> But as it turns out, there is a much simpler answer: The Thai government paid for it. So it was deliberate "gastrodiplomacy". I have mixed feelings about how

> But as it turns out, there is a much simpler answer: The Thai government paid for it. So it was deliberate "gastrodiplomacy". I have mixed feelings about how well that's working, because the quality of Thai food I find around here (Oregon) is pretty bad. Twenty years ago, I had Thai food in Arizona and in parts of the Middle East, with the dishes being piles of good meat and vegetables. Now about all I can get is a heap of noodles with token amounts of meat and vegetables.