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Preliminaries and getting to. This was my first trip to Thailand after leaving workforce for good and as result it was also longest of them all (so far I hope).Also first covering month of January, I was in that month before twice but only for ,few days in the beginning back in 2003 and at end last year. I keep travel diary on evert trip everywhere so no need to stretch my memory, cleaning glasses from time to time will suffice to produce this report. Reading it this morning I noticed that some occurrences faded from memory already which makes point again not to be upset about small things as they are soon forgotten for good. Winter trip has advantages of escaping cold but also carries risk that weather may go in the way. It was exactly a case this time. When we boarded plane snow blizzard started . It was sudden and energetic and as result we took off exactly 2 hours later than scheduled. Considering that at Narita I had originally exactly 2 hours connection time it was obvious that something will happen. Either, like last time I took that route plane to Bangkok will be waiting but luggage arrive day later or I need to be placed on another flight that evening or day after. Did not bother me as nothing I could do on my part. I did not enjoy flight much ( one of those things faded from memory I mentioned before but diary remembers). It was cold inside and this comes from guy who likes winter over summer. For first few hours entertainment system did not work which I don’t care but in modern aircrafts one can’t turn on reading light if screen is dead so I lost few hours of reading time. And to add to my misery , food was nothing memorable and that is charitable. But as always there was bonus – nobody seating beside me. I always fly at the back , middle section , aisle seat , hoping for that to happen and it did again. I noticed that elbow space is as important as legs one on those long flights. We landed as we departed , exactly 2 hours after scheduled time and were advised to see agents who will inform as about further connection. This being Japan , was organized very well. Indeed lady was holding placard with Bangkok and my flight number, told me where to go and there another agent gave me boarding pass for tomorrow morning , advised to pick up my luggage , pass immigration and go to the parking spot nr 16 where shuttle bus to hotel will be waiting. It was all in print on small piece of paper. Impressive enough. Japan I thought. Then somehow things get a bit less smooth as I was waiting exactly 2 hours for my luggage to emerge entertaining myself with Whatsapping, e-mailing and Lineing. After that we were back to Japan. Bus arrived and was filled to capacity with people sharing my misfortune, from what I heard not only Bangkok bound but also Bejjing and Saigon but somebody said Manilla passengers were lucky to be placed on next flight departing tonight. At the hotel they knew exactly why we are there, there was special counter arranged and we got our keys and coupon for supper tonight and breakfast tomorrow as well as information about bus to the airport departing in the morning. In short all my questions at Narita were answered before I even asked them. It was too late to go to the city 1hr train trip away so I settled in the room and did not even bother with evening meal. Just made my tea and went asleep. As for breakfast ‘opulent’ is understatement. All tasted soooo good and I feel sorry for myself that days I was eating more than I need are over. I was placed on Thai flight and again had luck of nobody seating beside – it’s after all still 7 hrs flight. I already commented in another thread, meal they served was probably best airplane meal I ever had and no, after that breakfast I was not starving or something , it was just extremely tasty, just pork with rice but made for kings and CEO’s . This way instead of landing at 22.30 , I arrived at 17.40 next day and day 1 of my trip started. still Christmas time in Japan Scat Airlines ? I wonder what this is all about

Day 1 That will be short one as I said arrived at 17.40. Immigration line was hair rising but speed was world beating. It was second longest I saw in BKK ever and still with all boths opened and personnel wisely directing internationals even to “ASEAN or Thai only” booths when they were free it moved shockingly fast. By time I bought SIM card my luggage was out already and in exactly 75 minutes from plane touching tarmac I was already waiting for train at the platform. Raya, where I opened door exactly 47 hours and 45 minutes after closing my home door, was informed that I will miss previous night but at least room was waiting for me ( no refund for no show) so I unpacked , desoiled and went to 7/11 to buy some necessities in process took circular way through Thaniya and Patpong 2. At 21.00 I was supposed to meet J, our member at G’Bangkok , soi 4. As it happened his last day was mine first. So we caught on news and food and being already in soi 4 we decided to go to Jupiter . On recent trips somehow it’s always first bar I’m visiting. Due to esthetics as their boy collection beats them all not a bad place to start. I’m not being big fan of Jupiter due to their policy requiring boys to appear cold , aloof and uninterested. This of course changes right away after one invites boy to seat beside but still I don’t like it as can’t gauge if g boy is treating me as transparent because I deserve or because boss told them so. Of course looking at them during their walkouts is pure pleasure , smile or not. And soon after we sat down first round started. I tipped red note two of them including hero of my many stories and veteran of dozen if not more offs over the years HC (Handsome Cambodian). I did not count on anything other than may be nod and shy smile during next round acknowledging tip and my presence. But disappointingly during next walkabout I was still transparent air. There were few smiles but not at me and not by me tippees . That was bit discouraging and disappointing so when J, who in meantime had some hunk sitting beside signaled he is ready to go I gladly went with them. This was my only visit at Jupiter this trip or as my father would say “ this trip I was there two times - first and last”. Outside I wished guys fun , to J also safe trip home and we parted ways. I went to Moonlight hoping Y will be available but he was already booked to tonight so I secured his presence for tomorrow by slipping him and mamasan who leeched on me immediately remembering me very well from previous visits red note each and went to Hot Male beer bar where P was present so I offered him a drink and in process asked about option of accompany me tonight. He agreed but I sensed answer is kind of suspended. On top of it , even it treated with drink , instead of keeping me company he was constantly on the move here and there. At some point when I noticed he is going to bar upstairs with some female patron I did one of best things this trip, right on the first evening – paid for both drinks and just took off. As it was past midnight I decided to try my favorite corner in Bangkok at soi 6 and Suriwong. That the place where Tawan boys use to drink after bar closes. Tonight it was only D solitary drinking from small Hong Thong bottle. We meet many times in the past, now he is in bit less of shape but his skin is still as smooth as baby’s and being late I made another best decision, drunk or not I asked if he wants to go with me. Happy smile and nod. He wanted to ride his motorsai but I declined and we walked to Raya. Holly Molly, he was always quiet and bit reserved companion , very suitable for 1st night after long trip but not tonight. I was hoping for pussy cat but instead got lion, very sweet lion indeed. As close to boyfriend experience as one can dream about. It was almost shocking in a best sense. I guess blend of being bit drunk and probably not being offed for some time contributed to that energy. What an introduction to Bangkok and a trip and end of day 1 !!!

