sglad

Hehe, don't demand, but go with the flow! Get some snacks, water, make sure your phone and tablet are fully charged, go to the toilet before you land/join the queue, warn your hotel/airport pick-up (if any) in advance, and just take it easy! No point starting your holiday on a sour note!

I don't think Thailand has ever claimed to be a developed country. It is a developing country as you say. Is it so bad to go to the immigration office every months? I would think it's a good thing to stay visible with the authorities and to establish a rapport with them. I've found Thai officialdom to be very friendly and helpful. No, I don't expect the cold efficiency that I get back home where everything is cut and dry. I don't know about you but I'm beginning to enjoy the flexibility of the Thai system and how the 'human touch' still carries a great deal of weight in how things get/are done. OK, the 'Baht touch' helps but we have to pay our way for almost everything in Singapore too; the only difference is that we get a receipt.

First, I don't need your permission to post. Second, I don't expect anything from you ("us"???) and never have. Third, I'm me and not a persona and don't have any other 'personas'. Whatever references I make about myself are to provide context to what I'm saying. And finally, I don't care whether you find me credible or not. I know where I stand.

BDSM doesn't always have to be hard work. A straight farang acquaintance in CM says he has a "friend" (isn't it always) who would 'off' a few boys and get them to come over to his place where he'll be dressed in baby clothes, complete with bonnet, large diapers and a rubber nipple in his mouth He will get the boys to spank him after which he will suck the boys as they rough him up a little..kind of like simulated rape. And as a finale...wait for it...he will climb into a purpose-built, adult-sized baby cot, lie down, make baby sounds and the boys will surround him, jerk off and cum all over him! In the words of Gaybutton, I don't make these things up, folks!

I just checked the post you referred too and it's totally way off and nothing to do with me whatsoever. If people want to say those things about me, then it is up to them to prove their allegations. So far, I've been "TW" on gaybuttonthai, somebody whose name ends with -old, an alter ego of MickP, an Australian because I speak English, a 75-year-old English teacher in Bangkok, somebody called Beachlover who Stalker-Fountainhole also had a crush on... I'll save you from your misery and give you a hint - a447 is the warmest. I'm tall, I'm slim, very fair, both my husbands have been shorter than me but are extremely gorgeous and talented, I dabbled in Scientology. I am...

Err, like Ovaltine? It's widely available in Singapore: http://www.fairprice.com.sg/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchDisplay?searchTerm=ovaltine&categoryId=&storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&pageSize=24&beginIndex=0&sType=SimpleSearch&resultCatEntryType=2&showResultsPage=true&searchSource=Q&pageView= So is Milo. My mum says Ovaltine used to be the popular one when she was a kid but now Milo clearly has taken over. Hey look, we even have the Australian recipe Milo which you probably drank as a kid 70 years ago! http://www.fairprice.com.sg/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchDisplay?searchTerm=milo&categoryId=&storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&pageSize=24&beginIndex=0&sType=SimpleSearch&resultCatEntryType=2&showResultsPage=true&searchSource=Q&pageView= FairPrice is the biggest local supermarket chain in Singapore kind of like Coles and Woolworths (how did I know that? I must be Australian!!!). Milo would sponsor our sports days when I was in school and we'd get free iced Milo all round during meets. Now at uni we get crap like Red Bull and isotonic drinks. It's common knowledge that kids and the elderly enjoy these chocolate malt drinks at breakfast or before bed. Our hospitals serve them at tea time or after we've donated blood (sort of like a pick-me-up), usually with a cookie or biscuit. Hot Milo was also regularly served as part of our night snack when I was in the army. My grandparents love to dunk their cream-crackers in a cuppa every now and then but they've cut down a lot because of the sugar content. They sell Milo at McDonald's too! Shock! Horror! Arsenal made a reference to octogenarians and their love for malt drinks here, which I borrowed in my post (no. 17) above: https://sawatdeenetwork.com/v4/showthread.php?18761-Viagra-kamagra-cialis-under-over-the-counter/page2 That's all there is to it. No special knowledge particular to any age group needed.

55 nah, vinapu. I was just kidding around. I picked up the Ovaltine reference from the guys on SN. I'm an iced Milo man myself. I think people should have all the fun that they seek in Thailand as long as it's safe and not a burden to themselves or the locals.

I think you're asking the wrong crowd. From my very brief, two-day visit to Pattaya last March, I got the impression that the average gay tourist there would be more comfortable with a cream cracker and a nice, big mug of Ovaltine before (an early) bedtime than whips and chains.

You're welcome.

