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This was not meant as a trip report (I’m not sure if I’ll get around to write one for this trip), but it turned out to be as long as one. It is my reflection on my time with one of the boys during my recent trip. If you’ve read my last two trip reports, I’ve been going on about adorable Myanmar boy from Screwboys. I first met him in December when I offed him for two consecutive nights but missed out to get his contact. In January, he has stopped working and was back in Myanmar. I was back in Bangkok over the last weekend, I have booked this trip even before my January trip. I am fortunate to be able to go to Bangkok so often, though I have not decided on my next trip. I am thinking of Songkran but rowdy crowds are not my thing. There is a whole thread here on the pros and cons on going during Songkran and now with the Covid-19 virus I’m still holding out. I’ve mostly gotten over missing Myanmar boy, so I was a little hesitant to seek him out again this trip. I knew there’s a high chance I’ll be disappointed and my feelings would be reignited. When I reached the hotel, I just thought to open Grindr as I know many boys who have left the bars would be freelancing. I saw Thai boy from Lucky boys, my off from January. He had messaged me on Line the week before that he was no longer working at Lucky boys as he had some issues with the bar. However, no Myanmar boy. Naturally, Screwboys was my first stop that night. Chatty Lao friend saw me and I called him over. He knew it was only for a chat as with the previous two times. He updated that Myanmar boy was back in Bangkok, at this point I felt my heart skip a beat. He told me to try and message him directly, but I told him I did not have Myanmar boy’s contact. He was a little surprised. I told him to ask Myanmar boy if I could get his contact, but I think he missed this and I did not ask him further. He went on to sit with another customer. He recommended me another Lao boy from the line up who also happened to be Myanmar boy’s roommate, so I called him over some time later. I saw him messaging Myanmar boy on Facebook messenger. He showed me the profile with the same picture as last month. I would end up offing him. The next two days, I was mostly occupied and had plans with Cambodia Boy A. On Day 4, my second last day, I had to force myself up in the morning after the tiring past few days. I tried to hit up Grindr again, I haven’t opened it since my first night, with the sole purpose to see if Myanmar boy was on there. It felt like a miracle, but he was there, 66m away and online. I immediately messaged him to ask what time he was available. I did not have a profile picture so he did not know it was me. He finished work at 5 pm and was free to meet after. I told him he knew me and sent my picture. He then went on the typical I miss you, I want to meet you messages. We set our appointment at 7 pm. We had a small catch up through messages. He has changed day job and sent a selfie of him and his colleagues at his new job. I did not miss this chance to ask for his contact and he gave me his WeChat so I could contact him there. I could hardly contain my excitement then but I had to wait until evening. At about 6.30pm, he messaged that he finished work and went back to his room to shower. He sent another selfie of himself. At 7pm, I left the hotel to walk around Patpong while waiting for him. He reached around 7.30 pm. Finally, I was reunited with him, I missed him a lot in the initial days from our first meeting in December. With reunions, as many have recounted their experiences here, it could go both ways. One might have repeated their encounter in their minds so many times that probably only the good parts stick. For my case, the reunion experience was even better than my initial one. On the way up to the room, he updated that he indeed went back to Myanmar last month and have renewed his work permit for another two years. I was happy for him. In bed, his sex drive was higher, him not working at a bar anymore was probably the reason. He did not need his porn twitter feed this time. But he did share it with me to show off his Lao friend, the boy I offed on the first night, whom he refers to as superstar. Lao boy had a few clips on one of the twitter accounts. I remembered mamasan mentioning this about him as well. My boy said that Lao boy was paid about 3000 – 5000 baht for one clip, I forgot the correct amount. After the session, he asked what my plans was and whether I was going to a bar to take a boy. At that point, I replied I was not sure yet, I wanted to walk around first. He then asked if I wanted to play pool (snooker) with him. I missed an opportunity to go out with him last time, so I said ok. We went to a place in Patpong, beside Dreamboy, where his friend was working. We had many rounds of games with two of his lady friends. After which, he again asked me if I wanted to take another boy that night. At that point, I have enjoyed his company both in and out of bed, I did not see a reason why I would need another boy. I told him I wanted to go to the bars or walk around but I would not take a boy. He brought me to soi 4 W/Telephone bar. He wanted to check on his friend and neighbour in Myanmar who was working his first day there. He got the job there for his friend who had complained about being jobless in Myanmar. He mentioned the pay was about 200 baht per day as a waiter boy. My boy asked if he could order food, selfishly while I was enjoying my time I forgot about his dinner. We spent most of the time there teasing his friend. He told me his friend’s Thai was not that good so he sometimes could not understand customer’s request. Also, he was shy to sit with a customer. His friend was probably messaging my boy the whole time to update him since he started work that day. Seeing his personality and attitude, I think he would do ok there. My boy also chatted with most of the waiters and said hi to the singer dancer performing, apparently, he used to work there as a singer/dancer. We took our leave and walked the long way round back to Patpong 2, he said his secret to keeping slim after a meal. He asked which boy bar I wanted to go, it was his night so I asked him to decide. He chose Hotmale where he wanted to see his friend. His friend was Thai and one of the three coyote dancers there that night. His friend was crazy hype and energetic with his dance and probably a little drunk. We had a good time with his friend and also one of the mamasan he knew, who was also probably recruiting him to the bar. Since Hotmale closed at 1, I asked him to accompany me to another bar until closing time 2 am. He chose his former bar, Screwboys. He caught up with a mamasan, who was happy to see him. During the show, he told me that the ladyboy performer used to have a thing for him but he had to reject her, since he only liked boys. My usual mamasan who was away for the past three nights was supposed to be back that night, but was out drinking with a customer at Moonlight. She came back a while after and greeted me. She was slightly disappointed angry, not angry angry, at my boy as he pleadingly tried to make up with her. We left near closing time and she wished the best for me and wished for my boy to come back to work there. I was not sure if my boy wanted to stay the night, I would not insist as I wanted him to be able to go to work the next day. He accompanied me back to my room. We had an intimate moment kissing, cuddling and chatting. He asked if I have a boyfriend back home. When I said no, he went on to say he really liked me and loved me. He asked if I wanted to be his boyfriend. He would not take other customers since he has a day job to sustain. In another life, I would have said yes. Also in a moment of lust and him being probably slightly drunk, I was not sure if he really meant it. Many thoughts went through my head but I told myself to stop and cherish that moment. I am a hopeless romantic and I chose to believe in love, with ulterior motives or not, I believe love comes in many forms. I do truly love him as well. But I cannot say yes and I did not say no. I told him not to stop anything for me. After that romantic moment passed, he asked if I wanted another round of sex as he had decided he wanted to go back to his room and go to work tomorrow. I declined, I was already satisfied emotionally that night. He tucked me into bed and left. The day after, I started missing him badly as I exchanged a few messages with him to say goodbye as I leave for the airport. It has been a few days and I still do think about him and look at his pictures. He has not messaged since I left, and I do not intend to do so either, it is my way of coping. I will contact him again if I’m going back to Bangkok, but I’ll want to go back only if he was around. I was reunited with adorable Myanmar boy and it was bittersweet.

