Arriving at Thailands international airport in Bangkok i was pleasantly suprised at how modern the city is. I had assumed it was a much more 3rd world. Many skyscrapers and western food outlets (mcdonalds everywhere).

The weather here is totally different than that of nepal. Very humid and much hotter. As it is just the end of the monsoon season i have seen a few minutes of the heaviest rain over the week i have been here.

Bangkok is an architecturally wonderful place with hundreds of temples and palaces mixed with modern shopping centres and hotels.

The city is overshadowed by its sleazier side which gave me a huge culture shock. The whole city is very much one big red light district which is disapointing as it has alot to offer in terms of tourist attractions.

The floating markets of bangkok are by far the best thing i saw in bangkok. Every food smell and colour you can imagine. From the reddest chillis to deep fried snake, there was everything it was one of my favourite experiences from thailand.

After spending a few days more in bangkok filling myself up on western food as much as i could and visiting all the sites, i headed north to Ayuthaya and the river kwai.

Ayuthaya the ancient capital of siam is like something out of indiana jones. These lost temples are covered in undergrowth and bring out the real adventurer in you as you explore inside each of them.

From there i headed north again still to the jungle and the infamous river kwai.

Our tour guide by this point had made us try local delights. These included deep fried cricket and worms. I can tell you now that they where in no way delights!

On our way to the river kwai we stopped at the national park which has the most beautiful waterfall in thailand according to the books. I can tell you that i experienced a little bit of paradise there. In deep jungle the waterfall which has seven levels each with its own pool is something out of a film. Clear blue water and with the humidity it was rude not to go in and have a swim. The pools are home to fish that eat the dead skin of your body (like those that you can pay for back in england) these fish where free though and was one of the funniest things i have ever done.

The hotel we stayed at that night had views of the bridge over the rive kwai. With most of the bridge intact you got a sense of what the pow's achieved here. Only the middle section had been destroyed by allied bombers and it was similar to how i imagined it.

I was then taken to hellfire pass another japanese pow camp for british forces. Here was where the most attrocities occured in asian pow camps. We visited the huge graveyards similar to those in europe it was very moving.

I am heading down to surathani and koh samui today to finally see the famous beaches of thailand. I catch the sleeper train over the 1 300 miles. I also go to the full moon party when i arrive there. So will post my next travel blog after that.