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Was in Bangkok in early October and back again two months later. Link to October's trip report below. https://www.gayguides.com/forums/topic/40292-weekend-in-bangkok/ The reason why I decided to come again now instead of during Christmas (my usual timing) is because this week is the last week for two fellow forum members in Bangkok. They will be flying back after their months long stay. I am envious of them, being retired and all that. I can't get leave from work to go on holiday for months. The most I can ever get is 2 weeks at a stretch and unfortunately, I have used up my leave for this year and am left with only one week. I arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday evening from Singapore. After checking in and leaving my luggage in my room at Le Meridien, I was off to Hot Male Beer Bar downstairs. Both fellow forum members were already seated there. They were drinking and chatting with two guys from new Sol Bar just across the soi. One is an old timer from Twilight while the other is new. It was their off day hence they did not have to report to their bar and they could go to other bars. Forum readers who read my previous trip report would know of my promise to buy authentic Calvin Klein briefs for Z, my current infatuation. When I appeared at Hotmale Beer Bar, Z was elated to see me. I got him a three-pack with three colours - white, black and grey. Later in hotel room, he returned me the grey pair. Grey is not his colour. He likes white and doesn't mind black. He's both practical and sensible. "But it's size M. I can't wear it. I give to other boy?" I said. "Ok," he replied. We both know that even though we profess we are each other's boyfriend, we have (many) other boyfriends. In fact, in the morning, just before we were to go for breakfast, he had to take a video call. I could hear from the accent that the guy is from Philippines. Z gestured to me to keep quiet while he spoke to his Filipino boyfriend, "I call you at 3pm and we chat ok? I need to sleep now." Lol! Sorry I got ahead of myself. Back to Hotmale Beer Bar downstairs. Many customers. Festive mood. The guys from Sol Bar surprisingly didn't come out to the "balcony" as often as they did in October. Spotted a waiter who used to work at Hotmale and was one of the stars of the big cock show. If I ever go inside Sol Bar, I will ask him why he made the change. I had a great time catching up with fellow forum members and the Hotmale Beer Bar waiters. I even exchanged Line account with P, one of the Sol Bar guys seated with us. I told him I could not off him tonight but I will off him another night. Z was the chosen one. After chatting for about an hour or so, our merry trio of forum members went our separate ways. I had a great time with Z and we were exhausted and slept by 1am. We continued with round 2 in morning then we washed up and went for breakfast. After breakfast, Z went home. "See you tonight!" we both said to each other.

After Z went back, I had time to myself in morning. I was at swimming pool for half an hour then back to hotel room for Netflix and Tiktok. At 1.30pm, I had lunch appointment with fellow forum member. He suggested we eat at new Foodland branch at Park Silom. Very clean and new but not as big as I expected. Prices are same as Foodland Patpong. However, atmosphere will never beat Foodland Patpong! Fellow forum member and I then continued our conversations while we walked around Patpong and Silom. We did one full round from Park Silom to Silom Road to Soi 6 to Surawong Road to Soi Thaniya then along Silom Road to Soi 4 and back to Soi 6 where we accepted the invitation of two cute massage twinks. Massage for 60 minutes was 500 baht excluding tips. I was very satisfied with my guy, L and I got his Line after finding out he's willing to come to my hotel room before/after work. Finally, I have to share this sad photo of the place that used to be Coffee Grnder Silom.

