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Day 18 Today we went for breakfast to French place in the corner. Then N went to his gym and I took motorsai to Pratamnak Hill to see Big Buddha and admiral. Last time I was there it was crowded , this time with even better weather at Big Buddha were probably more stray dogs than pilgrims and tourists combined. But it added to the charm of place, quiet , nice breeze and good views few pictures to warm your hearts longing for Pattaya Going back I took motorsai to the Jomtien bus station and bought ticket to BKK for tomorrow. At 2 , like yesterday Art arrived for massage and again managed to put me to sleep during massage without singing lullabies. There’s something soothing in his stokes. Who knows when we will have another chance ? In the afternoon Gaybutton , his board friend R and me had another dinner together , this time we settled forum on Mexican which I’m not big fan of and I’m glad I went along because my dish, some chicken salad in big tortilla was tasty and serving was big, I did not even manage to eat it all. I updated them on my trip goings , we discussed covid and current Pattaya situation , great interesting afternoon , thank you gentlemen both for inviting me again. At one time today I got message from aussie_ who after left Panorama last night went to Sunee , to Nice Boys and had great time there. So when I meet z909 at Jomtien we decided to pay a visit in that bar.. Before stepping in we did grand tour of the plaza only to see shops boarded and bars closed including Winners. There were few boys at Nice Boys , mostly eating and drinking in the corners , few pretending to rotate on the stage were deep in their smartphones and even if few looked quite attractive it was impossible to even make an eye contact. Nobody seemed to pay any attention to us nor to few other customers who popped in from time to time . Certainly it was my first in any Thai bar ever to feel completely ignored , even when we wanted a check it required loud scream “can we get a check please” because earlier signals were completely ignored. No idea what trick aussie _used yesterday to have good time , what we got I’d call none time. It was just like watching paint dry even if there were at least 3 guys I’d gladly invite to sit, have a drink and collect some tip for a feel. Most attractive did best job of hiding behind the beam with his back to us. I was not even upset when we left, just amazed of what happened. Is not that I’m crossing that bar off my list and certainly will visit it again in future if only to see if it can go even lower. It was just strange. Disappointed and in a sense disgusted we went to Boyztown counting on consolation and indeed it was full of life with show already going on in the soi and perhaps as many as 100 spectators. Mamasan Aek greeted us with a smile. My last night off spotted me as well and instantly sent me a message ‘ why you are not coming to drink with me?” to which I answered ‘ don’t you see I’m with boyfriend ?”. That’s an advantage of visiting bars with friend as always it can be claimed we are with boyfriend. Nobody will believe but everybody will get signal ‘ leave me alone”. In front of me I spotted sitting very handsome guy and asked Aek if he is BBB boy, he was indeed so I asked him to invite guy for a drink . Too bad I promised N night together and am leaving tomorrow as if was fine specimen definitely worth an off. All I got tonight was handholding session in the open but definitely I will be looking for him in a future. Rewarded him 100 baht for his time and 200 for good looks, drink outside was 100 and boy drink 150. I liked spirit of cooperation of bars in the soi banding together trying to revive Boyztown and leaving competition for later. After the show I parted my ways with z909 , shook hands good bye as we will not meet this trip again and took motorsai to the Zing where N sitting in front of his shop, now closed for a day , spotted me in a distance and rushed toward me for out last night and his last tip this trip. This was a reason our time tonight was less steamy but much, much more clingy.

