In Search of the Good Life...: Thailand Day 6: Thong Somboon Club / Muak Lek Arboretum & Waterfall

After a lovely pre-breakfast jog/walk with students and Kathryn/Han, we drove an hour northeast to Thong Somboom Club, which is a theme park of sorts. But not just any theme park. A "Western-Themed" theme park.

Repping SLC Beehive Sport and Social Club (and specifically, Ref Jimmy's face) abroad on our run this morning.

I'm not sure if members of our group have visited theme parks in other counties (I have not), but this wasn't like going to Disneyland Paris or Tokyo in terms of being a park that caters to international tourists. This park is definitely a tourist destination for Thais, and it was fascinating to get a glimpse of how the people of Thailand (and many other counties) perceive U.S. American culture, and specifically, "Cowboys and Indians."

Students in front of some "Western" shops at the theme park.

Before going any further, I will pause to acknowledge that "Cowboys and Indians" as both a term and a concept are problematic, and that the "Wild West" motif is fraught with cultural appropriation and a lack of cultural sensitivity with regard to Indigenous Nations. And the fact that other countries have latched onto this cultural phenomenon is 100% our fault! We (the U.S.) marketed the crap out of the American Old West as early as the late 19th century, and Thailand is just one of several countries who have embraced the myths of the American Old West in the form of a theme park. If you want to know more, check out this article published in Indian Country Today (Red Haircrow, 2018) about Germany's obsession with Indian culture. And before I/we (the U.S.) point too many fingers at other countries for misrepresenting and mis-appropriating Indigenous cultures, I'd kindly remind us to take a look around at U.S. high school and college football games, as our country still has about 2,000 schools (my alma mater being one of them...) that use Native American mascots.

The point being that going to this theme park was a pretty significant eye opener for our group. While racing go-carts and hurling down rainbow road luges was absolutely fun, being in the park really encouraged our group to consider international perspectives on "American" imagery and culture. Furthermore, as the park is a domestic tourist attraction, as opposed to an international tourist attraction, I think many members of our group--myself included--had some "fish out of water" moments that also led to valuable conversations. Other visitors constantly snapped pictures of members of our group, we misunderstood directions, and we definitely drove our ATVs, go-carts, and side-by-side buggies waaaaay faster than anyone else in the park.

Kathryn and I getting ready to rip it on some ATVs

Students driving the buggy around the dirt track

Students on the sky chairs. The rainbow road luge (my favorite) is below.

We ate lunch at the park (American hamburgers and french fries!) and started making our way back to the Raintree Residence. On the way, we made a short stop to Muak Lek Arboretum and Waterfall. Of all the places we've visited thus far, this one actually felt the most relatable to a Utah recreation experience. It was a beautiful area with a river and waterfall, and it was CROWDED. The Arboretum is clearly a popular local destination for hiking, picnics, wading, etc., and it was interesting to experience and perceive what local Thai folks might do on a typical weekend afternoon if they want to get outside. And same issues that we experience in Utah re: overcrowding.