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Flight & Arrival in Phuket Business class was full. Economy Plus was about 15% full, seating was 2+4+2 and not all side rows were occupied with 1 or 2 people, the middle rows were completely empty. Economy I am not sure, max 50% full, probably less, once I checked the seatings and the last third of the economy seats where completely empty. On the plane they distributed the TM6 immigration card and later the distributed the T8 health form. On arrival, first we were seated in rows and told to prepare the following documents: passport, immigration card, Thailand Pass and the pre-departure PCR test result. After someone checked all four docs are prepared, we had to queue for at health counter, were they kept the PCR test result. All this was done in less then 10 minutes. T8 was not needed. Next to immigration, fingerprints and immigration card as usual, no queue at all. While walking to the baggage claim, I checked all the exchange boots (with really bad rates, no Superrich in Phuket), then bought a sim card and when I arrived at the baggage claim, my suitcase appeared within minutes. Next step was the PCR test. Here the queue was a bit longer. First to the counter were they checked the PCR test booking (which in Phuket is separate from Hotel booking) and gave you the testing material. Then to the booth where they took the probe. Exactly 1 hour after landing i was sitting in the taxi to Patong Beach and the clock for the test results was already ticking. Check-In at the hotel was as smooth, I went to the room, registered my email adress for receiving the test result, took a shower and decided to unpack all my stuff despite yet knowing wether they will put me to jail or not. 4h after landing I got the test result. Actually I wasnt prepared it was that fast and if I didn't request an early check in I would have probably been still waiting in the hotel lobby when the result came. I called the reception and asked if I can leave the room now and they said yes you can. All was really well organized!!! Patong I walked along the beach. Almost noone was wearing a mask. The hotel said "It is not that strict at the beach" and they were right. Later I checked some exchange boots. In the streets people were mostly wearing a mask. The best exchange rate I could find was 37.20 while interbank exchange rate was 37.76 Baht per Euro, so not Bangkok rates but better than ATM. Equipped with some Baht I was prepared to later explore the gay scene of Patong which is pretty small in normal years so I didn't expect too much. The beach was alive but very far from full. Other beaches I checked out in the following days were almost empty. So whatever the number of turist arrivals is, it is definitely not enough for an island like Phuket! I had the feeling there were more taxi drivers and tour booths than turists. I think the bigger & better hotels are operating well since they can offer really low rates and still be profitable. On the way to Paradise Complex I passed through Bang La Road, which is the walking street for our straight friends. It was pretty active I would say, noone needs to complain here! Some places were pretty packed, I actually wouldn't feel comfortable Covid-wise. Paradise Complex consists of 3 parallel strips. The first strip has 3-4 massage shops, all were open, looked more or less the same I remember it from 10 (?) years ago. The second strip is where Aquarius Sauna is - looked pretty dark and deserted The third strip is where the host and gogo bars are. About 3 host bars (Zig + Taeng Mo + ???) and Zag Club (normally a Gogo Club, but I think they were only playing music outside for the opposite Zig bar) was open. Peoplewise it was rather quiet. The good thing is that you can sit outside and don't have to go into the bars. The next day there was a travesty show, so that particular place was well visited. Are they doing ok? I am not sure ... there were a few "for sale" signs in the street and it was unclear to me to which bars/buildings they were referring. Did I do well? Yes I did. I went to the first host bar and spent a few rounds for the staff which consisted of about 5 boys, 2 of which were pretty cute twinks, the others "boys next door". "New boys" according to the owner. I guess this will be the motto in any of Thailands gay bars after reopening. I decided to go upstairs with one of the 2 twinks, and while the massage was bad I still left happy. The bars start closing at 11pm, I don't think they have to but they decided to because there are just not enough customers. The next day I checked out the massage shops. Most boys a bit too effeminate for my taste. But in one of the shops I found the right guy. Massage was good and afters were great. At the time we finished the room was quite a mess ... this is what must happen after 2 years of lockdown. As for taking a boy to the islands, that didnt turn out as planned; I am not sure what the problem was, but in the end he didnt want to leave his shop/friends and came up with different excuses why he couldnt go. The best one of was "I think I have Covid" ... is this the new "buffalo died"? Thats pretty much it so far. In general I try to do most things (like eating at restaurants) outdoor. I wear a proper FFP2 mask when doing indoor activities like getting a regular massage. I dont wear a mask while doing boy stuff - that would spoil the fun and I roughly calculated it would need a few 1000 boys in Phuket to encounter one that has Covid ... by that number I will have died from exhaustion anyway. And they are well vaccinated as far as I can tell ... one boy had 2 x Pfizer, the other hat 2x Chinese + 1 Astrazeneca. I also try to avoid being registered by name as you never know. I am not using the Mor Chana app since I was not able to register (Android; "Invalid Thailand Pass Information" - anyone else?) and am not too keen on being monitored anyway. There is now an update of the app but I don't want to try if it works. At arrival I got a rapid test which I did after 6 days and took a few fotos of the negative result in case someone would want to see it. I also brought some rapid tests from home, so I will check every 5 days or so. So far the only things they seem to care is the Thailand Pass, the release form of the first hotel where I did the "quarantine night" and the vaccination certificates, I needed these for checking in at a different hotel and when taking transport.

