macaroni21

My guess is that this bar is not on Soi 6 , but on Anuman Ratchathon Lane.

The cat wanted to pose prettily for your camera

Vinapu's report leaves me in no doubt that he's in heaven.

Good article, If I may say so: After reopening, Thailand’s battered tourism struggles to rebuild https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/5/16/after-reopening-thailands-battered-tourism-struggles-to-rebuild QUOTE: “Tourists are going to go to other countries that have clearer COVID measures,” he said, condemning Thailand’s months-long debate over ending quarantine on entry. “Everyone knows that if the Thai authorities announce one thing in the morning they will change it by the evening. I think it’ll be a while before tourists feel more confident to return.” ANOTHER QUOTE: Despite the banner headlines about reopening, tourism is still far below pre-pandemic levels, when it attracted nearly 40 million people and generated more than $60bn of revenue, accounting for up to a fifth of the kingdom’s gross domestic product. Last month, forward bookings for 2022 showed Thailand had reached 25 percent of normal levels, compared with 72 per cent and 65 percent each for Singapore and the Philippines, respectively.

They still require a pre-departure PCR test before flying there. And this page which is supposed to explain entry requirements is as clear as mud: https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/sg-en/brd/m_2444/view.do?seq=761454&page=1 It's also somewhat macabre in that of all the various possible scenarios for going to Korea, the list begins with entry requirements for the scenario "Quarantine Exemption Application for Funeral Purpose" Might one think that is the biggest reason why people go to Korea?

End of July? Wasn't there some sort of master plan announced a couple of months ago aiming for 1st of July for full opening, i.e. abolishing the Thai Pass, etc?

I kinda agree. The gloomy Loi Kroh, Thapae and night market areas in the video mostly depended on tourists, and given the Thai governments hesitancy in reopening the country to tourism, it should hardly be surprising that these parts look the way they do. My recollection is that local Chiang Mai folks gravitate to the Nimmanhaemin area, to the northwest of the moated old city, on the road to the zoo and university. That's where the shopping malls and entertainment outlets for locals tend to be. If the video had included scenes from Nimmanhaemin, the overall impression may be less sad.

Here's a video that is probably quite recent, showing what Chiang Mai looks like to tourists. Depressing. The Kampaeng Ngam Hotel looks nice though, and just 550 baht per night (without breakfast). From Google Maps, I see it's in a relatively quiet side street.

For citizens of poorer countries, foreign travel is a big deal. It's a symbol of status, simply because such "luxury" is very costly compared to their cost/standard of living back home. I've seen many people dress up for this status event, in the same way we dress up to attend the opera even if, in truth, there's no one there whom we need to impress. We just feel that dressing up would be the appropriate thing to do in such a situation. The foregoing is my theory whenever I see unusually well-dressed tourists at bazaars and food courts of foreign countries. There's also a rather comical scene I recall -- from Buenos Aires airport around 20 years ago. This woman was all dressed up to board a flight. Unfortunately, she had too much metal jewelry on her. Obviously, there was no way she could make it through the metal detector. First she had to remove her earrings, brooches , bracelets and necklaces in full public view, but even then the metal detector went hysterical and it turned out that she had all sorts of metallic sequins sewn onto her glittering dress, so she was led away for a strip search. She sort of made a scene too about the risk of her jewelry being stolen while they went into the Xray machine in a tray, and how she would be separated from that tray when she was led away for the strip search. Officers eventually carried the tray with them into the strip room. I had a hard time controlling my laughter. What's the point of dressing up for the flight when you have to undress for the public in a busy airport?

