Brand-New Bangkok

As my Royal Nepal Airlines 737 dipped below the haze over Thailand, I was struck by what I saw outside the plane window: Houston!

I know that sounds crazy, but the suburbs 100 miles out of Bangkok really *did* look like Houston - swampy fields, housing developments, and 8-lane freeways. I wondered if I were on the wrong flight.

It turns out that Thailand has changed a lot since I last saw it in 2002. The gleaming airport is brand new, as is the highway leading to the shiny city full of sparkling new skyscrapers. The sidewalks were clean, the roads were all labeled and the avenues were immaculately landscaped. Where WAS I?

Even the Khao San Road, the backpackers' gateway to Southeast Asia, was completely changed since I was here last. I recognized only three storefronts on the whole street: a seedy underground bar (that I avoided on my last visit and avoided again on this one), an ATM (there was only one last time, and now there are at least 5, with a couple of other ATMs-on-wheels that drive around), and a 7-11 (again, there was only one last time, and now there are three or four on the 500-meter stretch of road). It was like having an inverted deja vu experience: I knew I had been there before, but I hardly recognized the place.

Khao San Road: Backpackers' Gateway to Southeast Asia

Scenes from the Grand Palace

Bar Della! "Glowing with Health" :)

In my few days in Bangkok, I took care of my to-do list: I slept a lot, got a haircut, drank lots of watermelon fruit shakes, and get a couple of massages. I also managed to get out to do some sightseeing, including Chatuchak Weekend Market, which boasts over 8,000 market stalls (including one devoted to guinea pigs!), the Grand Palace, and the National Museum.

After meeting up with my group, I took an overnight train into the north of Thailand. I love Thai trains. They're clean and so comfy - they bunk 4 people where Indian trains fit 8. At 10pm, an attendant comes around and converts the train seats to two vertically stacked bunks. I slept like a baby, lulled by the gentle motion of the train.

Chiang Mai is Thailand's second city and the "capital" of the north. It's cooler than Bangkok and has a more intimate feel. The old city is surrounded by an ancient wall and is filled with temples. Chiang Mai also has some of Thailand's best cuisine, and being a Thai food lover, I took a cooking class. We made a lot of tasty food, and ate it all. I basically had to be *rolled* out of the cooking school at the end of the day.

Cookin' up some tasty tom yum soup

A cultural show in Chiang MaiThe Buddha at Wat Phra Singh, Chiang Mai

After Chiang Mai, we headed to the Mekong River border between Thailand and Laos. It had been a brief visit to Thailand, but an interesting one, especially seeing how much has changed in such a short time. I'll be back in Thailand in a few weeks when I travel south from Bangkok to Bali on the last leg of my trip. I'm looking forward to seeing more, and eating a whole lot more curry!

The Hands of Buddha