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To each their own… For me, time is more valuable, so rather than taking extra day off, I fly business/first, shower and relax during layover, and arrive refreshed. If the layover is more than 8 hours, I opt for a day room, or a hotel. If it’s less than 8 hours, I’ll try to fit in a massage or spa treatments. I do not do it at the expense of my accommodations, or activities either. More you spend on travel, better the perks accrued, and at a higher rate. Once I’m retired, or on a fixed budget, I may alter my traveling habits. However, at this point I can only take a very limited time off and it’s worth it for me to spend a little extra to travel in comfort.

I have had the same thing happen, I tell him, because he was no good last night, I found someone new, 😝

From CNBC The FBI is raiding Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald Trump’s resort home in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said Monday evening. In a lengthy statement, Trump said his residence is “currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents.” The raid was “unannounced,” Trump said, adding, “They even broke into my safe!” Trump, who summers at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, was not at Mar-a-Lago at the time of the raid, NBC News reported. The former president departed Trump Tower in New York City later Monday evening without responding to questions, according to NBC. The FBI declined to comment.

I'm always one who believes in "moving on" and accepting change I'm 62 so I like to embrace change I always say that to my same age work colleagues especially when they are critical of newer much younger work colleagues who may seem things differently, I like to be the one to accept change I never want to be one that "well when I was a boy..... But strangely when I was in Pattaya last month, I sat in Boyztown, and reminiscenced about what was ,what used to be I sat there at a table with a few beers at the and the bar next to it and I actually spoke to the mamasan? manager ( I don't think they are called mamasans nowadays?) there who sadly,sadly had absolutely no idea of the Dolly sisters or never ( I won't mention names) of the previous farang owners , he even called over other boys who also had no idea . Look I know times move on ,they aren't expected to know ,it's in the past ,it was me of course wanting it to be like old times thinking of the funny farang owners that used to run it ,the infamous Dolly sisters etc It's got me thinking that times are soon forgotten, younger people move in, they have no idea what the times nor the people that it used to have . I sat there drinking by myself with the Thai manager of the bar sitting next to me as I'm mumbling " street talk used to be over there " him nodding at me looking at me weirdly" they used to sell wonderful pastrami sandwiches😳😳 Another 2 boys sitting nearby both live on their tiktok said in great English " how long ago was that ? " Oh about 20 years ago " I said Then they both laughed , 20 year ago I five said one all laughing. They must of thought I was a reminiscent old man👴👴 Of course times have moved on,even at the bar we were sitting at had memories but the guys had no idea who the previous owners nor the good times that went on there ,I looked back into the bar from my outside table , the memories of the Dolly sisters etc , of course the guys had no idea about all that , as they dance live on their tiktok and Facebook to their friends , The manager looked at me looking back into the bar " you want another drink ? He asked " No no , I said ,just thinking about the past , all the Dolly's , obviously looking at me like I was a old nutter and the silly thing is I was rambling on like a old drunk after 5 beers and I remember telling them about the mamasan at Cityboys go go bringing his cat to work. The Thai manager guy sitting next to me good English "and the cat was Dolly? " No no Dolly sisters were here I said pointing in the bar All 3 guys looking at me weirdly " the cat and sisters he brought here?then they all laughing thinking drink as a skunk 🥳🥳 😂 And strangely or ironically I just read the obituary in the Pattaya mail of the latest Dolly sister to depart which brought back more memories. It's sad in a way ,but things can't stay the same ,but even sadder that people & times are forgotten. Here I am sitting in a bar that 15 years ago was pumping and the owners famous , fast forward and the guys in Boyztown have no idea what I was on about .😳 Probably thought I was some nutter talking about his dolly cat and streettalk 😂 I was very fond of the Dolly sisters though , I used to love the Boyztown area back then. I used to remember all the famous/ infamous bar owners , all the good ones & bad ones 😂 Nowadays there's none of that ,no one to even mention really ,no bar owners stand out anymore ,no infamous or famous ones! But how fast has life gone by with all these passing, it makes you appreciate your every day more, I often think I'm 62 I have probably 15 to 20 years left, I have to enjoy it Oh well, forgive me I'm getting old ,past is over I know I know what you all thinking and want to say to me 😂 "Oh shut up you rambling old fool 🤣🤣

you overestimate Orange Overlord

poor people don't spend holidays in Thailand , even those from nearby countries

1st world problems ....🤨

Straight old guy seeing with a young girl are also frowned upon in many places. Disparity of age will always gets the stares. Life is too short to bother about them though. In the end, what did they do to even deserve our attention?

