Khao San Road.

The sellers don't want to deal.  No smiles, no discounts, no haggling.  If something is priced at 100 Baht (everything) then that's the price.  If you suggest 80 Baht they shake their heads and walk away.  I guess if my customer base consisted mainly of spoiled, barely post-adolescent, freshly tattooed backpackers on gap year adventures I would be in a foul temper as well, so it is easy to forgive them.  

Lisa, sweating and shopping on Khao San Road:

We found a Starbucks and retreated from the heat and bad vibes, finding air-conditioned solace in an iced caramel macchiato and a latte.

My left knee has packed up.  For those of you in the know my quad tendons and IT band have all tightened up and there is some swelling as well.  Lisa is a physiotherapist and a damn good one so I'm receiving treatment, but what I really need most is time and RICE.  The stretching and trigger point therapy I can assure you I'm getting.  Note to my clients:  yes, treating this knee hurts like hell and there is a certain amount of low-volume screaming involved.  Happy now?

We have decided to take a train to Hua Hin, a resort town down the coast, in the skinny part of Thailand.   We don't want to stay in Bangkok.  The thought of two more days here is sapping the life out of me.  Happily, the train back passes through Nakhon Pathom so we can get a taxi from there straight to school, without returning to Bangkok first.  It will be nice to see the beach :-)