I just returned from 10 days in Colombia and I thought I would share my experience. It was my 4th or 5th time to Colombia and as always had a great time. Bogota--Arrived late Friday in order to enjoy Teatron on a Saturday night. As many know Teatron is the large nightclub that is truly amazing. Many floors and rooms for dancing and music. The top floor is men only and has naked strippers. Others have suggested that they might be available but I am not so sure. Very little opportunity to talk with them as they are on and off the stage pretty quickly. My local friend says that they have more strippers on Tuesday night than on the weekend--but my favorite night to visit is Saturday when all of the club is open and there is plenty of eye candy in the crowd. As far as hookups--Grindr is the way to go in Bogota(and really all of Colombia). Lots of free offers-- and the working guys in Bogota seemed to be happy with 70-90,000 pesos. There is a Sauna called Saint Moritz that has massage available but every time we visited the massage guys had already left around 6-7pm. If that is what you were looking for then get there earlier like 4-5pm. That seems to be the peak time for Saunas in both Bogota and Medellin. Bogota has a lot to see and you should not miss the view from Monseratte--ride up on the tram or funicular. I stayed at the Novotel--no problem with guests and they take a copy of the ID at the front desk. A friend had multiple guests over the course of the trip and they did not charge him extra with a double room booked. Very nice hotel, great breakfast and good neighborhood. Medellin--Medellin is a beautiful City with a great climate. I stayed at an airbnb in a nice neighborhood called Laurelles--lots of trees and good places to eat. I have some warnings about Medellin that really apply to everywhere in Colombia--more on that later. Lot's to see in Medellin including the Botanic Garden in the city--and a large park outside the city called Park Arvi. Park Arvi is accessed but the Metrocable which is the tram that acts as mass transit around parts of the city. Getting there involves a few different changes between lines but is really easy if you google the instructions. There is a very fun, clean and beautiful sauna called Club 55. This is not a working boy sauna but they do have massage available that I'm told rapidly turns into something else. Again all of the massage guys were gone by 7. The very friendly, cute, and frisky locals tell me that peak time for the sauna is like 5-6pm. It has a bar, jacuzzi and is very clean and modern. You can definitely have fun for free here. Several hot working boys on Grindr in Medellin--they seem to want more than Bogota--like 150000pesos ($43). Medellin is where two people close to me had potentially serious problems within 24hours of each other. In the first situation a good friend from the US who lives there, fluent spanish speaker, and is very savvy about having guys over was drugged and robbed by someone he met online and invited to his apartment. He has lived there for over 10 years and this was the first time anything like this had ever happened. He spent the night in the hospital but is fine now. In the second incident I met a guy on grindr and we had a hot time. I'll admit I took a chance by having him back to my airbnb but I felt comfortable enough with the guy enough to refer him to another friend who was traveling with me. My friend wanted to meet up with the guy and they agreed on a price to meet up. This is where my friend made a big mistake. He agreed to go to they guy's nearby apartment(also in a nice neighborhood) and the guy who had just hours before been nice and friendly with me became very aggressive with my friend and took the money that they had agreed on up front and then demanded more before he would do anything. When my friend (a native spanish speaker) decided to just leave--this guy blocked his exit and started screaming and demanding more money even though they hadn't done anything. My friend gave him another wad of cash and beat a quick retreat. It easily could have escalated into something worse. In all cases this could have been avoided by following the usual safety measures talked about on this board. The reality though in Medellin is that many hotels do not allow guests and "love motels" are not that prevalent or are located in Centro far from the areas where most people stay. I'm not sure what the best solution is for Medellin in this regard. Barranquilla and Carnival--I have some younger friends that live in Barranquilla that I wanted to visit and this was an ideal weekend because it was Carnival there. I have been to Cartagena many times and enjoyed it but this was my first trip to Barranquilla. Carnival was in the air as I landed at the airport and the beer companies were passing out cans of beer to arriving travelers on the way to baggage claim. I have never been at an airport where I had drank two free beers before I had claimed my luggage! Barranquilla is a pleasant city and I stayed in a nice high rise air BNB with security at the front desk--but they let my friends pass by as long as they were with me. These are guys I have known since they were college students and are now in graduate school and working and I trust 100%. The carnival in Barranquilla is a big deal and last year there were over a million visitors. Prices for hotels and apartments go up just like Rio. The highlight of carnival is a big carnival parade on Saturday in centro. I relied on my local friends advice and we all got an early start on Saturday to go watch the parade. Unfortunately the area is for the most part blocked off with high barriers that block any view of the parade unless you buy a ticket to a private seating area. Those tickets were being sold by scalpers for upwards of $100usd per ticket. In the end we gave up on watching the parade due to the crowds and heat and the fact that we were unable to find any public viewing area that was accessible. My friends complain that each year the viewing area open to the public for free gets less and less and more of the parade is blocked from view by barriers. From what I did see though the parade in Barranquilla focusses more on colorful costumes and dancing than on the elaborate floats and displays at carnival in Rio. Like carnival in Rio there are street parties but these are more enclosed events where you pay admission as opposed to the free bloccos in Rio which are more open and free flowing. The biggest difference--and for me this is huge--is that in Barranquilla despite the heat at Carnival I did not see a single guy with their shirt off whereas in Rio the display of shirtless male bodies is a big plus! Culturally I think the Colombians are much more conservative about their dress and keeping themselves covered up in public. We had great fun at a big open air gay club called The Patio which was packed with cute guys dancing to latin music all night. I was the only gringo there. There is another club in Barranquilla that my friends told me about that plays electronic/pop music but I do not recall the name and I did not visit. I didn't hook up in Barranquilla as I with friends but plenty of cute guys in the club were eager to meet, practice their english, and make out for a while. I would mention that casual cocaine use is common amongst many Colombians of all classes and it is a bit shocking to see how openly used it is in the clubs--no attempt made to hide it from security. I do not do any drugs at all but my Columbian friends tell me that it's not a big deal there --kind of like having a joint or a cigarette.--still I would stay away from it if you are tempted. I love Colombia--great people, hot guys, beautiful scenery and many different regions to explore in a relatively small country. I still prefer Brazil for the open display of bodies everywhere in Rio and the safety of fun in the saunas there. For a true Carnival experience nothing beats Rio despite some of the hassles and security concerns. I will continue to visit both countries for all of their charms!

