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I have put up a new map at https://shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog/2022/08/01/memory-lane-and-a-new-silom-surawong-map-july-2022/ You will need to scroll down to the bottom of the post to see it. Hope it's useful to you.

Once again, I find myself in admiration of the way Numazu expresses his thoughts, when he wrote in his 12 July 2022 post (in page 1 of thread: Bangkok Trip Report 2022: The wait is over. What was I waiting for?): He gave me an idea then, but it's taken me a while to get it done. In addition to creating a new map of the area showing gogo bars and massage parlours that are open post-Covid, I have also retrieved some old posts that illustrate what Numazu was saying about the contrast between what there is in Patpong 2 and what there was in Soi Twilight. As with most of the my reports, I record the prices too, and some might find it interesting to see what prices were 13 or 14 years ago when Soi Twilight was in its heyday. www.shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog The specific post with the new map: https://shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog/2022/08/01/memory-lane-and-a-new-silom-surawong-map-july-2022/

Good question Olddaddy. For me, the choice for Pattaya/Jomtien - was that I did not like the alternative choices - which from my Western point of view were: USA, Italy, and Hungary - where I saw how the non-elderly gay community treated the elderly gay retirees - as if they should just be invisible and to be ignored. I did not want to finish the last chapters of my life in this way - especially when the point arrives in our lives when we will need assisted living care - in some assisted care center where the life there is conservative and to be out and gay is frowned upon. So, it would mean to go back into the closet. No thanks!! Of course, if you are extremely wealthy in the West you can negate most of this by hiring gay staff to give you the illusion of not having to be invisible. Thailand - I saw in the vibrant gay ex-pat retiree communities of Bangkok and Pattaya that it is not necessary to be invisible and ignored. Why? because us elderly retirees are numerous - and we have created our own infrastructure and support systems - where being old, gay, and elderly - with all of our special needs does not need to be looked down upon. In fact, it can be a very positive experience. Here is a proof-in-point story. During my last trip to Thailand, in 2020 - I saw a VERY elderly feeble Western gentleman, who could barely walk, be assisted by two kind Thai guys to help him walk from his apartment in Jomtien to his favorite table at his favorite Jomtien Supertown bar. It made me cry - in happiness - that this gentleman would be taken care of by the kind likes of our Thai guys. In this way, I do not need to DREAD what it would be like to be so old in Thailand - to still have dignity and respect to enjoy our lives right up until the end. For me, Thailand is the pot of gold at the end of our gay rainbow. Lastly, why Pattaya and not Bangkok? My dream has always been to retire at the seaside. Although Pattaya City is situated on the seaside - it is too urban and congested for my tastes. I truly enjoy the Dongtan seaside area - especially the seawalk from Thappraya road all the way north to Phra Tam Nak 5 - that piece of seafront is truly lovely and peaceful for me. I do love the energy of Bangkok - but thinking long-term, I find that Bangkok can be stressful from a moving around point of view - as I like to walk a lot. So, I will probably head over to Bangkok every 4 to 6 weeks for 3 to 4 days to get my high energy fix. So Olddaddy - let me ask you a question. Where on our Planet Earth - do you believe are the best places to retire for us elderly gay guys with our particular needs and care issues ?

The answer is both. It depends on how and why you would be in a rural area. After living in Thailand as long as I have, I can tell you the more Thai you learn to speak the better off you'll be. The ability to speak Thai usually is not absolutely imperative when traveling to a rural area, even if you are traveling alone, but it certainly helps. You might be surprised by how many people, even in those areas, who can speak at least a little bit of English. Think about the bar boys who speak enough English to get by. Where do you think they got it? I think I speak Thai quite well. When I travel to a rural area I don't have any problems communicating. I can speak it well enough and I can understand it well enough. But I've never even tried to learn to read it. I've never found it necessary. Almost everywhere signs and even restaurant menus are in both Thai and English. Most of the time if I travel to a rural area it is with a boy. No problem communicating with him, but if we're visiting family and/or friends, without the ability to speak a good amount of Thai you won't be able to communicate very much with them. You certainly won't be able to participate in conversations and you'll spend much of the time feeling left out. You know why? Because you'll be left out. If you're retiring in Thailand, but don't plan to live in a major city, I would definitely advise spending much of at least your first year attending Thai language classes or hiring a good tutor. You'll learn enough of the basics to be able to pick up a vast amount of the language on your own. Just as important, don't forget that Thai is a tonal language. You'll need to work on getting the tones right. A lot of farang have a quite a bit of trouble with the tones, but without getting them right many Thais won't understand what you're trying to say. I can't stress strongly enough how important it is. And remember that most of the time if the word is more than one syllable, the emphasis is usually on the last syllable. Even if you're going to live in a major city, I would still advise language lessons. The more Thai you can speak and understand the easier life will be and the more meaningful life will be. I know several farang who retired to Thailand, but eventually gave up and went back to wherever they came from mainly because of the language barrier. They never made a good effort to learn the language. If it is going to be a few years before you retire to Thailand, I would recommend starting Thai language lessons wherever you are. The more you know even before retiring the better off you'll be. The same, by the way, goes even if you only travel to Thailand for holidays. The more you know, the better.

