You don't want to hear about my trip but I will post a few items I think were different and worth sharing when I return home to the US next week. From what I've read on this forum there are a few experts out there - And a few know it all too, but I won't politely comment unless they are really giving out the wrong information.

For the record - I've done just about every tour there is possible in Bangkok and have visited Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. I lived in Thailand for six years (i.e. Pattaya Beach when there was absolutely no bars at all and only one hotel - Nippa Lodge) My X-American wife and I lived on the beach in Pattaya, in a lovely home for dirt cheep.(It's long gone) I speak excellent Thai and love the food and the people. I try to come back to Thailand for a visit every November. I usually travel alone. Some of my friends and co-workers say they want to come here with me but when it comes down to it, they never seem to be able to make it. I am not an expert on islands, but I can tell you how to cook a mean cow-pot (fried rice) or catch the bus to Udorn. That's me in a nut shell...