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J, I hope you don’t take the lack of response personally. Perhaps you are getting pms. Very few gay farangs are in Pattaya now. It used to be one could always find older gay farangs in the Sunee Plaza Bar beers, but those days are gone, at least till high season. Another sure bet in years past was Dongtan Beach in Jomtien. Numbers are way down.

Day 1.5: The Boyfriend Cometh What started as a post about my first day out in Recife turned out to be a big fat tribute to the boyfriend. Oh well. I am not known for my brevity. As I slept my way through Brazil these past year and a half, I’ve been able to find a variety of shapes and sizes to be intimate with. I’ve always been fascinated by the diverse complement of guys available in the country. Black, white, blonde, dreads, multi-racial, half-indio, half-italian, half-japanese, green-eyes, blue-eyes. From super muscular bulls, to athletic lean guys, from super twinks, to (american) football player builds. Usually super hung, most often with giant butts. Almost always super passionate. I’ve never seen such a diverse set of guys available for fun in one place. And to me the most fun sometimes is to find out what diverse mix of races and circumstances a guy had to be made up of, to produce that kind of beauty that I saw that day. The answer is always surprising, and I’m always glad I asked. And I always ask. So it is a wonder that in the past few months I have seemed to zero in on a particular type of Brazilian guy: the tall, hyper-athletic, hyper-masculine, muscularly lean, white-ish/mix-white guy. Not super-duper worked out like the steroided hulks I’ve seen haunt Club 117 or Lagoa. Usually plays a sport well, or is a personal trainer. Usualy with some facial hair. Probably white, but with enough of another race mixed in that they can hold a tan year-round. I blame my Sao Paulo friends. They have turned me into following certain Brazilian Instagram influencers, and I’ve been hooked on to these types ever since: After I broke up with my previous BF earlier this year, I felt a little down, but hopeful to become the biggest whore that I could be. I have planned a week-long stay in Rio for my birthday, and with no BF to spend it with, I asked a long-time GP friend, who in the last year has turned out to be a good confidante on all things Brazil and boys, on what to do. He has known the whole story of the ex, and knew I was stressed out because of the relationship towards the end. He had a suggestion: he wanted to introduce me to a good friend of his, someone he knew I would enjoy. After all these months of recommendations, he has not failed me yet. This friend of mine knew exactly what I liked, in sex, in company, in men. So I was interested. The guy my friend was going to introduce me to was an ex-Garoto de Programa, just like the ex, and another one of those that escaped the sex-trade by buying a car, going back to his native state of Santa Catarina, and becoming an Uber driver. There seems to be a plethora of those. He said his friend wanted to buy a MacBook Air for his 8 year old son, and wanted to see if I could help him with that, since electronics was way cheaper in the USA. In return, he said, his friend could stay with me the whole whole birthday week as my constant company. Show me the money, I told him. I of course needed pics to see if I was even attracted to the guy. Lets call him Tomas. The pics he sent back to me of Tomas did not disappoint. He looked like one of the guys I’ve lusted over like those above. He was an interesting mix: half-indio and German. I immediately said yes, and asked for Tomas’ WhatsApp. My friend gave me Tomas’ Instagram instead, which to me felt weird at the moment. (he had no Whatsapp?) No matter. I found his Instagram and messaged Tomas and he replied right away. After some intros, and more (yummy, x-rated photos), we went and talked business: There is always more than one way to pay a Garoto de Programa. There was always more than one way to do a programa. So Tomas was eyeing this MacBook Air that was 5899 reals in Brazil. I looked at the price here in the USA, and found that this particular model was last year’s, that can be bought at $900 used (about 3500 reals or so). He explained that he might be able to pay me 2500 reals, and the rest can be my payment for his services. Which just made out to be 1000 reals, which was a pretty good rate for the week. I said yes and ultimately it was one of the best weeks I’ve spent in Brazil. He was grateful for this: he didn’t really want to go back to the sauna or hit up other former customers to get the money.(And he didn't have to know that I could get it for a cheaper price). At the end of my birthday week, he finally gave me his Whatsapp number. He had a good reason he didn’t give it to me at the start: he just changed phone numbers, and didn’t want any customers knowing his new number. He says his old number never stopped ringing, and it got embarassing at times in front of family, and with his son when the son borrowed his phone to play games. After that week I always wondered what Tomas’ story was. He was clearly a popular GP, having the ability to save up for a car and able to leave the profession it completely. He was still young-ish (28), dashingly good-looking, and sexy as hell. Why give up on this very lucrative job, where he said he earned 2500 (at least) reals a week? He gave me details: he started out doing sauna work in Rio in his early 20s, and when he got the hang of it, was able to rent a nice apartment in Copa on his own, he branched out to website work (which cost him 700-1000 reals a month to list his