Your best bet and likely only option in Pattaya will be Boyz Boyz Boyz in Boyztown, but expect a lot of tattoos ( and screaming women ). If tattoos were not a problem for you, the rough trade at Nice Boys (Sunee) might be an option. Jomtien has predominantly twinks, most of which are Lao & Khmer, and most have darker tans. They are not rich Bangkok boys! There are exceptions, but very few, and even then they wouldn't be what you are looking for. The only other thing I can think of, if you don't mind a late night, is go to volleyball (Dongtan Beach) at about 2am. There are usually a few hundreds boys there. Many are available. Dragon Man Club has what you are looking for, but I have no idea how that place operates. Not sure you can off the guys, buy maybe? Anyway, good luck and have fun! If nothing else, Pattaya is a great place to visit.

I would suggest a long stay > 1 year in Thailand before planning the final retirement to Thailand. I did my long stay for 1.5 years, and I decided it is not for me.

She just announced today that the visit to Taiwan will proceed. I think Biden erred in publicly weighing in at all on the visit - the best thing would have been from the beginning to just state that Congress is an independent, coequal branch of government whose members do not need the permission or blessing of the President to travel where they wish — and such travel has no bearing on the Administration’s foreign policy.

Physique-wise, you should be able to get someone like that from BoyzBoyzBoyz. However, nearly everyone has huge tattoos, so you need to adjust your criteria. BoyzBoyzBoyz audience is now maybe 40-50 female, so it can be hard to get a boy's attention. Alternatively, similar boys *may* be found at A-bomb on the Soi next to Boyztown. But fewer boys available there. As for massage, Paradise (same Soi as A-bomb, I think) may be your best bet but I didn't look closely, so not too sure. There's also Scandic massage in the Boyztown Soi, but the few times I have tried years ago, the service was hopeless and a waste of money. For your preferences, forget Jomtien. Stay in/ near Boyztown. Forget Sunnee. It's on life support. Even then, barely.

For go-go bars, Boyztown area. For other bars (no go-go), massage and boys, Jomtien Complex.

Ah I stand corrected about the booking of QR flights online with AA. Still, it may have been possible to book the flights by calling up a phone agent even if the online booking had temporarily disappeared. Regarding NYC-DOH-BKK, that would not be allowed as a single award ticket with AA miles because their routing rules require transpacific travel between the USA and Asia (with the exception of the Indian subcontinent, in which case it must be TATL unless via Hong Kong). It doesn't make a ton of sense in cases like this, where JFK-DOH-BKK is less than a 5% differential in terms of total miles compared to say JFK-NRT-BKK. But I could understand AA frowning on say LAX-DOH-BKK rather than via HKG or NRT. Apologies for the delay responding on this. ExpertFlyer isn't doing me any favors helping them market because their QR search capabilities are non-functional at the moment! According to their representative at FlyerTalk, it is being worked on. Still, it's possible to search their availability using other OneWorld airlines such as BA. Generally though, they don't allow single searches that would check all airlines in a given alliance. You have to search by individual airline and route. Still, there are some exceptions in terms of airlines that aren't covered - Cathay Pacific for one (although if one is merely using Asia Miles to book award on another OneWorld airline, the data is still useful because the relevant question is whether the operating airline has released an award seat on the flight you want). Regarding differentiation between various awards -- it depends on the airline in question but generally it allows basic searches for award seats that are open to all other airlines in an alliance. Some airlines allow you to search for additional award type inventory, such as seats that are only open to elite fliers or seats that are bookable with upgrade instruments. ExpertFlyer offers a free five day trial to their premium service is you want to try it out. I'd recommend waiting until you have another trip to book/plan. Happy to answer any additional questions you may have about their service. I will take your word for it - I have only booked a handful of Asia Miles awards in my life and generally didn't have issues, but I did make sure I knew that what I wanted was bookable before calling. There is one exception that comes to mind: I was returning from Brazil on AA, GRU-JFK-DCA, with the last leg being an American Eagle flight (AA's regional brand) that was "operated by Republic Airways for American Eagle". I had originally booked the itinerary with Asia Miles and was calling to make a date change. The first several agents claimed it couldn't be booked because Republic Airways wasn't part of OneWorld and they didn't have access to their award inventory (I knew this to be false; American Eagle flights are made bookable to all OneWorld partners by AA if/when they decide to release seats on them). I had to call and hang up several times before I found an agent who would do the date change - after I pointed out that it had to be possible, because they had booked that same flight for me on a different date originally. All that to say - my main point is just that it's always a good idea to know at least as much about what an airline representative can do for you as they do before getting on the phone with them. This goes doubly so for things like irregular operations where you need to be re-accommodated on another flight due to a weather cancelation or a known future misconnect due to delay at point of departure. As soon as you learn you'll need your flights changed, figure out what's available and call them up. Don't wait in line for the airport agent to finally get to you - by which point perhaps the seats on the most optimal re-routing have already been snatched by other passengers.

Good point; I'd be interested to know how many retirees have learnt enough Thai to function in rural areas? or whether the thinking is "why bother?"

