pretty cool city. i slept two blocks south of the Sukhumvit in Courtyard Bangkok. rode the BTS a couple times. damn nice train system. I'm not one for shopping so MBk was meh, though i liked how it had mini version Chatuchak on each floor. saw The Big Short there for $3 USD. nice and cheap theaters.
I didn't have a problem with the taxis that didn't have meters turned on that were running in the street, but the ones parked that wanted to take me to their sponsors (other retail stores, so i could unload some of my tourist cash there) before my final destination were annoying. only made that mistake once.
Thai iced tea was a damn fine treat. didn't get a chance to try tom kha, though i smelled it many times. i had enough thai food the remaining days to get my fill.
Did a city bike tour for nearly the whole day. Saw a flower farm, incense factory, monitor lizard floating on a trash barge in the canal, and several hundred mini stores and food carts.
went to the sitting Buddha and saw a life size diorama of what will happen to you in hell if you commit certain crimes. it was completely unexpected for such a peaceful religion.so many naked figurines with spears and dogs and saws and spiked maces impaling them. blood everywhere. There was even a spiked tree that one would have to climb if they committed adultery.
only spent two days in Chiang Mai, but we could have stayed in this city for at least fives days with all the activities there. got to ride an elephant for an hour, feed it, and wash it on a farm outside chiang mai. probably my most memorable experience.
did buy some gifts while i was there, and haggling the price was kinda fun. reminded me of mexico a bit.
i'd go back to thialand, maybe not bangkok though. I dubbeth this city, The City of 500 Smells. because every five feet of street your nose experiences something completely different.
also missed out on the red light experience, but i'm sure i'll hit one up in another city somewhere.