On Prostitution, Ping Pong Balls, and Haggling Over Cheap Shit

Bangkok is not for the weak of heart. It's an intense, frenetic place, and you need to embrace the chaos to fully appreciate its charm. Most of us only got in one full day, so our our experience was way too limited to make any generalizaions. But a few experiences stood out and sparked lively conversations.

1. Prostituion: It's everywhere. You can't avoid seeing it. Most of us have never been to place where it's so ubiquitous. There are sleazy old men with young Thai women everywhere. You can spot them with 100% deet bug spray burning your cornea. It's super depressing.

2. Commerce: On most streets, every inch (err, centimeter) of the sidewalk is packed with folks plying their trade, whether it's food, clothing, massage, tourism, and, well, the world's oldest business too. And it's not just a show. There are as many locals as touristas lined up for the allegedly delicious street (we're still working up the courage and stockpiling meds). The brighter side is that you get a real sense that people can and do make their own fortune here. The ambition and work ethic is thick in the air. For a city with moderate amount of poverty, this is kinda uplifting.

3. Haggling: Sam is a master negotiator. He won Kristy a bootleg day pack in the night market for a quarter of the original price. Haggling can be a tense but fun activity, and all parties are complicit in the game. But therein lies the rub... The bargaining experience is part of the draw and what pulls in tourist dollars. If prices were fixed and low, we might not have gone. But 100 baht (~$3) means much more to a street merchant than any of us. The listed prices are inflated, but some of us (read: this unnamed blogger) still get a funny feeling from haggling. Or perhaps some of us are battling our own cultural stereotypes here. Hallah!

4. Ping Pong Balls: For whatever reason, Bangkok has a strong association with ping pong balls (look it up if you need). Many friends told us that you gotta see it. It's part of the experience. Our group was split. Yes, it's vile and demeaning. Yes, it's probably not fun in itself. But...is it part of the Bangkok cultural experience? Who are we to judge what happens here? And would the shows exist without tourist demand? And the most burning question...how the hell do they actually do it? [P.S. We didn't go]