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S.T. Laundry & Alterations. It's located in the Silom Terrace building, on Sala Daeng Soi 2, which runs parallel to Silom, directly behind the Silom Complex. Walk out the back door of Silom Complex, and it will be to your right, across the soi, less than a minute away. The last time I used them, they charged 200 baht for 3 kg, neatly folded, but they will not do any ironing. Here's a pic from Google: It's right behind the large enclosed construction site of the new Park Silom at the corner of Silom & Convent. If your BF goes through as many clothes changes a day as you say, make sure he carries the laundry bag!!

… for now. Timing can be a bitch. Top of mind obsession for months based on pics and vids. Nobody a close second, though an earlier runner-up immediately responsive on social platform viz private interaction potential, but I hold out. A quick actually essentially prohibited slip behind stage with substantial cash tips for the stripper ensemble herded together, not snubbing any one in particular. No time for numbers exchange, just a thumbs up regarding reaching out on Instagram and he has seen me and along with visual has a brief interaction reference point. This all transpires in a flash. Crickets, then a few weeks too late an acknowledgment and encouraging response regarding meet-up prospects, ie, seductive emojis … & ‘be sure to connect when return’ (I am hard typing this; no PDE-5 inhibition necessary.) Will I or won’t I pursue getting this over-idealization out of my system? A big grown man young enough to be a grandson, hell, biologically conceivably great grandson. It’s not the first time and is generally edifying not ending in tears or snowflake griping. Not born yesterday and plenty of possibly easier to access talent but, you know, that niggly small head with a persistent single-track mind of its own. That dance with the dancer. [Right, I didn’t say. Asking means not knowing better.]

When at home and if I'm missing Thailand I just buy nice clothes that are 4 sizes too small for me, tie a tiny piece of wool to them and then take them out of the back, realise they'll never fit me ever again and just pretend I've just got them back from my Thailand laundry service ! lol 🙂

after my disappointment in London, I had a quick trip to Barcelona and wanted to give an update. The sauna is open from 3pm to midnight and the entrance was increased to 20e, no one was wearing a mask, and I didn't. I was just a bit worried about getting omicron but we will see. I thought they would ask for the eu digital covid thing but they did not, so things were all good for me to enter and have fun. Boys wise, slightly slower than my visit in August but I was quite lucky to have fun. I saw Junior right after my arrival at 5pm and just took him immediately for fun. Well he doesn't disappoint! Just like an energizer bunny haha After fun, we had a drink but as usual he has a language issue. But always pleasant and patient with google translate. I realized that he aged, I mean I met with him a few years back and there was the pandemic for 2 years, no surprise but in my mind, all these escorts are young forever....until you actually notice it one day haha There was a columbian, a very new guy. After some rest, i had fun with him. He is gay, more top he says but he can kiss very well. He is quite tall, slim/toned but nice round ass (i am a bottom but i like bubble butt, i don't know why hahaha) He had a bit of english so it was easy to communicate. After him, I was just tired and left. He asked me to stay and socialize at the bar but i just didn't have any energy left. The sauna had some same people. The polish (?) guy who used to sleep there is still there...I always wondered how he makes business there. He is slim/average, not very good looking. There were quite a few Brazilians as usual and because of my first fun with Junior, they came to me one by one but none of them were my type (mostly the size down there was not a good choice and some just didn't have the body i like) The one that I remember is the average looking blond brazilian, he has been there quite some time but don't know his name. Another regular was the half japanese brazilian with huge p, and the rest I don't remember much. Out of sauna, I have my regular guy who gives me body-to-body so I had him one day. I also found a guy on grindr who wanted to have fun for 50e, which was also great. I was thinking about hiring at least one from online but just didnt have the time and energy. Overall quite happy but felt sad that I dont live there...

