Londoner

Of course, our money-boy friends may like to consider prosecuting some falangs for failure to perform adequately, paying less than agreed, making promises that were not kept, passing on an STD, over-vigorous and painful intercourse (not an uncommon complaint, by the way), publicly abusive behaviour on message boards... Seriously, generally we get a good deal...our sanuk is cheap and safe in terms of harassment from the authorities and the vast majority of the guys we meet are polite and charming. Those of us who enter into a LTR have no excuse not to do so with eyes wide open; we are invariably the older. wealthier and usually the more experienced of the two. It is after all we falangs who have chosen to go to their country for our amusement.

I'd enjoy representing that money-boy in court. I can see the report in the press now; "Rich falang exploits young man's poverty , encouraging an innocent , immature country boy into prostitution- itself a crime- and then resents being expected to pay." I'd have even more fun were there any doubt about the guy's age. I'm sure that someone from back home could be found to intimate that, perhaps, he was only seventeen when he was seduced...assuming the congress was consensual. Remember what happened when Ocsar Wilde took the Marquis of Queensbury to court? A few hours after losing the case, he was arrested.

The three "open" show bars all suffered from their performances being visible from the soi. Anyone walking past could see the absence of punters. And who wants to be at a show where the performers outnumber the audience? I remember X-treme in Soi Twilight. I thought that the show rather good but was embarrassed to be there when the audience was so small.

The Copa guys are self-employed; they decide when and how long they work and receive nothing from management....or that was the case a few years ago.

The punters have voted with their feet...that's why Copa had a handful customers (except for a few weeks in the high season) while Throb, khatoey-free, was full to bursting.

That particular guy got a couple of hundred, maybe less. The two who were paid 1000 each were from Gay Romeo.

Yet another khatoey -show? for heaven's sake......

I'm not sure that the issue is about being seen with a falang. My boyfriend's best mate from up north sometimes stays with us in BT. He's quite happy to walk with us when we go to have dinner together but if he wants to go out to the 711 or whatever in the evening, he wants my bf to accompany him past Toyboys, Funny boys and the massage joint...he says he's "shy". I should add that he's in his 30s, gay but non-scene and has a well- paid job. He lived in Pattaya years ago but never visited BT until my bf and I stayed there.Too shy? Once we went together to Phuket...he wouldn't even walk through the Paradise Complex. I questioned my bf at length about this...all he could say is that "he's shy." He's more than happy to travel with us and stay at hotels in other Thai towns. This is one of the many issues that remind me that, the more experience I have of Thailand and its gay life from decades of visits, the less I understand.

No...when he arrived, I thought he was twenty and his ID had been "passed" by reception. Sanuk was on the cards.

Yes, Tresure has been on PR for a long time using different names. The accuracy of a guy's age is always a source of concern for me since I am, by nature, a worrier. On two occasions guys have turned-up at my room, IDs having been accepted by Reception, and I've turned them away because I felt uneasy. Of course, they both left with 1000 bht. I had a long talk with the receptionist about this and was told that, as far as the hotel was concerned, the guy was of legal age.... in these cases, twenty and twenty-one (I never contact under twenties).. But It was also explained that (obviously) all hotels have to go on is the ID card.And we know that they can be borrowed or forged. Going back a decade or so, a guy arrived at my room and told me , before anything happened that he was using his brother's card and that he was sixteen. He looked, acted and spoke excellent English with such maturity that I was amazed....but I turned him away. I've always wondered why he told me before rather than after. But I was grateful.

I did the journey from Krabi; it took about two hours from there- I don't know about the time from Phuket. But I can say that the trip was not "bumpy" and I'm a good judge because I can be sea-sick at the sight of the first wave. I should add that it was in January and the trips don't take place unless the weather is calm. What was very disappointing to both my boyfriend and me was the visibility for snorkelling. Not only that; the reef around the islands has been degraded to such an extent that there is little marine life to see. If this isn't a consideration and you are content with just swimming and sight-seeing, Phi Phi is fine.

Sorry about hijacking this thread but this Japanese guy fascinates me The first time I saw him was in 1997. He was accompanied by three young guys, one of whom offed an embarrassingly young-looking dancer. I recalled then that the Samurais were heavily involved in pederasty and wondered whether his dress was some sort of "tribute act".

Apologies for the irrelevance but the Chinese/Japanese topic reminds me of the two occasions when a Japanese guy has appeared in a Soi Twilight go go bar dressed in full, traditional Japanese costume. Has anyone else seen this? Any explanation?

Fair enough....perhaps I was alluding to what I don't like, in particular heavily-built, muscled, tattooed guys. When I first visited the soi in 1998, few of these guys were on show. Blue Star ran two parallel "troupes", one twinkish, the other more macho. They took the stage separately. But the other shows I recall tended to be of younger, less muscled guys. In those days, the punters were predominantly Western with a few Japanese, unlike today.

