesaddle so serenely were not on motorbikes back on my first visit...they were on big old black "Hurricane" push bikes and quite often holding matching black umbrellas...BKK was a gentler place back in the late 60's but it was still one big traffic jam, even back then...

[OZZYGUY]

the TGs sitting sidesaddle so serenely were not on motorbikes back on my first visit...they were on big old black "Hurricane" push bikes and quite often holding matching black umbrellas...BKK was a gentler place back in the late 60's but it was still one big traffic jam, even back then...

How old did you say you are Nels...................55

[Tingtong]

One that sticks in my mind was the first time i visited, and ate lunch at one of the beach front bungalow restaurants down at Rawai beach Southern Phuket. The exwife and i had finished eating and walked out the front of the restaurant to the road to cross (our rented motorcycle was waiting on the opposite side of the road)....... To our left waiting to cross was a young European girl. I looked both ways and could see a steady but intermediate flow of traffic coming from the right so didnt cross, before i heard the sound of skidding tyres and a load thud to the left. As it turns out, Eurpopean girl was looking for oncoming traffic from the left on the lane closest to us, and walked straight out in front of an old man on a motorcycle that came from the right. Both were hurt pretty bad and too my amazement, all on lookers rushed to help the girl and i was the only one that when and assisted the old mad that was grazed all over from coming off the bike skidding down the road skin to bitumen. Luckily it was a low speed accident at a guess, 60km/hour.

I did a similar thing in Vanuatu where they drive on the right side of the road . I had a look to the left and then right then and then stayed looking to the left for a while then tried to cross the road , all of sudden screech ...looked around to the right to see a Van with a big dark face yelling at me in the Native tongue and thinking where the fuck did He come from 5555.....Only did It once .

[Ian Forbes]

I also was amazed at all the Thai girls sitting side saddle... and no helmet. One thing I ALWAYS insist on is the woman straddles the seat or she doesn't ride with me. I don't like the off balance it puts the bike.

However, the thing that most gets to me about the cities in Thailand is the seething energy. It is almost electric and you can't describe it. It has to be felt.