The long, deep, surprisingly versatile history of bottoms: From Ancient Greece to modern misogyny The history of bottoming and the wider history of the patriarchy are one and the same, scholars told PinkNews. (PinkNews) The year 2022 started with a bang – a gangbang, to be exact. On 9 January, the Californian OnlyFans user known by the handle breedlacumhole checked into a Los Angeles hotel. Next to a no-frills white lamp and an oak side-table, he took 75 loads in 20 hours. The stunt stirred weeks of jokes and controversy throughout Gay Twitter – but to João Florêncio, a senior lecturer for the University of Exeter and the author of Bareback Porn, Porous Masculinities, Queer Futures, it was a textbook example of how bottoming culture is changing. When people think of bottoming – performing the receptive role in sex – it’s not uncommon for them to think of stereotypes for gay men. Think limited edition Lana Del Rey vinyl, watching Call Me By Your Name, sniffing poppers while streaming Charli XCX, avoiding Chipotle. But bottoming actually has a surprisingly versatile history. Historians, researchers and sexual therapists have all explained how bottoming has long acted as shorthand for submission, shame and, at its core, how the patriarchy views women and those who receive as nothing more than “passive holes”. “The history of bottoming – or how bottoming has been historically thought about or imagined – is inseparable from the patriarchy,” Florêncio told PinkNews. “All homophobia is inseparable from the patriarchy because homophobia is a form of misogyny. You hate gay men because they are closer to women, as if they betray masculinity by being penetrated.” Bottoming, Florêncio said, is the act of being “occupied” while topping is to “invade”. Notice the difference? “Historically, gays were the bottom,” Florêncio explained. “The top was not gay, they were men and just like all other men.” Florêncio feels that this isn’t surprising: “We had to invent a culture with what was there, and what was there was straight culture. “So, even in our sexual behaviour and gender presentation, our identities are in response to that binary frame of heterosexual culture, of being masculine and feminine.” Ancient Greece didn’t subscribe to gay or straight labels Bottoming can be considered as two different things. There’s bottoming as a physical, sexual preference and act, and bottoming as a personal identity – something that people can say is who they are. When looking at the history of bottoming it’s inevitable to start with the Ancient Greeks, says Scott Oatley, a sociology PhD student at the University of Edinburgh. Oatley has researched in-depth how the Ancient Greeks thought of and experienced anal sex. In short: they loved it, but it was the top who came out on, well, top in their dynamic. Ancient Greeks believed in neither heterosexuality nor homosexuality – instead, they categorised all sex as either passive or active. The person penetrating always won. “Same-sex relations were both legally and culturally accepted, and commonly engaged in within Ancient Greek and Roman societies,” Oatley told PinkNews. “Positionality and power are two key concepts that defined ancient understandings of same-sex relations,” he added. “The person to penetrate was dominant, the person to be penetrated was submissive. “Sexual acts were a zero-sum game – the person penetrating always won.” Symposium scene, circa 480-490 BC, decorative fresco from the north wall of the Tomb of the Diver at Paestum, Campania, Italy. (Getty/ Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Archaeological Museum/ DeAgostini) The closest thing in Ancient Greek culture to the modern bottom was the “erômenos,” Oatley said, an adolescent male who couldn’t grow a beard. Their ‘tops’, meanwhile, were typically older, bearded men called “erastês”. You can see the power play even in the words themselves. The meaning of erômenos is passive (one who is sexually desired) while erastês is active (to sexually desire). “To be penetrated was to be placed within the inferior and feminising position,” Oatley explained. Some men would even practice intercrural sex (between the thighs) to avoid being penetrated and therefore feminised. There was, however, a lot of nuances within the stigma. “What was immoral for the Greeks was not bottoming but being passive in your pleasures,” Oatley continued. In other words, the act of bottoming itself wasn’t strictly considered non-masculine – being passive was. The ways men could avoid being perceived as passive was to be “active” outside of the bedroom, such as by marrying and procreating – men could still receive and be considered manly men, Oatley said, as long as they married and reproduced. The Romans were more hardline in their views and had a similar workaround. Seeing the world – and women – as things to be conquered and ruled, ‘authentic’ men were considered to be “impenetrable predators”. In other words, a top. To get around the idea, the Romans saw the penetrated person (women and enslaved, younger males) as of a “lower social status”. To have consensual anal sex with a freeborn man (someone not born into slavery) was even criminalised – but it was the passive person who would be prosecuted, rather than the “active” man. This stigma, again, ran deep into the words used at the time for the acts. Men who were anally receptive were either derogatorily called a “cinaedus” and seen as defective, or dubbed “pathicus”, a term for masochists who derived pleasure from penetration regardless of gender. Neither meant the person was queer as such, rather they desired to be a receptacle for sex. Beyond the Greeks and Romans, feminine men have not always been considered less than. In 18th-century Britain and France, for example, the Dandies, peacocking guys who worshipped appearance above all else, were considered hot studs to straight women. Even the word “gay” in the 1800s typically referred to aggressively straight womanisers and heterosexual brothels rather than homosexuality. “The concept of homo and heterosexuality are, in the scheme of human society, a novel concept,” Oatley noted. “Homosexuality was first coined in English in 1892, with heterosexuality coming a few years later.” The ‘feminine gay’ stereotype, which today is linked to stereotypes around bottoming, is very much the historical outcome of centuries of patriarchal attitudes towards being a passive partner in sex, and a wave of anti-sodomy laws from the 1500s. For years, the public image of a gay man was like that of Oscar Wilde: floppy haired, ‘feminine’ and, to society, degenerate. Oscar Wilde, Irish writer, in New York in January 1882. (DeAgostini/Getty Images) As the AIDS crisis loomed, queer men split into ‘tops’ and ‘bottoms’ Queer men, tired of being tied to effeminacy, embraced “hyper-masculine” ideals in the 1970s, Florêncio explained – think bulging beefcakes and leather daddies with Sharpie-black moustaches – to “fight the idea that gay men were like women”. Then the AIDS crisis seized the world and provoked, even more, the stigma of men receiving, as well as bringing the need for the terms “top” and “bottom”. To receive was seen as dangerous by those uneasy about the virus ripping through their community. Considering it a safer route, many men vowed to never anally receive again, kindling the need for absolute descriptors such as “top” and “bottom”. A group of men relax on the street during the Gay Pride parade in New York City 1982. (Barbara Alper/Getty Images) Born out of anxiety and the historic humiliation attached to womanhood, “that led to what we would now call ‘bottoming shaming’ or ‘bottom shame’,” Florêncio added. “So, in the 1970s, you could say that when ‘men were men’, there was a lot of versatility. Entering the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, those sexual positions polarised because of the cultural narratives around HIV.” Straight male adult entertainers of the time captured this sharp split well, Florêncio added. Those who went “gay for pay” tended to top given that the position is more comparable to the pentetator role in straight sex. They would say topping didn’t make them gay because, much like the Greeks and Romans, “if you’re the one f***ing, you’re not gay,” Florêncio explained. “You’re still a ‘real man’. You’re only gay if you take it.” The future of bottoming? The heroic vampire ‘power bottom’ who ‘drains tops’ Looking to the future of bottoming, Florêncio said that medical leaps in the treatment of HIV and AIDS, such as the HIV-preventative pill PrEP, have helped soften the stigma of bottoming. With HIV no longer akin to a death sentence, a new bottoming identity has emerged: The “hyper-masculine power bottom“. “The figure of the power bottom, anecdotally in gay culture, is both desired and feared,” Florêncio said. “In some ways, they’re like vampires. The bottom at the centre of a gangbang is the most typical porn scene of all time… until you see how the bottom is portrayed almost like a hero. “All the masculine traits – endurance, heroism, athleticism – is now being associated with bottoms. They embrace being f**ked, which used to be seen as emasculating and make it super manly by almost becoming superheroes – the power bottom. “The power bottom is, in a way, an anomaly, but one that is admired. Everyone wants to be a power bottom.” Hangups around masculinity remain, though, as “all tops are scared of power bottoms, they’re drained by them”. (Envato/Organic Fruits Peaches by Dream79) Ness Cooper, a clinical sexologist based in Norfolk, agrees. The act of penetrating is not as entrenched in power as it once was. “Before it always used to be that the submissive bottom was only there for their dom’s enjoyment,” Cooper said, “but often with the discussion of limits and likes and dislikes, it’s clear that those going into submission also gain satisfied enjoyment from their partners.” Things are, in short, becoming a lot more nuanced. Sex is not simple, Cooper said, especially when it comes to the “social-psychological impact” these expectations can have on us. “Things have greatly changed in what being the receiver really means now, and many people are moving away from just being a passive hole,” Cooper stressed. As bottoms rewrite themselves to be dominating and masculine, even tops are doing the same. The flipside of the power bottom, Florêncio added, is the “blouse”, a femme top. Is this necessarily a good thing? Florêncio remains unconvinced. We still haven’t quite shaken off the sexism that entrenches queer language: “We’re still trying to make sense of what we do with a language that isn’t ours,” he said. Take the relatively new phrase, the “bossy bottom” which, according to crowdsourced LGBT+ dictionary Queer Undefined, refers to “a man who is receptive in anal sex but who gives direction during sex in an aggressive or dominant way (bossy).” For someone who bottoms, even if they do so in a traditionally “masculine” way, still cannot avoid being shamed as the spectre of misogyny continues to raise its head. Queer culture remains stunted by the fault-finding, power-hungry patriarchal world around it. “Even in the power bottom we see a lot today,” Florêncio warned, “as much as it embraces penetration – the more they are f***ed, the more of a man they are – it also clings to masculinity: the lack of emotion or connection, being rough and being as athletic as Superman. “The more dicks you take, the more of a man you become. The power is in the pride. You take still it, as they say, like a man.”

