Bangkok

Bangkok is one of my favorite places to escape to when I need a break from China. And I need a break from China about every 6 to 8 weeks. The city feels like southern Asia. Unlike China, Thailand does not have the overwhelming stretch of highrises. Buildings tend to be 2 to 5 stories, older, and spread out. As a result, you can actually see the sky. Thais are by and large Buddhist and that comes through in their culture. Traffic is as bad as Shanghai, if not worse, but the drivers are calm and considerate. The whole culture is more laid back than the Chinese culture. That may explain why it is an economy based on tourism and not much else.

The Thais offer the best service in the world. And for me, the center of Thai service is the Oriental hotel. While it is a luxury hotel, it lacks the stiff upper lip of the Penn in Hong Kong. It is a casual hotel with top notch rooms, excellent food and every amenity you expect of a five star hotel. It sets the standard that all other hotels want to live up to.

A love of Thailand seems to be universal among expats. Each expat will tell you their favorite spot and they all seem to be different. I haven't found my favorite spot yet, so I feel compelled to keep looking.