Londoner

Years ago, when Arena was in its old premises, there was another gay massage joint a little closer to the Silom Road entrance. I can't remember whether it was on the 2nd or 3rd floor. Could this be the same place?

Interesting....I no longer go to Sansuk, despite liking the restaurant's Thai food, because falangs seem to outnumber the Thais to such an extent that the pickings are very slim for me. May I deduce from this that things have changed since I was there last? that was about fifteen months ago.

I'm a little annoyed when I buy a drink in a bar and see that five or so the dancers (invariably the best-looking) have been taken out of circulation and are clustered around a punter "splashing the cash." A year plus ago, I was there a little late at a Boyztown bar and there were only twelve or so guys left....of whom five or six were sitting with a falang playing with their phones.

Westerners have thought that they have a right to other peoples' countries for nearly one thousand years. After the theft of Palestine in '48 which most of us are pretty embarrassed about, we now prefer to meddle, massacre and then moan about the human results of our actions.... who end up as refugees.

There are escape ladders on the balcony outside the penthouse rooms.

Saudi Arabia is atypical of Islamic countries in that its theology is Salafist...that is, fundamentalist. The Saudis are no more typical of their religion than the US evangelicals who shout "God hates fags" are of Christianity, and the nationalist Haredim in the Palestinian colonies are of Judaism.

There are also deep social and quasi-ethnic divisions which became particularly apparent during the events that led up to the coup. Prejudice against Isaan natives and other working-class and northern-based Thais, often based on skin-colour, was a feature of the anti-Red Shirt demagogues who ushered in the (very white-skinned) generals. And how many shelves in the supermarkets groan under the weight of skin-whitening creams?

My recent concern with Romeo has been the use of enhancing software that can make some of the photos extremely misleading.

I don't advise it. It's close to the gay scene-in fact it towers over it, huge and ugly. But it is primarily the haunt of Chinese tour groups. We used to stay at Rendez-vous (French-owned- naturellement) and basic but clean and quiet. It served the best coffee and croissants I've ever had outside France. It's one hundred metres from RPH....and is gay.

Thinking of security in hotels, a few years ago there was a claim that gay (or perhaps all) hotels in Pattaya were recording on CCTV visitors who pass through reception. A brief discussion ensued on the the forums and then....nothing. Was it really happening? or perhaps it was just an idea? surely not now?

Arena has always been , for me, a full service joint... I've never considered negotiating. And, as I said previously, the guys are always naked from the start....something of an invitation, don't you think?

Robin Maugham's novel The Wrong People, set in Tangiers in the 50s, is precisely about this subject.... and although a work of fiction, some of the characters are based on real members of the gay community back then. Worth a read, if you can get hold of it.

I've used Arena many times. The masseur is always naked from the start; this is a clear indication that sanuk is expected. The fact that he is not naked (at other establishments) does not mean the opposite, of course.

I have the impression that a number of the Sawatdee posters know each other and use the board to pursue issues that have their origins in their personal lives. This situation has much improved under recent ownership; before Neal's time, there was a lot of abuse; it was sometimes as though I was intruding on some sort of private argument, fuelled by alcohol.

I have little to add since you have identified the significant differences. My memories of Blue Boy et al are positive and one or two of the guys I met were not only more technically adept (some of the Thais aren't) but pleasant company. But, as you suggest, the best of the Thai guys are looking for more than an hour of sanuk and are more open and warm than the ones I met in Amsterdam. Of course, they are influenced by the "respect your elders" Asian culture. I had no bad experiences over the two or so years I was regularly visiting Amsterdam but only twice did I engage the same guy more than once. In Thailand, I became more emotionally involved....and I suggest that this is true of the working guys ,too.

Perhaps you could develop your ideas on the differences between Thai mbs and European rent-boys? My first experiences of commercial sex , when I was in my late forties and had previously only experienced straight sex, were with rent-boys in London and Amsterdam, not just at Blue Boys but at the place next to Man to Man cinema and Boys' Paradise, just down the road. When I first came to Pattaya a year after this I was struck by how different the experience was. And I don't mean just the cost. I'd be interested to hear your views on this before offering mine.

Which of the massage places are currently the best for twinks? The Soi Twilight ones are either closed or almost deserted in the afternoons.

Were many of the Arena masseurs twinks?

Hiv is not merely a chronic illness, at least in Thailand. There are problems with medication for those who are reliant on the basic "free" service; it keeps victims alive but the quality of life is severely restricted.it can stabilise rather than raise CD4 levels. Even those who can afford more expensive medication (and the best is very expensive indeed) sometimes need to change or augment it. And this is before considering the social exclusion that victims suffer, particularly in rural areas. Many guys continue to keep their condition secret and their only counselling comes from social media. And it is important to avoid suggesting that it is "merely" a chronic condition, such as diabetes, because doing so encourages unsafe sex. And further to a previous post, this subject has often been discussed before but I'll say yet again that I would never indulge in unprotected oral sex because of the risk of Hiv infection, however slight. AYOR, as Spartacus used to say.

Two of my Romeo assignations in June were with guys whose photos had been effectively improved by some sort of photo-shop app. One of them was barely recognisable. Nevertheless, I stuck to my rules and paid them their money. I wouldn't turn them away. And yes, on more than a few occasions the my visitor looked better in the flesh than in the photo. This happens when they choose photos (presumably from LINE or Facebook) in which they are pulling silly faces.

A few years ago, my boyfriend (with support) built a house on land next to his parents' home. I was staggered by the number of rituals that were followed before he moved in. He's a devout Buddhist and so I wasn't surprised by a dozen monks being present at the dedication (I have photos of the occasion). What surprised me were the superstitions (which I regard as quite separate to Buddhism) related to the land surrounding the house, particularly the boundaries and the trees which were festooned with ribbons. By the way, a few years ago the evening performances at Dreamboys in Pattaya began with a ceremonial banging on the door with a huge wooden phallus..superstitions relating to first customers at commercial sites are common. There's some interesting stuff about this in "Very Thai" by Phiip Cornwel- Smith (River Books), an invaluable guide to Thai culture.

Yes; it has happened to me and yes, it is the negative about hiring on-line.... caveat emptor. I give the basic 1000 to avoid trouble and try to take a "win some/lose some" attitude. I'm on holiday to enjoy myself and am willing to pay that amount to avoid unpleasantness. The only times when I've refused to engage with a visitor is when the guy looks too young, whatever his ID claims. In such cases (there have been two) I again give 1000 but send him on his way.

In my two decades of visits to Pattaya I cannot recall a single time that I was told by a potential "off" at a bar how much he wanted. And in that same period, only once was my payment after the meeting (always just a little above average) met with disappointment. Very rarely, a potential Planet Romeo guy has asked how much I'll pay. An offer of 1000 bht has always secured a visit. These are short-time prices of course; Traveller Dave is probably correct.

A scam? It's your choice whether you leave the coins. A scam surely should involve some form of subterfuge.

The guys I met in Pattaya just after the Junta's coup were all Redshirts. Unsurprising....most of them are from Isaan and all of them are working class. I'm amused by Abeng's conviction that the junta is pro-gay. Since when did a military government anywhere in the world support human rights for minorities? Perhaps he should listen to Thais more? Many are frightened of course so they keep their beliefs to themselves.