Last night we strolled to the nearby cinema and queued in a long line with the natives of Bangkok......there are not many tourists around......... in fact there are not many in the area we were living

The films were being shown in Thai and English

"Two tickets for 'Drive Angry' please"

A nod and a smile

"Cam po ca" we said in unison, putting both hands in front of us (like in praying) and nodding

"Cam po ca" replied the young Thai man behind the shielded reception desk

We bought a large mixed popcorn (sour cream and caremal........ wierd combonation eh?), drinks etc....... then made our way up the escalator to our designated seat. After watching the trailers, pictures of the Thai king, his wife and children were plastered on the screen and everyone in the cinema stood up to attention and in silence stared at the screen. We stood through shots of the king as a baby, as a boy, as a young man, as a married man with his young wife and with each of his children (I was told that this rtiual is the norm)

We settled into our reclining seats and watched 'Drive Angry' whose main character is Nicholas Cage