Take a miniature meditation retreat in a temple, or an intense course in ancient Thai massage. Your nervous system. Although some urban Thais speak English, the tribal people rarely do. A local guide is crucial if you want communication to extend beyond hand signals, smiles and other facial expressions. Bus, car, motorbike, raft, elephant or your own feet.
Exchange rates favor the U.S. dollar like never before.
Weary travelers in reeking boots on a party pit-stop. More Exxon convenience marts. A Thai government so bent on assimilation that the hill-tribe culture vanishes. The skyline of this legendary city where East meets West is beginning to look more like Dallas. Foreign-funded skyscrapers are starting to overshadow ancient mosques, and refugees from the former Soviet Union are streaming in.