On my way to the travel agency, I could never have imagined that my first big trip at a young age would eventually take me to Pattaya, Thailand.
No sooner said than done — soon I found myself standing in front of the manager of a TUI travel agency near my company in Saarbrücken. We did not know each other personally, but before long, I would learn a great deal about Thailand — its culture, customs, and traditions. It turned out that this first introduction came free of charge.
It was the end of October, and I was looking for somewhere warm to escape to. Thailand — the “Land of Smiles” — was recommended to me, a country I had already heard much about but knew very little of.
Pattaya, in particular, was highly recommended, especially for someone wanting to experience everything in one place. I was told there were many attractions, beautiful sights, and an exciting nightlife. Before long, I had booked my trip for November and was flying there alone.
I had booked my flight with Thai Airways, which had also been strongly recommended to me. From the moment I boarded, I was pleasantly surprised by the genuine warmth and kindness of the crew. Their natural friendliness stayed with me throughout the entire journey.
The flight lasted around eleven hours, but I was well taken care of with food and drinks — even a complimentary glass of champagne. The staff were also kind enough to help me fill out my immigration forms, which I greatly appreciated, as my English at that time was still very limited.
After arriving at the old Don Mueang Airport, I slowly made my way through immigration, collected my luggage, and eventually found myself — completely exhausted — sitting on the TUI transfer bus to Pattaya.
It took 3 hours, yes at that time there was no highway, you had to drive on the full national road until you finally arrived in Pattaya, then the usual hotel tour where the individual guests were dropped off and finally I was in my hotel.
I was welcomed with an unusual warmth and friendliness, and quickly realised that I had entered a completely different world. Everything felt so different from Germany, where people often seem more reserved and serious.
Finally arriving in my hotel room, there was only one thing I wanted: a shower, a little drink, and then a good night’s sleep.
— Continuation follows —