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So, I was curious about Facebook dating and gave it a try. People like you or you like them and if a match, you can chat. I met one guy that I thought was really cute and I wanted to meet him. We chatted for a few days and last night he came to my place for a date. We went to eat (not really as no seating but brought it back to the apartment). We chatted and had a great time. He speaks great English and is into computers and programming. He is a bit young, 20 years old, but very smart and funny. He did enjoy playing games online a bit, but that was fine. The night was great, sex was very good, and he asked for no money at all. He wants a BF. He comes to Bangkok once per week to play volleyball and asked if he could spend next weekend with me as well. I said yes. Since Jupiter Boy has left the picture, it looks like Volleyball Boy has came into the race.

In a relationship you have to. However, before doing so it is necessary to have some understanding of what motivates the other person - their desires, fears and frame of reference. Given the cultural and language gap I clearly do not have 20:20 vision on Bangkok Guy. However, I think (possibly incorrectly) that I have enough visibility to be comfortable trusting him. What makes me comfortable is: * He is very grounded and straightforward. No games or make-believe. If he says something then, assuming he knows what he is talking about, it is so. * His objective in life is not a personal one but a group one - to contribute to his family. Because of this he is not personally grasping. My usefulness is to help him contribute to his family, not to provide glittery gifts. The only times he requests anything it is a family issue. Any clothes or travel is my offer to him and he enjoys this - just watch him Shopping - but it is nothing he has asked for. The only time he has hinted that he would like something personal was the dragon charm, but that was for the luck not the gold because luck is always useful to help you contribute to your family. * When we are together it is clear that I am to be looked after. This may be because it is only natural to look after a water buffalo so it continues to be productive. It may be affection, after all it is possible to feel affection for the family water buffalo. It may be a little romance. Bangkok Guy has a romantic heart. He likes the attention I pay him as much or more than anything I give him. A shirt is nice, but when I admire him in a shirt, that is really satisfying. The most satisfying is when I pay him thoughtful little courtesies which show I am thinking of him. * We amuse each other. I enjoy his sense of mischief but beyond that his continual combination of niceness/straightforwardness/optimism somehow tickles me. Watching him process life though this lens continually makes me smile. Somehow, I amuse him. I quite often see him watching me with a look of quiet amusement. I have no idea what about me amuses him. Possibly I simply process life in a way that amuses him. The point is, he feels like a friend and because friends see each other more clearly than lovers, there is a better basis for trust. All this may of course be wishful thinking and a melange of misinterpretation. Still, I will trust, because without trust nothing is possible.

All is revealed! So that's where the young Thais and Asians went, leaving Babylon for the likes of me.

Yes, I agree... Lets Milk Him Now!

I've liked the Hampton Inn centro Historico....never had a problem and the location is good. AVOID the Hilton in front of the Bellas Artes...IMPOSSIBLE to bring someone back.

