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For those who will be in Pattaya - there will be a Gay Pride parade on Saturday 27 June. https://www.facebook.com/Prpattayacity/posts/พัทยาเดินหน้า-pattaya-international-pride-2026-จัดยิ่งใหญ่ริมชายหาด-2628-มิยนี้-/1400999792051925/

Years back - I wandered into the home toys when I bought a Fleshlight, jack-pack, jack sleeve, electro-stim, etc. What I found is that in the first 1 to 2 months I was really into them and then their excitement and newness would eventually fade away and I found myself eventually throwing them away or "donating" them to somebody that I knew. What I realized is that there is nothing that can replace the excitement of a new human encounter and the mystery that comes with that.... However, with the eventual advances in humanoid AI technologies - perhaps in our future we might be enticed to buy/rent/lease a sex toy humanoid that is programmed to deliver a new experience each time ? https://landing.candynetwork.ai/lp1?var_text=21&gender=male&uid=903&oid=27&affid=546

You are still too young to talk about elder care: I agree with you about physical fitness - which I still do. But, going to the gym won't help our mental fitness for those of us who may encounter Alzheimer and/or dementia later in life - we may get lost in the gym or on the way to the gym 🤪🤔😟

Part of my pension income comes from the UN pension system, which does not have an EIN (Federal Tax ID number) - as the UN is exempt from this requirement for all nationalities except us Americans. Consequently, the page(s) of the IRS 1040 filing that require the EIN to identify the source of that passive income is NULL - thus blocking my ability to file electronically - as an EIN is a requirement to be able to file electronically. Therefore, that page of my 1040 needs to be printed manually and then a footnote entered onto the tax return, which states that this passive income originates from within the USA but without an EIN due to the treaty signed with the UN Common System. In the many countries (outside of the USA), most governments exempt UN pension payments from taxation. Yes. When I need to try to login to the ssa.gov website I need to use the VPN as if I am from within the USA and to use the FireFox browser - as all of my other browsers (Explorer and Chrome) never work. However, the above strategy only works occasionally - thus needing to do it several times in a day and/or spread out over many days. I am not sure if there is an issue with the time difference between Thailand and the USA? I seem to have better luck when I try to enter in the night time here in Thailand when it is early morning in the USA.

I am not aware of any. But, whenever I need to go somewhere new I use the #hashtag feature in Twitter (X) to find what I am looking for. In the below example, I used the hashtag = #altermanila and many returns were reported. In the Philippines they tend to use the #alter tag to identify the gay world. Just add the city, province, zone after the word alter and you will be provided a query result of all the alters in that area. Below is an example when I inserted the hashtag = #altermakati sometimes the users on X like to name the area with alter afterwards - as in the below example they used the hashtag = #makatialter A lot of what is written is in Tagalog - so you will need to use a translator to decipher what it is they are looking for or offering. good luck.

@brall3 and this my friend is probably the eventual death knell of Boyztown. Truly sad, because back in the day, I LOVED the 9pm sexy red carpet parade march of the nude torso BoyzBoyzBoyz models out on the street, where if you did not already get an outside bar seat by 8:30pm you were not going to have an up close and personal view of the sexy guys. The phenomena currently occuring to Boyztown is similar to when the anchor store leaves a once popular shopping mall. Without a good anchor (attraction) the foot traffic decreases and the remaining stores (bars) struggle to stay profitable. Furthermore, for the annual Pattaya gay pride events - Boyztown's support and participation is often absent. This is sad considering the long history of Boyztown.

This was exactly true when I lived in Budapest for 8 years. One of my main massage guys was a military bi army guy and his wife was ok with it - as long as his customers were male. After many years of getting to know him, I also got to know his wife - as he would often call her to say that he was at my place and I would often speak to her. Unfortunately, that bastard was using me as an alibi to go with other women - because unbeknownst to me he was telling his beautiful wife that he was going to massage me but was instead f$%king other women. So, one evening she called me frantically looking for him and I told him that he was not at my place and that is when everything was exposed. She was angry at him for going with other women and I was mad at him for using me as an alibi to go with other women. On Thursday evenings, at the Action Bar (now closed) in Budapest was a reoccurring event = "Get to know your escort night" and the owner of the bar would invite the many escorts to sit and drink with the customers. I had the hots for one of their regulars who performed in the Oral Academy show on the weekends and he was at the Thursday night event with his wife. I bought both of them a drink and I asked him if I could have a private session with him at my place and he told me to talk to his business partner (his wife) to negotiate the deal. After agreeing on the deal terms I said to her, aren't you jealous? She replied no - I get to manage and approve who he goes with and it brings in extra income into our household. Amazing.

