PeterRS

I find the increasing reports of air rage, mostly it seems on USA internal flights, very disturbing. From what I read most involve those who are against the mask mandate. Well, my view is bugger them. They should be both fined and jailed. I realise cockpits are now secure and you cannot open a plane's doors at 10,000 meters, but the thought of fights breaking out on an aircraft I might also be on appals me, as I know it does the Flight Attendants Union. If by some chance a couple of passengers forced a flight attendant to give them the security code for the cockpit, who knows what might happen. To my way of thinking, this is a result of not making covid prevention measures a Federal mandate and instead leaving it to individual states and thus subject to political whims. Do the good people of the USA not realise that the numbers who have died from covid19 already number at least 50% more than all Americans who died in World Wars 1 and 2, the Korean War and the various wars in Indochina? In those wars, Federal mandates were in force. With covid19 it's people who stupidly call themselves politicians with ridiculous agendas who call the shots - or rather to avoid the shots!!

What idiocy! If they want to make a change, why not use the city's true official name - Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit!! That will force all map and atlas makers to reprint! Most major cities and most capital cities around the world are known by a relatively simple one or two word title. Paris, Rome, Madrid, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Tokyo, Osaka, Taipei, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Kathmandu, Buenos Aires, Ankara etc. Why complicate matters by making a capital city's name longer than Bangkok or Krung Thep? You can just hear it! "Where are you going for your vacation?" "Oh, we're off to Krung Thep Maha Nakhon to check out the gay scene. And then we're going to Nay Pyi Taw to check out the massage parlours!" I'll bet the Tourist Authority will have something to say about this. As a result largely of colonial rule, many cities names were changed. Understandably those now independent countries are anxious to return to the names they used to have. Hence Mumbai, Chennai and Yangon for example. But Thailand was never colonised!

Your points are all taken. I do think we need a firmer guideline. For example, when there is a substantial chunk of an article included (and i mean something like 15-20 lines along with the link to read the rest of the article, where does that fit into the guidelines? It's not a quote. It's much too long for a quote. Yet it is not a full article (although there have been occasions when around 75% of an article has been quoted). I just think we'll all feel more comfortable with more precise guidelines as none of us wish to see the site fall foul of copyright regulations.

What a wonderful report! Thank you for that and for all your truly wonderful photos.

Obviously a silly western magazine with a writer/publisher who has absolutely zero interest in Asia. In another article it also lists its 10 best Male Figure Skaters. Clearly Asians and those of Asian descent mean little to this magazine since the only one it mentions is Nathan Chen. He may be American but both his parents were born in China. Also four of the top five winners in the Men's Competition were purely Asian.

The shit spouted by the Thai authorities is thrown in our faces yet again! An Interpol red notice is issued for two farang whose whereabouts are "unclear" i.e. no one knows where they are. Yet, these same authorities allege that they cannot issue a similar Interpol notice for the Red Bull heir murderer because they do not have an address for him! Do they seriously believe all their fellow Thais are all idiots? Even so, at one time these authorities did in fact claim the murderer was indeed on an Interpol notice. At that time I looked through all 7,000+ individuals on that list. Guess what? The Red Bull heir was not on it. A total disgrace!

You mean he is wrong in that description? In general I expect that is pretty accurate!

I do not fully agree with @Boy69's comment. There is always a debate on chat forums about money boys when it comes to Thailand. Although now happily settled down in Bangkok, I have lived here for 20 years and can say with complete conviction that in Bangkok you will find a lot of guys who are perfectly happy to spend time and have sex with a young foreigner without any thought of payment. Of course, some will be money boys but they are quite easy to weed out. In Pattaya on the other hand - and in many other cities - pay for play tends to be more the rule from what I hear.

Cha seems to be about the tallest at 5'10". Hanyu is 5'8". Being so slim (but with a beautiful ass!!) he seems to me have the perfect shape for a figure skater. Nathan Chen and Shoma Uno always seem a bit dumpy to me. Sorry, I know that's unfair as they are fantastic skaters. I'm looking at them from purely a gay perspective I suppose!

