Londoner

I very much support the views of those who speak of the benefits lone-travel. The one thing I'd add is that it helps enormously if there are plenty of English speakers around. I loved my single-travel in northern Thailand before I met P but I'd have loved to have been able to speak with the locals. So limited was my Thai (it's even worse now) that I couldn't even explain to a shopkeeper on the way up to Doi Inthanon that I desperately (really desperately) needed a ching-chong. My physical actions to describe the agony I was in would have caused my arrest in Bangkok. I found in West and East Africa plenty of English speakers, thanks to British colonialism and the teaching of the language in schools. However when I went in-land, away from tourist areas, it was more difficult. I remember being less successful in Morocco "off the beaten track" where my appalling French encouraged pity. In Palestine, so many people spoke good English that I was able to travel by bus anywhere. And, obviously, everyone had a story to tell and a demand that I repeat it when I arrived home. The children had been taught in school to welcome us, even though my country had betrayed Palestine continually for ninety years. "Welcome to Palestine; you are most welcome here," was a constant. It must be be in some school text-book. Overall, the vulnerability of being alone, strangely enough, was often a bonus in foreign parts. My experience is that wherever you go, you can make friends by being open , willing to listen, interested and courteous. And, it goes without saying, being sensible and following local advice. Here follows my usual banality; "the poorer the people and the more disadvantaged, the warmer the welcome you receive. "

When I was single, I found the afternoons in Pattaya difficult to fill. Jomtien beach was fine for a couple of hours but no longer than that for me, and the go go didn't start until 2100. There were only two gay massage places, both far away from Boyztown but with only a handful of masseurs available; and no apps in those far-off days, obviously. Even TV was limited, very limited in the sort of hotels I could afford. No mobiles. Nor laptops. Royal Garden was newly-open (two floors of it) and there was some cruising there but I was much too shy; I needed gogo bars. I suppose I was lonely. The only people I knew in Pattaya were "short-time" friends. And of course, that particular tribe only comes out to play after dusk. This was the time I stopped being lonely. So , all I can say now to younger guys is "count your blessings". The internet, the numerous a/c-ed malls. Even TV. Hotels that are probably more comfortable than they were thirty years ago in my price range. Massage guys and willing visitors to hotel rooms are available twenty-four hours a day. No time to be lonely!

Those of us "of a certain age" may find the issue of disturbing neighbours on a flight a little embarrassing. For me, it's immediate access to a toilet or stay at home. More seriously, I can now travel only Business Class, where all seats are singles and there are more toilets per seat, to avoid being considered an Undesirable Passenger. For those younger than me who cannot hide a smirk, all I can say is "Wait and see."

Twice, as a forty-eight year-old youngster in the first flush of my love -affair with Thailand, I travelled from London for a five day stay. And loved every minute of it. I have no memory of how I coped back at work the day after my return, though perhaps my colleagues have!

Here's three, though I've posted more than once on the gay scene in CM on this site. ibischiangmai.com travelgay.com nomadicboys.com Not my recommendations; just for info.

Not as cute as the Asian ice-skaters someone posted on this site some time ago!

Massage "shops"? I seldom went inside one....if I fancied one of the available guys sitting outside, I'd "off" him to my hotel, to ensure a decent shower, a comfortable bed and walls that weren't paper thin. In my innocence, I thought that this was the usual practice in our community. Wasn't it?

And worth every penny....though, some may say, not a penny more!

F & C was credited with saving the working class during the Depression , particularly in the north. Of course, there was a fishing industry then... As an aside, do other posters remember that we used to wrap our chips in newspaper back in the fifties? Some claimed that the print actually enhanced the taste! Here's poem by the "Mersey sound" poet , Roger McGough, from the Beatles era. Sometimes I feel Like a priest In a fish and chip queue Quietly thinking As the vinegar runs through How nice it would be To buy supper for two.

No one who never tasted British school dinners of the 1950s is qualified to discuss the awfulness of our cuisine!

Th refurbishment is very successful, the enlarged premises attractive with a high ceiling (so important here) and six ceiling fans. Good quality furnishings with the tables far enough apart to allow privacy. Menu and prices the same. And that means the chicken and cashew nuts should not be missed. Obviously! Open yesterday, but from next week, the Tuesday closures will be back.

