Gaybutton

Since you brought it up, I've always gotten better, quicker, and much more attentive medical care in Thailand than I ever got in the USA. The quality of care in Thailand far surpasses anything I ever got in Florida, that's for sure. For those who live in Thailand, I hope you have decent medical insurance. For those traveling to Thailand, I hope you make sure your own insurance covers you in case of illness, accident, or any other emergencies. While most medical care in Thailand, including prescriptions, is far less expensive than in the USA, depending on the problem it can get expensive enough that medical insurance is a necessity. As an expat, I carry my medical insurance through Cigna. Cigna has policies especially for expats. For US $3400 per year, I'm covered for a cumulative million dollars per year. I opted out of dental, outpatient, and prescriptions. They're inexpensive enough in Thailand that I don't think I need coverage for those. My deductible is US $375. Other than the deductible, you don't have to lay out the money and wait to be reimbursed. That's what I like most about it. They'll deal directly with the hospitals. They'll work with any hospital in Thailand, but they do have a preferred list. Both Bangkok-Pattaya hospital in Pattaya and Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok are on their list. Luckily, I haven't needed to use the insurance just yet. I hope I never do, but if I need it, it's there. If you're interested in checking with Cigna, their web site is: http://www.cignaglobal.com

I agree with firecat69's entire post. This guy was far too obvious. If someone is going to submit a post about a bad experience with a Gay Romeo boy, then in my opinion he needs to include the Gay Romeo profile name of the boy or don't write the post. I fail to see what purpose is served, other than a personal agenda, without including which boy he's talking about. There is also no way for the boy to tell his side of the story. I realize that some people have had bad experiences. It's extremely rare for something like that to happen, but I do personally know a couple farang who have had a boy try to shake them down. The difference is they had no problem about saying which boy it was. In one case it turned out that I knew the boy being accused. He had been over at my place several times - you know, to discuss the historical significance of the Peloponnesian War - and I had never had anything other than a wonderful time with him. His story was a little different from the one told by the farang.

Why am I getting the feeling that this guy, several days ago, joined both my board and Sawatdee, only to find himself booted off both within two days - and first cried about it in the same manner as the post above? I believe it's the same guy. Interesting to me that this guy tried it on this board too after discovering the hard way that he wasn't going to get away with it on the other two boards.

I don't see this as mob mentality. What I see is someone with a personal agenda who suddenly appears out of the woodwork to post a bunch of the most obvious crap. Apparently, this gentleman is the only farang to become this boy's victim. Nobody else has been threatened or victimized in this manner by this boy or any other. If they had, they would have posted about it - and would have told us which boy. Not only do I not believe his story, but I don't even believe he was staying at the Dusit Thani. I don't know why, but it is plain to see, at least to me, his agenda is to try to frighten people into discontinuing use of Gay Romeo because they might end up with this kind of problem or even end up with the same boy. I don't know about anyone else, but I've been using Gay Romeo for years and have never had a serious problem. As a matter of fact, most of the best boys I've ever met came from Gay Romeo. I've never had anything worse than the boy turning out to be a dud. The only time I've ever had a boy show up that wasn't the boy in the photos, that was fine with me. I liked the boy who showed up better than the boy in the photos - and he was no dud. Again, if someone wants to post this kind of story, and be truly credible, then include the Gay Romeo name and profile number. For me, posting an excuse instead only makes an already bizarre story even less credible than it was in the first place. I also agree with every word firecat69 has written on this topic. He's absolutely right and anyone who has spent much time in the Pattaya gay scene knows he's right.

Ha! I KNEW there would be some excuse, and a lame one at that. Right. If you tell us his Gay Romeo name and profile number, he'll find out that it was posted on this board, that you're the one that posted it (after all, you're the only farang he's ever done this to, so obviously the story came from you), and now he'll hunt you down a push you off a balcony or something. Maybe you've managed to fool some others, but you don't fool me for one second. Next time, if there is a next time, if you want to post such a story, be prepared to post the details - all of them - if you want everyone to believe you.

If he isn't, I am. Your story has no credibility whatsoever. Do you want to make your story at least somewhat credible? Firecat69 is absolutely right. Give us his Gay Romeo name and profile number - and don't try to get away with saying he deleted his profile or must have changed his profile name. That way it will be easy for the rest of us to find out if this boy pulled this crap with others - or only you.

How? If the beach boys were the main attraction, substitute them with what?

Me too. To paraphrase, "A gay beach without boys is like a day without sunshine." Of course, around here many of the boys don't like the sunshine anyhow.

