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I'll take it as a good sign that at least the tourism minister is raising the proposal. He obviously sees the need for entertainment venues if they want larger numbers of tourists to return.

as per a mamasan, moonlight is reopening on 12/1.

1. PCR tests For Canadians visiting Brazil, PCR tests are required both for flying into Brazil and back to Canada. It's annoying that you have to add these into your trip plan. The GIG airport PCR testing is very organized and results are available in 4 hours (3 for my experience). Cost is 315 reals. They will help you print a copy as well at the GIG basement level where you do the test. The fee is insignificant comparing to the hassle that you have to plan it and the uncertainty that one might test positive. 2. VIP lounges Very disappointing, GIG VIP lounges are closed to priority club or lounge pass users. only business class travellers. At Panama city, lounges are all open with reduced food options, much better. 3. Entry forms online before boarding You need to fill in corresponding government forms before you can board the flight. So if you didn't go through the counter (used web-checkin) and didn't find the form yourself online, make sure you ask staff for the link before boarding time. I had to scramble to fill in the Brazilian form in order to board with just a few minutes to spare before they closed the boarding gate. 4. hotels other than you are expected to put on a plastic glove when fetching food, not much changed. One hotel I stayed in will do cleaning only on demand, which actually works better for me. Copacabana Hotels are in high demand on weekends. Even though it's cold and rainy for most of the last 2 weeks I was there. 5. 202 Lot of boys. Notably few foreign tourists. None of my favourites from 2019 trips still work there😒. However, did find two new boys I like, which is very good. One 19yo slim white twink boy who just started working in 202 a few months ago. Very much my type. One Colombian boy in his early 20swho had been touring in Europe. Mostly top, huge cock, but very service oriented oral wise, swallows with a smile on his face, totally made up for the fact that he doesn't bottom. As a bonus, Matteo from meninosonline was in Rio, I connected with him on grindr. Fluent English, very friendly and educated boy, a rare find. So over all, very good hit rate for week1. For Matteo, I even cancelled my plans to hit Sao Paulo for week#2 since Fragata is no longer functioning (tears). Sadly after meeting Matteo twice in week#1, he went to Arraial do Cabo for diving when I tried to connect with him again on weekends#2, and I missed my chance meeting him again for the rest of my trip. The slim white 19 old lived quite far. He is fun when I run into him in 202, but not responsive on Instagram or whatsapp for meet ups outside the sauna. So unfortunately the last two weekends were quite boring (and raining). 6. 117 Very busy on Tuesday week#2 when I visited. But as usual, mostly muscular type. The slim twink types are rare, the few there were not really my type. Went with a tall white boy, ok session, I much prefer the 202 friendliness. So didn't go back on Tuesday week#3 when it's raining. 7. New Meio Mundo Haven't been back for years. A Brazilian friend said it's decent on Monday and Tuesdays. So went on Monday week#2. Like the old location, small space, facilities not up to the standard. Didn't find any boy to my taste. 8. Sauna prices No change from 2019 even though Real has gone down a lot. 150 in 202 and 200 in 117 for a non Portuguese speaker. They tempted to ask for 200 and 300 respectively, but quickly agree to the old price when I countered. 9. Bangu The trip going there on the train and back on uber are just as interesting as the time I spent in the club. If you don't speak Portuguese, and sucking straight cock doesn't particularly trigger your fancy, than it's not worth the efforts getting there. Unlike in 202 where many straight boys go all the way for money, straight boys in bangu club won't even suck you cock. A couple of them are very boy next door cute though. Bottoms fancying straight boys might love it😉 10. Uber I really start to appreciate the app since I first tried it in 2019 in Rio. The true convenience of it is the elimination of language barrier. You can order a drive or a meal without saying a single word! Also much cheaper, my 1am uber from GIG to Copacabana cost just 70 reals. If you are not familiar with the GIG setup, after exit customs, just go up one floor to the departure level, you will see uber signs above a couple doors. Bonus, you don't need cell plan for this trip! Use airport wifi to order the uber, wait until the app shows you the car has arrived. You need to walk out to the island in the middle of the road, your uber would wait there instead of stopping by the door. No wonder the taxi booths after customs all disappeared, uber drove them out of business. 11. cell plan I usually go with Claro, which is running a promotion of 30Reals for 30 days with 12GB data. I asked the slim white twink from 202 to activate the sim for me. In return, I saw him twice and bought him Sushi. I usually add credit with cash in one of the Americana stores. 12. Overall feeling of life during covid in Rio (beaches, streets, restaurants, stores, buses, trains, metro) Other than wearing face masks in stores, buses and metro, half the people wear face masks on the beach (pity), it's like covid is not a thing at all. Certainly feels like that in the sauna, almost no boys wear face masks. Sex not any less intimate than pre-covid years. Overall, a welcoming relief from life in Canada where now and then some drama queens got scared shitless, complaining people get too close from them in grocery stores. And no sex encounter for almost 2 years 😞 conclusions, had a great time, can't wait for the governments to scrap the covid entry test requirements to travel more.

