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Yes I do agree. But also what comes into play is the Thai mindset as to they do everything the right way and if others do not understand the "Thai way" - that they are wrong for not being able to understand. Also, there are many governmental fiefdoms issuing these various visas, such as the BOI - Board of Investment, MOFA - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Thai Immigration. I do not believe that these entities are aligned or even want to be aligned - as there are "fiefdom interests" at stake. Consequently, what would be best for us users of these said visas is not considered. And herein lies a potential HUGE problem. If I would use one of the automated gates on entry back into the Kingdom and consequently my passport is not stamped - I would have NO ability to prove: When my required 90 day reporting begins and ends to determine if I am in compliance - potentially incurring a find and/or harassment at the immigration office. Yes, it should be recorded in their digital database - but do I get to see that screen when it is displayed to the immigration officer? How can I defend my position without physical proof? That I was physically outside of Thailand for more than 180 days to avoid becoming a tax resident in the 2025 tax year. Recently, @reader posted the below article where due to the bad procurement procedure regarding the purchase of the biometric system underlying database subscription - tons of data was not stored. How would one defend himself against this type of bureaucratic incompetence ? I have lived here long enough (also in Italy - as there are many similar bureaucratic nightmares) to learn my lesson and to be 300% prepared for the unknown obstacles that have yet to present themselves. I would say yes and no. I believe that the training of the Cebu Pacific check-in clerk who was working in a situation where the bulk of the check-ins were for domestic flights - she was clueless about what to do in my case. I think that with more experience and better documentation within the Cebu Pacific check-in system this issue could have been resolved with better training. Back in year 2000 when I was still a student in Rome Italy - I had this same problem/issue at the London airport because I did not have an onwards ticket when I was trying to return from London to Rome because I only had 1 passport at that time - which was USA. So, they tried to block me from boarding my flight back to Rome until we sat down and discussed my issue with the UK supervisor that I was a student in Italy with a USA passport who had the legal right to live in Italy with my then student visa. So, these rules that are often invented by seasoned bureaucrats are not tested out to see if they would work for various what-if scenarios.

As soon as I finish the filing of my USA tax return - that is the next project on the list for the preparation for our 130 day trip to Vietnam. Just last night, I had my Thai boyfriend sit with me at my computer so that we could get him a Hong Kong based debit card with his freshly new Thai passport - so that getting money in Vietnam will not be problematic. As I am quite sure if he tried to use his Kasikorn Thai ATM card it most likely would not work in Vietnam ? So, we will both apply for the 90 day tourist visa and then towards the end of this 90 day period we will employ the services of the famous Lynn Visa agent - who will take us on one of their giant busses over to Laos - to do a border run, where we would get an additional 90 day tourist visa. Many of the expats and digital nomads who call Da Nang their home rave about Lynn's service. However, it is a grueling all day event - where you wake up like at 4am and return perhaps around 8 to 10 pm. https://lynnvisa.vn/ I am sure that this will all be covered in my to-be created NEW trip report to research if an elderly gay retiree can live comfortably in Da Nang over in the Vietnam channel of our gayguides.com forum. I will need to understand a priori before we buy our Bangkok to Da Nang tickets next week if this will be a problem. If yes, then I will buy an adjustable ticket where we can change the return ticket date afterwards. Also, my Thai boyfriend has asked me if he can return to Thailand for like 2 weeks at a time during our 130 day stay in Vietnam. I am thinking to allow him to have 2 return trips - so with his ticket it may be a non issue - but for mine it may become an issue. As I already went to Da Nang during the 2024 Songkran period - when I returned - the Vietnamese airport check in people did not have this issue. In fact, they did not even ask me to show any kind of proof. It was easy-peasy.

You were practically Tom Hanks in the movie The Terminal - but perhaps it should be renamed = Airplane Fuselage I have NEVER in my life traveled for 44 hours - other than when I got the crazy idea to drive coast to coast across the USA, which took me 5 days - with driving between 10 to 15 hours each day. Once was enough.