Will 1 Euro be over of 5 Reais ? It is very close ! USD also is very high compared to R$ ! Highest value in the last 10 years

Blocos da Rua (Street Carnaval) Internet sites (eg blocosderua.com) give a comprehensive list of blocos with time and meeting place ("concentração"). Internet site riogaylife.com.br gives a list of all gay and gay friendly blocos with time and concentração. Gay blocos are having difficulties to be organized : the city and military police are trying everything to cancel gay blocos. The bloco Minha Luz e de LED (my light is from LED) for instance received a list of actions to be done (presence of ambulance, of toilets, of security, of fire extinguishers, ...). They did comply to it and to all bureaucracy demanded but at the end of the game, they were not authorized because of incidents which occured last year where attendees blocked circulation of cars in a tunnel for some time. Gay bloco Saymos do Egito had to be held in private places. The famous band of Ipanema which is having his bloco at 5 pm since many many years was first asked to move it to morning, ... In addition, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, an evangelist bishop, Marcelo Crivella, started to reduce by 50 % subsidies to samba schools in 2018 and then cancelled all subsidies in 2020. The best gay or gay friendly blocos to which I participated are : Bloco das Carmelitas, Bloco das Quengas (prostitutes) certainly the gayest, Bloco dos Amigos da Onçã (on the beach). I did not really like the Banda da Ipanema (the music was good but too many tourists. It is not as genuine as what happened in front of bar das Quengas for instance). The Bloco das Carmelitas was created 30 years ago. Its name refers to a Sister Carmelite who was so attracted by Carnaval that she used to escape from her convent during the Carnaval days. Of course she was very visible in her outfit so in order to hide her in the crowd, people started to wear also the Carmelite oufit. Walking down Santa Teresa on the track of the bonde (tramway) together with the Bloco is really great.