I had a few weeks staying in L’Geixample this quarter. I attended Thermas using two iterations of 5-pack entrance cards. The selection of escorts was dreadful compared to several visits 2013-2019. Had I been armed with this knowledge previously, I’d have stuck with Fri/Sat exclusively. One of those weekend nights on one of the two weekends, I forget which, featured an improvement in offerings and transferred my spa blue-balls state to an overworked state, capitalizing on the availability. Overdoing it on the one occasion, unfortunately, seemed to trigger a subsequent rare episode of benign prostate hyperplasia shortly before the trip ending. I had always spread out the experiences on past trips. The basic trick rate seemed to be consistently 50 as in the past. I would not have accepted free sex with most of them. A few attendees recognizable from site ads, eg Hunqz, Telechapero, Morbototal wanted to pull up-charges. They were more attractive and perhaps wanted to try to split the difference with ad-based rates that seem to be generally 150-200. That’s a significant gap in payment structure that does not necessarily correspond to a 3-4-fold commensurate difference in physical appeal factor. In any case, these few appeared to be using Thermas if their other client source was slow. Obviously, one cannot generalize based only on my experience and perhaps some of these cross-over guys just abide by the fees that most clients likely think should be locked in to the setting. I did spring, unexpectedly as it is not my usual plan, for a few Hunqz hires. However, I was aware of their true identities for the sake of security. There were certainly a lot of what I thought were very appealing profiles. I believe the rule of thumb is 150 incall 200 outcall but I got those I wanted to visit me for 150. These were worthwhile sessions and it is understandable that most of these providers would not be putting out at low rates at Diputació, 46. I would definitely repeat with them in my home city if such types were available. Moreover, at Thermas they would be regularly exposed to a few tiresome obnoxious high-pitched screeching escort regulars horsing around or huddling in NA meetings, an aspect of the environment that clients and lower-key co-providers alike must endure. Counterintuitively, the spa offers no area for relative tranquility. Perhaps this has always been the case, but I suppose that is not a problem unless one is killing hours at a time waiting for good matches to appear. —— At Thermas I observed on at least one occasion a queue of towel-bearing clients at the reception wicket. I am not sure what transactions were occurring. If I have this right, other than possibly trying to make change from large to small denominations to pay for encounters, I think that some were using credit cards through the house payment system to issue funds to providers. Ordinarily, the credit card device would be employed only when dressed entering and paying or dressed paying one’s residual tab leaving.

I just saw another post where the poster was saying he was retiring to Pattaya in September. Now this question has been thrown around the gay forums for years and of course many of the original farang expats are no longer with us. The "latest" gay farangs of course to retire will be more wealthier however is it just me but I have noticed my last few months there is far far less gay farangs retiring to pattaya,no idea about Bangkok but far less gay resident expats in my opinion So this is my update, I just spent several months in Thailand, particularly in Pattaya to see if I still had that "urge" to settle down there forever like I used to want to when I worked hard and all the overtime I could to save enough money for that "exciting retirement" Fast forward 25 years and sadly it seems going by my last few months in Pattaya I no longer have that urge or excitement to retire here in Pattayail,I'm not ruling out other parts just Pattaya now doesn't do it for me Its a combination of things, unfortunately I tend to reminisce over old times and what Pattaya used to be like, walking thru the old Sunee recently I had memories after looking at the old Top man go go ,the exciting & busy times there etc, Michael who used to own it,memories bar ,the old farang expats who used to talk chat laugh with The boys who were more Boyfriend material entertainment,rather than the business like boys nowadays. It's no longer like that,well to me anyway,yes I know times change 25 years on and now near retirement I cannot see any reason to retire there,the boys are drying up and more than ever " businesslike" with one even sending me a written quote for his services on grinder and times of service etc. The beer bars I can no longer relate to,I find a few farang owned great where you can communicate with other farangs but most seem Thai owned and uninteresting . Unfortunately I suffer with "it's not like it used to be" syndrome. I find most things in the supermarket etc just as expensive if not more expensive than my own country eg cheese& coffee. But what confirmed it was talking a gay farang in a beer bar who had been here 2 years who was "lonely".He was thinking of going back to the UK as he had his daughter there. He spent his days living in a jomtien condo near the complex and was ,in his words,"bored" He had no friends it seems or should I say "real friends" just seemed to be the other gay farangs attending daily the beer bars he would say hello to.On asking if he had a BF he said no you cannot find a real BF here and I believe he is right. Talking to him gave me that extra thought that it's too early yet and with risk to retire there without having any "support'. Support meaning someone who is a genuine friend, someone who notices you not around etc ,support when you get sick I imagined what my scenario could be 62yo ,then retire to pattaya,I'm still gym fit & relatively healthy. So I would rent a condo probably near jomtien complex and spend my days doing what? Maybe going to gym like I did, massages etc but the days start to get boring, missing family back home, etc Visiting bars? Hiring the services of male prostitutes who want to go as quick as possible,then what? That got bored for me. Watch tv ? I would be bored too and very lonely . Obviously age makes a difference too,if I was 75 instead of 62,it may be more inclination to retire to pattaya but once again where do you get that support if you need it in sickness etc What some guys cannot fathom is you will no longer be a guy on a 2 week holiday chasing arse or dick, you will be living there and you will grow tired of it . You will find the boys working will become disinterested in you as you no longer use their services as much as a 2 week millionaire and they stop contacting you on Grindr etc You will sit most nights in your condo watching tv bored shitless, you will go out during some days to beer bars just to talk to someone. You will be alone the majority of your time unless you hire the services of company who want to most times leave asap anyway I can't do it at this stage of my life ,I prefer to continue working and travel each year . One thing that could change that though is if I had a very genuine Thai boyfriend and I don't mean a paid boyfriend who works in a bar I mean a real lover , someone you can move there for and live with . But at this stage guys I would say be very hesitant to jump into something such as retirement to Pattaya and finding out your more lonely than ever! Suffering depression being away from family,living by yourself in a high rise condo would be no fun with no network support wouldn't be fun, and to be brutally honest with you I have heard there have been far more negative stories of farangs retiring to pattaya particularly gay farangs than positive,that's why you see so many going back after trialling it for a few months It wasn't what they imagined, I doubt any like me on here will admit that though,that they didn't like it here full time , I do,I couldn't cut it guys,living in that jomtien condo everyday ,not at this stage of my life, it got boring,I got lonely ,I felt like I had no support,I wanted love after a while, someone to care for and he cared by, the moneyboys,that's what they call themselves nowadays, weren't people I could relate to,times change I guess ,but maybe some day I can get my spark back when Pattaya comes back I guess but not this time, I'm going back home

