[tefraxKedWere]

Just for a bit of fun, what do you think guidebooks for Thailand, one hundred years from now, will be talking about? What big changes do you think may have happened? Will we have different kinds of holiday destinations? Will we have a different capital?

To get you started, take a look at this short story for the year 4001:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/leisure/l...tour-siam-4001

[yWleIJm4]

Some of this seems to be purely for laughs, but when you consider that chillies were only brought to Thailand by Portuguese traders maybe 400 years ago, the drastic changes in what will be considered Thai 2000 years in the future are not so unimaginable.

[97dYA9L3]

Just for a bit of fun, what do you think guidebooks for Thailand, one hundred years from now, will be talking about? What big changes do you think may have happened? Will we have different kinds of holiday destinations? Will we have a different capital?

The 2109 "Google-Microsoft Lonely Planet Rough Guide to Siam" comes in two parts, down-loadable onto time limited auto destruct bio-media.

One part will deal with the Democratic Republic of Thailand, or "Thaksinia" as it is often referred to, the other will deal with Free Thailand which exists below the closed 17 degree parallel border.

There will be sections on entry to the country at Ayutthaya, the new capital of Free Thailand, established during the hostilities with the North and also because of the inundation of much of the old capital of Bangkok by the sea. Tips on transport, current fares for electro-tuks and taxis and hotels
There will be tips on getting a good sea-view room when visiting Bangkok, also a large section on diving and water scootering in and around Bangkok.
There is also a usefull section on tourist warnings -particularly the long standing problem of long-tail boat scammers who will tell you the Floating Palace is shut and whisk you off to expensive off-shore cultured pearl farms and shops. Current rates for bribery of Police are also given.


There will be help and advice on the expensive process of getting a Visa to enter the Democratic Republic of Thailand-you will have to enter via Laos -or Liberated Burma if the peace treaty holds -as there is no public entry points with Free Thailand.
There will be advice on dealing with Shin Hotels Transport and Travel-the only company authorised to serve tourists.
A guide to the huge Museum of the Beloved Founder in the old capital Chiang Mai-now re-named Shin City.
A section of warnings, for example, not making negative comments about the Loving Benefactor, great grandson of the legendary Thaksin Shin-or his family-or to desecrate the myriad statues around the city to Thaksin Shin by climbing on them or posing for a stereofoto in front of them (penalty 10 years forced labour on a Shin Silk farm and possibly a very large fine)
There is even a guide to the Shin Night Market and advice on buying a red shirt-compulsory wear every Friday by all.

[AntonayPina]

thank God I won't be alive to see all this happening to Chiang Mai

[lorrieholdridge]

They will still be warning about the gem scams and the "Grand Palace is closed today" scam.

And some other thoughts about what might be in 2109:-

There will be farangs complaining about having to pay 5000% more than the
locals for entrance to tourist attractions and other such places, and there
will still be some farangs writing letters to the editor defending this
practice.

Traffic gridlock will start at Hua Hin in the South and reach to the Capital
Thaksinburi (formerly Khoraat) in the North East.

The Police will announce yet another crackdown on the smoke belching,
decrepit buses and trucks in Bangkok.

During the next rainy season, Bangkok City Council will embark on the latest round of footpath repairs in the city centre. A budget of 750 billion baht has been allocated. "We'll definitely get it right this year" said a
spokesman for Kor Thor Mor. The contract has been won by Shin Foot Path
Services Ltd.
Bumrungrad Hospital however has expressed concern about the work going ahead "Bangkok footpaths are a nice little earner for us" said a hospital
spokesman. "We've recently placed an order for 100 more pairs of crutches
from China" said the obviously disappointed spokesman.
The police have agreed to cooperate with the city council and will stop
motor bike riders from using the newly repaired footpaths as a road for the
next month.

Somchai and Lek in the street will be celebrating the recently announced
wage rise of 20 baht a day. This will bring their wages up to the dizzying
heights of 20,000 baht a month. The government will solemnly announce that they can't possibly be paid any more or the country will go bankrupt.
Somchai, when interviewed by Channel 125 said "this is not good enough" "The price of rice and fish sauce which, he said, comprises the diet of 95% of the factory working class in Bangkok has skyrocketed in the last few months".

A UN report issued from their Beijing headquarters says that Thai
politicians are the richest in the world. The Prime Minister Phaan Thong
Theuan, great grand son of the late much revered Privy Councilor Thaksin
Shinawatra, speaking by holographic phone in video link from his private
supersonic airliner while on the way for a weekend to his castle on the
banks of the Danube River, flatly denies this.

The government announces that the numbers of Farangs living in Thailand has now reached 20 million and tightens up the visa requirements once again.

This year authorities announce that there definitely!
definitely!Definitely!! may be a ban on liquor during Songkraan 2109 after
2976 people died on the roads during the 7 dangerous days of Songkraan 2108.
Official figures released show that 87.3265% of the fatalities were teenage
motor bike riders drunk out of their minds, driving in the dark with no
lights on while speeding, and going the wrong way against the traffic.