Hi all, just wondering if anyone has any post covid-19 recommendations for getting laundry done in the silom area? We used to use Sheraton Tailors which was just a few doors past the Glitz on surawong, but that's all closed up now. Found a self service washing machine shop in the small alleyway that used to house Super-A, but of course we had no drying facilities in the Raya. In the end it was cheaper to buy new clothes than to use their dry cleaning facilities, especially with the way my BF goes through clothes changes in a day! Thanks in advance!

Just an update on this - I talked to lots of hotels in the Silom area and in other areas reagarding a Rapid RT-PCR test upon arrival that will hopefully secure the option of going out at the late evening of the same day (Landing in Suvenabhumi at 3PM). All Silom/Sathorn hotels told me that is not an option, one of them told me that it used to be an option but the hospital that covers the area - BNH hospital - recently stopped doing Rapid RT-PCR. Having taking that into consideration, I started exploring out side of Silom and in many other areas that are covered by other hospitals, the rapid test is an available option (Specifically I checked Siam area and Sukhumvit Area). So, first night is booked in the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok in the Siam area with a rapid test option. I found several hotels that offer that. If anyone is interested in rates and info, I'm attaching the brochure they sent me.

Was there for a birthday party in December 2021 at an all-inclusive (which make up the bulk of hotel options in PC). I regularly hear stories about hookups with hotel staff being easy in the large hotels, but that is risky for obvious reasons. There are few options for hiring male escorts once you have arrived. The Apps are mostly horny foreigners and there is no real club scene to explore. Ezequiel is a great resource, but his (growing) business is really boat rentals and organizing private events -- he is happy to help out, but as noted, is not easy to contact. Ezequiel actually referred me to another Toronto contact (we had met previously) who organized the "present" for the birthday boy. As is often the case, language is a major barrier -- I don't think it would have been possible to organize timing/arrivals/transportation with just English. But I could be completely wrong about that -- just my experience (it took many WhatsApp calls to get our boy onsite). As for security, as many resorts in PC are VERY large, it is easy to sneak in a guest, but there are serious penalties if discovered. It is trespassing and they take it seriously. FWIW there were women openly soliciting in the lobby bar every evening I was there. For a full-on manwhore experience there is way more action to be found in the capital. Punta Cana is better to get in some beach time (and maybe bring a favourite boy).

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I was a registered Republican from 1974 until 2020 when I changed my registration to Democrat. I don't understand what happened to the party I identified with for so long. It went from being fiscally conservative and moderate socially to a bunch of super right wing crazies who only want power for powers sake and to undo all the social advancements of the last 50 years. It seems that everything I read that makes me cringe is initiated by a Republican. They just don't seem to have any shame for the hateful things they spew. Their most recent act of absolute lunacy was to officially pass that resolution labeling the Jan 6 attack on the US Capitol and Legislators and threatening to hang the Vice-President as an act of "legitimate political discourse". In what world can it possibly be a legitimate anything. I blame a lot of it on the rise of the despicable, disgusting human being named Trump.