The Grand Centre Point Space Pattaya will be flinging its doors open on Monday and promises to become a new bright landmark in this eastern seaside town. Kitti Worrabanpott, managing director of LH Mall & Hotel, said his company has high hopes of Pattaya City becoming an international tourist destination, which is why it decided to spend more than 3 billion baht on building this hotel. Besides, Pattaya is just an hour from Bangkok and offers beautiful seaside vistas as well as plenty of sightseeing venues. The hotel built by LH Mall & Hotel also includes a massive space-themed water amusement park. The space theme has been applied to not just the exterior, but also the interiors, the landscape and the amusement park. The hotel boasts of two restaurants – the Orbit and Sola Luna Rooftop – and the Oort Cloud tearoom. It also has the Space Convention Centre that can accommodate 1,000 people and a massive LED display. Paveen Korbboon, from Palmer and Turner (Thailand) which created the design and architecture, said the space travel theme was applied to every facility in the hotel. For instance, he said, the hotel’s roof and front look like a space shuttle from afar, while rooms sport digital displays of fields of stars. Boonchai Sakulthammarat, from Green Architects which designed the landscape and waterpark, said his company was given free rein to convert 80,000 square metres of space into a space-themed extravaganza. He said a light-and-sound show is held every night to take people on a flight through space. The hotel has 490 rooms and suites between 45 and 133sqm in size. The Space Water Park, meanwhile, is divided into four areas, namely the Mountain Zone, Flying Rock Zone, Space Pirate Beach Zone and Planet Zone.

Hi guys I know Pattaya has 3 gay areas, Sunee, Jomtien and Boyz town. Each has its own gay bars and massage joints As time is limited, I wanted to ask for your opinion which of the 3 areas it be best to focus on. I’m looking to go for gay massage and play at the bars. Maybe take a page out of Vinapu’s playbook and off a few guys for the night. I generally like guys that are fair to mild tan, physique similar to guys we find in moonlight/Jupiter/Dreamboys, preferably without tattoos, early twenties, top and hopefully at least 6” or more down there. Hope that gives an idea on what I’m looking to do so I can learn more from you guys. Whatever I know about how to play in Thailand, I learnt mostly from this forum. Many thanks to the countless pieces of info accumulated over the years!

My belief is that your idea is very good advice. Spend some time checking Thailand out before making a commitment to set up life here. Certainly before buying a condo and any real property because, let's face it, that is a major financial commitment that is not easy to get out of.

Chatting with a friend in Bogotá today and there was another victim last week. That puts the count at 11. Sadly this victim was known to several his close friends in Medellín. Of note -- all of the men are believed to have "met" the killer through hookup Apps -- but there are inconsistencies as to which App was used. Food for thought.

Sadly the murders remain unsolved. The count is now at 10 men and likely to climb. The deaths are remarkably similar in the state the bodies were found, and it is believed that one man escaped a deadly situation with the possible serial killer. The Medellin police are very reticent to call these serial murders publicly. El Tiempo, the Colombian national newspaper is covering the story. However it is only available in Spanish. You can read one article per month or subscribe for 7000COP monthly (about $1.50USD currently). Here is the most recent article that I could find from 5 June 2022. There was another suspected murder in early July and there is concern over the Feria de las flores next week with so many events and gatherings taking place across the city. https://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/medellin/medellin-sigue-la-zozobra-por-muertes-de-poblacion-lgbti-677873

My only suggestion is to go to Jomtien Complex just to see were the gay scene is really thriving now. Grab a beer and watch the madness. Bars like as @home bar & cocka2bar always have groups of expats and visitors happy to talk to new guys. You may even find yourself talking to me! Have your fun first though. One must prioritise.