Where to go for a test Feb 26. 2020 https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30382908

1. BKK airport Immigrated two times within in the last 2 weeks. Both times immigration took less than 5 minutes, just 2-3 people in front of me directly at the counter. I think its not normal for february, Corona is really doing harm to Thai turism. The first time there was no temperature scan (if i remember correctly), the second time there was. I wondered if I have to do the fingerprints a second time, and the answer is "probably no". I put my fingers on the scanner as the software told me to do so. While the officer was typing the whole process got cancelled, so I guess as soon as the software knows there are recent fingerprints in the system, there is no need to do them again. 2. The Masks My observation (rough impression, did not count people): 2 weeks ago in BKK airport train: most Thais (and asian turists), say 80%, wearing a face mask half of western turists wearing a face mask Silom area same impression 2 days ago in BKK airport train Less than half of the Thais wearing a face mask 30% of western Turists wearing a face mask Silom areas same impression The number of people wearing a mask has gone considerably down within two weeks, altough the risk hasn't probably changed. Wearing those masks every day sucks, especially in a hot climate like in Thailand. 3. Prime Massage Can confirm that Prime Massage is checking customers temperature and make them all wear face masks (it was like this 2 weeks ago, dont know if they still do). If you get an immediate appointment at Prime, you know it is REALLY LOW season. Got a foot massage, somewhat painful. If I get asked soft or strong, I always say "medium" - how am I supposed to know how strong is strong? Dont want a lame massage but neither want to be killed! Is there a different concept of pain in western and asian medicine? I think the western standpoint is that pain during a massage is never good? And the Thais say just "stiff stiff, massage stronger"? To be continued (probably when I arrive back home; time in asia is too precicous)

PeterRS said: But I certainly wouldnt be relying on any advice or quotes made here. Do your own research and make up your own mind. Its your life, after all. In fact, I think this thread can end up being misleading. I suggest it is closed. ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————- I believe it’s by reading differing points of view that we can better arrive at an informed opinion. Precluding opposing views limits our options. From BBC Science Focus How long can a virus live outside a body? It's enough to make you sick! Viruses can be stubborn little blighters to get rid of. Viruses can live for a surprisingly long time outside of a body, depending on conditions such as moisture and temperature. They tend to live longer on water-resistant surfaces, such as stainless steel and plastics. A cold virus can sometimes survive on indoor surfaces for several days, although its ability to cause infection drops dramatically over time. Flu viruses can survive in the air for several hours, especially at lower temperatures, and on hard surfaces they can survive and remain infectious for 24 hours. Enteric viruses, such as norovirus (pictured) and hepatitis A, can survive for weeks on a surface if conditions are suitable. The norovirus is known for causing sickness outbreaks in schools, cruise ships and hospitals. https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/how-long-can-a-virus-live-outside-a-body/

I just hope the fight is mano a mano. Up close and personal.

4th guy from the pic, my personal fave, is the gymnast...

Very quick reports on some recent massage shop visits. (In no particular order) I-Come & S'Sense I-Come is a new (a couple of months) shop on Suan Phlu between s. 6 and s. 8. It's a nicely done space with the same set up as S'Sense down the street at the foot of s. 8: ground floor reception, upstairs some foot massage chairs, up some more stairs to massage rooms. Both have massage tables with face cutouts. I-Come has showers in the room, S'Sense was a shared shower/bathroom in the hall but I think some rooms may have a shower. The tables at S'Sense are extra-long, so even the over 6' crowd can easily be accommodated. Pictures of the crew are available for both and you can walk in or book ahead. S'Sense Line Id: @nai4795h S'Sense Facebook S'Sense Photos I-Come Line ID: @I_Come I-Come Facebook At I-Come I just took the guy offered. Massage was ok-ish/soft messy caressy too much oil. Masseur fully-clothed throughout and no happy ending offered - a bit of a surprise given the name. So I'm filing them under F for False Advertising. I may go back again because the guys are very nice and friendly, but I may not because the massage was truly "meh" and no happy ending. I have to believe that it was just bad luck on the masseur. He was certainly cute as can be, and having a cute 22-24 gently caress these aching bones is not a hardship. So I encourage others to go and give the new shop some business and you'll likely have better luck. But still, with a name like that, every customer should be offered a happy ending. Others have reported on S'Sense before. I booked someone I already knew and got exactly what I was expecting - ok-to-good/messy caressy massage. Masseur fully-clothed throughout. I left happy. I think at S'Sense and I-Come there just may be some guys who include the happy ending in the massage and some guys who just don't. I recall across the photo of one guy at S'Sense "No Hanky Panky" is written. So I guess ask, and if the manager can't confirm one way or the other at booking then skip if you think it's important. Prices may change and they're all offering promotions right now, so check their Line for latest prices. They seem to be roughly (+/-) comparable priced. I think around 500 for 60 minute oil. Somewhere I came across a S'Sense post looking for masseurs, I think it said something along the lines of 25K minimum salary and they could provide among other things massage training if you worked there 6-12 months. !!! From the customer's perspective, ahem, we like to see the training before..... (Of course it's possible I mis-translated it.) This is in the S'Sense photo's price list, which is sort of cute if it means what I think it means: I want to change my name to Happy Hand. Spa Atlantis Line ID @spa_atlantis Facebook Spa Atlantis has been open about a year and is a short easy five minute walk from the Lat Phrao MRT station. Everyone is very friendly. I had a big room with a massage table and private shower. Everything very clean and nice. Bathroom in the hall. I just went with the guy who was offered. Pictures are available and you can certainly request someone who catches your fancy. The manager has the pics on his phone if you just walk in. I would say better than average looking guys. I am pretty sure there's a face cutout, but not 100% sure. I thought manager was very nice and very responsive on Line. Right now I think they're offering a promotion of 60 minute oil massage for 500 or 3 for 1,000 (buy 2 get 1 free?). Certainly check when booking for promotions. I've had two massages there. One regular oil which was perfectly fine (and ended happy). Maybe a bit too much oil for my taste. Plenty of butt massage, which I like. Masseur fully clothed. But my read on the shop's vibe is that full service is available. Just not what I was looking for when I've gone. I have also been to Spa Atlantis for the japkasai or kasai testicle massage - because, why not? This is the serious sort of massage that the masseur who performs it got a certificate for and sexual release has NOTHING to do with it. I'll say it was interesting. I personally prefer that the family jewels be treated gently and with love and respect and I was expecting the more tantric offerings of Dr. Bear and Spa Bangkok, which as Goldmember once observed, is more like 30-40 minutes of edging. Instead this was rigorous push-pull, on your knees soldier, bordering on painful. If you like your ball play on the rough side this is for you. 'Nuff said. So worth checking out and giving these guys business and a perfect place to stop by on your way home after a visit to Chatuchak. Spa Bangkok Nothing new to report. I love these guys. Prime Just got back from Prime and their magical 1 hour foot/1 hour thai massage for 500B. Cant' beat that. The masseur was a superstar. Definitely some pain involved. But that is just Thai massage at it's best. No sexual anything, but sometimes perhaps the masseur would be reaching to massage with one hand and the only logical place to rest his other hand would be gently on top of, and cupping, my genitals. Not it a gay way. Just in that way guys do. Nothing sexual about it. And the gluteus massage was great and there should have been more. My ass hasn't been man-handled like that since I was in the Boy Scouts. (Too soon???). Seriously, a great massage and like any good Thai massage your whole body gets the attention it needs. Glutes and all.