Trip Report – Koh Chang – 15 Jan 2024 – 18 Jan 2024 I am behind on my trip reports. I present this one from Koh Chang (which was easier to prepare) and then I will have a bigger one from Christmas/New Years - 17 day trip report for Songkhla. Sorry for the delays. Up to now, my favorite island in proximity of Pattaya has been Koh Samet. Hanging out with my volleyball friends at the Dongtan beach (Sea Rescue area), we were chatting about a new island place to go to and we decided to make a 4 day / 3 night visit to Koh Chang. Aerial shot of the Trat island archipelago One of them has a car, so that made the transportation modality easy. Note that a quick search in Google - notes that there are many busses that also go there – primarily from Bangkok but I believe that I saw one from Pattaya as well. -> Please note that their facial photos are included in this trip report with their permission given as well as their contact details in case any of you would like to use their services. <- We departed Jomtien around 9:45am and we arrived at the Ao Thammachat pier in Trat at around 14:30pm, almost 5 hours – leisurely driving with breaks for the bathroom, iced coffee, and gas. We were able to get onto the 15:30pm car ferry at a cost of 120 baht for the car and then 80 baht for the each of us for a total of 360 baht. The ferry crossing is about 30 minutes. Ferry info can be found here at: Koh Chang Ferries price list 2023 / 2024 Map of Koh Chang and surrounding islands. As you can see there are many ferry options to arrive onto the island from the mainland. Above places highlighted with a red circle are the places that we visited We booked our 3 night stay at the Klong Prao Resort Klong Prao Beach Resort webpage We booked 2 rooms and paid 1,840 baht per night for a total of 11,040 baht for 3 nights. This resort is lovely and very big with a beautiful sandy beach and lush tropical plants everywhere. As we booked kind of at the last minute we were assigned to 2 older rooms. There are 3 distinct zones around a large pond, where the zone we stayed in is the oldest and the other 2 zones are more modern. My only complaint about our rooms were there were hardly any electrical outlets for all of our devices (electric razor, tooth brush, boom box, mobile phones, etc.). Other than this inconvenience the rooms were perfect – air con worked very well, shower had hot water, and unlike my stay in Koh Samet and also in Songkhla (I still need to write this trip report) there were NO noisy geckos to wake us up in the early morning with their annoying chirping sounds. However, they are very handy for eating any annoying mosquitos, bugs and spiders. Note that the 2 newer zones have many electrical outlets as they were probably built after the advent of the popularity of mobile phones and all of our electrical gadgets. The highlights of this resort for us were: The pool and their pool bar with early evening 2 for 1 sunset happy hours – as evidenced in the below photos, The white sandy beaches and blue turquoise water. Note that the Koh Chang municipality has strict rules that keep the noisy speed boats and jet skis away – thus rendering the beaches to be more in their wonderful natural state. Day 1 (15 Jan 2024) itinerary Arrive onto the island, check in unpack, enjoy the resort grounds, pool, beach, happy hour, fantastic sunset and eat at the resort dining facility = RimHad Restaurant. Watched a great fire show performed by some hunky macho guys (similar to the familiar B-Boys, who perform all over Pattaya, Boyztown, Jomtien) on the beach in front of our resort restaurant. Like when I visited Koh Samet, these fire show guys can be found traveling up and down the beach performing in front of the many resorts and beach restaurants. It lasted about 10 minutes and was very entertaining. I realized that I did not take any still photos so the above photo is from a movie clip that I made. Then before going to sleep I received my customary massage – as both of these volleyball friends are also masseurs. Day 2 (16 Jan 2024) itinerary After the great resort buffet breakfast (an enormous selection of Western and Thai foods were available) we headed off to the Khlong Phlu Waterfall in the National Park. It was nearby, and perhaps after 30 minutes by car we were already at the trailhead for our hike. The hike took about 30 minutes and was rather easy. Explore Koh Chang - description of Koh Chang waterfalls As it was not rainy season, the waterfall was a little bit subdued, but it was still cool and refreshing to take a dip and to swim with the millions of fish that were in the water. You need to resist their lite nibbles at your skin – kind of like those tourist places that you see all over Thailand where the tourists put their feet into a fish tank to get their dead skin nibbled off. There were about 20 to 25 people there when we visited with about half of them brave enough to enter the chilly refreshing water. There is a lifeguard off to the left up on the rocks to prevent that tourists climb up onto the waterfall, as it can be quite dangerous as it is very slippery. And there I am trying to acclimate myself to the lite nibbles by the fish before I dove in and swam over to where the water was cascading down – as that end is very deep. Entrance fee to the waterfall (which is part of the national park system) was 40 baht for each of my 2 Thai friends and 200 baht for me for a total cost of 280 baht. Afterwards, back to our resort to relax, swim in the pool, take advantage of the 2-for-1 drink specials at the pool bar, and to watch the sunset. For that night’s dinner we drove over to the popular White Sands Beach area – full of restaurants, hotels, resorts, markets, etc. to eat at the Beach Tango restaurant Beach Tango restaurant Facebook page which became our favorite go-to place to eat. Why? The food and drinks were good. There was interesting eye candy – one of the wait staff had our constant attention. Plus, there were many interesting people walking up and down the beach – as there are many, many, bars and restaurants in this area. Beach Tango is smack in the middle of all of the fun and is an entertaining place to be situated. Then after dinner back to the room to relax for my nightly massage. Life is good. Day 3 (17 Jan 2024) itinerary Enjoy the buffet breakfast and then head down to the extreme southern part of Koh Chang (on the opposite side of the island) to visit the very famous Koh Ngam beach. It was a very long drive as we needed to cross the island to the other side (mainland facing), and this part of the island is not built up like the other side, so consequently, the main road became narrower and narrower up into the mountains to the point where there was only room for 1 car to pass one way with very steep curvy roads. Scary, but well worth the reward to arrive at the tiny boat station to take the 10 minute boat to cross over to the breath taking Koh Ngam. You can choose your mode of transportation – by kayak or by motorboat. We chose by motorboat as we were too excited to already be on Koh Ngam. I believe that we paid 80 baht for each Thai person, and I as a farang had to pay 200 baht, which included the boat ride over to the island. Fee is paid to a ranger on Koh Ngam – as it is now part of the Thailand National Park system. Here is a good short video with some drone footage of Koh Ngam: Youtube video with drone footage of Koh Ngam And here is what awaits you on Koh Ngam – truly amazing. After enjoying Koh Ngam (swimming, relaxing, and enjoying the view and the nature) – back on the boat to Koh Chang and then back in the car for the 1 hour trip back to our resort for those 2-for-1 pool bar cocktails and amazing sunsets. Rinse and repeat the previous night at Beach Tango for dinner and drinks and then back to the resort for my nightly good-night massage. Day 4 (18 Jan 2024) itinerary Enjoy the last breakfast buffet and check-out of the resort for the long 5 hour drive back to Pattaya (Jomtien). Phong says to me – do you want to see one more exciting place before we head back? I say, sure, why not. So, we drive over to the Kai Bae Viewpoint, which is famous for its spectacular view of 4 of the Koh Chang archipelago islands, Koh Yuak, Koh Man Noi, Koh Pli and Koh Man Nok. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kai+Bae+Viewpoint/@12.0205768,102.2919516,15z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x3104105179b452c7:0x2b4a04572dce185b!8m2!3d12.0205768!4d102.2919516!16s%2Fg%2F11b6tz721w?hl=en&entry=ttu Note that there is excellent coffee available at this Kai Bae viewpoint. Before almost reaching Pattaya, my 2 tour guides noticed that we were all sad that our 4 day trip was coming to a quick end, so they said do you want to eat at a fun place that is near Pattaya (about 1 hour away) before we call it a day? I said sure – as I really like to see and experience new places. So, we stopped off at the Tamnanpar Resort & Restaurant – one of these many nearby Pattaya / Rayong restaurants that are tucked away in a jungle theme – various Thai friends have taken me to different ones as each Thai person swears that his/her’s is the best. Tamnanpar resort and restaurant Facebook page This place is famous for their unique game cuisine where you can eat ostrich, crocodile, snake, and deer. All was good and our random waiter was someone that my 2 tour guides already knew and were teasing him about his in-the-bed attributes – he was quite shy but willing to tease back my 2 Thai friends. I truly enjoy when the Thais do this to each other as it is very entertaining. Then they dropped me off at my condo room in Jomtien and our trip concluded. Trip summary: Would I go back to Koh Chang? Most certainly – it is a large island and there is still more to see. Especially to visit many of the many off-shore islands in the archipelago. Maybe stay for one more additional day to take some time to do kayaking. Any regrets? Yes, we did not have time to see the famous abandoned boat “ghost” hotel. Nation Thailand article on the famous "ghost" ship on Koh Chang Contact details (HORNET and Line) for my 2 Thai tour guides from the Dongtan volleyball field in Jomtien. They can be available to be a tour guide, companion, or masseur. permission was granted to me by the both of them to publish their details for all of you Also, come and visit them at volleyball (nightly from about 5:30 pm until 8pm to 9pm daily) – right next to the Sea Rescue in front of the Pattaya Park Tower on the beach road of our Dongtan beach. Phong Hornet ID is: @m-thailand Boat Hornet ID is: @13hq91

