Planes, Trains, Automobiles and everything else you can think of...

One of the things that we learned very quickly while we were in Bangkok, is that there are so many different ways to get from here to there. It was all up to you how adventurous you wanted to be. One of our first bus rides, it took us 45 minutes to go about a mile and a half in the blazing heat with no air conditioning. My first motorcycle ride I was sure that my knees were going to bump into something. Then later, that fear was confirmed when my driver tried to make it between two stationary buses and I was left standing in the middle of the busy street. From riding the sky train and hearing that it was bombed that same night, to getting out of a taxi and having a motorcycle driver ram into the door, transportation in Thailand is a daily adventure (obviously these events are easy to laugh about now, but a little bit more strenuous at the time). :)

We wanted to write a post talking about the many different types of transportation in Thailand and give you a glimpse into daily life. Each day we would take at least three different types of public transportation. With a pregnant wife and a little girl, this was an art that took a little getting used to and a good amount of time to master (if that). Another thing that is interesting about getting around in Thailand is all the different types of people you see. Each way of getting around is also used to transport not only people seeking cheep sex, but also those being exploited. A couple years ago the police arrested a driver of an enclosed truck only to find the back full of Burmese refugees who had all died due to poor ventilation. Certain types of transportation tend to be used more frequently for the seekers; sky train, tuk tuks, etc.

Thought:

Like most things in Thailand there is that thrill of the unknown and new adventure. Also, like most things in Thailand, it has a direct tie to a problem that permeates all parts of the culture and daily life.

Walking was a HUGE part of our life in Thailand. It is the cheapest way to go, and in all reality, so many people in the city live in such small circles that a few minutes of walking can get you to food, school, shops and more. On the right of this picture is a song tao. This was probably our most used form of transportation.

We would ride in these open air truck thingies that have set routs through most of the neighborhoods. We always ran into the same people, and it was a fun way to get to know the people who lived in our neighborhood.

One day we decided to go for a ride on a canal boat. I think we were imagining something a little more like a peaceful ride in Venice. We were looking forward to a lazy ride looking at the city and enjoying the beautiful water of the canals. What we got was VERY different. We were crammed into a boat jam packed full of people and sitting right in front of a motor that I am sure they had connected to a speaker to make it even louder. With the fumes rising up all around us, we were still happy that we were going to be able to get a different view of the city. Then they pulled up a tarp that covered the sides of the boat to keep the "lovely canal water" from splashing onto us. It was an experience, but a very different one than we had imagined. :)

So needless to say transportation in Thailand was an adventure and an exercise... but just another thing that we now miss, and look forward to experiencing again soon.