From Bangkok Post Thailand has become an aged society and will become a "super-aged" society by 2031 when 28% of the population will be 60 or older. The country has witnessed a low birth rate for several decades, but it was not until last year that more deaths than births were recorded. In 2021, deaths outnumbered births at 563,650 versus 544,570. Experts are alarmed by the low birth rate and have suggested the government needs a policy to promote a higher fertility rate, but many people are unfussed. With unemployment among new graduates expected to rise in the Covid-battered economy, some say it is probably better off this way. "It's a good trend, isn't it? People are struggling to make a living and the jobless are everywhere," said a resident in Bangkok when asked about the low birth rate. he experts' warning about a shrinking workforce and growing retirees in the next 10 years as a result of below-replacement-level fertility is not as pressing as the bills due at month's end. "The low birth rate, society is full of retirees. Where will we find the young to drive the economy? Well, we can leave it to the future," said another Bangkok resident. However, demographers and economists stress the issue should not be framed as a concern for the future and insist policy-makers must start planning now to reverse the trend or the country could end up in trouble. Pramote Prasartkul, a demography professor at the Institute for Population and Social Research at Mahidol University, said the current demographic situation is a stark contrast to the one during 1963-1983, when about 1 million babies were born each year. "We call it a population 'tsunami'. It is a powerful wave that makes tremendous impacts. The more than one million who were born in 1963 are entering retirement age next year," he said. Saowaruj Rattanakhamfu, a research director at the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), said an ageing society creates opportunities to develop goods and services to meet the demands of the elderly. ''Thailand has entered an ageing society earlier than most countries in Asean, so it should seize the opportunity to develop new goods and services," she said. In the next 10 years the number of elderly in Asean and China will grow; the elderly population in Asean will reach 70 million while that in China will be 200 million, she said. "The issue is challenging. But society has relaxed with same-sex marriages," Dr Bunyarit said. "If the law is more relaxed, they could have their own children." https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/special-reports/2259507/when-baby-well-runs-dry =================================== China's pet economy booms as more millennials delay marriage and kids for fur babies HONG KONG: He Qi, an English teacher from Guangzhou city, divorced last month. He and his ex-wife split their properties quickly and amicably, but could not escape a big quarrel over their two dearest possessions - the pet dogs. "They are my children and I would be very sad no matter which one left me," the 36-year-old said. In the end, they decided to take one each. "I think I will get another small dog or cat soon, I don't want my 'son' to feel lonely, and I think my ex-wife will very likely feel the same way," He said. A growing number of young Chinese are choosing to marry later, delay parenthood, or simply abandon both altogether, due to rising living costs and the demands of work life. At the same time, many of them are choosing to raise cats or dogs, creating a thriving pet economy that is bucking a stubborn trend of weak consumer sentiment in the world's No. 2 economy. Jack Bian, the founder of Hangzhou-based Lang Xiao Zhua, which translates to Waves and Paws, a popular social media platform for pet lovers, said as more young Chinese opt to live with pets it could "delay plans for giving birth". 'We've woken up': young Chinese 'lie flat' as protest against life's grind "Young people in China are currently marrying and having children at a later age. The general consensus in their 20s and 30s is that stress and the cost of living is high, and working hours very long," said Bian, whose organisation has more than 30,000 members. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2259639/chinas-pet-economy-booms-as-more-millennials-delay-marriage-and-kids-for-fur-babies

Every time I hear we need a higher birth rate, I think of the growth of human population and wonder where we will put them all. We're already near the carrying capacity of planet Earth with clean air and water harder to come by as our population grows. Is this really the time to add another billion or two humans to the draw? Sounds like the main argument in favor of a growing population is increasing the ratio of more-productive to less-productive humans and, looking at that metric alone, one could make a case for higher birth rates. But, as long as we continue to deplete the planet's resources at the current rate, we'll all hit the wall in the foreseeable future. It could be that countries willing and able to redistribute income equitably among their citizens (shades of socialism! 😳) will find a way to grow modestly and still make sure young and old all have enough to get by. But unrestrained economic growth, combined with institutionalized inequality and finite natural resources, doesn't seem to bode well for any of the less economically productive members of society. Of which I count myself a proud, if endangered, example.

These days hotel prices are so low that there seems little point in a short time hotel, as I discovered last night. I stayed at the Quarter on z909’s recommendation and thank you! It was perfect. Nice breakfast, no hassle bringing boys in (ahem, twice!—Hornet sure is busy around there!). $21 Cdn (about 500 baht) for the whole night. I’ll be back.

I went to brazil Feb 2021, and after almost a year, I took another trip in Jan 2022. Things are pretty different this time. (1) most stores/restaurants/malls are opened with no restrictions, while it is like half of them are closed last time (2) sauna is a lot more packed, it is pretty busy almost every night, both in Sao Paulo and Rio. I met a few new faces I like. In the same time, all the regular ones I saw in 2020, still work in the sauna. The average turn over rate for some boys must be > 3 years I think (3) I also went to Salvaor, but did not really enjoy it that much. Salvador feels like a forgotten city, with many abandoned residential buildings near tourist zone and other places. And the beach is pretty small (the one with a lighthouse). The sauna boys are also a lot less, none of them are particularly hot. This is only my personal impression of the city after 3 days there (4) Inflation is really high in Brazil. The mid-end restaurants I go to, 2 people meals, can easier go > 200R. Same for grocery store, > 100R with only a few items. I have no idea how normal Brazilian can handle this type of price. (5) Sauna fees did not change though, same as 2020 (6) do not count on doing your Covid test at local drug stores, all slots are booked up a week in advance. I did mine in Sao Paulo GRU airport.

