When does a model village stop being a quaint tourist attraction and require its own postcode? When does a doll's house stop being a creepy kid's toy and become a viable dwelling requiring planning permission and a broadband connection?
I'd heard about the Ancient Siam open-air museum on previous visits to Thailand, but I wasn't prepared for the scale of its reconstructions of significant historical landmarks from around the country, which in many cases are 1:1. When you build a faux-dilapidated facsimile of a temple or shrine as close to the original structure as possible, what prevents that from being equally revered? The virtues of age and location?
I was a fool to spend two months travelling around Thailand last year, when I could have just cycled around the world's largest open-air museum and ticked off the sights in one afternoon. Plus, some of them are painted in gaudy colours, which is more eye-catching than just loads of old brown. Bo-ring!
I've made it even less hassle for you - you just have to look at my photos and you've basically done Thailand. Is there a difference? I don't understand anything any more.
