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"there was nothing here" - what an asshole. Reminds me of this fitting meme:

Who knows when any of us will have an opportunity to do this, but the photos and just the thought of it I find enticing. From The Daily Mail How heading for the river's upper reaches to unspoiled Laos will make you feel more like an explorer than a tourist Small, old colonial-style Sabaidee Pandaw is one of only a handful of boutique boats on the Upper Mekong By Caroline Hendrie For The Mail On Sunday The mighty Mekong conjures up images of the busy thoroughfare from its delta in Vietnam to Cambodia – the route taken by most river cruises in South-East Asia. It shows off Old Saigon, the royal palace in Phnom Penn and the astounding 'lost city' of Angkor Wat. But there is another way to cruise the Mekong: from the Golden Triangle in Northern Thailand, through the mountain gorges and jungle of land-locked Laos, and on to its capital, Vientiane. Small, old colonial-style Sabaidee Pandaw is one of only a handful of boutique boats on the Upper Mekong, which makes every passenger feel like a true pioneer. Here are six reasons to choose a cruise aboard this boat on the Upper Mekong in Laos. Your first glimpse of Laos is from a hilltop near the Thai city of Chiang Saen, where Sabaidee Pandaw is moored. The view is of the Golden Triangle, the mountainous region where Northern Thailand meets Laos and Burma. In the distance, orange roofs of new casinos rise from the forest on the Burmese side. Views over Luang Prabang, Laos's laid-back former capital. Here a refreshing glass of nutty cold-drip coffee in riverside Saffron cafe is one of the highlights Continues with photos https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/escape/article-9582195/Heading-Mekongs-upper-reaches-boutique-boat-discover-unspoiled-Laos.html

if Pattaya can be on her way to become family destination, everything is possible

The question surely is: what adaptation and who pays for it? Babylon was a pet project of a very rich man. It was hugely successful for a long time and known worldwide. How does one adapt the Babylon model unless there is another rich Thai with oodles of cash to pay for a sauna experience in a reasonably accessible part of the city - even though it never pays its way? As mentioned, I thought the Moroccan-themed Chakran came close even though it was a much smaller land area. It was certainly the most enjoyable and relaxing sauna compared to the others. I understand the rooftop area was renovated a few years ago with a sort of Japanese theme including a jacuzzi, an onsen and an area with mattresses to relax naked at sunset. I do not know who owns it. No doubt the same man who ran the V Club massage spa on Soi Aree, since V Club was incorporated into the Chakran land some years ago. Before than V Club was a great place to visit as it often had some models and TV starlets available as masseurs. Chakran has been mostly Thai-for-Thai/Asian for quite a few years. I wonder if more farang were to visit regularly they would all be made welcome. Entrance prices depend on age with those over 50 paying about 360 baht, three times the price for 20-24 yos. Still far from unreasonable when you consider that the centrally located and smaller Sauna Mania off Soi Convent seems now to charge 2,000 baht (US$64) for over 50 yo patrons.

Fox's ratings are droppping so that doesn't worry me too much.

I haven't seen it yet, but the new Thai BL series "Call it what you want" is said to revolve around what's going on behind the scenes inspired by real events ...

I expect we must have met (!) - or at least passed in the night - as my visits were as regular. And I agree that one of the reasons I eventually abandoned the new larger premises was the change in clientele. Not that an hour or more with a gorgeous guy from places like Singapore and Hong Kong cannot be as much fun as with a Thai guy. Indeed, one of my fondest memories is with a young guy from Kuala Lumpur. As I have written before I regret I am one who does not share Vinapu's optimism about the future. It's partly about real estate. The central location of too many gay venues of the past have been one cause of their demise. Location for the foreign tourists who were the mainstay of many venues once most of the local Thais had moved away, is vital. Example. When the very popular Albury Massage Spa moved from its Sukhumvit 13 location to its less convenient new one down from Emporium close to Rama 4, it lasted little more than a year before it finally died. The price of central area real estate has become too high. If we think of Babylon, the land value of that entire plot (which is more than just the sauna and the Barracks) must be humungous. Just across the road are the 40 storey Sukhumvit Residences. When they were put on the market ten or so years ago, the apartments were the most expensive in the city. As long as the owner of Babylon was happy to create and look after his Eden for gay men, its future was not in doubt. He had tons of money and it did not matter that Babylon never made profits. If he has now lost his interest, nothing is likely to prevent the land being sold. Developers will be salivating at such a large centrally located plot becoming available. The other issue is one that has occasionally been aired: the dislike of the elite and those in power for Bangkok being known as the gay capital of Asia. One who agrees if the excellent author Alex Kerr who has spent most of his life in Asia, the last 25 or so years in Bangkok. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of and acquaintanceship with several Thai movers and shakers. In a short section dealing with nightlife in his book Bangkok Found, he compares Bangkok today with the dying days of the Weimar Republic in Germany. For a short period, Berlin was the Eden for gay men, as the novelist Christopher Isherwood who lived there has described. Then the Nazis came to power and gay Berlin quickly died. He believes the same fate is in store for Bangkok.