I would just like to include my and my Thai partners (now Civil Partner) personal experience of him coming to live with me for two years in the UK prior to me retiring in Thailand. I took him to the nearest Thai temple which was about 30 miles from my home and we talked to a Thai lady who was there at the time, she said she knew some ladies married to farangs living in my town, she took and passed on his phone number. The result was he met a group of about 20 Thais (all ladies) who got together a least once a week to talk, eat etc and he made good friends and enjoyed himself. At the time he was 25 (I was 63), he is a village lad but he's not shy and a great cook of Thai food which I'm sure helped. I was also lucky in that my UK neighbours took to him and made him welcome, most of them were retired and looked after him while I was at work. Another tip was, if it's easy for him to attend, get him a gym membership. My guy is not really into the gym, but he did enjoying going almost every day to pass some time. Good luck and if you are successful with his visa enjoy your house being spotless, your washing and ironing done, good Thai food and a great smiling welcome when you arrive home from work.

5th guy from the pic is the matador...

oooh.. where did u get more pics from? who's he?

I refer to the quote I made earlier - from an expert on viruses. They may not grow but they don't die in the absence of a human cell to latch on to. As she points out they can iive on surfaces other than skin for up to months in some cases But I certainly wouldnt be relying on any advice or quotes made here. Do your own research and make up your own mind. Its your life, after all. In fact, I think this thread can end up being misleading. I suggest it is closed.

Trump has at last — brilliantly, within the Drumph’s modus operandi — found a way to throw Pence himself under the bus.

Can you give us any examples in the history of this republic (or before we were a republic) of when this happened?

LOL. Now who is being altruistic?

That's what I thought. Since many of the strip clubs in western country have lap dance strippers. And I've never seen a private room in bangkok's bars. It would be so much fun to have some lap dances before offing boys out.

I totally agree. I wonder how the guy managed to spend a few hours inside this costume. That day, luckily for the guy, it was rather cold with rain from time to time.

First: always listen to that little voice of reason. If you think a guy is a bit off, don’t proceed. Second: I always meet a Grindr date in public first. Access the situation. Third: I always make a foto of the ID and mail it to myself. This way I can get the ID-foto from my online Gmail account, even when my phone is stolen. With all my (Grindr)adventures I only had one bad experience. In Cartagena, Colombia. And I blame myself because I let down my guard a bit. So calm down, don’t get to excited, think rationally, take logical safety precautions and hide your valuables. Just don’t be naive and you’ll be fine.

I don't think you're thinking this through. If spreading the risk is what insurance is all about, then what better way to manage risk than to make universal healthcare? The insurance companies naturally say, "Give us more customers and profits, yeah, that's the answer!" but think about this practically. Why should we as a society use a more expensive, less efficient model to deliver something essential just so companies can profit. Compare the other 'socialist' institutions of police and fire. Does it make any sense to have people individually sign up for police protection and pay 'police insurance'? Ditto for the fire department? No, it doesn't. As a society we all benefit when the police try to protect everyone and enforce the law on everyone. Ditto for trying to stop stuff from burning down. Because in both cases, failure to protect everyone has costs for everyone. When people get sick who don't have insurance, guess what, when they show up at an emergency room they have to be treated. Guess who pays for that. All of us who pay for our insurance. The simple and direct answer that pretty much every other civilized nation has come up with is to provide care for everyone that everyone pays for.