After reading this thread YT served up this video to me. About Bangkok, not Pattaya, but the sentiment is similar

Want to be more sad, look at this page and then the "Life of a typical American" chart..... https://waitbutwhy.com/2014/05/life-weeks.html or for your own visualization of your life in blocks lived and blocks remaining https://engaging-data.com/age-calculator/

index is more about every day living criteria than vacation or weekend type fireworks, it's why most of cities listed are on the boring side and of modest size. It's little consolation having British Museum in the doorsteps for somebody who commutes 1.5 hrs one way to work or school every day Harare has the best weather of those listed, raise your hand who wants to move there

He hasn't been locked up yet. And if he didn't do so many crimes he wouldn't have any problems.

It seems to me that this list is based on the quality of life for locals - and not necessarily for foreigners.

From Pattaya Mail The deadly Aug. 5 fire at the Mountain B nightclub in Plutaluang, Sattahip district spilled over into Pattaya over the weekend, with all nightlife venues closed early and safety inspections carried across the city. Pol. Maj. Gen. Surajit Chingnawan, deputy commander of Provincial Police Region 2, dispatched 50 officers to fan out across the city Saturday night to check fire standards at bars and clubs. He also told officers to enforce the letter of the law, which meant bars had to close by 2 a.m. at the latest. Officers checked fire exists, extinguishers, sprinkler systems and alarms to ensure they were in working order. Building permits also were checked to ensure business owners had not illegally modified or expanded their venues.

Yes both Olivia Newton John & Judith Durham from The Seekers died this week. Both from Cancer 😟 Terrible disease ,both my parents couldn't beat it either,I remember my Dad saying just like Olivia that he was going to beat it , I knew he never would, most times it comes back with a vegeance ,terrible terrible thing to fight 😭 I Ioved them both singers although The Seekers were more 1960's , with my favourite song "Georgie Girl" & my favourite Olivia song was "Let's get physical 😊

Only 12? lucky you

The only time I have been 'concerned' about being with a guy younger than me was in a country with anti-gay laws. My first real bf after I moved to Asia was a Japanese. I flew to Tokyo for a long week-end every month to be with him and he twice came to Hong Kong to stay with me for 3 weeks. Obviously I loved spending all that time with him. At the same time I was concerned that Hong Kong still had the draconian Victorian law about gay sex. Every year 3 or 4 guys were sent to jail for 2 years after being found guilty of that 'offence'. (That law was finally repealed in 1990) Worse, the contract with my company stated that if I was ever convicted of any offence in a court of law, the contract would be immediately terminated and I would lose the standard end of contract perks - return air fare to the UK, loss of bonus in lieu of pension etc. So I was sometimes a bit over cautious. For example, when we went to restaurants, I would always go in first just in case there was someone there whom I knew from business and I could explain away my being with my Japanese friend as just a business associate. Looking back, it all seems so silly! It's not as though I was in my 60s and he in his 20s or that we were having sex in the bushes by the gay beach. He was indeed 25, but then I was only in my early 30s! Soon after I finally realised how stupid that was and I gave up the pretence. I finally felt free.

Many of us here like that Fodland Patpong restaurant too

The comforts of sitting 'up front' are really nice, but I get from point A to B just as fast in an economy aisle seat for a thousand bucks less. But I spend maybe half of that by going a day early, find a gorgeous, comfy 5* hotel, have a great relaxing massage, an exquisite meal in a Michelin starred restaurant and then sleep off my jet lag for 10-12 hours. The other half I then use for half a dozen offs during the week. In MY mind I come out way ahead.