Day 2 First full day and kind of quiet. After energetic night and jet lag still lingering I took it easy. D and me had breakfast at Foodland of all places and parted ways. As it happened I did not see him anymore this trip even if visited Tawan quite a few times, Perhaps he went home or it was just bad luck. I had some dental work to do at Thai Smile. Passing by I stepped in just to book an appointment but doctor was expected to be free in few minutes and since I had money on me I just wait and had it done . Then feeling bit sleepy decided to energize myself with massage so went to soi 6 and Nut from Maha spotted me approaching from mile away and grabbed me right away. Sweet , talkative , tiny but very muscular guy and I was happy with our 1.5 hr session. Massage made me hungry so I took motorsai to Charoen Krung soi 49, you guessed rightly to Madrid Tavern for my first pizza this trip. Late afternoon jet lag made me wanting badly to get some sleep so I returned to the room, set my alarm for 21.00 as I was supposed to pick up Y at Moonlight as agreed yesterday and collapsed on the bed. It was good idea with that alarm since I was sleeping soundly. After making myself looking decent – in Thailand I have habit to shave just before I hit bars in the evening and went to Moonlight. Y was there already , I bought him a drink and told him we will go after the show. At 10 pm bar was almost empty bar even if it was half an hour before show. But models and floor boys soldered on regardless. By 11 filled up nicely to about half capacity. Show quite decent. There, s new model, I guess his nick is Sam or similar. Quite handsome . Several new, floor boys, as well. Lack of crowds did not mean disaster as some high spending farang was holding court and was distributing tips by a handful. Y when sitting with me asked by said farang to join for round of drinks. Y asked my permission and he said for 15 minutes only. I agreed and it was a good move costing me nothing. After 15 minutes, and gulping 2 or 3 shoots he was clutching in his fist no less than 900. So it seems that sparse crowd doesn’t mean financial disaster. All depends. On another hand during my time there i.e. 10 to 11.45 my off was only one and I was, sitting in good position to see comings and goings through the door. So at 11.45 we went to Happy Beer Garden to have some meal, no prize for guessing what I had. Y ordered something simple as well which can’t be said about most boys I used to invite there. Since Raya is across the street few minutes after paying the bill we were already in the shower. Y never disappoints and did not even try to this time either. 2nd night and 2nd great one. Will I ever get decent sleep while in Thailand?

