Nomadic Texan

We hit the ground at around 11:45 PM local time in Bangkok on November 13, 2013. This was after being in the air or airports for a whopping 27 hours and I was exhausted. There are times I can fall asleep quickly and there are times my body fights every effort to dose off on airplanes. I couldn’t manage more than about an hour or two’s sleep on the way to Asia. So I was eager to get to our hotel.

As I have written in a prior post our destination was the Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. Given the late hour I thought it might have been a little disorganized. I was very wrong. We arrived at the hotel and were given our keys. Our bags were taken separately and arrived approximately 5 minutes after I did. Score a 10 right off the bat! My room was awesome and was more than I anticipated.

King Size Bed (I loved It) Comfy Slippers Also

Given it was 3:00 PM at home there was no way I could sleep, even though I gave it a valiant effort. I decided I would skip breakfast, as I knew if I slept it would only be minimal. The first morning was uneventful and I arrived slightly early and checked out the lobby. Much to my surprise there was a lobby full of beauty contestants for the Miss Grand International contest and I found out they would be there our entire stay.

It was kind of by coincidence, but I met Ms. Ecuador and had to have a selfie! Beautiful young lady from Quito and originally from Esmeralda on the coast. We headed out for the day and I learned our hotel inspection would be the following afternoon by Sommai Yocapajorn, the hotel’s PR Manager.

Ms. Ecuador with The Nomadic Texan

Ms Grand International Bus

Malaysia Tourism Board Member Irni Nor with Ms. Malaysia

The hotel is a exquisite place to stay in a quiet neighborhood and far enough away from any freeways that one does not hear any traffic. I loved the fact I had my own balcony and it was very good size. The night time views were extraordinary.

View of the Chao Phraya River at Night from a Chatrium Balcony

The room we occupied was a Grand Suite One-Bedroom and comes equipped with a very nice bathroom with separate shower and bath, a small kitchenette with dining area and a large living and entertaining area. The room is 70 square meters. These rooms are above the 17th floor and cost around $100 a night US. That is a fantastic deal, given it is a 5 star hotel. This price requires a three night stay. Its slightly higher for a single night stay.

Living Area

A Two-Bedroom Grand suite is 120 square meters and only runs about $185 Us Dollars. Both bedrooms have work desks and WiFi and all the benefits of the one bedroom are present. This includes the luxurious shower, tub and kitchenette, along with a dining and living area. Not to mention the large balcony. All rooms are equipped with safes, coffee, plates silverware, cups glasses, cooking ware and utensils if you are inclined to stay in and cook. Again the price requires a three night stay.

Kitchenette Area

The top of the line rooms are the one, two and three bedroom suites located on the 31st through 34th floor with private dining quarters and business office. The One-Bedroom suite is 125 square meters and has access to all days snacks and evening cocktails. A full breakfast is also included. We toured all room examples and I was impressed with the pricing and size of the rooms. You would have to reserve specific dates for a quote on the Chatrium Club rooms as these are known.

#35th Floor Decoration

Chatrium Club Dining Room and Waiting Area

Business Office for Chatrium Club Members

Breakfast at the hotel was a buffet style set up that includes every type of item one might want to eat early in the day. My friend from Thailand ate a bowl of noodles with vegetables almost every day and I ate plates of fruit, egg dishes, bread and tried various Asian dishes. The breads have an entire room dedicated to your choice or type of wheat, rice or corm flour based product. It was a challenge just to decide this, much less egg dishes or other healthy offerings as he main course.

External Photo of the Dining Area

The hotel has a wonderful pool area that is spacious and on the 6th floor away from all noise. It is a very nice facility and has a pool bar and changing rooms. If the weather had been nicer I probably would have jumped in.

Pool Was Huge

Pool Bar

Overall I have to rate the Chatrium Hotel Riverside as a top notch facility. I had no issues except learning how to turn the shower on. A funny story and as I must be thick between the ears I took a completely cold shower the first day before learning that the hot water was in the opposite direction of expectations. I can only say that I know for a fact that I wasn’t the only one and the names of the individuals involved shall remain nameless.

