PeterRS

You think the Iranian people are fighting for free and fair elections? What planet are you on? Hardly any now know what that means! Ever since the Brits and the CIA mounted the coup that got rid of their last freely elected Prime Minister Mosaddegh in 1953, there have never been free and fair elections. Iranians have only known dictatorships, increasingly repressive, megalomaniacal and murderous ones. Iranians do not forget that it was the USA's weapons and cash that enabled the hated Shah to hold on to power and to continue through his Sawak Secret police his murderous regime. Without all that American aid, the Shah could never have survived - and the result of that would almost certainly have been no Khomeini. Nor do Iranians forget that when Saddam Hussein started the 8-year Iraq/Iran War, it was with Saddam that the USA sided. And what happened to Saddam? The Iranians know well that the USA turned 180º against him. Further, as we now know from CIA documents declassifed in 2013, the USA never once pushed Saddam to stop using chemical weapons against the Iranians. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/08/26/215733981/new-details-on-how-u-s-helped-saddam-as-he-gassed-iran Which country called Iran part of the "Axis of Evil"? Which country has not only frozen vast sums of cash owed to the Iranians, it has persuaded others to do so as well leading to the Iranians being owed around $100 billion of its own cash? Which has led the movement to place sanction after sanction on the country? You clearly forget these were all actions of or started by the USA and pressed on its allies. And if you think Iranians in general might even consider placing any trust in the USA which with its ally Israel has also bombed the hell out of them in recent weeks - starting, let's recall with a US missile which murdered 170+ girls aged 7-12 in their school - you have with respect very little idea about Iranian thinking. FYI this mural still remains on the wall of the old US Embassy building in Teheran! PS: I doubt if the Iranians hold much faith in free and fair elections. They wiill have noted that such a process elected Trump and Netanyahu!

The US could not occupy Iran. Let's get that very clear. It did indeed occupy Iraq with near disastrous consequences for it had no clue what it was really doing - one result being the rise of ISIS. But Iran is four times larger than Iraq - four times! Further, the deserts in Iran are nothing like the deserts in Iraq. They are not sand. They are basically a wide mix of some of the highest stony sand dunes on the planet, barren salty desert and high rugged mountains. Desert areas cover more than 50% of the country. Only around 10% of the country is what we might call lowland. Then there is the heat! Some of the hottest temperatures ever recorded on our planet were 82.2ºC (180ºF) near Iran's Qeshm Dayrestan Airport in August last year. For a long time the Lut Desert had the highest temperature ever recorded on earth at 70.7ºC. That was exceeded last year when the Lut Desert recorded 80ºC. Humans die at such temperatures if exposed for much more than ten minutes without massive hydration. How long would troops carrying a lot of equipment last? Remember, too, that Iran has a severe shortage of water. While we're at it, let's also recall that if the present negotiations in Pakistan fail and Trump is idiotic enough to try and invade, he will be doing so at the hottest time of the year. I would certainly fear for the lives of US forces in such conditions, the more so as you have to cross deserts to get to many population centres. On my two-week trip to Iran in 2017, I had to spend two days crossing deserts and each time I prayed the car I was in would not break down! Then there is the population. Before the war, Iraq had a population of between 24 and 25 million with 432,000 in its armed forces. Iran's population is generally agreed to be around 92 million and we know that it has much larger armed forces than Iraq in the Revolutionary Guard. We also know that Iranians are a proud and passionate people, jealous of their 2,500 year old Empire. Iraq only became a state in 1921. America's forces are already almost overstretched. A ground war would require massive conscription. After the disaster of Vietnam, the US public will never stand for that again unless the US homeland is being invaded. https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/human-induced-climate-change-compounded-by-socio-economic-water-stressors-increased-severity-of-5-year-drought-in-iran-and-euphrates-and-tigris-basin/

There is no way the US can occupy Iran.

