I Am A Sweet Old Softy, But

Tattoos Are So Widespread, So Ugly And So Very, Very Permanent. You Can, In Theory, Have Them Removed - But A Large Chunk Of Your Living Flesh Will Go With It.

The Thing To Remember About Phuket Is It's Very Beach-oriented And Relaxed. The Trendiest Beach Is Koh Sirey, Which Is Full Of Groovy Places To Have A Cocktail And Watch The Sun Go Down.

Largely This Is A Class Thing - Writers Tend To Be Cosseted Little Middle-class Kiddies Who Think That The World Owes Them A Royalty Cheque. But Just Doing It - Being In Your Room For Years On End, Locked In Your Head, Alone With Invented Ghosts - It Weakens And Softens The Body. And I Know I Can't Just Live In My Head.

I Don't Think Much Of Anything I Wrote Before The Age Of 30.

I've Been Visiting Thailand For More Than 20 Years But Didn't Fall In Love With It Until I Visited Phuket Town In Phuket. The Northern Part Of Phuket Is One Of The Most Fascinating Places I've Ever Been, And Largely Unspoilt And Unknown.