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How much you pay for medical insurance is largely dependent on three factors: your age, the insurance company, and exactly what you want your policy to cover. First age. When you are young, a fully comprehensive medical policy is very inexpensive. Even by what used to be termed middle age (i.e. mid-40s to 60ish), premiums should not have risen significantly, the more so as your earning power will have increased. In my case, I had an amazing worldwide policy that, given my income, was perfectly affordable and covered everything with no deductions. By the time I reached 55, though, suddenly that insurer introduced a few deductibles and I discovered that the 5-yearly increases (which I believe are common with all medical policies) started to jump significantly. Stupidly, although I received a chart each year showing the cost of policies with various deductions and at various ages, I had not paid any attention to what I'd be paying when, for example, I hit 70. When I did, I realised I had no choice: I had to change to a less expensive policy. By this time I was based in Thailand. Even though I was still travelling extensively, I took out a new much less expensive policy more suited to Thailand with much less cover worldwide. To be safe I also took out an annual travel policy. The killer as you get older is the 5-yearly increase. I am still paying a lot less than I was 10 years ago and that will continue. But at the next 5-year increase, I will probably have to increase the deductibles. With much less travelling, I have ditched the annual travel policy in favour of short term trip cover through a credit card. Second. From comments made over the years on this and other chat rooms, there is clearly quite a difference between the policies which different companies offer. Some will require you to pay up front and then be reimbursed. Others will provide a list of hospitals where the company will first pay. Yet others seem to have a deal with any hospital when all you need is your insurance card. This needs investigation, especially for those retiring to a specific country. Third. What do you want covered? My policy would allow outpatient treatment but at a 40,000 baht premium. Since I don't think i have ever paid anything like as much as that in any one year, I dropped that cover. I have also dropped dental cover. I'd love to have eye cover but that cannot be included due to pre-existing conditions. I have also allowed for a degree of co-insurance whereby I'll pay a small percentage of bills. All that brings down the cost. And having had no claims over the last ten years, I get a nice no-claims bonus! Lastly, would I self insure? Never! Even though I am pretty healthy, I have had one cancer scare which turned out to be benign although i still need an annual MRI scan. As we get older, we become more liable for long term often very expensive treatment with things like strokes and cancer which has developed unnoticed. Would I leave a decision on a medical policy until just before retirement? Again, definitely no. The danger with all policies is that in almost every case you will not get cover for pre-existing conditions. And some policies have a clause stating that a certain period must elapse after the policy is taken out (sometimes as much as three years) to prove that you have no pre-existing conditions. So if you are planning to retire away from your own country and it has no reciprocal health insurance benefits with your home country, my advice is simple: get medical insurance a.s.a.p.

that's all true and good you reminded that inconvenient truth. Visitors to Patpong Museum can watch short movie about Laos bombings. But is was 48 years ago and country economic condition now is owed more to governemnt handling it's affairs then to that undeclared war. Ditto Cambodia.

From Thai PBS World New Cabinet shines light on the dark side of Thai politics Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s Cabinet is poised to take up its duties after being sworn in before His Majesty the King on Tuesday. The new government is due to deliver its policy statement in Parliament on Monday (August 11). However, controversy has erupted over the appointment of certain ministers, given their questionable backgrounds and tainted records. Wanwichit Boonprong, a political science lecturer at Rangsit University, said Srettha’s Cabinet lineup looks like the result of a “sharing of benefits” among coalition partners. He went as far as to describe some appointees with the euphemism “influential figures”. “I don’t want to call it a ‘mafia Cabinet’, but these people are considered influential figures with political connections. The legitimacy of their appointments is being questioned,” the academic said. Names drawing the most scrutiny are Thamanat Prompow, newly appointed Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister; Chada Thaised, Deputy Interior Minister; and Police General Patcharawat Wongsuwan, Deputy Premier and Natural Resource and Environment Minister. Pol-Gen Patcharawat also happens to be the younger brother of Palang Pracharath Party leader General Prawit Wongsuwan. Avoiding the spotlight is Phichit Chuenban, a controversial former lawyer for the Shinawatra family who had been tipped to become Prime Minister’s Office minister. However, his name was dropped from the lineup at the last minute when he announced his decision not to take the seat. Australian newspapers report that Thamanat was arrested in Sydney and convicted of smuggling heroin into the country as a junior Army officer in 1993. He served time in jail, before returning to Thailand, only to be arrested again and jailed for three years over the murder of a gay academic. After being appointed deputy agriculture minister in 2019, Thamanat dismissed the Australian drug case as a “misunderstanding”, claiming he was just an innocent bystander. He said Australian police had merely charged him with failing to report knowledge of drug dealing. However, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Thamanat had pleaded guilty and accepted a four-year minimum jail term before eventually being deported back to Thailand. As for the murder case back home, Thamanat said the Criminal Court acquitted him after finding two other men guilty. He said he was accused in the case because the murder had taken place in a building that he owns. Chada, who lost both of his parents to murder when he was still young, was arrested on suspicion of masterminding the 2003 killing of a Thai Rak Thai MP’s secretary. He insisted on his innocence and was eventually acquitted in court in 2005. He is now a key figure in the Bhumjaithai Party, the second-largest partner in the government coalition after Pheu Thai. Former National Police chief Patcharawat was found guilty of malfeasance by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) in September 2009 for overseeing a deadly crackdown on yellow-shirt protesters outside Parliament. The October 2008 crackdown led to several deaths and many injuries. Then-prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva signed an order in October 2009 firing Patcharawat from his post as National Police chief. But the Police Commission later ruled that Patcharawat was innocent of severe disciplinary wrongdoing and proposed that he be reinstated. In February 2014, the Administrative Court ruled that Patcharawat be restored to his post as police chief. https://www.thaipbsworld.com/new-cabinet-shines-light-on-the-dark-side-of-thai-politics/

