Thailand: Land of Torts Waiting to Happen

I've often wondered what life would be like if I didn't live in a culture where there were no tort lawsuits or insurance liability. And now I know what that world looks like: Thailand.

The trip has been filled with reminders that Thai people don't react to threats of personal injury the same way that Americans do. They don't block off crumbling sidewalks or parts of streets that objects might fall into -- they just expect people to have the common sense to be careful. And there's a lot of sense in that.

In that spirit, I've giggled at treacherous sidewalks and docks with loose planks. I happily jumped in the back of a sawngthaew ("two rows"), a pick-up truck with two benches in the back and no gate whatsoever to keep people in (sitting as far back as I could, of course Mom). I was a little suspicious when I was able to rent a motorcycle for $5 without signing anything or even handing over my passport, but I thought, surely, they know what they're doing. There's a system, and it works for them.

But last night I pondered tort liability and all that we discussed in Prof. Heidt's class as a I sat on the rail on the back of a pick-up truck as it sped down the highway at 70 km/hr. And I thought, maybe being overly cautious isn't so bad.

I bought a combination bus-train ticket to Bangkok in Krabi because it was easy (every travel agent sold them) and it seemed like a good deal. I've tried to avoid all contact with companies that deal exclusively with tourists, and this was a perfect example of why I was right to do so.

I was taken to a bus depot, then herded onto a bus, then dropped at a restaurant in the middle of nowhere to await transfer to the train station. When it was time to leave, we were told to pack ourselves into a pick-up truck and sawngthaew. As the sawngthaew was full, I opted for the pickup truck. The flatbed was filled with luggage, all the way up to the sides. There was nowhere for my bottom to rest securely but the side. Luckily, it was a good grip too.

The 20-minute trip was both exhilarating and terrifying -- at first. When the driver was going slowly, which the 8 of us half-dangling off the back foolishly thought were for our benefit. But as the truck steadily accelerated, we held on as tight as we could and forced ourselves to laugh through our disbelief. We arrived at the station intact, hair askew and faces chapped.

Looking back, it was fun. But I think I'll stick t regulated government-sponsored transportation from now on.

As for where that transportation will take me, that's up in the air at the moment. I've been trying to get to Chang Mai to visit the dentists and tailors, but the trains aren't running there today because of torrential rain. So I might need to stay in the Ayutthaya area for another day or two.