Londoner

No reason in my experience.....which consists of about seventy-five trips between 1997 and this year. Only once did a driver try to suggest that 800 bht for a trip to Surawong was appropriate and he was quickly and cheerfully disabused. A year or so back, there were long queues for taxis at BKK-most unwelcome after a long flight. But my last four trips have been fine in this respect. I pay 500 bht plus express-way charges and a 100bht tip. The thought of dragging my luggage to the train or bus (and then another journey if by train) appals me. And that's not just due to age. .

I am making a plea to be more selective in our language when describing relationships. I had a great time for nine years as a butterfly- in fact, there are some activities that I miss, such as bar-hopping. However, then and now are entirely different , not just for me but for my partner, who sees things from what could be called "the other side."

Best of luck....plenty of long term escorts around. If the money is right. Boyfriends are a different matter and require commitments from both parties.

We're early risers and my delight - not P's since he needs an hour to shower- is a walk along Jomtien beach. Those who get -up later would be amazed by the number of people who do the same....some joggers, many walkers. This is at 0700 when it is cool and the roads are quiet. I have a canine friend who greets me daily near the gay-beach and with whom I'm always happy to converse. Good preparation for breakfast. And for health.

Some bored researcher should look into whether the widespread availability of aircon in Asia during the 80s (or whenever) contributed to the region's economic upturn in that period. I recall the upper floors my place of work in London being almost inhabitable during the rare heatwaves that we suffer in London.

I find it curiously reassuring to hear of instances where one of "our" guys shows discernment in matters of cuisine, even if we don't necessarily share his opinion. Vinapu should be gratified. Just as I was when P sent back a dish to the kitchen in a relatively pricey restaurant and had it replaced because it hadn't been cooked to his taste. How things have changed over the decades! A progression from street food in Pattaya Tai to haute cuisine. Well, more or less.

Just like Moonlight, circa 1996...anyone else remember?

....and now better! at least here. I didn't realise I had so much influence.

Loading has been slow for a few days...at least for me.

The Pheu Thai leadership has betrayed the hundred of its supporters slaughtered in Bangkok not long ago. Its craving for power ensures the continuance of the Junta, one way or another.

I cannot help recalling a terrible night-time LHR-BKK flight many years ago in which two young women kept -up a non-stop conversation for the entire twelve hours. The odd thing is that, on occasions when I tried to listen to it just to understand what subjects could be of interest for that length of time...sex? football? Thai food? However, after a number of attempts at this, I gave-up; they were talking about nothing. Nothing all. There was no discrete meaning to anything they said. The sounds were enough. For twelve b***** hours.

I'm a Londoner; the cultural, political and sporting life of the city is part of the very fabric of my body....but heaven knows how I'd cope without my regular trips to Thailand to be with P. And to enjoy chicken and cashew nuts, naturally.

Trying to understand now why I decided against relocation in 2004, despite the financial, sexual and romantic advantages, I come down to this one decisive issue; I knew Pattaya only as a holiday destination, three or four times a year. What was so attractive to me, apart from the obvious, was the fact that it was different, very different, to my life in London. I decided that, were I an expat there, the changes in scenery, routine and sources of enjoyment, would no longer be as attractive as they were, and indeed remain for me as a tourist. There are, of course, some disadvantages for someone enjoying his one and only gay LTR....but that's another story. As long as I am fit enough to travel comfortably, I remain confident I have made the right choice.

It will be fun to see it navigate a gale. Or not.

Not a BBB Guy! mine is the Oldest Twink in Thailand!

I wish that d**n moustache would! Don't misunderstand me, I Iove Thai guys but moustaches on twinks just don't "work" on them!

I've known a Pattaya mb for nearly twenty years....I met him just before I met P. He's thirty-nine now and still looks twenty-five. He has kept his body in immaculate shape and when I see him now, I realise that he is as attractive now as he was then. And probably with better skills in the bed! And he still works in a host bar. I remember that after craving the attentions of the young, by the time was I was into my fifth or sixth trip to Thailand I'd discovered that older guys were just better technically. They'd learnt more.... and invariably spoke better English, something that was important to me.

Twenty years or so ago, I was investigating the possibility of relocation to Thailand, having just met the love of my life. The UK pound was exchanging at around 73 bht; now it's close to 40 and dropped even lower recently. There's your answer, Scott......who could have foreseen such a rapid and (for some) devastating drop in the value of pensions and assets?

I think we know that there are some Thais and other Asians who do prefer older men. A small minority certainly, but they do exist as I discovered to my utter astonishment in Babylon circa 1996. And if we move beyond the issue of sex, there are some who appreciate what a LTR can do for them for them and their families. In other words, they have exactly the same motivation as women had in Europe for centuries. They called it marriage.

Caveat emptor. I have the same problem with ebay. It's part of the game; occasionally we are going to be tricked. However, the risks that we take are very slight compared to those taken by the mb, who arrives at a room or apartment not knowing who will be opening the door; a violent customer perhaps, or one who has his fun and refuses to pay the agreed cost. Or someone who isn't even clean. I remember my fingers being burnt on occasion. It was annoying but I always cheered myself up by saying that the next one would be better. And he invariably was.

So sad. He looks such a charming young man. And some think that the hiv+ risk is over.

See Kokopelli's post

I saw it too. Yes, the language is vile. English obviously isn't his first language so maybe he is completely unaware of the implications of what he's saying. Possibly. He needs correction; has anyone tried adding a comment to the video?

I recall my only visit to Obelisks....it must have been more than two decades ago. it was the most luxurious sauna I've ever visited. However, as patron of Babylon where I could hardly get undressed before being molested (very welcome it was, too), Obelisks seemed to me to be decidedly "sticky rice". As a relative newcomer in the city, I was surprised. But it taught me that Babylon was sui generis when it come to falangs in BKK saunas, at least for us older guys.

I've known more than a few mbs and ex-mbs over the years and they were supportive of the Red Shirts. Many, of course, were from Isaan, the heartlands of the movement. And economically and socially they were from working-class backgrounds.