Two years ago, a co-worker was invited by the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) to visit that country and learn about U.S. investment. She visited several parts of the country and a number of businesses. To say that I was jealous is to put it mildly. I was nearly insane with jealousy.
You see, Thailand is on the top of my travel bucket list. My list is relatively short: Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Bali and Africa (I’ve been fortunate to already have visited Europe). While I wouldn’t turn down a trip to another country, those four countries and one continent are my biggies. Years ago, a friend and I planned a trip that included the four Asian countries, but then I found my house and my choice was the house or the trip. I chose the house.I knew that Thailand would be amazing. I had no idea how amazing.
I’ll be writing about some of my experiences visiting facilities in the automotive and aerospace industries in the next couple of weeks, and probably will share some of my personal photos from sightseeing with you. But no matter what I say or what photos I include, nothing comes close to the full-on assault to the senses (in a good way) of my trip to Thailand.
My research about the country stemmed from some travel books, anecdotes from friends who had been there and the song “One Night in Bangkok.” None of it prepared me for what I found or for what I learned about myself. The first thing I learned is to be grateful, something the Thai people have turned into an art form.In Thailand, the act of saying “thank you,” of being grateful for help, is a daily part of life. The Thai people say it often and they mean it. It’s good to be grateful for kindnesses and help. I often forget to say “thank you,” although I was raised to be polite. Thailand reminded me that it only takes a moment to be grateful and to be kind. “Sa wat dee” is the phonetic spelling of an interchangeable “hello,” “good-bye,” “good morning” and “good evening.” Walk up to any Thai person – a hotel employee, a restaurant employee, a shopkeeper, a street vendor, a worker at a temple, the CEO of a Thai company or the director-general of the Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs – and you will be greeted with “sa wat dee” and that person’s full attention. Every Thai person I met made me feel as if I was the most important person he or she was going to speak with that day. For those few seconds, I had his or her undivided attention. Again, it only takes a minute to make someone feel special and valued, but I rarely take that moment to do it. Being in Thailand reminded me to live in the moment, and to not always be looking for the next person to talk to. Credit and view full story at EHS Today
