Arriving in Thailand

I just arrived in Bangkok

Thailand is completely different from Malaysia and the Philippines.

I'll post something soon.

Tentative travel plans for the rest of my trip are.
Thailand for three weeks
I'll spend a little time in Bangkok finalizing travel arrangements and catching some of the sites then make my way north to Chiang Mai. This may include dropping by Ayutthaya on the way. Chiang Mai is in a mountainous forresty region of Thailand and I've hard has a large concentration of buddhist monks. Around Chiang Mai is the golden triangle which is supposed to be really interesting. I've been going fairly slow and staying fairly long as each point as I go and in many ways I think this is better then forcing the trip and seeing a few more sites. By staying a week in one place you get a good idea what the place is all about. After Chian Mai I'll head back to Bangkok. I'm aiming at doing this in about a week in a half, leaving me about another week and a half before I have to extend my Thailand visa by re-entering the country. This I'll probably spend on a beach either one near Bangkok or one in southern Thailand (Krabi, Ko Phi Phi, or Ko Phangan). When my Thailand Visa expires I'll fly to either Vietnam or Auckland, New Zealand.

New Zealand or Vietnam for 2 weeks
This is going to be a hard choice to make. I have an aunt and uncle and two cousins in New Zealand. The trip will cost about 1000 dollars more then Vietnam but will still be less then if I flew from Canada. I may go to new Zealand on another trip but I'm not certain when that would be.
I've been told by a lot of people that Vietnam is a really great place to visit. I'd either go to Vietnam by plane or bus through Cambodia. I think two weeks is just enough for Vietnam and may be rushing it a little. I think it may be better to save it for another trip with Australia, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, and China (all of which I've heard are excellent). Then again it might be better to save New Zealand for another trip.

EDIT: I've decided to go to New Zealand, because I overbudgeted my trip here I have the extra money required to go and its somewhere I always wanted to visit. Its unforunite its winter there but a good stepping stone for getting use to the 10 to 15 degree weather I'm expecting in Calgary. Vietnam will have to wait. This only leaves me with about 23 days in Thailand. It would be hard if not impossible to change my return ticket from Bangkok so I'm going back to Bangkok before heading to Calgary. That means I'll be spending 2 days travelling. Auckland to Hong Kong (12hrs w/ 1 hour layover) Hong Kong to Bangkok (3hrs w/8 hour layover) Bangkok to Taipei (3hrs w/ 1 hour layover) Taipei to Vancouver (12.5 hrs w/ 5 hour layover) Vancouver to Calgary (1 hr). I leave Auckland noon on July 16 and arrive in Calgary late afternoon July 17.