I sure do hope so - but that will depend on this Thai government's politics towards taxing us elderly retirees..... So, my future is in the hands of the Government House over in Bangkok.

I walked by the new Candy Bar this afternoon - see below photo. It looks very enticing. I am trying to convince my Thai boyfriend that we should go and see this Friday evening show.....

And that look on their face when you board the plane together is so precious - to see their excitement. A precious memory that they will never forget.

This is so VERY true and should not be discounted. In my experience it has been very difficult to get a night owl to get up early in the morning to do things with you. If they are forced to do so then they might be groggy and grumpy. So, try to compromise with a later start time for tourist stuff, and then you will both probably be happier.

Wow = my favorite activity and turn on. I will have to check out this place to have this unique experience.

Post trip report update - about the process to leave the Philippines. Today Jeff (the massage guy back in Cebu) asked me how my flight was back to Thailand and it made me remember the below incident that I think needs to be shared with all of you. I make this update in case what happened to me at the airport may happen to you. During the check in process at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport - at the Cebu Pacific check-in desk, it took forever for me to convince them that I had a legal right to live in Thailand. They kept wanting me to show them my onward ticket. I showed them my passport with my Thai immigration retirement visa stamp - but that was not good enough for them, because in addition to the retirement visa stamp they wanted me to show them my address card - which we don't have in Thailand. In lieu of an address card, I showed them my Thai driving license - which on the back has my address printed. After this being escalated for verification with a supervisor, they finally agreed to allow me to be properly checked in. I believe that the following below factors may have played a role into this difficult check-in event: I was not able to get a direct flight back to Thailand from Cebu - so I had to first take a domestic flight from Cebu to Davao. Consequently, I was checking in at a domestic desk with a Cebu Pacific employee, who was obviously not well trained about how to deal with someone who was checking their luggage all the way through to Bangkok, In the Philippines, they issue us foreigners, an ACR (Alien Certificate of Residence) card, after staying here for in excess of 59 days. As I stayed for 62 days, you may recall that during my last visit to the BI (Bureau of Immigration) I was obligated to pay for the ACR card, even though I was leaving the country 4 days later (the physical plastic card is made available to you after 1 month and it is required to have physical possession of this ACR card to receive additional tourist visa extensions - which I believe can be extended for up to 3 years in total, in 2 month increments). I believe that this ACR card displays your address - and the Cebu Pacific check in agent was expecting me to display a Thai equivalent of Thailand's ACR card. I was able to get around this problem by showing them my Thai driver's license - which displays my address. But, this begs the question, what would happen if I did not have a Thai driver's license? Not all retirees that live in Thailand have a Thai driving license. When I arrived at the Davao International Airport, I had to physically exit the domestic wing of the Davao International Airport and walk over to the international wing and do the immigration exit procedure there. I had to pay the tourist exit clearance fee to the immigration official, who then reviewed my last BI tourist visa extension and then stamped my passport with an exit stamp: Then after passing through immigration I had to redo the security check for international flights. So, do not spend all of your Philippine pesos before exiting the country - as you will need to pay this exit clearance fee. Note that this fee changes depending on the departure city - as I see from the internet that this fee is set locally. The fee for Cebu was different than the fee for Davao. https://ph.usembassy.gov/exit-clearances/ At immigration in Don Mueang airport, before leaving the immigration desk, I specifically asked the Thai immigration official if my passport was physically stamped - she showed me the stamp - as I told her that this stamp was CRITICAL to my: resetting of my now new 90 day reporting cycle - as required for a Thai non immigrant O retirement visa, need to show accrued time outside of Thailand in this 2025 tax year. I now have 59 days that were physically outside of Thailand for tax purposes. I was physically outside of Thailand for 62 days, but 3 of those days were the final days of the 2024 tax year. As the requirement to be a non tax resident is > 180 days, I will need to be cognizant that my stay in Vietnam should be for more than 122 days. I was very relieved that there were NO automatic gates at the Don Mueang airport, where you just show your passport and breeze through without getting any physical stamps in your passport. I was dreading the idea of having to prove that I was physically outside of Thailand for tax purposes without having these ever so important physical stamps in my passport.