My father was a physician who consulted all over the US and world on building healthcare systems and ensuring quality care. He was very clear that single payer healthcare systems provided better care that was far cheaper. There is plenty of empirical research to back up this position for those who care to actually inform themselves. I am also a bit baffled why this has become a party divide issue. When I worked in a start up, one of the top three issues of pretty much every company was how to get healthcare for employees. The lack of universal healthcare that is portable and dependable negatively impacts startups and new business activity all over the country. It is part of the essential safety net that people need to step out and try new stuff. I guess telling women what to do with their bodies is more important than making sure they and we have them.

Yep... Still it's like 1 person over 200 million. I would not be that worried about the spread of coronavirus, which I strongly believe could be already everywhere. Still it's a flu... If you're one of those people at risk of dying because of the consequences of a bad flu, chances are you're not doing sex tourism

I've worked with quite a few doctors who practice in Manhattan, some of them are famous. I've had vigorous discussions with all of them. Every single one believes that the insurance companies need to get out of health care. For the betterment of humankind. I have several doctors in my family. They all worked in Third World medicine, some during wars. They hate commercial, for-profit health care. Yes, a more moral approach in this country will eliminate people going into medicine to "get rich." I don't see anything wrong with that change. The vast majority of people who pursue careers in health care do it because it is a calling. Nothing wrong with making a good living, but most health care workers don't care about being rich. The reward is caring for people. Certain aspects of health care, like cosmetic surgery, will continue to attract gold diggers. It's the nature of the beast. It is remarkable to me that most insurance companies do not cover hearing aids, dentistry, and many prescription drugs. Sanders is speaking directly to this corporate corruption, and many people over forty-five, especially those on fixed incomes, are listening.

This costume is really too hot for Rio. It looks more like the Carnival costume for Cologne.

Pointe 202 Carnaval monday New lockers for customers, new stage screens, multiple tv screens around the room are some of improvements at Pointe. Many customers and boys. A few new faces. It was a good evening in Pointe. March 7th is the 15th aniversary of Pointe until ... 5 am : buffet, RJ/SP strippers, ... worth going.

It looks very nice ....you are fortunate to be able to afford it.

My regular long-time works at Toys Boys and he often sits outside when he video calls me on Messenger, usually any time between 10pm and midnight and is always showing me pics of the soi down to BBB being almost entirely devoid of customers (as indeed is TB itself inside to judge by the flashes inside he shows me). Mamasan at TBs will often come over and say hello and confirms the dramatic lack of tourists in BT. Some of these bars will be really hurting now.

When seeking information on how infrared non-contact thermometers work for post above, I read much technical data on the accuracy of readings which can vary with training and experience of user and calibration of device. They are a tool to help identify people who could—or could not— have a fever. But they are not the the basis for diagnosis. If someone has been out in the sun it’s understood that their skin surface temperature is going to be elevated, as Anddy points out. Read that Israel has been so dissatisfied with results of temperature screening at airports that it no longer relies on it. They rely more q and a interview. =============================================== from Reuters Thailand reports three new virus cases, urges disclosure of travel history BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand reported three new cases of a coronavirus on Wednesday, taking total infections to 40, health ministry officials said, criticizing patients for not disclosing their travel history. Two of the new patients, all of whom were Thai nationals, had returned from vacation in Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido and came into contact with the third patient, an 8-year old boy, said Sukhum Kanchanapimai, permanent secretary at the ministry. The male patient had not disclosed his travel history when he first sought medical attention and risked becoming a super-spreader, an incident of large transmission from a single source, health minister Anutin Charnvirakul said. “We have to criticize this case ... it creates a lot of trouble for us,” Anutin said. The patient came to the hospital on Feb. 23, but did not disclose his travel history until the next day, B Care Medical Center said in a statement. The patient came into contact with 30 medical personnel at the hospital, who later tested negative for the virus and are in self-quarantine at home, the statement said. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-thailand-idUSKCN20K0NL

Sobering indeed. A key part of the article is surely this one. After SARS it was widely reported that another similar illness would eventually appear and that it would originate in China where animals and humans often exist in close proximity to each other. Early and continuing research is vital with all new illnesses. Lest we forget, researchers now believe the first known AIDS patient in the USA was a teenager Robert Rayford whose immune system was dysfunctional and who suffered from a number of highly unusual symptoms including Kaposi's syndrome. Rayford died in St. Louis in 1969. The autopsry results baffled doctors. It was only in 1988 that tests found HIV antibodies in his blood samples. How he was infected is not known. It is suspected that he could have been a child prostitute. St. Louis was TWA's international hub city. The case was so unusual it was the subject of an extensive 1973 article in the medical journal Lymphology. It is mere speculation but had research continued on Rayford's death, could the HIV pandemic have been nipped in the bud?

3rd guy from the pic is the architect...