I think the reason Japan now seems more affordable is simply because it is!! The ¥ has fallen by more than half its value against the US$ and the spa owners don't seem to have been quick of the mark at adjusting prices. On the other hand, why should they adjust prices given that the vast majority of their clients are Japanese guys? With the usual large number of Chinese tourists virtually banned from visiting Japan by their government, now is almost as cheap as the Japan has been for tourists for decades.

Thanks for taking us behind the paywall. As far as the above comment is concerned, today it does indeed seem farcical. But looking 2 or 3 years into the future, is it any more farcical that Germany would become an ally of the UK and the USA, or that Vietnam become an ally of the USA? Israel is never going to get rid of Iran and Iran is never going together rid of israel. I can certainly see a situation where the Middle East is torn apart and then carved up between them. Surely that would be preferential to a bunch of individual states which were carved out of the desert and created from scratch by Brtain and other colonial powers?

Do we know for sure that Netanyahu persuaded Trump? To me that is spin and I have no idea if it is true or false. I believe Netanyahu is very much at the bottom of the quagmire the US is now in, but I doubt if Trump would have started a war unless he knew Netanyahu was going to back him up with a vast arsenal of weaponry. I know little about AI. But if his vdos are AI speak, they sure make a great deal of sense.

I have paid little attention to the pundits on TV and elsewhere about the Middle East War, partly because I do not trust a word of what politicians and so-called decision makers in any country are saying. However, as I sometimes do, I pick up nuggets from youtube. Some admittedly is crap - and I have recently been guilty of repeating one crap entry, for which I again apologise. This morning, though, I listened to a video explanation by Canadian educator Jiang Xueqin (who is not actually a professor) of how he believes the war has to end. Hong Kong's South China Morning Post has dubbed him China's Nostradamus. I have never listened to any of his vdos before - and i admit I am slightly baffled by the comment on the top left "Altered or synthetic comment" as I do not know what it means! But I find much of what he says to be logical and worth hearing. Part of the reason for going to war was new to me - especially the petrodollar issue. And part of what he predicts could be one of the outcomes with shifting alliances in a Middle East without an American presence is at the least very interesting. I believe he is correct in sugeting that Iran will never trust America, if only because every time they have been in the midst of previous negotiations, the USA has torn them up. He believes that the USA has to withdraw from the Middle East partly because it will be overextended militarily, and that the resultant vacuum will be filled by Israel and Iran. The remaining Middle East states willl then align with one or the other - for their own interests. He believes that eventually Israel and Iran will eventually agree to co-exist - and that I do find more than somewhat difficult to believe. But then I really have no idea what to believe. I just find this analysis interesting. His entry on wikipedia states this - Jiang's Geo-Strategy episode, "The Iran Trap" (2024), has attracted international attention, predicting the re-election of Donald Trump in 2024 and escalating U.S. involvement in a conflict with Iran (cf. the 2025 and 2026 conflicts) and eventual U.S. loss in a prolonged conflict, the first two of which have come true as of 2026. According to India Today, other analysts had made similar predictions but "Jiang packaged them early and memorably."

I live in a totally different continent - in Asia - and there seems to be a few differences in attitude when it comes to protection from HIV with more using PREP and or condoms for casual sex. In my view, the type of sex you want is only partly your decision. Sex takes two people and if both wish it raw and both are aware of the dangers, so be it. But if one is not, then raw sex without either PREP or a condom becomes a different matter altogether. Sadly here in Bangkok there is a rise in HIV cases among young men in the 18-25 or so age group who attend saunas scattered mostly on the outskirts of the city. Around 7 in 10 of new cases are among young guys who seem to believe that unprotected sex is now safe. But 96.4% of new infections are linked to unprotected sex. I tend to agree with @KeepItReal. Actions have consequences and unfortunately for you your own have resulted in your being HIV positive. But what about all the seemingly many men you have sex with? Did you give thought to them, I wonder? And I am curious how will you modify your sexual behaviour taking account of your present HIV status?