1 year ago, to escape the crazy 5 day Songkran bazooka water gun madness here in Pattaya I went to Da Nang for 2 weeks - so that would be around the 10th of April. The weather was still dry and fantastic and bearable. We need to remember that in Da Nang, the rainy / dry season is not in exactly synchronized with Pattaya's as per the below. This year we will be heading over to Da Nang immediately after Songkran ends here in Pattaya - which should end on USA tax filing deadline date of 15 April 2025. I am anticipating that the local Pattaya government will again extend the Songkran water fighting festivities to 5 days like they did last year - as it was found to be a HUGE money maker for the city. So, we will probably end up arriving into Da Nang around the 20th of April, which should give us 3 more months of dry season before the ugly season arrives. Like my trip to Cebu - the goal of this trip is to determine if I could live in Da Nang as a retiree - so it will be good for me to experience BOTH the Dry and Wet seasons - to see if I can bear the ugly wet season. When I moved from Budapest to Pattaya (Jomtien) in September 2022, as a fresh new retiree, we had many many wet monsoon days immediately after I arrived - and I was totally amazed at how severe it can get - especially when my European umbrella broke (the fabric split in half) when it was extended, from the weight of the water droplets that were coming down from the sky. Also, many times in that September, while trying to walk back to my condo - I was soaking wet from flash flooding that inundated the street - as the water tends to travel in a hurry downwards towards the sea - creating huge gullies in the beach sand. This is a nightmare when you are exiting the bahtbus (songthaew) into a river of rapidly moving water. I had never experienced water drops so big and abundant and frequent before in my life. Even with growing up on Long Island - where we had several hurricanes over the years - where the wind was more of an obstacle than humungous water droplets falling out of the sky. So, it will be good for me to experience this September 2022 experience in Da Nang - in my opinion. I've heard that the winds coming off of the East Vietnam Sea (South China Sea) can be violent during the wet season.

On Saturday 22 March 2025. But I believe that you need to buy your ticket in advance.

Only in the sense that it has the same characteristics as Jomtien's beachfront with kilometers of open walkable beach with many many high rise condos with balconies that face the sea. Also, the seawater on the Da Nang beachfront is much more cleaner than the Jomtien seawater. You haven't heard about a compound there because it does not exist. It was never stated here in this forum that there was any similarity with Jomtien's gay life offerings with those of Da Nang. I wrote about Da Nang when I went there for 2 weeks last April:

