paborn

What time frame does the hotel consider short time?

I retired 7 years ago and spent a lot of time thinking about where to rest my ancient bones. I considered Mexico, somewhere on the slopes of the central plateau locked in eternal spring. Some of the violence in Mexico, however, gave me pause. I considered Puerto Rico but the damage done by Hurricane Andrew warned me off ( I dodged a bullet considering Hurricane Marie last year ) that ruled out my favorite island of Santo Domingo. My eye turned to Texas with a vibrant and large gay life. Austin is so well integrated there is no gay ghetto everyone lives amongst each other. Forget what you hear; it is not so much that Texas is red, no, Texas does not go to the polls. It is 49th in voting in the US. I did, indeed think of Thailand. A place I visited 28 times over the years. So what happened? I retired with significant savings but have to conserve as who knows how long we will live these days. I did not want to work at all, but needed something to do. So the dilemma: 1. Mexico out danger is up and down. Last time I was there on business my company refused to allow us to usee ordinary taxis as they are too dangerous ( mugged by my cab driver?? ) and employed our own car service for protection. Now, this was our Mexican branch and Mexicans deciding this! Not scarred Americans. So, no Mexico. 2. The Caribbean. Hurricanes and everything you buy must be imported. Yes, you can live cheaply if you are willing to live as a native. So, no. 3. Texas. It had a lot going for it. 4. Thailand. Thailand will not sell the sacred soil to a non-Thai. Setting up a corporation and issuing shares to own my own home was unsettling. Hard to feel truly welcome. I'm not a linguist. My Spanish is fair and my German rough and ready. But I'm, apparently, tone deaf and the tonalities of Thai escape me. Can I live in my declining years depending on translations? Also, it is very hard to budget. Business is easy. You plan your budget for needs and screw your wants. Life is harder. Could I really be in a place and limit myself to a boy or two a month? Why the hell live there? Could I just go once a year and be happy? Maybe. 5. My choice fell to South Florida. Big gay life in Fort Lauderdale. The Housing crisis got me a home in Florida at a very reasonable rate, I could put 100K into renovations and have what I wanted. Selling my former New York home ( yeah I fled the cold north with the bitter memory of a beloved uncle who died shoveling snow ) helped finance this. All in all my choice has turned out well for me. On retirement I had a hobby I indulged in for 5 years, slowing down a bit so I leveled off. But, I read a lot, love to cook and bake bread ( god the fight with my waist ) and have a beloved pet. The pet makes my trips only two weeks in length. But being so near the Caribbean gives me 3 to 4 trips to Santo Domingo every year. So, all in all, it turns out well. If you're still working think hard about saving, budget realistically. Just one example, I'm reasonably well off but fly coach. Yes, all the way - it doesn't kill me. A former boss died of deep vein thrombosis in the corporate jet - coach won't kill you. But, neglecting constriction socks and getting up to move your ass will. I search for decent hotels ( preferably gay to support our community ) I indulge in restaurants but try to be sensible. Try the place you want to retire BEFORE making the plunge. I think the most important thing is to not think with your penis. Plan, budget and imagine your lifestyle before deciding. In other words, "think long and hard" was, as always, the best advice.

Thanks, Vinapu. I had no idea.

"market forces at work - Africans like hunks are rarity and therefore command higher price. " "I will however push it up to 1500 short time for the sexy African guys when there are some in town." I'm a little confused. Are you guys saying that there are African money boys in Pattaya? I have never seen one.

10Baht is.31 US cents. They kind of thing I toss on my dresser in a bowl that overflows. I can't waste vacation time counting that. It may be a disservice to others but to do otherwise would be a disservice to me.

Agreed, when working and staying at high-end places I could walk anyone past reception. At those rates, they dare not offend guests. They turn a blind eye - generally. You might still find the over-zealous ass who interferes beyond his pay grade.

I'm sorry. But, I don't buy this. They make certain there are coins in the folder so that you'll, at least, leave them. They have no problem keeping them no matter how much they might feign disdain.

Very nice report indeed. I love your shyness at reporting the acts - charming. Also, thank you this was so very much easier for me to read.

Yes, and I was surprised that you were doubting a447a ( one of my favorites here - along with you ) and I'm very glad you clarified.

So some of our neighbors on the plane in economy may be actually sitting on pile of cash while others at front may be people of modest meant who decided to treat themselves once of every 12 years. Or, as in my case when working, one gets promoted to a point where I had to assume budget responsibility for my cast center. With bonuses pinned to financial performance - well, coach here I come.