so if Japan could do it in say 20 years other countries can not in 48? Ghana at independence in 1957 had higher GDP per person than South Korea . Is that a case now ? was it even in 1970 ? When Singapore was leaving Malaysia no tears were shed deemed poor cousin is leaving It just sheer luck or perhaps better management ?

Not in my experience. I went out last year and found the offer (massage in Inthamara) greatly reduced in numbers. To the OP: it depends on what you are looking for. I spent several Songkran in Bangkok (the first for experience, the others for poor planning not be outside Thailand), and it is indeed more quiet because who can goes home. Only touristy areas are more active. No experience about Pattaya, but from what I read there is an influx of those who come for Songkran.

Why do most retiree solely depends on national pension scheme alone? Nationwide pension was never meant for you to be able to live a comfortable live, its for you to be able to live without falling into poverty. Anything more, than it will become unsustainable or would require a bigger chunk of contribution from your salary. So it would make sense to also have several other sources of income to support a good lifestyle, especially if you plan to continue to enjoy hiring boys from time to time. Not sure about what the options are in your own country but we have several annuity, private retirement scheme, as well as several low risk unit trusts or fixed deposits that can supplement your expenses. Those who have rental properties can also make use of that income if there is positive cash flow. Stock market maybe not so attractive at this point of time as retiree night not want to risk their nest so late in life. I might be simplifying things, if u have a quite stable, dividen generating funds, saving enough in those funds would make a great source of income as well. Let says a fund that gives 5% dividen annually, if your monthly expenses are 50k baht, you would need at least 15million baht in the fund. Of course you would want to have more than that to cater for lower dividen, emergency expenses etc. UK pension freeze on the other hand is unfair unless they already gave early notice, as early as possible, with option to opt out. Also found this article about pension funds in other countries ranked. https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/042914/top-pension-systems-world.asp

NOTE -- PM Srettha Thavisin announced that he's skipping the ASEAN meeting and will send a designee in his place. Certainly avoids antagonizing Myanmar junta. From CNBC Southeast Asian nations must adopt a cohesive position on Myanmar’s civil conflict and the ASEAN summit is a chance for leaders to “recalibrate,” Marty Natalegawa, Indonesia’s former foreign minister told CNBC. “I get the sense that ASEAN is at a loss for ideas … one can speak with eloquence about one individual member state’s wish to happen in Myanmar. But first and foremost, we need to have a common ASEAN position,” he told CNBC’s JP Ong on “Street Signs Asia.” The 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit kicked off in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on Tuesday, with Myanmar’s political crisis and the South China Sea disputes set to dominate discussions. The 10-nation bloc is made up of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. This is the second year in a row that Myanmar was not invited to the regional meeting, following the military coup in February 2021 which saw its elected leader Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi ousted from power. Natalegawa said that while it is commendable the junta is excluded from the meetings, ASEAN member states have become “a little bit divided” over the past year in addressing Myanmar’s prolonged civil strife. The bloc has long operated on the principle of non-interference to ensure sovereignty of member states, but some countries urged the bloc to take bolder action. Malaysia, for example, called for the imposition of “strong” measures against Myanmar’s ruling generals, according to a Reuters report last month. “At the moment, I’m reminded more about the divisions rather than the unity … this is not only a litmus test for ASEAN, but in my view is an existential threat to ASEAN,” Natalegawa added. Another issue that could test the ability of ASEAN to act as a cohesive bloc is the dispute in the South China Sea. “Some ASEAN member states in dispute feel that they are not being provided a common ASEAN home, so as if they are left on their own devices to deal with this issue,” said Natalegawa. Just last week, the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam rejected China’s latest South China Sea map, which denoted its claims to sovereignty. The new map of its heavily contested U-shaped line cuts into the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

