Thai backpacking can be one long party

Before long, a journey here might manifest itself as an all-out hedonistic venture of sun, alcohol, sometimes drugs, sometimes sexual encounters. ''Whatever, man. Just go with it," someone will say. ''You're in Thailand."

In fact, the backpacker culture can be so hypnotic that if you're not careful, you may find it hard to get out and see the ''real" Thailand.

Bangkok's Khao San Road is a case in point. A 200-meter strip on the western side of the city, it's an entire street dedicated to the upkeep of the young traveler. (A word of caution: They like to be called ''travelers," never ''tourists.")

Though Bangkok is crammed with history and culture, the hum of Khao San is addictive. Here, a hippie wanderer can find just about anything: cheap guesthouses ranging from the roach-infested to the semi-luxurious, and dozens of shops selling anything from hammocks to fake IDs to bongo drums to $2.50 CDs. Thai and Western restaurants offering cheap food crowd the strip; even tastier are the pad thai or barbequed chicken that street vendors sell for 25 cents. American movies blare from guesthouse restaurants almost continuously.

At night, the place explodes. They block vehicular traffic at around sunset, and the bars and restaurants spill onto the street. People pull up chairs in the middle of the road and drink from buckets of alcohol that the vendors sell for cheap. Rave, reggae, and rock music blast from music stands. Dreadlocked types twirl these odd rope things to the beat, girls get their hair braided in the street, and the ever-present Thai prostitutes prowl around.

Exploring the cavernous back alleys, or sois, surrounding the main strip is even more entertaining, though a bit seedier. There's the sweaty boxing ring tucked in a corner behind a makeshift tin wall. There is the ''healer" who calls himself Mr. Check It Out sits on a box and dispenses advice to passersby.