ad on the web), and was able to host clients in his new apartment. It came to a point that he didn’t have to go to the sauna because site work was enough to pay the apartment, and then to a point that he didn’t have to advertise at websites at all (and avoid paying the ad listing and monthly fee) and relied on repeat business with favored clients, or added more clients through referrals. And sometimes he would get hired on the spot just by hanging out at Ipanema or Copa beach (in his usualy skimpy speedos, working on his tan), by fellow beach-going clients who found him hot. And he was hot. But the thing he hated the most was the GP lifestyle. There was just something about GP work that was soul-crushing for him. It was very stressful for him to do that kind of work, and he hated taking Viagra at times to just be functional on the job. To cope with the stresses, he’d turn to drugs. At first he would just overdo maconha, but he learned to do cocaine with clients who wanted to do the drug with him while on their Rio vacation. Also, at the start, he just did cocaine with clients because they were doing it as well and paying for his share, but when clients leave to return to their homes, his addiction to cocaine remained, and soon he was buying his own cocaine because he was hooked. Lots of GPs are hooked on all kinds of drugs, sure, but he said it never occurred to him that he would be one of them. So he had an exit plan hatched mid-2017: he was going to be a GP till Carnaval 2018. He’s going to get through the tough spring market, mine the Christmas and New Year Rio tourist crush for all it’s worth, and ride his way all the way to Carnaval. And he was going to quit doing drugs. After this he saved up enough money to buy a car, and other creature comforts, and was able to put Rio de Janeiro in his rearview mirror (literally). He had a son from a previous girlfriend, who meant the world to him, and he didn’t want the son to grow up wondering what his dad did for a living. And for a few months after that, for the most part, he has made ends meet by being just an Uber driver. But some previous GP clients still wanted his services, so he would oblige them once in a while if the offer was right. They’d fly him to Rio (or Sampa or Salvador, or whereever else), have their fantasy week, and he would return to Santa Catarina where noone knew he was a GP. But he said even going with previous clients was bad. He said that once you get reminded of how easy it was to earn money by being a GP, you’d be fooled into thinking that money was very easy to earn in general, so you spend it like crazy (on booze, on girls, on silly things), thinking that you can replace it as easily as well. For people who have had to go without money most of their lives, sometimes this sudden change of fortune does tricks to their minds. And he had to fight against the idea that he could go back to that life. He wanted to be back in Santa Catarina, live close to his son, and just become a regular, boring, but stable worker. Flash forward to early this year. To recap: I told my good GP friend that I wanted a week in Copacabana, with him and other sexy guys in the house, with trips to the beach or the clubs or even the sauna, to celebrate my birthday week. Enter Tomas. Tomas has been Ubering constantly to save up for a MacBook. His friend tells him about me, a sucker for handsome sexy guys. It was a win-win: Tomas could get a week-long vacation in Rio away from Uber, and he could get the MacBook he needed. For me too: I could get this stone-cold fox to get to know for a week, that wouldn’t break the bank. But apparently a week wasn’t enough. We both wanted to see each other again after that initial week. He leveled with me: he really just wanted to treat me as a client and be done with me in the week. But after the week was over, he asked if he could see me again, maybe in Santa Catarina. So I did. Three weeks later I was back in Brazil, taking that extra flight to go further south to his city. I got to know his hometown. I got to ride in his car. I got to stay in his apartment. And I got to meet his son. After that trip, it just got harder to stay away. Two more trips later, here I was, about to take an Uber to Recife airport, where I was 12 hours before, to pick him up from his flight from the same city I was in just two months ago. The sunset, like everything else in this city, was gorgeous: After 15 minutes of waiting at the arrivals area, Tomas finally appears, dashing as always, in a crisp white shirt, trendy jeans and sock-less loafers. He sees me and shows me his million watt smile. He gives me big hug, and a stealth kiss on the neck, as I stand there not sure what to do. I am not sure how I feel about public displays of affection in Brazil airports. I hug him back. “E ai, gringo?” he asks, jokingly. I call an Uber and as we wait outside he lights a cigerette. Before he takes a drag, he looks around, to make sure the coast is clear, and then he kisses me in the mouth. We are off to a good start. It was only 7 PM when we get back to the apartment, but I could already tell that we weren’t going anywhere tonight. He was always made para ficar, instead of being para sair. A quick shower together and we tried our darndest to remind each other why we were together. We got comfortable. It was gonna be a relaxed night. As a nightcap, we ordered some Chinese food (his idea) in using the app iFood. He got the Yakisoba (his favorite), I got some frango crispy with rice. They even threw in some fortune cookies, a very California invention, with the meal: Good advice for what was turning out to be an intense week. Next, as promised, Recife!