@10tazione - if you will head over to Cebu - note that they have created a fairly new (less than 1 year old) Telegram group = anonymous cebu It has more than 35 channels within the main channel. I highlighted some of the more interesting channels (see below screenshot). As of recently, they exceeded 3,500 members. https://t.co/mm6PgGHxPI --> Use your phone's auto AI language translation feature and activate it - as the postings tend to be 90% or more in Tagalog. This also works in the Thailand LINE/Telegram massage forums. This approach is similar to the recent move of the Thailand LINE massage groups over to Telegram, as LINE has been cracking down on some of the more fun aspects in the Thailand Massage_Insider related groups. Enjoy!

perhaps more like a synchronized edging session 🤪🍆💦 = "The masseurs gave each other click signals with the tongue to keep in sync with the "progression" of the massage" Is it difficult to stay in sync with the click signals? Is the sound of the multiple finales audible ?

Thanks @t0oL1. This video is very timely - as this is the year that I turn 65 and I had to recently make my USA SSA Medicare election - remotely from here in Thailand - which is not an easy feat - as their ssa.gov site is not always available from Thailand - so it requires many attempts and that can be anxiety producing. Anyway, I made my Medicare election for Part A = YES and Part B = NO - as I don't see myself ever returning to live/retire in the USA. The estimate of $9,500 USD per month for assisted elder care is very accurate, as that is the amount (more or less) that my mother had to pay during the last 3 years of her life for assisted elder care in Long Island, New York. It was during that period that I knew that I could never afford to have assisted elder care in the USA - as that greatly exceeds my monthly income sources. Last year, I had the opportunity to "live" in Cebu, Philippines for 2 months and 4.5 months in Da Nang, Vietnam and those 2 opportunities helped me to understand where I might want to finish the last years of my life - during the assisted elder care phase - hopefully not for another 6 to 12 years out. Da Nang had been my first choice, but after being there for 4.5 months I realized that it just would not be sustainable - because, contrary to what he said in this video, there is no 1 year visa - there is only the 90 day tourist visa, where you need to either take the Da Nang to Laos bus (an all day 12 to 14 hour affair) or fly out to a nearby country and then return some days later. Having to do this 4 times per year in an assisted elder care phase of life is just not practical. For me, Cebu was too urban for my liking - even over at the beach side at Mactan Newtown. Consequently, I plan to research other areas (Boracay and Palawan) in the next years and I will apply for the "for life" SRRV retirement visa next year. Since I retired from a type of employer that is included in the SRRV Courtesy option, I can obtain the SRRV Courtesy visa where the requirement to lock up funds in a bank account is only $1,500 USD instead of the normal requirement of $15,000 USD. Consequently, I have decided to obtain this SRRV Courtesy visa even if I will not live in the Philippines full time. https://www.srrvguide.com/ Regarding Thailand, in the video, he did not discuss the other long term visa options that are available, which are the 1.) Elite Privilege and 2.) BOI LTR Wealthy Pensioner visas. In the video he considers as a negative the need to renew the 1 year Vietnamese visa (which is false as it does not exist) but does not mention this same negative when he spoke about the Thailand traditional non-immigrant O retirement visa - which is a 1 year visa that needs to be extended each year. For the Bronze Elite Privilege it is valid for 5 years and the BOI LTR Wealthy Pensioner visa is valid for 10 years but needs to be extended at the end of the first 5 years. Below is a well written article regarding affordable senior care for the Philippines vs. Thailand. https://medium.com/@dennis_13378/philippines-vs-thailand-which-country-is-better-for-affordable-senior-care-5c01325ff845 In Thailand, there is a high concentration of excellent elder care facilities being located in the Chiang Mai area. Unfortunately, my desire is to finish my last years near the seaside. Very near to where I live here in Pattaya - there is an elder care facility - which is very close to the beach - but the building is a low level structure and there are no sea views and it is already full. They are expanding in other areas of Pattaya but these new facilities are farther away from the beach. Below is their website: https://www.pattayanursinghome.com/?lang=en If anyone knows of any other elder care facilities that are near a beach anywhere in Thailand - please let me know so that I can go and check them out. @t0oL1 I am already here in Thailand and I have successfully filed 4 different tax years of USA 1040 tax filings. I have never had any issues accessing my USA tax information from Thailand. I use the fantastic DHL office here in Jomtien to have my 1040 delivered to the IRS - and it has a great package tracking service. My most stressful issue so far is being able to successfully log into mySSA account for Social Security and Medicare related issues - as the web site, ssa.gov is quite finnicky and can take several attempts over many days to finally enter into mySSA account. Also, the Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) that assists us USA citizens is located in Manila - as there is no FBU unit here in Thailand. The Manila FBU team tends to be very responsive - but sometimes when I have issues with the ssa.gov site they send me to a 1-800 number that is back in the USA - and that experience tends to be not so pleasant.