Day 64 (2 March 2025) – End of trip report Today is my last day in Cebu, as I return to Thailand tomorrow afternoon. I meet with Mr. B. for lunch today in the Ayala mall. As it is a Sunday, and lunch time, it is very crowded and we need to eat in a restaurant that neither of us is familiar with. It’s name is: BadBoys Swingz . As this is my last full day in Cebu, I want to try something different and this dish with the name = Pork Dinakdakan – looks yummy, as it looks like some kind of cream sauce on top of a pork chop ? I start to eat it and I realize that I do not like it and later on thanks to Mr. B., I get the below picture to understand why I did not like it. Yuck – it is not really my type of cuisine that I like. I ordered it by only looking at its photo on the menu that did not contain the below description. https://www.facebook.com/BBWINGZ/ After I attempted to eat a 1/3 of it, I then call over the waiter and I attempt to order a cheeseburger (now I wanted to play it safe) but he replies, “the chef cannot make you a cheeseburger because there is no cheese today – are you ok with a normal hamburger?” I reply, yes. I tell Mr. B., this is another perfect example of a typical experience that I have had numerous times here during my 60 days in the Philippines. Mr. B. makes me understand that this is normal. I tell him that I have personally been in many Thai restaurants where the dish that you requested is missing a key ingredient and I saw with my own eyes that the restaurant does one of the following 2 things: Sends one of the staff to go and buy the missing ingredient – often I have seen them in 7-Eleven buying the missing and/or run out of inventory item, or, they ask you if the missing ingredient can be substituted with something else. Mr. B. makes me understand that this would never happen – as the staff are NEVER allowed to leave the restaurant to go to the nearby 7-Eleven (they are everywhere here in Cebu just like in Pattaya) or nearby supermarket to buy the missing ingredient. Furthermore, the chef is only allowed to prepare the dish in accordance with the strict recipe. I explained to Mr. B. that this is a big difference than in many other countries that I have been in – where they are empowered to improvise – in order to keep the customer happy. By the way, my hamburger was very good and Mr. B. enjoyed his meal. While we were eating, Mr. B. teaches me about another Filipino idiom regarding AFAMs. That is to say, “escape from poverty….”. To put it into context, if some Filipinos see a Filipino person walking with an AFAM (farang), as they pass by, the Filipinos who are observing them may say, “escaping from poverty….”, in such a way, in the local language tagalog, so that the Filipino person hears it and the AFAM does not understand it. Everyone has a good laugh and the AFAM does not have a clue. I tried to find a Thai equivalent – as I have heard the money boys back in the Jomtien Complex – Supertown laugh and giggle when one of them “hits the jackpot…” – as in they found a farang who has money - dtee sua (ตีสัว). So, this is another similarity between Thailand and the Philippines. Afterwards, we go to my condo so that I can give Mr. B. the promised luggage with the 5 new towels and 1 set of dark grey sheets. As I see that there is still some spare room in the luggage I show him the many drinks that were in my refrigerator that I will not consume before I fly back to Thailand and he agrees to take them and I am super happy about that. We sit and chat for a while and reminisce about our many trips that we did together and how our wonderful friendship developed in these 60 days. We are both sad that we will not see each other unless I return again to the Philippines or if Mr. B. comes to Pattaya. As Mr. B. is ambitious and wants to move abroad to have an out-of-country work experience – I am not sure if we will ever see each other again, but we agree to keep in touch via WhatsApp. Mr. B. leaves with the luggage and I am truly sad. But, unbeknownst to Mr. B. I snuck a surprise within the towels that he will discover after he opens the luggage back in his boarding house room. Sure enough, about 1 hour later, he discovers my surprise and he is truly overjoyed, especially with the kind words that I put in the card, some surprise pesos, and a little black book for him to keep notes about his to-be worldwide adventures. Mission accomplished, as he only discovered his surprise back in his room, because any other time that I have tried to reward him, he ALWAYS pushes back on anything that I try to give him – as he is such a kind and modest authentic non-greedy Filipino person. He will make someone an excellent partner. I love making surprises I start packing for my return to Thailand and then I call it a night and I set the alarm so that I will wake up in time to finish packing and to check out and get to the airport in time. This is the end of this trip report series to learn if an elderly gay retiree can live ok in the Cebu city area in the Philippines. After 60 days here, I have determined that the answer is YES, and for my retiree living requirements – the place that I would choose is: --> The MegaWorld Mactan Newtown township over on Mactan island at the beach <-- --> As it offers a lifestyle that is the closest to what I have back in Jomtien in Thailand <-- --> And the condo complex that I would choose would be - One Pacific Residence (OPR) <-- --> note that 3 additional condo complexes are currently under construction - so, these would need to be evaluated to understand if OPR would remain as the number one choice <-- In second place would be the CBP Cebu Business Park, and in third place would be the Cebu IT Park. Thanks for coming along on my 60+ day adventure, and I hope that you enjoyed the journey with me. My next trip report will be in late April and from Da Nang, Vietnam, and since I will be there for around 130 days, I am thinking to just do weekly updates – as these daily updates are a killer. Also, I will have my Thai boyfriend with me – so I will have less down time. Day 64 (2 March 2025) – concluded – End of this Trip Report.

Yesterday and today, the MIMA PARTY LINE administrators posted the below 2 party updates - as the advanced early bird admission price of 2,300 baht has now expired. Any tickets bought from today forward are now priced at 2,500 baht. I apologize that the below images are very hard to read - as whoever created it put too many words in a tiny font onto a small space - thus rendering it hard to read.

