This week, I have been in Thailand. Whether it is good food, gentle people or beautiful countryside, you will find it in this country that is about the size of Wyoming.

This long narrow country spans from Laos on the north to the equator on the south. There are more than 76 million people who call Thailand home and more than 15 million who come each year to visit. This is the Kingdom of Siam, and their King has been on his throne for the past 65 years. He is loved and respected by his people for the things that he has done to improve their lives.

Thai food is some of the best in the world. My theory is anything with coconut will taste good, and there is coconut something in almost every meal. Tom Yom soup is often served with lunch or dinner. It is a broth- or coconut-based soup with lemon grass, hot pepper and ginger to flavor with seafood, chicken or pork. Each meal has many dishes that usually contain a curry dish made with coconut milk. Yesterday at lunch, they had one of my favorites, which was green curry with coconut milk and fresh crab meat.
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A woman sells watermelons at her fruit shop in downtown Bangkok, Thailand April 18, 2011.
Apichart Weerawong, Associated Press
A woman sells watermelons at her fruit shop in downtown Bangkok, Thailand April 18, 2011.
From the archive
Thailand is known as the country of smiles. No matter where you go, whether it is to the doctor's office or boarding a flight, you are greeted with a bow and a warm greeting of "Sawadee-ka," which means hello. These gentle people enjoy a culture of music, dance and festivals.

Even though this is the middle of April, it is the Thai New Year, when most people return to be with their families and friends. They will enjoy a five-day holiday filled with delicious food, water tossing, song and dance. I am on my way to the north toward China to a place called Chiang Mai. This area is home to many of the 4,000 elephants that live in this country. This is also a tropical climate, which comes with warm weather and lots of moisture. Flowering plants are found everywhere. I visited the Bangkok flower market, which is open 24 hours a day. I bought 50 beautiful white roses for about a dollar and a half. Now I know why one of the treats over here is to have a bath in rose peddles.

Health is part of their culture. The people are slender and seem to be in very good health. A treat for anyone visiting Thailand is a Thai massage. I had an hour-and-half massage when I got here that washed away the stress of a hectic flight and a busy life. It doesn't take long to start looking for a place to have another massage. Massage has been a part of their culture since the late 1700s