I won't underestimate the pushback from segments of the Thai elite who are embarrassed by the thought of Thailand as an entertainment destination. These folks may be living in cloud cuckoo land, but I have a met (and been alarmed by) a few who seriously want to shut down this side of the country's tourism sector. They genuinely think that the whole world values Thailand for its cultural attractions such as temples and elephant parks. The government will have to navigate the demands from this group who (taking advantage of the Covid situation) want to use the opportunity to permanently re-orient the tourism sector - the same way we always have voices about making Pattaya a wholesome family destination. They may not succeed, but they're not giving up. I would also anticipate the health ministry guys warning the prime minister that the country is not fully ready to open entertainment venues. They may not be speaking merely of tourism but of the Covid risk to the general population. After all, 99% of bar patrons across Thailand will be Thais. Bangkok Post recently had a story https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2199995/no-need-to-halt-boosters-for-sinovac pointing out that there is still a debate about whether to proceed with booster shots for those who have had two doses of Sinovac. There is recognition that the ten million who have received two SInovac jabs so far have "less capacity to fight against the dominated Delta variant, so it's now advised that a booster dose is required, largely from AstraZeneca, to increase immunity." Yet, they haven't quite rolled out the booster programme. So I can imagine the people in the ministry of health saying "Not so fast....."

Sadly it wouldn't be the first time that he has been over-ruled, but you never know?

From Thai PBS World International airlines have returned as many as 80% of their airport slots at Thailand’s six international airports between October 31st and March 26th next year, indicating their uncertainty over a recovery in the aviation sector, according to Nitinai Sirisamatthakarn, the managing director of Airports of Thailand (AOT) Public Company. AOT operates Suvarnabhumi, Don Muaeng, Phuket, Hat Yai, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai’s Mae Fah Luang international airports. He disclosed that the lowest point for the aviation industry in Thailand was from July to September, this year, after the Thai government suspended all regular flights as a precautionary measure to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, during which average daily arrivals at the six international airports was only 50 passengers. The situation has improved since Thailand eased travel restrictions in October this year, with an average of 30,000 arrivals a day. Airlines have given up 100% of their slots at Don Muaeng airport and about 70% of those at Suvarnabhumi, said Nitinai. AOT suffered 11 billion baht in operational losses in the first nine months of this year and an estimated 10 billion baht for the whole year, he said, adding that business over the next two years will, however, gradually recover. Penyos Pibulsongkhram, director of commercial affairs for the Vietjet airline, said that the aviation industry is still in crisis, although the situation is improving. Airport slots represent permission granted to an airline by the owner of an airport to use the airport’s facilities for landing and take-off. https://www.thaipbsworld.com/international-airlines-return-80-of-their-airport-slots-in-thailand-for-the-next-five-months/

That may be the case if you receive the vaccine in Thailand, however the great majority of Americans trying to enter Thailand are not in Thailand, and they did not receive a yellow card when vaccinated. The information in the video is indeed correct if you received your vaccine inside the US, no passport number, and no nationality are listed on the white CDC card issued in the US. I merely posted this information in case it might help someone who is trying to submit paperwork to enter Thailand in the near future.

Both, elites and heath ministry people may be on something but then there's economic reality neither group may be much affected by. As with every gate which is becoming an obstruction if it won't be opened, there's risk of uncontrolled break - in. Thailand is very attractive country but deprived it' s world famous night life it may become one of one time, been there, done that destinations.

Somebody needs to make that first step

From Free Press Journal Cambodia has lifted a ban on all flights from Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines after most of the kingdom's population have been vaccinated against the Covid-19, Health Minister Mam Bunheng said. The decision to lift the ban was made by Prime Minister Hun Sen on Saturday and it took effect immediately, Xinhua news agency quoted Bunheng as saying. "It's part of the country's move to reopen social and economic activities gradually in all areas by adapting to the new normal and to reactivate air transport services," the Health Minister added. Cambodia banned all flights from the three ASEAN member states in August last year in an effort to curb Covid-19 transmission. The ban's removal came after Cambodia had administered at least one dose of a Covid vaccine to 13.65 million people, or 85.33 per cent of its 16-million population, the Ministry of Health (MoH) said. Of them, 12.94 million, or 80.8 per cent, have been fully vaccinated, and 1.62 million, or 10.1 per cent, have received a booster dose, it added. https://www.freepressjournal.in/world/cambodia-lifts-ban-on-all-flights-from-malaysia-indonesia-philippines-after-1294-million-in-country-vaccinated-against-covid-19

A small step in the right direction.