Day 17 In the morning well deserved breakfast at hotel, German style cold cuts plate for 190. Surprisingly N opted for the same. I told him his presence next night is required, thank you very much but stay tuned on the Line as it may be well past midnight when I return to the hotel . I did not plan anything but since BBB yesterday looked promising I was preparing ground just in case I will stay in Pattaya longer tonight. When he went to his gym I fired up Agoda and for the same reason I booked cheap 500 baht room in Nature Beach Hotel in soi 11. As I mentioned earlier , after 2 weeks I kind of miss food I normally digest so went to supermarket near Jomtien airport bus station and stocked on rye bread and cottage cheese. At 2 pm Art arrived as agreed yesterday for a massage and he is so skilled even if only self taught that he managed to put me to sleep mid-day !!! Than I realized that he was my only encounter this trip with guy engaged in previous trips. Yes , Soviet was repeat too but I don’t count him as previous encounter was completely forgotten by both of us and I realized only after we met that it’s not our first time. After he left, previously asked to repeat the feast tomorrow at the same time I went to Jurgens in View Talay 1 for my fil of schnitzel and potatos. Not as good as at Alt Heidelberg or Berliner Café but still closely resembling on original. 360 with beer. Well filled up I went to Walking Street and marched whole length from Bali Hai pier . not that was much to see as almost all bars were closed but here and there were traces of life returning Sad truth is that still on once such busy boisterous street only one business survived intact and that is 7/11. Not quite family destination already and likely it never happen but for a moment that street is dead indeed as adult entertainment destination. In Panorama I met with aussie_ again and we talked waiting for the show. In meantime from time to time I indulged in my newest hobby i.e. combing through Grindr and I noticed that one of guys there may be one sitting in front of BBB. Since he looked attractive I fired him message on Grindr ‘are you guy in black t-shirt with big X on the back ? ‘. That got him interested , he started looking around so I waved at him. We agreed to solve once and for all climate crisis after the show. In spirit of collaboration bars in Boyzown now are combining efforts to put that outside show together and first number with few very muscular guys was music to my ears. Around 10 pm aussie_ left Panorama and shortly after I took my newest friend to that room , smartly booked in the ,morning. Very basic but with all expected conveniences, full washroom , working safety box and A/C, for 500 one can’t expect more than that even in those trying times. Great body and above standard performance by my newest friend would made it memorable evening but unfortunately he made it pretty clear that he is interested in finishing business as soon as possible not knowing that in my eyes it’s cardinal sin. As soon as it was hinted I kind of fast lost interest mindful that well tried N is waiting for me anyways, chalked off agreed 1500 tip as a loss , Ok, not quite due to attributes mentioned above but money not well spent . I even generously offered to give him a lift to Wat Chai in taxi I hailed on the Beach Rd but I was grinding my teeth quietly. As Christian PFC says, no repeat. Lined N to come to hotel as I’ on my way and at 12.30 am we started another steamy and stormy sleepover. THAT was well spent money no doubt and subsequent night was secured before we even hit the sheets. Despite slight hick up with Grindr guy , it was great busy day with three encounters even if that day 17 ended with pretty sleepless night.

Day 19 This time breakfast in Zing, last embrace and good bye N, you were great guy. Nothing sentimental , all professional , I had money, he had time , body and skills and all that was good enough to have great time together. The same like with S in Chiang Mai. Job well done , guys move to next client and I did the same to next guys. I like that way and it’s what for I’m coming to Thailand. Bus to Swampy was only half full like suspension of Test and Go had immediate effect. I know it was perhaps just coincidence. Taking advantage of depressed hotel prices and Christams season I decided for next 4 nights to treat myself with digs in Crowne Plaza. Normally I don’t crave multi stars hotels as difference in price is much higher than difference in comfort but why not to boost ones ego for Christams by staying in 4500 room / I saw tariff on reception / for 60% of that price breakfast included if only to know where rich sleep when they travel. Location is very convenient , around the corner from Silom and Suriwong and view is guaranteed as rooms are starting on 25th floor. Trick is in order to get to the room one must use 2 sets of elevators, one available to all from ground to 23 rd floor where restaurant serving our breakfast as well as traditional afternoon tea with scones , 850 treat which I skipped trying to keep my waist lean and wallet full. From there is another set of smart , card operated elevators taking us to our rooms. Why smart ? if your room is on 25 floor you can press only ‘25’ button. With all that hoopla room was quite compact although comfortable and well furnished with expected utensils plus pack of 3 strawberry flavoured condoms in one of drawers. Whether it was left by previous occupant or was hotel provided I don’t know but I suspect the second. All those stars under the name oblige. It also signalized that hotel must be guest friendly and indeed it was as we learn soon. Washroom had those high tech Japanese toilets but it’s just too much , making complex relatively simple and well rehearsed thing so I did not test it but one of my guests did. here are some pictures for curious, inside dining area from above, room and call-of-nature computer, er. toilet Almost blinded by all that marbles and polished chrome I settled in and soon was marching to soi 4 where I was supposed to meet newscene, forum member present who took an advantage of Test and Go provisions , the same like me . We never met but now it’s easy to sent selfie to somebody’s Line so we recognized each other instantly. Since we were in soi 4 already we went to Jupiter. It was quite empty with few customers only, handsome but unsmiling guys made their parade, 2 best looking and 1 smiling got my customary 100 baht tip but we did not stay too long and moved to Dreamboys in patpong 2 just in time for the show including big you know what show. Mamasan was quite friendly , our mood was good so I spotted some well built performer and decided to invite him to try all those Crowne Plaza luxuries including breakfast with me, off fee 500 paid , LT tip 3000 agreed and off we went to world famous, 7 Michelin stars sporting for some dinner before we went to a room, undisturbed by reception but collecting few looks from other guest waiting for an elevator but this did not move us at all. Tob or Top , not sure of his nick, helped me with gusto to finish day 19 and welcome day 20. With my room being on 25th floor we did not even feel the need to bother with covering windows , debauchery with a view one can say. and here's the view

