I'll put my cards on the table and admit that in providing gay holiday destinations I might not be the best person for it since I don't like men, but having just got back from Yala and the insurgency area I need to send a message of quiet desperation from the folks of Yala.

I had anticipated that Islam would effectively and quietly shut down the public appearance of gayness. And it has--- in Pattani, down the road about 70 clicks. But at Yala I left jaw-dropped.

The central road (*) for the nightlife and trendy shopping must be Thailand's primary pick-up joint. The young femboy men on their scooters ride up and down in all hours and it seems every single one has a dream of a farang man.

They are so keen they forget to ask if you are interested in them. The conversation upon the abrupt stopping of their scooter and their quick flounce to you runs like this:

"how long here?"

"where you stay?"

And perhaps out of courtesy,"what's your name?"

Now if I am right, and I am never wrong, this is a social disaster. Every sweet femboy in Yala is either looking for, planning on, dreaming of a farang man. Yet from a quick bodycount in my 3 days there I counted, eh, one farang (me).

So there you are, buses leave from South Bus Station Bangkok, lots of sleeper trains stop at the railway station in Yala. And watch out for insurgents. Run, run, run.

(* the road runs parallel to the roads of Siroros and Phiphit Pakdi)

Methinks he doth protest too much!

Seriously, though, the kind of behaviour you are observing isn't typical of most real Thai gay guys who are not in some way involved in... um... compensated approaches to dating. Business must be slow.

Methinks he doth protest too much!

Seriously, though, the kind of behaviour you are observing isn't typical of most real Thai gay guys who are not in some way involved in... um... compensated approaches to dating. Business must be slow.

I can only wish you to take a look down there. I feel that the dearth of foreigners in the insurrectionary Deep South manifests itself in a particular form of flirtation with the foreigner.

I could point to the female side of things with one female scooterist (with hiqab) letting out a gasp of "wow" to draw the attention to the foreign object of her two riding companions.

In Narathiwat, which I would earmark as the friendliest place in Thailand, almost every other person stops to talk. Although there was no sign of gay flirtation. Only in Yala was it bilindingly overt. The gay men were only doing what most others were doing but with greater vigour. I really don't believe there was any compensation anticipated in the economistic sense....

The lack of (white) foreigners, and the religion, have played a part in marking out what is probably unique.

Yet from a quick bodycount in my 3 days there I counted, eh, one farang (me).

It's another kind of body count which concerns me about this destination you recommend.

Yes such a shame the problems "down there" keep it from attracting a lot more tourists hetrosexual or homosexual for that matter.

Really would like to know more about the towns in the area and the people,which places are good and safe to visit and walk about at night,how safe is it??

Yala?

Pattani?

Narathiwat?

Songkhla?

Yes such a shame the problems "down there" keep it from attracting a lot more tourists hetrosexual or homosexual for that matter.

Really would like to know more about the towns in the area and the people,which places are good and safe to visit and walk about at night,how safe is it??

Yala?

Pattani?

Narathiwat?

Songkhla?

rode all around the above provinces and never came across any of the above mentioned types.Just lots of very friendly people who wished they saw more tourists but understood why they didn't

You can see this kind of behaviour in many provincial towns around Thailand. Prachuab is a good example where the guys gather on the promenade,