THAILAND by train = a must and top end sleeper is the best.  From Singapore to Chaing Mai = do it and stop along the way

Ok so Arden and I have been to Thailand twice.  The first about 1990 and we were going to go by train from Singapore but because I was sick with fever at the time I made a mistake and flew to Thailand to go to the hospital and that was a bummer because the trains are incredible.  Arden and I traveled to Chiang Mai from Bangkok on a 3rd class sleeper and dined with a very frinedly Buddhist monk along the way.  Photo of Leigh Beth below from a different time period but very cool room. 

Before we left Bangkok we saw so many museums and historic sites and BAngkok is a must and stay at the Oriental hotel.  Back then on a budget we stayed at the YMCA

We saw the Kings palace and the Emerald Buddha and many many cool statues like below

While in the North we visited opium growing spots back then but not now , I did partake to see what it was like and smoking opium is like taking codeine .  I also went to interview Kuhn Saw an opium War Lord at Bin Hi Tek = a small mountain border town but he was routed by the Thai Military and fled into Burma months before I got there

WE also took an overnight sleeper from Bangkok south to I think Trang and then took a bus and departed for the island of Ko Phi Phi . Back then there was no one there and this is of our humble abode on the island

a photo of our post card of the beach out our front door

our dinner

and a beach shot of Arden after we traveled on an all day boat ride to a tourist place for military people called Phuket

Ryan and Leigh Beth (Nephew) also traveld to Bangkok from Laos border and had a great trip.  Please see the section on Laos from more information