I've got new Puma speedcats for just under a tenner

So excited! They may be rip offs and I may have bought the wrong size but that's not the point. They're a bargain.

I'm in Bangkok. I love it. There's so much to it, you'd need a week to even start to get a feel for it. It's just the right mix between tacky and cool. And the food is amazing, I've been eating since I got here. I can't believe I went out with Steve "I can cook fantastic Thai food" Faloon for 6 months and he only made me tom yam soup once. I missed a trick there. Mix that with the Buddhist practice (there are literally wats on every corner) and there's so much colour and vibrancy. Very different from Malaysia and being here has just reminded me I never did see the rest of SE Asia. Another time! Is anyone buying me lottery tickets when I'm away?

I met up with Sally yesterday which was great, it makes such a difference to see somewhere with someone who speaks the language and knows the country. They just love the king here. It's his 80th birthday this year and his 60th year on the throne, he's the longest-reigning monarch in the world. Today was some sort of holiday, I never did quite work out what was going on but I saw a couple of 'extra' golden buddhas not normally open to the public. No idea where I was, I just went with the tuk-tuk driver's flow. Had to visit a few gem shops to get a cheap ride, the drivers get coupons for petrol if they take tourists there. I was feeling benevolent, compared to Nepal there's hardly anyone trying to rip you off.

I'm already fantasising about the mini break we're going to have here. A long weekend of total excess. All is possible here and people are up for it. Iain, did you love it? It's so you. You should see the amount of scallies. Got talking to a couple of guys tonight from somewhere in deepest darkest Kent. Imagine Dan Walker's accent, increase his body size, add tattoos, a lot of lager and a traveller's tan. Rough as. Good fun. Iain, your heaven, although no tracksuits I'm afraid. And there's also MBK - a huge shopping mall. After an hour I had to leave, I was frazzled. It's so noisy! Blaring pop music and teenagers everywhere. I think we'd send Greig there whilst we cruised.

On a more serious note, if I was to continue the sex tourism theme from Nepal, I'd talk about all the western guys here for the Thai women but I'm not in a right-on mood tonight. It's pretty shocking though. I keep staring at all the couples, I have to check myself at times.