Hitchhiking in Thailand
Another driving story… I saw a hitchhiker the other day (a Farang of course), round the corner of the Siam Commercial Bank, near the beachfront. It’s a pretty common sight in Europe, and I guess in USA or Australia too, but here it is definitely not. It might even be the first time I’ve seen a hitchhiker in Thailand, and I’ve been here several years. So I was so shocked that I just drove past him, mouth gaping and probably looking stunned. I barely had the time to register his face, I just saw that he was smiling nicely, like he was happy to see a fellow westerner and surely I wouldn’t let him down. As it was, I was already late to go and pick up my kid at school, so I didn’t stop the car.
Maybe the poor bloke was there for hours, as Thai people don’t know the practise of hitchhiking and don’t understand the meaning of standing by the road with the thumb up. Thai people just don’t hitchhike. First of all, Thai people don’t travel alone. They’d rather cram as many people as possible in the back of a pick-up! Hitchhiking would also mean that you are so broke that you can’t buy a train ticket or a bus ticket, and they are very cheap (the train is even free during daytime, for crying out loud). Finally, it would mean that you are so desperate to travel that you would risk getting into a stranger’s car. Crazy idea altogether.
So I had that guilty feeling, you know, like I could have helped someone and I didn’t, but the guy was probably hoping for a ride to Bangkok or Hua Hin, not to my kid’s school. Besides, with train and bus stations within walking distance and free train tickets, he could easily get anywhere. Maybe he didn’t know? Maybe he had his wallet stolen or something? But then he should just wait for a Western Union transfer, or find someone to whom he could explain his situation and get some advice. I will never know his story.
Anyway, if you’re planning to travel in Thailand by hitchhiking, you’d better think twice. See, even Farangs won’t stop for you!
June 17th, 2010 at 6:40 pm
Hey, I was hitchhiking in Thailand for 7 days when I was backpacking to Malaysia and Thailand for a month. I started all the way from Malaysian-Thai border to Hat Yai -> Rattaphum -> Phattalung -> Krabi -> Ao Nang Beach Krabi -> Trang -> Nuea Khlong -> Khlong Thom -> Ko Lanta -> and all the way back to Songkhla! - All this throughout my 1 week in Thailand. More than 13 rides and over 1000 km. Most importantly, all of the people who stopped were Thai. It was amazing. Do not under-estimate Thai people!