I think mnay countries have a similar requirement for entry -- to be able to demonstrate that one has a ticket for departure before visa-expiry date. Alternatively, to be able to demonstrate that you have the financial resources to purchase such a ticket if you do not yet have one. Enforcement however is patchy, or it comes in waves, such as when overstayers hit the news and the government has to be seen to be doing something. Another possibility is that those of us holding Western (or richer Asian) passports tend not to be asked to show departure tickets (so, we forget the rule may exist) whereas visitors originating from poorer countries are more likely to be asked this question. Such "racial profiling" (if you wish to call it that) happens just as often at Western airports (maybe even more often) than Bangkok or Asian cities. Some years ago, I saw a long slow-moving immigration queue at Heathrow comprising passengers just off a New Delhi flight and, as I was in a parallel (fortunately, faster-moving) queue, I overheard the mostly-Indian passengers passing a message down their line saying, "take out your departure ticket to show the officer when you get to the counter".

That's a bummer.

As far as I can remember, I made just the one visit to Super A in the 1990s and never went back. The visit lasted no more than one minute. Even so, it made a deep impression on me, starting with my shock at seeing only emaciated bodies, with the guy nearest me whipping his cock out even before I had a chance to find a seat. Somewhere in one corner was a farang sucking off 2 or 3 boys who formed a semi-circle around him. Taking a deep breath and collecting myself, I chose a seat, but just as I was about to lower myself into it, I saw a small pool of cum on the faux leather. I sprang up, looked for another seat only to see torn upholstery everywhere else, and decided that I was not sitting down anywhere. I turned to leave, but in my hurry kicked a small coffee table, whose leg immediately gave way and the table collapsed. I could not flee down the stairs fast enough. (Actually, I'm not even sure it was Super A. It might have been some other bar in the general area, but it was an upstairs place.)

A typo? "Funny Boys" was a bar from years ago in Pattaya, wasn't it? Perhaps you meant Fresh Boys.

I don't remember Classic House as a place for hunky masseurs, but then my last visit for maybe 5 - 6 years ago and things change. Overall, Chiang Mai's gay bar scene for visitors has been in decline for 25 years or more and I am hardly surprised that there are few attractions left. There may still exist gay bars for locals, but these are drinking and dancing places where friends go together for a night out... not the kind of place to see nude performances or take escorts out. Or speak much English. In short, my view is that Chiang Mai is worth going only if you're into cultural attractions. Not for its virtually non-existent gay scene. The other thing to beware of if you're visiting in summer is the mid-day temperature. It can get scorching hot in the day, yet without much relief in the evenings. Even when the rains come (starting in June perhaps), it doesn't get significantly cooler, it only gets more humid.

I wonder how the massage- and gogo- talent hoping to enter Thailand via land crossings are going to show USD 10,000 worth of medical insurance.

Debating the particular - patpong and Pattaya bars - does not really throw light on the more general issue. The general point as I see it is that reader and perhaps some others hold non-discrimination as an article of faith. With quasi religious fervour. I have explained that there are situations where a rational consideration can justify discrimination, and that discrimination in such situations can produce social good valued by people. Z909 has pointed out that all over the world, discrimination exists and is accepted. Sometimes, the rationale is clear. Other times, e.g. snooker contests, the rationale is not. Especially when it's a private business*, the owner should be free to establish whatever customer policies he thinks serves his business goal, including making his business exclusive to one community. *The exception is when a private business has such large market share, it approaches monopoly position. But these rational arguments and real life examples will never convince true believers. Dogma is funny, isn't it?

Alright, you're compelling me to explain my reasoning. Speaking only of "discrimination" is too blunt and superficial a concept. A better way to think about the issue is to frame it with reference to (a) power (b) volume and (c) safe spaces. The concept of safe spaces is to permit small minorities or oppressed communities to have their own spaces which they can call their own and feel safe in. To enable such spaces, a degree of discrimination needs to be applied to keep the more powerful or more numerous out, otherwise the space becomes swamped or dominated by the powerful or the more populous. There is therefore an argument for women-only safe spaces, keeping men out. There is an argument for teenage girls safe spaces, keeping horny teenage boys and older men out. There is an argument for Muslim-only safe spaces (in heavily non-Muslim countries), keeping non-Muslims out (especially proselytising Christians). An argument for keeping anti-abortion protestors a minimum distance (several hundred metres) away from abortion clinics.... In the scale of things, hetero women are far more numerous than gay men, and therefore there is an argument for gay-male spaces that keep out hetero women, otherwise the tone of the space will change to cater to hetero women. The same argument can be made to keep out hetero men, but in practise the non-availability of boobs, tits and pussies would mean they have no interest in swamping the gay bar anyway. However, once boobs, tits and pussies get into a gay bar (in the form of women customers), you can bet the hetero men will follow. Thus the "slippery slope" I referred to above.