Time to update this thread. Newest Jomtien Supertown Complex map was published 2 days prior on the gaysupertown facebook feeds: https://www.facebook.com/groups/supertowngay https://www.facebook.com/groups/gaysupertown It was published as a result of the nameless bar that is next to the Candy Bar being finally assigned a name = Jungle Boy. https://www.facebook.com/people/Jungle-Boy-Bar/ There are some other updates that are not yet reflected on the map: 1.) The Gus Bar (formerly the Club Lounge) has now been renamed = GREAT BAR The Gus Bar was previously associated with the nearby Sunee Intimate Bar. I tried to ask the guys what happened, but as is customary with the Thais my question was avoided and the topic changed. Gus Bar was one of the 2 known pillow bars in the complex. I visited the GREAT BAR the other night and I can confirm that the pillow activities are still happening - but it has less pillows (used for discretion) than the other pillow bar = M Bar has on offer. I could not find a new Facebook page for the Great Bar and the Gus Bar Facebook was still active, but the last update was last month. 2.) My Favorite Diner looks like it is about to open - soft opening activities seem to be already happening. Previously, it was reported here in our forum that the external bar that is attached to this entity (on the patio) had the name = "Bar in a Box". Perhaps that was a temporary name until the construction work on the My Favorite Diner could be completed? As the "Bar in a Box" was opened around the Songkran festivities period. https://www.facebook.com/stories/101551265603293/UzpfSVNDOjE1MjQ1MzY5MTI3OTIxNjI=/?view_single=1 3.) The Sutiyada massage shop (next to the Agate hotel - when walking towards Soda Massage) has now been taken over by Khun Best, from The Best Bar. The name of this new massage shop is = The Best Massage. 4.) Just prior to reaching the Boy GaGa bar, there are 3 new places: Narak Pets Cafe - enjoy food and drink while you relax with their pets. https://share.google/lqp7LuuynsFNO1lpO https://www.instagram.com/narakpetscafe/?e=192a07ff-4524-45de-9508-2aab3320658f&g=5 Schatzi's - still no new updates since the previous posting in this forum - however, I did see a "work in progress" web page being designed and tested for this establishment, which, if this web page is valid - it will be a restaurant, bar and also "hotel" - as there were some rooms listed in the draft web page that I was able to see from a random Google search. Indian Thali (Anny Company) restaurant. I could not find any related social media information for this new establishment - situated between the new Schatzi's and Boy GaGa bar. If you know of any other updates please post them as the Jomtien Supertown Complex is constantly changing and growing.

As promised, I contacted SWING Pattaya**, and they informed me that "due to budget limitations they are unable to organize the customary Pattaya Community Pride event" in Jomtien for this year 2026. The only outstanding feedback to obtain is if the Jomtien Supertown Complex will organize something for this year's gay pride. I will keep checking out the 2 related Facebook feeds for the complex to see if they will post a gay pride plan or update. https://www.facebook.com/groups/gaysupertown https://www.facebook.com/groups/supertowngay/ Stay tuned. ** https://www.instagram.com/swingpattaya/

Hi Kiwi306, I have attended both the Pattaya City and also Jomtien Complex (Supertown) Gay Pride events in year 2024. There were 2 distinct events on 2 different weekends in 2024. On Saturday 8 June 2024 there was a parade held in Jomtien on Thappraya Road, ending at the Dongtan gay beach area. It's name was Pattaya Community Pride 2024 and it was sponsored by SWING and the Jomtien Supertown Complex. After the parade there were festivities and dancing held within the Jomtien Complex later in the evening. The area at the Dongtan Beach was used for speeches and awards and prizes. On Saturday 22 June 2024 there was a parade held over in Pattaya City on Beach Road, ending at the Central Festival mall. It's name was Pattaya International Pride Festival 2024 and it was sponsored by PATTANA (the Thai conglomerate that owns the Central shopping malls throughout Thailand). The parade started at the Central Marina shopping mall over on Second Road (near Terminal 21) and then at the Dolphin Circle it turns left towards Beach Road and terminates at Central Festival. I enjoyed both events, but I preferred the Jomtien parade and related festivities because they were more grass roots organized, whereas, the Pattaya City parade is much more commercial, as it is sponsored by PATTANA. Also, I was disheartened that Boyztown was absent in the Pattaya City parade activities - which disappointed me, as Boyztown has been an integral part of the Pattaya City gay community since forever. It seems that the parade route for the Pattaya City 2026 pride parade will be the same as it was in year 2024: The above image was extracted from the Pattaya City Mayor's office meeting and was posted crocked by them as shown above. Below is the image that has been created for this year's Pattaya City Gay Pride event - with the parade to be held on Saturday 27 June: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLnCBdNSBbf/ There is still no news if SWING and/or the Jomtien Supertown Complex will organize any pride events for this year. Today I wrote an email to SWING Pattaya (Service Worker in Group Foundation) to see if they have any plans for this year. If they respond then I will post them here. Some photos/video from the 2024 Jomtien / Pattaya pride events: Jomtien Dongtan Beach - end of parade stage setup for announcements and awards ceremonies 20240608_171008.mp4 Jomtien 2024 Gay Pride parade video snippet (Thappraya road at the Dongtan Beach entrance) Pattaya City 2024 Gay Pride parade - at the beginning at the Central Marina mall on 2nd Road Pattaya City 2024 Gay Pride parade on Beach Road Note that also in June, Pattaya will be the host of the Circuit Festival Asia from 19 - 21 June https://www.instagram.com/circuitfestivalasia/ https://www.facebook.com/CircuitFestivalAsia/ In closing, note that on 6 May 2026, Thailand officially petitioned to host the year 2030 World Pride and is in competition with Barcelona. I believe that the final decision will be made in January 2027. https://www.sdperspectives.com/activities/road-to-bangkok-worldpride-2030-global-pride-hub-thailand/ https://www.interpride.org/worldpride/