First they came to close the wonderful soi Twilight and I was told to not live in the past, and I did not speak up, Then they closed the exciting Babylon sauna and I was told to visit the other saunas, and I did not speak up, Then they came to remove the street vendors because the BMA said that Bangkok needs to be more like Singapore and I was told to eat in the many food courts, and I did not speak up, Now they are coming to shut down Silom soi 4 and both Patpongs --> and after this awful news there will be noone left to speak in any of these former venues to speak up for my want of a vibrant gay life in Bangkok...... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_They_Came

Fickle farangs. @Olddaddy here is your chance !!

Day 63 (1 March 2025) I go to the Ayala mall for breakfast and I attempt to eat at SBC but there is already an AFAM (farang) ahead of me discussing with the SBC staff that any meal that includes potatoes is not available. He is getting agitated. After 60 days here, I realize that this is a normal thing with restaurants here – in that it is of no use arguing or asking for the missing food item to be substituted with another food item – because the local workers will just go in tilt – as they are not programmed to accommodate variation and will just tell you, “I am sorry sir, this meal is not available….”. So, before my turn in the queue, I leave and I go and eat upstairs on the 4th floor Roof Garden, at ABACA . As it being a Saturday, it is very crowded, and they eventually find me a seat and I order my usual eggs benedict with salmon and Okinawa iced coffee. The Filipino guy sitting in front of me with a baseball cap is super sexy and I cannot stop staring at him. I am sure that he was happy when I left – as I am sure that he was a heterosexual guy who might have not appreciated my lusty eyes on him. Afterwards, I go back to my room to wait for Jeff, who will come at 2pm. This will be the last time that I see Jeff, as he is heading back to Bohol later today and I am returning to Thailand on Monday. Again, everything was perfect and by now we both know each other’s g-points and points-of-no return, as we do that dance towards an eventual explosive orgasm. We wash up and he leaves and I wish him the best of luck with his life – he is such a masculine sexy Filipino guapo guy. I post yesterday’s update about China bullying and Thailand’s acquiescence and respond to some forum member comments. The rawness of what the Thai government did to those 40 Uyghurs, ever so slowly starts to wear off, as I start to realize that there is nothing that I can do about it. I gain great comfort in that I can discuss this pain with my Thai boyfriend and he is actually compassionate and by now he has discussed it with many of his friends – who would normally not discuss Thai politics. This made me feel to not be alone – because sometimes the silence can be deafening when awful things happen in life… I decide to walk to IT Park, which takes about 30 minutes and I head to my favorite restaurant, WOLFLINK, and I order my favorite dish, the Wolf's Stew. Afterwards, I go into the adjacent mini Ayala Mall of IT Park, and it is super crowded – as it is a Saturday evening. My goal is to buy a “thank you” card and a small gift to give to Mr. B., who I will meet for the last time tomorrow, Sunday. Prior to walking to IT Park, I went down to the mezzanine floor in my condo building, to drop off a bag of laundry = all of the 4 towels that I bought at the beginning of this trip, back in December, that were used to protect the various AirBnB bed mattresses from massage oils and creams. Also, I bring the dark grey king size sheet set to the laundromat. The woman tells me that everything will be ready by 9pm tonight – which is perfect, as I want to prepare the small blue luggage that I bought for the trip to Boracay – as I will gift it to Mr. B., where inside will be all of the now clean towels and sheets. After my adventure in the super crowded IT Park mall, I walk over to see what is going on in front of the now crowded park that sits directly in front of the Sugbo Mercado: Entrance to the Sugbo Mercado outdoor food court in the Cebu IT Park and I notice that here is this very large flea market event happening, with the name = Ukay Ta Bai! It is labeled as Cebu’s largest community flea market with many thrift items on offer. Entrance to the Ukay Ta Bai! Thrift flea market https://www.facebook.com/p/Ukay-Ta-Bai-61555142621174/ After returning back to my condo, I decide to sit out on the balcony, and I send the below photo to my Thai boyfriend, as Cebu city is truly illuminated tonight – similar to the many similar lights that I used to see when I lived in New York City. Before going to sleep, I peruse my Twitter (X) feed and I see this funny tweet that is posted by a gay Filipino – as this is a cultural aspect that BOTH the Thai and Filipino guys have in common – that is the hunt for a rich and successful AFAM / Farang = sugardaddy. Day 63 (1 March 2025) concluded.