You are exceedingly lucky. Living overseas UK pensions are frozen from the moment you start withdrawing them. If you are now 80 and started drawing it down aged 65, although you paid your full national insurance contribution which provides for your pension, you would probably be getting around £95 per week - or less than 18,500 baht per month! No one living overseas can live on that. Had that hypothetical person been living in the UK, his pension would be close of triple that, I guess. So if you think you might wish to live overseas in retirement, you have to start financial planning decades earlier so that you have a financial pot big enough, literally, to last a lifetime. That and/or some private pensions as well. As for going back to use a public health system, that sounds all very well and good - but what happens if you have a serious coronary or a stroke and require major medical treatment before you can get near an aircraft to take you home? You're screwed (but not as you like to be screwed 😵)!

On a glance at their calendars, most airlines noticeably drop their fares after first week of January next year - at least from my hometown on east coast US to BKK (either through europe and middle east or through north pole and north east).

Ha ha funny you say that ,I just had my Filipino bf fuck me , I didn't really feel anything , I just pretended to make noises ,I'm not sure if my ass is wider because of the African cocks I had in Thailand, sorry too much info 😀🤣

How to test the prostate? Go to soi pot hole near third road in Pattaya. Find a well hung ladyboy and let plow you hard in your phat ass. If it feels great, your prostate is fine.

When we talk about Laos and poverty, we should never forget that the country was all but destroyed by war - an undeclared war by the United States. The 1962 Agreement on the Neutrality of Laos was signed by the USA, the Soviet Union, China, Vietnam and 10 other countries. Yet that did not stop the USA from starting a covert undeclared war against the country, a war run by the CIA taking orders not from Congress but from the White House. In the years from 1964, the USA dropped a planeload of bombs on this poor landlocked country every eight minutes, 24 hours a day, for nine years - 580,000 bombing runs. Can any of us imagine what that must have been like? Most of those were cluster bombs of the type now banned by many countries. It is estimated that 30% or 80 million bombs did not explode, but they continue to do so, maiming and killing 20,000 Lao people since the bombing officially ended, many of them children. Initially, the bombers came from U-Tapao airbase in Thailand which had been leased to the USA. Soon they were coming from aircraft carriers off the coast of Vietnam. The number of planes which failed to drop their full load of bombs on Vietnam could not land on a carrier with bombs on board. So they just flew a few extra miles and dropped them indiscriminately over Laos. Unsurprisingly, Laos became the most bombed nation in history per had of population - with more bombs dropped than during the entirety of WW2. If any nation requires international aid to recover from that absolute disgrace, it is surely Laos.

As has been noted in other threads, the world in general is much more welcoming for gay visitors than it was even a couple of decades ago. Many potential tourists have already been to Thailand more than once and done Thai temples and other cultural elements that the Tourism Authority of Thailand think should interest visitors. I have gay friends for whom a beach is the priority. They are tired of Phuket which has become expensive and overrun with tourists. They now prefer to visit the Maldives or Sri Lanka. They have also discovered Vietnam's beaches which in many cases are better and cleaner than those in Thailand, especially in the central area. The increasing availability of gay guys also makes Vietnam very attractive. I believe younger gay tourists have different priorities from those of us who loved coming to Thailand 20, 30 and 40 years ago.