that is the park i met the hustler 10 minutes after arriving my first trip almost 3 years ago!

if somebody is surprised with all above , certainly is not me. Everything we do on our computers is vulnerable to hacking and breaches.

Unlike Bangkok, which I first encountered decades back, I only began visiting Pattaya within the past five years. So while I can vividly remember the BoyzBoyzBoyz nightly parade, Sunnee has always seemed forlorn. While I encountered the removal of the trees and the upgrade to Dongtan Beach, I have returned twie a year to the same area on the beach which is occupied by what appears to be gaggles of gays, many or most, with their local boys. I have daily massage on the sand and have welcomed the "therapist" for a hotel encounter. So, while I'm unable to compare, I do have a good gay time.

I know the group you're referring to at Paco's. I can't say I know them well as I avoid them and it's been relatively easy as they don't know any of the boys I know and I don't run into them at nice events. Now, I hasten to add that I don't actively dislike them and if, on a rare occasion that I stop at Paco's for a coffee, and one spoke to me I would respond and god knows we might have a good conversation. By the way, there are black gays who live and work in Santo Domingo who are not loud or obnoxious so do be open to association but I urge you to heed the advice of SolaceSoul - if you would not start a conversation with them at home - think first. I guess my biggest issue with the advice is that I can't recall ever making an overture to other gays to "pimp" them - Francisco and Manny are in that business, If you meet another tourist and he is gracious enough to introduce you to someone that is wonderful, but you said you're "discrete" they are far over the rainbow from that. @snwbrd015 you sound quite nice try to stay that way. You will be known by the people you associate with. Having said that, I echo the idea that there is some safety in numbers just be careful and you'll have a nice trip.

Let me be clear....LTRs, particularly when you are separated by 5000 miles, are not easy. At least mine isn't. And I'm lucky that, for me, the cost is the least of the worries. I don't recommend it. And, come to think of it, I never wanted a boyfriend. I visited Thailand happily for nine years, about forty trips, and enjoyed every minute . Bars, offs, massages... interesting encounters; I had it all. And then one night, I met someone different; or so it seemed. When we finished that first encounter and I'd paid , he waited by the door as though there was something more that should be said or perhaps done.. How long? I'm not sure but it seemed a long, long time. Fifteen years ago and it seems like yesterday. Fifteen years of tribulation and worry. And, I'm not too proud to say it, tears. But I love him and, when troubles come-and they certainly have to us- you have two choices; either say, that's it. The end. Or you love him all the more. And I do.

