amazed by Thailand

i have always been in awe with how able Thailand is to maintain their huge love and pride for their culture. the fact that they're the only country in Southeast Asia that's never conquered by any other country, this is not quite a surprise. however, i know that the country is in the third world like ours and before i went there, i was expecting that Bangkok would look just exactly like Manila and the hustle and bustle there wouldn't be unfamiliar to me.

when i got there, in my mind i was trying so hard not to compare the Philippines with Thailand but given that we are both in the third world, it's just impossible for me not to do so. my general impression was Thailand is so ahead of us. that's in almost every aspect-- cultural preservation and awareness, urban planning, tourism, etc.

while the plane was still on air and i could see from the window pane the aerial view of Bangkok, i couldn't believe how orderly the houses, buildings, and roads were. their urban planning was quite impeccable. then come landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport, my amazement was doubled. i didn't expect their airport to be that grand. i mean i became ashamed of NAIA. if they can have such kind of terminal, why can't we have that one here? then it hit me. i'd never thought how unfair it is to our own country these corrupt officials are doing until then. i've been to a couple of really neat international airports and this one is in the league of those.

when inside the terminal, i became overwhelmed by the foreigners that just arrived with me. then i understood why the difference of the numbers of tourists visiting Thailand and Philippines was so enormous. it seemed to me that tourism is their bread and butter. despite the language barrier, the country is very friendly to foreigners. and unlike the Philippines where we needed to put up a wall to hide the slum area from view at the Bonifacio Global City, Thailand is just what-you-see-is-what-you-get. no pretensions. sure there may be dangerous and hideous spots, but overall, it's a clean and tidy place. there was this one time that a street near the inn i stayed in was flooded. the water was just brown and that's it. no trash or whatsoever floating on it. i would absolutely not hesitate to dive into it if the need arose.

above all, what i liked most about Thailand is how the people feel secured of themselves. notwithstanding their being a cosmetology hub, i find them less vain and more happy. i guess their culture has a lot to do with this. they love their own and they're not trying to emulate somebody else's identity. and i hope it's  something that we Filipinos can learn to do although i have nothing against being global. it's just that we are forgetting more and more about our roots as we try to prove ourselves internationally. truly we are getting our place in the world scene, especially in entertainment, and i'm damn proud of it. but i'd be more proud if we'd be known for the authenticity and uniqueness of our own culture and how we, as people of this nation, celebrate and preserve that.