Hi guys, Semi-recently returned from a short trip to Bangkok and would like to share a few things from what was my 7th trip to Thailand now. Rather than write a day-to-day account of my trip, I will just include an assortment of things I got up to. Arrival Flew into Bangkok on Thailand's flagship airline (Thai Airways) and when I started hearing the familiar sounds of the Thai language, it put me in a good mood as I knew I would be arriving to my happy place soon. I was fed so much food during the flight, however when we arrived into Suvarnabhumi, we had to disembark into a bus to take us to the terminal. Wasn't expecting this from a full service carrier and also considering how big Suvarnabhumi is, but I digress. Immigration didn't take too long and I didn't have checked baggage so I headed straight down to the basement floor to take the airport rail link to Makasan, where I then changed to the MRT Petchaburi to Silom. I managed to successfully use my credit card to go through the gates at the MRT (although I tapped my card on the wrong area at first, until the attendant showed me where to tap, which was very clearly marked and I was very clearly blind. Hotel My hotel of choice for this trip was the Crowne Plaza, not particularly cheap (for me) at nearly 4000 baht per night, but I decided to treat myself. It was a very short walk from Silom MRT, the room itself was quite large, with a decent view and a toilet with an electronic bidet. As I booked direct through IHG, I even received a small toy elephant as a thank you. Breakfast was included, and even though I don't usually eat breakfast, I decided that I would on this trip. The breakfast buffet was quite good quality actually, with many options that catered to all tastes. I felt as though the hotel was not particularly full during my stay as I didn't really see a lot of people around. The hotel was also very guest friendly, and there were absolutely no issues with taking guests back to your room. You do need to go up the elevator to the 23rd floor, to where to reception is and then change to another elevator to get to your room. They are also quite generous with towels - I tipped housekeeping each day, and left a note to ask for an extra towel, and they gave me 4 extra towels (in addition to the regular 2) as well as 6 bottles of water. I remember when I asked for extra towels at the Tarntawan, they were a little apprehensive to give me just one! Bars I only managed to go to one bar this trip - Dreamboys. I usually see my favourite boy at least once per trip, but I never tell him that I'm coming so then it's always a surprise. This time was no exception. And it was quite coincidental this time actually because he had just finished his set in the show, and as he was coming off the stage, I had just come in. So I gave him a quick wave and smile, he did a double take and then joined me in my preferred seating (up the back) a few moments later. We had a drink and went back to the hotel where we had some fun times. He knows what I like, I know what he likes so it's pretty comfortable. The bar wasn't particularly busy the few times I went with probably the exception of a Saturday. My guy even helped me pick some other guys that I wanted to take back, by advising me who was good and who wasn't. I did off another 2 guys from here - one of which was quite attractive, very chatty (very good grasp of the English language), and very decent in bed, although when I paid him his (generous) tip, he was a bit cheeky and ask for and extra 200 baht taxi money, so I just gave him 100. He definitely knows the business and what he is doing, and I will most likely repeat. The other was absolutely beautiful (face and body), didn't speak a lot of English and although he tried his best, just seemed like he didn't have much experience and was at times a bit awkward. Never mind, you win some, you lose some. He was nice though but probably would not repeat. On my final night, I offed my favourite boy one more time and he wanted to sleep over but I said no because I was flying out early the next morning. I'm not really a long-time sort of person, short-time being more preferable. Next time, I have some catching up to do as I want to revisit hotmale, screwboys, possibly moonlight, freshboys, and tawan, and I also want to visit banana as I haven't been there yet. Massage Apart going to Prime for my 1 hour foot/1 hour Thai or 1 hour Thai/1 hour oil (even went to a new building which I hadn't been to before), I visited Kman and Apollo. Kman first. This was the first time I ventured outside the Silom/Sathorn area for a massage. Getting there was pretty straight forward - caught the BTS to Saphan Kwai but somehow I went down the wrong exit onto the wrong side of the road and I only realised when I saw a sign for Gbeat massage (which I knew was on the other side of the road), that I back tracked and went up and back down the correct exit, and found the shop shortly after. I don't usually book anyone when I go for a massage, rather I see who is available at the time. The manager came over with his iPad and showed me who was available, and I chose this guy who was T&B, and then got to choose which oil I would like (not that it really made a difference). I also decided to use the VIP room which was only 100 baht more than the regular room and it has a shower. It was 700 for 90 minutes, with a minimum tip of 900. After following my chosen guy up endless stairs (as is usual in places like these), got to the room and had a quick shower before the massage started. There is an art to a sensual/sexual massage and this guy definitely knows what he is doing. He was naked from the start, there was a lot of body contact, mutual touching, and I was on edge the whole time. I had chosen him as he was T&B as I didn't feel like bottoming that day, but when he asked to fuck me I couldn't resist so I said that I will fuck him first, then he can fuck me to which he happily agreed. It was actually a really nice experience and I would definitely repeat. I ended up tipping him 2000 as he deserved it, and did a hell of a lot more than some guys I've paid 2000+ for. Apollo - this experience was a little less exciting. After making the trip all the way to Bearing BTS, the shop was really easy to find - you can see the sign as you are walking down the stairs. When I walked in, I was met with confusion as to why I was there, but then the manager (or similar) came over and asked me 'boy massage?' to which I answered yes, and all was understood. This place also does legit massages as there are foot massage chairs on the ground floor, as well as Thai massage beds on the next floor (separated by curtains). The oil massage rooms are up another floor. As I didn't book ahead, the manager told me there was only one guy available, but there were a few more that he could call and they can come in about 10 minutes. He asked me if I was a top/bottom and usually I am pretty versatile but today I wanted to be a top, so I narrowed my selection and chose a quite attractive guy, the managed called him and he wanted 2000 baht tip to which I agreed. I was shown where the room was and then to the shower (which is in a little bit of a public area), and then waited for him in the room. Since the aircon was shared with the room next door, I could hear what the people in the next room were up to. Anyway, he arrived and we got started. A lot of the time was spent with dry pressing, where I was wondering if anything was going to happen. Eventually it did, but it wasn't super exciting, and there wasn't much of a build-up, and not especially worth the tip I paid. Would I repeat? With him, probably not, but they do have a line account where they send pictures every day so I guess it all depends who you choose. Plus it is quite far away! And as I mentioned before, you win some, you lose some. I know that every experience is not going to be magical, but it's good to try! Other things Food - some notable places that I ate included Sunrise Tacos (the carne asada fries are quite nice, as is the waiter with the face tattoos), Silom night market (pad krapow moo or gai for 80 baht, cooked right in front of you, and also mango sticky rice yummm), 7-11 (toasted sandwiches and banana cupcakes are great at any time of the day and night), and Coffee Grinder (the cafe coco was quite delicious as were all of the staff). Grindr - only met with one guy from Grindr (not a money boy), he is from Koh Samui and just here for a holiday. I think he must be well off though as he said he had stayed at Crowne Plaza quite recently, and was now staying at the Pullman. He also had no less than 3 cell phones on him that day. Malls - visited Icon Siam and Siam Paragon, and they are pretty much just same same. Currency exchange - X-One on Surawong road is always my place of choice. Conclusion I had a good trip and tried to fit as much in as I could, but I became tired quite a lot. The timezone is not exactly that different to that of my home country, but my sleeping pattern is massively different and wreaks havoc on my body. Anyway, I digress. My next trip will likely be in January and I will spend most of time in Bangkok, but wanting to stay in a slightly different area - anyone stayed at Trinity Silom or Furama Xclusive? Do bar boys walk that far? I also want to spend some time in Pattaya (not Jomtien this time as I never seem to have a great time there), instead I'll explore BoyzTown and massages around there. Classrooms hotel will likely be my hotel of choice (as I remember our esteemed Vinapu recommending it), and just by perusing the website, it is super clear and has all the information that I need. I like clarity like this. I may also spend some time in Phuket because why not. Thanks for reading!