from NY Times (18 July) Google and Facebook Are Quietly Tracking You on Sex Websites Silicon Valley’s biggest companies are always watching you — even when you’re browsing pornography websites in incognito mode. Trackers from tech companies like Google and Facebook are logging your most personal browsing details, according to a forthcoming New Media & Society paper, which scanned 22,484 pornography websites. Where that data ultimately goes is not always clear. “These porn sites need to think more about the data that they hold and how it’s just as sensitive as something like health information,” said Elena Maris, a postdoctoral researcher at Microsoft and the study’s lead author. “Protecting this data is crucial to the safety of its visitors. And what we’ve seen suggests that these websites and platforms might not have thought all of this through like they should have.” The study’s other authors — Jennifer Henrichsen, doctoral candidate at the University of Pennsylvania, and Tim Libert, a Carnegie Mellon computer science instructor — found that 93 percent of the pornography websites they scanned sent data to an average of seven third-party domains. The authors used webXray, an open-source software tool, which detects and matches third party data requests to scan sites. Most of that information (79 percent of websites that transmitted user data) was sent via tracking cookies from outside companies. Web tracking varies around the web. Frequently users are tracked via cookies, which are bits of text downloaded by your web browser when you visit a site. Other times trackers come in the form of invisible embedded pixels on your screen. In most cases, these trackers help sites identify and classify repeat visitors. They can help you stay logged onto a site, record your preferences and help manage your advertising profiles. The study found that Google (or one of its subsidiary companies like the advertising platform DoubleClick) had trackers on 74 percent of the pornography sites. Trackers from the software company Oracle showed up on 24 percent of sites, and Facebook, which does not permit pornographic content or nudity on any of its platforms, had trackers on 10 percent of the sex websites scanned by the study. Why are the trackers there in the first place? Most of the third-party code embedded in these websites is currently standard practice in the publishing industry. The New York Times embeds similar trackers and collects, uses and shares data about readers as part of its business practices. Some trackers, like those for Google Analytics, provide mundane traffic data to the site. DoubleClick and others provide the infrastructure to run advertising. In exchange, these third-party companies receive data from the website’s visitors. Advertisers and platforms argue that this data is anonymous. And while some of it is basic (device type), other information (your I.P. address or your phone’s advertising identification number) could be used to reverse engineer your identity and match you with already existing marketing profiles. What these companies might be doing with pornography-site browsing data is a mystery. Oracle, which owns a number of large data broker and has been called a “privacy deathstar,” could, for example add data collected by trackers with its current profiles. In the cases of Google and Facebook, which refuse to host pornographic sexual content on a number of their platforms, it’s not always clear why they are collecting such sensitive information, even if unintentionally. Facebook and Google denied that potential information collected by their trackers on pornography websites was used for creating marketing profiles intended to advertise to individuals. “We don’t allow Google Ads on websites with adult content and we prohibit personalized advertising and advertising profiles based on a user’s sexual interests or related activities online,” a Google spokeswoman wrote in a statement. “Additionally, tags for our ad services are never allowed to transmit personally identifiable information isto Google.” A Facebook spokesman offered a similar explanation, noting that the company’s community guidelines forbid sex websites to use the company’s tracking tools for business purposes like advertising. Though Facebook’s pixel tracker is open for any third party to install on its website — you don’t need permission to embed it — the company suggested it blocks pornography sites and, in those cases, does not collect information from those properties. The spokesman suggested that when alerted to new sex websites using the tools, the company will enforce against them. Oracle did not respond to multiple requests for comment. But even if the data is technically anonymous and not used for targeted ads, some browsing information may still end up in the company logs. And when it comes to pornography websites, the most basic browsing data is intensely personal because it is revealing. As Dr. Libert and Dr. Maris note in the study, nearly 45 percent of pornography site URLs “expose or strongly suggest the site content” and in doing so might reveal a visitor’s sexual identity or orientation, or lead third parties to assume a visitor’s sexual interests. “It can be very sensitive,” Dr. Maris said, citing URLs for specific interests like bestiality, and teenage and incest content. “The fact that the mechanism for adult site tracking is so similar to, say, online retail should be a huge red flag,” Dr. Maris said. “This isn’t picking out a sweater and seeing it follow you across the web. This is so much more specific and deeply personal.” The study found that only 17 percent of the 22,484 sites scanned were encrypted, suggesting that troves of user data could be vulnerable to hacking or breaches. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/17/opinion/google-facebook-sex-websites.html

I'm in Pattaya now and was wondering if any forum members would be interested in a meet up. Always interesting to "exchange notes" and get to talk with other like-minded Westerners.

