The blade decoration is reminiscent of Thai work to me, also, but I agree with Ian that the blade is not likely Thai. For one thing, note that the scolloped decoration is all in the same direction, rather than being a series of alternating curves up and down - so it looks like waves rather than a sinuous vine-like line. And I think the widening at the forte, where the hole is, definately precludes a Thai origin.
The guard is so much like that of a kastane that it must at the very least have been directly inspired by it.
I think the forging flaws are the result of poor welding between layers in a laminated blade, since they trace a more-or-less continuous line along the length of the blade.
That's about all I have.