It's hard for the masseur or the customer to calibrate, so real-time feedback can help. You can start with medium and if you sense it's not what you want, I just tell the guy. I've noticed that if I haven't had a foot massage (for example) for a while, I only like medium-soft on my feet proper but as strong as he can get on my quads, so I just tell him that. Forearms I have the same issue - very sensitive for the first few massages then that issue goes away. [I give a short list before a massage of things like this shoulder is bad be careful, very tight here at the neck and right quad and IT band - needs extra attention, etc.] Certainly in western sports/deep tissue massage a certain amount of "pain" is absolutely part of the program to break up knots and adhesions. But there's pain/discomfort and real pain-pain. I tend to have knots in my upper back and shoulders that take a lot of time for the masseur to ease up and release, and there's definitely "pain" involved, whether the massage is here or at Bliss in NYC (just to pick a western spa). One potentially helpful guideline I've heard is you never want to be tensing up when the masseur is trying to release those knots, so guide the masseur to keep the pressure at a level below where you might be tensing up, wherever that may be. Real men like to be pampered too, so nothing wrong with just getting a soft massage and not worrying about it.

2nd guy on the pic is the chef...

Sunday. Gafieira Elite in Centro ... It used to be a very famous dancing place in the 1930s. It is still open and run by the same family. Do not be afraid by the aspect of the building or the very steep staircase to go to the 1st floor. The place is amazing. Live music, performed by a band of 8 musicians is great. It is normally a str8 place but every friday before carnaval and during the 5 days of Carnaval it is gay. Not (m)any tourists there of course ! I went there with a friend who made me discover the place. Entrance is at street level. Dancing at 1st floor and Mezzaninu is used as a back room. You can be naked there and have fun before going back dancing and drinking beer below ... Only drawback is that since it is very close to Sambodromo, it seems that uber pick up place in the area has to be the Sambodromo. We had to walk back in Center at 3 am. Luckily, there were still many people and police in the streets. The manager advised us not to walk holding our phone in our hand though ... Pic above is hetero party from FB Elite site. An even bigger party is planned Tuesday Feb 25th.

The procedure at Prime massage now is your hands are sprayed with some sanitizing spray and your temperature is tested using one of those forehead guns before you can get in to make an appointment. You have to wear a mask while booking (there's a sign that says they sell them for 10B if you don't have one) and the manager and his girl sidekick are both wearing masks. Masseurs wear masks. The usual spa smell is now a mixture of lemongrass and disinfectant. I and the other patrons were all wearing masks during the foot massage part. I took mine off for the Thai massage (but I am pretty sure the masseur kept his on). All very re-assuring. I wouldn't mind if the bars adopted similar procedures at the door. (Obviously the spray of disinfectant isn't as good as a long proper handwashing, but it's still better than nothing. Good for them for doing it.)

117 : Lots of boys and customers. Regulars plus some new faces. No stunning boy in the new faces for me. Shows with Drag Queens even crazier than usually. All prices are increased during carnaval. In restaurants, on the menu, a tape is simply put on usual prices and new prices, increased by at least 30 %, are indicated. Hopefully, they will remove tape by wednesday ... The carnavals in the street are amazing. They are everywhere. There are so many gorgeous men in Brazil. Most are bare chested, often wearing only a short skirt. Lots of eye candy ! It is same as Ipanema beach on sunday, except that it is in the whole city and day and night during 5 days ... Sex symbols are everywhere (but real thing is better).

Yes. In front of metro

Os amigos da onça. The friends of jaguar. Flamengo beach

I find the reactions and comments to this post as interesting as the topic itself. After three years and repeat visits and time together, I assumed that the OP had sufficient mental capacity to think about whether his guy is right for the long haul before asking him to marry. There are good points about finding some cultural support groups. Certainly in the U.S. there are in many places significant Laos and Thai communities. I have a home in the middle of nowhere in a town with 9,000 people and there's a Thai wat with three monks 12 minutes drive away. His guy - who is likely not an entirely passive participant in this process - may also know, or be Facebook friends with, people who have gone to the U.S. Pretty much all over Thailand and adjoining countries there are people from the village who have moved to the States or Europe. Sources for shared experiences and advice. If his guy wants to give the U.S. a shot - I say go for it. I happen to know and staying regular contact with several guys right now from Laos and Vietnam who are in the States, going to school and adapting (plus of course occasional bouts of homesickness). For some it's like going to the "show" from minor league baseball. But nice to see so much of the sort of condescension and pedantry I usually think of as my bailiwick.

Hi Schuft, Congratulations and good luck. If you didn't try to achieve this you would always wonder. I went into a similar situation after a long distance relationship. Like you I was aware that he might not adapt to local conditions(which in my case were unfortunately without any thai infrastructure), I was at work every day for long hours etc. But it was fine and we are still together twenty years later, and the large age gap remains a large age gap! So happy I took that risk, and what a fight we had for the early visas. All worth it a hundredfold.

