Alexx

Aren't you then part of the problem, brall3? If something like that happened to me, I'd either quit making reservations or quit going to that place at all. From your "without exception" and "each time" references, I take it that you've accepted their behavior many times, so you're directly contributing to them getting away with it. Like with your chicken dinner example, simply don't let them have their way. The more customers will do that, the more likely change will come about.

On the bright side, there haven't been complaints about long immigration queues at BKK recently.

And then there are those who prefer not to have anal sex at all. Plenty of things to consider when designing a poll!

I think it's great that Michael's BF has shown an interest in seeing the famous pyramids, and I'd say: Go for it! I don't think it's irresponsibly risky to go there at this time.

Personally, I'm much more concerned with the way the "police investigation" has been conducted thus far. I'm not surprised, mind you, but it does sadden me nonetheless. If I were the foreign press, I'd focus on that instead of wasting precious headlines debating the PM's remarks.

Don't worry, there's not much more left to fragment. Once Wales and Northern Ireland are gone, too, we might as well just call "it" England.

I'm not a fan of referendums myself and I tend to question the wisdom of asking the populace at large to vote on specific and often very complex issues, but I believe that wherever they happen to exist, the only way to go is to respect the wish of the (simple) majority of those of the electorate who choose to vote, under the one condition that a certain percentage of the electorate participates (this percentage can and should be set quite high, in my opinion). Since there's no layer of representation that allows for 'vote pooling' or 'backroom deals', there's no justification whatsoever for a higher threshold or super majority requirement. As for Scotland, I'm all for them breaking away from the UK, because this will raise some very interesting questions and it will be exciting to watch (from a safe distance, LOL) how they will deal with them. Yes!

Interesting thread for me, because retiring at age 50 is exactly my plan as of now. I've been planning that since quite a while and I don't see any reason why it won't be feasible. After all, I don't have kids that I need to put through college, or an ex-wife to pay alimony to. These are the major "obstacles" for our straight brethren who also would love to retire early but cannot, I think. As for the pension, I could make do with a rather modest amount (let's say 100,000 baht per month in today's money), if certain other important conditions are met as planned: (1) I will keep properties (real estate) in the West both for extra rental income and to have the option to return anytime I want or need to, (2) I will have secured comprehensive health insurance of some kind that isn't totally unaffordable at high age (actually I think the plan I'm enrolled in will have me covered, but it's worth to keep looking), (3) I will have some extra cash in the bank for unforeseen or large expenses along the way. I'd assume that I will spend more than now, because I'll have more time on my hands, but I'm not an excessive spender and that won't change.

OP, if you have a GayRomeo profile or something like that, it would probably be best to mention your profile name and ask that people who might be interested contact you there. This forum isn't really a dating site, so I'm not surprised that some of the replies you've received have already been negative. Good luck.

Right, and all these bank computers worldwide just reprogram themselves magically or, that failing, receive updates free of charge and in no time. 'Cause that's how it works. Don't kid yourself, this is at the very least a major PITA for foreign banks and it will make it more difficult and/or expensive for Americans to get and maintain bank accounts abroad. Most banks will probably comply, but saying they do so "voluntarily" is beyond cynical. Others will simply get rid of American customers if their business doesn't justify the cost of compliance. Some examples from around the world, reported just yesterday: http://online.wsj.com/articles/expats-left-frustrated-as-banks-cut-services-abroad-1410465182

I'm not sure what exactly you mean, but most foreigners I know who live in Thailand full-time do not live like a local. Sure, some do, but from what I've seen so far, they are few and far between.

I'll bite. I'm 38 and I feel like I'm 30. Explanation: That was my age when I moved to Bangkok, and I can honestly say that I don't feel a single day older since back then. Maybe I've found the Fountain of Youth right here?

Or to one of the few remaining sex cinemas. Other than that, try GayRomeo. I always seem to have the bad fortune to attract ancient Thais there. I'm not interested in them, but chances are they'll contact you (the OP), too. Good luck.

I'm 38

You can set up SMS notifications for incoming wire transfers (these include ACH transfers via Bangkok Bank NYC); the SMS messages you'll receive will show both the USD and the THB amount. If you cannot get that set up before the verification deposits arrive, you can call Bangkok Bank's call center instead to get them to tell you the USD amounts.

Congratulations, shamahan, enjoy your retirement in Thailand! Minimum age = 50 Minimum money = 800,000 baht in the bank, or 65,000 baht monthly income, or a combination of money in the bank and monthly income

I think nobody in their right mind would defend Pol Pot's rule. Hun Sen, on the other hand, is a different kettle of fish. In his case, you could indeed argue that him bringing stability to Cambodia is an important aspect to his autocratic rule that cannot be ignored. Having a truly democratic central government in Cambodia could very well mean that local fiefdoms would thrive, once again, which means that there would be no rule of law either, because the central government would be too weak to enforce the law throughout the country. If that useless French guy ever got elected, I'd actually start praying for a military coup in Cambodia.

I also wouldn't single out Thais in that regard. As for the current developments in Thailand, I think it's impossible to eradicate prostitution altogether, but I could imagine that it will be much less in your face in the future. So as far as explicit shows are concerned, things don't look that promising. Therefor, my guess would be that massage places and freelancers found online will steer even more business away from the bars in the future.

Unfortunately, by the time I read the first of his columns, they were very tame or family-friendly already. So I never understood what all the fuss is about, until I read more about his "history".

Sure, there are also areas at Babylon that aren't darkrooms, so you can actually see who you are dealing with. For example the pool and bar areas and the cruisy locker rooms. The same applies to other saunas in Bangkok, I'd even say many of Babylon's dark areas are less dark than those in other saunas. williewillie has made a good point, I think. Just yesterday I met three hot twinks in a dark whirlpool (not at Babylon, but doesn't matter). When I later saw them again at the well-lit bar, that impression changed from 'three hot twinks' to 'one hot twink and two average ones' (bad skin, faces not as cute as I had dreamed up in the dark). Luckily, what they thought about me when we rejoined at the bar will forever remain their secret.

CFS website: http://web.cruisingforsex.com/bb/thailand/

Still, I think Christian has got a point. Thais should find their own way of introducing a form of democracy that suits them, if that's what they want to have. Western interference, in general, only makes things worse (if it has any measurable effect at all, that is). The Western model of democracy arguably doesn't even work well in most Western countries. Simply transplanting it to a country like Thailand and expecting it to work just fine is at the very least a tad naive. There aren't that many long-term success stories with such an attempt worldwide, but many examples where it went wrong horribly. It's pretty ridiculous to put Thai military rule on a level with dictatorships of the likes of Hitler, Stalin or the North Korean Kim family. The vast majority of Thai people - gay or otherwise - can and do just continue to live their lives they had lived before the military takeover.

Yep, that qualifies as rainy!!

So, to get this thread back on track, let's post the newest: The 29th PM of Thailand has been confirmed by Royal Command this morning, making his appointment official. Which means we'll probably see the full cabinet lineup soon. http://bangkokpost.com/news/politics/428523/prayuth-receives-royal-command-at-army-hq

Ed, to say it bluntly, I think most "daddies" who come to Pattaya to look for a "son" are looking for someone who's in his early 20s or something like that. Those who might be interested in you, on the other hand, wouldn't know that you're interested in them, because a reasonable generalization is that all these visitors are looking for young local talent. Maybe try sites like GayRomeo and some of the apps and write what you're looking for in your profile.