Here in Da Nang - the beach is divided into many zones, where us swimmers are allowed to swim - where the area is indicated with; Yellow Flag - moderate surf and/or currents, Red Flag - stronger currents and waves are present, Double Red Flags - water is closed to the public. Our gayguides beach, in my opinion, is currently unsafe to swim in, and in my opinion is in a state of Red Flag. Consequently, I will not enter these dangerous waters until the gayguides lifeguards (i.e., the gayguide membership) do the necessary to make it safe again to swim in our gayguides beach. Case in point:

it varies by the time of day on Grindr . I see that Grindr peaks around start time at the massage shops - between 5pm to 6pm - and then fluctuates throughout the evening.. More importantly, it varies by the APP that you use. Grindr is the most popular APP for tourists passing through the Pattaya / Jomtien area. But, the NUMBER 1 - APP in my opinion, for us that live there - it is: Most Thais, Laos, and Cambodians - that is where they hang out. In third place is the APP - formerly BLUED. Good luck

yes - that is the longer term plan. As this was his first ever international trip - there was already enough angst to push this additional idea. And, it is super convenient for him, as he lives in the VT complex that is directly behind the Roong Reuang bus station in Jomtien: Look how much time it took me to finally take the Jomtien to Suvarnabhumi airport bus to Bangkok? Thanks to a certain "kind" drill sergeant from this forum - he got me to finally venture on-board :>))

Bravo = exactly And when I will visit them with my BF it will become very obvious to them 👍🤩

Day 36 in Da Nang – 29 May 2025 Breakfast at home and post 28 May updates. For lunch, I head back to: https://www.instagram.com/safariproject.danang/ and I order the fresh salmon benedict toast dish: With a salt coffee. By now I am family in this place – especially with the (I am quasi sure) 2 gay Vietnamese wait staff. It makes for great camaraderie and fun. This time the Russian wife is there and I compliment her on her husband’s rose and snicker vodka homemade drink. She looks puzzled at me – and points to the other Russian guy – who I assumed was the chef / friend and says to me that he is my husband. Instead the one that I thought was her husband – the sexy one – is instead a business partner who came along for the adventure from St. Petersburg to Da Nang. Furthermore, she explains to me that the “rose” vodka that I drank was NOT made from roses but was instead raspberries – as I blushed. That explains why when I tasted it the other day that it was not like the Bulgarian rose wine that I had enjoyed some years back. Anyway, she offers me today a non-alcoholic beverage made from bread – it was good. What I like about this place is that it is always full of unexpected pleasant surprises. I ask her to sit at my table for a moment and I out myself (like it wasn’t obvious already) and tell her that my Thai boyfriend will arrive tonight and I would like to bring him to her restaurant and I ask her if there is (or could be) any items on the menu that can be extra spicy – as most Thai people are not happy without their taste buds tingling from that burning spice sensation. She looks at the menu and says no – (link to current menu) https://maps.app.goo.gl/c2KiNNZbx2RkLFbu8 but then goes and asks the chef (her true husband) if there is anything that they could prepare for my BF that could be spicy. She tells me that they are going to soon be introducing a night-time menu that will include a shrimp dish made from a spicy mango sauce. I tell her that my BF loves shrimps – so this will probably be perfect and we will stop by one day soon. I decide on the way back to my room that I want to buy 2 more part polyester t-shirts – as they are perfect for the never ending humidity here – as the majority of my t-shirts are made from cotton which do not hide the perspiration very well. Amazingly, the 2 stores that I noted that had these types of t-shirts are already closed and out of business. That is something I never saw in either Cebu or Jomtien – this constant quick turnover of businesses. Yes this does sometimes happen in Jomtien but not at the frequency found here in Da Nang. So, no additional polyester t-shirts were bought today. My BF alerted me earlier that by 11:10am he was already in a Grab car for Suvarnabhumi airport and had already successfully completed the check in procedure for his first ever international flight. He was already in the waiting area – with 2 hours to kill. Unfortunately, I notice that the flight is delayed – at that moment by 10 minutes – and I share the notification with him: I remind him again that his Thai SIM card won’t work when he lands in Da Nang and to search for the free airport WiFi service so that we can keep in contact. At 5pm, I hire a Grab car to take me to the arrivals part of the Da Nang airport. What I love about the Da Nang International Airport is that it is very small and when there is no flight activity it is like a ghost town. So, when I arrive at 5:30pm, there is hardly anyone waiting and his flight is listed as “Delayed” by only 10 minutes. Shortly after I arrive – the passengers arriving from Don Mueang – with their flight arriving 20 minutes EARLY – wow – they are streaming out of the exit doors and the former ghost town area is now like a mini-Thai village. Finally at 5:45pm, his flight arrives – only 15 minutes later than the scheduled arrival time even though the departure time was delayed by 38 minutes – so I guess the captain gave it full throttle to make up some of the lost time. We make contact and he sends me a photo of himself in the very long immigration line. But not too bad, because by 6:30pm he is already outside with me and we embrace and head over to the Grab car service designated departure area. I know for most of the gayguides readership – this is no big news – as most of us travel frequently - but I was proud of my guy – as he managed his first international flight experience very well. I teased him in the Grab car saying that he is no longer a village boy but now a sophisticated international man. He is hungry – he did not eat since his breakfast – so I take him over to the beach promenade and we walk over to the famous beach front seafood restaurant that has an ever impressive number of seafood aquariums (perhaps around 50 tanks). https://www.facebook.com/OtXanhOceanRestaurant We had to wait for a table to be cleaned up – so that we could have a perfect corner table overlooking the external balcony beach area. It was great. We ate like 2 little pigs (ok, 1 normal Thai and one enlarged farang). Now fully stuffed, just before approaching our condo building a cute barker solicits us for feet/leg massages and my BF says to me – let us do it. I have walked by this place a million times – its name is: (this is the on-the-beach branch). https://maps.app.goo.gl/oFQLpa8uvq52AMxE7 I usually never do these as I am very ticklish – but I accommodate him and we both sit on these nice cushioned beach chairs and 2 ladies ( the cute guys never do the massaging ) take care of us – it was truly an enjoyable 45 minutes and I did not feel tickled too much. Unfortunately, during the massage my BF suddenly needs to go to the bathroom and tells me when he returns to complete his massage that we need to go to the pharmacy. He has intestinal disturbances (I was like wow – I did not get those until the end of my first week here and he already has them after only being here for a couple of hours). We visit a nearby pharmacy and like in Thailand – they are very diligent to dispense something for his ailment. We go home and just relax and eventually fall asleep cuddled. Not too exciting a report – but it is a nice way to end this long anticipated day. End of day 36 in Da Nang – 29 May 2025