Seriously. Trump's own hand-picked right-wing FBI director signed off on this investigation and raid. 15 boxes of materials that were legally required to be turned over instead ended up at Mar-A-Ego, some marked CLASSIFIED. These same dipshits were JUST screaming about "Hillary's email server" and "Hunter Biden's laptop" but this... is what, an innocent accident? Like when he fucking ATE translators notes of meetings with Russians and clogged toilettes in the White House repeatedly by filling them with ripped up documents required to be preserved by law? The fucking party licking Hungarian dictator Orbán's ass is not whining about the safety of our democracy, they're furious that the RULE OF LAW may prevent them from FURTHER UNDERMINING the safety of our democracy!

where's my gun ?

I wonder who nobody mentions Aeroflot. Busty stewardesses and bulgy stewards serving attentively fabulous meals with the smile. Too bad we need to avoid them because of war

residents rather then tourists I'd say

Lock him up!

One of the biggest stars of the 1970s and beloved by milliuons for her performance with John Travolta in the movie "Grease" has died. Out of the limelight her life was beset by tragedies that she accepted and almost overcame, never losing the lustre of beauty and a lovely woman. Twice she overcame breast cancer. She did not hide the diagnosis and shared her journey overcoming it with the world. After 2005 she was haunted for years by the disappearnace without trace of her boyfriend. He had gone on a fishing trip and never came back. As she told Larry King on his show a year later, "It's probably the hardest thing I have ever experienced, and I've been through a lot of things!" In September 2018 cancer hit her again, this time at the base of her spine. Again she showed amazing courage in facing up to it although it seems this may have resulted in her death. I had the utter joy of working with her once in Hong Kong. And joy is absolutely the right word. She was so easy to work with, charming, fun to be with and clearly loving every minute of life. One of life's gorgeous ladies, taken from us aged 73.

For several years. One of the supreme ironies of my short relationship was that he eventually left me for an older Englishman. I knew it was more difficult for him being in Tokyo working in a job he did not particularly like than for me when I was in a job I loved but gave me little free time. I knew too from my last visit when I stayed with him in his tiny little room (how cosy that was!) that he had met someone else who was rich and might be offering him to be his companion on a round-the-world trip. I'll leave aside how we discussed that further. Suffice to say the Englishman he hooked up with also lived in Hong Kong and my one-time lover came to live with him! We still met occasionally as good friends until a few years later. Having tea one afternoon, he told me he was not feeling well. As they were leaving for a holiday in England a few days later, he said would get a check-up if he had not recovered. I then heard nothing for almost two months when his partner called me to say he had died, a victim of AIDS. So sad! I flew all the way to London just to go to the funeral.

The well-known shopping district Siam Square went through a major facelift, now a lively walking street free of overhead cables. The area now serves as the city's latest shopping and recreational space, featuring live performances from various performers. Let’s take a look at this report.

Many of us do all the same 5* hotels, Michelin restaurants, and a dozen offs as you do. But, PLUS the business class flight. There is nothing wrong with flying economy class. But some people just have the money to pay for ALL the nicer things in life, including business/first class.

Apparently this is related to the boxes of documents he stole from the WH. I'd imagine that anything really incriminating is long since destroyed

I walked through the area. It had a buzz, that's for sure. But what struck me was that in all the re-design, they still kept to the notion that the more concrete the better - very common idea throughout Thailand - resulting a a worse heat island than Bangkok already is. With the humidity (no breeze either) It wasn't pleasant at all. They should have designed for trees and green spaces. The other thing that struck me was the amount of noise, not just in Siam Square, but on the other side of Siam Station as well, i.e. the Siam Paragon, Siam Center side. Partly, it's the result of the events they put up but I'm sure there's also the reflection from all the concrete.