There hasn’t been much on the boards about this place in Walking Street since it opened, so I thought contribute a review, after having visited on my trip to Pattaya in January. To briefly explain, it is a male strip show on Walking Street, with western guys as dancers. They seem to be mainly Russians or Brazilians. It’s a bit different than the other offerings in that it’s more like a western style strip-show, based on tease. Despite the title, you won’t see any big tools. It’s basically muscular western guys dancing around a pole and stripping down their trousers. Then they walked down among the crowd and pull down their jeans a bit for you to stick in 100 baht note in their underwear . Even then you didn’t get to see much. Probably wouldn't be the cup of tea for most people on these boards. However, the guys are well-built and good looking, and they really know how to dance on that gogo pole, with some showing really athletic moves on it. I was accompanied by a Thai guy that I had taken off from X Boys bar, and although he was a bit shocked at first, he began to enjoy it. When enter, you go up the stairs to, you have a choice of two rooms, one where there are guys dancing, and another room with women dancing. I had a brief look in the room with a women while I was going to the toilet, the dancers there were western looking also. When we went into the room with the men, we ushered to a seat in the front near the stage. We were given a menu, I looked, and it had alcoholic drinks going from 400 baht up to mad prices for cocktails, champagne, etc. I didnt see any soft drinks on the menu, and when i asked about that, they gave me a second menu with some soft drinks for about 260. So we ordered those and sat down and watched the dancing. They brought the bill for the drinks straight away, and I paid straight away as well. This actually reassured me a bit, as I was a little worried about it being a pure clip joint. After our first drink, although they came around two or three times asking us if we wanted a second, there was no huge pressure to buy, and we turned down the offer and sipped our drinks slowly. There was a constant stream of dancers - there was one on stage at time,and as soon as he was finished, another started. They used to do one dance which was about four or five minutes long. Then they came down and they gyrated in front of the audience, looking for tips in return for a feel of their chest. Most of the audience were western (Russian?) females. But the guys came up to me and my Thai guy as well. When they were with the women, they had put the women’s hands on their chests and chiseled torsos. They were not that pro-active for us, but when I put my hand on the dancer chests, they didn’t object. In return, you were expected to give a tip of 100 baht. They had a sign at the table saying that the minimum tip was 100 baht. The Thai guy I had with me was a bit shy, so when the first guy came round I took the initiative and grabbed his hand his hand and put it on the dancers chest. This made my Thai companion squeal, much to the dancers amusement. Then I gave him 100 baht to give to the dancer. The staff serving the drinks were Thai, but after while a blonde Russian woman came over to us.. She gave us a menu of various add-ons you could pay to do and tried to entice us to buy. These ranged from having a photograph taken with a dancer for 500 baht ( like a fool I actually paid for this with the cutest dancer) to having a private dance for 1000 baht, to getting up in stage yourself (presumably with the dancers) for 800 baht, to renting the whole room for 45 minutes for something like 10,000 baht. I don’t know if they got any takers for these options, the mostly female audience seem to stay for a few dances and disappear. There was no mention of a fee for taking a guy off, I suspect that you would to make your own arrangements for that in a private dance I asked all the guys came to our table where they were from. I think three of them were Russian, one was a Brazilian, and one was Australian (but he said his parents were Russian). If you like Caucasian guys I think you would find them quite good looking. They had a sort of bodies that a member of western stripper troupe would have. Once he got over his initially amazement, the Thai guy I brought seemed to quite enjoy it. When one Russian guy came out with long blond locks, he said "Oh, he looks like an angel!" I know this establishment won’t be everybody’s cup of tea, particularly the Asian guy fans, which naturally enough are predominant on this board. However, considering that the dancers are good looking westerners, you could consider that you could have a similar experience to a western strip club for an hour for the equivalent of 30-40 euros (assuming you spend roughly 1300 baht, broken down into 260 for a soft drink on entry and 1000 bat for 10 dance tips). If you have a Thai guy who has a thing for good looking farangs, it might be a bit of fun for him.

The other question is who has the best team around them.

Both my mother and sister died at early age due to massive CVA’s. I watch my b/p like a hawk.

it was probably just automated move by the clerk without thinking. reminds me visit to bank when clerk asked me ' how are you ?' and I answered ' not good, going to funeral right after that ' to which she responded ' have a nice day"

Judging by your hysteria for three whole posts, with letters 1 meter high, the interview hit the target, and you were burned in some places by what you saw and heard there. To date, only on the Twitter accounts of Tucker and Musk, Putin’s interview in the English version has been watched by 210+ million people, and there are also Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese and many other versions of this interview. And then there is YouTube with tens of millions of views.

