PeterRS

Absolutely not. It's not as though my much younger partner and I hold hands while walking down the street (although I have no problem with those who do that) or French kiss while waiting at a Skytrain station (which I have seen gay farang tourists do!) In Thailand I have never once had any problems. When an earlier Thai partner and I visited Venice 20 years ago, he was a little surprised that some others in the breakfast lounge tended to look at us. I asked him at which tables, whereafter I started to spend time staring at the people sitting at those particular tables. They soon stopped! I am not on any social media platforms other than the gay apps. What people who read them think is their business. I could not be bothered in the slightest.

I read in one of the many reports that the pilot had refused to fly the helicopter into the Taiwan Strait. If the planned destination was in fact an aircraft carrier sailing through the Strait, the route hugging the coast northwest of Taipei is relatively unpopulated and northeast virtually unihabited due to large cliffs. So apart from the city of Keelung, such a flight might not have aroused much suspicion from the land. But there are many aircraft landing and taking off from both the international airport at Taoyuan and Songshan city airport in Taipei making navigation of an illegal flight far more likely to be spotted since virtually all the commercial aircraft will be a relatively low altitudes. According to the report, the pilot had discusssed changing the departure point to Kaohsiung in the south and arrival on a carrier not far away where there would be far less chance of its being spotted. But who knows? Stranger things have happened.

Many websites have reported today's devaluation as "more than 50%". Bloomberg states it is 54%. No doubt this will result in price rises. But perhaps not immediately. I recall the Asian Economic Crisis in 1997 which started when the speculators forced Thailand to abandon the Baht/US$ currency peg. The immediate result was a 10% drop in the Baht in 1 day. Thaland was not as used to devaluations as Argentina and the result was that many shop owners did not immediately raise prices. I recall a field day spending on all manner of goods in January 1998 when the Baht was down by 52%. Many major items were still at the pre-devaluation price.

No doubt these Japanese businessmen will all require letters from their companies to say what good chaps they are and how essential to new businesses they will be. And of course, the letters will all be in Japanese with the Thai elves and goblins in their attics (my new name coined a few posts ago which I rather like) reaching for their google translate apps.

Thanks @unicorn for that detailed explanation. Whatever happens with Trump - and hopefully he will be behind bars unless the conservative sex pests (two of them) on the Supreme Court weigh in to ensure that he can return to office and stay out of jail long enough to pardon himself and all his clan and cronies - I totally fail to understand why Biden is running again, unless he has a monster ego. I have written before that if the average working man has to retire beween 65 and 70, politicians, judges and their ilk should likewise have to step down at roughy the same age. Some people will argue that this could stop someone with a brilliant brain like a Warren Buffet (albeit he works in a different field), from being elected. So what? Aren't there ageing Presidential advisers by the hundreds? For the free world to have a leader taking office at the age of 82 should he be re-elected and continuing into the second half of his 80s, is in my view ridiculous. The chance of anyone that age having to step down if not dying in office must be pretty high. And that leaves the Vice-President to take charge with the ultra right-wing leader of the House next in line. With Kamala Harris virtually a non-starter on the world stage, the leaders of Russia and China must be as thrilled as anyone. How could the Democratic Party leaders not have planned for Biden as a one-term President and then prepared itself and the country for a confirmed next in line? Does Biden have the right to make all the major decisions? From what I have read, the anti-vaccination Robert Kennedy is a joke with all his conspiracy theories, whatever good he may have done in other areas. He's also been convicted of using heroin. From what you write about Ralph Nader in 2000, isn't that basically the problem with occasional individuals who decide it would be a nice idea to be President. Yet what would be wrong with a third and perhaps a fourth political party with different platforms, each fielding candidates iin most or many states? Yes, I know! It's money! The present system is so entrenched, the big money donors would never stand the establishment of other parties. And here again the Supreme Court weighed in to ensure that there was no stopping mega-donors. So is this not just one of many good reasons for having a Supreme Court that is not made up of political appointees? I wonder how many times Biden has regretted his railroading of Clarence Thomas on to the bench, especially when he refused to allow other witnesses to Thomas' sexual peccadilloes to testify. I always slightly cringe when I hear America's leaders of virtually all persuasions talk about democracy and how the US is the most democratic country in the world. In terms of the number of positions from President down to County Sheriff that have to be regularly elected, that may be true. But as an example of true democracy where the country's eaders are elected freely and fairly, the US is hardly in any position to lecture others. Being fair, neither is Britain; or France; or Italy; or Japan; or Singapore . . . the list goes on and on. There have been threads on this forum calling for a greater and more transparent democracy in Thailand. Under the present constitution, Thailand's democracy is rigged. But isn't the US Presidential election also rigged, only in a different way? Is there in fact any free and fair democracy anywhere in the world?