The global warming lobby say that Bangkok will be under 50 centimetres of
water by the end of this century or maybe the one after.

[JANALA]

It's really crazy to think about what it might be like in 100 years. Considering the changes that happened between 1909 and 2009 I really don't think it's possible to predict anything, beyond the fact that people will always be people.

[PVaQlNaP]

After giving the matter some thought I don't think Thailand will be a tourist destination at all in 100 years.

Here is my try and just having fun here


In the days when the Kingdom of Thailand was a major tourist destination for people from all over the world it was often said a visit to Thailand was to experience both the modern world and an over thousand year old culture.

Today tourists to Thailand is still enocuraged like a century ago but yesterdays tourists have been replaced by todays business men, journalists, and students. In the 21th century it is instead the Thais who go abroad en masse. While Thailand is just slightly bigger then the Kingdom of France there are almost twice as many Thais as French and it is to United Kingdom, France and the Vatican State (formerly Iitalian Repbulic) that most Thais visit and marvel over the centres of European culture.

Thais have become the single largest source of arriving tourists for Europe, accounting for between 4-7% of the actual GDP for the big three and an average of 1-2% of GDP for the other European countries. However this can obviously change in the future as one of the reasons Thais holliday in Europe, despite the long journey, is the favorable exchange rate between Thai Baht and Euro.

All three countris have made considerable investments in adapting their countries to cate for Thai tourists but it's widely considered that Vatican State produces the best native Thai food even if the English TV series produced in Thai language and pattern after Lakorns have been internationally acclaimed.

It all comes easy now for Thailand, being one of the richest countries countries in the world and member of G5 the elite club for all countries.

Critics raise their voice over what they call "Pax Siam", referring to the increasing economical and cultural influence of the Kingdom, where Thai language and culture is studied and copied all over the world. The Thai themselves usually shrug at this notion, often expressing the opinion that they are in fact doing other countries a favor by spending their money there.

However Thai scholars argue that it was the unique Thai way that elevated the country to a superpower the last 40 years. It is tempting to agree with them as Thailand was in no better situation then most of the countries in the West. In fact during late 20th century Thailand was still dependent on exporting agricultural products and being a source of cheap labour for foreign manufacturing. It is particulary interesting to note that Thailand had no nuclear power, and was extremely oil dependant as they had almost no alternative power sources developed.

During the oil crisis and the following oil wars Thailand was completely cut off from oil deliveries, imediately suffereing the same fate as the whole world would do in just a few years time. It is of course true that Thailand, unlike most countries in the west, could produce enough food domestically to feed its population an hence could use the oil reserves for other purposes then sending out their armed forces to fight over fading resources.

But the deciding factor, scholars argue, was the unique unity among the Thai people.

When law and order broke down and most countries ended up in a series of civil wars, the Thais did what they always done, called for the monarchy to provide support and guidance. They stood united instead of splitting up under local war lords.

Ofc course the first years were difficult when Thailand had to defend their borders against armies and war lords seeking to invade the fertile lands of central Thailand. At one point the invaders came close to burning down Ayutthaya but the Thai army's human waves fended off the attackers. In spite of the great cost in human life the Thais refused to retreat - "They won't burn down Ayutthaya again" was a common rally in those days.

On the surface not much is different from hundred years ago when foreigners came to Thailand and decided to import the food to their country. During those years many Thais also moved abroad and Thailand actively promoted the country as a tourist destination, hence the Kingdom was relatively well known in the world. One would usually find at least one Thai restaurant in a major city.

With the foreign interest in Thai food, culture and classic art it is of course very ironic that it's not until 21th century that one of Thailand best known symbols dominates all cities over the whole world - The low fuel Tuk Tuk!

... and that's probably because farangs are too stubborn to get their whole family on a motor bike.

However there is every indication that farang stubborness will have to give in for the modern way of life.

[AntonayPina]

may the unity of Thais prevail.

[lorrieholdridge]

Little will change in Thailand until governments face the facts and get serious about reforming the education system. Whilst only 5 baht or so per hundred of the education budget reaches the Kingdom's classrooms the system will continue to churn out poorly educated children taught by unmotivated, dispirited teachers. It's a national disgrace that Thailand's education standards lag behind every other country in SEA. Sure, from time to time we'll see the shining examples of Thai students winning prizes at an international competition, but they are a rarity. Go and visit an upcountry rural village school, see the crumbling classrooms with leaky roofs. the tattered books, rickety fans hanging from the ceilings. The children and the Thai people deserve better than this, and the Kingdom will never make real progress until they get it.

What can be more important for a nation's welfare than educating the next generation?

[PVaQlNaP]

may the unity of Thais prevail.

An outside threat to the nation usually helps