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I would not be shocked if I learned that a young Thai man used some of the cash I sent him to have fun. Unlike many westerners, who primarily concern themselves with how many assets they have gathered right up until they draw their last breath, Thai culture has always been more concerned with fun in the moment. And it's not fun unless it's in a social context. Thais don't care to enjoy themselves alone--if that's even possible--and more they like to eat alone. In fact, I'd be glad he got some joy from my gift. Many, if not most, of the guys we meet know poverty from childhood. They come to BKK or Pattaya to escape it and send some of their earnings back home in the time honored tradition. But they're also young and place a high priority of celebrating their youth with their buddies. And as we are constantly reminded, you're only young once. Those guys from Thailand (or any of the other SE Asian nations whose sons gravitate to Thailand) who ask us for something aren't robbing us like the man in the OP who used coercion in one form or another. They're just taking a chance and asking. If we choose to demand a litmus test, it becomes a transaction instead of a gift. No, I'm not advocating sending off cash on a whim to someone I've never met. But I am talking about young men we have come to know; those who made our lives more bearable because they didn't reject us out of hand as many in our own country would. If there was ever a time in our world we might see our way free to return the favor, this very well might be that time.

I too did quarantine in December last year. It was really very, very little different to what is required now. One extra test maybe. No biggy. I did the full 14 days, starting with day 0, and not released until day 14 was complete. So really 16 days. The rules changed half way through...not allowed in the exercise gym...because I was British. Not allowed to swim, just sit by the pool. Not nice with all the kids running around, so with the no exercise rule I spent the whole time in my room, except for one visit to the pool and one to the exercise yard. I got a lot of jip from some people on the boards for even bothering to come at all to Thailand, but at the time everything was open. So it was worth it. And I enjoyed my 4 month stay. I have to say now, with everything closed, I wouldn’t bother. But when things are open again of course I will return...for an extended stay of course (minimum 3 months).

I agree with anddy on this one. And if the current measures fail to significantly curtail Covid, I see things getting far more difficult before they get any better. I applaud efforts to bring this under control and nobody wants Thailand to become another India, but some of the more absurd rules have found a special place on my "I Don't Get It" list.

Went to Lagoa last night, their first night open after about a month. Hours are Noon- 7pm but let most stay until 8pm. Was the busiest I think 've seen it in the new space. Namazu was there along with a couple of other board members. I told Namazu that people were waiting for his updates and he said he's busy "making new content", lmao I was also in Rio last week, the Atlantico Copacabana rooms were about $20 usd a night, felt like old times staying there. Lions is closed with doubts that it will re-open, who knows. Point 202 had a few good nights Meio Mundo is good on Monday, 117 was good on Tuesday, 202 on Wed.....but 202 seemed like it had the most going on more than just 1 night. With restrictions in SP of most everything closing at 7pm is kind of different, but I always plan to have someone come to my place after to keep me entertained. Seems like if you get into a restaurant or sauna before 7pm, you can stay until 8pm. That's all I got, not the writer like Namazu....I don't know how he does it

Missing is Thailand. But, tons of friends have retired to both Costa Rica and Mexico and loved it. Here is the full list with a lot of Central and South American countries. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/06/best-budget-friendly-places-to-retire-in-2021-report.html

Sriracha Tiger Zoo in Chonburi province posted on its Facebook page that it was closing down permanently from Friday, 24 years since it opened. The management will hold a meeting with employees next Monday to explain the reasons for going out of business as well as discuss other issues, said Wasan Temsiriphong, the zoo’s managing director. https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40000443 I spent many a day here with boys from Pattaya. Some really good memories and one case of the worst food poisoning I have ever had (thanks to trying, crocodile food, tarantula, and some delicacies I never heard of). Here are a few photos from over the 20 years.

If you go to the website that produced this video (gaythaicool) you'll find a tab that contains listings and photos of many massage shops in Bangkok and Pattaya. https://gaythaicool.com/tag/boy-massage/

I am definitely in mourning over this one. Olympia and I go way back. She was an amazing talent, a delicious friend, a witty intellect, and I know very few in Hollywood with hearts and souls as big as hers. I loved her. This is a very sad time for those whose lives she touched.

CameraPrive https://cameraprive.com/us/guys Riobard questions payments to CameraPrive in the "Lagoa Last Night" thread... pointing out the discrepancy between payments made by Brazilians and those made by foreigners and asking in what currency appears on your bank statement... CameraPrive is indeed massively skewed against foreign users. You can only purchase "credits" in either Brazilian Reais, USD or Euros. The cost of "credits" for foreigners is something like $99 or 99€ for 300 credits... whereas it is only 300R$ ($56 or 47€) for Brazilians to purchase the same 300 credits. One solution is to register and then make your initial payments in Reais. Paying in Reais involves using a CPF generator such as https://theonegenerator.com/generators/documents/cpf-generator/ or https://www.fakeaddressgenerator.com/World/Brazil_address_generator And then paying for your "credits" using a credit card. It is wise to have a credit card that charges low currency conversion and foreign transaction fees. Transactions are smooth and safe. On my credit card statement, I am charged in my home currency and the conversion (to Reais) is shown in the description Cannily, CameraPrive does not allow you to initially purchase in USD or EURO and then switch to Reais once you realise that you're being fleeced as a foreigner. Instead you have to create a new account. Another disadvantage for foreigners, is that CameraPrive run regular time-limited discount codes on their Portuguese-only twitter account. On the plus side, they do have occasional well publicised discount weekends (normally around Brazilian public holidays, Valentines Day, Black Friday) where credits are sold with a 5-15% discount.

