I live on the West Coast, USA. I am to be in Spain mid July and in Thailand mid August. It is best to get a 1 way ticket to Spain, then hop to Thailand and then return to the West Coast with a third 1 way ticket? Should I buy my tickets in advance or one at a time, in country, as I travel?
Also, I have two weeks to "Kill" after Spain before Thailand. Is there an intermediate location between the two countries that is convenient for me to stay in? "Convenient" means I might have to stop over there anyway on my way from Spain to Thailand. Thanks!!!

Your situation poses a unique challenge. It's unusual for one-way tickets in the States to be cost-effective, you're almost penalized for not flying round-trip. Assuming you can find a cheap one-way ticket to Spain, then during that 2 week window before Thailand I suggest you make your way north into France (bus, train, plane), enjoy Paris for awhile, then maybe take a train up to Amsterdam where you'll be able to find a cheap ticket to Bangkok (no penalty for one-way). Once you're ready to leave Thailand you can easily find a cheap one-way ticket back to the States. In other words, buy them as you go. There are discount travel agencies in Spain if you want to fly to Paris or Amsterdam or even Frankfurt to kill some time before moving on to Thailand.

Also, you can do some pre-travel research using websites like orbitz.com, cheaptickets.com, travelocity.com, discountairfares.com, cheapairlines.com and others to input your rough itinerary using the "multi-city" function on those sites to compare prices if you purchase your tickets in advance.

Something to think about: Travel in Thailand is extremely cheap, so you might want to get there earlier than you originally planned to enjoy more time there. You can get a bungalow on the beach for as little as $4/night, so the dollar goes really far there. Americans get an automatic 30 day entry stamp upon arrival in Bangkok, but if you plan to stay longer I suggest you contact the Thai Embassy in L.A. and apply for a 90-day visa. They have a website to help with this.

In August the islands in the Gulf of Thailand (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao, Koh Chang, Koh Samet) will have the most stable weather. Be prepared for some major heat and humidity, however; it is, after all, a tropical country near the equator.

If, on the off-chance you can't find a cheap one-way ticket to Spain, fly back to the West Coast and hop over to Thailand from there. Round-trip from LAX-BKK is around $650-700 these days.

Have a great trip.

If you go to lonelyplanet.com, they have excellent prices on RTW tickets. You could probably even add an extra destination for cheaper than buying them each seperately. Good luck, have a great trip!