Correct. Two people come to mind. David Axelrod, who is the Democrat with the most credibility who has publicly taken on Biden. Which resulted in Biden biting back. And Dean Phillips, who many Democrats call a traitor for recently pointing out on Twitter that ... ahem .... Kohl and Mitterand died ages ago. So the media seems to be playing the wrong game. There's all this speculation about how either Biden or Trump might bow out. It's all stupid horse race shit based on this Hail Mary pass notion that somehow Biden or Trump will NOT do exactly what they plan to do. There are some more thoughtful voices saying that ........... duh ............ unexpected health problems can easily happen to anyone in their 80's. A.B. Stoddard and Bill Kristol in Kristol's conversations series come to mind. So either Biden or Trump could just suddenly die any day now. Biden had a few close calls already as a much younger man. Technically, Trump did too with COVID. His first wife died at 73 from something as simple as falling down stairs. (Maybe that's why Trump walked slow and held the rail in the famous video.) The problem with this scenario is of course we can't game out either's completely unexpected death during the campaign. But if one of them is not alive in November 2024, that actually seems like the most likely scenario to me. Neither one will bow out. That's a media fantasy, I think. Trump may be convicted. But he'll still be running for President. Also correct. But I think the way that will play out is not which one is more dangerous as a candidate. It's which one is more dangerous as a second term President. That is what Americans will decide this Fall. We have been there and done this before. I'm not great at history. Someone smarter than me can list the sitting Presidents who were basically a basket case before their ultimate death. The most obvious example that comes to mind is FDR. Because his health was seriously failing at least as early as 1943. Arguably, he had it easier than Biden because he didn't start his campaign until Sept. 1944. But that was because he had to run World War II in the meantime. So, if America could get through that, we can probably get through Biden being re-elected as well. I don't think he looks any worse than this, which was FDR in 1944. So if you buy these assumptions, dementia is NOT the health problem we should be talking about, necessarily. Yes, you are right. Either may be demented. Even today. But they will still be President. And Biden and Trump are both proof that the aging process normally happens slowly. The five most likely causes of death for White men their age are: 1) heart disease, 2) cancer, 3) stroke, 4 ) COPD, 5) pneu/influenza. Dementia or Alzheimer's is not even on that list, at least as a cause of death. How likely is it either will die in office? Pretty likely, actually. Social Security actuaries say that at 82, on inauguration day, Biden has about 7 more years to live. He has an almost 40 % chance of dying in the next four years. Trump, at 78, would have an average lifespan of a whopping nine years left. He only has a 25 % chance of dying in the next four years. I guess one positive way to look at it is that odds are either would still be alive to complete a second term. Speaking of the dead, my former client and deceased friend Epigonos, who never posted here but was a regular on Bill's site, loved to say this: "We don't elect a President. We elect a gang." To the degree that people think that way in November, it means Biden will win. Biden has always been a team player. Politics is a team sport. And to survive and thrive in it for as long as Biden has, you have to be a pretty good team player. And it shows right now. Yes, maybe Biden is demented. But he has a team around him who covers his ass. Just like FDR and all the other Presidents who had health problems before him did. Trump is not a team player. And everyone knows it. It's why some of his cult loves him. He is NOT part of that whole mess. That helps explain why he was a one term President, I think. And why he will likely remain a one term President. If we have to be stuck with one old man who is demented, would you rather have the guy with the strong team? Or the guy whose team is always an unstable house of cards, even when he is at his best? Again, we have been here and done this before. In 2020 Americans decided to hire Biden and fire Trump. Because they felt Trump was too dangerous. So if the question is 2024 is which old man is more dangerous, odds are that the decision of 2020 won't change.

From The Nation Thai Airways International (THAI) has placed an order for 45 Boeing 787 jets, with the option to potentially boost the size of the deal to around 80 aircraft as it serves rising international travel demand, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing industry sources. The deal, to be formally unveiled later this month, is already reflected in Boeing's published order backlog as a contract for 45 planes with an undisclosed customer, said the sources. Reuters said both Boeing and THAI, Thailand’s national flag carrier, declined to comment on the deal. The sources added that the aircraft would be powered by engines from GE Aerospace, which currently dominates the market for 787 engines in competition with Britain's Rolls-Royce. The deal opens a new chapter for THAI, which is a longstanding customer of Rolls-Royce and it is also a win for GE as the airline currently flies Rolls' engines on its existing 787s, said the sources. Industry sources that THAI's decision to reject the A350 in favour of the 787 was partly influenced by disagreements over engine maintenance pricing with Rolls-Royce. According to https://pilotpassion.com/, Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a large passenger airplane with capacity from 248-336 passengers. It has three models: 787-8: capacity 248 passengers, range 13,530km, price US$248.3 to $260 million 787-9: capacity 296 passengers, range 14,010km, price $292.5 to $305 million 787-10: capacity 336 passengers, range 11,730km, price $338.4 to $350 million If THAI were to purchase 45 aircraft of the cheapest model, it would cost around $10.755 billion or 385 billion baht. However, buying in bulk usually comes with a 40-60% discount from the manufacturers.

It's another thing Trump is unfairly maligned for. There is tremendous diversity in the MAGA base.

and a lot of other drugs are just over the counter for which my family is eternally grateful to Thailand. Few years ago me nephew , epileptic, was running out of his drug which happened nowhere to be available or if available , only by prescription from local doctor. ( Later we learned it was due to manufacturing problems ) . Fortunately one of our members was able to find those in Bangkok and buy without any fuss , just ' how much do you need?' and sent to us literally few days before last pill was taken. to answer original question , yes I once forgot BP pills called Olmetec and surely enough they were available just for asking and baht at Chula.