Hi, I don't understand. What prevents your posting? The report is terrific -

I suppose it also should be possible to discuss fancy hotels here without the likes of me questioning whether such expense is necessary or justified. I wholeheartedly agree with you except for this. In support of the first part of your argument, I love it when someone with experience in an arera steps in to say, " great, but there are some very nice hotels at 1/2 the cost..." Many of us rely on such information.

Odd. I get the "power boys" allusion. But, I'd never connected "nice boys" with limp wrists and squeals. By reputation, perhaps, but in the name?

I'd seriously have to look at hotels in the area. I recall a partner of a firm I was doing an expense audit for who when asked why he was in the Ritz in St Louis, Missouri when It was above our city cap responded, " do you know what it would cost in New York". I told him not to do it again. It was company money. When I say that a hotel is NYC rate that is not, necessarily, a bad thing. You have to examine what extras are added above baseline for that coast. When I say "staff" I mean the hotel might have a staff ratio of 3 to 1 guest rather than 1 to 20 guests. You decide what is important. If you want to pay for extra luxury, out of your own pocket, that is solely your business and people make decisions based on their own perceived needs. If you break down what a hotel provides: bed, privacy ( I've seen hostels mentioned here) clean baths with hot water, etc. Then you have a baseline. Hotels can add to that with various luxuries. Your example of perfect eggs benedict is a good example. It is a hard dish to make perfectly. To serve at a high standard it means a goods kitchen - not jarred sauce poured over rubber eggs. Many years ago a, now nationally distributed brand of chicken sausage with apples, was local to San Francisco only and a sought-after specialty item even there. One hotel secured it for their breakfast. I decided that staying at a perfectly good hotel across the street and going to the other for breakfast met my needs. Such choices make travel fascinating. The hotel mentioned might well, I trust Vinapu, be above baseline for PP but at $65 it's a luxury that is certainly affordable. The bed, for instance, can only be seen as a huge factor. It's sort of like the "models" in Moonlight and Jupiter. At their most expensive they are affordable as a one-off by someone who made it all the way to Thailand. Maybe not every night, but come on now, most of us could indulge. But they all have a baseline: cock, slim, muscles, whatever. They offer, for their extra cost, the extra luxury of their physical perfection. I always look and ask what they will do. It's like a gorgeous and huge hotel bathroom with no hot water if they don't deliver my wants. The hotel bath might be the best example. When establishing the baseline we balance needs and wants. For the base I insist that needs ( good bed, hot water, etc ) be meet at a high standard, Then, we look at wants. In business, we don't factor wants only needs. So, when I toss out " that's NYC prices" that is baseline and a caution to examine what you get for the extra. If it meets your wants and those wants are not met elsewhere in that town then you've, actually. got a good price.

Yes! There is no need to be grammatically correct regarding paragraph formation. Just some spaces, please.

Oh, for God sake, I should have seen that.

Your point?

" am not sure when you last stayed at IHG in NY or London, but a quick visit to the chain's web site shows typical starting rates for standard rooms of:" My comment was regarding the 10,000B per night. I was not remarking on any rate in any chain, merely that to the justification of these rates in the developing world it is based on the sort of luxury that a very large, low paid labor force can provide. My experience is based on 25 years as a T&E - procurement consultant for major international corporations. For a decade I held a bid meeting in New York and one in Europe every year to secure client corporate rates. We compare/cap our negotiations by city, not by the chain. 10k B a night is, indeed, a reasonable cap for a major western city. There are higher rates in that city. But beside the point. I was not commenting on the level of service merely that the rates are commensurate with high service levels rather than the cost of doing business locally. On reflection and with my experience the comment stands. I do get the feeling that I have, somehow, offended you for that I'm sorry. However, I really don't see how.

Please don't be offended. But, when you continue it would help to include a few paragraph spaces to help the old guys here.

"No I admit I hate change, "In a number of your posts you seem to be responding - but, to whom?

That's a New York or London rate. It makes no sense in Hua Hin by the cost of doing business they can justify it only by drowning you in service because the cost of labor is so low.

Thanks so much. I find myself always defending Toy Boys regarding the boys outside. Could there be a boy who reserves himself for women? Sure, I guess. He is not a slave. I have never had a problem. As to paying the off and reserving a guy; well I do it all the time. Sometimes I pay for the next night and have him come early so we can go to dinner. Christian, I may have pissed you off about this. Sorry! Really, I do it all the time - if I pay in advance it is "first come first served".

I always ask where they're from - not selecting based on nationality. Just nosy.

see, I knew he got it from me!

Gaybutton, huh? I've been saying a variant for years. Not just Thailand - everywhere. Mine is "never buy what you can easily rent."