Shower for All Rooms (Push Back for Hot Water)

If you find yourself in Bangkok and are searching for a nice hotel with all the facilities of a 5 star complex I would recommend the Chatrium Hotel Riverside for its, service, cleanliness and its economic pricing. The fact that it has its own shuttle to make your way across the Cha0 Phraya River to Wat Arun, the Asiatique shopping center or numbers of other attractions also doesn’t hurt. Try it, you cannot go wrong in my opinion. A huge Thanks goes out to Adrian Brown the General Manager and our host at the hotel.

Chao Phraya Shuttle from Hotel

*** My trip to Thailand and Malaysia was sponsored by Thai Airways, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Tourism Malaysia USA. All opinions are solely mine and as always generated without any influence.

I love beach towns in any country and always gravitate to them regardless. I was recently in Phuket Thailand, a very well known city and it has infinite attributes. One I was totally caught off guard by, was the amount of wonderful buildings and intoxicating architecture that exists in the old section of town. As we entered, our guide Jennifer decided we needed to stop and see this area.

I was fortunate that they gave us about 30 minutes to walk and shop. I was only really interested in the Colonial Spanish or French style of architecture represented and took a plethora of photos. One of my favorites is this one and I shaded it black and white for effect.  I love the more traditional aspect of this type of photo and am old enough to remember when this was our primary source of pictures and color was considered a luxury.

There is something that defines the lines and and construction of a building better when it is presented in black and white. I love that it completely captures my eye. How about you? Do you like to see photos in black and white or would you rather all photos be exposed with colors? Thank you kindly for taking the time to read my post and for your comments.

B/W Photo of Old Town Phuket

Our visit to James Bond Island or Khao Phing Kan, in Phang Nga Bay Thailand was both exhilarating and educational. The ride over in the Long Boat was stimulating and was an experience I shall never forget. It was a proper end to the ride, when we wound up at the restaurant in Sea Gypsy Village for lunch. The village is elevated above the ocean on stilts to account for the tides and storm surges.

The majority of its income base is centered around tourism and visitors that stop off on the way back from James Bond Island. In addition to a rather large restaurant there is a maze of shops and retail outlets, which sell fresh water pearls, all kinds of clothing, authentic regional food items and various traditional souvenir goods. It is well worth the stop and one can wonder endlessly for hours just investigating the wares the vendors offer.

Koy Panyee Sea Gypsy Village

I first traveled to Thailand in 1973 as a buyer with Six Flags Amusement parks. I was just 23 and the world lay before my feet, or so I was brash enough to think! We all know when we are young we are invincible and nothing can stop us. I felt that way when I first went to Bangkok. I wanted to try and do everything that was laid out for us and I wouldn’t say no to any opportunity. When they asked us if we wanted to take a Khlong ride, I jumped at the chance. Mind you the structures were completely different back then and Bangkok wasn’t as notorious as it is today for their party atmosphere. It was just another SE Asia city except it had a wonderful allotment of canals, hence the nickname “Venice of the East”.

Typical Khlong in the 70’s

Forty years ago is a long time and I know that most of you doubt I can really remember that far back. I can and there are three things that stand out from my first visit to Bangkok. The first thing was the Golden Buddha and all of its beauty. It has since been relocated and yes we visited again on this trip. The second was a restaurant that is no longer in operation named Nick’s Number One. It reminded me of the movie Casablanca the way it was decorated. It had the best steaks in Bangkok. The third item was our Khlong ride in the canals with floating markets. Khlongs are the vessels used to navigate the canal system in Bangkok and they have changed a great deal. When I saw my first Khlong I just about turned around and headed for higher ground. You had to be kidding me. I was supposed to get into this thing?

Typical Khlong Used by the Thai People

Well they finally got me in and we ventured out running into Floating Markets everywhere and all kinds of vendors pulling up along side our Khlong, hawking various wares and foods. It was actually a wonderful experience and I soon lost all apprehensions about how tiny the boat was and how unstable it was. I decided to enjoy the ride. Today’s Khlongs have changed dramatically and do not resemble the “canoes” we rode in. They now are covered and can sit several people across like this one below.

Present Day Khlongs

The first thing one notices when they walk outside in Bangkok in August is the humidity. It surrounds and envelopes you like a platonic shroud. As I entered the street I was completely over taken by how much I perspired and it made me feel like I hadn’t just taken a shower! Riding in the Khlong was better, as the breeze caused by the boat’s movement helped provide a little coolness. We set out for the day and I was excited to see how much remained the same and how the canals had changed as I remembered them. One thing for sure is poverty never changes. There were issues back in the 70’s and there still are.