That's the problem. When planning a trip to Thailand I suggest taking very seriously the possibility that they could close the borders, both coming and going, without warning. They've done it before and a lot of travelers found themselves stuck in Thailand, some for weeks, some for months, unexpectedly - with no way to return home. I definitely would plan for that possibility. I would not suggest brushing it off with an "it won't happen to me". When people say it won't happen to me, that's when it happens - to them. Speaking only for myself, considering past history and precedent, the way things are right now, and where things seem to be headed, the last thing I would be doing would be planning international travel without a damned good reason. I would wait until things stabilize and stay that way and I would wait until the places I want to go, including the bars, are actually open. I would not rely on when the powers-that-be say they can open. And the next consideration - I will repeat what I've said before. There is a big difference between the bars can open and the bars will open. I have no idea how many bars, especially go-go bars, plan to open as quickly as possible, assuming they survived to be able to open at all. Even when they do open or reopen, how many boys will there be working in the bars? If you are planning a trip to Thailand, make sure you're not wearing rose colored glasses while doing your planning. Remember - think with your brain, not your crotch.

I know you were asking more there as to should it be a large or small amount etc however my solicitor offered me a great piece of advice when he and I were discussing that same topic. I was fumbling about over "how much money to leave" someone / everyone and found I couldn't come to an agreed number very easily. His advice was to stop thinking about how much MONEY I would be leaving them but to think instead of how much of a percentage of my final "pot" from me assets I would like to leave them. That he said usually made it feel less of a personal slant if it ended up (perhaps unintentionally) more or less that someone else may have received ( thinking family members there perhaps) but was also a big plus point ( for HIM and me) in that I wouldn't need to keep reviewing my will as my assets changed over my lifetime as my beneficiaries would always be getting the same 5% / 10% or whatever of just WHATEVER the final pot was. Plus he pointed out that in doing so it kept things nice and easy for me but ALSO for HIM to administer my estate and that would then reduce his workload and so his fees too - we all know of course that last part will NEVER happen after I'm gone and his calculating his final invoice !). I'm leaning towards doing my damnedest to spend the lot before I go without much being left anyway but of course as others have said it's hard without knowing when we're going to pop our clogs to find that happy balance. At least one of the benefits of being gay ( usually) is a lot of us don't have to worry about leaving the bulk of our estate on to wives and children. I actually had to change my financial advisor recently as my old (school) advisor guy just couldn't get his head around my requirement NOT to have to keep my estate intact for passing on to children etc and every pension plan he came up with ended up in his proposing "I" took less now as that would keep my pot well funded after my death". I had to explain to him that NO, I intend and indeed was instructing him to do the exact opposite but it seems his years of "training in safe investing" just couldn't get him into my "spend the lot and be damned mode" - hence my need to change advisors - much to my beneficiaries disgust once I'm gone perhaps ! ( and in some cases I certainly HOPE so anyway ! 🙂 )

