Thailand, the land of smiles, is a land of great natural and cultural wonders and almost incomparable vice and iniquity. I first visited in early 2012, roaming around Bangkok, Krabi, Chiang Mai, and Koh Phangan, before returning to Chiang Mai in 2015 and 2016. My time in Thailand has often been challenging but illuminating, perhaps a little different than the usual tourist experience of crazy parties and cheap massages, and I share some of what I've seen there in this section.