traveller123

To illustrate Vinapu's comment: A couple of days ago I booked Le Siam Hotel, in Bangkok (thanks to a recommendation on here). Initially it was shown as unavailable on Agoda but with rooms free on Booking.com. The next day it was shown as available on both sites with the price on Booking.com being the same as the hotels own website and a slightly lower price on Agoda.

I believe Agoda, Booking.com and Expedia all belong to the same parent company. A stranger one last year, I booked The Maitria Hotel in Bangkok on Booking.com and they made the reservation through CTrip which I understand is Chinese owned.

We have to go up to Bangkok early September to try and get a US Tourist visa for my partner. This hotel looks pretty near the Embassy Thanks for the recommendation

Ask your friend if he has any ideas, he will probably appreciate you asking his advice. Consider hiring Mac at Siam Roads for a day and ask him to plan a day for you away from the normal tourist sights. (my friend, a lady, used him for 2 days back in November and was very complementary about him) I would stay overnight in Kanchanaburi so you are not rushing things - take a trip on the river in your own small boat. If you are tempted by a trip to an Elephant camp do NOT take the cheaper options go to one that does not allow riding. I highly recommend Good Times Resort on the river

Let me know if you want more detail of my living expenses and I will send you a pm with a breakdown I don't feel the need to share on an open forum

Agreed I really enjoy my partner giving me the once over. Hair trim, toe and finger nail cutting, eye brows trimmed and the thing he really doesn't like to see removing any hairs protruding from my ears. He always notices if he sees any Farangs with Thais who he feels haven't been groomed.

Apologies for the late reply, I have been on holiday in England for a month during which I didn't access the website. My medical is included in the 80,000 and I have tried to ensure it includes all the bits and pieces. The figure is for two people. I am the main and only bread winner (my choice), he grows enough rice for our and his sisters annual needs, keeps our home and garden spotless, acts as my translator and most importantly keeps me very happy. If the GBP/THB rate keeps sinking (38.33 today) we could make savings to our life style and the 800,000 on deposit for my visa renewal acts as a safety net with the possibility of moving to the combination method if I need any of it as a medical contribution

A good article. It is worth remembering that while younger guys teaching may just about be able to live on 30,000 baht a month it is nowhere near enough for a comfortable life for us older guys. I am early 70,s and live with my long term partner in Isaan. We own our house and car, so no rent or car hire. My, non too fancy health insurance has just increased to 85,000 baht/year (no out patient cover, I pay the first 40,000 baht of any claim and 25% of the bill after this) I find that I need 80,000 on average a month to fund a comfortable but not extravagent life style with one major holiday and several shorter holidays a year for me and hubby. I prefer hubby not to work as I like him around too much

I believe Thailand has a trading and balance of payments surplus with the rest of the world. My inexpert logic thinks that this should make the baht appreciate against those countries with deficits which includes the counties where most of us send our income from.

Mention of The Royal Cliff brought back memories. My first visit to Thailand was about 15 years when I came with 2 friends on a multi centre package (Flight and hotels in Bangkok/Phuket/Pattaya) The Pattaya Hotel was the Royal Cliff, when I brought a young man back for the night it was no problem, he left his ID at reception and there was a charge of 500 bht (at 70baht = 1GBP) Happy days, I never thought then I would now be living in Thailand with my partner of 10 years (not the same guy)

Do Superrich at the airport change THB to GBP at a decent rate? I am resident in Thailand on a retirement visa and I have to transfer in every month more THB than I need. Next month my better half and I are going to England on holiday and I thought it would be an opportunity to change back some THB for our spending money

Thanks for your reports, it must be very time consuming but they have been appreciated

Londoner has now added more information. The Jomtien Complex bars are almost all staffed by twinks who I have always found very friendly albeit I am with my partner and never looking for sex. There are several massage places in the Complex, when I have had a massage they have always provided a HE, although some masseurs were more enthusiastic than others in this respect. The guy that gave me my best professional kind of massage also told me he was a money boy which I assume meant he would provide full sex, unfortunately when we were in Jomtien in June he had left.

If you enjoy the beach and are planning to stay in Pattaya consider basing your self in Jomtien. It is much more relaxing than Pattaya while being only a short baht bus ride into Pattaya for shopping and Boyz Town. When my partner and I go we stay in the Jomtien Complex at the Agate Hotel. I have always found the hotel quiet while being close to the complex bars and a short walk to Dongtan beach

The Black House near Chiang Rai is also worth a visit

I do not read Thai but it looks like 2700 baht for a two hour oil massage. Presumably there is then a tip to the masseur

Sorry I can't help here, I always pay Transferwise with a bank transfer

I am going back 10 years but I used to send 10,000 baht every 2 months 5000 baht a month was to pay his rent and service fees in a decent condo. He was very appreciative and he must have been happy as he became my UK Civil Partner and after 10 years we are still happily together

From the UK Transferwise charge on sending 1000 GBP to Thailand is 6.96 GBP paying them by bank transfer and 8.95 GBP if you pay by debit or credit card

I use Transferwise to send money from the UK to Thailand but noticed in passing I can't use it to send money from Thailand. I suspect Thailand and Malaysia have strict currency controls.

It is quite a few years since we stayed, I enjoyed it, my Thai partner loved it. It is perfectly located for strolling across to the beach. Now (as it is much cheaper) we stay at The Agate

Spoon I agree with Divine Madman, I'm sure the boys are like us. Sometimes it is really nice just to chat with a nice guy who can speak some English and I'm sure they also enjoy speaking with a guy who is clearly good company.(and lay down a marker for another night)

If possible Hank could you pm me the photos

I think it is worth mentioning that when my friend, a middle aged straight lady visiting from the UK, was in Bangkok in November she hired Mac as a tour guide and was very complementary about the tour he arranged and found him to be a charming (old fashioned word but she used it) and informative companion. She is a very busy lady back in the UK so probably hasn't had time to post a review but it is worth bearing in mind if any forum members have straight friends visiting that the guides (certainly Mac) provide a good service beyond the gay community

Eight years ago when my now partner and I were getting serious we went together to the Red Cross in his Isaan city where we were both tested. There was a draw back in that the written results were only in Thai and the person we saw in the clinic couldn't speak English so my guy had to translate the results - good job I trusted him