I quite agree. Barry Kenyon has lived in Thailand for many years, has been involved with the British Embassy for 25 years and for much of that time was Britain's Honorary Consul in Pattaya. To suggest he does not know what the trends are in Pattaya is a bit ridiculous, in my view. Whether he is correct in his assumptions only time will tell. What he realises is that Thailand is changing - and has been changing quite rapidly over the last decade and more. Inflation is now biting harder than before. The Immigration Department's ridiculous visa requirements re the 800,000/400,000 baht minimum untouchable in accounts remains nuts and has already seen retirees depart! Not everyone has pensions that would cover the 65,000 per month route. But then how long with that rate remain? It has been stable for many years. What's the betting that it will increase before long? In Pattaya, there was a spell of a few years when Russians flooded to the city. Where are they now? Did many buy apartments for retirement? Are many retired there? Then there were the Chinese hordes. They are now stuck in China and no one has any idea when their travel restrictions will be eased. Willl Pattaya still be on their travel list? Or will the trend for travel to other destinations continue? I often wonder why there are not far more Japanese gay guys visiting Pattaya. Same with the south-east Asian gay market? Of course, some do visit. But I suspect few if any will consider Pattaya as a retirement option. And retirement is surely the key issue that Kenyon is discussing. As for the western expats, surely time is running out? In the immediate future, air fares may remain attractive to stimulate demand. But in the longer term, they have to go up as airlines attempt to recover the massive losses of the last two years. Same with many hotels.

I suspect that's true for almost anyone visiting Thailand for the first time for almost any kind of work. I agree that at your age you will have absolutely no problem finding sex with other young Thai guys without paying. Although if you are basing yourself in Bangkok, please remember it is a very spread out city and many guys you might consider meeting may have to travel a long way to get to your hotel/condo. So an offer at least to pay for public transport will in many cases be very welcome. That shouldn't cost you more than about 200 baht - less than US$7. Equally if you have had an especially good time with a guy, an offer to take him for a simple Thai dinner will be welcomed. Most guys you are likely to meet will not be paid very much. Also, some will probably be university students. While I agree with @Londoner that the sauna scene has long assed its heyday, given your age there are still lots of saunas which primarily attract young Thais. These tend to be located nearer the outskirts of the city. Older farang (westerners) tend not to venture so far out but you could well find yourself quite popular. Given your height, I suspect quite a few of guys will be keen to touch you to find out if you are as big down there! LOL In any case, if you go to a sauna, you have to expect you all be cruised and probably touched. You just have to get used to it. A gentle smile, shake of the head and brushing off the offending fingers is to difficult to learn. The only point to remember is that it seems from what I have been told that the use of condoms is not so common in those saunas. So take care. HIV rates among younger Thais is still far too high in Bangkok. One of my best friends found his longtime partner (they've been together for 24 years) at the very popular disco DJ Station at the top of Suriwong close to Rama 4. I have not been for nearly a decade but again i am told it is usually packed with young guys. Many will be from neighbouring Asian countries like Singapore and Taiwan, but there will be plenty of good-looking Thais. Just for generally looking around and getting a 'feel' for Bangkok gay evenings, you would do worse than go for drinks at one of the main bars/eateries in Silom Soi 4.

I don't claim any more knowledge than any other. But having experienced Thailand over many years I'd find it hard to think that prostitution has much to do with Thais present attitude to sex. As @Londoner rightly points out, prostitution has been pervasive in the country for centuries. It's almost a part of life. Or at least it used to be. What concerns me much more now are the instances of incest that seem to have increased - or is that just because they are given more publicity? Over the years I met quite a number of young guys who had been raped by family members. I believe the same is true for girls. Is it because of the veneration for the older generation that these are kept quite - or even not mentioned by those who have been subject to rape? As for the second point, I agree it is not just related to sex. There is something in the Thai psyche that creates an unswerving loyalty to the views of elders. And it is a good deal stronger than in other Asian cultures where there is a similar veneration for one's elders. Whatever the reason, I fear it will take more than a generation to result in much change.

