This appears to be a secondary temple behind the boat. Keep in mind this is before 5am in the morning.

Above. Mr. Pitsanuphong explains Stanley Black and Decker’s operations in Bangkok. We were not allowed to go on the shop floor because of the virus, but the company very graciously set up a video feed from the assembly lines. In this facility Stanley primarily makes tape measures and levels.

Yes, we took precautions. Temperature check. Hand sanitization. Then gloves, then a mask.

Above: Mr. Doug Valerio, president of Mason Industries, shares his knowledge of the company. Mason manufactures and sells noise, vibration, and earthquake tremor suppression systems.

That doesn’t sound very interesting, but the visit was actually fascinating. Mr. Valerio is very passionate about his business. The idea that Asians produce low quality goods is a myth. While that certainly happens in some industries, goods manufactured in Asia, or anywhere else in the world, are made to the level of quality that people are willing to pay for. Mason has about half of the market share in this industry, and they compete on quality, not price.

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One of our favorite activities is the Thai Cooking Class! Our instructor, Toom, helped us create a delicious (and filling) 5 course meal. She was incredibly funny (and loud) and we all had a great time. We took away some recipe books so those of you at home hankering for some Thai food, just hang on.

That’s it! Tomorrow (actually later today, for me) we go visit elephants! Check back later.