Londoner

A huge change since our last visit three months ago. We walked through the bar area at about 2000 (yes, I know that's early) and were amazed at the number of guys eagerly awaiting the attention of punters. And there were certainly more falang visitors than last time....the bingo bar was packed. Dick's and Sandbar, our two Jomtien favourites, have been busy since we arrived last week. This morning we walked the beach through the gay area; many bathers and beach-lovers as well as people merely strolling, like us. In fact, I don't remember seeing this number of people there for ten years at least. We also walked past Boyztown a couple of nights ago, again rather early, and it seemed to be almost deserted. Perhaps the crowds came later.

It didn't help that Biden was embarrassingly timid in dealing with the deranged and psychopathic Netanyahu. The genocide and US support for it may not have been decisive but the world's super-power being treated with such contempt by a country that it has funded, excused and cossetted for decades was not a good look.

Recommended for enlarged prostate sufferers.

Turkeys voting for an early Christmas.

If you're a newbie you should be aware that Thai attitudes to nudity are, on the whole, very different to those in the west or even other Asian countries. Thai guys at saunas take their towels off only for showers and in the privacy of a cubicle, though I recall occasionally meeting some naked guys in the (very) dark rooms at Babylon. (Happy times!) I've seen falangs walk around Babylon naked but very rarely. Somehow, it looks "wrong" because I know it offends Thai cultural beliefs. Don't be misled by the apparent freedom of the Bangkok sex-show. Even the most experienced mb will probably undress in your room with a towel around his waist. Of course, it will be removed for the fun but there is usually a shyness which demands modesty until the right moment arrives.

I strongly recommend EVA's direct LHR-BKK service. I've enjoyed over eighty trips and have never had cause for complaint.

One disaster on a Thailand trip; 2008. My passport, my cash, my cards, my car keys...all stolen. At Heathrow Airport. I didn't even make it to the plane. Not a happy day.....but a mostly happy ending, in that most of my stuff somehow , through a variety of means, apart from about £1500 cash got back to me. And ten days later, I was in Bangkok. By the way, EVA were very helpful. The LHR police weren't.

The inmates are now running the asylum.

Remember Neal from Happy Place in Pattaya Soi 2? Sorry to reminisce- yet again- but he was a famous (to some notorious) regular in Boyztown until his untimely death a few years ago. A wealthy guy, with a successful business in the US, he did exactly what OD wants to do. The result was Happy Place. The old venue ("Crystal Boys"?) was gutted and no expense was spared when fitting it out. Not willing to work too hard he appointed one of his harem- he was invariably accompanied by a group of cute guys - as mamasan/manager..... ....who proceeded to run "private parties" after the bar had closed. A rival alerted Neal at 0300 am who jumped in his car and arrived as the party was in full swing. The mamasan was summarily sacked. Allegedly, he was being paid 30,000 baht per month. Neal had told me that making money wasn't a concern; it was just a hobby. And it failed. The lessons? for a bar to work, the owner needs to put in the hours; but most importantly he must be as rich as Neal. And even then....

We enjoy Balcony in Soi 4; traditional Thai food in large portions (much the same as at the much-missed Dick's), average prices, and good for people watching if you choose to sit outside.

Floridabob's mention of Joe, the papasan whom he met recently and who said he'd been around for twenty years, is one of many guys who made a living in Boyztown for decades. Who recalls "Tiger", a fixture on the periphery of the scene and who is mentioned in MIchael Burchill's history of Boyztown? A go go boy in the late eighties and still around six or so years ago. Sadly, he passed away. And there were a couple of guys whom I offed when I was a butterfly and who were still working in Boyztown only a few years ago. It is amazing how some Thai guys keep their looks. As for Joe, yes, I know him. He was a waiter in P's bar in 2004, always taking a keen interest in our developing relationship.The last time I saw him was a few years ago in a short-lived bar opposite Toyboys. I can't recall its name....Prism? Boyztown has been a world unto itself since the 1980s. There are many stories that began there, some happy such as mine, others sad, particularly during the years when Hiv was more prevalent than it is today. And that's before we start considering the bar-owners themselves- Jim from BBB, Kevin from Throb. Any other Boyztown characters that deserve a mention?

And here I am, sitting in grey London , counting the hours to my arrival in Bangkok (approximately 200 of them, if you want to know) and bemoaning the sheer ordinariness of my life and the absence of handsome guys smiling winsomely at me: one in particular. And much else that I am too shy to mention. A word of advice to O.D. which he is free to take or ignore; we usually don't know how much we enjoy things until they're over.

I'd appreciate a report from Ambiance. Is it busy? And Boyztown itself? Leaving it for Jomtien was an easy decision owing to the sleepless nights caused by late night, or rather early morning noise but we both miss those penthouse rooms. And the staff.... is Dom still there? I was very sad to say goodbye to him.

It may be because it evokes childhood memories of family. And family is everything.

The best book I've ever bought about Thailand is "Very Thai" by Phillip Cornwel-Smith, published by River Books (Thailand) in 2005. It is a survey of popular Thai culture, dealing with many issues which are uniquely Thai, and is full of beautiful photographs. The chapter on the Sniff Kiss ("hom kaem") is particularly interesting. Recommended. It's available from Amazon and I expect eleshere (I bought my copy in Dom Muang ) and has been updated. A great Christmas present for anyone who loves Thailand as we do.