round TRIP

Thailand

If you work as a creative in the advertising and media industry, as we do, you feel under constant, albeit latent, pressure to be a constantly bubbling source of unusual ideas, unseen images and sophisticated concepts. After all, inspiration can be found on every corner: art, culture, the internet, social media, people and their stories, nature, movies, series, books, magazines, fashion, travel, cuisine... It could go on forever.
All these wonderful, interesting and enriching inspirations are constantly being absorbed like a sponge, translated and rearranged. However, there is a point at which you have to admit to yourself that your own memory is full. So full, in fact, that there is no more room for anything tiny.
But what to do? Do it like the computer you work on day in, day out and simply clear the cache, delete the hard drive and empty the recycle bin? Fatal! All the accumulated ideas and impressions would be lost...

For us, there is a source that does not overfill our memory, but slowly recharges it. A source that not only upgrades the storage space, but – without deleting anything – creates space for something new. This source is called Thailand. Because Thailand means relaxation away from the daily grind, mindlessness away from duty and enjoyment without any pressure.

Thailand is the land of colourful cuisines. The constant and, above all, omnipresent supply of inexpensive dishes and their foreign flavours is almost overwhelming. It seems to be teeming with street stalls, cookshops, take-aways, food shops, convenience stores, restaurants and fine dining locations. And all the pots reveal their very own fragrance: sometimes cosy and aromatic, sometimes unfamiliar and outlandish. Spicy, sweet, sour, fiery hot and fruity mild flavours alternate incessantly, luring us from one to the next and inviting us to explore, taste and enjoy.

For us, Thailand symbolises long, wide dream beaches like no other country. Lapped by shallow, salty waves on one side and lined with tall palm trees that sway incessantly in the gentle breeze on the other.
The hot sun quickly paints our pale skin an attractive caramel brown colour. And while its rays sprinkle golden glitter on the dancing water, excited birdsong and the chirping of cicadas accompany the otherwise tranquil hours by the pool and on the beach. Hours that ripple by full of cosy idleness.

We also idly enjoy a number of Thai massages. Throughout the country, well-being and health play an ever-present and visible role. And we take advantage of this. Fine spas and salons offer a wide range of massages: from focussed head, hand and foot massages to classic full-body massages and special, holistic treatments – always with the desired intensity and with individual oils. The understanding of the human body and its functions can be felt in every pressure movement, with every stroke, puncture and kneading. To the sound of panpipes and lapping water, the scent of citrus grass and eucalyptus, all our tensions and knots are released, sometimes painfully. And so we literally feel that agony and release are very close together during a Thai massage. Every pressure is followed by a warm feeling of well-being and noticeably more flexibility.

For us, Thailand is also a crazy and inspiring clash. As much as people here know about well-being and hospitality, they also know about kitsch and culture. Here you can find countless plastic-wrapped souvenirs, fruit and juices to-go, figurines, toys, magnets, clothing and fake brands in bustling markets, chic malls and lively street stalls. Barely a few steps away, you will find shrines adorned with flowers and small gifts, gleaming temples, glittering palace buildings, Buddhist monks and inquisitive schoolchildren in front of golden statues and colourful guardian icons. And all around you can hear the constant, tinny rattling of tuk-tuks, motorbikes and shared taxis whizzing past.

Thailand was and still is a country of countless impressions for us. Exciting, turbulent, strange, revitalising, fulfilling and inspiring. Relaxing massages, flowery scents, sun, beach and sea, gentle breezes, bustling market life, contemplative temple flair and spicy food recharge the batteries as if by magic. Traditional and modern motifs permeate the body and mind all by themselves and involuntarily burn themselves into the seemingly full memory; without feeling overfilled.

Thailand, January 2024. | All words and photos by The Sturgheons.