I recently had to leave the the country after running afoul of Thai immigration authorities at the Laos border who flet my tourist visa should be shortened to only 15 days. Thanks guys.
With the unspoken suggestion that perhaps I should travel somewhere else besides Thailand, I decided to visit Penang, Malaysia where I could apply for a new Thai visa.
Malaysia, if you're not familiar, is a bizzar country that is currently in the throws of trying to bring down what many would have considered to be a reasonable democratic political system. See here for some interesting information and commentary: http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2010/02/24/najib%E2%80%99s-defence-against-umno-%E2%80%93-centralising-power/
Navigating the bizzar fusion of cultures and religions, Malaysia was a beautiful place. If you hate heat - don't go - its hotter then anywhere I've encountered, with a thrust quenching volume of humidity; the pay off in a visit is the breath taking food and an amazing mix of asian, muslim, and colonial architecture.
These first photos are of THAILAND as I left:
