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As confinement started to wear on me precisely at 9.55 P. M. phone buzzed and YES positive I. E. negative result came. At time when decent people start making their beds I left my comfy prison heading to nearby BTS. It looks that ticket machines are revamped and are taking only coins now, at least that was my impression, will check again. Vagons are revamped, some seats are removed to make more standing room. As I entered, to remind me paradise is near I was greeted by commercial poster featuring two BL actors, Mark and his partner, can' t recall his name now. Then across from me in company of the girl was sitting guy I recall from one of massage parlors. Silom was quite deserted, Sunday night after all but still few vendors, few massage places opened, in one close to former Robinson I noticed stunner playing with cat. Soi 4 quite full, forget social distancing. Some bars crowded, some less so but none empty. Jupiter opened with karaoke inside and tables outside. Had beer and YES, got lucky. Not very lucky as I' m Longtimer but lucky enough so good start. Walking Silom from Narathiwas to Charon Krung I noticed very empty street, I saw, more rats than people, not that were too many of them. And street was very clean, almost no garbage anywhere. And with that emptiness of darkened street I had a thought- where the fuck in the world you can walk at night completely empty quite long stretch of the street in the city with multi million population and feel relaxed and safe? Next time you start complaining about this or that in Thailand remember that I walked alone to tell the tale without any heart pumping. Very mild temperatures now so I slept, if one can call 3 hours sleep "sleep" as jet lag is ravaging me, with wide open balcony door and was waked up by feeling hungry and sound of crowing cock. Go figure, in the middle of 10 million city!!! No doubt I' d like to have something to do with other cock at that hour but ifyou don' t have what you like, you like and enjoy what you have.

It was supposed to be Jun 2020 trip but Thailand did not let us in, then I tried my luck for October this year but canceled it. When Thai Pass came to an effect I decided to finally utilize that prehistoric ticket I bought back on Dec 3, 2019 for Jun 2020. And here I'm, feeling like chewing gum after 27 hrs trek, locked in my hotel room, waiting for a nurse to come and take my sample for dreaded PCR test. First time took Swiss and must say that their good reputation is well deserved, massive Boeing 777 plane was surprisingly full with plenty of mixed Thai-Caucasian couples prominently visible in statistic sample and a lot of young people. Few nice surprises on arrival. Thai bashers will be disappointed to hear that admission process was extremely efficiently conducted, well organized and well staffed. In reality they want to see your passport, Thai Pass QR code, immigration T6 form or whatever it'called AND YOUR BOARDING PASS FROM LEG BRINGING YOU TO THAILAND, somewhat unexpected. At 6 am weather extremely pleasant, perhaps no more than balmy 23,even now at 9.30 I' m sitting in my room with balcony door wide opened, AC turned off and all that in the room actually facing the sun. Traffic was also light, Sunday morning has it' s charms. Dtac booth selling Sim cards was opened, just past luggage belts and I noticed 1 exchange booth open but rates were kind disappointing so I did not change money there. Somebody reported messy and disorganized taxi procedure but it was not my experience,as you leave customs area there tables with names of participating hotels and somebody will lead you to your car from there. I must say I need to bite my tongue not to ask my hotel representative if he would be interested in LT since he will be right in place on the Moonlight stage. That is it for now, I will try to update you guys but test, results and well deserved rest first before I even venture anywhere from my temporary and quite pleasant confinement.

I’ve travelled solo a lot…in Latin America, Africa and Europe (but only a little in Asia and not at all in the Middle East)….and I’ve never encountered any problems. I do however act cautiously, even in places I know well. By this, I mean: I dress down and hide any obvious signs of wealth; I also ask various locals for advice on safety and what areas may be dangerous; and I keep a clear head (I like to drink with dinner but I stay sober) and always know the area I’m in. Places change over time and so I always check whether certain places or areas I like have changed since I last visited. I think @bert that as long as you’re savvy and stay alert, you should be fine in Brazil. I feel problems arise when visitors get too carried away by the delights of Rio in particular and Brazil in general (the charming, fit young men who prefer older men, and the relaxed atmosphere at the beach).

In the airport proper, or down in the basement? In normal times, if you need to change money at the airport it's best to go down to the basement, where there are several money exchanges. Because it's technically the airport rail link terminal, it is outside the cartel that the banks run in the airport proper and the rates are significantly better (several percent, not fractions of a penny). Of course "normal times" don't apply so I don't know whether the exchanges are operating at present.