I took it as a reference to Jupiter 2018 guys

I suppose he must have thought you were the only person with a camera taking photos that day. And he also must have supposed you intended to publish the pictures on the internet. Anger and making demands are the wrong reactions. If he explained his situation a politely asked that you delete any photos that include him, he might have gotten somewhere. But anger and demands coming from someone you've never met or heard of - that kind of person gets no sympathy from me. I believe your story because I've seen it happen before, more than once, when someone becomes irate if he thinks his face might show up in photo where his face isn't supposed to be. In any case, that's his problem, not yours. If someone is truly worried about showing up in a photo and the wrong person might spot it, then he shouldn't be at that location or he can wear a mask or otherwise disguise himself. No matter what reason a person might not want to be photographed, in this day and age virtually everybody has cameras on their phones and they use them. It is useless to get upset with one photographer unless he is stalking you like paparazzi. The reality is if you want to be absolutely sure not to be photographed at certain locations or circumstances, then don't put yourself at those locations and circumstances. That's the only way I know of.

My mistake, that one is relatively new then, did not notice it when I was last at Theatrón in May and would have noticed it when I was visiting a friend at Living 58 in March. Good to know.

To reiterate what someone else posted above, they must have an undetectable amount of virus on top of taking the medication. That is, the accumulation of studies has found that in 130,000 acts of condomless penetrative sex nobody acquired HIV from a poz partner that consistently had undetectable viral load. It is not absolute zero viral load but it is an amount of virus that the tests that count viral particles cannot measure because they are too low, generally viewed as less than 200 copies per one millilitre of blood sample for purposes of the research conducted. The average body contains 5+ litres of blood. Therefore, the overall unknown number of viral particles present in a poz person can theoretically be quite high but nevertheless that amount is statistically incapable of transmission. Actually, most tests are now currently accurate at less than 50 copies per ml, even 20 copies per ml.

Hey, don't sell all of us working class types short.

I agree that a big age difference is a problem for many people. I have several friends who have older partners here in the US. I've never asked any of them about it, but I suspect there have been comments made about their partners being "sugar daddies". Some people have a hard time minding their own business and enjoy being judgmental of others. I think some of us might have some of our own discomfort with being gay or being with much younger men whom we are paying for their companionship. So it's more of an internalized issue than anything.

You are right! What I found on the last day of my last trip, LT guy from previous night, if kept throughout the day for extra fee of course, does good job filling daytime hours.

I think I have been fortunate. In the UK I lived in a small cul de sac of probably 20 houses mostly occupied by retired people. After I had met my partner while I was on holiday in Hua Hin and visited him three or four times I invited him to stay with me in England for three months, at the time I was 63 and he would be 27/28. Probably a little to my surprise my neighbours were very friendly and would invite him into their homes when I was at work, a couple of years later we had a UK Civil Partnership and one of the neighbours brought across a wedding cake they had baked. It certainly helped that my partner has a very open smile and responds quickly if he feels people like him.

I go out to restaurants with my 2 guys all the time and don't give it much thought, even though I know some people - especially farang customers- probably look down on me. But I don't pay them any attention. I do remember the owner of a Thai restaurant in Central Festival giving us a hard time. We never returned. What I can't stand is being in a lift with straight people who do not try to hide their distain. I feel trapped. I find this situation occurred from time to time when the Ambiance decided to open up to straight people. On the baht bus in Pattaya my guy and I sit apart and ignore each other. I think he would feel uncomfortable being stared at by the locals in the confines of the bus. Walking around the streets of Pattaya with my guy is not a problem, although one evening as we were walking back from Sunee one of the baht bus touts on Second Street said something to my guy and called out "You boom boom him tonight!" so that everyone could hear. As it was said in a disparaging way and intended to embarrass me I walked up to him and said :" Yes. Boom boom. One hour I give him 2000 baht. Good for him, eh"? The smirk quickly disappeared from his face.

I have the popcorn ready for this one 😂 However my 2 cents worth is easy, I wear condoms when having sex and when bottoming I have the partner wear one. I just don't want to risk it no matter what medications are out there.

there are two quite new hotels in the area worth a try: ibis styles silom (silom opposite to soi 6) and the quarter silom by UHG just opposite of the prime massage in silom soi 6. both reasonably prices and nice from what i saw and heard from friends. personally i stayed in another very nice, cheap, new hotel called "the cotton saladaeng" at sathorn soi 2 (2 min from so/ sofitel). i can recommend it, no problem bringing guests into your room :). a bit off topic, concerning partying: as clubs (GOD) must close at 3, there are 2 small, speakeasy-style after parties at "the kitchen" (krua restaurant in silom) and banana club (soi 4). go there, to the back or upstairs and you will be surprised how much is still going on :D. i enjoyed it a lot the last 2 weeks!

