So I'm thinking...“Hey a new Bourdain is downloading in iTunes, YESSS!! Holy cow it’s Thailand... He’s been dancing around there so long that he’s years overdue. He’s done Viet Nam twice already and all my friends go to Thailand at least half a dozen times before they ever venture to places like Luang-Prabang.”

“Oh man, this is going to be epic. I bet he’s too cool for Chaing Mai and he’ll blow past it to end up in Chiang Rai. Oh man, from there he can slip over the border to Myanmar just to piss off everybody back home. And how about Koh Samui? Yeah, he likes to chill out. And I better not see him in Phuket!! He’d be such a little tool if he visited that lame tourist trap. And don't even get me started on Pattaya...”

And then I watched the episode. Here I was expecting The Clash coolness and you he me with Air Supply lameness.

How long ago was that filmed, almost a year? He didn’t focus on that much violence when he was in Colombo or Manila and those really are dangerous places.

All my pals in Bangkok said that if you weren’t at the airport or around the few government buildings, you never would’ve noticed. The schools weren’t even closed.

And he knows the tranquility of this place, he's been there many other times so I gotta believe his producers ran amok in the editing room or something. As a pro photographer, I live by my motto of “shoot what’s in front of you” but I can’t understand the Bangkok focus when so much else of this diverse country was just waiting for him.

I do love his books, snarky prose and genuine love he showers on all my favorite places around the globe.

So he's allowed to have an off day at the office. And he should keep on doing what he's doing because the world is far more interesting with him in it.

I just wish he could've shown us the Thailand that I love (and I know he loves) so very, very much. It is such a safe country with unimaginably delicious food.

Gotta wait until the next episode until Anthony's back in form.

I agree with dev-in-shanghai! I was very disappointed with your show from Thailand. I'm a frequent visitor to Thailand. I first visited Thailand in 1966 during the Vietnam War. I wish you would do a sequel that portrays the beautiful, friendly, exotic land that we know Thailand really is. You really need to check out the Krabi area and the Andaman Sea. Also a trek up to Chaing Mai and Chiang Rai.

If you pay attention to the captions played throughout the show, this was filmed during April, since the titles clearly read "April"

The aiport takeover was months before. This was the second round of protests orchestrated by the Red Shirts who opposed the selection of Abhisit Vejjajiva as Prime Minister.

I was there during this time, and I can tell you that although yes the violence was not all over the city or country, the tension was still very papable as trucks full of soldiers in riot gear drive across the city. What was Tony supposed to do while shooting there? Avoid the conflict completely?

I think he showcased that even during the rough times, Thai people and Thai culture remained true to the perceived notion that they are some of the friendliest people on earth. I thought the show was great, amazingly shot and well done.

I thought it was made quite clear in the show that the troubles during their visit was a very rare occurance and even still the Thai people were civil and still accepting of others.