El poblado is very popular with locals. Medellin, until very recently, wasn’t a tourist destination — so there aren’t areas that are just “tourist” spots, like Times Square. Just because tourists go to Poblado, doesn’t mean it’s not authentic. Tourists go to Greenwich Village and Central Park — but it’s full of actual New Yorkers who live in and around those neighborhoods. You’d be missing out if you skipped Poblado. You should stay in Poblado and use it as your launchpad to go other places… I would stay outside a 10-15 min walk radius of Parque Lleras, although you definitely want to check it out on the weekend… it’s where thousands of Colombians descend to chill on the street, hang out in the park or drink and eat.

I found the rules for internal flights posted on the Thai Smile website. Sorry @CurtisD, but I'm afraid it doesn't include Koh Samui, as Thai Smile doesn't fly to Koh Samui. I'm including the chart showing rules for many airports. It looks like the rules are subject to each airport or province. Many allow tests within 72 hours of flight, but all airports on this list allow travel with proof of vaccination. It says at least one document is required for travel. It has a listing for Surat Thani, and although Koh Samui is in Surat Thani Province, the listing is for Surat Thani airport, not Koh Samui airport.

You are correct. I landed this afternoon and CoronApp is no longer as of October 2021 -- it has been migrated to a full Corona virus services platform call MinSaludDigital for Colombians only. The Check-Mig app is the only requirement for foreign travellers now, both for arrival and internal flights. Available as a downloadable app or online at https://www.migracioncolombia.gov.co/check-mig

Dear and beloved readers. As I mentioned I hate typing on my new tablet, it's just too sensitive so most of my posts are coming in installments I. E. I write a bit, post and add more under,, edit,,. Point is don, t read too soon after i posted it as more may to come/ if you care of course/

Yes, i agree in that photo he looks typically Chinese. Seeing his face in close-up on television I reckoned there were certain differences. But just my thoughts. I don't think it is true that the Uyghurs are from the same region as the Hui in Xi'an and thereabouts. I have always been under the impression the Uyghurs were from a different 'stock'. There have ben Hui in Xi'an for around 1,300 years, They come from a mix of Silk Road countries like Persia and parts of Arabia. They are well assimilated into the life of the city and suffer no persecution. They have their own Great Mosque of Xi'an, one of the oldest in the country. The Uyghurs are ethnically different from the Hui. They come more from the northern Middle Eastern countries like Turkey and then the various central Asian 'stans' - Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan etc. The region was conquered during the Han Dynasty around 2 millennia ago. Thereafter it was variously part of the Mongol empire, a series of independent states, of the Tang Dynasty and then for five centuries an independent state again. The Qing Empire finally conquered it in the 18th century and eventually renamed it Xinjiang. Amongst the Uyghurs there is a strong West Eurasian gene resulting in fair hair and blue eyes in roughly 50% of the population. This is totally different from the Muslims in Xi'an. Xi'an Great Mosque Streets in Xi'an Muslim Quarter

or it could just be TiT bureaucracy. They were asking for boarding cards for no obvious reason when I last arrived back in 2019. I never destroy the paperwork until the journey is completely finished. (Baggage receipt in particular: some countries actually require it before you can pick up your bag!)

From Bangkok Post Thailand detects first Omicron Covid case hailand has detected its first case of Omicron. The coronavirus variant was found in an American businessman of Thai descent who arrived in the country from Spain, senior Public Health Ministry officials said on Monday. Department of Medical Sciences director-general Supakit Sirilak said the new variant was detected in an RT-PCR test conducted when the 35-year-old man arrived in Thailand. Department of Disease Control chief Opas Karnkawinpong added the businessman was a US citizen who had lived in Spain for one year before he arrived in Thailand. He was on Emirates Airline flight EK372 from Dubai to Suvarnabhumi Airport and showed no symptoms. It was unclear which day he entered Thailand as Dr Opas said he arrived on Nov 29 but a chart presented by the ministry during his press briefing showed Nov 30. The man underwent RT-PCR testing in Spain on Nov 28 before he left for Thailand via the United Arab Emirates, Dr Opas added. He had received one shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which usually requires only a single shot. Following the man's positive RT-PCR test, a more detailed test was conducted at the Department of Medical Sciences on Friday. He was being treated at a hospital, Dr Opas said. Dr Supakit said "the chance that the infection is the Omicron variant is 99.92%". He urged the government not to replace RT-PCR testing with rapid antigen testing, and expected more cases would be detected. "If there is one case, we believe there will be the second and third cases," he said. The ministry said the patient had been in contact with two airport staff and 17 hotel staff members. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2227511/thailand-detects-first-omicron-covid-case

It would be helpful if people who post advice on requirements for entry were those who have actually done it (enter Thailand very recently) rather than those non-travellers who are trying to interoperate government requirements.