I disagree with the common assumption that the only reason why most boys used to go to the beach was to hunt for farang. Many really did seem to enjoy going and not so many of them were all that worried about getting a tan either. Most of the boys used to show up in the late afternoon, after the major tanning hours. There were also many beach 'regulars' who were there nearly every day. In the afternoon if the tide was low enough several used to set up a net by the water and play volleyball. Many attribute the disappearance of the boys to Gay Romeo. I don't buy that so easily. Obviously the advent of Gay Romeo was a significant factor, but not sufficient to convince me that's what accounts for the disappearance of virtually all of them. I believe there was something else too - maybe several "something elses." But what? I wish I knew. I can't imagine the concessionaires would have run them off. I don't think the police ran them off either. If they did, we would have heard about it.

Your post brought to mind a "chicken or the egg" question regarding the history of the gay area of Dongtan Beach. Did the boys go there because gay farang went there or did gay farang go there because that's where the boys went? I don't know. I also don't know how that area of Dongtan Beach became a gay beach area in the first place. I never really gave it much thought before. If anyone knows how it all came to be, I hope you'll post. I wish I could agree with you about farang going to the beach re-attracting the boys, but I don't see that as the solution. Plenty of farang always went to the beach and still do. That never stopped, but nevertheless the boys disappeared.

I think I just may be somewhat familiar with Gay Romeo. I happen to enjoy the hassle of getting to Jomtien, buying drinks, and flirting - when at least there is someone to flirt with and buy drinks for.

Many, definitely including me, complain about the lack of boys at Dongtan beach anymore. They've disappeared. As a result, I no longer enjoy the beach. The myriad of other problems at the beach are not exactly enjoyable either, but I certainly remember taking all the eye candy - and their availability - for granted. Whatever the reasons why the boys are gone, they're gone. Because of that I rarely go to the beach anymore. I don't think I'm alone in that. I am guessing the beach concessionaires are suffering due to a lack of customers, just like so many other places in Pattaya. After all, the boys were customers too - whether they paid their own way or farang were buying food and drinks for them and renting chairs for them. Without the boys, that's another source of income the concessionaires have lost. For me, the boys were the main attraction of the gay beach area and the reason I used to go nearly every day. Maybe the beach concessionaires at the traditionally gay areas ought to think about starting to do things to make the boys want to come back. Maybe the gay beach area scene does not necessarily have to be "Gone With the Wind." If the concessionaires start doing things to re-attract boys to the beach I'd certainly start going to the beach again. I'll bet their farang customer numbers would dramatically increase, at least in the gay beach area. I really have no idea what the concessionaires can do to bring back the boys, but if they will try some ideas of their own, and whatever they do actually works, maybe that could save the day.

Oh my gosh! He borrowed them from me . . .

The last time I was in that part of the world was in 1987 and I was there by myself, so obviously I can't help you. But I'm curious. Why Egypt? Isn't it a little dangerous to be in Egypt these days, not to mention the added danger of being gay there? Before going to Egypt, I suggest you read the following - along with several more articles on the same web site: _______________________ Harshest Sentences Ever for Gay Sex in Egypt April 7, 2014 An Egyptian court has sentenced four men convicted of the “crime” of gay sex to a total of twenty eight years in prison, three of them receiving an eight year term and one a three year term. To my knowledge eight years is the longest ever stretch of prison time handed down for consensual sexual acts in Egypt’s modern history and surpasses any of the sentences handed down in the notorious Queen Boat case of 2001 which brought Egypt international condemnation from across the globe including strong criticism from the then French president Jacques Chirac as well as from singer and songwriter Elton John. The accused, like the female protesters dragged off to the Egyptian Museum by the military police in March 2011 and like the Queen boat detainees arrested under the Mubarak regime in May 2001, were forced to undergo humiliating medical tests. In this case to “prove” (using long discredited medical techniques) that they were “habitual gays”. The news in depressing. In the last ten years much of the world has progressed to legally accepting gay lifestyles as having a complete equality to a heterosexual one. But Egypt, despite recently toppling the Islamist Morsi regime, seems to have taken the opposite direction. And the headline punishment says nothing about the real consequences for these men. Let’s not forget that they will be lucky to survive their sentences. If the treatment of gay men previously arrested is anything to go by then they will receive the most degrading and brutal abuse conceivable at the hands of prison guards and other prisoners. Can you imagine how they will manage inside? Their cell mates will be drug dealers, hardened criminals, religious zealots (either Muslim or Christian) with whom they will also have to share the crowded sweltering prison vans. When the guards say “Here are prisoners who are the cause of all Egypt’s problems – khawalaat, perverts, mitnakeen” will the prison authorities care in the slightest what happens to them? We cannot allow their lives to be abused and lost so cheaply. Egypt should remember that many of the tourists who visit Egypt – and on whom one in seven of the country’s jobs depends – are either lesbian, gay or have close friends who are or they will be at least sympathetic to the idea of treating the lgbt community with respect and dignity. Many will surely think twice about continuing to holiday in a country which imposes such draconian and inhumane punishments for what men chose to do in the privacy of their own homes. GayEgypt.com recently reluctantly decided to deactivate its’ message forums in light of the recent spate of arrests in Marg and Nasr City and the consequent risk to online posters from Egypt’s infamous internet police. This is not a promising start to Egypt’s new regime. These sentences are symptomatic of a weak and cowardly government and judiciary that lacks any sense of moral direction or principle. Instead the new “secular” government is nothing more than a front to facilitate Sisi’s procession to the presidency. The thinking behind these prosecutions being presumably that Sisi needs to prove that in the new Egypt people need not be afraid of having “Western freedoms” forced on them. http://www.gayegypt.com/

