"The main character is a very believable figure. His delusional inside world [...] On the other hand I must say that he is not very sympathetic. His behavior is sometimes irritating, and at least I had difficulty identifying with him. If the main character feels repulsive, then the reader will not be really interested in his fate[...] Why wouldn't you deepen his personality telling why he originally went to Thailand, for example?"

This is the only part that depressed me a little, because it cannot possibly be changed.

Well, whore bars are not important in the story, Bangkok is not at all the theme of the story, not even the fictional Chinatown, the theme is "the black city". But a couple of times the main character steps into the go-go bars (in the 80s), which is a most natural thing for a man to do.

Telling why he went to Thailand? Some intellectually dishonest sob story? "Please forgive me, I was so lonely that..." If any average male sex tourist is asked why he goes to Thailand, he will answer, "because it is fun".

Which just means that I must deepen the story IN THE OTHER DIRECTION, add delicate hints to CL... but they must be delicate. Delicate, partly coded, and effective. And of course CL is NOT the theme of the story either. But childhood is.

I am not a chauvinist, but I will certainly not kowtow in front of the "me too" era.