Dear All, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. Boyztown it is then….

Just a thought. Retiring in thailand or pattaya specifically doesnt mean u are stuck there. The same way u are travelling for few months now to thailand, u could very well do the opposite when u make thailand your base. If this is the case, would anyone here feel changing your base to thailand easier?

All three guys I hired turned out to be Brazilian, which only confirms to me that I need to go to Brazil.

But they were going to give you a free upgrade to the "I Love Thailand" suite.🙂

Of you only 24 hrs I suggest to focus on Boyztown area as chances of finding guys you like are bit higher. Paradise spa should provide massage boys. Sunee is easy 10 minutes walk Next day you can have massage in one of numerous shops in Jomtien Complex before you jump onto airport bus , station easy walk from Complex

More boys to choose from in jomtien complex,however .....the "tops" are mostly in Boyztown. Massage areas jomtien complex full of boys massage shops (twink types) I guess depending on the length of your holiday, you can spend a week in jomtien complex and a week up at Boyztown

I fully respect your views. Yet you will not be srprised that I do not agree with some of them. The above comment is one. Yes, Taiwan is to all intents and purposes a highly developed country. Democracy is now not only understood but practised in many levels of government from local to national level. As I think you may know from having read some of my past posts, I am a huge admirer of Taiwan and for almost a decade prior to covid visited quarterly for roughly 10 days each time. And yes, the PRC is not at all democratic other than with some democratic institutions at very local level. But to suggest that this is sufficient reason in international law for a part of one country unilaterally to secede and become a totally new country, I find that view very strange. I do not agree that conditions of Britain's annexation of and continued rule in Gibralter or indeed the Falklands is anything like an exact parallel. Historically the facts are different. Georgaphically Britain is nowhere near either territory. It is factually impossible for anyone to argue, legally or otherwise, that Taiwan was not a part of Imperial China for 250 years prior to the Japanese invasion. Even though Sun Yet-sen led the party following the demise of the Q'ing Dynasty and Chiang Kai-shek maneouvred a take-over after Sun's death, they were still heading the government of China. Republic of China was merely a name to differentiate from Imperial China. SImilarly the People's Republic of China merely differentiates from the Republlic of China. Equally, as I have repeatedly stated, world leaders including the USA agreed that Japan's stolen territories would be returned to the countries from which they had been stolen. Taiwan/Formosa was stolen from China. Mao roundly beat Chiang in the civil war. That in no way changed the fact that the country they both ran was China. And that in no way changes the fact that Taiwan was returned to a China government ruled from Beijing. That the USA used Taiwan for its own ends during the Cold War is uncontested. That, as far as I am aware, sowed seeds for an unofficial agreement in line with Chiang's intention to return to the mainland, take on Mao's forces and this time beat them. But had that happened, would Chiang have agreed to Taiwan becoming independent? Of course not! Chiang was a gangster, a self-serving thug who used murder and the Chinese triad gangs, especially the Green Gang in Shanghai, to maintain his power. Taiwan would have remained a part of China. But it would have been a China gladly backed by the USA and Taiwan would never have been allowed to veer away from Chiang's rule. Back to Gibralter. Can I suggest you read the following article which appeared in the Taipei Times in April 2021. In effect it is a rebuttal of an earlier argument put forward comparing the two territories. A few points which I believe illustrate the difference between the situations as they exist in Gibralter and Taiwan. "Creating analogies to illuminate the elusive nature of one object of study by comparing it with a more familiar one is a common form of explanation. But it also entails a conscious way of discursively constructing meaning according to the interest of the subject elaborating such analogy. First of all, analogies are not innocent tools of analysis, insofar as the mere choice of the object B with which A will be compared depends on a starting point, a common sense, as Gramsci (1971) would put it, in which the creator and the reader are unavoidably embedded. At the same time, as will be seen in this article, the analogies about Taiwan reproduced in mainstream media embarked in an anti-China narrative are not merely intended to explain to the rest of the world—and to the Taiwanese society itself—what Taiwan is or should be. Rather, these discourses seek a performative result through the establishment of a chain of equivalences around what Taiwan means, until it becomes naturalized as the truth—a mechanism perfectly explained by Laclau and Mouffe (1985)’s discourse-theoretical approach. "This short article begins with a recent analogy comparing Taiwan to Gibraltar, made in the Taiwanese media outlet, published in English, the Taipei Times, and written by Jerome Keating (2021), a 'writer based in Taipei'—these are the credentials with which he signs—who shows in each of his articles an undisguised hatred of China. His recent article, which does not deserve additional analysis, ends with this assertion: 'For the US and its Asian allies, Taiwan remains a solid rock of democracy; it can also be their Rock of Gibraltar for peace; they only need to step up to the plate'”. "Gibraltar is still an obvious reminder of colonial and imperialist times. Indeed, more than a safeguard of peace, Gibraltar is a centre of conflict. As a product of colonial occupation, Gibraltar has been a reason for constant sieges and threats between countries: it is now a source of diplomatic conflict due to the desire of the Spanish nationalists to recover the rock and the nostalgia of those who want to maintain the British colonial pride." . . . "what is here depicted as negative is not imperialism, but Chinese imperialism. The connection of this narrative with the current wave of Sinophobia is clear: anything coming from China is evil and jeopardizes 'all the rules, values and relationships that make the world work the way we want it to' [my emphasis], just as Anthony Blinken boldly stated (see Toosi, 2021) . . . " the real reason that justifies the transformation of Taiwan into a new Gibraltar is to instrumentalise Taiwan in order to subdue China or, better still, to incite a military conflict of which the main beneficiaries would not be neither China nor Taiwan but the US and its world hegemony." https://invisiblearmada.web.nctu.edu.tw/2021/04/10/gibraltar-as-an-anlogy-of-taiwan/ I must also take you up on your analogy between the effects of colonialism on China in the 19th century and the colonisation of Korea, Vietnam and The Philippines. The latter three were taken over completely by their colonial masters. There was no nationalist ruler in the countries other than those imposed by the colonial masters. Imperial China was never taken over by colonial powers. They merely ate away at large chunks of its coastline and eventually some of the cities like Shanghai and Qingdao. In parts of one independent power humiliatingly they imposed the rules and laws of their own ruling powers. It was like today's China taking over parts of various US states and imposing Chinese rule and laws. How would the US feel about that? Lastly, for those US citizens who advocate independence for Taiwan, is there not more or less a parallel closer to home. In the late 1840s the USA engaged in a war with Mexico. This was after the US had unilaterally annexed the state of Texas. The US then tried to negotiate with the Mexicans who refused to do so. War was declared by the USA and eventually won by US troops. As a result much of New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, California, western Colorado as well as Texas was ceded to the USA for $15 million. So Texas is part of the USA, just as Taiwan is part of China. What would Americans think if Texas decided it wanted to become independent and apart from the USA? Would the USA permit it? Of course it wouldn't!

