The overall picture is not solely flesh, the girls for sale are mainly concentrated around a few side streets, but the traffic is everywhere: Busses; cars; taxis; tuk-tuks; the sound of blaring horns; whining motorcycles that never stop for pedestrians; and the policemen trying to make their whistles heard above the noise.

Tranquillity can only be found at some of the wats, or temple-monasteries, but walking around them, and in some cases up them, is hard work. Plastic bags filled with crushed ice and soft drinks are sold everywhere; to refresh all and sundry, suffering from the tropical humidity.

At the floating market, it is interesting to see the old ladies still trading produce from long wooden boats, but the tourists themselves can become the spectacle.

� Michel Guntern

An attractive girl paddles up to a tourist barge with an armful of straw-hats, a kaleidoscopic clash of colourful flower garlands, and a saleable smile.

These normally sane people pay extortionate prices to be herded around the waterways. They wear straw-hats on their heads, flower garlands around their necks, photographic hardware on their shoulders, and suck fresh coconut milk through straws. They are content, they are a part of the floating market.

At night, Bangkok turns fake: t-shirts and watches are for sale on the pavements:

"All good quality, All good price!" Of course.

The embroidered Ralph Lauren's are harder to emulate, and some of the copies look more like a tennis player on a shire horse. Sow on labels are easier. A group of Polish speculators need an extra taxi to take their shopping to the airport. A Benetton shop in Warsaw's main street, now sells the United Colours in Polish Zloty, but the high price of the genuine article (almost a month's wages for some) gives the importer of a cheaper copy a ready market.

Then there are the girls; smiling at the male as though he is the only one. And what a sight some of these couples make, strolling around together the next day. He is big, beer-bellied; his pink skin covered in coloured ink, and he sports a beard -- as if to hide his face. She is made up to look western, smiling, willing, and comes up to his gut, if she wears high heels.