I recently had a similar experience and decided to empty out a storage bin I had been renting for nearly eight years. Not surprisingly, the most difficult things to part with were old books. A handful went went to friends but the rest went to the local library book sale. Like a-447, much went to the Salvation Army and a consignment shop. The whole thing was liberating while saving me the monthly bin rental cost going forward. There comes a time when we realize there's nothing to be gained by gathering possessions. My surviving family members either have good jobs or have retired quite comfortably. In any case, I see little of them. So I, too, find myslef focusing on who have actually made my life more meaningful. Who are those I wanted so much to be with during the Covid crisis. Who are those who have been there for me--and I for them.

I would stay in Republica, it is super gay! Republica has a concentration of gay bars where guys congregate on the street for a huge gay hangout Friday-Sunday. In addition to bars there are 2 video cabins with hustlers and it's not too far from Lagoa (8 minutes by car/ 20 minutes by foot). I usually choose an Airbnb at the Setin Downtown in Republica. It's the tallest building with nice amenities, and as long as you let the hosts know your bringing a guest you should be fine. For a whole month you can get rooms for $500-800 USD. It's so popular I see guys posting pictures of the pool on Instagram because it has a great rooftop pool with a view.

MANY Airbnb units in this bldg. Is fairly new and I've never had problems bringing a guy back even though their rules want passports/id of any other gsts or visitors. I like Republica the most....I've stayed in the place on this listing, is very nice.... They are building a new tower next door, so I don't know how the construction noise is, when I was there last, I stayed in an apt on the back side, no park view but no noticeable noise. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/47882389?source_impression_id=p3_1641767434_M4z3mY2vev%2BxqNKE&guests=1&adults=1#availability-calendar this is on the back side https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/37767755?source_impression_id=p3_1641767493_hEKl3PR9ViFDpvcp&guests=1&adults=1#availability-calendar This is also on the back side Super comfortable beds, great internet, black out curtains, great a/c, views from the roof top pool are amazing.

Greetings from Bogotá. Landed late last night and will be here for the week. 1. You do not require a Covid test (PCR or otherwise) currently to land in Colombia. 2. The gaybourhood of Chapinero (Chapigay to the locals) is fully open and busy. Lots of people out this afternoon and the major clubs (Theatron, El Mozo, Coyote Crazy, et al) are functioning as normal. You will need to be masked to enter, but mask usage is lax inside the clubs. 3. You may want to review these places if you want to get into sexual exploration. I will also be adding a review of the Casa de Boys (private brothel) here later this week.

thank you for undeserved praise, I'm just trying to write prescription for fun filled vacation. As for phone and general spending I came with plan to be bit more generous and supportive than usual understanding how hard times are for guys and working class population and since financially covid time was good to me only thing I could do was to share spoils with those who deserved it.

A few thoughts on wills from my own experience. * Minimize the chance of lawyers extracting more than a modest fee by make your will as simple, short and clear as possible. The more you get carried away trying to control every last detail and end up writing “The Soap Opera of My Final Testament”, the greater the opportunity you provide for snafus which the legal sharks will ruthlessly exploit for profit. Refer to Charles Dickens, Jarndyce v Jarndyce. * Ensure you have a good executor. This must be kept up-to-date as a good option when you make the will may not be a good option by the time you pass on, and this holds true as much for law firms and trust departments as for individuals. * Give copies of the will to the beneficiaries, at least the main ones. This ensures both that copies of the will are easily available and that someone will be on the ball and prod the executors to action. * It may help if one of the beneficiaries is a large entity with the ability to easily summon lawyers to ensure that things move efficiently. If this advice gives the impression that I have very little faith in the probity of the legal profession when it comes to the execution of testamentary wishes, that impression is correct. I do not think bequests are the best way to ensure you are remembered. The park near my home is dotted with decaying sculptures, fountains, horse troughs and dog water bowls erected by individuals seeking remembrance (and failing) and the storage of the art gallery is full of works donated in the fond hope of preserving someone’s memory, now out of fashion and out of sight. Short of doing something so awesome that it will be remembered down the ages (not much chance for most of us), our best hope is to have people we have helped during our lives, friends, and family in whose hearts a fond memory lingers for a few decades.