Brazilian presidential hopeful Eduardo Leite comes out as gay But governor who hopes to challenge Jair Bolsonaro next year backed the far-right leader in 2018 Eduardo Leite at a vaccination clinic in Porto Alegre in January. He told TV Globo on Thursday night: ‘I’m a governor who is gay rather than a gay governor.’ Photograph: Matheus Pe/Zuma Wire/Rex/Shutterstock Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro Fri 2 Jul 2021 15.38 BST Last modified on Fri 2 Jul 2021 16.35 BST One of Brazil’s leading politicians, the presidential hopeful Eduardo Leite, has announced he is gay – a rare move celebrated by many as a triumph over prejudice in a country whose president has declared himself a proud homophobe. Leite, the 36-year-old governor of the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, made the announcement on Thursday night during an interview with the country’s top broadcaster, TV Globo. “I’m gay – and I’m a governor who is gay rather than a gay governor. Just as Obama in the United States wasn’t a black president, but a president who was black. And I’m proud of this,” said Leite, from the centre-right Brazilian Social Democratic party (PSDB). The politician, who hopes to challenge the far-right leader, Jair Bolsonaro, in next year’s presidential election, said he had nothing to hide, but wished sexual orientation was “a non-issue” in Brazil. Leite’s revelation sparked an outpouring of support from activists and fellow politicians. “I know the pain the prison of the closet represents, particularly in a conservative environment like politics,” tweeted Fabiano Contarato, who became Brazil’s first openly gay senator in 2018. “You’ve made history,” the veteran LGBT campaigner Toni Reis wrote on Facebook. Leite thanked people for their support, tweeting: “The countless messages of affection and support that I’m receiving leave me absolutely convinced: love will defeat hatred!” Not everyone celebrated Leite’s revelation, with many activists remembering how Leite had supported Bolsonaro in the 2018 election despite the populist’s notorious history of homophobia. In a 2013 interview with Stephen Fry – which the British actor later called “one of the most chilling confrontations I’ve ever had with a human being” – Bolsonaro proclaimed: “Brazilian society doesn’t like homosexuals.” Jean Wyllys, who was the first openly gay member of Brazil’s congress to fight for LGBT rights, said Leite had never repented for backing Bolsonaro, who had spent decades “perpetrating the most vile and sordid kind of homophobia”. Wyllys said: “This chap had many opportunities to defend the LGBT community and he didn’t. On the contrary … he was a Bolsonarista until yesterday – and he’s probably still one today, because at no point has he retracted his support for Bolsonaro. “So I don’t celebrate this. I’m not part of this team of people who are commemorating this chap coming out of the closet as if it was some great accomplishment for Brazil’s LGBT community.” Wyllys went on to call Leite’s announcement a strategic move designed to boost his presidential hopes. Renan Quinalha, a lawyer and LGBT activist, said he welcomed Leite’s announcement on a personal level. “It’s really cool that a guy can discover himself and accept who he is – and find the strength and courage to do so – because it isn’t an easy process. As a gay man, I know what it was like for me … so it’s important to applaud this. I also think it is objectively really positive that Brazil’s new generations see a governor … coming out as gay. Visibility helps.” But Quinalha was troubled by Leite’s decision to describe himself as “a governor who is gay” and not a “gay governor”. “It’s not just a play on words … he’s clearly sketching a dividing line between certain gay existences that are legitimate, and others that are not,” Quinalha said, questioning why Leite had not simply said: “I’m gay. Full stop.” Leite declared he would vote for Bolsonaro on the eve of the 2018 election despite claiming he was not “100% comfortable” with his ideas. He called the decision “a democratic gesture”, but insisted he represented “the politics of love, not hate”. Last month, Leite found himself on the receiving end of Bolsonaro’s homophobia – which activists blame for a rise in anti-LGBT violence – when Brazil’s president suggested to supporters the governor might have concealed federal resources in his anus. Leite told TV Globo he was considering whether to file a criminal complaint.

We are no longer long lost twins as you are 4 times more generous than me, lol nothing wrong with such an idea, at least keepsake like that is kind of useful, "Manner of Death " t-shirt I wear quite often and even once was stopped in the park by curious lady asking what this is all about and which guy killed other one ( there are both Max and Tul on it )

Thanks; I love this post, not only because it's Covid-free but because so much of it resonates profoundly with those of us who in LTRs and are consequently struggling to ensure that our loved-ones are coping. I understand your decisions to help BG. I expect you have heard the warnings- silent or otherwise- not to be taken-in, exploited, abused and so on. We give, sometimes generously, but the amount of happiness and relief that our money provides is worth it. I've never gone hungry because of P; I've never said, "No, that new shirt is beyond me at the moment..." and so on. I tell him- and it is true- that giving money to him gives me happiness. And as a Buddhist, he appreciates this fully, perhaps beyond my understanding. The money I have I saved by missing four trips has certainly helped P..... a new smart TV, a new motor cy, the re-seeding of his small-holding and a spirit house the size of a Bangkok temple ....well almost.... not to mention the other day-to day expenses, none of which I have missed. He has done well out of lockdown!