Day 35 in Da Nang – 28 May 2025 Today is a miscellaneous day as I need to stay near my condo room as the cleaning lady will come. Post 27 May updates. Sneak out for a quick breakfast at . On the way back to my room I stop by a convenience store to stock up on beverages that my BF likes to drink. Hang out in my room waiting for the cleaning lady and make miscellaneous postings. At 4pm she arrives – yahoo!! I ask her if she can help me understand the logistics for beverages at the to-be DIFF (Firework) event. https://diff.vn/en/ She makes me understand that in Vietnam - it is ok and normal for people to bring their own beverages and drinks into the stadium. This is very different than in other countries where I have lived – as you are usually not allowed to bring outside food and beverages into a paid stadium, as you need to buy them within-the-stadium beverage concession stands. She helps me find a document written in Vietnamese – that thanks to Google translate – details all of the protocols for the DIFF event where it even states the following in section 7: So for me, this is a big cultural difference (positive) than in other countries where I have lived – where this is forbidden. Within this DIFF document I also find that it is suggested to arrive by 7pm (instead of what is stated on the DIFF admission ticket start time of 8pm), due to the pre-cultural show. So, all of this reinforces that it is key to have contact with the local population – especially when you are trying to participate in a big event where most of the information is ONLY in Vietnamese. It is already 6pm, so I go and have an early easy dinner at the where I order my preferred New Orlean’s gumbo dish. The waitress already knew what I was going to order and mentions that you have not visited us in quite a while – and I reply, there are so many good places to eat at here in Da Nang. She then replies, you know our menu has other items than the gumbo dish. 😂 https://diner66.vn/menu/ I take a long walk on the beach – it is already way past sunset and it is still very lively and very illuminated. Head back to my room and I chat with my BF and we go through the list of all of the important documents he needs to put into his backpack (passport, Vietnam visa letter, motorbike driving license, Thai National ID card, IDP (International Driving Permit), and Hongkong pre-paid debit card that I setup for him many months ago. He seems excited and is busy packing his luggage. I remind him to bring a swim suit – ironically, we have never gone swimming together – as I won’t swim in the Jomtien coffee colored water and he never wakes up in the morning in time to join me when I go over to the beautiful clean turquoise transparent waters of nearby Koh Larn island. I catch up with some of my YouTube bloggers that I follow and eventually fall asleep. Tomorrow is the big day….. End of day 35 in Da Nang – 28 May 2025

