A heavy blanket of humidity greets Juniors Brent Hong and Alex Yam as they both step off the plane and arrive in Thailand after a short visit to Korea during winter break. The sun beats down mercilessly on the two as they slowly make their way to their hotel.
Hong and Yam began their journey on Dec. 23, first arriving at the Korean capital of Seoul before transferring flights and flying to Thailand.
“There was a slight language barrier in Thailand,” Hong said. “They only understood basic English, so when we ordered food, we pointed because they didn’t understand words like ‘onion’ or ‘bell pepper.’”
Besides the language differences, many factors stood out to Hong and Yam, like the traditional garb of the people and the similarities between modern American and Thai apparel.
“Their native dresses were made out of a light silk material and were adorned with flowers and other designs,” Hong said. “The guys’ dressing styles were pretty much modern and resembled American fashion, with baggy shirts and pants.”
Food also contributed greatly to the cultural experience and brought to light the differences between the American variations of Thai food and the traditional cuisine served in Thailand.
“The Pad Thai served in Thailand is nothing like what they serve here,” Hong said. “They used different noodles, and the food is all really fresh and they had many more toppings, like onions, seafood and chili.”
In addition to eating authentic Thai food, Hong and Yam were constantly exposed to new sights and experiences.
“We got to go elephant riding in Thailand, which was neat because you were 12 feet in the air,” Hong said. “We also got to try some weird, exotic fruit that looked like a gray kiwi. At first it didn’t look appetizing, but it was actually really good.”
Going to two different countries also gave Yam a chance to compare customs between Korea and Thailand. Table manners and customs were all quite different.
“Going to Korean restaurants was way more formal,” Yam said. “We had to take off our shoes and sit on mats for Korean Barbeque.”
During their trip, the two were able to go to Thai cities like Chang Mai, Northern Chang Rai, Southern Phuket and the capital of Thailand, Bangkok. They were also able to visit other close-by, Southeastern countries.
“We traveled [from Thailand] to Burma and Laos, or otherwise known as the Golden Triangle, which is basically the intersection of the three countries,” Hong said. “Other than that, we just did a lot of shopping in Thailand.”
During their stay in the sprawling metropolis of Bangkok, New Year’s Eve celebrations were rampant as excited city-goers prepared for the big day with street festivities. People began gathering in the streets as early as eight o’ clock at night, setting off fireworks to celebrate the arrival of the new year.
Thailand and Korea left deep impressions on Hong, including new takes on the different social vibes of the countries and how the natives treat tourists.
“The Korean airport in Seoul was basically a giant mall with Gucci, Louis Vutton and a lot of other stuff like the rest of the country,” Hong said. “Bangkok also had shops, but they were all street vendors.”