Finding charities that make efficient use of your donation can indeed be a challenge. The first thing I look for in a prospective charity is its financials. Specifically I want to know what percentage of income goes to "program services" (the higher the better) and how much is eaten up by "fund raising and management" expenses (the less the better). If I can't readily locate this data on the charity's website or independent rating service, I move on. When looking at management, I like to check out the salaries of the top executives. For example, if a charity is shelling out salaries over $300,00+ to upper management, I might have second thoughts if the same charity is providing less than 80% of total annual income toward program services. I'm also turned off by organizations that send me unsolicited stuff (i.e., greeting cards, wrapping paper, religious paraphernalia). The only worthwhile item I ever remember receiving was a world map from Doctors Without Borders that displayed the countries where it operates. One of the oldest--and I believe reliable--rating services in the US is Charity Navigator. It rates charities and provides financial data. https://www.charitynavigator.org/ I expect that the UK and Australia probably have similar services, although I;'m not familiar with them. If you're looking for opportunities in Thailand, many exists in the Bangkok and Pattaya. Paying an in-person visit might make an interesting daytime diversion.

I wouldn't stay there. There are way better options and locations in Patong. Check out the Holiday Inn Express, Best Western and Patong Resort (for the latter book the garden superior rooms rather the cheaper rooms in the main building); all are within walking distance from Paradise. For more upscale hotel check-out the Impiana Resort at the ocean front.

With the Winter Olympics getting closer and in the same time zone as Thailand (just one hour ahead) I am getting quite excited about several of the events. I love the ski jumping but it is the men's figure skating that completely grabs me. At the last winter games in Pyeongchang, it was not known if the Sochi 2014 Gold Medallist, the cute Japanese skater Yuzuru Hanyu, would be fit to take part. He had injured an ankle three months earlier and had pulled out of all competitions prior to the Olympics. He was not only fit enough to skate, he again won the Gold Medal. For the next Games, Hanyu may once again be unable to take part as he recently suffered another ankle injury. Hopefully he and his coach, the gay Brian Orser with whom Hanyu trains in Toronto, can get him fit enough. But the competition is getting tougher and Hanyu is not getting younger. By February he will be 28. Already a superstar in Japan with many sponsors, he will become Godlike if he could manage to win a third Gold Medal. He is the subject of many dozens of websites and innumerable social media, not a few of which speculate on his sexuality. It is assumed he is gay but those close to him never talk about it. Another Japanese Shoma Uno has been close on his heels for some years. Will this be his year? To me it's a pity that he is quite small whereas Hanyu is perfectly proportioned for a skater. Both, though, will have to beat the young American Nathan Chen, nicknamed the King of the Quads for the ease with which he executes these fiendishly difficult quadruple jumps. He is the present World Champion, a title he has won twice before, and he won Bronze in 2018. Although I really hope Hanyu competes and wins, my gut tells me Chen could well win the Gold this time around. A long shot could be the 20-year old Korean skater Cha Jun-Hwan. I reckon the area where Yuzuru Hanyu has had the edge on his competitors is his superb artistic interpretation. No one interprets the music as well as he does. There are times when it is almost balletic. His short programme in Pyeongchang was surely as close to skating perfection as one will ever see.

A few series from "46 New Upcoming BL Series in 2022" on Thai BL youtube channel. Weird/sad enough, the video has an age restriction... oh I forgot ... guys kissing ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjpObNqmhiA Some of the series that caught my interest: You're my sky (8.1.2022) College, sports, gay and cute cast could be a good combination. Something in my room (19.1.2022) A plot like "He is coming to me", but can it be as good? "He is coming to me" is one of my favorite BL series and therefore hard to beat. Vice Versa (2022) Ohm Pawat in a side role ... that's enough for me to watch it. You are my favorite (Q4 2022) Not sure about this one. With Mike Chinnarat (I like) and Krist Perawat (I don't like, but I will give him a second chance). Story sounds a bit like Groundhog Day. I actually thought Krist stopped doing BL series? Moonlight Chicken With Earth & Mix, what else needs to be said? Cupid's last wish Another one with Earth & Mix Love Mechanics Related to the mini series "En of love - Love Mechanics", which I haven't seen yet. Has anyone seen it? Between Us A side story to "Until we meet again". Main characters look cute. Should probably watch "Between Us Special" (nov/dec 2021) first, has anyone seen it? My Engineer Season 2. Focussing on Ram/King, yes yes yes! Check Out (june 2022) There was an episode 0 in 2021, I think I posted about it. Very promising! ... and many more, but I also need to go on holiday sometime.

