Knock yourself out (2, final)

Thank you for the kind responses. As readers, you are sweet to me, and I am moved by your loyalty.

I have been thinking about the trolls at the thaivisa board. I suspect some of them prefer a sleazy perspective on Thai life - something more in keeping with their own existence here, perhaps.

If nightlife sleaze is what people are after, then as a few readers have remarked, there is no shortage of stuff on the internet. It's a well-trodden path.

Harder to find is writing which tries to get across what a slice of ordinary Thai life (admittedly urban-centric, as it is set in Bangkok rather than the provinces) can be like.

In the West, I wouldn't bother describing a visit to the local pier...who cares? Yet here such mundane tales can be interesting, because of what they tell us about Thais.

I think about those Thais fishing the other night...tiny guys pulling with all their might on flimsy lines, racing up and down the side of the pier, trying to haul in those big, ugly black fish.

Who wouldn't want to write about it, or share those stories with friends?

Who would want to eat those fish? Someone does. They may not be to everyone's taste, but they are bound to have a few fans.

Regarding politics...one reader would rather I leave that job to the Economist. Another urges me to leave the big picture stuff to Google, and focus on day-to-day stuff in the blog.

I like the Economist, and agree it does a fine job. However, the political events of the last few months have been exceptional. I wanted to have a say on them too, partly to let off steam, but also to get across what I think.

While most foreigners are probably against the PAD protesters, many urban, middle-class Thais back them. For that reason alone, it was worth exploring.

Regarding Thai stars...I realise tales about the exploits of Thai celebrities do not enthrall everyone.

When I started writing the blog, few fans were writing in English about Thai entertainers. Yet the boyfriend and I were interested in some of them, and I thought their stories were worth sharing.

These days, blogs about Thai stars are more common, and attract a big following.

Wise Kwai's Thai film blog is a wealth of informative material about Thai film; my 'heart sister' Lyn, of Lyn's lakorns blog, tells us possibly more than we ever wanted to know about Thai soap operas.

Hardly any foreigners bother to trawl the Thai-language media every day for interesting stories. I do it, because I would run out of things to write about otherwise.

Above all, a blog is interesting not just because of its content, but its readers. It has only taken me 2.5 years of writing to figure that out.

I hope you continue posting comments, and I will continue looking for ways in which readers can 'interact' with this blog. Please excuse the jargon. Although the words look off-putting, they do express real things.

After reading them for months, I know more about what bloggers Kawadjan, Bangkok Bitch, Lyn, and the hard-working scribes at dirtilaundry (for example) think about life.

Some readers have their own distinct voice when they leave comments. They are funny, or long-winded, or bitchy, or sad about their own Thai lives or memories here.

Some have been here a while, while others appear to have left, because they don't comment any more. However, I do remember some of the names, and the responses they liked to leave.

The luckiest bloggers in the world are those who get plenty of reader reaction. Without it, writing for an audience is hardly worthwhile.

Please keep the comments coming.