No, that's not the claim of Palestinian or other peoples. It is the claim of an increasing number of Israel's own Defence Forces and reported in Israel's own media. The claims were repeated in yesterday's Guardian newspaper. Israel’s military and intelligence officials were given a highly detailed warning that Hamas was actively training to take over kibbutzim on the Gaza border and overrun military posts with the aim of inflicting substantial fatalities, according to reports in the Israeli media. The claim made by Israel’s Channel 12 on Monday evening was based on leaked emails from the Israeli military’s 8200 cyber-intelligence unit discussing the warnings. Those emails revealed that a senior officer who reviewed the intelligence considered the danger of a massive surprise attack by Hamas across the Gaza border to be “an imaginary scenario”. The hugely embarrassing leak describes in shocking detail what would turn out to be key elements of Hamas’s planning for its massacre of 1,200 Israelis on 7 October, including that Israel spotters were aware of senior Hamas officials present as observers during training preparations. According to the leaked emails, Hamas went as far as giving the mocked-up kibbutz used in training a name and even practised raising a flag over its synagogue. Plans were also intercepted that discussed overrunning a border military base and killing all of its occupants. While much of the focus of recent scrutiny for the intelligence failure before the 7 October attack has looked at what information was available to senior political and military figures, including Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the new leaks and briefings suggest serious failings within the Israel Defense Forces’ intelligence reporting and distribution system as well. The source of the warning is a highly respected career military intelligence NCO identified in Israeli media reports as V who warned her chain of command during the summer that Hamas was planning a large-scale incursion. Further emails leaked to Channel 12 suggest the initial warning was corroborated a few days later with evidence that other Hamas units were involved in similar training aimed at apparently different targets. Some officials appear to have been impressed by the intelligence but a senior intelligence officer who reviewed the material in July was more sceptical and suggested it was necessary to distinguish between what Hamas was doing for “show” and what was “realistically” the purpose of the training. In another subsequent email, a colleague of the soldier who gave the initial warning said they emphatically disagreed with this assessment, while V herself suggested they were seeing a concrete “operational plan without a timetable for implementation” and that Hamas was planning for a “big event”. Other very senior officers, including the head of the 8200 unit, have suggested in briefings to Israeli journalists that they were not shown V’s warning, despite the email chain discussing it . . . Haaretz described the same training exercise on the mocked-up border kibbutz with reference to the 8200 unit email chain, which it said concluded with a Hamas message from those involved in the exercise saying: “We have completed the murder of all of those on the kibbutz.” Haaretz described V’s warning six months before 7 October that Hamas had completed training exercises simulating a raid on kibbutzim and IDF outposts on the Israeli side of the border. “V concluded that Hamas had completed its preparations, because senior Hamas commanders had turned out to view the exercises – something that was also reported by IDF spotters based on the border. Just like the spotters, her warnings were brushed off dismissively,” it said. “While they were distributed to senior officers, to her own unit and to field intelligence, a senior intelligence officer wrote to her in response, praising her work but adding: ‘It sounds imaginary to me,’ almost exactly echoing the language of the leaked 8200 emails.” According to this telling of events, V’s direct commander backed up her assessment, insisting it was a real exercise and not a display. The warnings were reiterated by the soldiers involved a few weeks before 7 October when an unnamed senior intelligence officer visited their base and the intelligence was presented to him. Despite the warnings, however, even of the eve of 7 October, when senior officers discussed the prospect of an imminent Hamas attack, senior officers in the IDF were describing the evidence as “weak”. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/28/israeli-military-had-warning-of-hamas-training-for-attack-reports-say The BBC has reported that training for the attack on Israel had started as far back as 2020 with Hamas joined by five other armed Palestinian groups. BBC Arabic and BBC Verify have collated evidence which shows how Hamas brought together Gaza's factions to hone their combat methods - and ultimately execute a raid into Israel which has plunged the region into war . . . Brigadier General Amir Avivi, a former IDF deputy commander in Gaza, told the BBC: "There was a lot of intelligence that they were doing this training - after all, the videos are public, and this was happening just hundreds of metres from the fence (with Israel)." But he said while the military knew about the drills, they "didn't see what they were training for". https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67480680

Following Endlessdream's highlighting of this shop, I decided to pay a visit myself. I'm impressed. The facilities are really good. At the time I went (around 6pm) there were four male and eight lady masseurs on duty. I didn't particularly want to choose at this sort of place, so I was pleased to be allocated a really cute guy. I was asked to put on a pair of those tiny disposable pants that really don't have any room for men's appendages, and was thinking this might be too formal a massage shop for anything interesting to happen. But I was pleasantly surprised. If anything, the tiny pants made the whole experience a lot more tantalising. From a massage perspective, it was good, and I got the full time I had paid for. And alongside the therapeutic element my guy made the whole thing highly erotic, allowing mutual touch throughout and building things to a very exciting climax with prostate massage on the way. Highly recommended if, ike me you like a decent massage as part and parcel of the experience.

