Surprise

Well I got to Thailand and now I'm writing this from a random little net corner cafe thing just off the Khao Sarn Road in central Bangkok. My first impressions of Thailand in order from when I got off the plane at the airport.

1. Hot
2. Friendly
3. Vicy
4. If you have money, everyone is your friend

This place is in a whole new league compared to Japan. It's absolutely mental here, you need to stay alert all the time or you might get

1. Scammed
2. Ripped off
3. Run over

This society is really something else, To the unprepared solo traveler (me) this is a pretty interesting experience. The number one interesting thing about this place is that whatever your vice, you can find here. In my first day I saw weed and meth being sold on the street, pimping, prostitutes walking the streets, sex shows being "advertised"a great deal of "massage" parlors, all going on in the street around my guest house.

I did indulge in a Thai Massage, but it was just that a massage, nothing dodgy. A friend told me that a good way of telling the difference between a real massage parlor and a brothel is the size of the women on the front door... If she looks like a farmers girl with arms like tree trunks then she's probably a genuine masseuse , anything else is probably a brothel, and brothels outnumber genuine massage parlors by a pretty high margin. In any case the massage lasted two hours after starting with a foot massage (200 baht or about 3 pounds) after the first hour I decided that I'd go for the full body oil massage for another 300 baht (5 pounds) after being on the go for almost 24 hours it was really relaxing and totally helped clear my mind. At the end it was strongly hinted that if I wanted an "extension" that I could go upstairs for another 150 baht but politely declined this none the less intriguing offer.

Food is delicious and cheap but spicy as hell. Any price can be negotiated whatever you find yourself buying. After getting caught out a couple of times, I'm starting to improve my bartering skills. I managed to get a nice pair of shorts down from 900 baht to 700 baht (still way more than they were worth, but I really liked the shorts and I thought it would be worth it) The first price is always negotiable I've found... The trick seems to be to at first to ask for a price way below it's value, and then slowly work your way up if you have to. Another good trick is to by two and ask for a discount. I'm still learning the ways of this subtle art however.

The weather is in one word hot and humid, I wake up in the morning resigned to the fact that as soon as I step out of my room I will be exposed to the intense heat and spend the rest of the day dripping in sweat. But despite this it's not really bothering me that much, perhaps because I was mentally prepared for it from when I left Japan, it's quite similar to what the weather was like in Japan in September and October.

I have taken some photos but maybe will upload them in the next couple of days.