Part III of Miscellaneous stuff - and yes, the cleaning lady eventually came and did an excellent job. Last Friday, here in Da Nang, there was an attempted suicide that gained a lot of attention and it disturbed me because it brought back memories of the all too frequent PFC - Pattaya Flying Club deaths. https://news.tuoitre.vn/rescuers-save-foreign-man-attempting-to-jump-off-bridge-in-da-nang-103250525111522326.htm Since the above article was published, we have come to learn, that he is a Russian national, who was "sad about his love life". Source: https://nld.com.vn/nam-du-khach-nga-dinh-nhay-cau-thuan-phuoc-tu-tu-luc-nua-dem-196250524145038077.htm I am not sure if someone could survive - a jump from the Thuan Phuoc Bridge into the Han River at that height. So, since one of the purposes for this thread is to compare retirement life with Jomtien - as the comparator - today I asked Grok to share with me/us - if there were any similarities in Da Nang with the PFC phenomena back in Jomtien. Here is what Grok had to say - I found it quite enlightening: The "Pattaya Flying Club" (PFC) is a grim colloquial term referring to a pattern of suicides, primarily by foreigners, involving jumps from high-rise buildings in Pattaya, Thailand. Based on available information, Da Nang, Vietnam, does not appear to have a directly comparable phenomenon to the PFC, either in scale or notoriety. However, there are notable incidents and patterns that suggest some parallels, particularly with regard to suicide attempts involving bridges, such as the recent case at Thuan Phuoc Bridge on May 23, 2025. Pattaya Flying Club Context In Pattaya, the PFC phenomenon is well-documented and involves a significant number of foreigners, predominantly men, who die by jumping from condominium balconies or hotel rooms. Reports indicate a range of contributing factors, including financial ruin, relationship breakdowns (often with local women), substance abuse (alcohol or drugs like methamphetamine), and mental health struggles such as depression. For instance, in the first six months of 2024 alone, Pattaya saw 36 reported cases of foreigners dying by jumping from buildings, with five incidents occurring over five days in early June 2024. The term "Pattaya Flying Club" has become a darkly humorous shorthand, though it masks the serious underlying issues of mental health, social isolation, and the challenges of expatriate life in a city known for its hedonistic culture. Some speculate that a portion of these deaths may involve foul play, but most are classified as suicides, often linked to low balcony railings, intoxication, or desperation. Da Nang and Thuan Phuoc Bridge Incident In Da Nang, the recent incident on May 23, 2025, involved a foreign man attempting to jump from the Thuan Phuoc Bridge, a prominent suspension bridge spanning the Han River. Authorities successfully intervened, rescuing the individual who was in emotional distress. This event, reported by local news, highlights a rare but significant case of a public suicide attempt in Da Nang. Unlike Pattaya, there is no widely recognized term or pattern akin to the PFC in Da Nang, and the city does not appear to have a recurring issue of foreigners jumping from bridges or buildings at a comparable scale. Comparing the Phenomena While the Thuan Phuoc Bridge incident shares some similarities with Pattaya’s PFC—namely, a foreigner in distress attempting a high-profile suicide in a public location—there are key differences: Frequency and Scale: Pattaya’s PFC is a multi-year phenomenon with dozens of cases annually, often involving high-rise buildings. In contrast, Da Nang has no documented pattern of frequent suicides by foreigners, and the Thuan Phuoc Bridge incident appears isolated. No sources mention a recurring trend of bridge or building jumps in Da Nang. Location and Method: In Pattaya, suicides typically involve condominium balconies, facilitated by low railings and easy access. In Da Nang, the Thuan Phuoc Bridge incident suggests bridges as a potential site for such acts, but there’s no evidence of a consistent pattern targeting bridges or high structures. Cultural and Social Context: Pattaya’s reputation as a "party city" attracts a demographic of older, often lonely expatriates or tourists, many of whom face financial or romantic disillusionment. Da Nang, while a growing tourist destination, is more known for its cultural and natural attractions, with a less pronounced expatriate subculture centered around nightlife or sex tourism. This may result in fewer social pressures akin to those driving Pattaya’s suicides. Media and Public Perception: The PFC is a widely discussed phenomenon, amplified by media and online forums like Reddit, where it’s both a serious topic and a subject of dark humor. In Da Nang, the lack of a named phenomenon or frequent reports suggests that suicide by jumping is not a prominent issue, though the May 2025 incident may draw temporary attention. Broader Context in Vietnam While Da Nang does not have a PFC equivalent, Vietnam as a whole has seen studies on suicide risk, with environmental factors like high temperatures potentially exacerbating mental health issues. However, these studies focus on broader trends and not specifically on foreigners or high-profile locations like bridges. Additionally, suicide methods in Vietnam typically involve poison or hanging among locals, rather than jumping, which aligns more with Pattaya’s foreign-specific pattern. Conclusion Based on available data, Da Nang does not exhibit a phenomenon similar to the Pattaya Flying Club. The Thuan Phuoc Bridge incident on May 23, 2025, is a notable but isolated event, and there’s no evidence of a recurring pattern of foreigners attempting or completing suicides by jumping from bridges or buildings in Da Nang. The city’s different social and cultural environment, combined with a lack of consistent reports, suggests that the PFC remains a uniquely Pattaya-centric issue. However, the recent bridge incident indicates that Da Nang is not immune to such tragedies, and mental health support for foreigners in distress remains critical. SO, the good news is that Da Nang does not have a DFC (PFC equivalent). And the reasons stated as to why by above should probably be taken to heart when deciding if you want to retire in Pattaya - as there is a high frequency of PFC occurrences in Pattaya. To be fair of my already established comparator of Cebu to Pattaya - I will need to ask Grok to see where Cebu fits into the PFC analysis.

