THAILAND 2
 I returned to Thailand in 2012.

Soi Cowboy

This single-lane strip of 25 to 30 bars claims direct lineage to the post-Vietnam War R&R era.  A real flesh trade functions amid the flashing neon.  For a fly-on-the-wall perspective, stop in at the nearby internet cafes to see groups of bar girls writing love letters emails to their new sugar daddies; the well-worn piece of paper in front of them is something of a 'master' copy.*​

Passenger trains have passed through the Maeklong train market 8 times a day for 30 years.*

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Thai-Chinese celebrate the lunar New Year with a week of housecleaning, lion dances and fireworks.*
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Traditional Thai theatre consists of six dramatic forms: khohn (formal masked dance-drama depicting scenes from the Ramakian -- the Thai version of India's Ramayana); lakhyon (a general term covering several types of dance-drama); li-keh (a partly improvised, often bawdy folk play featuring dancing, comedy, melodrama and music); manohraa (the southern Thai equivalent of li-keh, but based on a 2000-year-old Indian story); nang (shadow plays limited to southern Thailand); lakhon lek or hun luang (puppet theatre); and lakhon phuut (contemporary spoken theatre).*

Floating markets -- wooden canoes laden with multicoloured fruits and vegetables, paddled by women wearing indigo-hued clothes and wide-brimmed straw hats -- has become an iconic and alluring image for Thailand.*

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The Dusit Zoo is a nice place to get away from the noise of Bangkok city.*
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In all khohn performances, four types of characters are represented -- male humans, female humans, monkeys and demons.
The more formal lakhon nai was originally performed for lower nobility by all-female ensembles.  ​​

Ko Ratanakosin is the ancient royal district housing Bangkok's most famous attractions.  The buildings of the Grand Palace are now put to use by the king only for certain ceremonial occasions, such as Coronation Day.*
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Almost anything goes in Muay Thai.  All surface of the body are considered fair targets and any part of the body, except the head, may be used to strike an opponent.  Punching is considered the weakest of all blows and kicking merely a way to 'soften up' one's opponent; knee and elbow strikes are decisive in most matches.*

Worshippers who have had a wish granted may return to the shrine to commission the musicians and dancers, who are always on hand for an impromptu performance.*

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Thailand is a country located in southeast Asia. The primarily Buddhist country is run as a constitutional monarchy; the monarchy and military intervene with political affairs. The historic country is filled with culture, from cities to farms, and beautiful coastlines, offering a lifestyle for anyone. 

*These captions are from Thailand -- Lonely Planet's travel guide.