Omg! What a weekend! This was the first time in 15 years that my husband has been right about anything. He was right when he told me that we needed to end the twitter and OF business. With only 3 days in the Dominican Republic, we really didn't have enough time to enjoy the sexy ass men in Santo domingo. The great thing that came out of the twitter and OF page is that I made friends with 2 very well connected procures. One is IN law enforcement. The other is a transsexual and they took my DOMINICAN HOMBRES gallery in my phone from 10 HOT guys to 90 HOT BIG DICK GUYS. my hubby insisted that we would only to back to recording videos for our own personal enjoyment instead of creating content for online business. We arrive in the DR on Thursday. The first guy we scheduled to meet is a new sexy guy that the cop sent to us. This guy is 24, dark skin and hung like a mule. He got there and was even more gorgeous in person. We had an amazing time and kept this young stud on heavy rotation until we left this morning. he has an AMAZING BODY and a dick that stayed hard even after he pulled his huge load. We had 4 guys over each day. All new guys through referrals from my 2 new well connected sources. The most fascinating part about this trip was when my husband and I left El conde restaurant one night. While walking home, we passed by the kitchen of a restaurant. I walked past the window and saw an extremely sexy Dominican. The whore in me stopped and said Hola mi amigo Como estas. There were about 8 ppl in the kitchen and they all spoke. One guy walked to the window, he was the chef. Very handsome guy. I asked was he a model. It's one of the pick up lines i use when I'm trying to feel the guy out. He laughed and said no. I then asked did he have whatsapp and he said yes. Before he could give me his number, another person walked to the windown. The chef said something to the guy and the guy moved away from the window. When the guy moved away, the chef gave me his whatsapp. When I got to the apartment I texted him and asked him to Come to the apartment to make some cash. He said that he rides with another guy and said no he couldn't come tonight. I told him I would pay the guy $40 if he came and waited downstairs while he and I played for about 30 minutes. He told me to give him a little more and the both of them would have sex with him. I told him I like guys with bug dicks only. Be sent me a pic of his dick and I agreed. The only problem was that the 2 of didn't didn't get off work until 2 :30 a.m. I informed him that my husband was with me and we would all play and have sex together. He told me that he was very horny because his wife had just had his baby and has been unable to have sex with him for weeks. I told him I was going to suck and fuck his dick very good to make up for the weeks he couldn't have sex with his wife. The 4 of us had an absolutely amazing time kissing, kicking, touching, sucking and fucking each other. I'm blessed to have the new contacts who can introduce me to fresh hard ducks on my visits to Santo domingo. I just sit at my desk at work minding my own business and receive photos and videos of some of the hottest studs I'm the DR. If you are ever plan to visit the Santo domingo and need a hook up. Try MANNY, but also make friends with the cops in front of pacos. Just strike up a conversation with the police officers standing around. Trust me, they know what we're looking for when we're at pacos and for a small fee. They will open up a whole new world of hot sexy men who sell their BIG DOMINICAN DICKS. Have fun and be safe, fellas!