Make no mistake: Thai authorities are laser-focused on reducing deaths from Covid. Although we may differ on their priorities and methods, we have to give hem their due for efforts like expanding vaccination availability. Now if they only had put the same resolve into road safety, maybe they would have seen the same kind of success. But it's never too late. A tragic road accident last week that saw an off-duty cop mow down and kill a well-known eye doctor in a pedestrian crossing zone with his motorbike has garnered the type of social media saturation that always draws a response from Thai officialdom. Cross walks across the country are being repainted and expanded. Not bad for a start but today it was announced that the Royal Thai Police plan to increase the penalty for not stopping at a crosswalk from a maximum fine of 1,000 baht to 4,000 baht. The doctor's death (captured on video) led to seven charges against the cop who soon after attempted to escape into the monkhood but later rejected. Activists have been demonstrating for safer road crossings like this group of former accident victims. It was about three years ago that I posted a photo of a newly designed zebra crossing on Silom rd. near Patpong. I remarked at the time that it was so vividly painted and extended that it actually seemed to be getting some motorists to slow down. That, and hitting offenders where it huts--in the pocketbook, hopefully may make a dent in deaths like this.

Just ask bf not to wear anything while in the room with you. Problem solved.

From Pattaya News Health Minister reportedly not keen on easing of Covid restrictions, especially legally reopening nightlife and bar industry Bangkok, Thailand- Recent statements from the Public Health Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul seem to contradict statements made by the head of the Department of Disease Control earlier this week about easing Covid-19 restrictions even as cases rise but hospitalizations and serious cases remain very low. According to statements made by Mr. Anutin yesterday, February 7th, 2022, he has stated for people to “not rush to conclusions” about easing restrictions and seemed to pour cold water especially on the legal reopening of the nightlife and entertainment industry, which has been technically closed since April of 2021. The industry has been allowed to convert to “restaurants” in the interim but this has still had many rules, certifications, and restrictions that business owners claim cripple their income and industry, including a ban on dancing and an unpopular 11:00 P.M. national closing time even in popular tourist zones like Pattaya and Phuket. Mr. Anutin reportedly stated, according to Thai media, that there were “no plans” for reopening this industry anytime soon, despite ongoing outcry from business owners in this sector. Critics of the closures claim the ongoing restrictions around nightlife and entertainment are mostly political and have little to nothing to do with Covid-19. The CCSA, however, denies this and says they only care about people’s health and believe these venues run as “normal” are still a major threat to the spread of Covid-19. Anutin has also repeatedly expressed annoyance around lack of mask-wearing compliance in public, especially among foreign tourists, which also appears to shed doubt on the possibility of easing outdoor mask “mandates” set by provincial governors. This also comes as the Thai Prime Minister, Prayut Chan O’Cha, stated in a speech yesterday that Thailand needs to learn to “live with Covid-19 normally.” Regardless of what appear to be contradictions or different statements from different agencies, the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, or CCSA, confirmed that they will be meeting to hear proposals from different agencies and organizations around Covid-19 restrictions later this week. TPN notes that Mr. Anutin’s opinion, although it carries heavy weight, is only one of many, and the Prime Minister chairs the CCSA and any final decisions on easing of Covid-19 restrictions. Mr. Anutin has, however, stated that the Ministry of Public Health DOES plan on changing the way the ministry presents Covid-19 information, changing focus to serious hospitalizations and deaths vs. cases. It is unclear exactly when this change would take place, however. There is, however, no promise that any restriction would be lifted or announced, including the much-despised “Day 5” required test for tourists entering Thailand on the Test and go program. We will keep a close eye on any and all final announcements this week or possibly early next week. https://thepattayanews.com/2022/02/08/thai-public-health-minister-reportedly-not-keen-on-easing-of-covid-restrictions-especially-legally-reopening-nightlife-and-bar-industry/

From Channel News Asia BEIJING: He's the only one who can top Beijing's Winter Olympics mascot "Bing Dwen Dwen" in a popularity match. Japan's star figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu, still hidden from public view but finally confirmed to be in Beijing, has become the top trend on China's social media site Weibo, outdoing the country's most-sought-after mascot in its native land. After keeping fans and journalists on tenterhooks for days, the Japanese Olympic Committee said the twice Olympic champion arrived in Beijing on Sunday (Feb 6), though he would not be appearing in front of media. His arrival set off news flashes, while the Olympics' official Twitter feed also gave him the VIP treatment with the headline: "Touchdown: Hanyu Yuzuru has arrived in Beijing for the Olympic Winter Games." On Weibo, the phrase "The time for Hanyu to compete is set" was number one by Sunday evening, with fawning fans pouring out their admiration for the "Ice Prince". "I will trust him unconditionally, I will cheer for him unconditionally," wrote a user nicknamed "fanyuemoxiang". "No matter what the result, nothing will change you as a great athlete in my heart. All the best to Hanyu at the Beijing Olympics. I started to learn about figure skating because of you," said "Lunongqiuzhong". https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/china-argentina-pledge-deepen-partnership-expand-trade-2482431

No on two counts, including the patient and accommodating combined as one of them. I was referencing having asked something of someone I don’t deem to be an asshole. In contrast, I don’t hope for or count on anything from assholes unable to be open. More specifically, only a grandiose asshole imputes that a request such as agreeableness and forbearance is requested of them by a particular other when in fact it wasn’t solicited at all; more importantly, that other doesn’t give a shit about your reactivity. De-centre, try to stretch your attention span (oh, pin dropped, there it goes), and consider trying some content revisionism because this invariant routine is long past tiresome. It could ever barely pass as droll; now it’s just troll.