Sorry I can not open that web page. I get a message "Access denied". A truly great film and I think David Lean's best. It seems, though, that the US version shown a month after the premiere in London was edited down by 20 minutes. David Lean at first suggested he had decided it was too long for audiences. Years later he changed his opinion and said that producer Sam Spiegel had insisted on the cuts so that there could be an extra showing per day! With respect this was only correct for the much older black-and-white movies. Most movies thereafter required several reels of film. The average length of a 24 frames per second reel with sound is only 11 minutes. So each reel has a sound built-in to give the projectionist the cue to be ready to start the next reel. In older movies, even into the 1970s, you can often seen the flash of a white cross in a circle at the top right of the screen - another cue that the reel is about to change. It's perhaps strange that we do not mind intermissions during almost all theatre dramas, but object to them in cinemas. I believe the answer has to lie with the director. If he is happpy with intermissions, he can time them at an appropriate time in the drama of the movie. To allow cinemas to decide intermissions at arbitrary times could easliy destroy the dramatic impact of the movie.

Because that's how it is, you nor I are going to change that, especially on a gay escort message board. So stop rah rah'ing the mental case and acting like Biden is already dead, it makes you look foolish.

Around 30 years ago, when I was much, much younger, and Pattaya was a gay paradise, my friend and I had nowhere to sit in a bar in Boyztown - was it Throb? too long ago to be sure. We had to share a table with a guy (he was alone) who didn't mind at all. In fact he probably welcomed the company and the opportunity to make conversation. I remember this incident even though it was the last century because it was the first time I had ever met someone with a foot fetish. For the better part of the time in that bar, he went on and on, and my friend and I had little to say in response. Looking back, I should be grateful to him. He opened my then-younger eyes to the fact that all of us have wildly different tastes. Sure, growing up gay, we sort-of know that. Most of my college friends liked pussy, but the very thought of it freaked me out. However, the flip side of that sense of exclusion from the straight fellowship was to seek identity in the gay minority, yet in doing so, I must have somehow assumed that if they're gay like me, their erotic desires must therefore be similar to mine. How wrong I was. I am sure most posters here, in their life journeys, have come to same conclusion, each of us via our individaul learning journeys, though mine was unusual in having been through a baptism of a foot monologue. One of the most fascinating things about this board is that, in the course of members either describing their trip reports or asking questions about what to expect in places they're planning to visit, between the lines in the posts one can sense what their erotic desires are. Having had my eyes opened years ago, I've been watching this space, so to speak, and now may be a good time to throw in some ideas about what I have observed. (I am also nervous about opening this topic because it can get controversial.) Here I am not referring to the appeal of physique, you know, the twink-lovers, hunk-lovers, chubby chasers, etc. There are different ways to look at desire. The first cut I can think of - and the categories are not meant to be exclusive, in fact, there is likely to be a continuum of tastes - goes like this: 1. Those who give more weight to the visual 2. Those who give more weight to the tactile 3. Those looking for a boyfriend experience (the connection of personality) I see Group (1) among the posters whose focus lie in how the boy looks - whether he be twink or twunk or hunk or whatever. This is the market for Moonlight's models, with people ready to pay remium pricing because the guys look a certain way. I also see Group (1) in those posters who've clearly asked for information about satisfying their body worship desires, as well as in those who describe themselves as choosy about a certain "type" of partner. The visual leaves me relatively cold, which also correlates with the fact that I don't have a specific "type" that I am looking for. Instead, I see myself as a Group (2) where the tactile pleasure is more important than the visual.In other words, it doesn't really matter what the sex worker looks like; I want the delirium of hands on body or body pressing body. Members here may have noticed that I write a lot more about massage than about offing gogo boys, for example. Then there are posters here who ask for information about overnights or about going off to an island for a few days with someone (even temporarily) special. I call them Group (3). The boyfriend experience (even if fleeting) is at the centre of desire. Yet another way to slice the pie is like this: 4. Genital focussed sex 5. Warm-body sex Especially on the Latin America forum, many trip reports spotlight either insertive sex or the size of the appendage. There is hardly any description of the body that the cock is joined to. Here and there in the Thailand forum, whenever a boy is mentioned (e.g. because he was advertised on a massage site) the question is quickly Top or Bottom? I may be wrong (since I don't belong to this Group (4) but at least in my imagination, the sex that takes place has a greater emphasis on penetration (one direction or the other). I am Group (5). The size of the appendage has rarely mattered to me (unless it's been disfigured by silicone). I have had great time swith guys (paid and unpaid) who might not have been more than 10 cm (not that I measured). Instead it's the full-body "wrestling" that's been important. As a result, those (usually straight) boys whose idea of servicing a customer is either to stand beside the bed and give a handjob or move into a penetrative position as a matter of course, have always left me utterly frustrated. Are there other categories that others have observed?