That there are already 6,000 Japanese businesses operating in Thailand, the new visa measure makes a great deal of sense. The surprise is it was not enacted earlier.

If China was not spying on Taiwan and attempting to do little things like stealing a helicopter would be the real surprise! All countries spy on others.

As for "scattershot", I certainly can not agree. In most cases they broaden the discussion which can create longer and often more interesting threads. Not always, but on a good few occasions. And as for "contempt", if anyone suggests in their wording contempt, even if that is not quite what they mean, this is surely understandable given cultural and historical precedence. Think back only a few decades and the prevalence of words like prostitute, faggot, queer, poof, fairy, fruitcake, nancy boy . . . these and many other descriptions were both widely held and frequently used. My father was a very understanding and compassionate doctor, but even he referred to one of the middle-aged men who worked in the local pharmacy as "one of those!" In 1979 Tenessee Williams was attacked by a gang of 5 teenagers in Key West following remarks in an anti-gay newspaper run by a Baptist minister. In 1998 Matthew West was brutally murdered coming out of a gay bar. In Sydney 88 men were murdered for being gay by anti-gay youth gangs in Sydney between 1970 and 2010. Some of the perpetrators were as young as 12. The stigma that gay sex bore for generations can not be wiped out in a year or two. And the additional stigma borne by those who ran gay establishments and in essence were "pimps" is even harder to change. But then I do agree that in a forum such as this, every poster should make every effort not to go by historical precedence.

Thanks for correcting me. One thing has always nagged at me - and it affects other countries as well. Why just a 2-party system? In my lifetime I can only remember one third party candidate having any major effect in the USA - Ross Perot in 1992 when he gained nearly 19 milion votes. Was there ever a time when there was a credible third party? I know at one time Britain did have a credible third party in first the Liberal Party and its later incarnation in the 1980s as the Liberal Democrats. After initial enthusiasm it basically died. The Liberal Party had been a major political player in the 19th and early 20th centuries but then became merely a rump of about a dozen parliamentarians. Its leader had been a man obviously very full of his own importance, Jeremy Thorpe, who had married the divorced wife of a cousin of the Queen despite being homosexual - and well known as such in parliamentary circles. Thorpe had been in a longish relationship with a riding instructor and part time model named Norman Scott whom he had met when Scott was 20. For 14 years this on-again off-again relationship continued until Thorpe decided it had to end to ensure survival of his political career. He persuaded friends to murder Scott. It was a hugely bungled affair which led only to the killing of Scott's dog! The trial of Thorpe and his co-conspirators took place on 1979. The judge was very obviously totally biased, callng Scott "a fraud, a sponger, a whiner, a parasite," and another of Thorpe's accusers "a humbug!" To all that he reminded the jury to pay attention to Thorpe's distinguished record of public service. Thorpe was acquitted despite 99% of the public certain he was guilty. It was the end of Thorpe's career. The affair was made into a rather good BBC series A Very English Scandal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OK-1hwEmA8&t=2s

One of the joys of walking along a beach in the evenings is the peace and calm, the gentle lapping of the waves and the lack of crowds in the relative darkness. This nonsense about "pleasing beachgoers" is another of those mad ideas thought up by the elves and goblins. I have such happy memories of my time working in Tokyo when groups of Japanese would place tarpaulins on the ground, eat, drink and enjoy themselves under the sakura on the few days it was in bloom. All the light they needed were parafin lamps with their pleasing glow. I remember, too, lovely evenings dining at The Boathouse in Phuket before it was virtually destroyed by the 2004 tsumani and rebuilt as a much more modern establishment. The dining room had full length windows all open to the beach with the water merely meters away. It was a particularly good restaurant with both western and Thai menus and allegedly the finest wine cellar on the island - not that I was ever able to afford more than the cheapest bottle. But dining without even gentle music in the background - merely waves lapping on the sand - was almost idyllic.

Relationship I'm delighted to say! As I have reported I am a free agent when I travel but I have never hired merely because there are many guys around who seem to want to spend time with me. 😁

This might perhaps have just been natural modesty, a quality of quite a few Thais and some other Asians.

Unfortunately it is not actually in either of the two Immigration Halls. It is between the two.

