Londoner

Midguy1 and others will be pleased to hear that I received an email from Agate yesterday confirming its re-opening, once the local authorities give permission. I'm now beginning to wonder whether a visit in five or sixth months times is a possibility.

This is not just a Thai issue, nor a Covid one. In most (perhaps all?) societies, parents are expected to provide for their children and failure to do so is seen as shameful. In Islamic societies, it is primarily the father's duty, perhaps in Buddhist societies- women do much of the selling- it's a more shared responsibility . When I was in Palestine a few years ago I came across a dad in Gaza, where food was scarce and unemployment rife, who hanged himself when he saw his two children rooting in a bin for a discarded rotten orange. He saw this as his failure as a father and a man..

Any attempt by a political party to address the huge wealth-gap between the small minority of very rich and the rest of the population inevitably leads to a coup and a military government serving the needs of royalty and the ruling elite. Today, elections aren't needed; the junta just bans any party which seeks meaningful change. I strongly recommend the documentary, though it fails to deal adequately with the political aspects of the crisis. Some of the personal testimonies are heart-breaking.

A wise response. The racist-homophobe Bolsonaro's Covid- denial is even more deranged than that of Trump, with inevitable results. Wait for his defeat ...and that of the virus!

No recommendations for Thai cuisine? i recall PIC Kitchen from many years ago, in a soi off the northern part of Second Road. Much more expensive than the usual but beautifully served traditional food- much of it unusual to me- in two salas. Reminiscent of The Good Earth in Chiang Mai , that some of you may know. But better food, I think. When I was last in Jomtien (one year ago almost to the day), there was a sign near Theppasit announcing a re-opening nearby. I hope to keep my promise to take P there one day.....if it does indeed open, something that must be questionable in present circumstances.

No mention of Luxor's Banana Island? a frequent destination for the boat captains. And others.

I've been to The Gambia, Senegal and Zanzibar (Tanzania) but long ago. Handsome guys, undoubtedly, but opportunities are so limited and perilous as to make a sex-jaunt unwise. I had one experience in The Gambia with a cute guy but the circumstances in which it took place were- shall we say- uncomfortable. Plenty of offers for walks up the beach to a quiet areas which I didn't accept. One sort of relationship where sex was offered but, somehow, it didn't feel appropriate in the circumstances. I'm older now and more timid. I wouldn't consider a reprise.

Our last glorious (or so it seems now in retrospect) stay in Pattaya was over a year ago. and as indicated above, was at the Agate in the Complex. I won't rehearse the reasons for our exodus from Boyztown, in my case after twenty-five happy years, but have one reaction to z909's post to share. P had wanted the move to Jomtien well before me but I resisted for the reasons z909 mentions; the facilities of South Pattaya are immeasurably superior to those of Jomtien. particularly the restaurants. This meant that we'd travel into Pattaya twice a day, usually by baht bus, sometimes by taxi. This time last year, that trip could, particularly in the early evening, be uncomfortable. Full buses often with standing room only, of course, but also very slow buses (or taxis) owing to the numerous roadworks. Nevertheless, the superiority of our hotel, its quiet location, its two swimming pool in particular, made our decision worthwhile. And, while moaning at the traffic jams we'd say to each other, "In June, the roads will be clear." Well. we were right but not for the reasons we wanted or expected.

It only takes one carrier.....remember the boxing stadium outbreak last year? I am genuinely astonished and , while pleased that life is returning to gay area, fearful that with such behaviour restrictions will soon be back in place. And just when I was beginning to think about a summer visit.

Thanks....I don't know whether to be relieved that they are not boarded-up and sold as 711s or depressed because another one hundred days of imprisonment- at least- lies ahead.

Traveller123 persuaded P and I to stay at Agate on this very forum; and we love it, more than any of the other hotels in Thailand, some considerably more expensive. Thanks for the post; now that things are looking up, I've been trying to contact Agate but without success. I worked-out that it was closed of course but your report that they plan to reopen cheers me enormously. As far as other possibilities are concerned, I told P only yesterday that Zing is well-liked and gay-friendly. i think it's still open. Cheaper than Agate.

The older I get, the earlier my bedtime. Although the main reason for my being an ex- bar customer is that I'm in a relationship , I have to admit that, were I still a butterfly, I'd prefer to use hornet and Romeo because they allow afternoon sex. And reasonably early nights. Yes, I do miss bars; I had a lot fun for ten years. Now, for the two of us, fun means a good dinner in a decent restaurant, a walk and a quiet drink on the hotel balcony. But I'll make an admission. About three years go, P wanted an early night (even he's getting on now!) and, feeling restless, I had a look at Nice and Winners in Sunee. I'm not sure that, even if I were twenty years younger, today's bars would engage me as they once did. It is true that I've changed but so have the bars.