Further to earlier discussions about air fares, this is for those of you who like to travel business class, ie me! Finnai, in March, are currently offering a return fare LON/HEL/BKK for £2,180. Non refundable, and restricted to cabin baggage, but you can choose your seat. There may be similar fares for other times, but I wanted early March. Seemed to be quite a few seats. Normally Finnair are touching £4,000.

In the case of Laos at least, the Pathet Lao campaign between the Fifties and the Seventies would have assured that Laos probably would not have developed much in any event in those years, as it would have been either involved in a Civil War, or ruled by a very ideological Communist dictatorship. Presumably the Pathet Lao would have taken over a lot earlier if the Americans had not been propping up the Royalist Lao government. So that would have brought forth a Pathet Lao dictatorship by the mid Sixties perhaps, which would have brought peace to the country at least. However, the Pathet Lao were believers in strict Communism in those days, and it is not known for agrarian communist regimes to have ever prompted a strong economic development in any country, so far as I am aware. South Korea was in a relatively greater state of devastation in 1953 than Laos was in 1975 (admittedly with far less dangerous ordinance lying about in the forests and the fields), but in the 48 years that followed it grew a lot faster than Laos in the 48 years since 1975. I cannot state it with "certainty", but I think it is quite likely that the way Laos was governed since 1975 is the main factor in where Laos is today, economically, rather then what the agonies it went through before 1975.

At least your expectations are consistent. 😉

Yes that makes sense... however if I have limited time in BKK, which I always do, I'm willing to pay more for consistent quality at a place like Jey Spa vs. roll the dice at S'sense. Ultimately they all hire independent agents it seems, and some have a better vetting process than others.

If the pension fund takes a portion of money from sales tax or other form of taxes that only resident can contribute, i agree. But if the fund is totally funded by contibution, then it is unfair.

some people have all luck in life

That's the general rule but is seems there's more exceptions than sticking to the rule. Thais still need visas to most countries citizens of are granted 30 days visa exempt entry. I know several countries I can go visa free but their citizens can't come without visa to my country. Sometimes national pride prevails, sometimes welcome to the tourist dollar takes over. Certain rules are outright strange. It seems that from October on, Egyptian citizens holding dual nationality will be required to get a visa if they want to visit Egypt but they are living abroad, Strangest rule I personally encountered in mid 90-ties was being denied admission to country my passport allowed me visa free entry but because it was issued by embassy abroad I was not admitted. so bottom line is don't count on reciprocation, don't count on consistency, check rules well before intended trip and also shortly before.

perhaps it was too cold, no ?