15 years is a long time and memories fade. But it was in 2011 that Thailand was caught out in a mini scandal during Sonkran that had local tongues wagging for quite some time. That year, three young girls aged 13, 14 and 15 got overly into the Songkran spirit. On one of the days they climbed on to the top of a minivan at the top of Silom, took off their tops and danced much to the delight of many in the crowd. Unfortunately someone posted a video on youtube. The Bang Rak district director filed a complaint with the police and urged that obscenity charges be filed against the girls. He claimed the topless female revellers had hurt the image of Thailand and distorted Songkran culture. Even the Culture Minister joined in the condemnation, urging strong action against both the girls themselves and the Songkran organisers. The Minister seriously suggested the punishment should include the girls being required to read books about the Songkran Festival to young students so they could learn how serious this celebration is. Some queried why the Ministry of Culture should be the guardian of the nation's morals. Surely it's remit should be the finer things in life, about the arts and the preservation and development of traditional culture? But that’s not what the Minster thought at the time. The girls were then fined 500 baht each for "disturbing the peace" [peace over Sonkran???] and had to make grovelling public apologies about their lewd behaviour. But then someone noticed that the Ministry was being totally hypocritical. In the Bangkok Post, a photo appeared of the Ministry's own webpage. This showed - surprise, surprise - three Thai maidens each naked to the waist. Within minutes of that article appearing, the image had been taken down and replaced with a more sober image of Thai culture - but not before some wise guy had made a copy of the relevant web page. The Minister never explained how that image might have "hurt" the image of Thailand!! The Bangkok Post then continued with an article by a political analyst who happened to work in the Prime Minister's Department. It was ostensibly about an exhibition at the Koi Art Gallery in Bangkok. Titled Colour of Day / Colour of Night, this showed the work of two painters who “portray their totally opposite perception and interpretation of Thai society and the way of life of the subjects.” Part of it stated - It is not just corruption in the sense that officials take bribes and allow wrongdoing to take place. The acceptance that nothing can be done about the sex trade in Thailand, that this is part of a "normal" way of life, corrupts the minds of the people and bleaches into the ethical fabric of a society . . . The police and government authorities, by clamping down on the girls, and the enthusiasts who posted the video clips on the internet demonstrate the Thai hypocrisy and denial. By trying to quickly close the case and getting the news off the front page, the authorities are not addressing the real problem at all. If corruption is a root cause, hypocrisy and denial are what make matters worse. If one cannot look the truth in the eye and carry on pretending that darkness does not exist, then no problem will be resolved, and our sons and daughters will only sink further into condemnation . . . Sadly that Bangkok Post article is lost in the mists of time. But I posted about the entire episode in this forum on April 22 2011.

At least it gives some idea of what goes on in Bangkok during Songkran. This is the advance official link for 2026 and not a young man in any of it! But lots of pics from previous years can be found on the web. https://www.gcircuit.com/

Of coure you are correct, but isn't that one of the reasons @jimmie50 has asked his questions here on the forum? He genuinely wants answers to a whole variety of issues - and especially the potential pitfalls. Entering any relationship has its own set of probems. Entering one with a man much younger than yourself who lives half a world away - a world and cultures you do not know much about - and clearly has a dose of his own problems relating especially to lack of a visa and the nature of his employment has quite a few more. Starting a romance should be wonderful experience. Others here have found ways around problems. But surely you first have to know what the problems are or might be?

