"The Land of Smiles" was where I was born and raised, planted and watered, spawned and nurtured, or brainstormed and assembled. To be clear, I grew up in Thailand. I never really understood why us Thais had such a positive reputation of smiling, but I can't really complain about that can I? Although I was aware of (and enjoyed many of) Thailand's attractions like our beaches and islands, part of me couldn't wait to leave for university. I've always wondered what was so special about Thailand that it had become one of the most visited countries for tourism. There must be something that keeps bringing people back.
I would eventually find that answer in the first few months of living abroad. As amazing as Toronto was, something just didn't feel right. Was it the bipolar weather that had more mood swings than a stereotypical Asian parent? Was it the authentic Thai restaurants that served anything but authentic Thai dishes? Perhaps. But I believe it was more about what Thailand offered rather than what Toronto didn't (if that makes any sense at all...).
I really miss the beach and the resorts. The beach is a popular tourist destination for foreigners, and now I can fully understand why. You are always met with a warm greeting as you enter lobby, followed by a complementary Thai herbal drink they always serve as you waited. Calm heavenly music fills the lobby as you are met with smiles from all the hotel staff. Once you've left your belongings in your room, you take a stroll by the beach, where you listen to the sound of waves crashing into the sand and rocks. As the sun starts to set, the sky becomes a light orange and pink, causing the water to glisten beautifully. This was what I missed most about a country that I had initially taken for granted.
Oh how the food would be so flavorful. If you want to experience the best Thai dishes, look no further from seafood by the beach. My favorite are the Thai prawns, crabs, shrimp, and fried rice that are served by the view of the beach. Pair them with Thai seafood sauce and you will experience true culinary heaven. If that's not for you, how about try Thailand's other dishes like our well known "som tum" (but an authentic version, not whatever the west recreates it to be) with sticky rice and grilled chicken. You can't go wrong with true authentic Thai food. And no, pad thai is far from the best Thai dish. There are so many other dishes that would stomp pad thai into the ground, you just have to try everything out.
Thailand has three "seasons": hot, wet, and hotter. Even though this truly sucked and was one of the main reasons I couldn't wait to leave this sizzling barbecue grill of a country, it was also one of the main reasons why I missed it. I was able to wear the same set of t-shirts, shorts, and sandals every single day without others staring at me or being too cold for the weather. I didn't have to check the weather forecast every morning as I would already knew this oven of a country will never go below 30ºC. Thailand seems to have air conditioned rooms everywhere, so the heat was never a major issue anyway. I swear there are more 711s in Bangkok than there are depressed students at the University of Toronto (I study here, I can say that), so you could realistically just pop into one if you're breaking a sweat.
These were a few key things I miss about The Land of Smiles other than family and friends, I will always hold them close to my heart. Looking back at all the wonderful experiences I've had in Thailand, I could not be prouder to be raised in such a vibrant country. I'm aware of the ladyboy and prostitution stereotypes in Thailand, but we are much more than that. Ask any of us and we will tell you the truth.
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