This is definitely not my type of party. No body took shirt off?! What fun is that?

I was in fake club. You literally couldn’t move at times! But a lot of fun across Songkran festivities

https://www.pageantcircle.com/2023/09/final-results-mister-international-thailand-2023-is-kim-thitisan-goodburn-for-mister-international-2023.html Update on results

Thank you again to everyone of you for the tips. i was debating when i posted this topic earlier this year. Now i am with you. i fell in love with BKK Songkran so much so that i am planning to go there again next year. it looked like gay men from all over asia gather in BKK during Songkran. looks like gay asian men’s mecca.

it was around 1 am near Fake club last Songkran. We first attempted to get into Fake club, but it was completely packed and the line waiting outside was super long. so we gave up Fake club and instead went to a different one nearby. tmp_v4739286076347322840.mp4

At a high temperature!

Great points But take into consideration not everyone retires on big financial income The Australian old age pension is approx 40 to 44,000 baht a month depending on exchange rates so try paying for insurance on that . The only thing to do if you are Australian or NZ or from the UK is to keep a residence in your own country and go back and use the public system if you get very sick Secondly I'm told the insurance will take your money but the moment you have a illness eg heart attack they will go thru your medical history , ah yes we see Mr Smith you had high blood pressure back in 2007 , you didn't tell us about that etc Most older people have something like high BP or high cholesterol or something I get a full blood test every month , it's paid for on the government Medicare system . The only thing is last visit my GP who I see monthly ( at a cost of $65 after rebate ) doesn't like to test for PSA prostate , once a year is enough he says I don't want to go off topic but does anyone know how you test the Prostate ?

As I understand it, visa policies are usually on a reciprocal basis. So I get 90 days visa free when I enter Japan and Japanese get 90 days when they enter the UK. If Thailand exempts Chinese from the requirement for a visa, will Thais then get visa free entry into China? Somehow I think the Chinese authorities are going to find that difficult to agree.

How right you are ! I was shocked yesterday to have a gay friend visit me from Australia's "red neck " State of Queensland. How times have changed,he told me him & his bf kiss openly in their city of Cairns in North Queensland. I started to tell him " well 30 years ago you couldn't do that , especially in Queensland Australia,but times have changed nowadays and for the most gay people are it seems & I can't say "accepted" .....but "tolerated" I guess .

I stayed at Gomez Place in 2018. Lots of handsome young men hanging about, for you to engage for a massage. Mr. Gomez himself told me the going rate ($20 at that time). I had lots of fun in Sri Lanka, with guest house staff, tuktuk drivers, etc. I’m considering going back there this coming winter, maybe as a side trip to a longer trip to India. If anyone has been to Kerala I’d be interested in your observations and/or recommendations.

I can see attraction to the song, I'm already humming along after watching that clip. As for Songkran it looks it one of things people have strong opinion about, including our member. Some like you recommend it heartily and there quite a few of others. On another hand there are those who profess to trying to escape for that period or going into seclusion for those few days. as for hotels, I can imagine it may be hard to get something at decent price closer to holiday so I'd be booking something at least for those holiday days.

And thank you for your comprehensive reply! All good points. If I were to stay near Chong nonsi then I would likely take the BTS, but I find sometimes that the MRT is a little less busy than the BTS (also depending on the time of the day) which makes it easier when wielding luggage. This trip I only took cabin baggage (backpack) for the first time, which TBH was quite liberating so it was easier to manage. I have taken a suitcase on the BTS/MRT though. Possible, but sometimes difficult in peak hours. Considering there are so many massage places opening up all the time (with messages being sent to my line account every day), there is just so much to choose from. Jey is definitely one I would like to visit next time.

In the past the costs of medical bills in Thailand were very cheap but in the past years increased dramatically, No wonder many gay retirees have returned home because they fear the medical bills here once they fall sick.

Yes, I like to use the Google flights calendar for this purpose

...And in their own country, so they no need anymore to escape as tourists to foreign gay tolerable countries like Thailand to fulfill their sexual identity as used to in the past.