Yes. I was given the good news on Sunday evening. Not good news, however, for Sandbank, which appeared to gather-up the refugees from Dicks. Including us! A decent place, by the way, even if its Thai menu is a little limited. Updated review of the new Dicks to follow.

Crowds follow crowds....an upward spiral creates its own momentum in terms of popularity, as does a downward one. I've noted the same phenomenon in restaurants.

Correct. And as far as the change to Boyztown is concerned, this was also when the BoysBoysBoys bar became BoyzBoyzBoyz. Not unconnected to lurid tabloid accounts of goings-on in Sunee. The Thais do indeed refer to it as "Boy Town"..... they cannot pronounce an "s" at the end of a word, can they? A Thai language specialist can correct me if I'm wrong. By the way, I am pretty sure I remember some signs erected at that time referring specifically to the absence of underage guys in Boyztown. i can't remember exactly but i think it also mentioned drugs being banned.

I second omega's comment about CM's distinctive vibe. More targeted towards locals than tourists. More relaxed. More casual....although I'm not sure what I mean by that. I have a memory of Adam's Apple in the late 90s when the premises was packed....an undeniable fire hazard back then! Most of the audience were CMU students or other youngish guys. And no less attractive than the performers. I'd explored Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya but CM was different, pleasantly so. However, I can also understand floridabob's post. The gay scene was spread-out over the city; it wasn't the place for bar-crawling. i also recall the late opening hours. I found the early evenings difficult to fill.

The sooner the better. I've only got three weeks here this trip. And I like the fish cakes, too.

Maybe, but Dick's and I go back a long way. Twenty plus years.The BKK Dick's was a favourite for years, replaced in our affections by the JC one when we changed our location. As Oscar Wilde nearly said, to lose one gay restaurant is unfortunate but to lose two sounds like carelessness. And so I hope Kokopelli3 is right,.

Twenty plus hours travelling, looking forward to my chicken and cashew nuts at Dick's. And it's closed. Refurbishment or forever?

I suspect paracetamol will also be found in the medications I mentioned. Checking ingredients is always important. I once bought travel sickness tablets in a Pattaya pharmacy only to find when I checked back at my hotel against my existing regular medication that they were possibly harmful. In terms of prevention, a travel specialist doctor advised the use of tea-tree oil for the journey. A little in each nostril- not an unpleasant smell in my view- may help. I used it regularly both ways.

My commiserations. This was frequently an issue for me and particularly galling if suffered on the outward leg. On the positive side, my partner introduced me to some popular local medications which helped. "TiffY"? "XZY"?....these are approximations from memory. Speak to your local pharmacist but check carefully if you are already on any other medications.

With so many decent places available in the area that welcome guests, I'd not risk the embarrassment of being told "no". Nor having to sneak someone in. And remember, it would be an embarrassment for your guest, too. The first night in Thailand is always special for me, too....chicken and cashew nuts and squid salad at Balcony! That's a tradition dating back to 1997.

In 1995, there were two designated gay massage places, as I recall. The one I tried was in North Pattaya and was called "Nobody Massage" if memory serves. One of the ways that Pattaya improved over the years was by providing opportunities for afternoon sanuk. I used to hate waiting until 2100 for the go go bars to open.

Michael Burchall writes about his first visit to Thailand in 1985. At least one bar, Gentleman's Club was operating then but Boyztown itself wasn't. Jim Lumsden and his partners were its architects. And it grew quickly.

I have honestly, scouts' honour, never heard a sound in my room in Tarntawan and have stayed in both the Silom and Suwawong-facing rooms. Fifty visits. At least.

Not directly relevant, but I have two books which provide some background to the Pattaya gay scene of the past; Michael Burchall's "Boyztown", fascinating stories of the early days of our favourite area, and Dennis Dessnap's "What's sex got to do with it?" The first was privately-published, as far as I can see, while the other names The Syden Press as its publisher. You may be lucky and find second-hand copies. Regarding Youtube, there are clips of road trips through the city on a split-screen, one from circa 1980, the other from about 2020.