A messed up walkway. No Shade other than beach umbrellas that are in condition that make them look like leftovers from World War I. Trees that now resemble the aftermath of a hurricane. And no boys. Gee, I can't wait to go to the beach . . .

As good a guess as any. Whatever the reasons are, the fact is they're just not at the beach anymore and, unfortunately, I know of nothing to indicate a change in the future. I would love to be wrong about that.

Many do manage to survive somehow. Many others have given up and returned home or found other jobs, whether in Pattaya or elsewhere. Some continue on in Pattaya because to them the current hard times is still better than returning to the rice farm. Many boys who had been familiar figures have completely disappeared from the scene. Quite a few have even given up on Gay Romeo. Some who used to be on Gay Romeo every day have disappeared and their profiles have expired. It's not as gloomy as my post is probably making seem, though. Not at all. There are still hundreds and hundreds of readily available boys in Pattaya, but they just don't go "farang hunting" at the beach anymore. We've debated before about why. There are still a lot of farang on the beach, but the boys rarely go anymore. I wish I had the answers, but I have only guesses. Maybe the police ran them off, although I doubt that. The police can't even seem to control the lady-boy prostitutes on Pattaya Beach Road. Many are convinced sites such as Gay Romeo is where the boys do their "farang hunting" now instead of going to beach. I would have thought there would be at least some that do both, but they don't. Maybe some will give the beach another try once high season kicks in. We'll see. If the current trend continues, the days of going to the beach and having loads of boys readily available are over. It seems to have gone extinct. Unless something changes, now it's only history.

If I remember correctly, he has an older brother working at that concession. Maybe they're all one big happy family . . . It's sad, really. A grand total of one boy on the entire gay beach drawing much attention, and he's 16. A far cry from only a few years ago when there were so many available and willing boys at the beach it was hard to decide which one you wanted. If I were a concessionaire at the gay beach, during these hard times I would probably hire some boys just to be there to attract farang and maybe even do the same thing the bars do - charge a nominal off fee and pay the boy a commission when a farang buys a drink or something else for him from the concession. After all, if you want gay customers, you better think like a gay businessman . . .

Ok, now I know who you're talking about. The last time I was there, about a month ago, I spoke with him. I asked his age. He told me he's 18. I didn't believe him and pressured him to be honest about it. He finally admitted, unfortunately, he's only 16.

That is why I emphasized good hot dogs. As far as I'm concerned, Oscar Meyer is at best one step above most of the Thai hot dogs, but still lousy and not worth buying.

I do too, but there's one thing more I try to get - their phone numbers . . .

One thing I've learned, living in Thailand as long as I have - if you shop around you can find nearly everything you're looking for. If there's something you want that can't be found in one grocery store, you can often find it in another. There are also specialty shops. You might not find the name brand you want, but most of the time I can't tell any difference. Two American products I wish I could find, but never have, are corned beef hash and good hot dogs. If anyone knows where they can be found, anywhere in Thailand, I would be most grateful. Other than those, I can't think of any other grocery items I miss and can't find.

I've seen billboards advertising this. The winner gets a 25,000 baht prize.

If anyone truly believes that bars are going to be forced to stop selling liquor at midnight, and would comply even if they were, then I've got a bridge in Brooklyn for sale.

Certainly. Why not? I remember an incident in Pattaya, several years ago, when a weighted down body, with hands tied behind the back, was discovered in Pattaya Bay. The police ruled that a suicide. Maybe the police were right. Sounds like something the local Don Corleone and Luca Brazzi might have been responsible for. After all, if you mess with the Mafia, that's suicide . . .