Suzanne Harrington: Thailand — farangs and 'improbable couples' everywhere

He makes up one half of one of Thailand’s most ubiquitous sights... the Improbable Couple. Somewhat unkindly known as losers back home, their Western wallets have transformed them into winners

Suzanne Harrington: "The younger visitors here hang out in backpacker places, drinking iced coffee and smoking weed, swapping island and waterfall stories. They sleep in beach huts and poshtels and homestays, and zip around on rented mopeds. At least half of them will fall off."

Greetings from the land of the squid-flavoured crisp, the ‘bum gun’, the tourists in ill-advised elephant-print trousers. 

The land of tuktuks, ladyboys, bargirls, seaweed snacks, Chang beer, meat on a stick, giant gold Buddhas, orange-robed monks, mango sticky rice, mad traffic, and legendary massage. All in a single afternoon, if you like.