Sure, I know more than the doctors so I randomly stop taking my meds to "see what happens".

Flew here from Surabaya on Lion Air. Many people in Jakarta told me not to fly them, horrible record. Check-in was efficient, line moved fast, flight left on time, was only 40 minutes and arrived 5 mins late. Since it was Chinese New Year weekend coming up, Bali airport was super busy and my luggage was the last one out....yeah, I was getting nervous. So much better arriving Bali domestically than International. Was waiting for Grab car when an independent driver convinced me to go with him for the same price, Grab was moving really slow in traffic, but as usual, nothing is at it seems. The indie taxi was in a garage and it took us longer to get out of the garage than Grab would've taken..... Staying in Seminyak at the Primera hotel, an old IBIS, small rooms but super convenient to the bars and beach, $25 usd a night with minifridge and a balcony, cheaper rooms run 17 a night. Met a guy on Grindr while in Surabaya that was in Bali, since distance isn't shown in Indonesia, it's common to move into an area far away while scrolling. Hooked up with him 2 nights, wasn't a money boy and had a thick dick with a big head, he was horny as a mf. That's a common theme in Indonesia, even the mb's don't get clients as often as Brasil or Thailand, so they come loaded and ready to shoot. Had a couple of daytime massage in my room from a couple of regulars....went to Mixwell bar all 3 night here. A guy from Jakarta that I was with for 3 nights, bought his own plane ticket to come out here to be with me 3 nights, time with me paid as 1 "meeting", his reference, like a programa in Brasil or ST in BKK, even though he was staying with me. Seemed like a bargain and so far, so good after 1 night. Moving to Conrad Bali tomorrow for the last 2 nights....looking for a more relaxing stay just hanging out by the pool and room with him, no bars other distractions. We did go to Elegantz sauna today, from the online reviews, I was expecting more....was busy, but nothing worthwhile for me. I would've been better using that time for a nap, won't return there. Also went to the Hard Rock Cafe, I know the manager from years ago in Jakarta and he always treats me like a VIP whenever I stop in, The kid from Jakarta is impressed with the benefits from Hilton status and knowing the HRC guy and manager and cashier at Mixwell, boy will he be surprised at Conrad tomorrow, lol Probably won't have anything else noteworthy to add to this trip unless I get married or he robs me....then off to Manila after. I got a message from someone in a group (straights) that I've Cruised with before on Princess, that one of our female friends that was an awesome person passed away last night while on the ship from cardiac arrest....boy did she love cruising. Makes it even more important to realize, we don't know when our last day is.....enjoy it while you're physically able to 🙏

Bar Chiquita in El Poblado (Cra. 37 #8a-88) features a couple of strippers on weekends (Fri-Sat) in the upstairs Red Room (El Rojo) Entrance is an additional 10.000COP, less crowded than downstairs dance floor and terrace, there are two shows: one at midnight and second one at 1am. Two different performers. Performance was interactive with at least two patrons testing their deep throat skills. Shows were about 20 minutes on the small stage.

Two I like to watch are: The Bald and Bankrupt Channel - run by a British guy who likes to travel to unusual places. Before the current Ukraine situation, he was particularly famous for travelling in the former Soviet Union and eastern bloc countries. The video I link to below is a fascinating recent one, where he joined immigrants making their way north from Colombia to the USA trough the notorious Darien Gap, and area of complete lawless jungle between the the North and South American continents. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aswvkdCpZYc&t=32s&ab_channel=baldandban Of more Thai interest is the Bangkok Pat channel. Pat is a Thai/British guy who delved in considerable detail into certain historic old Bangkok neighbourhoods. The video I link to is where he goes around the Soi Ngam Duphli & Soi Sri Bamphen (near Lumpinee BTS station) and talks about the sleazy history of the area in the 1980's and 1990's with another Thai Youtuber, Karl. They discuss, among other things, the old rent boy scene in the Malaysia Hotel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZfaSNzrpf0&ab_channel=BangkokPat

If you are thinking of visiting Mykonos, a rather cute introduction to it is this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-ryB45n8Zk&list=PLbnU9iq6kGBGPVbe5pS5MThq5clRgqaup&index=1&ab_channel=Channel4 It is part of a series called "My First Greek Summer" which was a Channel 4 documentary series (may have been just online ) that followed three rather dumb young British gay lads on the first gay summer abroad. You can follow their adventures that summer in later episodes too. It kinda funny if you have a lot of patience for the young and the dumb if they are cute...