Just went to Thermas on a Saturday at from 5-7 and had plenty of hot muscle guys to choose from. Had a great time.

JunNJ, so how was Mezzaninu in May? I was in Porto Alegre in February and went to the sauna about 9 out of 12 days. Always had fun, even with only a handful of GPs. Of course, Mezzaninu is a totally difference scene than Lagoa but I like the "small town boys" and the change of pace. Making my Nov-Dec plans, I just checked with two of my PA favorites. They said Mezzaninu is still open but business there is very, very slow these days. Hope you had fun in PA. Highlights to share?

Friday I went off to explore a little of Centro, I had never been to Confeitaria Colombo which was on my list of this to do. Friday night was back to 117 with probably one of the best selection of guys during my visits. Big muscle was out tonight if that is what you are into with one massive guy. Plus a great choice of guys from twinks to boy next door types to athletic guys. I had a great repeat session with my super pecs guy to start the evening. My new Californian friend was back and we chatted some more. I missed one handsome black guy I was hoping to meet he was heading out early, so waited to see if there was another guy who might catch my eye. Sure enough a young tall Carioca guy came over and while he was super hung his kissing ability and long sexy legs closed the deal for some time in the cabin and he did not disappoint. Not staying for the show I headed out for dinner at an Italian restaurant near to where I was staying.

Now 6 weeks into my 7 week vacation, the last few weeks I have really slowed down and I feel guilty. At 62yo I just it seems,don't have the stamina anymore to keep " fucking" ,to keep taking guys back to the room whether they are paid or free ,in fact last night I ordered pizza in my hotel room and watched a movie ,all alone ! I envy you guy on here who can take 3 guys everyday,who can rage all night at different go Go bars ,how do you do it? I'm gym fit, I eat well, I'm even taking extra vitamin and staying off the alcohol ,but I can't do it everyday anymore !!!! I'm really getting depressed about it, Can I ask honestly,do you guys on your vacation go out every night to bars,do you take guys everyday for sex? Did you drink alcohol everyday in the bars too? I don't know how you guys have the stamina ,at 62 my body won't let me ,I tried it the first week, went to gym in the morning , sightseeing during the day and walking, go Go bars,alcohol , discos ,then boys at night ,by the second week I was in bed a few days sick !!! In a way im a bit depressing I can't do what I used to 15 years ago where I sort of lived to the fullest my vacation time How do you guys have sex with multiple guys everyday on your vacation! Look to be honest with you guys,I would never do such a long vacation again,7 weeks is just far too long! I hate to say it but boredom does come into sometimes when on such a long vacation time. Oh I'm getting too old 👴👴👴👴🤣🤣🤣 .

Until these bigoted religious organisations can appear in public alongside their "God" for all of us to see - and not one single religion has ever been able to present him to us in the flesh - then they should keep out of any debate which wishes to change the way people live their lives. Their particular religious rules and beliefs should only apply to themselves.

Extended cruising times!