Are there any shows in Soi Twilight which feature twinks?

Is that a good thing? I prefer an ID check and a phone call when my guest leaves. I would recommend this strongly to anyone new to Thailand.

The LHR-BKK deal on EVA is a good one. I've done the journey more than sixty times over the past twenty years and only on a couple of occasions has the plane been late. And the Silver Card is worth having too. I was previously a Gold (which meant a personal welcome from a flight attendant on board!) but EVA changed the mileage demands and so I'm a Silver now. Avoid the evening meal on the plane- too late and not very appetising and instead eat in the lounge. A hot dinner, salads , soup and much else is available. Wine and a cognac too. I can eat at a reasonable time in my view- 1800- rather than at 2300 which isn't good for sleep. Another plus is that you can queue at the Business check-in at BKK which is always much shorter than the other ones, even if, like me you are a mere Elite passenger. Then eat in the EVA Lounge, thereby avoiding the uncomfortable experience of eating in-flight. Every three round trips I get an up-grade to Business Class on one leg.

I used to visit but a khatoey mamasan took a fancy (sic) to me....I think she mistook me for another customer and her unwelcome attentions drove me out. Is the coast clear of such people if I return?

Me too; frequently over the years. And yes, Tify is effective. I put the problem down to the plane journey. Since smoking was abolished, the carriers have saved money but cutting down on the quality of their air-cleansing. Dirty air recirculates throughout the journey. One sick passenger can easily effect two hundred others. The effects aren't felt immediately...if I suffer, it is usually after five or so days. And the same thing often happens on the way home. One travel doctor has advised tea-tree oil applied to the nostrils to avoid this problem.

I second Travellerdave's comment....and add that I've stayed forty-five times over the past eighteen years. The cleaning is one of the hotel's strengths.

Many years ago, I stayed in one of those rooms at the back. I was bothered by a giant a/c extractor fan on the building opposite (about a metre away). It would start-up periodically....and very loudly. Perhaps I was unlucky and other rooms don't have this problem. And I didn't like the absence of natural light. But the rooms are good value. I appreciate the friendly and helpful staff at the hotel.....reception, restaurant, cleaners. Both my boyfriend (Thai) and I feel very much at home there. He's in his thirties but the cleaners "mother" him! When we visit hotels across Thailand , he's particularly sensitive to the way Thai visitors are treated.

The suites and the penthouse rooms. Avoid the basic rooms (which I think are called "superior"). These are the ones which face the buildings in Soi 2. The deluxe are good value, particularly in the low season.

That's important to me as well. And also the unobtrusive checking of the IDs of visitors....and their departures. The problem of noise is very real. Why the show bars are now open to the soi is incomprehensible When Copa and LCR are competing in their "battle of the sound-systems " at about 2330, the noise forbids conversation at any of the host bars or on the terrace of Ambiance. Fortunately, the worst of the noise is over soon after 0030. Unless LCR has one of its karaoke nights for the tone deaf. Nevertheless, Ambiance is the place. If you can afford it, choose one of the better rooms; those facing the rear of the building (the cheapest) have very little natural light.

A few further reflections on Phuket. Firstly the beach. I don't agree with z909; the sea is blue- how often can that be said of Pattaya and Jomtien?- and the water is cleaner. As far as the visitors to Phuket are concerned, I feel much more relaxed in Pattaya because gay couples are more visible. My boyfriend and I seldom, if ever, saw other gays outside Paradise Complex. There were certainly khatoeys, one of whom publicly abused him, calling him a prostitute because he was with a falang. That's never happened anywhere else in Thailand, even in places like Krabi and Chiang Rai which have no visible gay scene.. Another difference is the age make-up of Phuket; much, much younger than in Pattaya. Many will prefer this but I don't. Fewer single men, of course, more young straight couples. These reflections relate specifically to Patong. As I said previously, the attractions of Phuket for us are in other parts of the island.

I've been there on about seven occasions, the first of which (about fifteen years ago) was as an independent traveller. I've never been an admirer of Patong, or at least its gay scene. It offers nothing that Pattaya hasn't got and is more expensive, and unless you expect to spend time on the beach (much better than Jomtien's), you are likely to be disappointed. I've never seen busy bars bars there. They were deserted when I visited with my boyfriend four years ago....but that was the low season. There are decent places to visit outside Patong and some good boat trips. However, if it's beaches and swimming you want, Krabi is much better while Pattaya offers a more interesting night-life and better restaurants and shopping. By the way, Patong's straight night-life can be extraordinarily noisy right through to 0600. Choose your hotel with caution. I like Rendezvous, a small gay hotel in the Paradise area.