It's clear we all have stories to tell about our times in Asia. Not necessarily with the boys of our dreams or the times of our lives. Often just general observations that strike us for one reason or another. Since few of us can travel and our time at home has not only already extended for the better part of 15 months but there is no end in sight, this little series (hopefully more will contribute) may help to while away the time - as well as raise a smile or two. As mentioned in another thread about Gay Icons, about 5 years ago I used to write for a blog run by an Ozzie guy. I kept much of the material and it's easy to bring it more up to date. So I'll start the ball rolling with an experience centred on two cute late teens Japanese guys. Dedicated Followers of Fashion I guess it must have been about 20 years or so ago. I had just spent a fun evening at the Ueno branch of Tokyo's 24 Sauna (the more popular branch in Shinjuku ni-chome had not yet opened) and was close to Ueno station for the train back to my hotel. It was then that I saw them. Two youngish Japanese guys chatting and laughing and turning right to the stairs taking them up towards the platforms. They looked cute - as most Japanese in their late teens do. Not unnaturally I followed, staying three or four steps behind so that my eyes would be in line with what I assumed had to a pair of lovely, lightly muscled Japanese derrières! Not that I had failed to see any in the sauna a little earlier. Far from it! Being a Saturday evening, 24 had been busy. The communal bathing area, the more personal showers and the rain shower room had all been full of a variety of tempting naked bodies. Even the darker communal rooms upstairs where coupling took place either on large mattresses on the floor or bunk beds with bodies only occasionally covered by duvets, had been witness to some lovely pounding flesh. But as I climbed those steps, assumption was as far as I would get that evening. Japanese youngsters are mostly slaves to the latest fashion craze. In my enthusiasm I had totally forgotten that the fashion of the day was a sort of grunge, loose-fitting look - in the case of my two boys, so loose that the crotch of their pants was as low as their knees. What a terrible shame, I thought! And then I remembered those days when skin-tight jeans had been all the rage. A bit before my time, but I had heard tales and seen photos of the mods and rockers and the skinhead motorcycle gangs. Drainpipe jeans, as they were called, had been all the rage then. Yet somehow for a growing boy who had never seen an Asian in his life, they held absolutely no appeal for me My youth coincided with the most inappropriately named bell-bottoms, for they had absolutely nothing to do with "bottoms" as I then associated the word. Cut rather tightly over the hips and thighs, these then flared out from the knee so that the bottom of the pants would be almost as wide as the length of the boots most commonly worn with them. Why on earth anyone thought these were fashionable beats me. But for a while they were immensely popular. The 1980s and 1990s seemed to flash by as I paid little attention to fashion trends. My work demanded suits or at least jacket and slacks, with jeans rarely figuring in my day-to-day existence. In those days before the Internet when hook ups took place mostly in bars and clubs, at first glance faces were more interesting than the lower part of guys' anatomies. By around the mid-2000s quite suddenly, or so it seemed to me, a merciful revolution took place. Around the world, designers decided that slim and skin-tight would return as the new 'look'. Young guys in Tokyo and all around Asia got rid of those low crotch garments in favour of increasingly hip-hugging, crotch-hugging, thigh-hugging, lower leg-hugging pants. Fashion now dictated that the precise contours of the lower body, every shape and every muscle, henceforth be visible in all their glory! All? Well, not quite all! Whilst derrières may now be proudly displayed leaving precious little to a fertile imagination, a certain degree of modesty extends to the slightly more loose-fitting front. No doubt some will suggest that in their quiescent state, few Asians have much to boast about in that department. And as a habitue of saunas and hot springs around parts of Asia in those days, I agree that is not entirely untrue. But then, who walks around with a permanent erection? And I can guarantee that once standing tall I have seen many young Asians with equipment that is more than merely satisfactory - in a few cases even humungous! But then, that's another story. In the meantime, I am just thrilled that every day I am able to see dozens of perfectly lovely slim young Asian guys showing me how they will look once those pants have been pulled off. Now if only someone would come up with a way of getting them off in a flash rather than the inelegant and constant tugging now required, many of us would be in seventh heaven.

A Thai friend of mine’s dismissive comment on sauna mania: “Office girls!”

How do they reconcile that with the FB "real names policy" ? or (I'm not a FB user) is that a thing of the past?

Only need an antigen test for USA

Yes! LOUD AND CLEAR!!! We tramps have to stick together.

My choices are less upscale : Stryker Force Tradewinds / best butt ever filmed / California Kings

