I used to live in Thailand in the late 90’s and for me it was the greatest experience of my life in addition to being the catalyst for my travel addiction. I have noticed a significant amount of development there and I can’t say that I am sad at how things have changed because it would be selfish and unrealistic of me to not accept it. I do like to recognize them, learn and find my new adventure. It usually takes a big event to recognize that changes have settled in, and this winter in Thailand is just that saturation point.

Southeast Asia has always been a hotspot, but it has only been recently that the “Tigers” have figured out how to package and streamline their respective tourism industries. This marketing push is a direct consequence of the 1997 crisis in Southeast Asia when the foreign investment plug was pulled. Realizing the economic impact of foreign direct investment, countries which generate a significant amount of revenue from tourism decided that they needed to “push the product.” Thailand’s campaign, “Amazing Thailand,” was very successful and turned the country around in a matter of three years.

Christmas 2007 will prove to be a record season for Thai tourism. Long known for being a tourism hub, all the factors for Thailand to have a record year have been in place. People know about it and all of its attractions, therefore it is trusted. The currency still gives westerners a significant cost advantage especially if you are from Europe. In addition to plain old tourism, medical tourism is in full bloom as well. Bangkok has a top medical facility which rivals any western facility in quality, accommodation and price. With all of the drivers of profitability in place I would be surprised if Thailand didn’t have a great winter season.

Flights to Bangkok from Washington, DC were going from the high two-thousands for economy seats well into the mid six-thousands. If you are in Switzerland you would be hard pressed to find tickets at all. Oh, and by the way these prices were quoted in early November. One of my contacts that managed to catch a flight to Thailand and is currently in Phuket, says that it is an absolute mad house. In terms of real estate, prices have increased significantly since the vacuum that was created after the Tsunami in 2004. What this translates to, is an increase in prices and a restructuring of hotels, resorts and accommodation. Bigger and better = more tourists.

A significant amount of untouched places which I used to travel to have now been heavily developed. Full moon parties are full on circus attractions and one island after another is being re-molded. You know it is pretty bad when the national weather service tells you when the climate will be perfect for a full moon party. Despite this, it is good to see the positive impacts these developments have had on the Thai people and economy. It is also an indicator for me to look elsewhere.

Laos is my number one choice at the moment. Although it is a communist country it is opening up significantly and being a communist state has deterred many ‘safe-haven’ seekers. Only since the early 1990’s has it abandoned its isolationist position and has been promoting itself as a new tourism destination.

The beautiful mountainous , heavily forested landscape is the setting for many beautiful tribes and massive Buddhist ruins. The best part is that having been opening up to the world for less than two decades, the tourism infrastructure has not been solidified. At best both the infrastructure and services are at a basic level. This means; not a lot of tourists here at all. This is not to say that you cannot find your five star hotels and exquisite restaurants, they can be found in the capitol, Vientiane. As far as I am concerned, they can stay right where they are.

Thinking about Laos makes me extremely happy as a traveler. I am extremely jealous of my parent’s generation to have been able to travel to such untouched cultures, and knowing that there are still places like this to be explored really makes me smile.

It is hard for me to say look beyond what is set up for you, especially when, in my case, the place that has been set up has a strong hold in your heart. All I can say is, there is the possibility of falling in love again.

Happy Holidays!

Seb