One observation from my recent Brazil trip--the beard epidemic continues!. I would guess that maybe 90% of the guys walking in the gay area in Sao Paulo are sporting some kind of beard. It's not really my thing . This trend seems to have started a few years ago and continues to grow in popularity. I still was able to meet non bearded guys in the saunas but also a trend the amongst the guys there as well. As a side note--not so many beards in Colombia but more than a few years ago.

Dinner was at Circus on Soi 4 with fellow forum members. We did people watching while we ate and chatted. Recognised many old faces. After that we adjourned to Hotmale Beer Bar downstairs. The latest buzz is the lottery which is on Friday 1st December. Many of the staff bought lottery tickets when the lottery ticket ladies came around selling them. The top prize is 12 million baht!

From CNN ’Boys love’ stars becoming fashion’s newest power players Nattawin 'Apo' Wattanagitiphat and Phakphum ‘Mile’ Romsaithong attend Dior's Spring-Summer 2024 menswear show as part of Paris Fashion Week on June 23. Back in February, Nattawin Wattanagitiphat’s fans spared no expense in marking the Thai actor’s 29th birthday. Videos that made their way onto social media showed ‘Apo,’ as he is affectionately known, wading through a sea of flower bouquet stands, multiple cakes towering over six feet tall, gold bars, cash and even a Rolex watch all gifted by his fan base. Local media reported his birthday haul totaled 50 million Thai baht, or around $1.4 million. With such an army of intense supporters behind him, it’s little wonder then that Apo was named by Christian Dior as a men’s ambassador this summer, along with his co-star Phakphum ‘Mile’ Romsaithong. The two actors, who star as an on-screen couple in a BL television series (a “boys’ love” drama featuring gay romance themes) called “KinnPorsche,” have become a valuable marketing vehicle for the brand. The pair have appeared at events across Asia, including Dior’s show in India, and on the covers of various editions of Vogue, GQ and other magazines. One reason they provide a good return on investment is the remarkably high engagement they generate on social media. Data from a report released by Lefty.io, a social media analytics company, and public relations firm Karla Otto found that Apo and Mile were ranked 3rd and 5th in earned media value for the Spring-Summer 2024 show season on Instagram and TikTok — only after Kylie Jenner and Zendaya, who have 399 million and 185 million followers respectively on Instagram. In comparison, the Thai actors have just 3.5 million Instagram followers each. Still, they are able to induce a fanaticism that’s typically only seen with South Korean stars. Continues at https://edition.cnn.com/style/thai-celebrities-boys-love-fashion-brands/index.html

He worked at Hotmale previously. Now he is a waiter at Sol Bar. He doesn't take part in the show but he is available for offs. He has a number tag.

Why should Russia choose between one abnormal psychopath? Are there no more citizens worthy of the presidency that haven't been locked up or defenestrated, had plane crashes or been poisoned?