Corresponding with Bangkok Guy over the last several months has given me a little insight into how hard Covid is making life for poor Thais (Bangkok Guy is straightforward about his economic status as he is about everything “I am very poor person”). Back in April I noticed a ring on his wedding finger. “You marry lady! How many children you have!” “Nooo” he replies, rolling his eyes at such a silly suggestion. Falang can be so silly. “No? Then you marry hot muscle boy from Jupiter!” Bangkok Guy likes the buff Jupiter guys. “Nooo”, this time with head down slightly bashfully as for some reason his attraction to Jupiter muscle studs is secret. Then, looking at me bright with mischief, “You give me”. “I?” “Yes, give me dragon but risky, people steal, so get ring”. Last trip I gave him the money to buy a fat gold dragon charm on a red cord bracelet. The serious business of comparison Shopping had run us out of time to buy one before the shops shut, so I gave him the cash. I had not seen him wearing it. Now all is explained, sort of. Bangkok Guy is not one to make things up, so if he says risky then it is risky. Possibly economic stress is leading to desperate acts in the poorer parts of Bangkok he inhabits. He is not a fantasist, so I doubt he just went and bought a ring in a haze of self-delusion. However, as a safer way to carry gold, a ring is a nice rationalization for a little bit of wish-fulfillment. “Ok” I smile. He beams. I have acknowledged the ring as from me, even though he knows it does not signify that the full requirements of his fantasy are met. Then for a week I can’t contact him on Line. I email. He does not have his iphone anymore, but email is ok. I don’t ask for an explanation and don’t offer to buy an iphone and so we correspond by email, which is not as good as seeing him. In May, panic. Fully fledged. It is the famous time-payment tractor again. His market has been closed so he does not have the money for his contribution. His mother also does not have her contribution. If the payment is missed they will lose the tractor and it is the final payment. His desperation is real. He has been contributing to paying this thing off for about 7 years. When I met him he was a student and I suspect dancing was his way to earn the money to contribute to the tractor. In the past he has shown me financial documents, so I don’t think the tractor is a more sophisticated version of ‘buffalo me die’. Although, with the documents, it could be a very sophisticated version. I ask what the balance due is. Much less than I expected. I send the cash. His emotion is something I have not seen from him before. He is a calm, cheerful, balanced guy. “You save my life” along with a photo of the paid bill. By late June I am getting tired of not seeing him, so I ask if he would like an iphone. “Thanks you. I want but it’s not necessary because expensive”. How to interpret that? He is careful with money, but I don’t think that is the answer. Maybe he wants the money but not an iphone? Maybe an iphone is at risk of being stolen? My guess is that the money would be appreciated but an iphone is at risk of being stolen and is also just not a need when other needs are more pressing. I have a trip booked early in the New Year and had intended to surprise him with the cash to buy his great aunt’s plot of land. I decide he probably needs it now and send it to him out of the blue, explaining what it is for. Bangkok Guy’s thanks are effusive. He is off to the Provinces. There is a great sense of relief. My guess is that he wanted to get the heck out of Bangkok but felt obliged to stay to try to scrape up some additional income to contribute to the family. I don’t think he will use the cash to buy the land for himself. My guess is that it will be used to contribute to the family, enabling him to get out of Bangkok and return home while retaining face. He is also fulfilling his part of our deal and praying for the success of my business “I wish your business better and better”. Remind me to ask my accountant about expensing Bangkok Guy as Head of Celestial Outreach. So now I have a very happy Bangkok Guy who apparently has my ring.

I don't tend to watch anything more than once...maybe twice at the most. But I did watch The Love of Siam at least 10 or 12 times. For several years it was my Christmas day tradition to watch it since it is set at Christmas time.

U can always create a second fb account and fb have made it easy to swap between accounts.

I thought I had never seen any movie ten times - then realised there is one I love which I have shown to many friends and boyfriends, Everyone loved it Victor Victoria with the quite wonderful Robert Preston as a gay nightclub singer, Julie Andrews, James Garner and Leslie Anne Warren Coming close would be Woody Allen's Manhattan with George Gershwin's great music.

Haha so many to choose from. I can stare at my various shelves of DVDs for ages looking for a 'different' one to watch; usually fail miserably, and then resort to one of my shelf-full of favourites. I am going to cheat and list three series/groups: Lord of the Rings/Hobbit Harry Potter Thor Undemanding fantasy, just what I need when I want to be able to relax over my dinner. And if I should fall asleep for a while during the film - doesn't matter, I know them all by heart

From The Thaiger 70% of city Covid cases are Delta strain One of Thailand’s top virologists is in the news again this week. This time, Dr Yong Poovorawan is making the news for his assertion that 70% of all new Covid cases in Thailand are of the Delta variant. Earlier this week, Dr Yong Poovorawan faced allegations of mishandling Thailand’s Covid situation. A petition was even started calling for his removal. Yesterday, Dr Yong posted on Facebook to say that the Delta variant was first detected among construction workers and is the 4th variant to appear on the scene. He went on to re-cap the spread of the Alpha variant from the Thonglor area of Bangkok, and how another wave came from Samut Sakhon through Burmese migrant workers. The doctor warns in his post that people who are infected with the Delta variant often don’t realise where they got it due to the variant’s easy transmissibility. He says the infections will only go up and recommends everyone is diligent in their Covid precautions. For example, he suggests if it is not necessary to go outside, don’t. https://thethaiger.com/news/national/renowned-thai-doctor-says-70-of-new-covid-cases-are-delta-variant =========================== 5,916 new infections Today the public health department has announced 5,916 new infections and 44 Covid-related deaths. 39 of the total are attributed to Thai prisons. The report indicates a stabilisation of numbers after 3 days hovering around the 6,000-per-day level of new cases. But Sundays often return lower-than-usual reports. https://thethaiger.com/news/national/sunday-covid-update-5916-new-infections-provinces

