An Unexpected Homecoming

After 7 years away, I went back to Thailand 5 days ago. Well, Phuket really, but it still counts. Sister decided to take me for a holiday with family friends, and what better place than a popular tourist destination with (apparently) beautiful beaches, cheap shopping and what not. So we left on the 22nd, and after being gone so long from my homeland (nationally speaking) I was looking forward to going back.

For those of you who've travelled with me, you'll know that sometimes my Thai passport has caused me to wait longer at the immigration counters. For example, it undergoes close, close scrutiny, repeated computer checks, stares back and forth between my face and the photo within, and a UV check (once). Suffice to say, I didn't expect my passport to cause me any trouble in Thailand, what with me being a Thai national and all.

How wrong I was.

We got off the Air Asia flight, and frankly, it felt good to be back. When I got to the immigration counter, that all changed. Apparently, when they ran my details into their system, I did not exist. There were no records of me ever entering Thailand, thereby putting my nationality into question. I was taken to a separate office along with my sister, whereby the immigration officials tried to sort everything out. The mess happened because the last time I was in Thailand (for my father's cremation) I was using a temporary passport, as I was waiting for a new one. Thereby leading to my current passport having no record of me entering Thailand. All in all the whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth and I was pissed off for about a half hour after that. Everywhere I go, there's some minor hassle regarding my passport, but nothing as major as this (potentially being sent back to Malaysia). And in my own country.

Anyways. On to the rest of the trip.

Phuket is an island in Southern Thailand. As I said before, its a major tourist destination. The hordes of Westerners in the main town came as no surprise. You know, you hear all sorts of things about Thailand. Although I WAS expecting it... the reason why most of the tourists were there did sadden me a bit. Thailand (well, the tourist areas, at least) has a reputation for being rife with prostitution and such. And its true. Over the course of my 5 day stay there, there were white men accompanied by Thai ladies all over the place. And considering that the one street we had to walk almost everyday was flanked on either side by go-go bars, pubs and such, It was... quite an education. Nothing overtly dodgy, of course (i.e. no naked ladies in the street or couples making out left and right), but still there.

Other than that though, the trip was good. Food was excellent. The term service with a smile really does hold true in Thailand. During my trip, I got a 2 hour long authentic Thai massage. My body was twisted and contorted, there were snapping sounds numerous times, and it got a tad bit uncomfortable at times. That being said though, when I came out of it, my body really did feel better. Oh, and you know how people are always mentioning how the ladies at the massage parlours go "massage, massage" in that nasal thai accent? Its true. In addition to the Thai massage was the para-sailing. Basically you're latched on to a parachute which is connected to a boat. The boat moves, and you're pulled up into the air and given an excellent view of whatever happens to be below you. Great fun, but I wouldn't recommend it for those who are afraid of heights.

Other than that, we didn't do much except eat, shop and explore. A good 5 days of rest and relaxation, at least before college starts up. Before Phuket, the last actual holiday I went on was to Langkawi, two, maybe three years ago. Exploring new, foreign lands and meeting new, interesting people is always fun. Every trip brings new lessons, insights and knowledge. And that's always good.

To cut things short, my trip to Phuket was fun, interesting and... informative. I'd definitely go back, given the chance. That being said though, I think its just the fact that I'm somewhere new, somewhere different from the status quo of daily life. Change after spending so much time in a routine is great. Hopefully it happens alot more eh?

Cheers.