adrenaline. Lots of adrenaline. That gave me the first sight of Chiang Mai. I had to think about the moment I was in New York for the RTL News, two weeks after 9/11, the attack on the Twin Towers. 2001. Then I was also bouncing in a hotel room from traffic, sirens and life on the street, which never stopped for a second.
Ok, Chiang Mai is many times smaller, but the economic activity, the 24-hour micro-economy, the traffic and the range of smells, do have the allure of a metropolis.
One night I couldn't sleep because of all that adrenaline, so I decided to hit the streets. With my camera on point to explore Chiang Mai's nightlife.
If necessary, to surrender to the local whiskey, all in the context of investigative journalism. Because how can you report better and more honestly by blending in with the local population?
I soon encountered a group of hardcore drinkers, insatiable and marked by the liquor. It soon became light and what struck me most was that the diehards were accompanied by a group of stray dogs. Not that anyone paid any attention to the animals, but the phenomenon of stray dogs would not let go of me from that moment on. In fact, they've been an obstacle on the road for almost five months, eagerly searching for my calves and roaming the city in packs. Especially at night.
Two weeks ago I was on Koh Phangan for a short vacation. A beautiful island and outside the Full Moon parties an oasis of peace. I rented a scooter and soon I encountered the dreaded four-legged friend. The dogs there were literally lying in the middle of the road, simmering and glued to the hot tarmac and impossible to move. Almost drugged by the bright sun, I saw them trudge along the road, too lazy even to attack the frightened farang. Only when you came to remote places, near a house, did you run the risk of getting four at the same time behind your motorbike. Then it was legs up and gas.
How would the average Thai view this dog violence, I thought. We, from the west, tend to cherish anything that only has four legs anyway. Here you see a completely different attitude towards dogs in particular. In the Bangkok Post I came across an article about Pacs, Phangan Animal Care for Strays. A volunteer organization that has been mapping, sterilizing and, if necessary, taking care of the dogs on Koh Phangan for twelve years.
The director of the noble club let slip in the newspaper that the Thai find the volunteers of Pacs completely insane, to pay so much attention to something trivial like a stray dog. The Thai has been brought up with the idea that a street dog will only cause misery. Giving love or attention to the animals is out of the question. In stark contrast to pampering their own cats and dogs at home, because the Thais treat it lovingly, in my experience.
Now that I've been here for more than four months, the street dog has become a drinking companion for me. When I'm out at night or coming home late, I'm always accompanied by an unknown buddy who wouldn't hurt a fly. A little attention is enough and sometimes a bond forms so quickly that I sometimes get dropped off at the door.
No, my new friend can't go inside. no way! The Thai security would violently throw him out with his head and ass and wash his hands thoroughly.
In memory of Ton Lankreijer, passed away on October 26, 2016 at the age of 61.