@Riobard, surely, you’ve heard the term “Ugly American” used in its most current context? It’s more than just an old Brando movie. Unfortunately, I hear the phrase whenever I travel because some Ugly American is Ugly Americaning. ”Ugly American" is a term used to refer to perceptions of loud, arrogant, demeaning, thoughtless, ignorant, and ethnocentric behavior of Americancitizens mainly abroad, but also at home. Although the term is usually associated with or applied to travelers and tourists, it also applies to U.S. corporate businesses in the international arena.” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugly_American_(pejorative)

Hopefully, you’ve considered the obvious: that two very different individuals who are African-American may not think alike, may not look alike, may not have similar backgrounds, values habits or ethics, may not socialize the same way, may not like the same friends, may not like the same kind of sex or romantic partners, and may not even like each other. I would hope that I wouldn’t be judged and stereotyped based on one group of loud, obnoxious, ostentatious but broke black Americans that you see sitting at one 24 hour cafe. Who knows? If you happen to talk to them (or me) in person, you very well may enjoy them... and dislike me — or vice versa. Or maybe like or dislike both. And that should be okay. Everyone doesn’t have to be best buds Good Judy Girlfriends with everyone.

Just a couple of thoughts. When you see the larger group and someone responds have you considered going over and saying, "hit guys may I join you" or the classic " is this a private party or can anyone join" or the ever popular, "Hey guys how about I buy a round."? Just a thought that your not really trying very hard. Secondly, you sound like.a sociologist playing with his data. A group ,may start small but in my practical life experience in a diverse society they tend to become more diverse unless actively managed to remain non-diverse, In short, it's not a tendency but a desire. Your remark "throw in the dynamic of sex tourism where purchasers and inventory share the same diaspora origin. If excluded in part for being white, it is understandable." is just not defensible. Connecting sex tourism and "diaspora origin" is fallacious. The Hallmark of sex tourism is the exchange of money for sex and has nothing to do with racial identity. The boy bars of Bangkok are part of tourism and the boys go with anyone with very rare exceptions . The boy bars of Tokyo are for the Japanese home market and are notoriously hard to penetrate for anyone not Japanese. There are very few that will let a tourist in. Actually, I have read Dominican history and culture for years and while they recognize African heritage they include Taino and European ancestry and consider their Ethnic group to be part of the Hispanic world. Haitians are Black, Dominicans, with rare exceptions, use a host of other names for infinite variations in skin tone. There is a great series of modern books that explore in personal stories the odyssey of Dominicans who never realized that anyone would consider them to be black until they went to New York. A great many of the boys would be upset to hear you give such a simple clarification. This is not racism, this is a better understanding of Dominican culture, it is more open to variations - is there racism in the DR - yes, but you would very likely miss the subtleties. I don't say this to be argumentative I just think your not fully understanding Dominican culture and society.

HA! I would hope they wouldn’t think that. There’s absolutely nothing special about what’s in their Rolodex. Anything hooking up with them is community property trade.

No, not at all, I might have misunderstood . My reason is that they might perceive that I'm after their boys or as the above poster remarked getting their rolodex . It's like being the old guy walking into a gay bar - you can't even remark on the weather as the assumption is that your after their dicks, trying to "score". I took the Dahmer reference as a metaphor for preying on them thus a poor motive . However, now your comment opens up the KKK reference and I see what you mean. No, I know you are aware of the two expats I'm friends with so that was not it - both of them by the way avoid the place during the early evening as they live there and don't want the stigma. No, it's just that loud obnoxious "ugly Americans" are a plague to be avoided. Riobard you really have to work on your prose style.