This thread strikes a chord. And not a pleasant one. I'm in into my third week in Pattaya and am having a great time after thirty months away. Mainly thanks to the efforts of my partner, whose good humour and enjoyment have kept me smiling. However, those thirty months of separation took their toll on me physically and mentally. I lost both my oldest friend and then my brother, both to cancer, and this led to my relationship- my very distant relationship- with P assuming enormous significance. So this trip, on which I lavished time and money, the financial savings from six missed journeys to Thailand , was essential. It has gone well but there have been issues with my stamina. Gone are the late nights; 0300 when I was a butterfly twenty years ago, and 2300 during my nearly eighteen years involvement with P. It's now a 2100 retirement. And I'm always ready. Also gone is my 1800 pre-dinner Singha. Until now, a highlight. A time for reflection. Now that one beer is, bluntly, too much for me. On the credit side, I've swum every day and my bedroom stamina has been excellent. I face the onset of old age with sadness. I was seventy- three when I was last here. Those two missed years have undoubtedly made a big difference to my routines. However, flights and hotels (BKK, Chiang Mai and Jomtien) in November are all booked and paid for, and so I must have some life left in me. The aim is to spend what's left of my existence living as disgracefully as possible!

Go now as soon as you can, don,t worry about the weather , boys and bars are waiting if not for you, for your money for sure

No , actually it's 4213.67 .

4214 baht, assuming dinners are 500bt each.

My worst offs were from Grinder and a boy from Winners Bar in Pattaya. The grinder guy was older and very fem compared to his photo. one of the best was a street guy hanging out in jomtien complex. He took me into a rest room in between the bars and had incredible sex . Plus he was so thankful for a 1,000 baht tip.

From Forbes GranMonte Winery is located on the edge of Khao Yai National Park, celebrated for its biodiversity. (Livia Henge) lMy interest in heroic viticulture has taken me across northern and southern Italy, but I didn’t expect it to catch up with me on a recent trip to Thailand. As I was researching weekend trips from Bangkok, I stumbled upon the GranMonte Estate, a family owned winery located just 2.5 hours northeast of Bangkok. And, intrigued by the prospect of grapes grown in a tropical climate, I made the trip to learn about Thai wine and explore this emerging winemaking region. Located at the foothills of Khao Yai, a national park renowned for its biodiversity, GranMonte (whose name means “Big Mountain”) is set across 40 acres of land in Thailand’s Asoke Valley. Though the property’s Italian-inspired VinCotto restaurant and wine cottage may be reminiscent of the Tuscan countryside, the occasional sighting of elephants in the vineyard will remind you that you’re not in Europe anymore. You’re in the tropics. “Our region isn’t only beaches and coconut trees,” says Nikki Lohitnavy, the first and only certified winemaker in Thailand, and lead enologist of GranMonte. Together with her family, she has helped spearhead production in a new terroir. “The Khao Yai National Park is mountainous, reaching 4,000ft at its peak, making it the driest part of the country. In the winter, a cold front arrives from China, creating a continental microclimate in this area, with night temperatures that can drop to 50°F.” GranMonte was born out of Visooth Lohitnavy’s vision passion for wine, and it remains a family affair. Visooth is the CEO & Managing Director, his wife Sakuna is President, Nikki is the General Manager and Director of Oenology, and sister Mimi is the Director of PR and Marketing. Nikki always had a penchant for gardening and helped her family plant their first grapes on the property back in 1999. She went on to study enology at the University of Adelaide in Australia and has been a visiting winemaker in France, South Africa, Brazil, Portugal, Mexico, and Venezuela, giving her a strong background in diverse styles, climates and production methods. She is considered one of the world’s foremost experts on tropical viticulture and was listed as one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia in 2016 for paving the way for a new industry in Thailand. Her guiding philosophy at GranMonte? “I want to be true to the origin of the wine,” she says. “New world wines, old world wines, the labels are irrelevant — I go across the spectrum based on what’s best for each grape. Our crémant is more traditional and rustic, while our whites tend to have tropical fruit characteristics, like lychee and coconut,” she explains. “Visitors at GranMonte are often surprised that our wines aren’t jammy or high in alcohol, but resemble cooler climate wines that are fresh with a nice acidity.” GranMonte produces 100,000 bottles across 23 labels and grows dozens of grape varietals. Chenin Blanc and Syrah are considered best grapes for tropical climates thanks to their adaptability, but the winery also grows from Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Tempranillo, to Viognier, Verdelho and Albariño, among others. Innovation and experimentation are guiding principles at GranMonte, which is a production-led, rather than a market-led, business given its recent emergence in Thailand. It produces sparkling wines in the classic method and is starting to make orange wines made in Georgian qvevris. It also collaborates with luxury hotels like the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok and Six Senses Yao Noi to produce white-label wines for guests to enjoy an unexpected taste of Thailand during their stay. GranMonte’s wines have won more than 100 awards, including several gold medals at AWC Vienna for its Bussaba Natural Sweet Wine and Orient Reserve Syrah over the years. While most of its wine is consumed locally, 20% is exported elsewhere in Asia with growing markets in Singapore and Taiwan. Grapes are grown at 1000-2000ft above sea level and are pruned twice a year. GranMonte uses a precision farming system called “Smart Vineyard” to monitor the microclimate and ensure quality control and higher grape yields in the unconventional region. Unlike grapes in traditional winegrowing areas, Thailand’s grapes ripen in winter, in preparation for the harvest that runs from February to March each year. “There’s no dormancy in the vines,” explains Nikki, “So we can plan when we want to harvest.” The harvest generally takes place at night when temperatures are cooler, which is good news for the grapes — and the grape pickers. Visitors can join vineyard and winery tours of the property, followed by guided wine tastings, or stay overnight at GranMonte’s wine cottage which has 7 suites nestled in the vineyard. The Italian-inspired VinCotto restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner. https://www.forbes.com/sites/liviahengel/2022/07/25/why-you-should-visit-a-tropical-vineyard-in-thailand/?sh=69deb3958500