I really enjoyed my very first Songkran this year. no I couldnt go out much for water fights during the daytime since the heat was unbearable. but i had a great time going out at nights. music, water, half naked hot guys and drinks everywhere .. what's not to like? I was conditioned to miss Songkran every time I listen to this song, since it was everywhere, wherever i went last Songkran. I always have a plan to go to Songkran again next year. while listening to this song last night, I was just browsing through air fares and found a decent deal on Qatar airlines. I thought air fares could be quite expensive for Songkran period because of its popularity. But maybe not necessarily for flights departing from where i live. So, out of an impulsive act, I transferred my Amex points to Qatar and booked a flight. now time to look for hotels. 🙂

Laos problem is that unlike other countries they can't count on influx of immigrant labour from poorer countries for simple reason - they are poor country already. It may be attractive to Myanmarese though for being at least peaceful.

Increasing Costs, Strength of baht, Visa restrictions and medical mean Thailand is off my list of places to retire. In truth the cost of medical cover and insurance companies finding reasons not to pay out is likely to restrict even holidays going forward. I pay a fortune for cover due to existing conditions but I always wonder, if I did need complex help or Medevac, whether they would pay out or if I would be left stranded.

As I tried to suggest, the sexual cultures of Egypt appear very complex to new arrivals. As a Western expat, it took me quite some time to learn how to decipher 'signals'. For example, being asked (constantly) "are you married" and questions about your family appear to be everyday, polite questions. If you answer no, this is may be followed up with questions asking you to elaborate on why this is the case. Again, this maybe a straight forward question. However, as I discovered, if you explain that you "like your freedom" and that you live a very mobile life, this may be followed up with more questions asking you to explain why this is so, given that most expat men travel with wives/partners/families etc. If you then reply that "well, its just not for me" or other such vague, seemingly avoidant phrases, this may very well lead to further questions regarding your living arrangements ie. if you live alone, do you have a doorman. You can see where this is going... Interestingly, with some guys this questioning may take ten minutes. With others, it may unfold over several weeks, for example, as you run into the same guy at the local gym and strike up an (ongoing) conversation...

rightly so. In condo where I live in the lobby there's table on which residents can place unwanted but usable items. If not picked up within 24 hours they are supposed to reclaim them or super will dump them out. Works great. Now you know where my vacuum cleaner comes from and where most of Christmas gifts are landing

They do and it's why we need to comb offers and check fares often. I'm actually hunting for fares somewhere else ( Bangkok too , always do ) and noticed that sometimes even day or two difference in departure / return produces substantial savings.

Having read so much about retirement visas over several years, increasingly it seems that the bad guys continue to be the crook agents and crook Immigration officers and less crook retirees. If the government just cleaned up its own house, much of the problem could be solved without the need to increase fees in my view.

Visited Screboys yesterday with another member right after they opened for a night. At least 16 boys on duty already. All twinky but some bit better built. At least 3 offable for me, #26 looked the best and was subject of vinapu tuck of 100 baht note. Did not show, any resistance. Boys in boxers, most bareceted, drink 350 Then went upstairs to Freshboys, right in time for show to begin. At least 20 boys on duty, best looking shockingly also #26. At least 6 acceptable for possible off. Show progressive, simulated sex but cock certainly not simulated, stimulated, possibly by machine, for sure though. Big cock show with parade of solicitors of feel for a tip. 8 participants. Sexy shower number. At least 20 spectators in the beginning with more arriving later. One spectator, nice chested and seriously drunk tried to imitate vinapu tuck after seeing how it, s done distributed at least 12 red notes, some using mouth to mouth technique. It was fun.

Silom seemed very hot busy indeed. I had Songkran celebrations in Siem Reap province, full of handsome smiling straight Khmer boys... another way to have good fun ! Now back to Pattaya, so quiet, seems i missed the party 😁

mixed blessing

I did make it into Fake club on Thursday night. It was so packed. Difficult to move around at times. Took 20 mins to do one return toilet visit. The upside was being packed in like sardines with many of asias finest men has it’s pluses. They rig up scaffolding that has sprinklers so you spend most of the four hours being drenched. But the temperatures make it a blessing. I got home 5 am that night. Their Facebook has some great pics of their performers. Last night i was on soi 4 - having not got near DJ - it similarly was heaving and an effort to get into and down the soi but great fun. like an outdoor disco once you found a spot. So much eye candy and you end up partying with whoever is nearby. Great dj set too from a booming sound system. Songkran has been a blast. Silom is booming. Feels like Every gay South Asian lad has come for the pilgrimage. The energy and fun is infectious and once you accept you will be soaked you’re in. The temperatures make it a blessing. It could be by a little kid or grandma through to a posse of massage shop boys.

The UK pension freezes once you start receiving it. It has nothing to do with where you live, in UK or abroad.