Nah, I wasn't burned. I certainly expect the worst from Murderous Vlad. And I found it amusing to watch two men make fools of themselves. Like, this is real journalism? The world really thinks of MV as this decent guy who has simply run out of kindnesses to bestow on people? It would make for great parody on Saturday Night Live. If criticism of Putin were allowed in Russia. Mostly it feels tragic. Because all this is about millions of Ukrainians and Russians being dead or displaced, thanks to your murderous sadist. I will tell you two things that do burn me. George W. Bush, 20 years ago. His pushing the Iraq War opened a Pandora's box that led to this kind of adventurism. America invading Iraq without real cause, other than lies, laid the groundwork for Putin to do something similar once he thought he had a chance to get away with it. That burns me. Arguably, one could also blame Bush for pushing the idea that Ukraine should join NATO. But Putin has actually made the best case for NATO in my lifetime. Ask Sweden and Finland about that. If anything, Putin makes W. look strategeric for trying to protect Ukrainians from a mass murdering sadist. Second, Republicans today burn me. That military aid should have gone to Ukraine last year. The EU figured it out, fortunately. And now Republicans looks like they are done with the bullshit and ready to put their money where their mouth is. But it is a global embarrassment that America looks unsteady. That said, again because of our tragic adventurism in Iraq, it's not an entirely bad thing that a lot of Americans are rethinking how much the US wants to be a warmonger. I hope Republicans remember this the next time Republicans want to invade some country. Why do you even care about Tucker's ratings? Have you actually convinced yourself somehow this is a sign that Putin is winning, or will win? The whole things smells of desperation to me. For sure with Tucker. He already lost the war when he was fired for cynically pushing Trump's lies and bullshit about a stolen election, which he clearly did not believe. So Tucker is desperate to stay relevant. And I'm sure Putin's PR on this is that some famous American journalist came to Russia to give your murderous sadist the respect he deserves. If this makes Vlad feel important, good for him. He'll win his election, of course. They don't allow real debate in Russia. But you know that already, @Moses. One other mistake Russia is making, perhaps, is that maybe you think you can change us. Is that the idea here? That would be a very American thing to do. For Vlad to decide he will use Tucker to somehow remake us in his image. And share Vlad's Russian values. America tried that on Russia, too. And democracy obviously failed in your case. I think America and most of the world got the memo. We're no longer trying to change you, and form real alliances. It's now back to just containing you. You can have your war economy for as long as you have Vlad, or longer. There are millions of Russian men who will unwillingly and unhappily be turned into fertilizer so Vlad and his klepto friends can be rich, powerful, and murderous. Through his invasion, he is teaching the world what Russian values are. Your country and people are hated. Russia will be hated and shunned for the rest of our lifetimes. China will buy your cheap oil and India will buy your weapons. They aren't stupid. But you will be hated and shunned. The whole thing with Tucker is just a joke. But enjoy it if it makes you somehow feel better.

As much as I despise Trump, and think that he also probably has dementia, it seems pretty obvious at this point that Biden almost certainly does as well. One of the challenging aspects to caring for people with Alzheimer's, in particular, is that they usually don't have any insight into their own cognitive decline. So, unfortunately, since I doubt anyone would dare confront him (not that any confrontation would likely be successful), I doubt Biden will bow out. Yes, alas, it looks as though it'll be two men whose minds are slipping away battling each other. The question is who would be more dangerous. Obviously, best-case scenario, someone is able to convince Biden to let someone else run in his place. I do see that as unlikely, however. Only sure-fire way to know for sure would be to administer each a cognitive assessment test such as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment test. Trump described it as "very hard" (it's not, if you don't have cognitive impairment) 4 years ago, and I can't imagine he'd pass it now. Nor, I don't imagine, would Biden.

Chula is excellent, I agree. My other resource is Pharmacie de la Gare in Phnom Penh. It is, as the name suggests, near the defunct (?) PP railway station & prices for some items may be a bit lower than BKK. I have heard that virtually anything pharmaceutical is available without a prescription in Cambodia.

And here we have 'the base'.

Subregions of Asia according to geographers, anthropologists, and linguists South Asia: the entire subcontinent including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and sometimes Afghanistan (they're all south of Russia and China, bounded to the south by the Indian Ocean and to the north by the Himalayas and adjacent mountain ranges) Southeast Asia: mainland from Burma in the northwest to Malaysia in the south, plus Singapore and islands of Indonesia and the Philippines in the east East Asia: Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Mongolia Pacific Islanders: Polynesia, Micro- and Melanesia, and sometimes the Philippines Central Asia: Uzbekistan and all the other -stans plus Iran, and sometimes central Russia, western China, Mongolia, and Afghanistan West Asia: Turkey and the entire Middle East including Saudi Arabia and the Gulf nations, and sometimes Iran

I suggest recommending to them a bolder item on the add-on menu: groping.

I tried not to laugh at something so serious 🤣 ,we shouldn't be laughing but that was funny Vinapu

Definitely, if she did it to you, she's doing it to others. If it's a hotel chain they're going to be concerned about lawsuits and I think more likely to do something about it. She may also escalate her discrimination as time goes on to the point of calling police. She could do it anonymously and embellish to get police attention. They'd realize it was untrue right away, but having them knocking on somebody's hotel room door late at night would be humiliating.

Feel free to put your favourite YouTubers here or Gay related up to you I guess These ones though are "Thailand" related and I just realised there are many other Countries forum on here so they may not be a interest to others that are not into Thailand ...still I would love to see any YouTubers in other gay countries such as Africa etc if there's any Don't ask me to provide links ,I have no idea how to do it😀 But, I have been watching " Steve Rosse " every Friday, he is not gay but retired to a place several hours near Phuket , Turtle Beach ,in which he spends his days making cardboard ......what else ....turtles !🐢🐢🐢 Another one is "native farang" about a Thai guy 30yo , extremely good-looking 🥰with a UK accent and his English born wife with 2 kids decided to go back to Thailand to start a farm which they got dick of and are now in Bangkok I only watch because of the handsome Thai guy 😘

I was very pleased my last night overlapped with your first and we got chance for a good catch up. You are the sage of Bkk wisdom with the perfect glass always half full approach to life. I look forward to reading rest of your trip report and hope fate brings us back to Thailand at the same time once again

you were already primed when we dined together . Day 2 will arrive soon I noticed mistake in the tittle, should be 'better ' not " batter" , will ask Oz to correct

Thank you for posting the beginnings of your report, looking forward to hearing the rest of it!

Looking forward to this report Vinapu!

both very handsome, specially first one. As for calling them Russian it depends of degree of nationalism. For most of English speakers the will be, since they come from Russia. Kissinger was American even if born and raised in Germany and Madame Curie was French scientist even if Polish born and raised. Not to mention Marshall Rokossovsky, Russian without drop of Russian blood. Other than Trump who would call Obama Kenyan?

