Day 5

We made a visit to the Tourism Authority of Thailand today. We were welcomed very graciously. The Director of the Tourism Authority was very kind to clarify our questions and to devote so much time to see to us. It was very nice to see how much they valued our presence as guests.

We asked him several questions and it was interesting to note the opinion of a government authority. The importance of tourism was also emphasised upon the knowledge that the budget given to develop tourism still increased in spite of military rule. The Director also shared how Chiang Mai was developing into other areas of tourism, such as man-made tourism which follows the example of Singapore. They are going to develop cable cars, a Chiang Mai Night Safari and a Chiang Mai Eye.

I have never noticed it till now but it is true that Singapore is an advocate of man-made tourist spots. Take the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and Gardens by the Bays as examples. On hindsight, I think this fact is pretty amazing because I think that it is not easy for one to promote a man-made facility successfully and carve it as one of Singapore’s iconic tourist spots. Rather, it is easier for natural wonders and places with long histories to become popular due to their intrinsic significance. Instead, Singapore has been extremely successful in countering our disadvantage as a young country with little natural landscape. Through the point highlighted by the Director, I was better able to appreciate Singapore’s success with tourism.

Afterwards, our group visited Wat Chedi Luang – one of the places we went to for our amazing race. We chatted with a monk and also asked him several questions about Buddhism. He mentioned several interesting principles of Buddhism. For example, according to Buddhism, there was no soul; mind and matter of our self ends at the point of death. The only thing that connects our previous and next lives is karma. I did not really understand this concept. If there was no connecting soul, this means that the person I am in this life and the person I am in the next life are two entirely different entities with no common memories or personality to hold onto. In that case, why must my actions be determined by the actions in my past life, given that I am not the same person? Wouldn’t it be unfair if all the bad karma in my life was due to someone whom I do not remember being in the past? The chat with the monk definitely brought up a lot of new questions about Buddhism and life.


Wat Chedi Luang

At night, we had a focus group discussion with several of the CMU students who accompanied us. I helped to facilitate the discussion. Some of them gave very interesting comments and insights about how tourism affected them personally. Within them, I also saw how some of them had ambitions to make a positive difference in the future. It was personally inspiring for me as it seems that I might have lost some of that drive recently. The discussion turned out to be very enriching, not merely in terms of knowledge.

That ended my last night in Chiang Mai. It has truly been a fulfilling trip in many ways. However, what would definitely remain etched within my memories would be the interactions and relationships that I have formed – even those with the interviewees over the course of this trip. I am continuously struck by how warm-hearted the people of Chiang Mai are! Of course, they include the CMU students who have been very generous with their help. The bonds formed over this trip with my USP friends would also be unforgettable!