i was recently in Thailand, we stayed there for two weeks, spent a little time in Banglamphu, the backpacking farang central of Bangkok city. From there we took a bus to Phuket(highly recommend it, eventhough it took us 12 hours to get to phuket). First stayed at Phuket town at the infamous On on hotel, this is one of the oldest buidings intown, built in 1920's, then moved to karon for a few days and from there to Patong beach. In between visited Phang Nga and Koh Phi phi don and ley. I know its hard to beleive but we did this all in 2 weeks!!!.
The above account sounds really routinsque and boring but you should have been there to see what i saw. I saw a country so beautiful and heartbreaking it would leave me speecheles and some times teary eyed. . .In all its perversions and digressions Thailand for me stands out as a country where there is a certain amount of tolerance for the so called socially deviant.
When you tavel there dont be ignorant nonchalant faranag, get rid of the supefluous facade (sadly guides most tourists in these countries) ,and maybe you will get to the deph of this place.