I was gone for a week, so a slow response. I don't disagree with the merit of your argument at all. But that's not my point. In politics, perception is reality. Not to be elitist, but in the age of MAGA one might add that ignorance is bliss. Although ignorant populism is nothing new, on any partisan side. So I would not be shocked if Palestinian Americans in Michigan are the new Jill Steins and Ralph Naders, who help elect exactly what they don't really want: Trump. At least in the case of Palestinian Americans it won't be because they rally behind Trump. More likely it will be that they feel like Biden betrayed them, and they just won't vote. That is how many if not the majority of them feel now. But the election is a year away.

From The Nation Thai Airways has taken over the operation of 9 domestic routes from Thai Smile Airways following the restructuring of its business model that has seen it integrate its subsidiary, Thai Smile Airways, which operates domestic and short-haul international flights. Flights starting from December 1 Bangkok-Chiang Mai: daily, 35 flights per wee Bangkok-Phuket: daily, 56 flights per week Bangkok-Udon Thani: daily, 21 flights per week Flights starting from January 1 Bangkok-Khon Kaen: daily, 28 flights per week Bangkok-Ubon Ratchathani: daily, 14 flights per week Bangkok-Krabi: daily, 14 flights per week Bangkok-Hat Yai: daily, 21 flights per week Bangkok-Narathiwat: daily, 7 flights per week ————————— The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)’s governor said on Tuesday that Chinese airlines simply chose to return the extra time slots allocated to them. TAT governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool was referring to reports carried by several Thai news websites that 10 Chinese airlines had cancelled flights to Thailand for the months of December and January due to lower-than-expected bookings. Thapanee added that she was informed by five TAT offices in China that several airlines will start flying to and from China and will also introduce new routes between the two countries. They include VietJet, China Eastern, Nok Air, 9 Air, Thai Lion Air and Air Asia.

No thanks. I'll wait until it comes on streaming services. I'd rather not be streaming into a diaper or condom catheter... 😉 Kudos for those with large bladders.

You make the ridiculous assumption that just because one is anti-Trump that this is pro-Biden. Biden is too old and a bad candidate because of it. Trump is, in no particular order, a sociopath, a narcissist, a liar, a serial sex offender, a racist, a sexist, anti-gay, anti-military, an insurrectionist and a traitor. They are both awful candidates but I'd go for the person who's too old over someone like Trump.

From Thai PBS World Pubs and bars in parts of Thailand a step closer to 4am closing The Cabinet agreed in principle on Tuesday to an amendment to the Interior Ministry’s regulations which would allow pubs and bars in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Chon Buri and Koh Samui to stay open until 4am. It was not, however, specified when the new licencing hours will come into effect, but earlier reports tentatively suggested December 15. The Interior Ministry has proposed the changes to promote tourism and increase revenues. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has said that the new closing time is not only intended for tourists, but also for Thais whose businesses are related to tourism, such as restaurants and food shops.

and the downstairs could be a flop house for those boys who can't afford a room to sleep in the off hours with a toilet and shower...