Kokopelli makes a good point. jA few years ago, P and I were taking a short break in Chiang Mai near what's left of the gay scene in the Night Market when I was approached by a middle-aged guy. "Hi," he said." I remember you from Four Seasons. Don't you remember me? I was the mamasan." Four Seasons was a short-lived go go bar in Patayaland 2 (I think). It closed many years ago. Twenty? I believe I went there once and I know I didn't off anyone. Am I that striking in appearance? I think not.

The American MD of Integrity Legal (Bangkok) on Youtube, is sounding more positive by the day. The junta is likely to be more responsive to the demands of business now that vaccinations are becoming available among potential visitors. I'm quietly confident about an October visit unless the virus has further tricks up its sleeve.

It's an old one that I recall from my time in West Africa. Going for a meal in town I was accosted by a stranger who said, " Hi, my name is Lamin." By the way, Lamin is the name of the first son in every family and so there are many Lamins. ...."Lamin from the pool." He was referring to the hotel pool. "Can you lend me X so I can get the bus home?" Sadly for Lamin, I'd encountered the same ploy in Tangiers- in that case it was the bus driver from the airport, despite my having arrived by taxi. You can only smile at the cheek!

You will need to be careful you don't appear under-aged. Yes, you are right about hotel rooms. P and a friend had a three day break in Jomtien. After finding one beachside hotel not up to the high standard to which he has become accustomed , they moved to the place that P and I stay; the Agate. Less than 1000bht p n. Including breakfast.

A sad story. I hope things work out for these guys. I wonder whether this is just an extreme case of a situation that may be more widespread than we think? There must have been a number of falangs who emigrated to Thailand when the baht was weak? 73/74 baht to £1 at one stage.. Those who took the plunge on limited resources and are still there must be feeling the pinch now with their savings quickly diminishing. I recall thinking when I first went to Thailand twenty-five years ago that the retirees all had beautiful apartments and a high standard of living. But I soon became aware that some of the older guys outside the gay areas certainly didn't appear to live that way. And as a different illustration, I got to know one expat very well. He had had a high standard of living at home in the US and had enjoyed a full -and expensive - life style in Thailand. Then he became ill, his insurance ran-out and he died in a local hospital penniless, not being able to pay for much-needed medication.

And the apps? I have sometimes had a look (just for old time's sake) and Romeo, at least , seemed reasonably busy even at the height of the emergency.

I was a butterfly until I met P.....eighteen years ago (oh my God!)....and very rarely indeed re-offed any of my numerous companions. However, in the early days of our relationship with him, the Pattaya scene was often discussed. And more than a few things I learnt surprised me. One of them was that being offed again by a falang was much prized because it raised hopes that an LTR is a possibility. Once a guy had spent a few days with the same falang, those hopes were encouraged. Ultimate success was a relationship that extended beyond the falang's holiday and became a regular source of income. And I was staggered when, a few years after we met, P went through the names of his friends at Dreamboys and related how many of them had achieved this ambition. In fact, the two of us actually met three of them with their falangs in Pattaya by chance. All were in their thirties. I wasn't in the least bit interested in an LTR until I met P, preferring the thrill of the chase, the trawling of bars and the final decision as to who would be coming back to the hotel with me. However, from the bar-boy's perspective, while a well-paid encounter with a clean and gentle falang was more than welcome, the ambitious guy was likely to be thinking of the next step. And hoping.

I notice that the some straight massage joints are called "soapies" now....and I know what their specialisms are....but are there any gay soapies?

At last I've seen it. No more sleepless nights.

They may be less willing to do the farming and labouring jobs to which others are returning.

I sometimes while away the gloomy hours of London's lockdown by looking at the Pattaya section of Romeo.....and note that the percentage of ladyboys seems to be rising by the week. So it's the same on the other apps, is it?

So P has been telling me. As soon as I moan about London's weather he brings up his habitual complaint about the temperature falling below 60 F....on some nights.

In my innocence, I had always assumed that "go-go" was short for "go-go dancing." Sadly, the dancing part had almost disappeared by about 2005 to be replaced by "go-go posing". Were there any gay bars in Thailand where dancing was on the menu pre-Covid? I no longer frequent the bars and so it's a genuine question. Winners perhaps?