With this I cannot agree. I am certain there are some other big tippers out there who happily spash the level of cash which makes most posters and readers here wince. I remember a middle-aged Thai in one of the Twilight bars at least 10 years ago hand out literally handfuls - yes, handfuls - of 100 baht bills to many of the boys as though there were lots more where these came from. Indeed, I always had the feeling the few Thai customers who by that time continued to patronise the bars paid better than farang. Equally, though, as we know, there are the stingy lot who will always give as little as possible and then complain that anyoe paying more is distorting the 'market'!. Does anyone tip as much in the go-go bars as the Chinese/Japanese ladies who all but throw 1,000 baht bills at the handsome guys on the Moonlight runway? And that's just in the bar. In my many bar hopping years, I never knew what the rate was or even if there was a rate. Never once did i ask a mamazan. I gave what I felt reasonable and it was always accepted with a smile - except just once with a boy from Screwboy who had the cheek to ask for 500 baht more. Given what i already handed over, that indeed was cheek! He didn't get it!

Just for information of other travellers, the Priority Lane still exists at BKK. It has been moved but only around 50 meters to the East. Certain categories automatically get free use of the service, including those over 70, APEC Business Travel card holders, Thailand Elite members and others - see photo. Although it states that FIrst and Business Class travellers gain access, I have found in the past this is not true for every airline, especially the budget ones with a premium class since they have to pay for their passengrs to use fast Track. Legacy carriers have no problem. Best to double check in advance.

Alas no! I hesitate to comment on what is a marvellously written account of your trip to Thailand. But I I'd suggest your conversion rates are incorrect. Thailand works in litres (which you may well have factored in) and one litre is somewhere in the region of US$1.25 for gas - somewhat less for gasohol and so it depends on the vehicle. By my reckoning that makes roughly US$4.70 per gallon of gas.

You give them too much credit! What I'd like to know is how this pleasant new beach is going to be protected from the natural wave effect of beach erosion. There is no way of which I am aware to prevent wave erosion other than to construct wooden pier-type sea wall structures that run from the costline right into the sea and located every 60-80 meters or so.The is especially true of a beach that is essentially flat. The only other method is regular sand replenishment which can be horribly expensive. Ocean City in Maryland spent US$40 million on beach nourishment but this can also be harmful to the eco-system. It also requires sand to be constantly replaced. From a Bangkok POst article in June 2020, it seems that 680,000 cubic meters of sand will be transferred from Koh Rang Kwian. Presumably therefore constant replenishment will be required - and someone in future will have to pay for it. The northern Scottish city of Aberdeen used to be known as the "Silver City by the Golden Sands" a result of many holdings being constructed of granite which gleams in sunlight and a very long large beach. When the beach started eroding many decades ago, the CIty Council installed the structures seen in this photo. They are ugly and I have no idea how effective they have been in the longer term. Not very, if the photo is anything to go by. But I cannot see what is being utilised to stop sand erosion in the new Jomtien Beach.

There are so many wise words and observations in @macaroni21's post. My somewhat extensive experience here and elsewhere in the region is also that younger guys - generally speaking - are more embarrassed now to be known by their peers about buying sex. And since most tend to travel in groups of two or more, this can be a potent deterrent. It was all so different when my generation was their age. We came from countries where in many cases it had been illegal to be found in gay acts or where homophobia was rife. If in the UK such prominent people as one of the country's greatest actors Sir John Gielgud (entrapment in a public lavatory) and the code-breaker Alan Turing whose work it is said had shortened the Second World War by almost two years had to go through the humilitation of public court trials for being gay ultimately leading so sadly to the suicide ot Turing, what chance had we lesser mortals of expressing our sexuality? We then found Asia and the male nudity aplenty in bars like 69 Retiro Strip in Manila and Twilight in Bangkok. We were in naturally in 7th heaven! Youngsters nowadays, however difficult it may be for them to come out of the closet, have a multitude of outlets for free sex, much of it anonymous if they wish. Why therefore pay for it other than the entrance fee for a sauna? I beieve many of us forget that in the late 1970s and 1980s, the majority of patrons in go-go bars were Thais! It was not unusual to see no farang in Apollo bar and less than a handful in Twiilight, even at weekends when a little guy was packing the floor space with temporary seating as customers swarmed in - and there must usually have been at least 80 customers. Barbiery later seemed to pack 100 in at week-ends, again mostly Thai. I have always wondered where the Thais then disappeard to. Massage spas and saunas no doubt. and also to the gay sections of the many basically straight dance clubs that began to appear off Sukhumvit especially up near Thonglor. My guess is that they were not comfortable sitting in a go-go bar with an increasing number of farang or where they might be seen by their peers. So they migrated to places where they could be with their own group of friends and fellow gays in gay sections of surroundings which were not generally known as gay. Reinventing is something few go-go bars seem to even consider. We've read before about X-Size bar in Soi Twillight which in the early 2000s did try someting new with, in addition to go-go boys, a group of excellent dancers and dance students doing often great dance routines. But the production was poor with long gaps between the numbers when customers just got bored. When X-Size died, the dancers were taken on by the German across the soi. But they did not last there and ended up for a few months in Roxy in Soi 4. But the desperate lack of what I will just call a producer/director killed them. Which was sad. I recall going back many years when @Gaybutton was not merely an active member of this forum but also a Moderator. He was I beieve one of the first to lament the lack of entertainment offered by the go-go bars. His view was echoed by many that the go-go bars had ceased to be fun! Barbiery had it in spades. Hotmale did its best. Classic Boys had the water tank with increasingly dirty water that I'm surprised no boy caught an infection. But in most it was generally same-old same-old. With all respect to @reader and his view which no doubt will be supported by many, my view of a go-go bar is not a more expensive indoors version of a host beer bar where the guys are dressed, the off fees higher and the booze more expensive. Is that really what go-go is all about? Perhaps in the third decade of the 21st century, it is. I just don't know. Is that what is going to attract customers whose command of English is almost zero? Again I just don't now. I wish i did and then perhaps @Olddaddy and I could go into business opening our own bar somewhere LOL (see @Olddaddy's thread about opening a business in Thailand!)