Brilliant, brilliant performance by Judith Anderson though - chilling! Watch it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcTJKjFghhw

So was I, actually. We watched Rebecca (1940) for a first-year film studies class that covered, among other things, Hitchcock's authorship. I also watched Rear Window (1954) and Psycho (1960). I did read an abridged version of the novel for lit class when I was 14 but never got around to reading the actual text even though I have a copy of it. It's not unusual for people to read a book and watch the film version of it. I did The Merchant of Venice for my Os and we watched several film versions of the play, including the Al Pacino version and the older one with Laurence Olivier as Shylock (I later found out that Laurence Olivier was bi!). Also, a BBC production that was quite boring. My uni even has a "print to screen" class. You said you were thinking of the film Rebecca (1940) yet you referred to the novel published in 1938 in your Wikipedia-quoting post (no. 6) above. Both the book and film are equally old and are classics. I've also read Austen, Dickens and Hemingway. I also know Thai history pretty well from Rama IV's reign onwards but that does not mean I'm really Anna Leonowens. It's not so much about being well-educated as it is about being broadly educated - a lifelong pursuit. My apologies to de Winter that his thread got derailed. My initial comment was meant to be humorous and go along the lines of "Yuck, I don't want to see Mrs Danvers naked!" I hope we can get back to talking about naked sauna nights in Bangkok now.

Will you be taking Mrs Danvers with you? Scaaa-ry.

Those little blue pumps with mini canisters inside containing Salbutamol? Hahaha, they were a part of my life until my asthma magically disappeared when I hit puberty. Boots or any large pharmacy should have them. We bought one in Chiang Mai for my sis so they should have them in Pattaya too. Can't remember the exact price but I'm pretty sure it was under 250 Baht. This is a fairly common medication and your friend won't have a problem getting it. No prescription necessary but some pharmacies won't sell them if a registered pharmacist is not present as it is controlled medicine. So best to avoid lunch hours, dinner time, etc.

You're welcome, traveller123, although most of the credit should go to musgrave for starting the thread and to Bob for his recommendations. I chipped in wherever I could.

Welcome to the board, KitPattaya! In addition to this one, you might want to cast your net wider and join the forum on gaybuttonthai.com. They have more of a Pattaya focus and IMHO, a convivial, 'community'-feel that one may not necessarily find on the other boards. I get the impression that a lot of them are friends in real life and I'm sure they'd be happy to expand their circle. Good luck!

Thanks, Bob! Very helpful. Yeah, Traveller123 and Londoner will be spoilt for choice.

They aren't mutually exclusive. Google can be a great learning tool if used correctly. You should try it.

Nice. I hope the two of you have a great stay in Chiang Mai.

Thanks, Bob. I'll check it out. The owner is probably not wrong with the Isaan classification as Amphur Wichian Buri is bordered by Chaiyaphum Province in Isaan and Phetchabun, by virtue of its location, likely has more Isaan and central Thai cultural influences than northern Thai. I've never heard of Just Khao Soi and I fancy myself as some kind of khao soi expert. I know where Charoenphratet is - is it near where Ram Bar is? My favourite khao soi places are Khao Soi Mae Sai which is in a small soi somewhere behind the Church of Christ in Thailand (not far from Nakorn Ping Condo), Khao Soi Lam Duan in the Wat Ged area and Khao Soi Khun Yai in Sriphoom Soi 8 in the Old City. The last one would be the most accessible to traveller123 if he wants to try it. All are good IMHO but Khao Soi Mae Sai is probably the most piquant. The Lotus Pang Suan Kaew is a hotel, isn't it, not a mall? Or are you referring to Kad Suan Kaew which is attached to the hotel? Is it a buffet and how much per head? I like going to buffets because I love seeing the spread of food but I never get my money's worth as I'm a small eater. I'm not much of a mall rat myself but my Thai friends tend to like hanging out in them. I often go to Swensen's at Maya for ice-cream. I guess when you live in studios like most of us do, window shopping in an air-conditioned shopping centre beats looking at the same four walls all the time.

No worries. Your partner being a great cook is a blessing. It's a skill that I don't and am unlikely to have. Is he a fussy eater when it comes to "outside" food though or food that is not of his own making? Some good cooks are like that. There's aaalways something missing or not quite right. Might he be keen on spicy Southern Thai food? A good Thai friend took me to this very simple and inexpensive place in the Old City which shouldn't be too far from where you'll be staying. The food was delish. It was on a small side street, close to the police station. And around the corner there's a stall selling some of the best banana fritters I've had in Thailand. It was called Meuang Kon if I recall. Meuang Kon Southern Thai Rice with Side Dishes (Thai signage). The spicy dishes are labelled with blue cards and not spicy ones with yellow cards.

Amphur Wichian Buri is in Phetchabun. Is that in Isaan or Northern Thailand? I thought I learned that Phetchabun was considered part of Northern Thailand. But you're right in that it is famous for its grilled chicken.

