Guardian

Guardian
Originally uploaded by Yo-Jimbo.

As some of you know I was in Thailand for Christmas and New Years. I can't tell you how amazing my trip was in both a great and a terrible way. I saw some of the most extravagant buildings and beautiful beaches the world has to offer and paid a tiny price for it. Many others paid too large a price.
Reflecting back on my trip and the tragedy that occured I can't help but silence my econ major brain and make a few observations.

Thailand is a country that seems to be shaped by its reliance on tourism. The main tourist attractions in Bankok are some of the most amazing sites I have seen (such as the pic above). Once you leave the tourist areas you see that all that glitz and glamour fades to a darker picture of a proud people with a rich culture struggling to keep their sense of identity while making a living catering to tourists.

Thailand is an absurdly cheap country to tour around. Even when you're getting ripped off you're usually getting a better deal than you would in your home country. The majority of the country is poor and struggling to get by and therefore prices are low. I stayed on an island resort and still payed less than 3$ a night for accomodation.


But what happens when mother nature lets off some steam. A random act of nature can turn poorer countries upside down. The towns and islands on the west coast of Thailand made their living serving the tourists that flock there for the amazingly beautiful beaches, scuba diving, and comfortable weather at insanely cheap prices. However, tourists can be extremely fickle folk.

When a tsunami demolishes whole islands and towns how do you tell someone living in the third world whose life depends on tourists that it will be okay? While the amount of goodwill, humanitarian aid, and charity is uplifting is it realistic to expect that tourism dollars will return anytime soon? I think now is the time for everyone to head to Thailand and instead of haggling for every penny, go ahead and get ripped off, ...intentionally. Maybe if we had been paying the prices more in line with what we would pay at home, countries like Indonesia, Thailand, and others could spend a few dollars protecting themselves instead of printing brochures in every language besides their own.

For a lighter side of my trip, check out my photos.