Let's just the say democracy prevails and people's voice is heard!

Surely Grand Master sounds a bit too much like chess? Maybe others could come up with more appropriate suggestions for some of the categories. Like Desirable Dick Wondrous Wanker Slurpy Sucker Prolific Poofter Fabulous Fucker

right, being close to somebody with little of material possessions and still seeing him having happy life clears our mind to a great degree and when we will be gone , whoever will be cleaning our house will be happy that there's so little work to be done dumping all that to Royal Cartage provided trash container

Strangely, this is true and I think also gives me a clearer perspective on what is important in my life. Since I have known Bangkok Guy my interest in material possessions has declined. Let's not take that too far, I am still quite materialistic. But I now find myself comparing an acquisition with what the same money would mean to Bangkok Guy and the majority of times deciding that the object I am contemplating will not in fact increase my happiness.

The ownership of Siam Bioscience has been widely reported in the Thai media. This was made clear in the Bangkok Post earlier this year. "Thailand-based Siam Bioscience Co Ltd, 100%-owned by the Crown Property Bureau, produces the vaccines for AstraZeneca, with a capacity of 200 million doses a year for exports to Asean." https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2046003/35m-more-shots-to-be-bought-in-2021 Oz cautioned members not to post comments or articles "negative of the monarchy" last year. As far as I have observed, his warning has been complied with.

Midwifery magazine shares gorgeous cover celebrating trans men who give birth The Practising Midwife's May issue celebrated trans fathers. (The Practising Midwife/Lauren Rebbeck) A British midwifery magazine has shared an incredible cover that shows that, yes, trans men can give birth – and you bet it ticked off transphobes. In a cover designed by illustrator Lauren Rebbeck for its 24th volume in May, The Practising Midwife emphatically said that trans men who give birth are “amazing”. Part of the magazine’s Normal Birth series, the cover features a trans Black man after giving birth to a baby as his partner looks on in pride. His fist raised in the air, showing a rainbow tattoo with the words “right on” underneath. Of course, because their hobby is hate, the cover quickly became the target of transphobic Twitter trolls and anti-trans pressure groups. After The Practising Midwife shared a roundup of some of its recent covers in June, it abruptly entered the radar of a cavalcade of anti-trans Twitter accounts who decided to focus their collective efforts on attacking a… midwifery magazine. This being from the same group who have previously assailed a mental health charity for, er, proudly standing up for trans rights. But the magazine refused to be buffeted by the pile-on and issued a statement on Twitter on Monday (28 June), proudly coming out swinging for trans rights. “We are committed to representation at all levels and also to ensuring that our publications provide a safe space for all birthing people and maternity care workers to learn, care and share with one another,” it read. We are committed to representation at all levels and also to ensuring that our publications provide a safe space for all birthing people and maternity care workers to learn, care and share with one another. We do not welcome or invite any commentary that compromises these values. — ThePractisingMidwife (@TPM_Journal) June 28, 2021 “We do not welcome or invite any commentary that compromises these values.” And readers and fans alike agreed. Countless trans folk, allies, community leaders and activist groups praised the cover as “beautiful” and for its unbridled ability to rankle transphobes. https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/07/01/practising-midwife-trans-men-birth/

I just got stressed and disoriented for 3 days, but you list very well the circumstances that make my experience radically different than most travelers' right now. Anyways, I think I will be able to be back before August 4th, although I already rented an airbnb until then. American cancelled their flight to Fort Worth until Aug 4th, but they are still flying to Miami. Those flights are full until September, but because of the restrictions some Argentines are cancelling their tickets. I have the right to one more change in my reservation without paying any fees, and I cam calling every day to check the situation. Today they offered me a flight to Miami on July 29th, but I did not take it hoping for an earlier day available soon. I just need a few days notice to arrange the mandatory PCR test, and can pack anytime.

this is what I got as thank you for my donation

We all love your hot DR contributions but you should enter them in the more privates member only section, There are no restrictions there...you're free to post anything.