Great info thank you!

I have literally watched a very elderly client — he looked to be in his 90s — with an oxygen tank being carried up to a suite in a sauna before. God bless him. Money is the great equalizer in this scene. If you’re paying, you suddenly look like Nick Jonas, Idris Elba or George Clooney.

There are love hotels designed just for this purpose — a few are in Copacabana. I have never heard of one in Ipanema or Leblon, but I know there’s one past Leblon going toward Vidigal. Plenty of them in Gloria and Centro.

Perhaps but for me it was and probably still is the best bar in Sunee. I had good time there quite a few times before so I'm not chalking them off believing in power of redemption. Yes experience this trip was very bad but reason could be that shortly after re-opening guys were rather happy with their own company and clearly not interested in ours. Since aussie_ had good time there night before and I trust his opinion and judgement for years , what happened to us could be just an aberration , bad luck but not main stream event. I hope I'm right. give them a try toward the end and see if there's any improvement as one statistic sample is not basis for hypothesis even if our experience there was bad indeed. you may be right on first account although it's not my previous experience. ............. management was present and did not give a f...k about our presence either so nobody was to complain , in fact loud scream was necessary to signalize we want to pay our dues. .............. not so sure about straight guys rushing things. If you read my recent travel report S , telephone guy from ChiangMai, T, my favorite masseur this trip, Myanmarese from HotMale, one more guy, Art , masseur from BBB, Moonlight model not mentioned yet, all straights with wifes /girlfriends and some with children , mostly l engaged more than once by me this trip , none of them made any hint he is done and wants to go other than cases when time was agreed upon in advance for valid reason (returning to girl or going to work ). Give me straight guy and day or rather night.

I must say I agree with you in general but on another hand I'm happy I did not believe in closing borders, I was sure that it won't happen to me and I took my best rose tinted glasses, jumped on occasion and spent almost whole December in Thailand. No , I was not thinking with my crotch, I took calculated risk that if they reverse relaxation it won't be that fast and glad I did not miscalculated. So my advice to readers will be , if window of opportunity opens , jump into it just like I did but do not expect too much and nice surprise may materialize. It's supported by my own experience to which you are witness as we met there on more than one occasion.

Betty White was a pure treasure, especially in the gay community. She's had a long history of working with gay people in the industry, recognizing and fully appreciating their contributions. Anyone who had the pleasure of meeting Betty would never forget the experience. She always said she was the luckiest woman in the world because she was blessed with good health. And she was right. Many people in show business (and elsewhere) can't live a long, plentiful life due to chronic health conditions. So many actors are struck with some form of early dementia (often aggravated by statins), which obviously affects their ability to remember lines. If you can't remember lines, your life in show business will not survive. Word gets around quickly, and it's rare to see any production support for actors who want to work, but need a little help to get them through. Betty White was the exception. Her good health allowed her to never retire, which was always her wish. She loved her work, and she never wanted to see it end. Lucky lady.

I think the guys turn up each night to be with each other, not with farang. They are there to hang out with their friends and enjoy each other's company. They obviously don't need the money. Then again, they can survive on a lot less money than we can. I'm just surprised the management allows such behaviour. Presumably they are still paying rent and need to at least cover costs. Maybe it's one of those places which the owner runs as a hobby and is not worried about making money. Like Natureboys and Golden Cock in Bangkok. As the boys are all straight it comes as no surprise that they want to get the deed over asap. Has anyone complained to the manager or owner?