Hardly over the top to advise against having sex if one knows or suspects that oneself or one’s prospective partner has monkeypox?

From The Diplomat By Pattharapong Rattanasevee On May 22, independent candidate Chadchart Sittipunt was elected as the governor of Bangkok in a landslide victory. He gained over 1.38 million votes and led other candidates by a vast margin. In fact, Bangkok is the only province in Thailand where the governor is elected to a four-year term rather than being appointed by the Ministry of Interior. Given the demographic centrality and political dominance of the Thai capital, the results of this election have inevitably sent a strong message to the central government and carry implications for politics at the national level. Meanwhile, Chadchart’s sweeping triumph means that he is burdened with the massive expectations of the people who voted for him and expect his team to deliver tangible results soon. He is also challenged by difficulties having to work with the current government headed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, the leader of the military coup of 2014, during which Chadchart was arrested, handcuffed, and detained. Just over a month after assuming office, Chadchart’s administration has quickly gained widespread praise from the public. There is no one single explanation for this but several factors are likely involved. First is his down-to-earth, open-minded, and compromising personality, which makes him approachable and friendly to all, from executives, colleagues, and merchants to low-ranking workers and ordinary people on the street. As a result, he has been able to accomplish several tasks more quickly, easily, and effectively than his predecessors because his personality traits have encouraged cooperation and participation from all parties. Chadchart is approachable compared to the usual Thai politicians, which obviously contrasts with Prime Minister Prayut’s commanding style of speaking and fiery temperament. econd, Chadchart started working as the governor of Bangkok right after the official results were announced and has continued to work hard from before dawn – he usually begins his day with a morning jog – to well after dusk. In the event of public hazards such as fires, he has visited and inspected the affected sites shortly after they were reported. As Thitinan Pongsudhirak of Chulalongkorn University wrote recently in the Bangkok Post, Chadchart has “become a ‘superman-like’ figure, appearing everywhere to address crises big and small all over the Bangkok metropolis.” Of course, it remains to be seen whether he can maintain this level of competence, enthusiasm, and dedication for the full extent of his four-year term. Third, Chadchart’s administration has shown the Thai capital, and the country at large, unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability. He has urged that Bangkok’s budget be made available for public scrutiny and has exploited digital technology to solve conventional bureaucratic problems, for example, promoting the Traffy Fondue complaints-receiving application, and launching apps for a project to plant one million trees in Bangkok and the Open Bangkok Data scheme, an initiative which aims “to foster citizen participation in city development, conflict reduction, and transparency.” Although he began his term with a very limited budget, as the previous governor has spent most of the allocated funds for the fiscal year which will not end until September 30, many analysts agree that he has spent wisely and put resources to good use. Among his most urgent policy decisions has been to disclose the contract for the BTS Skytrain system, one of Bangkok’s major intercity transport networks, and undertake a major transformation of City Hall’s investment arm, Krungthep Thanakom Co. Ltd., which he views as a breeding ground of corruption. Fourth, Chadchart has proven himself to be a modern, social-media savvy politician with over 2.5 million followers on his Facebook account, where one can view daily livestreams of his activities. With a dedicated PR team to cover his doings, Chadchart uses online communication wisely to turn the stuffy business of governing Thailand’s largest city into a live reality political show reaching millions of social-media users and making it easier for millennials to digest and assimilate the information. To illustrate his online popularity, just hours after a pre-dawn daily jogging Facebook Live episode, his account received more than 50,000 Likes and Loves, 1,600 shares, 7,400 comments, and 404,000 views. Although many are now starting to think of Chadchart as a potential future prime minister, he is unlikely to run in next year’s general election. But given that the country has been suffering from long-standing political malaise and frustration over the incompetence of the ruling regime, the Chadchart phenomenon could lead the way in setting new standards for politicians and new heights of public expectations. Thailand could derive fruitful benefits and learn many valuable lessons from it, at least for the next four years.