Part II of Miscellaneous stuff - cleaning lady has still not yet arrived. One of the local Vietnamese e-newspapers published this interesting article - yesterday. https://e.vnexpress.net/news/travel/places/how-vietnam-compares-with-thailand-for-international-tourists-4889703.html Parts of this article are sourced from British traveler Alejandro Campbell's TikTok channel. I was able to locate the related TikTok video referenced in the article and I found it illuminating about the subtleties between the 2 countries. What do you think ? Do you agree with the article? or what Alejandro says in his TikTok video? Perhaps this one line from the article could describe the subtle difference ? "Thailand is a resort. Vietnam is real life, full of energy." I see it as, we are more spoiled as tourists in Thailand with better infrastructure, organized entertainment, critical mass to support said tourism, etc.

I have idle time - as I am stuck in my room waiting in my condo for my cleaning lady to arrive - so I can't venture outside for my usual walk abouts..... Miscellaneous stuff. This came up on my daily Asean Now feed this morning: Perhaps this explains why it is easier to meet hot Vietnamese guys back in Thailand than it is here in Vietnam? https://aseannow.com/topic/1361938-vietnamese-sex-workers-surge-in-bangkok-amid-visa-policy-concerns/#google_vignette The article only discusses Vietnamese ladies - but we know that this is also true for Vietnamese guys. YES, I have met many here in Da Nang - but there is nowhere near the number of hot Vietnamese sexy guys available here - that one can have at like the Fresh Boys venue in Bangkok. About 1 week prior to me departing for Da Nang (back in Jomtien), I met a Vietnamese massage guy on one of the apps, who is based in Bangkok as a massage guy. But he was in Jomtien, to utilize the services of a local visa agent based here in Pattaya - as he told me that it is easier to renew/extend his visa in Jomtien than it is in Bangkok. He told me that in Bangkok that it is super complicated and often easier to use one of the border run van companies based in Bangkok that drive you over to Laos to do it. He told me that it was cheaper and faster for him to come to Jomtien to instead renew his visa here in Jomtien via an agent who has an arrangement with the Jomtien soi 5 Immigration office. Also, he told me that when he comes to Jomtien to do his visa renewal or extension he can also earn money by getting customers (like me) while he waits for the visa agent to do their magic. Whereas, when he takes the Bangkok based border run visa van - he is not able to earn money during that entire day process - but in Jomtien he can.

Apology accepted 😍 Please enjoy your Taiwan trip and we look forward to your usual interesting updates. 🤩

Dear @PeterRS, Your condescending question, framed as a mere curiosity, carries an unmistakable whiff of superiority, as if the pursuit of physical intimacy while traveling is somehow beneath the refined appreciation of culture you so clearly pride yourself on. It’s a tired trope, implying that those who acknowledge sex as part of their human experience are somehow less enlightened or incapable of savoring the world’s deeper offerings. This condescension, cloaked in intellectualism, betrays a rather narrow view—one that dismisses the complexity of human connection in favor of a self-congratulatory asceticism. Also, you forget the purpose of my trip reports (Cebu and now Da Nang) - which is to determine if an elderly gay retiree can live comfortably in either of these 2 cities - where the comparator is with Jomtien - where I reside as a full time retiree. Consequently, part of my retiree life includes elements of occasional sex in Jomtien, and as well as in Cebu, and now Da Nang. I took the time to reread all of my 2 trip reports and I have the following statistics to share with you to help you answer your haughty and insulting question: I was in Cebu for 62 days - of which on 16 distinct days I had "sex" - which for me is often a sensual massage with happy ending. That equates to 26% of the time that I was residing in Cebu, I am now in Da Nang for 34 days - of which on 10 distinct days I had "sex" - which for me is often a sensual massage with happy ending. That equates to 29% of the time that I am residing in Da Nang. So, what was I doing during the non sex days? I was enjoying the local culture and as you say, "natural wonders". It was your choice when you went on your South American tour to not have sex. For myself, I don't like these types of limitations - as it is often sex with the locals of a country that you are visiting that allow you to have genuine connections and experiences with the local community. I close by asking you to STOP making condescending remarks towards my person in this forum!!!