I'm usually the same when eating, but sometimes there are things worth getting distracted for. Besides, if the boys are wearing next to nothing in the restaurant, if the food isn't any good WHO CARES . . . ?

I'd still go to Foodland Patpong as I don't like to be distracted when eating , just like every dog

Don' t spit on me but it will be exactly what will happen. I will keep you posted about tourist stuff since it was my thirst up to 3 days ago so I understand the needs but manly stuff will wait until I return. As for your trip you are best placed to made informed decision based on your priorities and circumstances. All I can say now it' s I' m very happy I braved to come, at least after 1 day.

I guess because the rules say night clubs, bars, karaoke etc are to remain closed. If boys were to be seen in underwear it could hardly be classed as a “restaurant”.

Fully clothed? That's a lot of slack. And I don't know why they are fully clothed or even wearing jeans. I know of no rules that say they can't be in their briefs, as before. I remember the good ol' days when in some bars they weren't fully clothed. They were fully naked - not even the briefs. That is going back quite a number of years now, but it was true. However, for me, the boys in briefs are much more appealing than completely naked.

Boarding pass will not tell how long we were somewhere but has one piece of information I believe they are looking for - where we were seated in case some case will be detected aboard. Yes I noticed z909 was equally surprised but I decided to stress it again as people may tend to dispose boarding passes as soon as they are seated aboard. As for your question,, why now,,? It was mainly to act on old Lenin's question: "if not us, then who?, if not now then when"? Reasons were few :I waned to utilize my old ticket before airline gives any sort of deadline which may or may nor suit me in the future- there are months wheb traveling would be financially suicidal for me. Curiosity to see how it is now, desire to be that early bird catching the worm, few quite encouraging messages from members on the ground already are other reasons. I always say that we need only one bar and only one guy in that bar so it's time I act on my own wisdom I decided. Holding ticket paid already exactly 2 years ago to a day and very economical hotel prices are other reasons. Desire to see celebrations of closure of Halampong was other point as I, m and always were railwayman by heart. Not to mention fun of attending midnight mass at HOLY Redeemer on Christmas Eve. Two years of staying at home helped to built my own travel fund beyond expectations. And you know what? I simply missed Thailand and now sitting on the balcony of my prison I see I missed her even more than I thought. Since I,m already vaccinated my reasoning is I Don't need to worry about getting sick, they are always others who do, right? While point about bars is valid there's danger thet it may be very long before they open in former format, another point of not waiting. And there's sense of adventure to go when not many do, although plane yesterday was almost full, traffic in all airports on my way was noticeably reduced even for time of year. I was thinking about January but I may have something coming up, that' one and if it, what stops me from returning in January again, not likely but not impossible either. So reasons are many and none IMNSHO particularly stupid. Whether trip was good use of time and resources remains to be seen when it be over. Hope that answers your question.

I agree with all above but after such long period of closure and uncertainty what' s possible now I 'd giver bars some slack for a good start.

The same holds true for me - as long as the boys at least are shirtless. But if they are fully clothed in jeans and also wearing shirts, I fail to see much point in going to those go-go bars where you're going to pay exorbitant prices for drinks. You might as well go to a beer bar where the boys are also fully clothed, but the drink prices are far less expensive. Also, I have never had some sort of mama-san try to pressure me in a beer bar. For me, that has happened only in go-go bars. I learned a long time ago - never buy a drink for a mama-san who sits with me, uninvited, and starts the pressure routine. I make the mama-san get lost and try it with some other customer.

Appreciate your preference but I often find that they they can be equally attractive in street clothes...like the lad in your photo on Silom 🙂

That's "Green Massage" - indeed massage is not only great but in addition the Burmese "Boys" are cute. They have girls too, but you can say you prefer a boy.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/rio-de-janeiro-cancels-nye-party-due-to-omnicron-fears/2021/12/04/c6eaf530-5517-11ec-83d2-d9dab0e23b7e_story.html is the Carnaval 2022 still on?