My last question to you in light of Thai government allowing China to bully them into forcibly deporting the 40+ Uyghurs back to China is: Would you agree that in light of what I have written above that both the Philippines and Vietnam have done MORE to thwart Chinese bullying than the Thai government has? Moving to Portugal or South America is not in the cards for me. But, if I were to choose to leave Thailand, than I would prefer to choose a SEA country that is more willing to TRY to thwart China's bullying rather than acquiesce.

Perhaps the Philippines? I am now physically here for more than 60 days and the Chinese are not seen positively by the Filipino population - mainly for 2 primary reasons: 1. The ongoing dispute with China over the sovereignty of the Spratly Island region in the South China Sea. https://eastasiaforum.org/2025/02/19/choppy-waters-continue-in-the-south-china-sea/ Often on the local news here the Philippine TV replays the many incidents where the Chinese are using their Coast Guard and/or military vessels to harass local Philippine fisherman and/or Philippine military ships with the abusive use of water cannons. In June 2024, there was a physical incident when Filipino soldiers had to fight with the Chinese coast guard using their bare hands. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgee719kqpdo All of this Chinese bullying has pushed the Philippine government to create military defense alliances with Japan - with the USA providing anti-bullying support. 2. The ongoing and recent crackdown by the Philippine government on POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator) facilities operating illegally within the territory of the Philippines. The primary foreign citizens being arrested are Chinese nationals. Consequently, the Filipinos roll their eyes when you bring up the POGO issue - and they often will reply that the Chinese need to go home. https://agbrief.com/news/philippines/25/02/2025/philippine-national-police-intensifies-crackdown-on-illegal-pogos/ I don't see the Filipinos as being xenophobic - as they hold the Koreans and Japanese in high esteem and high regard. Koreans are often looked up to in fashion for their look and white skin - you see it in the beauty shops and advertising displays. Consequently, I see the above 2 examples of the Philippines standing up against the bullying done by the Chinese government. The other SEA country where I saw fringes of standing up against the bullying done by China is Vietnam. Similar to their maritime bullying tactics with the Philippines, they are using the same threatening tactics with the Paracel and Spratly Islands. Very recently, 20 February 2025, the Vietnamese government offered to give logistical support to Philippine vessels - as a direct result of the 18 February Chinese helicopter incident that buzzed a Philippine plane near the Scarborough Shoal. The Vietnamese government is having to deal with Vietnamese citizen anger over the incident when Chinese sea vessel personnel attacked ten Vietnamese fishermen in September 2024 that left 4 of the 10 fishermen with broken limbs. So, the Vietnamese government finds itself being forced from within to stand up to the Chinese bully. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/aug/06/protests-vietnam-china-bullying-grows In closing, when I was in Da Nang last April, a local Vietnamese asked me what I liked the most about Da Nang and I replied that I found the view from my 24th floor balcony of the Da Nang beach and of the South China Sea to be so breathtaking. Well - this Vietnamese guy BARKED at me and said to me: This is NOT the South China Sea. Please call it by its right and correct name = East Vietnam Sea!!! or as, "Biển Đông", = East Sea. So, I learned a valuable lesson about geopolitics during my stay in Vietnam. As I naively thought that since Vietnam is a Communist country that it must be very aligned with China - as it is also a communist country.

No - as I wrote above it is Mike from Dorothy's Showbar. Here is a picture from the Gay Supertown Twitter feed with Mike's picture on the left and his partner James on the right.

I remember Mike and his partner (? James ?) catering for the Russian market in their former bar = Dorothy's Showbar. I do not know what was their marketing strategy to get the Russians to come to their bar.... I even attended one of these events where they hired a DJ so that the Russians could all dance together. it was fun - as it is very rare to have the opportunity to be able to dance in the Jomtien Complex (aka Supertown).

