When she lived with us she was an 18-year-old teenager and we were, well, we were definitely well into adulthood.
Seventeen years later Nang is now an adult, and we are, well, we are even older adults.
So it was fun to get to know each other when we are all adults.
It was the capital of the Kingdom of Siam until the late 18th century.
The location was strategically chosen on an island surrounded by three rivers at the head of the Gulf of Siam. It was equidistant between India and China, making it ideal for trade.
Ayutthaya flourished for more than 400 years and at its height may have supported hundreds of thousands of residents.
Once an important center of global diplomacy and commerce, Ayutthaya is now an archaeological ruin.
Ayutthaya was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1991.
Historically, the island Phuket was situated on a major trading route between India and China.
It is considered among the world's best beach destinations with fine white sand and inviting clear warm waters.
For centuries the Thai, Lao, Khmer and Burmese fought over the fertile hills of the Golden Triangle.
Then, in the mid-20th century, the Golden Triangle became the global capital of opium production and the international opium trade.
The more elephants (“chang”) a Thai king had the more status and power he enjoyed.
Known for their size, strength and intelligence, elephants were important in battle and used as weapons in warfare from the fifteenth century.
Sukhothai Historical Park is just outside the current city of Sukhothai. It is an archaeological site containing the ruins of the original Sukhothai.
One of the temples, Wat Si Chum (Temple of the Bodhi Tree), was constructed approximately 700 years ago.
The Phra Achana is the largest Buddha image in Sukhothai with the Buddha seated and 15 metres/49 foot high and over 11 metres wide.
The sitting Buddha peers through the slit.
Monks are some of the most highly respected people in Thai society.
They are easily distinguished by their bright orange robes.
Buddhism is such an important part of Thai life that every man in Thailand is required to become a monk for a period of time before the age of 20.
Though the expected time length is about three months, some will stay as little as a day or two.
The majority of monks remain for at least a few weeks, although some choose to remain in monkhood for the rest of their lives.
To get around quickly and weave around the congested traffic a tuk-tuk is the answer.
A Tuk Tuk is a motorized rickshaw that has three wheels and is open-air.
The standard Tuk Tuk consists of a seat in the front for the driver and a bench in the back for passengers. They can accommodate two to three people.
There are Buddha images or shrines of all sizes throughout the city, and, the country.
While we were in Bangkok we visited a couple of the must-see highlights; the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew (the Temple of the Emerald Buddha), and Wat Pho (the temple with the Reclining Budha).
The temples are much more than tourist attractions. Buddhism is an inextricable part of daily life in Thailand.
It was a new experience for us to be "parents" and we jumped right in with an 18-year-old teenage girl from Thailand.
It was also a new experience for young Nang to be living away from her family, freinds and the country and customs she grew up with.
It was a year of a lot of firsts for all of us and it would be safe to say we learned, made mistakes and figured it out as we went along.
After 17 years apart we had the pleasure of reuniting, and this time in Bangkok, Nang's home town.