From The Thaiger Chadchart Sittipunt yesterday met up with the National Food Institute to discuss the launch of a new Bangkok Safety Street Food project. The Bangkok governor headed a meeting with the project’s committee at City Hall to discuss plans to improve the quality and safety of street food in the capital. Now that almost all home working has stopped and most people are back to the office Chadchart believes it is important safety standards are met for those buying food from the city’s street stalls and markets. The 56 year old city chief revealed that Bangkok street food is divided into three categories: local or community markets, city markets where office workers buy food, and tourist markets. Chadchart reported that the project would focus on the city and tourist markets first and that markets in Sukhumvit and Si Lom areas would be first on the project’s list. The city supremo emphasised that each area would have its committee and that they are responsible for the safety and cleanliness of each market and stall. If any markets or shops fail to meet those measures they will be ordered to stop operating.

Vinapu is right. No matter what "service" you want, even if it is hardly anything at all, you still will be expected to give the boy at least the minimum tip. After all, whatever you want is not something he decided. You're the one making that decision. He is providing what you ask for. Don't forget, you're spending a great deal of money just getting to Thailand. You're probably going to stay in a good hotel, eat in good restaurants, and have plenty of drinks. So, don't try to save money by being less than generous with the boys. After all, most likely the boys are the main reason you're going to Thailand in the first place. If the boy is giving you what you ask for and doing a good job of it, I suggest tipping beyond the minimum, even if what you ask for is minimal in itself. And if you do that, he will be genuinely happy to see you if you return and will do even better than the first time - and that beats hell out of him thinking "Oh no, him again!"

Nobody will force you to have real sex anywhere but minimum tip is minimum tip. HJ or BJ is still sex, no? Some massage places in Saphan Kwai area have lower minimum tips

During my last trip I began taking frequent, early evening walks through Lumpinee Park. I’d wait until the sun was low and twilight would set in by the halfway mark. On some nights I’d make the trek with a friend who was off work but on other days I was pretty much alone—except for the cats. I discovered the cats—or perhaps it was the other way around—about five minutes after entering the park. What first caught my attention was their lack of skittishness. Wherever I cam across one, it was obvious that they viewed themselves as being entirely at home, which is something you don’t expect from an animal that doesn’t have a traditional home. As I made my way along the wide paths, I began to spot them relaxing on the grass and sometimes right in the middle of the road. It also became apparent that none appear scrawny or unhealthy. They looked like typical house cats but their house just happened to be a park. In the vicinity of the outdoor weight exercise area, I spotted some felines stretched out on concrete benches. Some were being petted by passersby. I cautiously approached one and as I tried a tentative stroke, it rolled over on its back for a soothing massage. As I moved further along, I saw a few cats eating along the side of the road. Some folks are apparently providing cat food on a regular basis. Soon I came to a bridge over a stream where a few folks gathered by one end. When I paused to see the source of interest, they were tossing bread crumbs to turtles near the water’s edge. The cats weren’t the park's only inhabitants to figure out how to get an evening snack. And if the turtles weren't quick, a fish would dart over and grab the morsels first. One evening when I approached the bridge, three crows positioned themselves on the railing to catch breads crumbs mid-air tossed their way. And it wasn’t just these creatures that inhabit the park. Monitor lizards can be found wandering about (no, they’re not looking to be petted). The park in the evening attracts many joggers of all ages. Everyone goes with the flow whether they’re out for a leisurely evening stroll or exercising to work up a good sweat. Towards the end of our circuit, with twilight fully setting in, the park takes on a magical glow as the lights of nearby high rises reflect off the lake. It never fails to mesmerize me. The best place to enter the park for most of us is the main gate on Rama IV near the Silom MRT station. A few refreshment stands are scattered about the park (water is 8 baht).

Agreed. I find the club scene quite boring in Bogota and Medellin. However, there are dance clubs in Colombia with naked gogo boys (yeah completely naked, with on and off erection), which you don't get in Brazilian dance clubs (not sauna).