Day 95 was yesterday, and as I once memorably heard from a Japanese bus driver in Yamanaka-ko, yesterday was yesterday, today is today.

However, the reason for not writing to myself in this blog wasn't because I had fallen by the wayside, so no trips to William Hills yet, please. No, the reason was that my Internet connection at home was playing up so I abandoned last night's blogging for today.

97 firsts now because I went into a few bars and didn't imbibe alcoholic beverages. I was due to meet my mate Roy, but was earlyish leaving the office so I first went down to the Arabic quarters for a Pakistani. Yes I am aware that Pakistan is nowhere near Arabia but there happens to be a nice cheap place for a Ruby down there and I hadn't been there for some time.

So, mutton Masala and mutton jasmine basmati with a vegetable samosa with a glass of mango lassi, I was set up for a nice 40 minutes of people watching, as this resaurant is 'al fresco' or al jazeera, or whatever.

It almost seemed that I wasn't still in Bangkok with the folk around who frequent this Soi (small street that is a branch of a big street). Little African kids playing chase with their little African mates and Thai mates and little Arab mates from their international school. No hint of indoctrinated racist hate between 5 & 6 year olds and very refreshing to watch. Is it age or fatherhood that allows a man to enjoy watching children play?

Blokes in long robes smoking Hookahs and a general buzz which is alien to anywhere in Thailand except here. You can feel it in Little Arabia in Singapore and to a certain extent in Penang where the Indian and Pakistani grub is top drawer but its certainly a nice place to spend a quite contemplarary period.

I next went into a bar on Soi 7. A newish place with, either Thailand's ladies' under-25 olympic pool team practicing for Greece this summer, or more likely, too early in the evening for the punters. Whatever the case, not having had a few lagers in one's blood stream certainly changes one's perspective of things.

Whereas most of them could certainly hold their own with me on the pool table, 70% were now not so attractive whereas that might have been 30% with beer goggles. The ones that were beautiful, and mark my words the Thai girl at her best is certainly one of the most beautiful things you'll ever set eyes on, I found myself studying from a different angle with my glass of Diet Coke replacing the Singha. I found myself wanting to compliment them on their shoes or ask them where they got their hair done, rather than 'chat them up' in what may be a customary manner for them.

Anyway, I did neither. I got talking to a bloke from Adelaide who works for Quantas. All bars but a few will be forced to close from middnight as of the 1st of March in a 'clampdown' on underaged drinking and drug-taking, according to Thailand's incredulous prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. A few 'entertainment complexes', such as Pat Pong, RCA and Panaya Park, will be granted special licences, but it seems that the tourism industry will be hit.

Good thing or bad thing? A matter of opinion.

Got to write day 94 later, so I'd better go. Was 500 grams lighter than the start yesterday morning, so on target there.