Telstar, I'm dismayed by your personalized comments about my and my boyfriend's level of class and sophistication. However, I'll avoid joining an epistolary contest with you over it.

The implied points of my comments seem to have gone over your head. Bangkok in late August is fucking hot; everyone wears shorts except at wats and the Grand Palace. The Oriental is far from the Grand Palace, largely resting on its laurels. It's just not all that. And I've seen its guests. Eurotrash on tour and movie stars whose careers peaked 30 years ago don't impress me. We would have been properly attired for dinner, I assure you, and he should not have judged us by our clothing, much as you seem to have judged us by my comments. In all events, once the security guard (not even the doorman, but the buggery security guard) realized we had reservations, he should have treated us with the same deference as any paying guest, many of whom, of course, wear shorts in mid-afternoon entering and exiting the hotel. As for feigning ignorance of English, that's outrageous: he clearly was not man enough to stand up for his employer's conceited policy to an American who, unlike a Thai, wouldn't accept his attitude. (As Edina once said, "You only work in a [hotel], you know. You can drop the attitude.) And for still acting uncouth when my boyfriend addressed him in Thai, that's just inexcusable. A truly classy place would let its ambiance speak for itself, and would not rely on the exceedingly tacky device of posting signs about shorts and tube tops. Establishments, like people, should never make guests feel uncomfortable or unwelcome regardless of their own opinions of the guest's "suitability." I know of no other hotel in the world that would pull nonsense like that. By way of comparison, for example, think of all the restaurants with a closet full of navy blazers for when a guest arrives without a jacket but the dress code requires one.

As for photos at the Pen, nothing so racy. We just held each other in an intimate way, e.g. me behind him holding him closely with my hands at his waist. Nothing explicit, but even the most obtuse straight guy would realize we were a couple.