From Pattaya Mail By Barry Kenyon A group of expats based in Pattaya, mainly holding one year extensions of stay for retirement or marriage, have written to Premier Srettha Thavisin to campaign for more humane treatment. Leader John Foulds, a British retiree, said that the government seemed to be interested only in expanding short term tourists by abolishing visas for mass markets, such as China and India, and easing the life of wealthy expat professionals on large salaries. He quoted the recent announcement about 10 year executive or professional work permits in the Eastern Economic Corridor offering specially discounted tax rates on earnings and confirming avoidance of 90 days reporting. Mr Foulds explained, “By contrast, there never seems to be any good news for the mainstay expats who have retired here on pensions or are supporting Thai wives and families over many years. Now it looks like we may be faced by demands to register with the Thai tax system because of changing revenue rules and face more hurdles in renewing their annual visas.” He suggested that expats on one year renewals should be exempt from revenue regulations, at any rate until the system was open and equitable. “The very idea that expats like me living on an already taxed pension need to produce a whole load of annual paperwork to justify why we should not be re-taxed is a very sour notion.” Amongst other visa complaints raised by the group are recent changes to the 90 day reporting system which require (in Chonburi) a new form and accompanying passport copies every three months, an increasing amount of paperwork required from Thai banks about the account holder’s cash balance and periodic alarm raised about compulsory medical insurance. “It’s as if older retirees in my position are being deliberately squeezed or forced into expensive visa options such as the 10-year Long Term Residence or 5-20 years Elite,” added Mr. Foulds. He said many retirees he knew were already planning to leave Thailand or relocate to more friendly visa regimes in Vietnam or Cambodia. Expat visas in Thailand are now a complex field of options, each with its own set of rules. More recent choices have been aimed at wealthier foreigners or those prepared to pay lavishly upfront for a specific number of years. As regards the traditional one year extensions of stay based on retirement and marriage, there are thought to be at least 300,000 mostly-male visa holders including a sizeable number financially supporting Thai wives and families. Although Thai immigration does not publish comprehensive data, there may be 200,000 more foreigners living here part time on tourist and non-immigrant visas which they use together with spells of time outside the country. A spokesperson for the Tourist Authority of Thailand said that she was well aware that the recent Thai revenue announcement had caused alarm in some expat quarters, but feedback was still being fed into headquarters. A representative of the Thai immigration hotline pointed out that the regulations for retiree and marriage annual extensions had remained basically the same for the past 15 years, if subject to some minor local variations. Given Thailand’s former good reputation as a retirement haven and the high daily spending by many foreigners with annual retiree or family permits, Mr. Foulds’ group is advising the Thai premier not to ignore these contributions to the national coffers. A sizeable market is in danger of being lost.

From Coconuts Bangkok Thailand earned a “very low proficiency” score in English, according to the latest survey by Swiss-based language education company Education First (EF). In yet another year of unsatisfactory pasa angrit (English language) proficiency, Thailand ranked 101st out of 113 non-native-English-speaking countries in the annual EF English Language Proficiency Index report. Thailand notched up a score of 416, which caused it to drop four places from last year. The global average is 502. Thailand came dead last among the eight ASEAN countries in the survey, behind Cambodia, which ranked 98th globally. Singapore (obviously) continues to rank at the top amongst the Asian countries, coming 2nd overall and trailing behind the Netherlands at number one. Singapore is the only Asian country to be ranked in the “very high proficiency” category. Since 2011, Thailand has always ranked near the bottom of the survey, while other Asian countries score higher proficiencies in the English language. In 2022, Thailand was ranked 97th out of 111. In 2021, the country fared even worse, coming in at 100 out of 112. ======= By contrast, some of the best English is spoken by the Myanmar waiters at Hot Male beer bar and the Vietnamese waiters at Fresh Boy.

I guess there are several different lotteries going on there at the same time (money, massage, etc) You don’t have to hit the big jackpot to be a winner

The problem isn't connecting the dots. It's that you have thousands of dots and you have to know which dots are real and which order to connect them or you get a mindless scribble instead of a picture. Intelligence services don't go out of their way to miss things and rarely is anything obvious. It also isn't one mind looking at all the information so a person seeing one source may not be the person seeing other bits of information. I think people watch too many movies.

You may be on to something. I was probably a lot more the visual type when younger, in that there were certain body types and facial features I was drawn to. Perhaps over time, having had great sex (e.g. in saunas) with others who might not be in my visual-acceptability range, and disappointments with those who were outstanding specimens visually, I must have learnt to pay less and less attention to looks and value touch a lot more.

I can't understand that?

