Thanksgiving in Thailand (I know, it's belated)

As an early birthday present for Scott, and a much-needed vacation, we went to Thailand for six days at the end of November. We started out in Bangkok and then made our way to the island of Koh Lanta.

The beaches of Thailand. Can it be any prettier? I think not.

Bangkok surprised us. It was much cleaner than we expected and seemed small -- its population is six million -- compared to Beijing. We spent two days there, taking in the Chatuchak weekend market, which is a sprawling bazaar that has everything from used Converse shoes to clothing to artwork to local snacks. As good of a shopper as I am, even I was overwhelmed by it all.

Seen at Chatuchak. Scott wouldn't let me buy it for him. 

After wandering the stalls at Chatuchak for a good four hours, we made our way to the traditional Thai home of Jim Thompson, the American expat who is credited with putting Thai silk on the map in the Western world. His home was stunning, with beautiful wood carvings, antiques from his travels around the world and even a turtle on premise, which decided it was time to pee right as Scott was trying to get a photo.

A giant, Thai version of paella in Bangkok.

Of course Bangkok is known for its sultry side, so we wandered around the brothel districts, which had lady boys, hundreds of prostitutes and dancers and a slew of old, white men. Despite the seedy activity, we didn't feel unsafe at all, and all of it was pretty tame in that everyone knew what was going on and nothing had to be underground. Scott and I grabbed drinks near Nana Plaza, which is sort of ground zero for adult entertainment in Bangkok and people watched. We enjoyed watching the women hone in on their targets and, minutes later, seeing them walk down the street with a old white dude. 

It was interesting to see how the adult entertainment biz in Bangkok isn't looked down upon; curious, we looked up the history and found that the city became a hub for sex during the Vietnam War, when soldiers were looking for a little R&R. 

After our city adventures, we flew to Krabi and then took a car to a speed boat to a truck to get to the remote island of Koh Lanta. The island isn't far from where The Beach was filmed, the 2000 Leonardo DiCaprio movie that put this area on the map. What makes it so unique is that it's hilly jungles than come down to the ocean, making for exquisite topography that's not what you typically see at the beach. Scott and I couldn't get over the gorgeous landscapes.

Kayaking off the coast of Koh Lanta. 

Most of our days were filled with lying on the beach, kayaking and drinking coconut and mango smoothies. We got $15-hour-long massages on the beach, the ones like you see in the commercials -- the cabana right next to the ocean. We took a day trip to Koh Rok, an island with clear blue water and gorgeous sand to snorkel. We saw electric blue and neon green fish, striped blowfish and Anemo fish like the one in Finding Nemo. We also watched a fire show at a local bar called "Why Not" and ate the freshest fish and curry a little beach tikki hut built into the side of the mountain.

Whirling flames at Why Not Bar.

I'm so thankful we could take the trip and hope to get back there again someday.

On fire.