Laborlife Diagnosticos in Rio … not a maternity ward … laborlife.com 5-10 minute walk from Botafogo station (southwesterly) Very professional and fast, walk-in. If you are not a nickel-and-dimer is worth it for convenience. Close to half the cost of fee-for-service equivalent in Canada. Results in PTG and English, get both versions automatically. There are other options locally but Botafogo is so accessible whether travelling south from as far as Lapa or north from Ipanema, etc. RAT 2 hrs swab to email BRL180 RT-PCR 12 hours BRL300 RT-PCR 6 hours BRL450 For searchability keywords on our GG site: COVID rapid antigen test PCR

They didn’t think you were florid enough? ;>D

I'll let you know, lol...but not until late April.

I contacted Manny in Santo Domingo and Ezequial in Punta Cana. Manny was very friendly in his replies, hasn't sent any pictures yet. I'm hesitant to push for the pictures yet, since maybe he's worried about pic collectors? I am curious about what kinds of guys to expect. Certainly from BlkSuperman's twitter, enormous endowments are a given, but I am curious about faces and bodies. Most of the guys on his twitter seem to be quite lanky, with the one called Manaconda having some muscle on him. For my taste, I'm willing to give up an inch or two for good bodies and handsome faces (and good attitudes, for that matter...) Ezequial was slow to respond and eventually his assistant Rose responded. She sent me clothed pics of 3 guys. They were pleasant looking fellows, though I wouldn't say they are really the machos I'm looking for. They were young (I'm pretty open on age) but also pretty lanky and at least through the clothes didn't seem to have any muscle to them. I asked her if she knew their height (I prefer taller) and endowments were and she said she would get back to me. Can't really say that I would bother making the trip from Santo Domingo to Punta Cana on the basis of these guys. Have any of you guys met Ezequial's guys? If any of you guys have any feedback of what to expect with Manny and Ezequial's guys (especially if tall muscular guys are available), much appreciated. I know this is not Rio's 117 Island-version so trying to keep my expectations in check

I'm enjoying You're My Sky a lot more now. I like all of the pent up sexual tension. I still find Fah and Thorn kind of boring and the evil basketball coach storyline seems like an unnecessary distraction. But the whole Dome/Vee thing has gone up a notch. Enchante is moving along pretty well. Some folks on MDL keep complaining that the leads look too much alike, but I don't really think so. Apparently they were actually childhood friends IRL and met by chance at the auditions. But of the three I am watching at the moment I think I am enjoying Something In My Room the most. The version on YT is pretty heavily edited which is unfortunate. They are 40 mins instead of the 60 mins that they are showing on their subscription app. There's a person on MDL who is recapping the edited parts which is nice.

Stupid Gossip. Dont believe it. You will be ok

You can get a month’s worth of FDA gold-stamped generic Viagra in the US for ~$8 with a coupon from GoodRx. I have also bought at Brazilian pharmacies for a similar or maybe even higher price just for convenience factor. Even if their dosing is off by ~20%, what’s the big deal? It’s not like we’re talking cancer medicines here 😂

I am not trying to convince anyone. Americans love overpaying for their drugs.

From ScandAsia Warning against traveling to Thailand Travelers to Thailand whose PCR tests return a positive are in a very high risk of being caught up in a web of rules that nobody warned them of before their departure. The SHA+ and ASQ hotels where the travelers are required to stay, must all have contracts with a specific hospital, usually a private hospital. If a traveler staying at their hotel tests positive, the guest has no choice but to be hospitalized at that specific hospital for 7-10 days at their own cost – usually around 10.000 THB per day. In most cases, tourists are requested to pay upfront this amount and coordinate insurance claims by themselves later – holding the risk of not being compensated for their hospital expenses. Sharing hotel room in close contact with a COVID patient also subjects you to quarantine 7-10 days as a high risk close contact person. This is usually not included in the insurance coverage so it would be completely at your own cost. The PCR tests are performed by the hospital who has the exclusive rights to receive all the patients from the hotel they stay at. You must do two PCR tests on the first day and the fifth day of your traveling, and the authorities prefer that you test both times at the same hotel. Some travelers question, if the PCR tests follow same procedures as back in their home countries, since many find the positive result when arriving Thailand, when they just tested negative 48 hours ago before flight departure. All travelers believe they are adequately insured because when they applied for the Thailand Pass, their health insurance was approved. But when the traveler arrives here, it some times turns out that although the Thai embassy or consulate had accepted their insurance policy, they are not covered anyway because of the fine print in the insurance policy. Sometimes, the insurance only covers if the patient has symptoms or is hospitalized in a hospital, not a ‘hospitel’. The Thai hospitals will keep the patient in quarantine regardless of symptoms and for the maximum days they can charge for, all solely depending on the opinion of the doctors’ team at the assigned hospital your hotel is associated with. In other situations, it has turned out that the insurance only covers if the patient is admitted to a public hospital. But the patient has no right to refuse to be hospitalized at the private hospital or hospitel facility which has obtained an exclusive contract with their hotel. Also in this case, the traveler will have to pay the amount at around 100.000 THB themselves. A resident Dane in Bangkok who has been part of a network to come to the rescue of these unfortunate travelers who were trapped in this web of rules says to ScandAsia, that frankly she has come to the sad conclusion that the safest thing to do is not to fly to Thailand on a Thailand Pass until this hotel-hospital alliance is broken or the insurance policies that the embassies accept follow standards that are in compliance with these hotel-hospital contracts. There are so many special situations and describing them all is not possible here, she says. But she wants to add one piece of useful advice: If you have had Covid in the past 2-3 months before your arrival to Thailand then you must remember to bring along with you PCR proof and preferably a medical recovery certificate stating your Covid history in detail with a doctor’s signature. This documentation may help you not to become yet another unfair victim of the medical care protocol. If you show this evidence and insist that your positive result is most likely because the test is picking up dead cells from your past infection, you may be able to avoid being detained. https://scandasia.com/warning-against-traveling-to-thailand/

