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Bangkok Saladaeng Road Senso closed. Soi Wallstreet (?) Moonlight closed. Patpong All the gay etablissements incl. Bangkok Massage looked closed. 1-2 Ladybars (restaurants?) open. Foodland + restaurant open. Silom Soi 4 Many places open and not all were restaurants. No shortage of alcohol. Well visited at the weekend. Jupiter closed. Silom Soi 6 Most of the massage places open and one of them advertising on Hornet. Tawan and The Sun massage no sign of life. The Quarter Hotel: pretty new (If I remember correctly z909 reported a year ago), compact rooms; before introduction of the Thailand Pass the room rates were a bargain, now a bit higher but I would say still ok. Visitors allowed (must/should register at reception). There are at least 2 other wellknown places in the area "discretely" open (one I heard from a boy, and for the other I talked with a guy at the place in the afternoon because the door was open). Silom Plaza Arena open. 5 "boys" available, age 30+, but not my type. The Best Massage open. Quite a few boys were sitting and smoking outside, let's say "manly twinks"? Saphan Kwai GBeat Massage open (there is a separate thread about this place). Reservation recommended - I did not but luckily one of the three boys I had in mind was available - a guy with amazing body and a toilet paper roll Massage was a bit repetitive (1 hour is enough) but left very satisfied. Take exit 3 at BTS station Saphan Khwai and while going down the stairs look to the left. You will see the name "Le Bonheur Poshtel" on a building, that's the building opposite of GBeat. There are other massage places in the same road, one looked gay.

I agree! Very strange and that's why I shared it. I've been going for years and never had a problem either. Maybe it was a guy who was only an occasional GP and saw an opportunity. I thought about what I would do if I had actually lost it. I realized that there are no real English speakers in Pointe 202 and it would have been hard to explain what happened to the front desk. On another night I saw one of the GP in the bar area with that panicked look on his face when he realized his cell was gone. He was sure it was stolen until he realized one of his friends had his phone. Phones--especially nice ones are a hot commodity in Brazil Most of my experiences in the sauna have led me to believe that the guys are sweet, hard working and honest to the point where I think all of the warnings about "never bring one home" are a bit overblown. That being said I thought I would pass this along as a caution to not let your guard down. By the way--Pointe 202 packed on Monday , Wednesday, and Fridays--feels like the old days are back!

A Brasilian friend once told me....if they suck cock for money, there's no telling what else they're capable of doing. Either at the sauna or my room, they are not out of my sight....I make them either shower with me or talk to me in the bathroom while I'm in the shower. If I have to use the toilet, I send them to the store for something.....I don't like overnights either, hate sleeping with one eye open, lol

Thailand currently requires the RT-PCR test before arriving in country under the Thailand Pass rules. I have looked up numerous testing locations in the US, and have been left confused over RT-PCR, regular PCR, rapid test, etc. I recently found the following explanation of the RT-PCR test from someone with a licensed background in the medical field very useful. It clearly explains to those of us who are not scientists or work in the medical field what may have been perplexing. I was also confused after reading some references as to to the "RT" in RT-PCR being referred to to as a Rapid Test, and in other instances called Reverse Transcription. There certainly is rapid testing, however that refers to the timeframe that the test results are forwarded to you, and is not what the RT in RT-PCR means. The RT means Reverse Transcription which is explained below. Yesterday I called a local CVS pharmacy, and they confirmed that although their website states they give only PCR and Antigen tests, they told me their PCR tests are in fact RT-PCR tests. In the US, there are far more testing locations that advertise PCR tests than RT-PCR tests. Looking at the US CDC website, there are a dizzying variety of tests that can be used to detect Covid. You almost need to be a scientist or a Philadelphia lawyer to decipher and understand their explanation of tests. The following info from a Thailand based expat Registered Nurse who is a regular poster on the aseannow message board may help to clear up any confusion over the Covid test currently required before entering Thailand, and what you should look for when seeking a test. This is from the poster named Sheryl, who is also a moderator of the aseannow message board. She explains it better than I can: "RT = reverse transcription. It is a process whereby RNA is used ("transcribed") to produce DNA. PCR tests identify the presence of DNA. The COVID virus contains only RNA so it is impossible to do a PCR test for it without the RT step. All COVID PCR tests are RT-PCR. There is no other way it can be done. The only time a PCR test can be done without the RT step is if it is identifying an organism that contains DNA. COVID does not. However most non-medical people do not know this - certainly airline staff, Imm officers etc do not -- and labs do not always state "RT-PCR" on their reports. It will have been an RT-PCR though, for sure. So before using a particular lab find out how their results will be worded. If not including the phrase "RT-PCT" then ask if they can specify it. Just a matter of wording, no difference in the tests, but given the way Thailand's requirements are phrased it is an important one. Of course there is a difference between plain PCR and RT-PCR but what I was explaining is that all COVID PCR's are RT-PCR even if not explicitly stated as such. It is a physical impossibility to do a COVID PCR without the initial RT step. Because the COVID virus does not contain any DNA, only RNA. So it is not a matter of needing a special sort of test, any place doing COVCID PCR is doing RT-PCR. But for entry into Thailand you need to be sure the results will clearly state RT-PCR." In another post, Sheryl mentioned that she received her test for return to Thailand at a CVS pharmacy, and it stated RT-PCR test in the written results: For US residents traveling to Thailand, CVS gives free Covid tests, either billed to your health insurance, or billed to Uncle Sam if you have no insurance. I have read that Walgreens does the same. From what I have learned, some testing centers still offer a "Fit to Fly" certificate along with the test results, and some labs even charge an extra fee for this certificate. Many testing facilities in Bangkok are currently offering this "Fit to Fly" certificate, and a few I have seen in the US are also. I understand the Fit to Fly certificate was a previous Thailand requirement earlier in the pandemic, however as of April 1, 2021, foreign travelers are no longer required to provide the fit-to-fly certificate, as long as they present the COVID 19 RT-PCR test result under the Thailand Pass, or if required upon departure from Thailand. Neither airlines nor the Thailand Pass or Thai checkpoints on arrival or departure require this certificate. On arrival, they only want the test results. On departure from Thailand, a test is only needed if your country of arrival and/or your airline requires a test. So don't go out of your way to get a "Fit to Fly" certificate, or pay any extra for it, as it will just be an obsolete souvenir for you. The US requires no Fit to Fly to return home from overseas. Citizens of other countries returning home should check the requirements of their home countries and airlines. I wasn't trying to complicate this or overthink the situation, but to me, this cleared up a lot of uncertainty. I know I went in great detail here, but I like definitive answers, not hearsay, hot air, and speculation. The results of Sheryl's test for her recent return to Thailand and her lucid professional explanation that she shared with the message board provided me the clarity that I was seeking in this sea of confusion over testing requirements. I have been searching for a clear explanation of this info in planning a future trip of my own. So just verify that your test results will clearly state RT-PCR, not PCR, before getting a test and you should be good to fly and enter the Kingdom. I am posting this extensive explanation so it may help other potential travelers to Thailand, and make it a bit easier to understand the rules.