Typical Homes Along the Canals

Not as Illustrious as One Might Think

We saw these yellow boats on our journey around the canals and I had to inquire what they represented or what the deal was. It turns out the government is highly concerned about the appearance and tourism approach of the canals and has these boats gather the trash and weeds that exist in the canals. I think that is a great idea and should help the environment.

A Government Boat That Works for The Environmental Ministry

The canals serve as a method of circulating and balancing the tides as they roll in and out. At most entrances off of the Chao Phraya River there are gates similar to these to hold back flooding in the canals. When  a typhoon or storm approaches they are closed and efforts are made to protect the people who live on the canals. It works sometimes and sometimes the forces of nature are just too strong.

Dam Gates

One never grows tired of the ornate structures that exist along the canals and are used for worship by the local population. I am always intrigued and cannot get enough of the Thai Temple construction. They are both beautiful and magical in my opinion. One has to appreciate the fact that 95% of the people practice Theravada Buddhism and are a very reverent society. Not once did I see any of our representatives pass a Temple without offering a sign of respect, by clasping their hands together and bowing towards the structures. I am impressed with the strength of their religion and how they treat the shrines with appropriate honor.

Temple Along the Canals

What I did not expect or remember was the plethora of Monitor Lizards that abound in the canals. We were told that sightings are extremely rare and group gatherings are almost impossible to view. We saw this one swimming in the water and it was a little too close for the comfort of yours truly. We then saw a group of five sunning on the banks and our guide stated that the Thai people considered this a very lucky event. Who knows maybe I will win the lottery!

Water Monitor Swimming by the Khlong

As we turned a corner and came upon the dock I thought I saw another Monitor Lizard sunning himself. My photo may not do it justice, but it seemed to be about 150 to 175 pounds and more than likely could eat any dog, cat, rodent or small child that got in its way. It was damn scary!

Water Monitor Lizard Sunning on a Dock

Just when I thought I had seen everything we came upon this. I was flabbergasted that they actually used street signs and had names for the different canals. I guess it would help if you really didn’t know your way around, if by some chance you had your own vessel. Really caught me off guard and I found it humorous to an extent.

Street Signs in the Canals

As we came to an intersection in the canals I noticed this boat docked beside the canal. I am not sure what it is used for or how they would even get it through some of the narrow areas, but it caught my eye and I thought I should share.

A Long Boat if I Ever Saw One 

As we ventured down one canal we came upon this beautiful wood house and I asked our wonderful guide Sammy what type of wood it was. He stated Teak. I am not sure if I have ever seen this amount of Teak and he told me it had to cost a fortune, but would last a substantial amount of time. I believe it!

Teak House

Right before we disembarked at our cooking class we came upon this group of school children honoring Loy Katrong, a Thai festival celebrated annually.

Thai Children’s Lanterns are Set Free After Making a Wish

There could be no better way to end our Khlong ride than seeing the smiling faces of these children. They were genuine smiles and they all waved and expressed their joy at seeing us on the canal.

Thai Children Celebrating Loy Katrong

I have a confession to make. For forty years of my life I have always thought that the boats that traveled the canal systems in Bangkok, were named Khlongs, as they were called Khlong boats in 1973 when I first visited. This trip I learned that in reality a Khlong is the Thai word for the canal and not the boat. So the literal translation from that trip is “Canal boats”. I guess its true that one learns something new everyday. It was definitely a “Duh” moment!

*** My trip to Thailand and Malaysia was sponsored by Thai Airways, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Tourism Malaysia USA. All opinions are solely mine and as always generated without any influence.

As we headed out of Phuket Thailand, to take the Long Boat to James Bond Island or Khao Phing Kan in the Phang Nga Bay,  I knew I couldn’t make the entire trip without a potty break. I have a bad bladder and holding is not an option ordinarily, as my wife Kim will tell you. Her on the other hand, she can hold it for days.

It pisses me off. Pun intended! Luckily our guide had a stop planned for beverages and the sampling of some of the best Dim Sum I had ever tasted! I was so glad when they offered us a taste. I wanted to eat the whole pot!

