Londoner

Returning to the original posting, I am a great believer in being provided due respect to my age after a twenty hour journey and so I always use Priority. OD's post sent me scurrying to google and I'm pleased to report that I can find no indication that the facility is no longer available.

Organs are a sore point for me....that is church and concert ones. I should have been living a life full of exploratory, adolescent sex: instead I was learning (among other things) the organ on my school chapel. Never, it has to be admitted, to a very high level. And yes, before you ask, it was much the same with sex later on. "Pipe" organs are so expensive that few churches can afford them. And some new concert halls ( yes, Barbican in London, I'm pointing at you) don't even have their own, preferring easily transportable electronic monstrosities that, while clever, much, much cheaper, easy to maintain and useful for teaching, are not the "real McCoy". For those of you who have never played a simple chord of C Major on a large church organ, and marvelled at the amount of noise that can be produced with the minimum of effort, including deep notes on the pedal, all I can say is that you've missed something.

Thailand is certainly "the land of the free" when comes to western invaders, but if there is one country that I'd expect to reject Western art, it would be China. After all, Mao's government was distinctly anti-foreigner and particularly anti-West. And well before that there was the destruction of the Summer Palace in 1860 by the British Army- an act of wilful barbarism borne out of a sense of racial superiority- and this was a defining moment in China's history. And ours, come to think of it although apparently written out of popular history in the UK. We've been pretty cruel across five continents for a thousand years but Thailand has remained free of our worst excesses. Unlike neighbours like Laos, Cambodia and Burma, all of which have been cruelly colonised in relatively recent times. I return to the issue of relative wealth. Culture, particularly music is expensive. And then education; to what extent do Thai children experience culture of any sort in their curricula?

Korea, China, Hong Kong and Singapore all have world-class symphony orchestras as well as concert halls that put London's second-rate ones to shame. Music education in their schools is, as far as I can discern, better resourced than here. Top -class Asian conductors and instrumentalists are always touring Europe and the US, and produce acclaimed recordings. Is it merely an issue of money that has prevents Thailand from achieving similar success? Or are there cultural and political factors at play?

I always pack snow-shoes when traveling to Bangkok. You never know.

I liked the Hollies, too. The tunes were better back then. And the singers were frequently prettier.

I'm trying to remember Noel Coward's description of pop-music- something about it being "fixed" in a particular time in our lives and accordingly able to induce nostalgia. The songs of the Sixties certainly do that for me. Particular moments, memories, people. And why the 60s? Obviously; my adolescence, the time of change and awakening. It was also when I discovered Gustav Mahler; I still love and listen to his music, but none of it evokes the past like pop music does. Is it that "high art" speaks to all times, from the tragedies of Aeschylus, though the music of Mozart to that of today?

Yes. Very cute. None of the others were. My interests don't include pop music, far from it, but I caught Daydream Believer on YouTube recently and it's a good tune even if its words are silly.

Sea Hag, the charmingly named restaurant in Patong, was highly recommended when I was last there. Traditional Thai menu.

In that period, Pattaya has changed enormously. The north end of Beach Road which for many of us was our first view of touristy Pattaya has changed beyond recognition. Gone is the seemingly endless array of girlie bars and in its place are smart hotels, high-end restaurants and huge malls. It no longer feels like a resort, let alone one which was once a magnet for single men seeking sex, and more like a city. Perhaps not Bangkok but huge and modern. And the patrons? not those single western men seeking company but Asian families staying in smart hotels like Centre Point. Younger, more affluent. And they aren't buying suggestive T-shirts but designer goods. You may still recognise South Pattaya; it is more down-market, the lights aren't so bright and the crowds thinner. Instead of gay visitors, the visitors are Indian men, seeking I know not what. The relative shabbiness as you arrive in Second Road is noticeable. Even the once "number one" shopping mall, Royal Garden is quiet compared to the likes of T21 or Central. My partner and I prefer the new Pattaya but with reservations. The truth is that there was sort of naughty glamour about the old Boyztown and Sunee; it was "our" place. For some of us, the first environment where we could truly be ourselves. In my case, that was when I was forty-six years old. And I met others like myself. For him, when he arrived as a country-boy from the rural north aged twenty-one, the excitement, the money and most of all the camaraderie ensured that it was the happiest period of his life. Today, we walk around T21 and Central, enjoy its best restaurants and, in my case, people-watching: and does anyone care about two gay guys, arm in arm or sometimes holding hands, even though we are an unusual pairing? No.

He lives with three dogs...four until recently when one was killed by a cobra while she defended his farm. The perils of rural Thailand!

Agreed; this should be remembered in all our dealings with Thais on the scene. I remember being more than irritated when falang visitors were haggling over a 100 bht note. I've seen poverty elsewhere in the world- parts of West Africa were truly shocking. However, the lives of the guys we met (and in some cases loved) were very hard. Many villages didn't have electricity twenty-five years ago- my partner did his homework by candle-light and the outside toilets were no fun. He was bitten by a snake in his family's at night and hospitalised. I knew what to expect when I visited his parents for the first time: what I saw illustrated once again why so many young men and women from such backgrounds went to Bangkok and Pattaya. I recall telling a friend that my partner had lived the first twenty years of his life in a rural slum. I'm so pleased that he met someone who was able to help. He deserves it.