Although this seems like a stretch at the moment, at least he's giving it lip service. From The Thaiger / Pattaya Mail Tourism Minister proposes reopening entertainment venues November 1 PM Prayut Chan-o-cha may be opening up Thailand to international travellers, but Minister of Tourism and Sports Pipat Ratchakitprakan is aiming to open up entertainment venues to those international travellers. The Tourism Minister plans on officially proposing that entertainment venues, bars, nightclubs, karaoke lounges, pubs and other nightlife venues be reopening in the Blue Zones, the new term for the expanded Sandbox destinations. n a TV interview today, the minister said he planned to introduce the measure in a CCSA general meeting next week, requesting that in key areas entertainment venues reopen on November 1. The proposal would focus on areas where nightlife and entertainment venues were an essential part of the economy for tourism. He singled out locations like Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Krabi, Pattaya, Phang Nga, and Phuket that tourists traditionally flocked to not just for their beaches, but for their nightlife, bars, and party scene. The minister stopped short of including Bangkok on his list, citing concerns that entertainment venues in the city would be too hard to safely regulate and that the nightlife isn’t only a draw to international tourists, but also attracts Thai customers, so it could be higher-risk and lower benefit than other destinations. Pipat says that the focus is on drawing in foreign tourists, and including Bangkok may sway CCSA with their fears of Thai clubs that were the source of the third wave of the Covid-19 outbreak in the first place. “The reopening might be initially only for foreign tourists to attract them to visit the country. Much of the concern from the CCSA about entertainment venues has nothing to do with tourism-related establishments but rather large Thai discos and places. But we still have to discuss if it would work or not.” The Tourism Minister says there’s wiggle room to try to create a way to reopen some nightlife. He hopes some can safely open with similar hours to what they held before Covid-19, opening until 1 or 2 am. But he believes that putting Bangkok on the table will fuel the CCSA’s worries of controlling Covid-19 in entertainment venues. https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism/tourism-minister-proposes-reopening-entertainment-venues-november-1

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/singapore-allow-some-travellers-south-asia-ease-stay-home-notice-restrictions-malaysia-and-indonesia-2263722

"why should tourists bother to come if all entertainment venues are closed there are better options at other countries" Exactly...as they say: All dressed up with nowhere to go 😯

I agree. They are too complicated. I too will wait. I am pretty sure that in a couple of months the rules will change again, more likely in the direction of further loosening than tightening. Don't see the point of dealing with these complexities right now.

The schemes for entering Thailand is making me dizzy , I won't return to Thailand till all this madness is over.

From Channel News Asia TOKYO: Tokyo will lift curbs on bar and restaurant opening hours as COVID-19 cases in the Japanese capital hit their lowest level this year, officials said on Thursday (Oct 21). It is the latest softening of coronavirus restrictions in Japan, where cases have been in free fall for weeks, which experts ascribe to a rapid increase in the vaccination rate. Nationwide, new infections have plunged from record highs of more than 25,800 in August to fewer than 400 in recent days. And Tokyo, a city of 14 million people, has reported an average of 47 daily cases over the past week - lows not seen since June 2020. The country has never imposed a blanket lockdown, but for most of this year, a COVID-19 state of emergency was in place in major cities and other areas, targeting alcohol sales and crowd sizes at large events - including the Tokyo Olympics, held mostly behind closed doors. The emergency measures ended three weeks ago, but some restrictions have remained, including Tokyo's restaurants and bars being asked to close by 9pm. From next Monday, establishments in the capital that take sufficient anti-infection measures will be free to open late, Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike said, after surrounding regions announced similar steps. Although Japan's vaccine drive started later than in many other developed economies, about 68 per cent of its population is now fully inoculated - more than the United States' 57 per cent. The borders of the world's third-largest economy remain shut to almost all foreign nationals, and mask-wearing is not mandatory but ubiquitous in public places. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/japan-covid-19-tokyo-ditch-nightlife-curbs-2259061

Come out NOW! I wish I had it in me to come out early. The Bible Belt was not easy in the 1980s but there were openly gay men. It took me another 10 plus years before I came out and I regretted it ever since.