Day 62 (28 February 2025) – Dark Day Wake up and eat breakfast and I start to do the daily news perusal. I see and read the AWFUL news that the Thai government has decided to forcibly deport the 40 Uyghurs that were held in detention for 11 years back to China – while we were all sleeping in the middle of the night. This unsettling news cast a dark shadow over my entire day and made me question – why should I continue to live in Thailand as a retiree. I understand that no country is perfect, especially my birth country – but after working most of my life for the United Nations, this news is very disheartening, knowing that Thailand was recently elected to serve a term from 2025 to 2027, as a new member of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), effective 1 January 2025. I remember how proud the Thai government was when they achieved this honorable accomplishment. Therefore, it makes it even more difficult for me to understand why this current Thai government would violate international human rights law, especially the principle of non-refoulement, for which there is a complete prohibition in cases where there is a real risk of torture, ill-treatment, or other irreparable harm upon the return of non-Thai nationals to their home country – in this case, China. So, I spend most of the day trying to digest this news and to prepare a list of articles that were written in the Thai language so that I can try to make my Thai boyfriend be aware as to what his government has just done. As usual, he pushes back, as I have learned over the years that the Thai people don’t like this kind of global criticism – and so he deflects with his normal deflection mechanisms: · I don’t follow what my government does, · I don’t understand politics, · Etcetra. So, throughout the day I bombard him with tons of articles and opinion pieces and eventually he realizes that what his government has done is a bad thing. I am relieved, because then from that moment forward I can have a meaningful conversation with him. I try to make him understand that Thailand will now likely be subjected to the negative consequences of this unfortunate decision, which may hurt the Thai people - and this is my concern for him. Already, Japan and the USA have issued travel advisories to stay alert for potential retaliatory threats. Then I tell him that this kind of behavior (by his government) makes it hard for me to want to be proud to be retired in Thailand and makes me want to look elsewhere. Obviously, he is quiet and does not like this. But I want him to be aware – in case one day I do decide to jump ship. The problem would be where to go? It’s not like the neighboring countries are saints when it comes to protecting human rights. There is already dissension within the current Thai government about this awful decision – I share this Bangkok Post article which tries to explain all sides of the argument. As the Bangkok Post lives within the Kingdom of Thailand – it is limited on what it can expose. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2970273/thai-government-under-fire-for-claiming-uyghurs-left-voluntarily Unfortunately, it has since leaked out that certain parts of the government were intentionally kept in the dark about inconvenient truths – in order to reduce the potential internal political pushback. If you are curious about these leaks – look in the Khaosod English publication on the internet to learn more. I do not post them here to avoid potential problems for any of us. I think that the easiest countries for me to live in would be countries that are not afraid to stand up to China – as that would allow you to live in a place where you would not feel to be bullied by your northern big brother. Who are these countries here in South East Asia ? Not much else to report for today – just my usual boring updates about where I ate and where I walked. I will spare you all of this pestilence. No massages or extra-curricular activities today. Day 62 (28 February 2025) concluded – night of darkness

Correct. I should have instead used the word = "some" instead of "many". 🙏😇

Hahaha - yes, when I was a boy my mother taught me many things, of which one was how to sew. Had I seen @EricV excellent suggestion prior to me going to the Mr. D.I.Y. store --> I would have instead brought my shorts to be repaired at the Mr. Quickie shop - just to have the experience and to see how "quick", Mr. Quickie would actually be 🤔 .

