The CNN article surprised me. Only 30% of Americans have a passport. These days that means that the others cannot even go to Canada or Mexico, let alone a more “foreign” place. I thought these days more people traveled internationally, or at least had a passport so if the opportunity came up they could go.

There is a lot to see in the U.S. I still have to get to the Grand Canyon, Mt. Rushmore, the Biltmore mansion… Still, what about the Taj Mahal, St Peter’s basilica, Angkor Wat, the trees at Ta Prohm, Bagan, Notre Dame, Sagrada Familia, the Louvre and the Hermitage? You won’t find those, or anything much like them in the U.S.

Our Thai friend Joy went with us to Angkor Wat. This place is seriously big, and only one of several other temples here. About $150 apiece, including two hotel nights, out of Nang Rong.

Then there are the other things. The slums in India, the villagers in Thailand and the school children in Myanmar. You won’t find those or much like them in the U.S. either. We have poverty in the U.S., but it can be very different other places. Some parts of it are pretty bad, but don’t think it’s depressing. Some of the happiest people I have seen have been in these places.

The article says many worry about safety issues, as the author states “What if I’m mugged in Thailand or kidnapped in a hostel?” The reality is, as I have already too often said, that your biggest fear by far is a vehicle accident, just as it is in the U.S. This is somewhat counteracted in that when travelling overseas you will more often be in buses rather than cars. In all our travels, Sue and I have gotten a scare only two times. The first was in Oakland, CA and the second in Washington DC.

If we are talking outside of Asia I suppose you should add to that pickpockets. In Europe I always carry most of my cards and cash in a pouch around my waist under my pants. I just have a bit of local cash and maybe one debit card for the local ATM’s in my wallet. I don’t bother with all that most other places.

Jordan and Sue deciding what to see next in the Louvre. It took days… This week in Paris was inexpensive through go-today.com.

Calculate out the full true cost (mileage on the car, all the meals, etc.) of a week or two week U.S. vacation. You may find the overseas alternative very little more, or in some cases cheaper. Our method for European cities is go-today.com. They do the flights, hotels and transfers really cheap. And the hotels are usually right in the center of everything, not out at the edge of the city like the big Hiltons and such. After that you catch meals (except breakfast, which is often included), admissions and incidentals. Most travel in these cities is via subway, which is cheap and easy. We’ve been to traveling with go-today.com since 1996 and it has always been great. All it takes is a bit of money and a spare week.

In much of the rest of the world you pay the flight, but once you get here the rest of the trip is often much less than it would be in the U.S.

Think about it. At least get a passport if you don’t have one.

Opportunity Foundation does not involve itself in politics and does not take sides in issues like the current one, so I will not comment on my feelings about the political issues. I will say that if I needed to get back to Thailand in the next few days for some reason the current political unrest would not have the least influence on my travel plans. The only thing that might bother me is if they shut down the airport there again, but I really think that is not going to happen a second time.

I would avoid the areas of demonstrator activity, however. Unfortunately, one of these near the Chidlom BTS (sky train) station is in a tourist area with some major hotels. The Holiday Inn, Intercontinental and Hyatt Erawan are among them. Other than that there should be no problems for a foreigner in Thailand.

There is no anti American or anti European sentiment that I am aware of. The problem is entirely domestic. I have never heard anyone say they thought foreigners have anything to do with it. Thais are still friendly to foreigners. That has not changed. If you need help out on the street, ask a Thai.

The basic rule in Thailand, Myanmar or any other country is, if you see a political demonstration or some other form of unrest, go the other way. The Japanese news photographer killed recently in Bangkok as well as the one killed a few years ago on the streets of Yangon, Myanmar two weeks before Sue and I arrived in that city were obviously not following this rule.

Sue and I are getting ready to leave October 6^th for Thailand. We have done this enough that it is pretty easy for us now, but I did call our county health department, where we get most our vaccinations, to see if we were up to date.

Everything was OK with nothing to do this time. What they checked for was hepatitis A and B, tetanus and typhoid. The hepatitis vaccination lasts for life, but the other two do need to be renewed periodically. Visit our website to see other things they might have checked for but are rare enough that in our case they did not bother.

We are not bringing Malaria pills. We never have. Don’t bother with these unless you are going somewhere none of us at the foundation have ever been. While you can find malaria in Thailand, you have to work hard to do it. In addition to Thailand, Sue and I spent a lot of time in Indian slums over the past 10 years and have never bothered with malaria meds. We will spend a week in the cyclone ravaged Myanmar delta area next month and will take some mosquito repellent, which we have never used in Thailand, but that is all. We are staying in small hotels at night. Sleeping outdoors in that area is unnecessary and not a good idea.

The Thai government and military have a mosquito abatement program that appears to work well. There are very few mosquitoes around Nang Rong, and few of those could infect you with a disease. Over a five month period I will get maybe two or three bites.

You really should get these immunizations. I remember one problem at a local restaurant that gave hepatitis to over a hundred people. I have also have had cuts and stepped on rusty nails which everyone knows leads to a tetanus shot since most people have let whatever protection they have had in this department lapse.

One thing is common to all these incidents. They happened in the U.S. The town with the restaurant hepatitis problem was Coeur d’Alene, Idaho where I am now. Our local health department knows that these vaccinations are good to have wherever you live. If traveling scares you into getting them, fine.

Whether you plan to come here as a volunteer or not, whether you will come next year or five years from now, go to your local heath department, tell them you are coming to Thailand, and get your shots. Anytime is good.