I needed a visa to visit family in Thailand. I was able to secure the document in the space of a few days and the staff there were so welcoming, charming and helpful. When I visited the consular building I was attended to in no time at all. This really set the theme for my visit to this amazing country. The people, in general, can't do enough to help and no request is too much. In shops. restaurants, filling stations and other places in between, as a rule, is always punctuated with a smile and a courteous wai. Clearing passport control and customs at the busy Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport was a breeze, The elderly are treated with extra reverence. I felt safe to go anywhere I fancied and the presence of the Tourist Police added to a sense of enhanced security.