Carnaval in Rio is really amazing ... I did not realize that there are so many street events ("blocos"). The atmosphere is that of supporters after a soccer game in which their team won the game : jokes, drinks, fun ... but it is in the whole city and during 5 days ! And it is sexy as hell. Lots of good looking boys, wearing only a short skirt and having fun. Many blocos are gay or gay friendly (or is it the ones I went to ?). The bloco of Carmelitas started the ceremonies on friday at 1 pm in Santa Teresa. Saturday, starting at 7 am there was the bloco of amigos da onça (friends of jaguar) on the Flamengo beach. A very good one. Perfect for eye candy. Lots of young men (and women of course) in various stages of undress. Lots of drinks and so many beach vendors. Uninterrupted long line of men pissing in front of the sea or in front of Aterro ... Many couples deep tongue kissing everywhere. There are the couples who came together of course but also boys stopping in front of girls or boys they do not know but like and starting to deep tongue kissing as though the world was soon over. Mainly locals in Flamengo ie very few tourists only coming in small groups with a guide and grabbing their cameras as if they were sure to be robbed soon. 5 pm in Ipanema for Banda de Ipanema. A very famous group active since 50 years. Under rain at the beginning. Many many tourists there of course who attract a lot of pickpockets and boys from favelas. Extreme caution is needed there. Even when I came back at my olace in Botafogo was a local bloco ("pinta mas nao borra") in the streets !

Even if successful in getting him a visa to USA, many Thai boys are miserable, lonely, and depressed to be away from home, family, their own culture, language, etc. Friends are very important for a Thai guy, Thai peer friends. Many older farangs only think about their own happiness and things unravel quickly. So many of us have had the same dream and so few find success. Each of us think this boy is special. We think how can I feel so strongly and he not. This must be real must be true. Alas, most of us only learn from experience and some never learn and keep repeating over and over. No body heeds advice, we ask but don't follow because we know this boy is different and how can I feel so strongly and it not be real, not be mutual . I know 75 y.o+ men who believe their 20 y.o. boyfriend prefer old men in bed..

From The Guardian Vietnam police charge seven over role in trafficking Police in Vietnam have charged seven people in connection with the deaths of 39 migrants whose bodies were discovered in the back of a lorry in the UK in 2019, authorities said late on Thursday. The victims, who included two 15-year-old boys, were mostly from two provinces in north-central Vietnam, where poor job prospects, encouragement by authorities, smuggling gangs and environmental issues have fuelled migration. Seven defendants, including a Vietnamese woman living in China, were charged with creating immigration profiles for 67 people in Vietnam for illegal work in Britain and Europe, Ha Tinh province regional police said in a statement. Police referred specifically to the case of 26-year-old Pham Thi Tra My, who was one of the victims found in the back of a lorry in Essex on 23 October last year. “They contacted the victim in late June 2019 and charged her $22,000 to create immigration profiles,” the statement said. “The victim in September was then taken to China, France and the UK.” British police last week arrested two more people over the deaths. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/21/essex-lorry-deaths-vietnam-police-charge-seven-over-role-in-trafficking

Rio. Very hot. Since I met a friend in the afternoon, I went late to 117. Many boys but none new to my liking. 117 is having special shows for Carnaval. I expect new faces to be seen !

I have been to Carnival several times and always enjoyed it. Good that you are staying close to the metro as it is open 24hours during the days of Carnival and it is a great way to get around during Carnival. Uber and taxi's are still available but there are frequent road closures and traffic jams so metro is the way to go if possible. For the Sambadrome there is a gay party on Friday night in a private box with open bar and a front row view of the parade. It's great to be right up front and to be able to go inside the private box to get out of the rain if it starts. Tickets are cheaper when bought months in advance but you can still buy them online here. https://www.candybox.com.br If you buy tickets you need to go pick them up in advance at their location in Ipanema. For other nights in the Sambadrome you will probably be somewhere in the stands which is certainly enjoyable but nothing like a front row view. For other nights you can generally buy tickets from various online ticket sellers. A couple of times I even bought tickets for the stands from scalpers outside the Sambadrome at a not too inflated price. Make sure you ride the metro to the Sambadrome as taxi's cannot even drop off or pick up close to there. There are street parties everywhere called bloccos and the theme changes. One fun one I went to was the neon themed party that they have every year. The location changes every year so for bloccos ask some locals if they can help you find out where the best parties are every night. The big club The Week is busy during Carnival with Circuit type events but most of my friends in Rio avoid it during Carnival as there are so many free alternatives on the streets. I usually still go there at some point during Carnival and it is fun. Needless to say watch your phone and wallet during Carnival in the crowds. Even my very savvy friend who has grown up in Rio has lost his phone during carnival. I have seen many fights and even been tear gassed during Carnival--especially in the later days of the celebration. Best to get away from the crowd at the first sign of any problem. Saunas are busy and fun. I am sure you will enjoy Carnival--or at least parts of it. Make sure to report back!

Note: following local abbreviation custom, I may continue to use C for Calle (east-west) and K for Carrera (north-south). For example, the OXXO store is the intersection of Calle 16 and Carrera 5 (C16K5). Previous posts have described the unique delineation of specific addresses using the C or K, depending on the particular exact location, and adding the cross street and building number. I wanted to fully render the OXXO store address to illustrate but an error in Google Maps prevents it. Welcome to South America. The same problem occurs for the Gold Museum. It is on K6 and C16 but listed as C15, ostensibly because it is on the south side of C16 but north of an imaginary extension of C15 not that far away but south of it. Sorry!

I've had the opposite experience. I find the Thai guys overwhelmingly honest.