I entered a different world as soon as I stepped from the hot, stagnant immigration and security of Delhi airport, onto the Thai Airways flight that was piping out soothing music and smells of Thai cooking.

Our seamless flight drew to a close with hot towels and a bump-free landing. I floated through a shiny, clean airport and passed through smiling immigration, to a taxi that noiselessly (no horns!) glided to Jerry's condo. Smooth roads with express ways and flyovers, massive extension bridges and smart high rises. Wow, quite a contrast!
Alice - Thank you for putting me in contact with Jerry, he has been so generous.
I spent the day being shown around Bangkok. Slick and highly polished shopping malls with sterile and efficient food courts, sky line, metro, buses, river ferries... A well oiled infrastructure.
We visited Wat Pho, still a functioning monastery and the largest and oldest in Bangkok, dating from the C16th. It houses the giant Reclining Buddha, feet encrusted with mother of pearl. The temples sparkle with gold, mirrors and coloured porcelain and the monastery contains the largest collection of golden Buddhas in the country. It is a far cry from the chaste symmetry of the Taj!
The Wot has a famous massage school. Strange that massage should go so closely with spiritual enlightenment. Surly it is an indulgence of the flesh? Buddhism holds many mysteries for me as yet...

For a country that has suffered such a sever economic crash in 1997 and has a passion for political coups, Thailand seems very much on its way up. It has welcomed Westernisation, but on its own terms, and has managed to escape the colonial bashing its neighbours have received.
It is an independent country that speedily payed off its 1997 US loan, giving it freedom and room for regrowth. Now tower blocks containing marble floored condos are springing up along the river and the city is a buzz of life. Elegantly dressed young people hurry around plugged into ipods and there is no obvious sign of the squalor of crippling poverty that is so visible everywhere in India.
Farming is still a huge industry for the Thais, occupying most of the North East. Perhaps the fruitfulness of the rural areas prevents them from limping into the towns.
But there is still an underlying corruption in the political system, with the 'Democratic' candidate rigging the election (hence the September coup).
There it is, my 1st impressions of Thailand. I reserve the right to retract any of my statements in due course...
But now, the sun is shining, a warm, soupy breeze is blowing up from the Chao Phya River and I have some exploring to do! x