In my early teenage years in a small Scottish town I was so scared of being gay that I tried to kill myself three times, one of which almost worked. I was also sexually abused by the son of a coupe who were close friends of my parents, he was a soldier in his early twenties, just back from his second tour in Northern Ireland during the worst of the 'troubles". I got away from him when he tried to rape me in some bushes by the river and ran into a policemen. My treatment by the police was appalling. I was around 13 years old. They put me in the back of the police car next to my abuser. At fourteen I converted from the Scottish Presbyterian Church to the Roman Catholic Church, and at 18 I entered a silent, enclosed monastery, Latin Office and Mass sung in Plainchant daily. The Abbey was built in 1230, semi-ruined still and we were restoring it. Seven years there, with a community who were good, holy men. They respected me, accepted me. No messing about, we lived in separate cells and were silent. Those years of safety and peace enabled me to accept myself as a gay man. The Benedictine rule requires the community to have a secret vote on whether a new monk can be received into vows, and a two thirds plus one vote is required as a minimum. The Abbot told me my vote was unanimous. That was the day I knew there was nothing wrong with me. Three years later I left, and started to live my life at the age of twenty five. I became a nurse. During my three years training to be a Registered Nurse I also volunteered on Gay Switchboard, a phone help line for gay people. Sorry if this is too boring, I shall shut up now!

I guess if u want western amenities, Spain is a no brainer? Brazil and Argentina high inflation brings a lot of uncertainties to stay there longer term. Im sure Spain wins on healthcare facilities too. Not sure if Brazil and Argentina gov will treat foreigners any better. But stay in thailand, u dont stay in thailand to have a gov that treat you well, u stay there to have a boy that treat u well lol

Hard for me to advise given that I have only visited each country twice and for considerably shorter than 2 months. Although I would be happy to visit Brazil and Argentina again several times, as a European I love Spain, its people, its food, its amazing history, its art and architecture etc. Not being into western guys, I did not get much from Spain's gay life - apart from a totally unexpected meeting with a stunning young Asian guy from Singapore and one from Guangzhou in Barcelona! But there were Asians on the apps and so I know I would not starve! I would choose Spain partly because of the huge variety of other amazing countries I could get to in little more than an hour or two. From the little French villages, to the chateaux on the Loire, to the amazing Renaissance hill towns in Italy and the joys of its art in the main cities, Germany's Romantic Road - even the pubs and Cathedrals in England. Extend the flight by another couple of hours and the glories of Russia (forget Putin and his homophobic laws for a few weeks) and then go up beyond the Arctic Circle to see the Northern Lights (a trip when I met up with a young Asian couple travelling around by car!).

You're not alone! Like other posters I wish I had come out earlier. I really did feel as though i was almost the only gay guy around when I was 18, despite having had a few furtive experiences. I came from a relatively small town where there seemed to be very few gay men. Those who were openly gay tended to be far older. I remember there being a club in a house in a small out of the way street where these older gay guys could meet. But anyone planning to enter would always look around to check there was no one looking before doing so. Even my father, who in other matters was a very open minded man, referred to one of the middle aged men who worked in the pharmacy at the foot of our street as "one of those". I hasten to add it was not said in a derogatory tone - more merely as a matter of fact. Not even in the relatively closed atmosphere of university could I overcome my fears about coming out. It took several years of working and then my first real relationship before I summoned up the courage. It feels so strange now to remember, but it was a very real 'fear' at the time.

"Try some cock" Seriously wish I hadn't hesitated to experience it for so long, better late than never I suppose, now to start planning my next trip to get my hands (and other parts) on some hot Thai guys.

I made a mess in this post. I am just here cleaning up the fonts I spilled...

@bucknaway yes I find our experiences can be very different than others. I find there is a shared connection between most minority communities. But when it comes to GP no matter how much you think they like you it’s about the money. They might give you a little more time at no charge if they enjoy your company but it’s about the real! Lol The community outside the GP world is where I think the difference really shows. Black culture is global and something we can all easily connect on. Plus we don’t stand out too much when we decide to go off the normal Gringo path. No one looks at me weird when I go to Rochina on a Saturday night to listen to Somba in the street. The truth is I have never seen any violence in the favelas. The bandidos don’t allow it. There are steep penalties for commuting crimes in the favelas. I’ve been to more than 50 this year and never saw anything past a heated argument. Now if you go to a favela where you don’t know anyone you will prob get robbed because you don’t know the bandidos chefe. @davet I’ve always taken an Uber there and back and never had any type of delay in catching one. You can go as early as 3 or 4 but I usually get there around 6 and stay until around 9:30-10. The area is safe.

I want to know more! I can relate to you in a way. The Thailand I experienced as a black man was a little different than the Thailand I read about on the gay forums where most contributors where Caucasian. Of course I had no idea if my experience was typical for others like me but I did know they were different than the norm of the message boards. Often the guys would seem to let their hair down and talk to me as if I was not one of the tourist they began to complain about. Some of them shared with me some of the tricks they used to get more money from the guys, showing me text messages as well as money transfer notifications. Only when it came time for me to settle up did they realize that they told me too much... Haha! I don't know if my interaction with the guys in Brazil is typical... So please continue to share, I'm sitting on the edge of anticipation!