From Thai Enquirer Only one covid-related number Thais should concentrate on, senior doctor says By Cod Satrusayang Thailand must stop focusing on new Covid-19 infection numbers in light of increasing vaccination rates and the spread of the milder Omicron variant, a senior doctor told Thai Enquirer on Monday. The country discovered 7,926 new cases in the past 24 hours, in line with the recent surge in cases stemming from travel during the new year period and the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. It is nearly a three hundred per cent increase in the number of average cases from December when the country was finding some 2,000 cases per day. But according to one senior doctor at Siriraj Hospital, those numbers are misleading and the public should not place much importance on total number of new infections. “Our vaccination rate and our booster rate is still climbing while Omicron has proven to be less severe than earlier variants, that means we should focus on the death rate and clusters,” said the doctor who asked for anonymity citing his involvement in government policy. “The death toll in the last 24 hours is only 13 fatalities. That is still tragic for the individual families but in terms of public policy, a very successful implementation of restrictions and vaccinations.” The doctor added that a low death rate means public health policy should be focused on economic recovery and getting the country back to normal rather than panicking over increased numbers. “The other focus must be on clusters, instead of focusing on total numbers, restrictions should be tailor-made to specific clusters and restrictions in localities,” he said. “Think back to December and the specific restrictions we introduced to Samut Sakhon. That is the model we should go back to now instead of trying to restrict the country as a whole and dooming it economically.” https://www.thaienquirer.com/36342/only-one-covid-related-number-thais-should-concentrate-on-senior-doctor-says/

You are correct this is why I suspended all my plans to travel abroad till further notice .I was caught in Thailand at the beginning of the apademic my origin flight had been cancelled at the last minute and I had to buy alternative ticket home, after 3 weeks the int'l flights were totally suspended for months . I got away from Thailand at the last minute . Now I don't have any plans to repeat this doubious adventure and I will consider traveling only after all this madness is over.

Thanks for the reply! Okay so I’ve got a few good years in me left…! Can’t see myself being this horny when I’m one hundred but maybe into my 60s. Hopefully it’s not that long before I make it to the Brasíl saunas, in the meantime, keep these amazing stories coming.

you must be right, I hard it form my maternal grandmother as teenager, word for word and he was smart lady , God let her rest in peace

I don't understand the lack of responses. It was nice to see a person with such a great sense of humor and zest for live who was so mentally with it at the age of 99. Sorry she didn't make it to 100 years old.

Thanks for that, Nirish. My advisor actually suggested something similar so that is probably the way to go. Being gay with no ties means many of us have superfluous money, as we've not had the cost of a family to drain our funds. I'd hate to think what it costs to educate a couple of kids through to university! And in my case the partners I've had over my lifetime have all been self-sufficient and have been able to pay their own way. So it may sound strange but I actually enjoy having a couple of very special friends in Thailand who I can spend money on, spoil a bit and look after. I've now entered my 70s and although I have no intention of dropping off the perch soon, I'm trying to downsize and get rid of much of the "stuff" I've accumulated over the years. As a shopping tragic, I've ended up with way too much of everything. (The Salvation Army is doing very well out of me!) So although I'm doing my best to spend, like many at my age I've got everything I need. Money is great when you're young because we have so many "wants " but at my age, money and assets become rather meaningless. I'm not complaining - It's a wonderful situation in which to be - but it's good to sit back and think how I am able to share what I have. I just need to work out HOW to share it. I'll leave that to the experts.

Not a disaster - at least not yet. But the powers-that-be seem, for whatever their reasons, to be turning it into an artificial disaster.

I loved Chen's skating costume today. He's in a class by himself.

It was my 4th or 5th time there at Zing and I consider it extremely good value place. Not fancy but comfortable and discreet and amazingly quiet considering it's busy location. This trip it had distinction of being only hotel out of I guess 12 I was staying which checked my vaccination status and collected ID from my visiting guest (at day time, but not at night where one by passes reception anyways ) but those exception are hardly problem. Airport bus is great as means to get to and from Bangkok, not only airport and I keep repeating it as few times I was told that idea of using it just to get to Bangkok proper never crossed people's mind , so entrenched is allure of ' airport ' bus they we tend not to think outside the box, in this case Swampy. The same in Bangkok where one can use Chiang Mai train to get to DonMuang airport from Hualampong ( before it closes for good )

I agree but my reason is bit different. I don't want to do to others what I wouldn't appreciate if done to myself. Few years ago I recommended to one of our members masseur from BBB Inn. As reward boy in question showed him pictures of some of his customers including me. None of those were compromising ( mine was taken on stairs fully dressed ) but still ... But main reason I don't take a pictures is more prosaic - I'm just to lazy for that and when with a guy , thinking about pictures is least of my priorities.

