Situated at the center of the Indochinese Peninsula, Thailand is the "Kingdom of Smiles" with a population of 66 million and a territory of 514,000 sq. kilometers (about 1.4 times as large as Japan). The formal name of Bangkok starts with "Krung Thep ...."; written out in full, it is the longest city name in the world, so it is usually shortened to just Krung Thep, the City of Angels. The city of water, once admired as the "Venice of the Orient," is today a forest of modern buildings, with sun-scorched streets flooded with cars. Around 80% of the population consists of Thais and the official language is Thai. The national religion is Buddhism, but it is Theravada Buddhism, different from the school of Buddhism dominant in Japan.

"Sabai" means feeling good, both mentally and physically, while "maipenrai" means "Don't worry about it" or "It's OK." As these phrases suggest, Thais hate formality and bother. They want neither to control nor be controlled by others, and favor a carefree way of life.
I was having a meal in a restaurant and a waitress spilled water on my clothes. She simply smiled and said, "Maipenrai !" I used to take offense at this, but it doesn't bother me any more. Now, I am fully assimilated into this Thai way of life.

Thailand has three seasons: the dry season (November to February), the hot season (March to May) and the rainy season (June to October). Songkran, or the Water Festival, which is held in mid-April during the hot season, is a famous traditional New Year festivity in which participants splash each other with water. In my own experience, I had dinner with a customer on the day before Songkran, and when I went out of the restaurant after dinner, it was past midnight (already Songkran day!). People around us liberally splashed water on us, and both my customer and I walked home wet to the skin. If you plan to go out on Songkran day, don't forget to wear something that can withstand water.

The volume of red pepper consumption in Thailand even surpasses that of South Korea (famous for its kimchi) and is said to be the highest in the world. There are many Thai food dishes that are very hot. However, Thai food is not just hot; it's also sweet and sour, and the combination of these elements of taste is magnificent. The best-known dish is Tom Yam Kung, which is a hot and sour shrimp soup. Crab curry is also famous. Crab meat is fried with coconut oil and curried. This tastes particularly good when it is put on rice and eaten together. For dining with many companions, I would recommend Thai Suki. You boil soup in a pot like the one for Japanese shabushabu and put seafood, meat and vegetables in it. It is especially enjoyable for informal dining with a big group.

In Thailand, today dubbed the Detroit of the East, Japanese companies and other foreign automakers operate production plants. The number of automobiles and motorcycles manufactured, which plunged during the economic crisis of 1997 and beyond, has increased dramatically since 2002, and automobile output will soon reach and surpass 1 million units. Partly on account of the recent shortage of materials, telephone calls from customers keep us fully occupied from early morning until late at night, even on holidays.
Many guests from Japan and elsewhere visit Bangkok, and the entire national staff here attend to them. They sometimes include VIPs, who we can rarely meet in Japan. These opportunities are privileges only national staff can experience.