the more I looked at this man and saw how completely relaxed he was in the company of his men and women friends, the more I realised that Thailand truly is amazing.

Well put. Sometimes when I get home at night I see women's shoes sitting outside the door.

I wonder: do they belong to a visitor - hopefully a girl - or to the guy I live with? Sometimes they are his...he's just parked them outside the door to get some air.

Nothing beats a flame better than straight up truth.

Good on you mrentoul.

Nothing beats a flame better than straight up truth

Sometimes truth can be upsetting, moving, or both. I went to my regular drinking place last night, a small shop in Pin Khlao run by husband and wife.

They rib each other about this and that. Running a shop is hard work and they don't get many chances to talk, hug or whatever.

Song comes on which wife likes, she goes over to her husband and starts singing to him.

He starts to cry, and everybody starts to cry.

And I thought I was soppy!

Danny, a very close friend when we were in our teens, (Too many years ago now!) is now called Rachel. 6ft 2ins, almost 1 metre 90, she still has a very dark complexion and five o'clock shadow before 9.30am.

Still lives with the lady she married twenty odd years ago, but as best friends now.

Thirteen-year-old son likes to get in bed with his "parents" and "Daddy, can I feel your tits" has become a regular!

He was a lovely guy, is a beautiful person as a woman and one of the few people I miss in LOS from the UK.