In my opinion, the short answer is absolutely no. I live in Pattaya. From where I sit, the current situation sux. In Bangkok none of the bars are open yet. Whether they will be, what the imposed rules will be, and how many boys will have returned to work in the bars by then is anybody's guess. Right now restaurants can serve alcohol, but only up to 9:00pm. No word yet when that might change. In Pattaya no bars and no alcohol even in restaurants. As it stands now, restaurants in Pattaya will not be allowed to serve alcohol until January 16 and there is no word at all as to when the bars will be allowed to reopen. The government restrictions have effectively killed Pattaya's holiday season. I keep stressing that for the bars can reopen is by far not the same as will reopen. We really don't know how many bars, especially go-go bars, have even survived to be able to reopen. I am expecting many of the bars won't reopen until it appears there will be a good chance of enough customers to make it worth reopening. There will be varying opinions about this, but my own opinion is I wouldn't be planning a trip to Thailand at least until we have a much better picture of what is happening and when it will be happening. If it were me, I'd be hoping for a trip to Thailand maybe around March or April if things are returning to at least a semblance of normal by then - and the way things are currently going, that's a mighty big if . . . I have a gay Thailand board too. If you wish to check it out, it is: https://www.gaybuttonthai.com

Can I suggest that the first part of the sentence perhaps somewhat negates the second there GB perhaps ? As I'd posted above other people are reporting a different view and I see 'vaghn" ( if I may copy your post sir) has posted the following on another thread re this subject "'restaurant' in name only is what most places are doing it seems. From what i am seeing in insta stories of the boys in other places in bangkok, it is business as usual, dancing, bottles and drinks on the tables, no food in sight. They're partying it up until 2-3am." I see other posters also mentioning that DJ station is allegedly reopening again in some form. So while I don't deny for a second that things aren't as they were or that the law says "bars are closed" but like most things in life people always seem to find a way to work around such things and that appears to be what's happening in Bkk too just like many other cities right now. I guess this also goes back to a different conversation over on SGT recently where one member posted that they thought "a good time ( in pattaya) could still be had ( if you were up for it and knew where to look / who to talk to find it) and both yourself and MFAS suggested that you believed that was highly unlikely in your opinions ( or words to that effect). Which i guess goes back to just how hard and how much effort a person is prepared to put into to looking for that fun and actually seeking it out maybe and that to me is very much a how you see life thing, either being the whole glass half empty thing or half full thing just maybe? I think if I were the OP and was maybe finding myself sitting at home over New Years, alone and bored then personally I think I'd be saying "fuck it" and getting up and going to Bkk ( or anywhere else) and then working hard there on arrival to make the best of things as I found them on the ground and not just perhaps taking someone else's black and white view of "it's useless stay home, everything is closed in Bangkok ( and everywhere else) view just quite as readily as that view is being projecting perhaps -but I guess that's just how I roll in life and you GB I know may take a slightly more conservative view of things in that regard, but for the sake of balance it's good the OP does get a good balanced view of course.

??? Are people not posting in other threads that (some) of bars in Soi 4 are open, albeit with limited early closing times which may or may not be being adhered too and indeed that word "heaving" was used to describe the crowds there this weekend just past ?

no, it's travel deprivation. It will go away as soon as you will line up for check in at the airport

One of the thai boys I follow posted that DJ station is now open. I'm not sure how they will enforce or check vaccination status of guests, or if the 9pm stopping sale of alcohol is missing a wink next to it.. but good news to see more life returning to Silom

To me, that is the saddest part of all. Even those of us who would want to support the gay venues and hope to help them make a comeback, now find it virtually impossible to do. Even living in Thailand doesn't seem to help very much. I think it is obvious to all that if the Thailand gay scene, especially the Pattaya gay scene, does make a comeback, it won't be a quick comeback. I believe it will take years. Just how many years - who knows? I just hope those of us who are running out of spare years live long enough to see it. Part of the problem is so much is unpredictable and it is difficult even to guess what might happen. I would love to see Pattaya make a comeback to the way things were in the gay scene's "golden years", but for those of us who were fortunate enough to be here to experience those years, all we can do for the foreseeable future is to remember them.

Here is a website that offers health insurance with Covid included. Many variables are offered such as duration of stay, amount of insurance desired, age of traveler,deductibles, etc. https://www.insubuy.com/travel-health-insurance/

100 % correct for me!!! Even though holiday preparation was a pain and did'nt exactly go like planned (applied for COE, but embassy after long wait decided to decline and told me to reapply for Thailand Pass, so I have basically been forced to apply on the first day possible), I always had in my mind using the chance of seeing Thailand as long as there is only a low number of turists and famous sights are not totally overcrowded which under normal circumstances isnt possible anymore. Hotels are embarrassingly cheap, I am having the huge pool for me alone, and very soon I will be heading off to one of the beautiful southern islands with an adorable cute boy I met in an open massage shop (could be right out of a BL series). As Vinapu already announced, more details to come - but holiday comes first.