A huge army of toy soldiers which regularly defeated the Nazis. And no dolls, by the way.

Not "strangely"; straight guys often have an obsessive interest in ladyboys. I'd put my money on many who attend the shows being straight. It makes sense, doesn't it? Some of them are beautiful. Some. Incidentally, I've seen a number of toms whom I find attractive.

It reminds me of a joke in the Beano, or was it the Wizard", circa 1955? (UK posters will understand). Waiter to irritated diner;"Are you the cod sir?" "No; I'm just the hungry sole with an empty plaice, waiting for something to fillet." Sorry. I seem to have been a little boy who enjoyed puns.

if you knew my partner you wouldn't ask that question! The visit to Big Buddha I referenced was two weeks ago but we also visited the temple in Second Road as we always do. And we liked the one three kms along Jomtien Beach where we were the only visitors. We didn't even see any monks!

And I almost forgot.... visit the Big Buddha if only for its splendid views but go early before the crowds arrive in their buses. Some visitors have little respect for the serenity that is central to Thais' contemplative experience when in temples.

I don't know whether they are still published but there used to be a series of books here in the UK called "Culture Shock" providing information for UK travelers visiting foreign lands. I recall some of the advice from the Thailand edition. This was back in the 1990s and times have changed but here goes.... 1) If eating in a Thai family residence, always eat a mouthful of the rice on the plate first. (I'm d***** if I can recall why). 2) Leave a small amount of food on your plate to indicate that you've been given enough. 3) Be very careful when handling currency owing to the fact that it shows a image of the King. 4) Stoop when passing a sitting Thai, as mentioned above. Respect for the monarchy was deemed extremely important. This is something that I'm certain has changed in recent ears. I remember going with my partner and a friend to sign a book of condolence at Big C after the previous King died. From what I have observed and heard , his generation- middle-aged- is far less "royalist".

A suggestion for you when you need a break from all the guys. Visit the beach at sunset, perhaps eating in one of the restaurants there such as Sandbar. Watch the sun set over Koh Larn and enjoy the sixty or seventy dancers keeping fit and having fun. A free show!

Most of us spend much or even all of our time in tourist areas where Thais are used to our ways. Hotel staff (in my experience) usually don't wai to guests but money boys? I am sure that it was customary for them to wai after receiving payment....but my memories are of long ago. One custom that I believe still to be pervasive is lowering the head when passing close by someone. It's worth remembering, particularly for us, because we tend to be taller than Thais. Mr Notcutt's book identified this as a custom worth emulating.

Fascinating. My Thai "bible"- Michael Notcutt's "Thai Scene"- warned us not to "wai"; it is a sensitive and complex cultural thing. A smile and a nod, he said, was culturally safer. My partner- the runner-up in the Kamphaeng Phaet School District Wai Competition, circa 1990 and I'm not kidding- spent thirty minutes teaching me how to perform it appropriately when I was due to meet Mama and Papa for the first time. It is the only time I've ever done it.

A "jai yen"( a cool heart) is a Thai Ideal and one which my partner encourages. There is often a moment, sometimes arriving unexpectedly, when I sense that a tear or two is imminent as we prepare for the taxi to the airport. I have now learnt to subdue this by making a joke. And it almost worked last week.

I must have misunderstood; I thought the new entry on-line arrangements were there to expedite matters. My "special" queue has been longer since it was introduced than before. Three weeks ago, it was so busy that a kindly officer took some of us to an underused entry point for Thai citizens. To my left, the "ordinary" queues were stretching down the slope to the walkway. This was at 1600. The amount of time spent with the I.O. seem to me be the same as in the old days. I should add that exit arrangements do seem quicker. No passport departure stamps, I note.

OD is right about those Youtube "why I now hate Thailand" clips. Very tiresome. But the absence of tourists is noticeable....an old masseur mate still on the scene claims it to be worst period he'd seen in the nine years he's been working. Two days ago we ate in my favoured restaurant, Pon's, in Terminal 21- forgive me if you've already read this in another forum- and it was almost full at 1700.The mall as a whole was heaving with customers. But here's the rub; I seemed to be the only non-Asian customer there. My partner claimed to have spotted another falang in a restaurant...but I didn't. As our taxi took us back along Beach Road, we reminisced about our first trips to Pattaya....1995 for me, 2001 for him....and how we were astonished by a dizzying array of lady bars from the Dusit to Walking street, and little else. All but a couple have been replaced by high-end hotels and restaurants. And they are overwhelmingly for Asian visitors. As we approached the rad to Jomtien, the scene was darker, quieter , more down-market, a remnant of the old Pattaya. but without the crowds.

Strange as it may seem in these "quiet" days , the popularity of the gay hotels was such that it was hard to find a room a Ambiance or Le Cafe Royale. Serene was a cheaper gay-friendly option and was blessedly quiet owing to to its being set back from the soi. Penthouse attracted some gay guests but appeared to me to be aggressively straight and was surrounded by noisy lady-bars. The gay hotels served as useful meeting-places for newbies such as I and, together with Cocobanana (later named Panorama), enabled gay visitors to discuss venues and share experiences with more seasoned travelers. My partner and I remained loyal to Ambiance until five or so years ago when Boyztown's late night show bars , as did Macbeth, " murdered sleep." We still miss it but increasing age demands more sleep than was allowed in Boyztown....and that refers to both of us!