Early Christmas in soi 4 or what? Actually it would be fun to have a meal with the boy du noit right there before retiring to check stamp collection

I appreciate the good intentions of ex-pats living in Thailand who have been warning about the potential for disappointment if we arrive in the near future. But I'm at that age where I don't really know who many trips I have ahead. For me, the future is at hand. I last left Bangkok in March of 2020. I'm hoping to return in February--a month shy of a two-year absence. I can't account for ether what has happened during that period of what I will find when I arrive. The only thing I do have control over is the decision to remain home or to go. I don't need--or expect--it to be exactly the same place. What I need are the sights, sounds and--yes--smells of Bangkok. I want to be in a place where I'm free to be the myself. I first found that place nearly 20 years ago and I'm not ready to part with what has become a ritual for me. I'm grateful for those members--expat and tourist alike-- who have shared their Bangkok and Pattaya experiences with us. They showed us that it's still possible to enjoy yourself amid much tighter restrictions then we would now encounter. They helped keep hope alive. I think know about what Jim Morrison (The Doors, "Light My Fire") advised in 1967: The time to hesitate is through No time to wallow in the mire Try, now we can only lose And our love become a funeral pyre

From Richard Barrow Twitter site Over the last three weeks, 262,008 people have applied for #ThailandPass out of which 206,814 have received approval. So far, 33,303 applications were rejected. Many of these were rejected because they did not book a SHA+ hotel package that included RT-PCR test & hotel transfer.

Not only that, but they have to provide transport to Pattaya which would cost you 1500 baht (£35) for an equivalent taxi!

that's right, in spring I made few reservations for October hoping they will work as charm but they did not so I cancelled them nd money was back in my C/C account next day. One thing to watch is whether booking is cancelable , most of them those days are but terms vary from 1-7 days before arrival but still there are some which are non-refundable.

Unless you're dealing with a hotel you have prior relationship with, agree that you're probably better off booking through trusted site like Agoda. You have more recourse if things go sour. You can also rely on appealing to credit card issuer if hotel fails to abide by terms of booking.

or travellers deceived themselves by rushing bookings but not reading what they are buying. Some hotels if not all of them are selling both quarantine and regular bookings and at least on Agoda it's easy to make a boo-boo.

As I wrote on another thread, the last time I was in Bangkok the Tawan was dreadful, a tragic shadow of its former self. It it reopens I only hope it can regain some of its past glory.

You need to read more closely. Thailand airports opened to incoming on 1st of November. Nothing to do with clubs, bars alcohol etc. If you want to know about the reasons Pinocchio gave for the 15th January, look around these boards or Bangkok Post or Google. One glimmer of hope is that some committees reporting to the CCSA are pushing for easing before January -- to be discussed this Friday. Look for the thrice weekly English language CCSA bulletin broadcast on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Hmm. Maybe being a dog isn't so bad.

This sounds like a very strange story dude...the guys in the sauna don't steal because they want repeat business AND if you had went to the front desk and even said something about your phone missing, they would be banned from the saunas... A cellphone, no matter how nice is not worth them losing out on tons of money they can make during this upcoming busy season... Ive been going to the sauna for YEARS and have never worried about anything getting stolen in the saunas....

that risk may be mitigated by the fact that planes rarely are full those days

Jupiter announced they will be open dec 2. What will be on offer, only those in bkk can tell.

As I said above -- 'FULL food menu'.

Balcony, Pride (and soon Circus) , Connections and Sands(?) ALL operate FULL food menus -- hardly "in name only".

Tawan and not Taiwan. Taiwan is a country.