Maybe if that is the only reason a person is traveling to Thailand for haunting boys and grab them to long term in room , otherwise traveling to a country which banned alcohol and opening of entertainment venues and more other redilucious restrictions seems very depressing idea.

Don't let China hear you say that!

I hope not!

Well, the good food part is certainly available. And there is no longer a curfew, but with the bars still closed and restaurants forbidden to serve alcohol after 9:00pm, doesn't seem like a curfew is necessary with nothing much to do at night. As for reconsidering your plans, you're far from alone in that. You might want to read this article: https://aseannow.com/topic/1239902-it’s-expats-not-tourists-that-are-visiting-thailand-business-leader/

Perhaps - if that is the only reason a person is traveling to Thailand.

I reside in Thailand and contacted The Agate by e mail, they would have accepted my booking for Christmas week but they are only taking bookings on a room only basis (no breakfast). Because I wanted to be able to have breakfast in my accommodation I reluctantly booked a condo instead.

With the bars and clubs ordered to remain closed until 16th January at least there is no reason to head here for New Year at all. Babylon is gone now too, the land sold for development.

My thoughts as well although I still think there were others involved in the assassination plot but Oswald pulled the trigger

When malaysia did a pilot domestic tourism to Langkawi, rtk was compulsory at the airport. It takes a bit more planning and people were advice to arrived earlier. But it is far from a nightmare. The airport do need to space to keep people around for 15mins though plus the queue. But this was on departure and no test needed for arrival.

Does anyone in the area know the status of Poseidon? I've heard mixed reports on if/when they're openning. Normally i would book at Agate but they're still not showing when they will be open. ***edit*** I did a bit more digging and found Agate's instagram, it appears they are SHA and opened on 15th November. Their website still shows no availability so maybe they only accept booking through the SHA sites.

And according to Richard Barrow's interview, there's no time limit for Thailand Pass which implies that you may apply as early as you want to ensure you have the pass document. By the way it's a great news for me to learn that only the result needs to be issued within 72 hours of departure, do you know if anyone did research on this rule? My flight will be on a Monday which I worry taking the test on the previous Friday won't be early enough since most of the testing locations don't work on Weekend. If only the result is needed to be within 72 hours then I may take the RT-PCR test earlier.

I feed my dog turkey rather than beef.

This looks fascinating. Free on Gagaoolala Synopsis One day, Mob(Atsuhiro Inukai), a college student, realizes that he lives in the world of a BL manga, where the handsome men are approaching him harshly and the ""BL love flags"" are rising every minute. As a straight guy who likes girls, Mob struggles and fights against the hot attackers desperately. (The original manga has become a hot topic on Twitter and pixiv.) To protect himself, Mob reads lots of BL manga comic books and studies every possible case and its solutions. How to resist and escape… Greeting for every situation, Manners of drinking parties, Behavior at sauna, Boy friend of his younger brother and a destined Valentine’s day… No matter how hard he tries to resist, Mob is about to be dragged into this deep BL world. He is terribly fatigued and almost falls down the stairs on his way home. At that time, someone saved him. Mob just remembers his warm and soften back and a faint scent of citrus. After sniffing out all the handsome men on campus, he finally finds the man he was looking for! https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/2420/a-man-who-defies-the-world-of-bl-2021-e01?utm_source=EDM&utm_medium=英文EDM&utm_campaign=絕對會變成BL的世界VS絕不想變成BL的男人

Fercho's is still open and thriving from the new location in the Bliss Suite hotel in Los Angeles barrio on Carrera 45 (a few blocks from the previous location). From the street you will see the sign and the entrance is directly below. The best way to contact them is through WhatsApp. If you message them on WhatsApp they will provide location and pictures of the full roster of boys available. Fercho's Masajes +57 312 2717925 Cra 45 #55-41 Medellin

I do not share the views of the previous poster about being ripped off at GEH - or in CO in general. I don't recall being cheated at GEH (I was there twice in 2019) but admittedly I didn't go for lapdance behind the curtains. And I don't speak Spanish. I would go back instantly if possible - a lot of fun and I enjoyed the views and atmosphere immensely.

From Thai Enquirer When Thailand’s same sex marriage bill was blocked by a panel of Constitutional Court judges on Thursday, the LGBTIQ+ community was devastated. Many believed that the bill would finally be taken seriously. But the LGBTIQ+ community’s doubts were confirmed when the court judges dismissed it. Activists say the ruling signals that Thailand’s conservative elite is still not ready to offer them equal rights. Nattawut Buaprathum, deputy party leader of Move Forward Party, told Thai Enquirer that it seems like it’s still going to take more time. “The court ruled citing section 1448 of Thailand’s Civil and Commercial Code, that only marriage between men and women is constitutional,” Nattawut says. “But they also agreed that Thailand is becoming more diverse.”. Section 1448 under the constitution says that only men and women above the age of 17 are able to marry. https://www.thaienquirer.com/35105/lgbtiq-community-calls-for-greater-rights-as-same-sex-bill-denied/