Only sex LOL!

So bars can stay open till 4:00 am. What if a paron who tests positive on the breath test is leaving at 3:39 am? Where does he sober up? And perhaps someone who thought up this mad scheme can recall how long it takes actually to sober up. If someone has drunk 8 beers over the course of an evening, he'll likely have to remain somewhere ifor around 12 hours. I think there must be a little attic somewhere staffed with elves, goblins and, for those who are operatically minded, Nibelungen whose sole job it is to think up these mad schemes and then send them down by old pressure tubes that used to be common in department stores 60 years ago to the relevant ministry for pronouncement as policy!

My very first go-go experience was taking two boys upstairs to a rather dingy room and having them perform on the bed while I sat on a nearby chair. At one point the bottom indicated I should just come and sit on the bed where he undid my zipper and . . . well, you can guess what happened thereafter. I can see no reason why you cannot get a few boys together to be naked in your room. The important thing I suggest is that they sholud all know each other and be happy being naked around the others. So just get the cutest boy you fancy and ask him to make a list of those he's happy to be with. As long as they all get tips, you'll have fun! You re probably right but I do find it strange that as they are almost always going to be fully nude in your room, why are customers not permitted to see the boys in all their glory before you get as far as the room? It need'nt necessarily be a line-up. The boys could appear naked individually in a small room.

I did a four-day trip from Bergen up past the Arctic Circle to the lovely town of Tromso. I had found a lovely little hotel in Tromso where in addition to all-day tea and coffee in the little lounge, they served pancake mix and various jams in the early evening. I'd never seen that before.

Like some parts of the US constitution, the electoral college no doubt seemed a worthy idea when it was adopted so that the large coastal states did not have a lock on the presidency. But it is now vastly outdated. As is having a more than 2-month period between the date of the election and the confirmation of its result. In the old days of horse and buggy, again it was probably a sensible and honest proposal to ensure that every vote counted. Now in the days of supercomputers and the like, there is absolutely no reason for the USA not to have something similar to that which operates in the UK. The UK's general election results are confirmed usually within a maximium of 30 hours (and that is only to allow those outer islands votes to be counted and relayed back), the outgoing Prime Minister is out of Downing Street that evening and the new Prime Minister is in the following day - more or less. We saw the hanging chad nonsense in 2000. We have all witnessed the ghastly Trump continuing to do everything in his power to declare the 2000 election which threw him out invalid. It is almost unbelievable that, no matter that states control their own voting systems, in a Presidential election for the most powerful man in the world, there is not a separate uniform countrywide system of voting in all states whose taliies cannot be questioned. Recounts in the UK where ballots are hand counted freqently take place. But they do so on the spot in the vote counting halls so that the recount result comes only hours after the intial disputed tally.

Now if only someone had told me this, I would have booked a longer trip! As it was, I really wanted two days at the astonishingly beautiful and hugely memorable Jiuzhaigou National Park which covers three large valleys and which I reached by short flights up to its airport 3,500 meters at the top of a mountain. But I could easily have added a few more days at the end to enjoy more of the beautiful scenery (oops guys) in Chengdu!