♦ Strangely, in Thailand the poorest people are often the kindest.

♦ Monks in Thailand are ranked in terms of popularity not unlike the way athletes are ranked in many other countries.

♦ In a nation with over 200,000 Buddhist monks, why are Buddhist nuns so rare? Why this gender imbalance in Thai Buddhism?

♦ In a nation where 5% of the people own over 70% of the wealth, any semblance of a democracy is likely to be superficial.

♦ If a nation has more coup d’états than constitutional changes, any claims of democracy should be regarded with doubt.

♦ In some parts of Thailand, the police are simply uniformed gangsters.

♦ The Buddhist Church in Thailand serves a role not unlike the Church of England in the U.K.: cementing orthodoxy, empowering the royalty, and offering perfunctory ceremonial services for the poor.

♦ Les, bi, trans, or gay are okay as long as you smile and do it the Thai way.

♦ Ostensibly, the Thai military is designed to protect the nation from external invaders. In reality, it "protects" the nation from internal dissent, squelching any movements towards democracy or any criticism of the fossilized oligarchy that controls the state.

♦ The true wealth of a nation is not measured by GDP; it is the ability of its people to smile no matter what adversities arise. In this respect, I believe most people in Thailand are relatively rich.

♦ Buddhism is a jewel, but is valuable only to those who acknowledge it. And the non-Buddhists in Thailand would be better off if the Thai church and state were separate. Come to think of it, this is a good idea for any nation. Let people pray free from all political and worldly ambitions.