I keep working hard on my quest to check items out of my Two Eat List. Mantecol is a popular candy based on the tradicional halva recipe. The other one is a popular brand of one of my favorite Argentinean flavors: alfajor de maicena. After checking them out of my To Eat List, I should check them in to my Not To Eat Anymore List. Now that I know that I may stay here one month longer than expected, I have to watch my diet. Another check out item: Sopa paraguaya. Do not ask me why its is called "soup", I do not know. It is delicious and it is made with love by my mother. That picture was taken today during lunch. After several cloudy and very cold days, today was a Día Peronista. I took advantage of the sun and the warmer weather to take a walk with an old friend. We started in the Facultad of Ingeniería, a landmark building that was originally built for the Fundación Evita (a beneficence organization) and after the Revolución Libertadora in 1955 (the coup that terminated Perón's second presidency) transferred to the Universidad de Buenos Aires. From there we walked towards and through Puerto Madero. This is the last neighborhood added to the city. All the old port area was reconverted to offices and high end condo apartments. I love that the city landscape designers are abandoning the use of foreign species and planting the city outdoors with indigenous ones. Then we walked up to the City and Plaza San Martin. The Plaza Hotel, one of the most traditional five stars in the city, it is abandoned with no traces of any redevelopment work. In general, the city has been hit hard by the pandemic. It is noticeable in all the areas I have been visiting, and I have stayed in the wealthier side of town. I am told that going to South decadence and poverty are obvious and depressing. I am privileged to be able to enjoy my staying here. Yesterday I had my third encounter with Alan, and the boy has definitely displaced Tomy from the pole position of my favorite guys. It is weird, my brain tells me that I should find Tomy more attractive, but my body responds more to Alan. His ass is amazing, it is almost like it is sucking my dick in. Yesterday I was still very stressed because of my flight cancelation, and was tired and not aroused after our photos session. However, he wanted me and worked me with thirst and passion. It was our third meeting, and again like twice before I busted inside of him. This is really unusual for me, and a high indicator of our good chemistry. He is now publishing in soytuyo and I love to see that he used all my pictures in his new ad. I have one more pic for you. Yesterday, after I busted, he demanded me again to keep digging him until he got his orgasm:

Can points be exchanged for frequent flier miles?

Thanks for sharing your experiences with Bangkok Guy. What impressed me is that you give him the benefit of the doubt. You show him that you trust him and trust can turn what some may think of as a transaction into a relationship. Seeing him, talking with him obviously brings you joy. You can purchase pleasure but you can't buy joy. If we resort to applying litmus tests out of fear of being hoodwinked, we're going to miss out on a lot of what makes all the difference in our lives. They years are passing all too quickly for me now. But with that compression of time I've come to know what I want to value in the time I have in front of me. Wishing you luck until you and Bangkok Guy reunite.

Alan has displaced Tony in my podium. He just left and I am too tired to write more than this line, but I can share a few pics. I am proud because my photography skills are improving.

Public bathing was essential in Japan throughout its history because homes were small and did not have bathing areas. The culture of public nudity is therefore deeply ingrained in Japanese culture. This continues today with the popularity of hot springs around much of the country, a result of the extent of its geothermal activity. All this started to change, very slowly at first following Commander Perry's battleship diplomacy which initiated Japan's desire to be taken seriously as a developed western nation. The near total rebuilding of its cities following the destruction of so many of their largely wooden houses during World War 2 resulted in eventual replacement with concrete and brick apartment buildings, many with individual private bathrooms. Not everyone could be accommodated in new buildings and so public bathhouses remained, as some do today especially in older less war-damaged parts of cities. Sex is not involved in public bathing where there are strict rules of etiquette. My own view is that none of this had anything to do with the rise of gay saunas. It merely resulted in a complete acceptance of being nude in front of others. I do know that the first gay bar appeared in Tokyo in the 1960s. By the early 1980s I recall attending three gay saunas including then probably the most popular, Oban, close to the adult entertainment district of Kabuki-cho. The others were in the Shibuya and Ikebukuro districts. I think the oldest in the city is the original 24 located in an old building in the Asakusa district near the famous Senso-ji Temple. I say that because it seemed the most run down whereas the others were much more modern. When it was opened, though, I have no idea. So, I see the opening of gay saunas merely as part of the growth of a young gay liberation.