It seems there are several vineyards now appearing in the Kingdom. Visiting the famous Dansai Ghost Festival in Loei Province some years ago, I was surprised when our minibus passed quite a large vineyard. I was informed it was the first vineyard in Thailand and that the elevation, soil and hilly region made it ideal for making wine. This is a description. I did taste one of the wines - can't recall now which one. Pleasant and drinkable but certainly nothing special. Over the years I am sure they will improve in quality. Chateau de Loei The Chateau de Loei winery is situated at 600 metres above sea level in the province of Loei, some 500 km north of Bangkok, and 60 km from the provincial capital, Loei. The first wines were vinified in 1995. Thus Chateau de Loei is the first winery in Thailand. With 130 hectares it is 60% bigger than the PB Winery and more than eight times bigger than the GranMonte Winery. Here, too, the Shiraz and Chenin Blanc grape varieties, which thrive best in the tropics, are cultivated. The winery offers a large selection of different wines. The inexpensive wines are cheaper than at the previously visited wineries. But these also cost THB 450 (CHF/USD 14.50) per bottle due to the high alcohol tax. Some of these wines are drinkable, but they were not a pleasure. Since the Chateau de Loei produces a large quantity of wine, there must also be enough Thai buyers who have become accustomed to these wines over more than 20 years. Near Chiang Mai there is also an amazing tiny distillery that makes liqueurs from Thai fruits. I visited with a friend around a dozen years ago as his nephew runs it. Both are Austrian. I thought the quality both original and quite stunning. As the output is so small, almost all is exported. But you can occasionally find a bottle or two in one or two of Bangkok's really top hotels.

There's another possible reason: the manager and mamasans were all wearing suits. Part of the "higher class" look that they're aiming for, perhaps? They won't feel the cold, and think the airconditioning is just fine, while the boys and customers freeze their male-tits off. In a sense, one can say, even in the simple matter of temperature control, the (misguided) business design has closed off a feedback loop.

Making Things Click I can make a list of many things, but however long the list it would not explain why Bangkok Guy and I click as we do. Something just works, and to my surprise and delight keeps on working. Since I can’t explain it, I will give the last word to Bangkok Guy. Lounging Thai-style on the deck after lunch at Koh Lipe a self-assured bird struts around hunting crumbs. Bangkok Guy sees me watching it. “Chicken”. “No, I think it is Mynah bird”. “Is chicken”. On my iphone I look up Mynah bird and show Bangkok Guy the picture. A pause, and with a serious “this is fact face” given the lie by a slight smile at the edges of the mouth and eyes “In Thailand is chicken”.

From Bloomberg Supporters attend the annual "Pink Dot" event in a public show of support for the LGBT community at Hong Lim Park in Singapore on June 18, 2022. (AFP file photo) Public discussion on a colonial-era law that criminalises sex between men is gaining momentum in Singapore, where a senior minister said any easing would ensure the current definition of marriage is protected. While the government is reviewing the regulation, “at the same time we are considering how can we safeguard the current legal position on marriage from being challenged in the courts,” Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said in a Facebook video clip posted on the weekend. “We are now considering how best to achieve this balance.” Singapore has grappled with how to make its society more inclusive of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community even as some countries around the world move toward recognising same-sex marriages. Several attempts to overturn the legal ban on sex between men, known as Section 377A of the Penal Code, have failed in courts over the years. Thailand, regarded as conservative and deeply religious, became the first country in Southeast Asia to move toward legalising same-sex unions this year. The colonial-era law reflected Singapore’s conservative stance toward the LGBTQ community, and any discussion of changing it in the past has drawn resistance from religious groups. Recent comments from the Catholic Church and an LGBTQ group signal a potential compromise that would address the biggest concerns of both sides -- decriminalising sex between men while stopping short of recognising same-sex marriages. A 2014 court challenge against 377A failed when Singapore’s Supreme Court ruled it was a constitutional matter. In February, the Court of Appeal upheld a lower court’s decision to dismiss three challenges to Section 377A, Channel NewsAsia reported. The law has not been actively enforced for over a decade. Dealing with 377A, while also maintaining the current legal definition that marriage is between a man and a woman, should be discussed and decided in Parliament and not in the courts, said Shanmugam. The local LGBTQ community has no immediate plans to mount legal challenges to redefine marriage’s definition, Leow Yangfa, the executive director of rights group Oogachaga, was cited in Today newspaper as saying. Taiwan is the only Asian jurisdiction that legally recognizes same-sex marriage. Vietnam allows same-sex couples to have symbolic weddings but doesn’t recognize the marriage. Hong Kong doesn’t allow it, but does permit gay expatriate workers to bring their spouses in on dependent visas. Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei have rules that outlaw sexual relations between people of the same gender.