From my very first visit to Thailand decades ago, I was definitely in the #1 category - visual. Nowadays i don't know how anyone can be initially anything other than visual for surely the other categories follow on from that? Thinking back over decades, I do not think i have ever changed. In the early days of my attending some of the now legendary go-go bars, perhaps some of the guys were not as interesting as others. But the majority for someone brought up in the west looked pretty stunning. Face was my first attraction, soon followed by a slim body and a willing smile. In terms of boys from the bars, I was never interested in size or being tactile or not, perhaps because I am the one who loves being tactile. Genital-focussed sex for me is important because I have a very obvious like and dislike. But that is never part of the first discussion. Going off on a slight tangent, I realy liked the model for a go-go bar posted many years ago by @macaroni21's earlier incarnation. I think it could have become extremely popular. Sadly it would never have worked - partly because the owners were far too set in their ways and the b-i-b might have considered it a way to force an increase in their earnings. And yet another short tangent, I loved the reference to "last century". I guess many of us reading this Board will soon be amongst the last to have said, "See you in the next millennium!"

As the article points out, Singapore comes top because although the country essentially has four official languages, English is spoken by the vast majority of the population. Four decades ago when I moved to Hong Kong, English was also widely spoken. Even taxi drivers spoke some English. With the end of British colonial rule, that language facility is understandably slowly disappearing in favour of Mandarin as the second language. As for Thailand, it is tempting to suggest that its not having been colonised by the British is one reason for such poor rankings. Yet that cannot be an explanation since Vietnam and Cambodia were French colonies, yet their education systems clearly place much greater emphasis on English teaching than Thailand. Indeed, having talked with Thai students over many years, I am convinced this is the root of the problem. With few exceptions, the quality of English teaching is dire. In those schools where a Thai is the teacher, it seems that he or she is barely a lesson or two in advance of the students. I know that some English teachers are in fact younger Brits, but I think not so many as the pay is very poor. Not intending to demean anyone, I found an example of another type of English teacher some years ago. I was leaving Siam BTS station to go to Paragon when I saw a rather large well-dressed African American lady seemingly around mid-50s and looking very lost. I asked if I could help. With a very strong accent from the American South, I could hardly make out that she was quite pissed off. I asked if she was a tourist. No, she explained, she was working. As, I asked? A teacher! A teacher of English! She had tried to find out where Paragon was by asking the official at the exit gates. When she said "Paragon", he did not understand! I then suggested she just turn around as there was a sign clearly stating Paragon. She thanked me profusely and I helped her through the ticket gates. Earlier she had told me she knew nothing about Thailand until a few months earlier when some US administration department had asked her if she would like to go to Thailand to teach English for three months. She liked the idea, but found Thailand too hot, too difficult, didn't like the food, and generally was looking forward to going home. That got me thinking. Clearly the Thailand Education Department contacts Embassies asking them to send some English speakers to teach English to young Thai kids. I assume the Department arranges accommodation and much higher than usual teacher salaries. But, I wondered, what on earth is the point of engaging teachers with any kind of difficult-to-understand dialect? Again with respect to that lady, if I had some difficulty understanding precisely what she was saying, I sincerely doubt that most of her students even understood a small fraction. It would be the same with a teacher from East Anglia in England or any number of other areas with strong regional accents. It all seemed like the typical Thai solution to a problem that no one had ever bothered to think through. I remember when I first met my present partner. I assumed he spoke some English. We met for dinner in Terminal 21. I spoke slowly, clearly and in short sentences. He seemed to me to understand. Months later, he told me he had understood very little. Now he is all but fluent - but then he's had a good teacher 🤣

@floridarob did you say, "Rock-Hard?" Do you happen to remember the seat number for that flight? I'd like to try it out. Lol!

I flew them from Mia-Bos recently in protest to UA's stupid high fares on that route. On-time, clean plane, friendly flight attendants...only complaint, rock hard seats. But for $60 usd with a checked bag and seat selection, open seat next to me, more than acceptable.

If you laugh at Biden's photos it is only because you are a self hating decrepit man.

Trump is a libertarian icon. Diapers allow him to shit anytime, anywhere. VIVA LA LIBERTAD!

I'm more visual, I think, but the smell of a man can make me pretty randy too.

Exactly, DOA. Your posts should indeed be moved to dung heap. You again display great magnanimity.