If I understand @Riobard‘s purposely obtuse post, he is suggesting that the reason the group of loud, obnoxious, black Americans that often congregate at Pacos don’t relate to, interact with or trust him (and by extension, you) is because he’s/you’re white / not black. This is a false assumption, because (1) I’m not white, as are none of my travel partners and none of us would enjoy spending time and energy on them (whether abroad or Stateside), and (2) there are plenty of other black tourists or expats who I, you, and possibly even Riobard could enjoy mingling with. For me, it’s not that group (or any like it). And it isn’t “hate”. It’s self-preservation and safety. Hate implies that energy is consumed over them. There are travelers like this wherever I go. I refer to them as “Ugly Americans” and I always avoid them like The Bubonic Plague. They add nothing to my travels and I’m sure that my absence from their sewing circle of pecking hens subtracts nothing from theirs. Somehow, I still manage to meet nice people — including hot local men.

Oh sure, not taking anything personally. I can certainly see for myself how quiet things are. But this summer calm in Pattaya is certainly not keeping me from enjoying myself. Thanks for the kind words.

When I have time, I will write a full review. Meanwhile, if you are horny in Buenos Aires and want a power bottom horny next door joke, go for Fran: http://id006.onyce.net

What! Jeffrey Dahmer - You? Do you remember who he was? I might have to restore that Bavarian clock.

Unfortunately, I feel that you are correct. His acting career has been demolished and I truly sympathize with him. His acting in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil was great and I've watched this movie several times.

Yeah, I try (tried) to be friendly but ... Their perspective from my perspective: I am basically an aged Jeffery Dahmer in a KKK hood ... too soon? No disrespect. Sounds like nobody's loss. ------ You cannot miss the café's signage, but it is Café La Moricette serving a popular brand of Dominican coffee, Café Santo Domingo.

LOL, I can feel the hate for these guys coming off my phone screen lol! But coming from someone who has been to the island over a 35-year span, I understand you are coming from a different perspective. Shit, I’m not even 35 years old lol, if I werew your age I wouldn’t be caught dead around them either. We have COMPLETELY different perspectives, and what we do during our travels and our reason for hiring guys, I’m sure, are different as well. The only thing I can do is share my experience. My experience that of someone that's damn close 30 who has traveled to Santo Domingo since 2012. I was shy when I first went and only stuck to myself, and because of that, there were many things in Santo Domingo I did not know about until I opened up to others. In my case, it happened to be those loud guys who approached me lol. No, it doesn’t have to be the loud gays, but that’s how I meet people like Anthony Montgomery and other cool expats. And you are entirely right 80% of the guy's worth anything wouldn’t be caught dead hanging out at Pacos. I said in another thread that I haven’t picked up a guy from Pacos in over two years. So we are definitely on the same page there! But that Park Durante(sp) is a completely different crowed, if that’s your crowd more power to you Lol. But I think everyone’s opinion is of value and can help others have a fantastic vacation, maybe I’ll see you at their Halloween party this year lol!

OK. But let me clarify. I have been going to SDQ for 35 years. 3 to 4 times a year. I have had intimate friends who operated gay bars and discos.I do know boys who are exclusive because they have long term relationships with Americans - usually this means we send them an allowance to live on. Perhaps you missed my comment: "By the way, there are black gays who live and work in Santo Domingo who are not loud or obnoxious so do be open to association but I urge you to heed the advice of SolaceSoul - if you would not start a conversation with them at home - think first." All either of us are saying is to be careful in your relationships . You're right a common street hustler will not care who you are with. However, a young gay hanging out at the park with other gays might care a great deal. By the way, you also missed that I rarely sit in Pacos and judge - in fact, it has been about 8 trips since I last visited Pacos. There is a lovely Cafe called "Cafe Santo Domingo" on the Conde just off Duarte that is owned by a Frenchwoman . The pastries are superb, the sandwhiches wonderful and the coffee perfect. It is also, blessedly, free of anyone who is loud or obnoxious. That is were I take my current boyfriend of two years to. Honestly, I think you are trying to be helpful; but I oppose soliciting any friendship or even acquaintance for the sake of a "rolodex"

I guess to the left of the Luckyboy stairs as Paradiso is to the right? There was a pool table bar in the vicinity when I was there in May.