Very Tasty Dim Sum

I caught the name of the restaurant. It was Phing Nga Restaurant right before the Sarasin Bridge. I captured a few photos of the magnificent orchid presentation on the wall separating the dining rooms, along the path to the restrooms. I was very surprised at how clean and well stocked the restrooms were. Very nice! I was much more taken back though by this array of orchids.

Wall of Orchids

Obviously I had to choose one as my favorite and it literally jumped out and caught my attention. What do you think did I get it right?

An Amazing Purple Orchid

After 22 hours of flying and an additional 5 hours of layovers I was more than ready to get in bed and try and grab a little sleep. We landed in Bangkok at around midnight and we had two vans take us directly to the hotel. That was my first experience on being in the van with all the representatives of the Tourism Boards, Thai Airways and the Saeshe SVP, the PR/advertising company that coordinated the trip.

I am not sure how it wound up that way, but I will tell you I was a lucky man to be in their van. They made me feel right at home and kept me laughing the entire trip to the Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok. The hotel had everything ready when we arrived and we were each given our keys and shown the way to the elevator within a few moments. I was very impressed with their organization and the manner they handled the group.

My Bed at the Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok

The first thing I noticed was that I was very fortunate I brought an adapter for electricity. Without it my breathing machine would have been useless. Always check ahead and determine your needs. Plus its a wise idea to always carry adapters just in case. I have sleep apnea and travel with a machine that helps me breathe. My doctors recommended a cpap treatment and since then I’ve been traveling around with this machine. Honestly, the machine has made my life easier and more comfortable–it is easy to handle and does help me immensely! The best part is, in exchange for helping a person, the machine only requires some distilled water (which, by the way, can be bought from the firms similar to Golyath) for smooth operation. The reason why I stressed on distilled and not tap water is that it is pure water that is free of minerals and bacteria, which ensures that I get the most hygienic treatment.

Anyway, coming back to the topic, the next afternoon prior to our inspection at the Chatrium I ran down to the 7-11 convenience store on the end of the block and bought an additional 4-way adapter for about $5.00 USD. I really didn’t sleep that good as it was the middle of the afternoon back home. My room was fantastic and had all the convenience’s expected in a 5-star hotel, but the time difference was hard to adjust to.

My Desk and Dresser Area

I was not able to eat breakfast the first morning, as I finally got a little sleep and wanted to stay in bed a while longer. I mean, if you are tired and your mattress is more than just comfy (like the ones you can see at Sleep Education), you really don’t feel like getting up from the bed. Anyway, I didn’t stay in bed for too long. I dawdled and met everyone downstairs for our first event. We were taking the hotel shuttle across the Chao Phraya River to see the Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun).

My biggest challenge of the morning was figuring out how the shower operated. One had to turn the knob backwards and leave it for a while. Being the impatient person I am I obviously did not leave it long enough and wound up taking a cold shower. Boy that will wake you up regardless of how hot it is outside!

Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok shuttle

We rode the shuttle down and back up the river so that we could capture images and get a feel of how large the river is and what all transpires on the Chao Phraya. It is a highly industrialized body of water and has major operations mixed in with resorts, temples and shipping companies. I had no idea of the river was so busy and large.

I captured many photos of the river traffic and objects along the river. One of my favorite was of the Ferris Wheel on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. It appeared to be some sort of amusement park adjacent to a Temple with many long boats in the marina.

Ferris Wheel and Long Boats

The river not only has a multitude of temples along it shores but has large barges carrying who knows what up and down. We were dwarfed by this one.

The Barges Were Huge and Dwarfed us as They Floated By

One of the more elaborate Temples alongside the river. My favorite was the Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) and I will write on it later. In addition of the 400 Temples in Bangkok I would recommend seeing Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) and Wat Pho (Temple of the reclining Buddha).

Temples Galore Abound on the River

A fascinating factoid was that many boats carry fresh flowers hanging from their bows whether you are on the river or on the canals in the back water. We encountered such a diverse plethora of boats, barges, and ships it was hard to choose just one for display. They are a beautiful sight to see, it made me think about checking out a boat for myself, I wouldn’t really know where to go, but I could always do a quick search online of something like ‘boats for sale Fort Myers FL‘, just with my location, so I can find the right one. However, that may be far in the future for the moment!

