THAILAND 10

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I take the Bangkok Post and its international reportage make it perfect reading for the 12 hour bus journey from Krabi to Bangkok. It's sports coverage is excellent providing comprehensive cover of both the FA Cup 3rd round and the Ashes. It's ‘around-the-world’ anecdoture leads one to believe that everyday in Manilla someone kills their best friend after some sort clandestine tragic/comic turn of events. Honour seems to be a serious thing in the Philippines.

When you get to Bangkok at six in the morning you would think it would be relatively quiet. Instead it's populated with a smorgasbord of revellers, freaks and busy locals. It could be because you're stone cold sober but there seems to be a total absence of any style or purpose. Ah, Bangkok. You forget how off the wall it is and then you find yourself drinking in some Korean bar and all of a sudden your senses are affronted by some ridiculous aural cacophony. "Sweet Jesus, what was that?" You peer over the balcony to discover an elephant being paraded in front of people trying to enjoy their fish. And what's more the noise you heard still doesn't equate with the beast before you. Why is it there and where did it come from?

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