Day 34 in Da Nang – 27 May 2025 Eat a light breakfast and post my 27 May updates. Already it is 2pm, so I head back to: https://g.co/kgs/CScHvfa I order the fresh tuna with poached egg - with a salt coffee. It is truly an amazing dish. I cannot resist their banana cinnamon ice cream dish – so I order that with my 2nd salt coffee. The wife is not there, but the sexy husband comes to my table and asks me if I want to try some of their specialty vodkas? I look at my watch – as I usually don’t drink in the afternoon – but he tells me that he made them himself and they are: One made from roses – I could not resist to say no – as I had a GREAT past experience when I visited Bulgaria (when I was living in Budapest) during covid and I tried their famous wine made from roses (rose hips). I enjoyed it so much so, that I brought back several bottles back with me to Budapest. Rose Vodka This homemade “rose” vodka was good – but the strength of the alcohol partially hides the softness of the rose hip flavor. Consequently, I would suggest the Bulgarian rose wine instead. Here is a YouTube video of rose wine being made at home – language is in Russian. One made from snickers – This vodka was truly enjoyable – as I tend to like sweet flavors – especially when elements of snicker bars are included. · I was impressed – as I never had this type of experience before. Snicker Vodka When he told me that he makes these himself (and he also makes many other types of homemade vodkas), he ran upstairs to bring down an example of a large type of plastic ziplock bag that was fermenting grapes for his next batch of homemade vodka. If I understood him correctly, he can turnaround the production within 24 hours – quite impressive. Of course, this was a marketing pitch for their nighttime bar activities – and I believe that it worked, as I now want to try them one evening. I hope that my BF likes vodka ? I use the rest of the afternoon to walk to the DIFF grounds so that I can understand where we will need to go on Saturday 31 May to see the fireworks. I want to avoid any potential disorientation when the crowds will manifest on that day. When I was in Cebu during the Sinulog festival – I was luckily escorted by a local Filipino, Lance, who took care of me during that chaos. Unfortunately, here in Da Nang it is not so easy to make friends with the locals like I was able to do in Cebu, so I will need to manage all of the aspects to get to the DIFF event for myself and my BF. So, today was a trial run. It takes me 70 minutes to walk there and scout out the area. They are still finalizing the enormous stadium seating area and they were doing sound checks while I was there. I accomplish my goal regarding logistics – as I have now (at this moment) already been at the DIFF site and understand where along the Han River is the exact entrance. https://diff.vn/en/ It starts at 8pm on Saturday – so, perhaps around 7:15pm ish we should start to organize a Grab car or 2 Grab motorbikes to go there? I believe that a Grab motorbike will easily reach the venue – but a Grab car will probably get stuck in the traffic mayhem. Then the only other detail to understand is if we are supposed to bring our own refreshments or if they would be for sale there – it was not evident to me at the site nor on their official web page. As the is kind of nearby, I go there to stock up on essentials for the condo (TP, paper towels, hand soap, etc.) and I visit the special HSBC ATM to withdraw the maximum 10 million VND – so in this way the BF and I, we are already stocked up on some of the required essentials. I hire a Grab car to go back to my condo and relax a little bit. My BF tells me that he decided that he will go directly to Suvarnabhumi Airport from Pattaya – instead of the original plan where he was supposed to sleep at his cousin’s house in Bangkok on Wednesday night, so that he could make it to the airport in time on Thursday. As he is a night creature, Dracula type, he has big problems waking up in the morning. I tell him that I do not like this new idea – but it is his responsibility to get to the airport on time and I say no more. I peruse the apps and I find MSBOY_RELAX in the Heesay (formerly BLUED) app. I am intrigued by his profile because his specialty is lingam massage – a close cousin to edging. I ask him to come to my room at 8pm. He is a short stocky 29 year old Vietnamese guy. We chat briefly and he starts the massage. As this is a lingam centric massage I am told to already lay on my back so that he can work on the stomach, legs, groin, and genital areas. It is a long time since I have had a lingam massage – and as an avid edger guy – this experience seemed more like a cock tease – as the goal is to stimulate all of the above mentioned areas. Whereas, with edging you get to work right away on the different zones of the cock, balls, and nipples – bringing the edgee to a near orgasm experience and then backing off and repeating the process over and over until the moment of release is given. I enjoyed this lingam experience – but I realized that I am already too much of an edger – that I wanted to emphasize more on the cock gland than all of the nearby lingam areas. I was happy with his lingam service, as he definitely knows his trade. Afterwards he cleans up and I prepare his payment, 1,200,000 VND (around $46 USD). He asks if he can go out on the balcony, as he is wow’d by the impressive 33rd floor view of the city, sea, and mountains. He tells me many interesting stories about driving up with his motorbike up onto the other side of Son Tra mountain – which really interests me – as you may remember I was blocked by the road control team up near the Intercontinental resort – as you need to have a powerful – non-automatic motorbike to be allowed to continue onto the backside of the mountain. He leaves and I note that it is already 9:30pm – which means that the number of available restaurants for food will be limited. I could get a Banh Mi sandwich – but I stopped eating those in week 2 as I was often getting bouts of diarrhea after eating those yummy amazing Vietnamese sandwiches. I see that the nearby hamburger place is open until 1am – wow – for sleepy Da Nang that is a big deal. I eat a tuna melt with fries and then I return back to my room – but always on the lookout for that crazy Vietnamese university kid – to avoid that he won’t sneak up on me again and startle me. Say good night to the BF and call it a night. End of day 34 in Da Nang – 27 May 2025