Colorful Flowers Decorate all the Various Boats

Thanks to our Tourism Thailand host Lert Narongchaisakun for giving all of us the opportunity to be guests of Thailand and for creating a fascinating and wonderful schedule that kept us busy and helped us get to know Bangkok. Lert is smiling and if you know your cultural trivia you are aware that Thailand is the country of smiles. He exemplifies the tradition.

Lert Narongchaisakun

*** My trip to Thailand and Malaysia was sponsored by Thai Airways, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Tourism Malaysia USA. All opinions are solely mine and as always generated without any influence.

As I sit here tonight scanning my shares and connections on social media, I came across a musician friend that loves Japan more than I do if that is possible. It s been many years since Kim and I have been to Japan and I am ready to go back. If I could afford it, I would eventually retire in Japan. I love its people. its food and its culture. It is one of the countries in the world that still understands how to act with class. This photo is from my visit with my son to the Big Buddha and I love looking at this photo, as it reminds me how much I really miss Japan. Kyoto I hope you are ready because next time we are coming your way!

The Big Buddha

There is still time to take advantage of a fabulous piece of Texas history this year. It is especially fascinating, if you have young children and  are familiar with the Polar Express story. The Texas State Railroad is running December 11-23 and December 26-29 in Palestine Texas. I recently experienced this wonderful little town on the edge of the East Texas Piney Woods and fell head over hills in love with it. Santa Claus will be on board and your kids can interact with him. Don’t hesitate. Buy your tickets now!

Polar Express 2012

I recently participated in a FAM/Press trip to Thailand and Malaysia. I have been to Thailand many years ago, but never to Malaysia and I always get excited when my destination is SE Asia or that part of the world. I love the people, the food and the culture in this part of the world and was profoundly enthusiastic over the impending trip. I received my itinerary and saw that we would be visiting many 5-star hotels, one of the world’s top 50 restaurants. The basic theme was culinary and spa events. My cup of tea for sure! Our Airline of choice would be Thai Airways. Its slogan is “Smooth as Silk”. Little did I know that this airline would soon capture my heart!

Thai Airways Logo

I flew my old stand-by American Airlines from Austin to Los Angeles and the service was typical and fairly unremarkable. One does not fly this airline to be impressed. If you live in Texas as I do, then you more than likely fly American, as many cities are hubs for American and American Eagle in smaller towns. Such is the case in Austin. The majority of the flights out of Austin are on American Airlines.

I landed at LAX, gathered my bags and started to walk out the door towards Tom Bradley Terminal, which houses the International flights and bumped into Mary Jo Manzanares, one of the other Travel Bloggers going on the trip. She is an elite blogger, director of #TBEX and a stewardess in her spare time. We walked together and made contact inside the terminal with our group.

The Group Outside of The Star Alliance Lounge

I learned the group would be three travel bloggers, three print media writers and a representative from Thai Airways, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Tourism Malaysia USA and Saeshe the advertising company that put the trip together and organized the itinerary. We were quickly whisked upstairs to the Star Alliance Lounge. Having visited many Admirals Club locations I was knocked over by the offerings and easy access to WiFi at the Star Alliance Lounge. This was my wonderful Thai lunch with my choice of noodles, veggies and chicken.

Lunch at the Star Alliance Lounge in LAX

I boarded in Economy for the first leg of our flight to Seoul from LAX. I was surprised, as the width of the seat was comfortable and had to be at least three to four inches wider that my usual seat in economy in American. All seats had video screens for viewing movies, playing games, etc. The seats leaned back with hardly any intrusion into the seat behind. I love that aspect of the plane.

I absolutely hate it when the passenger in front leans so far back that you cannot get out of your seat to move around. Given the 12.5 hour flight to Seoul South Korea; we had the opportunity to eat three different meals, but I could only handle two. Prior to the meal the stewardesses and stewards hand you a very warm washcloth to clean your hands and face with. It is very stimulating I must say. This was my first meal in economy, a curry pork dish with a shrimp appetizer.

