Having Fun in the Villages of Thailand

I love interacting with the locals when I travel overseas. One of the things I do when I travel is bring a lot of candy with me. M&Ms in particular are a huge hit. Hersheys chocolate is good too but the problem is it melts in the heat of many of the counties I visit. So the trick is to bring candy that won't melt.

I used to bring those fireballs I loved as a kid. They won't melt in the heat and are small enough I can bring a lot of them. But I've come to learn many foreign children in the places I go can't take the heat (ironic I know). If you could see their faces after trying one! They usually quickly spit them out.

Driving a bike through the villages I encounter children playing in or by the streets all the time. In the smaller villages they usually marvel at a white westerner driving through their neighborhood. Sometimes I can't help but interact with them. Candy is a great ice breaker.

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Children catching candy in a village in Thailand

Sometimes there can be 50 kids playing together. It's quite a scene.

When I first started doing it I would simply hand it out. That worked well when only a couple kids were present. But in larger groups it got quite hectic. So I started throwing the candy up for grabs instead. The kids got much more of a kick out of that so I continued the practice.

The taller kids have the advantage so to even the odds when there are smaller ones, I throw the candy in the air to the big kids and while they jump I throw another handful on the ground to the little ones. But I always make sure everyone gets something before I leave. I noticed the kids are quite good at sharing with each other as well. Especially with the little kids.

Video:

You hear me say "Saab lai lai?" to the kids. That's me asking if the candy is delicious. They affirm.

Even the adults like to get in on it. When they see me doing this they will come out of their houses and ask for some. Of course I just hand some to them.

I'm not sure I'm doing any good, though. Most all these kids lack dental care. I wonder how many cavities I'm responsible for!

This is something I would never do in the USA. I would be accused of poisoning the kids or being some kind of pervert. But I've never encountered issues overseas doing this. And I've done this numerous times.

In many of these countries these kids have to grow up fast to support their parents. Many won't finish school. I know that sounds backwards but it happens more than most know. It's good watching them be kids while they can.