No recommendations for khao soi? I love it but I know some people who hate it because of the coconut milk. To me that's what makes it soo goood. The chicken rice recommendations are interesting. From the way you described it (boiled chicken), it's probably cooked Hainanese style. Not one of my favourites but useful info to pass along. For some reason, a lot of foreigners seem to think that all Singaporeans love chicken rice just as they think that all Thais eat pad Thai. By the way, it's panaeng (curry), not penang. It's a common enough mistake. The spelling in Thai is also weird. Depending on how it's prepared it can be quite spicy.

That's cute. For Thai food, my favourite is WanLamun at the Central Festival. I like everything that I've tried here. Is your partner Thai? He will like their miang (various condiments wrapped in betel leaf). Traditionally, this is an anytime snack that is eaten by women on the verandah as they gossip but here it is a starter. I like their deep-fried boiled egg in sweet and sour sauce and yum som oh (pomelo salad). The dishes are elegantly presented. The only negative is that sometimes not all the items on the menu are available. Take an early dinner and go for a long stroll in this large shopping small afterwards. It is quite a trek on the eastern edge of town but all the songtaewss and tuk-tuk drivers know it. Centran Fest as the locals call it. As for the level of spiciness, just tell them that you want it mild. Are you vegetarian or interested in vegetarian food? I strongly recommend Anchan off Nimmanhemin even if you aren't. They have a rotating menu and again, I like everything that I've tried here. General helpings and they use fresh, colourful vegetables, tofu and mushrooms for most of their dishes, not those awful fake meats. I like their matsaman curry and various salads. No MSG. I'm allergic to MSG and my lips would swell on contact with it. My bf loves it but I don't think the guppy look suits me. Anchan is gay-owned and named after the clitoria or blue pea. We used to drive our secondary science teacher mad when we would pronounce it as clit-o-reyah. Oh yeah, try their Anchan juice, which is yummy and thirst-quenching. One glass won't be enough. For Cantonese and contemporary Chinese food, try the Fujian at the Dhara-Dhevi on the Chiang Mai-Sankhampaeng Road, about 20-25 minutes drive from town. Yes, it is in a hotel but the hotel itself looks like a page off The Lost Horizon. This is not a place that I would normally go to with friends (too rich and too far) but we wanted something special for my mum's 50th. Great food and ambience and totally worth the trek. I promised myself that I would make enough money to stay at this hotel one day (well I could use my savings and stay for a day or two but that would be cheating!). I like Indian food too but I rarely have Indian in Thailand (food, that is ). Mostly overpriced and can't compare in quality to what we get at home or across the Causeway. Sorry, I wish I could write more vivid and appetising restaurant reviews like my friend arsenal but I'm not talented like that. Good luck on your epicurean excursions!

Have you been to the Soho Bar re-boot? Somebody told me they have a kitchen and the food is not bad?

No, my friends are neither dead nor wrong and by that I don't mean they constitute the walking dead that we see in Pattaya or the night bazaar. 555 Sorry, a little re-incarnation humour there. Two of my friends had their buat (Initiation in English?) ceremonies and underwent their novice-hoods through Phra Singh. They were in their early teens then and to even think or suggest that people go to the temple to look for gay action or to ogle at the novices is a perversity in itself. What they meant is that for some reason, perhaps due its central location, the temple seems to attract a higher number of fem and ladyboys-to-be. The joke is it is not necessary to shave their eye brows and pubes because they are already shaved when they arrive! A contact at MPlus says that more gay/fem boys are drawn to buat/become novices compared to their percentages in the general population. Some of the reasons cited were because they were drawn to the pageantry; others wanted to break free from their families; some wanted to be among boys and yet others were compelled by their families in the hope that a life of discipline, meditation and prayer would void them of their deviant ways and desires. Various organisations like MPlus have tried to introduce (safer) sex education in monasteries just like they do in prisons, schools, etc but of course the notion was too outrageous to even contemplate - monks do not have sex! This despite fairly common knowledge that sexually predatory behaviour occurs in these religious institutions. I put on my mock shock-horror face when my friend told me this and said, "Of course not! That would be like telling a Catholic priest to put on a condom before fucking an altar boy!" He didn't get it. As an aside, monks have been spotted at go go bars and bordellos. They usually wear hats to cover their shaven heads but my (undead) friends say you can tell from their shaven eye brows and the fact that they tend to pay with 20B bills (from their alm collections!). I agree that Wat Phra Singh is worth a visit for the things that Bob says. Also worth a visit is Wat Chedi Luang which is in the area. You can chat with the monks and ask them about Buddhism, local culture and history. My favourite is Wat Umong, with its extensive grounds, caves and tunnels. Perhaps due to its location, it is not as touristy as Phra Singh or Wat Doi Suthep - a serene sanctuary far from the madding crowds. You might just see me cycling in the area in the evenings. Best time to go is early in the morning just after dawn during the cool season. Bring a light jumper or sweater as it can get nippy at that time.