Everyone tells me it has permanently closed. Seems the owner plans to move to Chiang Mai. He certainly doesn't need the money as he is from a very rich family. But if he does depart, I cannot see anyone else taking over and making a go of a new sauna there. As @Londoner points out, the land value so close to the business district must be humungus, the more so when Babylon only represents part of that parcel. Much more likely I'd reckon will be a developer snapping it up to erect a 40 storey apartment complex like the Sukhothai Residences across the road - provided, that is, it can get round the city's legislation about the size of that soi, because it is too small for anything other than an 8 storey building unless there is another access. I totally agree about the first Babylon at the top of the soi. Much more compact, often packed and as far as I recall many more younger and professional Thais. So popular that there were queues to get in at the weekends. 1) Although the buildings in the gay area are on the small side for Shinjuku, some pack 5 or 6 bars on to one level. But then most are tiny with seating for not much more than a dozen. Very few have much standing area except those at sweet level or in a basement like the popular GB. But like Bangkok, the number of bars is decreasing. Even in Shinjuku's main avenues, shops, cafes and restaurants are packed often with up to 6 on each floor. 2) Difficult to know if Tokyo can grow much larger. Even with a declining population nationwide, though, I expect there will still be many wanting to move to the city or its multitude of suburbs.

From Bangkok Post Outcry over vaccine shortages The government has come under fire over its failure to procure sufficient Covid-19 vaccines as the number of new cases continued to soar, with more than 6,000 cases and 61 fatalities confirmed on Friday. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said that the number of new cases is expected to rise further next week. Boon Vanasin, chairman of the Thonburi Healthcare Group, on Friday said the government's purchase of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines was slow because it did not sign contracts with manufacturers. During a Channel 3 interview, Dr Boon said he wondered why other Asean countries, such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, had already procured these types of vaccines, but Thailand did not have a single dose. Dr Boon said he contacted people he knew at both Moderna and Pfizer who told him that Thailand did not have contracts signed to purchase the vaccines. "I want the government to explain why the purchase of mRNA vaccines was slow. We don't have the vaccines even though the mRNA vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer are the most effective with few side effects," Dr Boon added. He said that the Thonburi Hospital was ready to buy 50 million vaccine doses from the two producers in October last year, but they would not sell Covid-19 vaccines directly to private companies. Dr Boon said that the government was waiting for vaccines from only one manufacturer, AstraZeneca, and now the rising demand for the vaccines has far outstripped the company's production. In response, the government chose to buy Sinovac vaccines but the vaccines' quality was not as good as that of mRNA vaccines, Dr Boon said. Responding to the criticism, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the government and the ministry had no duty to draw up contracts to buy the mRNA vaccines in question or make payments in advance. Private hospitals must make purchase agreements with the manufacturers and inform the ministry of the number of vaccine doses they want to buy, Mr Anutin said, adding the ministry will act only as a go-between. Regarding the progress in the purchase of Pfizer vaccines, he said a purchase must follow proper procedures and the terms of the agreement must be studied carefully. Vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are expected to arrive in the fourth quarter, he added. Gen Natthapol Nakpanich, head of the CCSA's operation centre, said the number of infections is expected to continue to rise next week due to the activities and movement of the general public. However, Gen Natthapol said that the government will not impose additional restrictions to curb the surge in Covid-19, even if the death toll and infection rates increase. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2142535/outcry-over-vaccine-shortages ================================ From Bloomberg News AstraZeneca to deliver fewer-than-expected doses Thailand won’t be able to meet its monthly vaccination target of 10 million doses as deliveries from AstraZeneca Plc, the backbone of its inoculation program, will be 40% to 50% fewer than expected because some supplies are allotted for export. AstraZeneca will deliver 5 million to 6 million doses per month for use in Thailand starting in July because a portion of local production by Siam Bioscience Ltd., its manufacturing partner in Southeast Asia, will be shipped to other countries in the region, Nakorn Premsri, director of the National Vaccine Institute, said at a seminar on Friday, citing a letter from the company. The Thai government’s earlier target of administering 10 million doses per month starting in the third quarter relied solely on AstraZeneca shots. To meet that goal, Thailand will now have to secure vaccines from other manufacturers, including China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd., Nakorn said. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-02/thailand-falls-short-of-its-vaccination-target-as-deaths-soar