Thailand tour - Ko Lanta

An and I arrived in Bangkok on December 10th, 2014. We stayed in town long enough to meet with a Fulbright office staff person, set up a bank account and prepare to leave for the South of Thailand. The Fulbright transition was a bit confused, as there were several miscommunications, My recommendation to future Fulbright scholars is to confirm all contract matters in advance with the local offices (regardless of your assignment location) to ensure that the transition is smooth. In my case I am indeed fortunate as my wife is Thai and her family lives in Bangkok. They were gracious in lending their support and welcoming when problems arose.

We left for Ko Lanta on the 11th and spend 5 days touring the islands to the west of Thailand. While I have toured many regions of Thailand, this was the first visit to an area that is predominantly Muslim. The island has a distinctly "local" feel to it, as it lacked the less desirable features that highlight other island resort areas in Thailand. The religious orientation of Ko Lanta offers far more Mosques and women clad in Hijab than traditional Buddhist Wats and monks in orange robes, Close to our hotel a loudspeaker made a call to prayers three times per day, so my assessment is that this area has many traditional values that are distinctly different than on might experience in Northern areas of Thailand. In all, Ko Lanta is a peaceful, interesting environment in spite of western tourists. The food was unique also, as most of the population does not eat pork most of the dishes are made with chicken -- a 180 degree departure from Thai cuisine in other regions which feature "moo" on the menu.

The visit was a pleasure. The people of Ko Lanta are kind and welcoming. The environment is absolutely stunning, whether you prefer mountain vistas. beautiful beaches, dense mangrove swamps or a touristic experience of small shops selling a variety of local goods.

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