I have been getting a lot of use and value out of my bread maker too. The smell of freshly baked bread and fresh coffee takes me right back to my grandmother's kitchen at age 7! So many people started baking their own bread during Covid that the machines sold out and yeast/flour got very hard to find. I was glad I had stocked up on a good supply. Yesterday I used the machine to knead the dough for today's picnic. Made New England style hot dog buns. Bring on the extra relish!!

During Covid, I found the use of a bread machine wonderful. Every week I cook one or two loafs of fresh bread. I still love the Beer Cheese bread. But, I've also tried many other things. I found this great site for some flour and kitchen supplies. https://www.schmidt.co.th/en//

Me too...this song has everything and when you add the ingenious animated story it's a true top winner.

Now they have a new color scheme: dark red, red and orange. No more yellow and green. They change not just the classifications of provinces according to the latest infections numbers, but change the whole scheme when things change. I think this is the third scheme.... After failing to cancel Songkran and thus spreading the virus nicely throughout the country, at least they are trying to get it under control quickly with the usual measures, but some are a new low of not making sense: Closing restaurants for dine in, fair enough, only take-away/delivery BUT ONLY UNTIL 9pm!! WTF is that supposed to achieve? Probably a de-facto curfew without having to actually call it one. No idea how that helps limiting virus spread. */end of rant lol Anyway, all the high flying opening plans for July and October look very much like pipe dreams again (unsurprisingly)

From Popular Science This cryptic megalithic site is thousands of years old, but its origin story is still not fully known Nestled in the mountain ridges and hilly slopes of northern Laos lies one of archaeology’s greatest mysteries. Strewn across about 30 square miles, in seemingly random formation, are thousands of large stone jars. Popularly called Laos’s Plain of Jars, this unique place became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2019, though its origins are still shrouded in mystery. Archaeologists have spent years hypothesizing the purpose and origin story of these megalithic vessels, which range from 3 to 10 feet in height and can weigh up to 14 tons. But nobody has found strong evidence for any one theory until now. New research published in PLOS One in March shows that these jars were used as burial sites. And while the jars themselves could be more than 3,000 years old, analysis of human remains suggest people were buried alongside these jars as recently as 700 or 800 years ago. A multicultural team assembled to complete this research, which involved several excavation expeditions to four jar sites in the Laos mountainsides. During their last trip, in February 2020, they quickly uncovered more human burial sites and collected samples for later analysis. The team then promptly had to disperse, making it home in time for their respective countries’ COVID lockdowns. Using a variety of techniques including radiocarbon dating, team members in Australia concluded that vessels in the Plain of Jars were placed there as early as the late second millennium BCE. The human remains, on the other hand, seem to come from between the ninth and 13th centuries. That’s a pretty large age difference. It’s possible that the jars have always been used for burials, and that scientists only managed to find younger evidence. But it’s impossible to rule out other theories. It’s also possible that the jars were not originally used for mortuary purposes. Some theories say that these jars were for brewing celebratory rice wine or whiskey. Then, later descendants of the original jar users might have repurposed the vessels for burial rites. While this new research is illuminating, the study authors note that there are still plenty of jar sites in Laos that have not been examined. Those untouched jars could potentially hold new information that might reveal more of the history, and finally close the book on these jars’ mysterious origin story. https://www.popsci.com/story/science/plain-of-jars-laos-burial-site/

Since re-opening last Saturday....only that Sat and the following Sun were any good....rest of the days, blah. But it only takes one to make the night..... Many Guys say that a lot are afraid to go out and many customers don't have the money to spend because of the lack of work during the Pandemic......I'm having fun, but maybe not as exciting for most to be here.....

Is anyone else concerned about mobile banking on their phones? I'm sure I'm too old fashioned but I want nothing to do with it.

they just keep churning them out - 30 more on the way! https://youtu.be/nzoZVUGa_XQ

Not wanting to derail "Lagoa Last Night"... I'll start a new thread about CameraPrive...

Gee whiz - Let's see - unable to leave your quarantine room for 14 days (even prisoners often get 1 hour per day outside), having to clean your room yourself, having to change the bedding yourself, having to eat in your room, and then when released you still can't eat in a restaurant, the bars and all entertainment venues are closed, stores and shopping malls are open under restricted hours, you can't stop in anywhere for a cup of coffee unless you take it away, there's nowhere to go to have a nice breakfast, you can't enjoy a glass of wine with your dinner unless you buy a bottle of wine in a shop and eat and drink in your hotel room, if you are not wearing your face mask every time you set foot outside your room you are subject to a 20,000 baht fine, you can't swim in your hotel's pool because the pools are all closed, it is difficult to travel out of the province where you are staying and then return, you can't visit any museums or historical sites, everything closes by 9:00pm - and some even earlier. Other than that, what's the problem . . . ?