What the former board, with quality contributors did to me, was developing interest in Thai history.
Thai Airways had an inflight serial "King Naresuan", 6 epizodes, almost 3 hours each. A nation building melodramatic propaganda but had many facts from Thai history I had never known. Watched them all on (last) 3 flights to Thai and back. Even wanted to buy the DVDs in Bangkok but the shops had them erratically, 1&2, 4&5, never all 6 of the DVDs.
Based on that serial, we made 4 trips, 2,500km each around the Kingdom. My wife was puzzled why would anyone take such a great interest in Thai history. She does not know more than me.
Phitsanulok, the birth place of the King Naresuan was one of the many places we visited, stayed there overnight in a hotel. The most revered king of Thailand (well, Ayutthaya).
It was him who defeated the Burmese, who left Ayutthaya alone for 160 years. An epic battle (in all Thai text books, crammed into the heads of students, nation wide) that took place reportedly January 18. 1593. where he killed the Burmese invader's king Mying Shwe. My photo from Muang Boran history park, Bangkok
Tell me I am a moron, an idiot, but I love doing this - touring Thailand with my family. Even they are questioning why we are doing it to that extent.
Look at this: Khon Kaen, night, we got lost, got in 1 way short street in opposite direction. A band of policemen were catching motorbikers, one spotted us and said - wrong way, stay here. Stay here!
His commander came close, saw that I am a foreigner, asked my daughter "Nong, pasa Thai? She could understand but not much speak, she said we were lost.
The commander (good English) , ordered a policeman, on a big white police Honda bike, to lead us to our hotel. He did not know where the place was, radioed their headquarters.
Two days there, Khon Kaen is a lovely place. They are proud to be the heart of Isaan. Just go to the museums, Uni students as custors. I loved the place, the lake and the city. And vibrant it is, same shopping malls (Central, same shops asd in BKK), nothing what facebookers and bloggers portray as a poor armpit of Thai.