Please make this happen 🤞

From Bangkok Post Push for bubbles amid tourism drive The Tourism and Sports Ministry plans to continue travel bubble discussions with short-haul destinations following this week's resumption of the Test & Go scheme. The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) is calling for a more relaxed RT-PCR testing regime to bring back at least 5 million tourists this year. The country wants to continue travel bubble initiatives, particularly with nearby countries that generate enormous cross-border traffic, such as Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia, said Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. The ministry plans to visit Beijing for the Winter Olympics this month and wants to use the opportunity to seek further updates from China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism regarding a travel agreement. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn said 35,046 tourists registered for Thailand Pass during its first day of reopening on Feb 1, of which 31,343 were for the Test & Go scheme. As hotels must now verify Thailand Pass bookings via the new Thailand Pass Hotel & Swap System, 20% of guests were verified as of Feb 1. Mr Yuthasak said hoteliers have to verify bookings within 30 hours or registration will be rejected and tourists must resubmit the application. Vichit Prakobgosol, TCT vice-president, said even though the tourism sector was improving, strict testing rules were an obstacle to growth as they deter tourists. He said locations that require no RT-PCR test on arrival, such as Dubai, the Maldives and Turkey, can now attract more arrivals than in 2019 before the pandemic and such reopening policies have not worsened their outbreaks. "If there is no new surge in cases and fatalities after the first month of Test & Go resumption, the government has to consider dropping the RT-PCR test requirement. If it does, the country is projected to see at least 5 million tourists," Mr Vichit said. https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2257855/push-for-bubbles-amid-tourism-drive

What? You mean all these hot, young, built Carioca sex workers aren’t turned on just by looking at these Orville Redenbacher / Danny DeVito lookalikes? You don’t say….

BL ghost story. I like that it's something different.

coming soon.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has posted this information today: Kindly note that if you arrive during 00.01-18.00 Hrs., the day is Day 1. If you arrive during 18.01-00.00 Hrs., the day after is Day 1. You can find additional information and interpretation of regulations at Entry Thailand Frequently Asked Questions at the following link: https://www.tatnews.org/entry-thailand-frequently-asked-questions/

Enchante is very promising. I am finishing ep 1. The leads are adorable and have good chemistry.

To each his own... I am enjoying "Your My Sky", mainly due to the "supporting" couples. We will just need to wiatand see what happens with Fah and Thorn. I find "Not Me" hard to believe; that the main guy can pass as his Twin... And "Enchante" has only dropped one episode. Seems promising. CHEERS

I watched the first two episodes of You're My Sky. I'm not really a fan of the main couple. The senior is just too taciturn and I'm already a bit bored by their storyline. The soccer player who's stalking the cute med student is more interesting. Even the guy who's going to steal his sister's boyfriend is more interesting. Is anyone watching Not Me? The YT algorithm keeps recommending it. Enchante looks interesting too

Farewell, For Now Our last day, and after getting up early for my pre-departure RT-PCR test I return to bed and spoon with Bangkok Guy. We sleep late and head to the pool just before noon, where we relax in a cabana. I occasionally swim laps while Bangkok Guy is content to relax in the shade. We return to the room for a final nap and a final ‘nap’. Before going to dinner, I pack. I hate doing it, going through all the mechanical steps needed for a smooth departure this evening. We have a final dinner on the terrace by the river and then go to Bamboo Bar where we are greeted warmly and the captain automatically brings us our drinks, a Sazerac for me and a Pina Colada for Bangkok Guy. Since the evening four years ago when the mixologist at Vespers decided that a Pina Colada was a good match for someone who does not like the taste of raw alcohol, it has become Bangkok Guy’s standard jazz bar drink. The female vocalist tonight is outstanding. I suggest to Bangkok Guy that we should dance if there was more space. Back in the room we do just that, our own versions of the tango and the waltz. Next time, we agree, we need to dance. Bangkok Guy could stay in the room until late check out tomorrow, but ultimately he decides he will take a cab home when I leave, despite the late hour. By himself the room is “too spooky”. The LimoPattaya is on time, not our favorite lady in her ‘Boss car’, but a colleague. I ask Bangkok Guy if I can hug him goodbye – we are in public – “Yes, can” and we briefly hug. He usually gets down the evening I depart and while he has been cheerful up until now, I see this is happening. Despite all the snafus, the stresses and only spending four days with Bangkok Guy, it has been a great trip. However, like Bangkok Guy, alone in the car to the airport I am a little down. I really want more time with him. I stroke the gold dragon on the red cord around my wrist. This connection has become deeper than anything in the past. A little deeper, and it will push against the practicalities of my life, and I really have no idea where to take it then. I smile. I like Bangkok Guy. I like him a lot. We will connect again some time after June for the trip around Thailand and that will give us time together to figure this thing out.

What makes this even more tragic is the fact that several news sources report that the parties had previously had a cordial relationship, even drinking and joking together on earlier occasions. The extreme violent reaction may have been fueled by a combination of alcohol and mental illness. It brings to mind similar reactions in road rage incidents and even domestic arguments. If there's a lesson here, it's that deescalation may not only be the reasonable course of action, it may be the one that saves your life.

