In short order, I’ve seen two big-ass Rolls Royce in Bangkok. I spotted the vintage, 1970s-era model above in Ban Rak near the gem market that I pass on my way to Talat Noi. The other, more contemporary edition of the exorbitant vehicle I saw in Saladeng, just outside of our old hotel near The Commons.

Most folks know about the legendary Rolls Royce cars. But the real money stems from the British engineering company’s Trent engine family which is used to power a wide range of commercial aircraft including the Boeing 777, 787, Airbus A330, A340, A350, and A380.

Many years ago, I had a week-long film gig for a luxury hotel called Rydges in Phuket’s Bang Tao Beach. The jovial Aussie GM had me picked up early in the morning and dropped off late in the evening in the hotel’s shiny Rolls Royce. Riding alone in a wide-bodied Rolls along Phuket’s winding, palm-tree-lined coastal roads was trippy, to say the least.