Sounds like the establishment does not allow the guys to basically live there anymore. I have spent a couple overnights at Thermas, once when I had a crazy early flight. It was ... interesting. Some of the overnighters were very hot, but the experience sort of takes tawdriness to another level. I could fool around right in the showers. It was like that children's book about being trapped in a museum overnight, but tawdrier. The sculpture was alive and gropable.

Whitebird: been there a perhaps 3 times over the past 13 years, not a place I'd make any effort to go again, last time maybe 2018. 1. It's increasingly hetero, female customers come in groups. 2. The show is so-so quality. 3. The boys can be invited to sit with you but conversation quality is very poor, even if their English is OK (mostly not), 4. Boys cannot be booked out. The place operates on a "drinking-bar with hosts to help you drink more" business model.

Enjoy your life at retirement travel all around and do the things you like why enslave yourself to a business and kill all the fun ?

Yes me too looking forward to see it after a terrible year of many bad quality BL series with very weak plots.

I went to Dream Boy and Jupiter on last weekend, totally agreed with you especially that show in Jupiter perform by good looking guys, some are fresh and young, I love the transparent underwear dance so much, can see through everything The dancer in Dream Boy all lack of energy, I think I saw them few years ago and they just repeat the dance move without soul.

From The Nation Giant retail chain Big C is pushing its flagship branch — Big C Rajdamri — in the heart of Bangkok to be Thailand’s No. 1 shopping destination for tourists. The superstore in Pathumwan district features local brand products that make perfect souvenirs in representing Thailand’s charms and uniqueness to global audiences. Located in the heart of the city, opposite CentralWorld shopping mall and near the famous Erawan Shrine, Big C Rajdamri has gained a reputation among foreign tourists as a shopping landmark that offers Thai products and delicacies at affordable prices under one roof. The popularity of Big C Rajdamri has prompted the company to plan the launch of five new “tourist stores” in primary and secondary tourist cities across Thailand, for example, Pattaya, Phuket and Chiang Mai, with each location focusing on products that carry geographical indication (GI) of its respective province.

On the other hand the mosquitoes there, who seem to be on steroids, are very fond of farangs(blood)

We have now survived the first year after the pandemic, which was not always easy; the many tourists who used to come stayed away for a long time. Now, for this year's Loy Krathong Festival, things are looking up again. We would like to thank our loyal community from the bottom of our hearts for supporting us during these difficult times. The Adams Apple Club Chiang Mai team wishes everyone a Happy Loy Krathong Festival 2023.

Where are the photos?

That reminds me of the news clip I remember seeing some 4 years or so ago. They interviewed some idiot who admitted she voted for Trump in 2016. Her foreign-born husband found himself deported to his native country (I believe it was Mexico) due to Trump's hard-nosed immigration policies (her husband got a DUI). Then it was, wah, wah, wah. I should have known I was voting for an asshole. For those with short memories, it was Trump who set up a Muslim immigration ban. The Republican party is not the party for religious diversity. It's the party for the religiously narrow-minded. If Palestinian-Americans, or even Muslims in general, assist Trump in winning, they'll deserve everything they have coming to them. What preposterously short memories! Unfortunately, a lot of other people will suffer in addition to themselves.

New years is a huge party at lagoa. Not to be missed

this year I was there 3 times, 2 weeks then 3 weeks then 2 weeks and willing gents were abundant enough to keep all my days and nights busy.

I for one gladly pay whatever bars are trying to extort from me since i fund sitting in the room and combing apps much more boring then sipping me Chang in the bars. And if I find someone I know right away who shows at my door. But that's just me

@Badboy81, Thank you for your information! Have fun in the coming winter holidays!

no, that's no kidding matter

we all look hot , you just need better glasses

I am afraid the regular posters on this forum do not have this type of experience. You need to look hot yourself to attract anyone for the type of action you described.

I have engaged a Columbian from Bogotá the last 2 days at the Thermas in Barcelona. If he is typical of Colombians I can understand the enthusiasm for the place.