My friend is visiting for the Holidays, mellow person, world traveler, friendly, over 40, CEO of a large company. He finished a solid day of sightseeing with a trip to MBK.

MBK is an indoor flea market. Not really, but really. My heart picks up a few beats just thinking about it- narrow aisles, stalls much more than shops, crowds, pushing, various food and body and stale smells.

He survives, no idea if he bought anything.

I received a text message from him with something about police and ticket, so I called him. Quickly. As he was walking to the hotel he finished a cigarette, dropped it on the sidewalk and ground it out. A policeman approached him and “fined” him with no ticket written and in spite him offering to pick up the offending butt.

With limited verbal communication, it was understood he should pay the policeman directly for this infraction. But, evidently the other throwers of ciggy butts, paper and various trash on the same sidewalk had not been caught by this diligent law enforcement officer.

Welcome to Thailand, I have a hunch this infraction won’t be reported to Interpol and that bribe, er….”fine”, won’t be reported as income to the Thai government.

Off to MBK to buy a spy camera, take up smoking and drop some butts in front of coppers.