My Economy meal on Thai Airways

Remember this is in Economy. It was fantastic and I ate every bite, as if I hadn’t eaten just before boarding at the Star Alliance Lounge. One of the first things I noticed on Thai Airways is the smiles of their people. I am not used to this on my domestic flights with airlines in the US. The majority of the stewardesses and stewards are just going through the motion and appear to be waiting for retirement in most cases. Not only do you visualize the smiles on Thai Airways, but you get the idea they are genuine and the employees really want to help you.

An Ever Present Smiling Face on Thai Airways

They continually walk the aisles and ask for your needs, unless you are sleeping and they respectfully leave you alone if that is the case. Another factor to consider is that all alcohol is no charge if you are 18 or older, regardless of seating class. I couldn’t believe this given what my old stand by airlines charges for one beer. Many passengers took advantage of this, but I did not see any that became inebriated, so I am guessing they “control” the flow to a certain degree.

One’s drink service (mine was water and Coca-Cola) is continuous and non stop as long as you desire. Its not like my normal American service where you get your one drink and the airlines personnel sit for the remainder of the trip, consuming first class meals and all the beverages they can ingest. The Thai Airways people work their rear ends off the entire flight. We landed in Seoul. South Korea has a strange policy and all passengers have to deplane and go through customs and security. I don’t get it but it is what it is!

Our Thai Airways Plane in Seoul Korea

On the first leg of our flight from LAX to Seoul I got the short straw. I rode as stated previously, in the Economy section. On the second leg from Seoul to Bangkok we all traded out, as there were several spots in Business class, that we used on both legs. This leg I flew in Business Class. Thank you Thai Airways for this experience. Business class is a drastic difference and the seats are wonderful. You can get a massage with one of the seat settings or adjust the seat to your liking and lean back as far as you like, without intruding on the people behind you. This is a photo of the controls. Notice the very front icon states bed. They really mean it, as your seat folds down completely and turns into a flat bed. Oh so good on long flights with major time zone variances.

The Seat Controls with a Massage and Bed Icon

So what were the meals like in business class you ask? Each passenger had an appetizer, an entree, a cheese and fruit tray and a desert. Not just once but twice on the longer legs. I was fortunate and received the Business class allocation for the return trip from Seoul to LAX. It was heaven. This is just an example of my dishes and courses served.

My appetizer in Business Class

My Entree (Shrimp Curry) in Business Class

A Cheese and Fruit Plate

Desert in Business Class

As the flights transpired I noticed that the Thai Airways personnel remained very active and were always there to pick up your empty glass or food tray. You didn’t have to wait for 45 minutes like on domestic airlines, to have someone retrieve your finished product. They never stopped working and passengers were all treated like royalty, regardless of the seating class I was in. This wasn’t my expectation, given normal transgressions on domestic flights in the US.

I have saved my finest point until last intentionally and one that may or may not effect you personally. Traveling frequently and consuming as much as I do with drinks and food, its only natural that I have to use the facilities. The good news is there are ample amounts of facilities, regardless of seating class on Thai Airways. As you know on domestic flights one has to literally wade through the swamp, referred to as a bathroom on flights. You know what I am talking about and how bad they get on flights over let’s say 3 hours long. What did the Thai Airways personnel do you ask?

I will gladly tell you as I saw this with my own eyes. They literally clean the restrooms from top to bottom on a regular basis. I am not talking every four hours or so. I am talking like almost between every passenger or as quickly as possible. They take a sanitizer and clean the walls, the toilet seat, the sink and yes even the floor. I was blown away when I turned the corner and saw a stewardess with plastic disposable gloves wiping down the floor of a restroom. They even fold the toilet paper just like in hotels.

Thai Airways may charge a little more than other airlines, but if you consider their service, their warm friendly personnel, the amazing food in all seating classes and the free alcohol, I think that their premium is not that much to ask. It is offset with your comfort and well being. I know this, I have found a new airline that I will go out of my way to fly from now on. They are far superior to any other airline I have ever flown in my forty plus years of flying. Thank you Abha Wangpaichitr for allowing me to experience your wonderful airline and for showing me that good old fashioned customer service, is still alive in the airline Industry! I will fly you again and again, when the opportunity arises.

Abha Wangpaichitr Thai Airways Representative

*** My trip to Thailand and Malaysia was sponsored by Thai Airways, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Tourism Malaysia USA. All opinions are solely mine and as always generated without any influence.