The conservatism of Thai society in general is very well known. What is relatively new is how Thailand is falling behind several other Asian societies. It was often assumed there was no more culturally conservative nation than Japan. Yet in recent years several wards and cities have introduced same-sex partnerships, including Tokyo's Shibuya district. These are not legal partnerships but they are extraordinary given the fixed views of the older generation of Japanese. Last December Tokyo announced that the entire city will recognise same-sex partnerships starting April. Given that something close to one third of the population live in Tokyo, this is a huge step forward. The same was true in Taiwan. It was only 34 years ago that the island was under martial law - little more than one generation. Homosexuality was not recognised, was frowned upon and about the only place to meet up with fellow gays was Taipei's New Park a little behind the old Hilton Hotel (as portrayed in the novel and subsequent movie Crystal Boys). The developments that led to the rapid development of a thriving gay scene and the introduction of same-sex marriage are surely a formula for other equally conservative Asian countries including Thailand (although the notorious anti-sodomy laws will make this more difficult in former British colonies ike Singapore and Malaysia). As in Thailand, in Japan and Taiwan it was the older generation who wanted to stick to traditional family values. But here there is the added complication that it is also the elite power brokers. Polls in Japan and Taiwan regularly showed it was the younger generation that increasingly believed the old cultural norms should change. I'm sure private polls in Thailand will show the same. But tradition here is too strong. Few in the younger generation dare to oppose their elders. Accordingly sex remains for most a taboo subject and, not incidentally, the number of unplanned teen pregnancies here continues to rise.

We visited about six months ago. I was a bit surprised that being over 60 I got in at a substantial reduction but I had to pay full price for my Thai partner! But he loved the experience. Best to shop around as I see there are substantial discounts available on various websites. But one website is offering special prices for Valentine's Day!!! Maybe that gets you just a few postcards of the view!

No apologies needed - but thanks. Re the new rules, I have always been under the impression that quotes from media outlets are permitted provided the source is accurately included. That's what I have always done and hope it's not breaking rules. After all, providing a link to a media source is in my book identical to quoting that media source in this forum. Perhaps Oz could restate the rules to remind us.

So unsurprisingly Nathan Chen ran away with the Gold Medal - and deservedly so. Hanyu Yuzuru did well to rise from 9th after the short programme to 4th overall. The fall on his first quad jump probably killed his chances of the bronze. My dark horse, the Korean, also fell and came in 5th. But surely it was the silver medal winner 18-year old Japanese Yuma Kagiyama who surprised everyone with a free skating exhibition as good as his short programme two days ago. He will be one to beat in the coming years. I still cannot understand why Brian Orser was not with Hanyu. I can only assume that Hanyu had decided to dispense with his coaching and go it alone. Now 27, he will almost certainly be too old for the next Winter Olympics. But then he doesn't need them. He's already an icon and a legend of the sport.

With all respect to all posters, may I suggest that we all accept that many news outlets are now paid sites and behind firewalls. Therefore, as in the case of the one posted by @RockHardNYC, it is not possible for many to read what is posted. Notwithstanding, if I interpret the headline correctly, I am completely in agreement. Interesting point. I find it interesting that if we really go back in time to the age of the Persian Empire, the greatest the world had ever seen, it was the Persian King Cyrus the Great who liberated the Jews from captivity in Babylon and enabled them to return to what is now known as israel. Cyrus is venerated in the Bible for his actions. I wonder what it was that set the Persians/Iranians against the Jews of Israel.