See https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/covid-19-travel-information.html

It's all flights into the US (unless my information is out of date). But one does not need a PCR. A rapid antigen test will do. Won't any doctor's clinic be able to do this? Then again -- any doctor's clinic -- will the clinic be able to issue a test certificate that meets US regulations? Better to ask. Based on my recent entry into the US, all it requires are these details: name, date of birth or passport number (and country), type of test, date of test, who performed the test, test result.

Good idea.

After having visited Thailand's many kinds of gogo bars over the years (decades), I'm of the view that there's a downside to too large a space. Lucky Boys of Patpong 2 (which I understand has not reopened) is one such space I would consider too large. It makes it hard for eye contact and smile contact, and therefore tends to reduce the boys to mere statutes. This is not to say that (if rent is affordable) a large floor area serves no purpose. I can imagine a smart operator splitting a large area into several, more intimately-sized rooms with a different vibe in each room to suit various tastes. Some customers like drag shows; others like shows with full-on nudity; yet others just want to mingle with boys, talk and tip them with the aim of finding a suitable guy to take out. But first and foremost, the space must remain a gay male space. Owners must keep women out, in my view. Once they are let in, it's a slippery slope. The dancers (mostly straight) tend to pay attention to them over the gay male customers. Then women's tastes begin to change the flavour of the club (i.e. men in jeans preferred over nudity), and then the girls' hetero boyfriends start to go with them to the club.... and that's the end of the business as far as I am concerned. I recently read a comment somewhere about a Montreal bar (Stock bar, I think) letting more and more women in. Their gay customers then complained that screaming hordes of women utterly destroyed any gay vibe there used to be. The trouble with Western countries is this madness about non-discrimination and how it may be illegal to bar women from entering (but yet, it is OK to bar men from entering some clubs especially on Ladies Nights). I am all for discrimination in such matters. But it'll be a long thesis for me to explain my thoughts and reasoning, and I will spare you that.

As Thailand was announcing this half-measure of a relaxation, Singapore announced complete removal of all pre-departure testing for vaccinated travellers. On-arrival testing had been removed some weeks earlier. Now, only an online health declaration needs to be conpleted -- the online version of the pre-Covid arrival card, I guess with a few more Covid-related questions, perhaps. Thailand needs to scrap its insurance requirement and its Thai Pass system, which by all accounts, is slow and inefficient.

When a bar (or massage place) has more customers during weekends than weekdays, it usually means that it is drawing mainly local customers, not tourists. Here, by 'local' I mean folks resident in Thailand including expats. In pre pandemic years past, I have not noticed much difference between weekday and weekend traffic. The businesses then were heavily reliant on tourists, not locals. We will know when tourism has fully revived when weekend/weekday traffic evens out. Bkk bars and massage places used to have a distinct surge in customers during the major holiday periods of east Asian countries, particularly 1st week May and 1st half Oct, in addition to Christmas and new year. I wonder if we will see a surge in a month's time (May). If so, it will be a good sign, though personally for me, these are periods I avoid.

This thread is being bombed ... by a business providing female escorts! Shudder!

Here's a recent review of Thai Airways' business class from Bangkok to Heathrow. Has service deteriorated after the huge losses the airline suffered as a result of the pandemic?