Considering everything, the cost of sex and massages in Japan is not all that much higher than Thailand pre-covid. You can choose a guy from one of the several boy bars to come to your hotel room. Each website is likely to have at least 100 boys with photographs, statistics, details of what the boy will or will not do and how much an hour or more will cost you. These bars also have some of the aggressively cute boys who star in the plethora of gay porn movies. Best of all the photos will look exactly like the boys. For around US$113 inclusive of everything he will come to your hotel room (and be there exactly to the minute), spend a hour with you and 'perform' exactly as per the website and you have informed the mamasan in advance. I have yet to come across anyone who has been anything other than very satisfied. True, you can get away with a short time in Bangkok for around 1,500 baht although it has been creeping more towards 2,000. In Bangkok, though, you mostly have to get to and from the bar, pay for drinks for yourself and your chosen one, and then pay the off fee. In most cases you will get what you have asked for - but certainly not always. Tokyo also has several of the best saunas in the region where you can stay for many hours. And although most of the bars are for Japanese only, there are still plenty catering to a mixed crown. And it is here you are more likely to find Japanese wanted to meet foreigners. The apps, too, are becoming more foreigner friendly. No doubt the problem more guys do not consider Tokyo a gay destination is the 'fear/concern' of not knowing the language and the local customs. Then there is the climate. It is even more hot and excessively humid than Bangkok in the summer and cold, frequently with snow, in the winter. Against that the spring and autumn periods are stunning with glorious scenery just outside the city. For those not wishing to consider Tokyo as a vacation destination, as a stopover for 2 or 3 days it could be great. Just make sure you have a good bilingual map!

Fascinating conversation. In my experience, some love sex work and some hate it. I am just so happy that the ones that love it seem to be attracted to me more than the other group. Or, maybe it is that smile? I have had many LTR in Thailand: 16 years, 15 years, 7 years, 6 years, and more 1 years than my age. My experience has been good in LOS. But, it has been just as good in USA and Brazil (but not the length of time as the Brazilians always fuck it up by having an emergency like the bank was robbed and all their money was taken).

You seem to believe that the available options are toiling in the rice fields or selling bananas. But Thailand has been rapidly transforming into an industrialized country with many entry-level manufacturing jobs available. Working in the rice field is normally something that the whole family contributes to in the planting and harvesting seasons, but some of that labor is now mechanized. It's not the Thailand of 40-50 years ago. The options aren't as humble as you project. You twice refer to suppressing the gag reflex. You and I have obviously had very different experiences in Thailand because I've not encountered that behavior. Many are up front in setting their personal limits but so do we. If I treated an affair as a purely transactional arrangement, I would expect a mechanical and impersonal response. I've found that trying to learn a little about the guy as an individual frequently makes a difference in how he views both me and himself. It's been my experience that most of the guys I meet have much better self-images than you present here.

I agree with much of what you said above but I have to take issue with assumption that "desperation" is necessarily the primary factor that drives them to taking up sex work. For most who I've encountered, the schedule and the amount of tax-free cash they can earn are the overriding factors. And not everyone is suited for the work. Those with the right skills, appearance and personality earn wages significantly higher than construction or seafood processing, the two areas that attract most of the ASEAN workers who find their way to Thailand--and are so sorely missed now. And then there's some who enjoy the ancillary benefits of free meals and travel, and the opportunity to meet visitors from around the globe they'd never have the chance to meet otherwise.

nothing less elegant with such round butt, quite opposite

There must be a shiny object that drew him away.....or a big dick 😆

It has been a long time since Numazu last shared his trip

Just to add to the ample warnings from previous posters. I've seen two thefts happen in front of me during all of the 4 years I've been going to Brazil. Oddly enough these two thefts happened within a week of each other, and within the last month. First one happend last week. I was walking on the sidewalk by the beach in copacabana. I was with a GP. He wasn't a slouch - he's 6'3, muscular, young. He had his shirt off (as you do), and was wearing his cheapie "gold" necklace. I was noticing a younger guy on a bike eyeing him as we walked past. A few steps further a taxi driver shouted to us to "be careful". As we approach posto 4, the same kid who was eyeing us quickly rode past us and snatched that necklace from my friend. The kid quickly disappeared in his bike. My friend should have known better. He was a Carioca after all. He was shaken after the incident, and wanted to look for the thief. I had to calm him down by disappearing into one of the quiosques and shared a beer with him and tried to just talk him out of it. He was left a bruise in his neck where the necklace was snatched. This was like 2 pm in the afternoon in broad daylight. The second one happened two weeks ago in Sao Paulo. I was in Higienopolis with another GP friend and we were just heading back to his condo from a Cafe after breakfast. We were walking in a quiet street with other people when a woman in the further side of the same street started screaming. A thief snatched her cellphone while she was walking. As the thief tried to run away from her, I see the thief trip and fall to the ground. A group of older guys happened to manage to trip him and pin him down. My GP friend, not a stranger to confrontation, quickly rushed to the scene and filmed the whole thing. The older guys were punching him and kicking him. The woman whose cellphone got snatched joined in, and retrieved her cellphone. Some other passers by also joined in the melee. Pretty soon the police arrived. The guy was bloodied when all was said and done. The mob was rightfully angry, probably frustrated by all the theft happening lately. This was before noon. While all this is horrible, this two incidents have done nothing to change my view about Brazil. Its a dangerous place for sure, but if you know how to be careful, and to be mindful of your surroundings, I'm pretty sure you'll be fine. The pros way outweigh the cons. Did I mention that sex after an exciting incident is just way better? You already have all that adrenaline flowing!