I have never dated a Cambodian and my partner is from Myanmar having had a good education and now working legally in Thailand with a very good employer. So my comments need to be taken with a pinch of salt! First, as @jimmie50 may not be aware, it is the law in Thailand that formal identification (usually through a valid passport) be carried at all times. Naturally there are ways around this as who wants their passport stolen from them. The most common form is a photocopy with the personal details and, importantly, the date of expiry of the visa or permit to stay. Reading this forum, I cannot recall any foreigner having been asked for his identification. After 25 years of living here, I certainly have never had anyone ask. On the other hand, a foreigner needs his passport for a number of transactions. Opening a bank account (if that is actually possible - and often it is not), any bank transactions, applying for a Rabit travel card, changing money at registered money changers, registering at hotels, picking up items from a post office . . . etc. There was a huge fuss made when the British Embassies stopped issuing passports in Asia more than a decade ago. The Thai Embassy did a deal with some private enterprise which now does all the passport transactions. But passports have to be sent to the UK Passport Office in Liverpool to be officially cancelled and then renewed. So a compromise was reached whereby a UK citizen submits a copy of each page of his passport to the enterprise and an inflated fee to cover the cost of sending the copies and the appication form to the UK and a courier to send the new passport back! The estiimated time was between 10 and 12 weeks! Thanks to a lawyer friend in London, when I had to renew two years ago, I learned that if you actually reside in the UK there is also a one-day and one-week process - at extra fees - at Issuing offices in London and Glasgow. Although not living in the UK for more than four decades, I decided to take my chance. I paid for a one week passport, was treated at the office with the utmost courtesy, told there was no problem with my not residing in the UK as long as I provided a UK address. End result. The new passport was delivered to that UK address by courier 48 hours later! I have no idea about the process for US citizens, but an American friend regularly swears blue murder about it. Hopefully that information might help UK citizens living in Thailand. I raise it only because it highights an issue @jimmie50 might face unless he has several free pages in his current passport. If not, it might be advisable to get a new one before the first long stay in Thailand. And with all respect to previous contributors, if a young man with no valid papers is found by the police, whereas a decent amount of cash can usually get them to look the other way, there is no guarantee. Official overstay fees are Bt. 500 per day up to a maximum of Bt. 20,000. But - there are always 'buts' - anyone overstaying by 90+ days will also be banned from entering Thailand for one year. The ban increases by the amount of the overstay. If the overstay is five years, the ban is for ten years.

Maybe not the correct name, but they were internet sites which essentially provided identical information with pics to the apps which eventally appeared on telephones. I met several Thai guys from one in the late 1990s/early 2000s

I forgot to mention two other American expats I got to know in Thailand. Both with Thai partners. The first had been a lawyer whose Thai partner when we met was in his mid-40s and had a good job in a bank. The second had come to Thailand and was besotted with a younger bar boy. Stupidly he had not taken any contact details and so he returned specifically to try and find him. Eventually after a lengthy process they were reunited. They then rented an apartment in Bangkok where they lived together most of the time. I deliberately write "most". I knew the American and had coffee with him each month. He seemed really happy that he had given up his life in the USA. But I knew what he clearly didn't that I had learned from one of his friends, the Thai was actually married with two children.

I do hope you are correct. As i wrote earlier, I found it very difficult to cope with long distance relationships, even though I never had one with anyone who worked in the sex business. Basically out of fear - earlier I called it jealousy. If i found someone so attractive and wanted to spend all my time with him, I'd wonder who else might feel the same way when he was in his own country. And being apart for even just weeks at a time, would he being younger give into temptation? The thought that he would be spending the night with another man just nagged at me constantly - and not in a nice way. Perhaps I am just from a much older school! Most of the time that was probably stupidity on my part. But your Cam, who sounds a delighful young man, works in the sex trade. Reading the start of your post above, to be frank I cannot see any Bangkok gay bar willing to accept anyone as an employee if there is the condition "no offs". That is basically the reason for the bars. To make money through regular offs. Drinking with customers takes time, keeps a boy away from being offed by other customers and makes little profit. An off is basically pure profit. Decades ago, if an employee did not gain enough offs over a certain period, he was fired from the bar. Not sure of the situation now. I have some expat friends here in Thailand who have had relationships of well over 20 years with considerably younger Thais. Their Thai partners also did not work in the sex trade. One met through an app. Another in the disco DJ station. The first was already living in Thailand. The second in London but he soon managed to get a visa for his soon-to-be partner who then relocated to London. They will soon retire to Chiang Mai. The point is that whereas the first young Thai had his own business and did not require any financing for anything - apart from the house they had built together on the outskirts of Bangkok - the second was a student who on graduation found well-paid work. I do sugggest on your next long visit, you do not spend all your time with Cam no matter how strongly you feel about him. Go on the apps and meet up with guys who have decent jobs - even if only just for a coffee. At the very least that might reinforce your views on Cam.