You are right, cruel as it is it takes max 3 generations until we are completely forgotten like we never existed. we know plenty about our parents, quite a bit about grandparents, very little about great-grandparents if anything at all and honestly that where abyss starts . Very few people know who their great-grandparents were and when and where they were buried.

From Richard Barrow Twitter site The infection rate of all travellers entering Thailand by air: · November: 0.13% · December: 0.45% · January: 2.79% Test & Go: 2.98% Sandbox: 1.60% Quarantine: 2.24%

Unfortunately Paradise hotel is not gay/guests friendly , you can consider it for the quarantine option only and then move to other nearby hotel as @speedoo1 suggested.

Vinapu you deserve platinum trophy for your reports and golden badge for stimulating thai economy!

I've always been wary of charities here owing to unsatisfactory experiences in the past. I used to donate to a number of charities who would take money out on a monthly basis from a special bank account I had set up. I stopped donating after I discovered over 90% of the money was being eaten up in "expenses"! I cancelled my donations and completely forgot about it until the guy who helps me with my finances informed me that the money was still being withdrawn. WTF?? The situation was finally rectified but not before a whole lot of rigmarole and the threat of legal action. So I'll need to give my plans a lot more thought. As for being remembered, that would be nice I guess, but it's not something I would ever ask for.

I think it is appropriate after so many daily reports to pause, relish Vinapu's ability to put us in the heart of things, and be grateful for his reminding us that what he was enjoying is exactly what we remember and look forward to soon. Thanks. PS Nice to know you joined the ranks for farangs who are supportive shoppers and phone buyers.

Nice to hear that Zing is open and that you found it confortable. Before the pandemic it had become my favourite hotel in Pattaya. I used to like the useful size pool where I often relaxed with my boyfriends du jour. Interesting that you took the airport bus to Jomtien where the terminus is close to the Complex and the Zing hotel. I remember pulling my bag along the uneven pavement from the bus after the long 24 hour journey from home but happy to have arrived. For me the bus is good and a lot safer than in the high speed taxis weaving about in the traffic.

US Men Championship on NBC today. Stunning performances and lot of beautiful men. Short program in progress. From Camden Pulkinen's Website.

To answer your question directly, I would say there is excellent advice here for a first-time visitor to the city. Agreed, the vaste majority of Laureles barrio south of the stadium is quite safe and I have never had any issues going about my business around that neighbourhood. Increasingly it is the barrio of choice for ex-pats and you will hear both English and German spoken regularly. I would endorse many of the comments about certain neighbourhoods being "unsafe" in the sense that you are more likely to encounter potential situations. El Centro after dark and on weekends can be rough, and the Parque de luces is bad outside of office hours, but I have negotiated both situations. A little common sense goes a long way. The one neighbouhood noted as a no-go zone is Trinidad (between the Olaya Herrera airport to the Medellin river) that is still controlled by narcos to move product though the city. Do not go there -- there is nothing to see there -- as the neighbourhood is still controlled by drug gangs who will know you are on the wrong turf. Skip Trinidad and walk up to Belen barrio better Cra 30 and Cra 33 which is the newest up and coming neighbourhood with tons of cafes, shops and restaurants along its lively streets.

Hardly any property (in Colombia or elsewhere) is going to allow you check-in at 5AM (for a reservation with check-in same date around 2-3PM). As rates are fairly cheap in Bgta, you make the reservation for the previous night and then state in the reservation or inform the hotel in advance that you will check-in late /past midnight. Then you will have no issues to check-in early in the morning and get a few hours of sleep in the room; much better than waiting in hotel lobby or elsewhere because you have been told to come back for check-in in the afternoon (been there, done that)