I landed in Bangkok on 9th September 2009 ..

It was a frantically organised trip with my head definitely not in the right place. A long term relationship had yet again, broken down in England, breaking not only my heart but my bank balance too.

It had also left me homeless. After a few weeks of sharing a house with a loyal and good friend , I decided that I needed my own space again. Rather than turning this crisis into a total drama I managed to rustle up enough cash for a flight to a place where I have always dreamed of going; Thailand.

There were many reasons for choosing Thailand, and one of them, was the Thai women; the reality was that my confidence has been decimated. Despite having a really great group of friends, I was feeling very alone.. A s***ty feeling.

The other reason was that I was broke too, so a cheaper cost of living would be a definite bonus. I bought an air ticket with Emirates , a flexible return date , just in case I wanted to return before the one month I had planned !

Thirdly I had a very good and helpful contact in the remote North of Thailand. His name is Brian . I met Brian about 5 years previously for about 30 minutes or so when I was staying in Istanbul, Turkey for a week or so.

Brian was a traveller in the true sense of the word.. he had the hair, the clothes and a " don't give a toss " attitude. He could come over as a little arrogant but told me that he was a long distance HGV driver and only went back to the uk to earn enough money to travel the world again. He had done this for many years and had just arrived from several weeks in Russia.

We exchanged email address and stayed in contact . During that time he sold Thailand and is lifestyle to me. The seed was sewn long before I took the decision to get on the plane.

Thailand is a weird place,anyone who has been here will probably have noticed the same things as me , but I find it amazing to think how much of this weirdness I now take for granted.

Although parts of it are some of the most beautiful places on earth, a great proportion of it is not. Many things about the culture here are fantastic; especially the people, as is commonly known. Many things are less so... I could easily just write the usual travel blog about how great the weather is or how beautiful some of the scenery is; all true, but whats the point of doing something which has been done to death?

Some things about Thailand suck; and I don't mean the bar girls; in fact many of them dont. Its a cultural or religious thing; apparently its something to do with the head being the highest and most holy part of the body. Lucky me eh ?

Other negative things which are apparent is the fact that the driving here is rubbish. I mean crap ! Everywhere you look there are accidents, people, usually tourists, with bandaged up arms legs and grazed faces. Mirrors are fitted to all of the trillion motorbikes, but nobody uses them except for applying make-up, brushing hair and getting spots ! It is nothing uncommon to see this..just one of many cultural norms.

There are traffic lights which make no sense, and each green light signifys a start to the grand Prix. Drivers will scream up behind you on either side, nearly running into the back of the car in front risking their own life and yours, only to take the next turning or stop a few meters further at the local 7/11 shop.

Swearing in Thailand, particularly the "f" word is frowned on; they like to be composed, and see themselves as a bit cool. On a motorcycle, believe me I do not fit this stereotype. I swear like f@ck at them. my current favourite seems to be ;f***ing moron' which is frequently voiced and accurate.. several people have been shot (seriously) for doing this by the Thais because they really don't like it... maybe they should learn to drive.

There are potholes every 30 meters, and strategically placed drain covers just waiting to catch you out on every bend. There are traffic cops just waiting with expectant greedy faces, for the next white face to appear without a "crash helmet" on most main roads.

I use the words " crash helmet with caution because I am certain that the protective quality of those available here would not pass a the requirements of a building site in Europe. They are made of flimsy plastic and cost less that 5 euros. Usually fitted with a sun visor which drops down in the dark as one hits the next pothole, making visibility zero.

If you imagine the most stupid person you ever met, drunk.. and multiply by ten.. that is close to the skill of the average Thai driver.

Thalking of drink.. the thais have zero capacity for alcohol and no scrupals about driving in this state.. it is the norm.

The penalty is a fine of 400 baht ( about 8 euros) or 4000 (thousand) if you are white. (fact, not a racist stereotype)