If they brought them into the legal economy, gave them rights, healthcare, retirement pension, etc. it could have a BIG positive net impact on Thailand's economy. Just this change alone would allow the Thai government to stop looking at us retirees as cash cows by taxing us when we transfer money into Thailand to cover our living expenses and live in Thailand for more than 180 days in a tax year. Consequently, I asked Grok this question and this was the reply: ================== Grok response on 28-Feb-2025 =============================================== Legalizing prostitution in Thailand and integrating it into the formal economy could have several positive impacts on GDP and tax collection, though the outcomes hinge on effective regulation and enforcement. Here’s a breakdown based on available data and reasonable projections as of February 28, 2025. Impact on GDP. Thailand’s sex industry is already a significant economic player, albeit largely underground. Estimates vary widely due to its informal nature—figures from 2015 by Havocscope pegged it at $6.4 billion annually, while older studies (e.g., 1993-95) suggested $22.5-$27 billion, or up to 12% of GDP at the time. More recent claims on platforms like X and some analyses suggest it could still contribute 10% or more to GDP if fully formalized, though these lack precise, current substantiation. Thailand’s GDP in 2024 is around $500 billion (nominal, based on IMF projections), so even a conservative estimate of $6-10 billion from prostitution would represent 1.2-2% of GDP directly. Legalization could amplify this through: Direct Economic Contribution: Formalizing the industry would shift it from the shadow economy to taxable business activity. Registered brothels, massage parlors, and independent sex workers could operate as legitimate enterprises, adding to official GDP figures. If the sector’s value is closer to $10 billion (a mid-range estimate), this alone could boost reported GDP by 2% or more. Multiplier Effects: Legal sex work could stimulate related sectors—hospitality, tourism, transportation, and healthcare (e.g., mandatory health checks). Tourism, already 20% of Thailand’s economy pre-pandemic, relies partly on sex tourism; formalization might attract more visitors by reducing legal risks, potentially pushing tourism’s GDP share higher. If 10% of tourist spending (historically estimated at $4-6 billion) is linked to sex work, a 20-30% increase in such tourism could add $1-2 billion annually. Rural Income Redistribution: Sex workers send an estimated $300 million yearly to rural families, per Havocscope. Legalization could increase their earnings through better wages and protections, amplifying this remittance flow and boosting rural consumption, which indirectly supports GDP. Impact on Tax Collection Currently, the underground status of prostitution means Bangkok collects no direct taxes from it, despite its billions in revenue. Legalization could change that significantly: Income and Business Taxes: Registering sex workers and establishments would bring them under Thailand’s tax net. Assuming a formalized industry of $10 billion and applying Thailand’s corporate tax rate (20%) to businesses and personal income tax (progressive, averaging 15-20% for mid-range earners), this could generate $1.5-2 billion annually. For context, Thailand’s total tax revenue in 2023 was around $80 billion—adding $2 billion would be a 2.5% increase. Licensing Fees: A regulated system could impose licensing fees on brothels and workers, akin to models in Germany or Nevada. If 100,000-300,000 sex workers (a common estimate range) paid a modest annual fee of $100-$200, plus higher fees for businesses, this could yield $50-100 million more. Indirect Taxes: VAT (7% in Thailand) on related services—hotels, bars, transport—would rise with increased activity. If legalization boosts sex tourism by $1-2 billion, VAT could add $70-140 million yearly. Broader Economic Benefits Reduced Corruption Costs: The illegal status fuels police bribery and inefficiencies. Legalization could redirect those funds (untaxed "payoffs") into formal channels, enhancing public revenue. Labor Protections: Higher, regulated wages for workers could increase their taxable income and spending power, further stimulating the economy. Investment Appeal: A transparent, regulated sector might attract foreign investment in tourism infrastructure, amplifying GDP growth. Caveats and Estimates Exact figures are speculative without current, granular data—$6.4 billion (1.5% of 2015 GDP) is outdated, and 10-12% claims seem inflated given tourism’s broader 20% share. A realistic boost might be 2-3% to GDP ($10-15 billion) and $1.5-2.5 billion in taxes, assuming robust implementation. Risks like trafficking or exploitation could offset gains if not addressed, but successful models (e.g., Germany’s $16 billion legal sex industry) suggest potential. Thailand’s context—high tourism reliance and existing sex trade scale—makes these gains plausible, though political will and enforcement capacity are key. What do you think—would the trade-offs (e.g., social stigma, trafficking risks) outweigh these economic upsides?