A motorbike for every thai

Getting around in Thai cities is very easy, just imagine any possible transport, they probably got it. But, i have realized that if im gonna stay here, i´ll need to get around the way the thais do: on a motorbike. A good reason for that is the buses aren´t that reliable, they are kind of depending on if the driver wan´t to drive or not, and i also get tired of having to argue with the songthaew driver about the fare every time i wan´t to go somewhere. So, tomorrow i´m going to Mr Order where they have bikes to reasonable prices.

But this motorbike thing also makes me think about just how much Thailand want´s to be a urban, western-style country. Every single thai who can afford it get himself a motorbike (or car, of course). Bicycle is soo 90´s…
I don´t blame them for wanting a more comfortable, western way of living. I think many europeans have a strange idea of asian streets crowded with old fashion bikes, at least is that how i remember it from China 10 years ago, but things are changing. When they can afford it, of course they want the same standard as Europe or the US.
But, sometimes this not make sense at all. Young, upper class Asians are very well dressed, streets at night can sometimes look lika a cat walk, and they also know how to dress for every season. And now it´s christmas time… a few days ago i went to the fancy shopping centre close to where i live, and i saw this girl, maybe 20, in a very nice winter outfit: gloves, coat, a nice warm hat, boots, the only problem maybe it´s + 25-30 degrees outside…

It shows just how much they want to look ”west”. They even use a special lotion making their skin white (for thai guys an Asian girl with white skin is about the most beautiful they can imagine), and at the same time, beaches are crowded with people from the west, desperately trying to get a nice tan…
Kind of funny.