I don't think what somebody may call Buryat or Yakut as "Russian" because of visible Asian roots. But many call Belarusian and Ukrainian as "Russian" because non-native Russian speakers can't distinguish these 3 nations. Buryat and Yakut on photos:

additional crematorium built?

station is renovated and working indeed with trains to Sihanoukville and Battambang departing daily

Forgot my full packet of BP meds and arrived with only a few days worth once but got them in the small pharmacy just near Chula (I think AP Medical), no problems at all, just showed them the empty packet with my info on the label and they were happy to sell me some. I do like that one and Chula, if one doesn't have what I need the other most likely will.

I loved it. Although it is not a feel good movie. The critics are all right. It is an emotionally evocative work about the enduring power of love. And the complications of that when you're a Gay man of a certain age. I also loved Red, White, and Royal Blue. And this is pretty much the opposite. RWRB speaks to young queers who want to and now can believe boy meets boy and they live in a fairy tale. All Of Us Strangers isn't about a fairy tale world. It's about the world we Gay men actually grew up in. Lots of discrimination, lots of AIDS, lots of death. Add some ghosts and it makes for one hell of a story. The Queer Kids Are All Right. And Now They’re Making Me Better. I don't know if that link will transfer, since someone posted it as a shared story from a New York Times reporter on a different site. It's a good read. In case the link doesn't work and you can't get it online, the phrase that really worked for me in that story about recent queer cinema is "emotional reparations." As in, a lot of recent LGBTQ film provides a form of emotional reparations for everything that we didn't necessarily get growing up. Like support, and understanding. I think RWRB and Heartstoppers are just sweet fairy tales. I took All Of Us Strangers, appropriately titled, as a form of emotional reparations for those of us who didn't grow up in a sweet Gay fairy tale. Fellow Travelers comes to mind as another recent and excellent example. The director and writer, Andrew Haigh, insists that the movie overall is a story about a Gay man accepting himself and overcoming obstacles to love. One could debate that, given the final plot twist. Haigh says he wanted to make a movie that made people think. But I think you settled the question for us, @unicorn. The fact that you can go see a movie like this WITH YOUR FIANCE (a man, I assume) settles the question. To quote the fairy tale heroes of Red, White, and Royal Blue, "We won." In real life, we got the happy ending. Congratulations! Even if Gay men like Andrew Scott's character in the movie, and Andrew Haigh in real life, paid an emotional price for it.

i consider it great idea and hope it will bear some fruit. If memory serves me well it was raised first by Vietnamese Prime Minister. if revenue is concern nothing stops country from collecting payment at point of entry in exchange for, say , sticker in the passport but without any paperwork required

Skip@luxuryflightclub.com. others when I locate them!

Jack passed away this past year; Ralph is still with us as is Oud.

I like to stay out of political discussion here, but I couldn't resist. I wouldn't give the nuclear codes to this guy, either!

Yes, I have a holiday home in Goa, and have travelled around extensively. There is lots of sex on offer, most for free, as young Indians have a thing for white skin, and having sex with a "European ". Grindr is very active. In the big cities the first 50 will be within around 500metres. Do ensure you use protection, as disease is on the increase in India. Several of the big cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Hyderabad have weekly gay events/clubbing which you will find advertised on Grindr or just ask. Most guys are pretty polite and discreet however, so do bear that in mind. Lots of offers for massage 💆‍♂️ on the apps too.

Sounds like the reports of his death are greatly exaggerated!

Was the sound better?

Perhaps a friendly mod will move it. Anyway, to answer your question, the only Greek touristy island with significant amounts of money boys would be Mykonos, in season (there would also always be a few in Rhodes or Crete as they have a large permanent population anyway). Believe it or not I actually did an analysis of Mykonos boys who advertise on Hunqz a few years ago, which I published on this website, I think. ( I know, I know, I’m very weird). I found that escorts ( the ones that advertised on Hunqz anyway) are very seasonal on Mykonos, ie there were only three or four on the island in April, but they were up to 40 or 50 by August. So I suggest if you want a Greek island with plenty of rent boys, go to Mykonos between June and September.

NOTE -- From time to time a feel good story comes to my attention. Today it's from Vietnam where a school for kids orphaned by Covid appears to be thriving. From VN Express Da Nang school opens new chapter for orphans At a school dedicated to children orphaned by Covid, a distressing chapter of their lives is closed so they can move on to a journey full of hope. At 5:30 a.m. one Sunday, 13-year-old Ba Thong asked his teacher to be excused from class so he and his team could complete their unfinished robot project. With the teacher's approval, the boy went knocking on each of his teammates' doors. Six children with drowsy faces then hurried to the robot lab. "Let's take it all apart and redo it," Thong said, eyes fixed on the nearly completed robot that had yet to reach the test run stage. The whole team agreed. Having taken part in a robotics program the previous afternoon, they were aware of the shortcomings of their product, which they had built over four months of arguing and agreeing with each other. With just over 10 days left until the national robotics championship, everyone wanted the product to be in its best shape. The children’s participation in the tournament is the pride of Hope School - where 230 children orphaned by Covid, from 41 provinces and cities across the country, study and live together. More than two years after the pandemic, the children, under the guidance of their teachers, have overcome pains together, and each has matured in their own way. Hope School was opened by FPT Corporation in Da Nang to receive Covid-19 orphans from across Vietnam, providing care and education for them until they turn 18. Continues at https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/da-nang-school-opens-new-chapter-for-orphans-4705710.html

Unicorn: OK I'm not confused anymore with Dawn/Don Trump. But with the picture of Don shirtless- they didn't have a "vomit" emoticon.