I am adding this here although it's partly a response to posts made yesterday in this forum - An error at the start of his short programme ensured that Yuzuru Hanyu did not come top of the short programme qualifiers. It seemed to me from the moment he stepped on to the ice, there was something wrong. His usual bubbly smile was gone and he appeared much more serious. Perhaps this is partly the result of his having to miss most of last year through a series of injuries including a major one to his ankle. Yet at the Pyeongchang Olympics he again returned just after an ankle injury had kept him out of competition for several months. There he went on to beat the world record for the short programme. It was also very odd to see him sitting on his own as his result was announced. Every other skater had at least his coach alongside him. The gay former skater Brian Orser has been Hanyu's coach virtually since Sochi. He was nowhere to be seen, although he did sit with another of his pupils. Sitting on his own, it was almost as though Hanyu knew the time had come to pass the baton to another to become best in the world. He came in 8th overall. Top of the qualifiers was not surprisingly Nathan Chen of the USA. Hanyu's fellow Japanese, the diminutive Shoma Uno, led the field for a while until he was overtaken by an unbelievable skate from an 18-year old compatriot, Yuma Kagiyama. But he was immediately followed by Nathan Chen whose programme beat Hanyu's World Record set two years ago. So Chen came top followed by Kagiyama in 2nd and Uno in 3rd. It will be hard for any to beat these three when it comes to the free programme, unless all make major errors. It's a little sad for those of us who have marvelled at Yuzuru Hanyu's astounding skating over the last 8 years. He remains a living legend in Japan and elsewhere. But the men's figure skating crown now belongs to others. I will still be looking out for the Korean sensation Cha Junwhan who came 4th. If he's on form I can see him getting a medal.

Until last Saturday, anyone wanting to visit Hong Kong including Hong Kong residents had to go into a 3 week quarantine programme to which was added a 1 week period of "observation". Unsurprisingly, visitor numbers and even those with family members in Hong Kong have stayed away in droves. Last Saturday the 3-week quarantine was reduced to 2, but I know several people who have been desperate to return to their businesses for many months but refuse to do so until the quarantine period is relaxed. The irony is that despite such strict quarantine, numbers of new cases reached their highest levels yesterday since the pandemic began. Some mild, asymptomatic or vaccinated people are being sent to the quarantine recovery centre at Penny's Bay. In effect, this is little more than an up-market concentration camp. Because of this, many people, especially young people, are resisting getting tested. As one young resident stated, the government "single-mindedly obsesses with getting back to zero Covid" in order to please Beijing. Prof. Ben Cowling, an epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong, believes the number of reported cases is considerably lower than the actual number. What a mess! https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/07/hong-kong-reports-highest-number-of-covid-cases-since-pandemic-began

I'd love to know who they polled. For almost the entire year, there were very few visitors to Bangkok! I note that the Costco magazine (a link would have been helpful!) quotes Travelmedium.com. I was at least able to check that site and can find nowhere a mention of Bangkok being the most popular tourist destination. It has 210 articles but a large number seem based on Scotland! For example, - Are there Bears in Scotland? - Why are the no Trees in Scotland? (WHAT???) - What is England Famous for? Others include - - The 12 most beautiful Bridges in Paris - What is a Domestic Flight? Seems like one of these travel sites put together by one person in an attic hoping to get noticed! I also noted that in terms of visitor numbers, the site quotes figures pre-covid.

I'm sorry @floridarob but what the Hitler's Nazis believed was at the absolute core of their being and should never be forgotten. Not to understand that is, in my view, not to understand the holocaust and the deliberate murder of 6 million Jews.

A good enough reason for banning Russian tourists until they get an effective vaccine programme with an effective vaccine!

Could not agree more. To the Nazis the Jews were a race, a race to be exterminated. Dictionary definitions in the 21st century are meaningless.

Babylon is dead and the land has been sold. The owner has moved to Chiang Mai

I think this is a key issue that few seem to discuss. Literacy rates in the USA are presently estimated at 79%. Compare that with the literacy rate in the country the USA and its allies did its best to bomb into virtual oblivion. Vietnam's literacy rate for over 15s in 2018 was 95%. In that same year the rate in China was 96.8% with youth literacy rate (15-24 yo) at 99.7%. https://knoema.com/atlas/China/topics/Education/Literacy/Adult-literacy-rate