Ref: The 'and beyond' bit: my job took me to all the border regions of Thailand - and much of my time was spent in the 'Golden Triangle' areas. In fact, I had a sign over my desk: 'Golden Triangle Tour Service', because most of the 'visiting firemen' from the, errr, home office did not speak Thai, but wanted to go see where the action was - I became the designated stuckee. As you probably noticed, most of the borders are not at all marked, except where the rivers make them obvious. So, while peddling my rented Suzuki Samurai up and down the mountains on the Burma border, for example (and trying hard to maintain my 'nobody here but us tourists' facade), it sometimes happened that I'd end up in the wrong place. E.G. (while standing in the middle of an anonymous cornfield with binoculars and an M16 over my shoulder) "Major Govit, where, exactly IS the border here?" ... 'Oh, about 500 meters THAT way' (pointing in the direction we had just come from). It was, all things considered, GREAT FUN!
mhb - Mike