It certainly is not. Have you seen the prices in those Asian import supermarkets that we have in Europe? When BF is in Ireland he easily spends €20+ per day on produce that he then has to bring home, prepare, cook and clean up after (3 times a day!) Similarly he can spent €10-15 on fast food/pub grub and then want to cook again when he gets home as that food was "just a snack" You washing machine will be running at least 3 times as much as normal, as will your dishwasher and oven. Giving you a much higher electrical and water bill. Then there is the cost of a night out. Drinks, shots, night club entry, fast food after club, taxi home. We easily spend €200 a night (and remember he will want at least 2 nights out a week, with you or his newly found Thai friends). Plus a night or 2 in cinema, another €50 per trip Finally return flights from Europe to Thailand are much cheaper than Thailand to Europe. Travel insurance is much cheaper for a European and there is no need for expensive trips to the embassy to get visas processed BF used to come here for a month every Aug/Sept, till we realized that it was cheaper for me to go there for 2 weeks and party every night!

Your mileage may vary depending on how you prefer to travel or roll, but IMHO, this is The. Worst. Advice. Ever. My rule of thumb is: if you wouldn’t associate with someone Stateside (or in your local area), then don’t bother with them elsewhere. And no, they DON’T “know ALL the boys”. Maybe they think they do or convinced you they do — but in general, they know the very same boys that the standard, run-of-the-mill, loud, obnoxious American queen (black or white) would meet. And then there’s all the downside of associating with them and being seen associating with them. I would suppose that, for some, there is safety in numbers, and for a first-time, shy, reserved, solo traveler who might never see them again, there may be some benefits — but for others, the risk far outweighs the reward. Hard pass.

hahaha Thanks for your tips @Kevie770! Even though I move around in a discrete manner, I am very easy going and talkative always. I agree that meeting other travelers is a big bonus: strength in numbers! It's even better to meet a traveler who belongs to 'our family' too hehe. 'Loud black boys at Paco's', hahaha: mental note made!

Yes, directly under Luckyboys.

Well said, Londoner. My experience is more compressed than yours, but same same. I met my BF 18 months ago, and so far we have been together every 6 or 7 weeks. Either in Thailand or he travels to be with me somewhere in the world. 10k km is a long way, but it can work if you find someone special. And like you, I have!

LOL, I'm afraid no photos of me in the PJ's. But, I do this only in Business Class. However, I have found flying to USA in Business Class very reasonable if you are not using American based airlines. Hainan and other Asian and Middle Eastern airlines have great deals in Business Class.

Nothing surprises me any more. But, I did get a PM from Leroy and do believe this was an honest mistake. We all have those moments where we write something before we think. I know I have done it so many times in the past that I can't even count and then woke up the next AM and thought, why did I write that.

It's been a few years since you've been there and places change. My experience with Club Tobi, from less than a year ago and on a weekend, is exactly as bcdaron reports it, so I think we can confirm the action is currently not there.

it's nice to be nice but still somebody killed that unfortunate Russian tourist in motorbike accident

reality 1: google 0 obviously they did not update their maps for a while, keep in mind Hot Male now is in Patpong 2 beside Fresh Boys, above Screwboys and under Pavillion Place hotel

Thanks Msclelovr ! I plan on spending 2 weeks every other month there( more or less), I don't have to pay taxes on my income that is earned outside of Mexico, which is All of it. The only taxes I pay each year are my property taxes which are extremely low in Mexico. I am not getting citizenship, just permanent residency, that allows me to open checking/savings bank accounts, go thru the Mexican citizen line at customs in the airport, apply for their hospitalization plan If wanted, etc., And most importantly I can stay in Mexico 1 day or 1 year or longer with no limit on my stay(s).

Congrats for you are in order. I recently looked into planning on doing this in Brazil, as it had a retirement / pension visa. The monthly income requirements or any kind of annuity or pension were (for me) very low — only $6000R a month! — and the minimum age requirement had been lowered from 60 to 50. And like the one in Mexico, it had perks that you can’t get from a tourist visa — ability to work legally, federal healthcare, permanent residency, come and go as you please and stay as long as you wish, banking options, etc. So, I was planning to do it in a year or so. However, I learned from the Brazilian Consulate that as of Jan. 1, 2018, the Brazilian legislature inexplicably suspended the pension visa.