Londoner

I'd be interested to know why those members who prefer "muscle-guys" chose Thailand as a destination in the first place. I've always associated Thailand with twinks and it was to meet them I came all those years ago. Others, I know, like ladyboys but I suspect that they are straight. Had I been interested in and heavier-built guys, I'd have gone elsewhere. In fact, just about anywhere other than Asia. Please enlighten me.

We bought our breakfasts. I liked the croissants from Friendship Supermarket, the fruit was available everywhere as was decent (if not exemplary) orange juice. The only minus was the instant coffee in the rooms. However, even in the best hotels we've stayed-in, breakfast coffee is, well, breakfast coffee rather than fresh. Speaking of which, on our first post-Covid visit to Agate the restaurant wasn't open and so we breakfasted in Zing. The coffee there was the best I've had in Thailand for years. Why? simple....we were the only customers in the early morning and so the the coffee was brewed just for us. Charming waitress, too.

The penthouse rooms at Ambiance are the best rooms we've ever had in Thailand. Taking breakfast in the morning sun with a view of the sea and at night watching the action below....I wish I was there!

Sad to see innocent victims. I can understand Thais willing to travel across the globe for work but Israel? Really? They are exploited foreign workers brought into replace the indigenous population whom the Zionists expelled and who had previously been cheap labour. I was visiting Palestine for thirteen years and am continuously amazed by Western ignorance...a wilful ignorance because Biden, Blinken and so on know exactly what sort of violent, racist Occupation is being imposed on the indigenous inhabitants. All based on Biblical legends from 3000BC. They know: and they ignore. Anyway, I really don't wish to get involved in this discussion because I have friends whom I love and who, at this very moment , are in danger from deranged settlers. "I and the public know what all schoolchildren learn; Those to whom evil is done do evil in return." (WH Auden)

PeterRS is spot-on; newbies from the UK or USA will have forums such as this to learn about the dos and don'ts of Thai bars. Back in 1990s I was assisted by an excellent gay guide called "Thai Scene" that ensured I knew all about the game. There were other similar ones. However, non-English speakers without guidance may get it wrong....which is where a decent mamasan earns his money.

Having given-up bar-hopping years ago - P wouldn't be seen dead in one- I find that I miss them. Well, sometimes. I'd love to see the dancing again-not the standing that took its place- but the energetic dancing that some bars once encouraged or even demanded. Then there's the scantly- dressed guys having a good time, teasing each other, angling for offs from customers....even the music which I'd detest in any other circumstance. At least the stuff they played two decades ago. I caught "Broken hearted woman" on You Tube a few weeks ago and did it evoke memories of the late 90s! What was it that Noel coward said about cheap music and its ability to remind us of times passed? Perhaps I'm nostalgic only because it is an activity that recalls my younger days and is no longer appropriate for me.....but I do miss it.

My first guy in Thailand- it was in Pattaya- failed to achieve an erection. My first gay sex experience had only occurred eighteen months previously and I blamed myself entirely. And, as it transpired, wrongly. A sobering thought; that guy must be fifty years old now. Oh dear.

And why not? our generous posters can revel in their kindness and our parsimonious ones in their smartness. Everyone's a winner.

I can recall a few guys who said they were mixed-race, the cutest of whom had an Arabic dad and a Thai mum. Bearing in mind the heroic (if unexpected) contribution of US military personnel to the development of Patpong and Pattaya, and the large numbers of Black GIs, there must have been many children of mixed Thai /American relationships. Thinking back, I can think of a couple whom I was certain had such origins, second or perhaps even third generation. Of course, Songkhla guys naturally have very dark skins (very nice too!) and so skin-colour isn't enough to justify such an assumption..

A number of fairly recent Youtube clips are accessible. Search under "Supertown" as well "gay Jomtien" and so on. They present an accurate indication. However, they are of festival events, such as Songkran, and as others have said, the Complex is quiet at the moment. Quiet in terms of visitors, not guys!

No reason in my experience.....which consists of about seventy-five trips between 1997 and this year. Only once did a driver try to suggest that 800 bht for a trip to Surawong was appropriate and he was quickly and cheerfully disabused. A year or so back, there were long queues for taxis at BKK-most unwelcome after a long flight. But my last four trips have been fine in this respect. I pay 500 bht plus express-way charges and a 100bht tip. The thought of dragging my luggage to the train or bus (and then another journey if by train) appals me. And that's not just due to age. .

I am making a plea to be more selective in our language when describing relationships. I had a great time for nine years as a butterfly- in fact, there are some activities that I miss, such as bar-hopping. However, then and now are entirely different , not just for me but for my partner, who sees things from what could be called "the other side."

Best of luck....plenty of long term escorts around. If the money is right. Boyfriends are a different matter and require commitments from both parties.

We're early risers and my delight - not P's since he needs an hour to shower- is a walk along Jomtien beach. Those who get -up later would be amazed by the number of people who do the same....some joggers, many walkers. This is at 0700 when it is cool and the roads are quiet. I have a canine friend who greets me daily near the gay-beach and with whom I'm always happy to converse. Good preparation for breakfast. And for health.

Some bored researcher should look into whether the widespread availability of aircon in Asia during the 80s (or whenever) contributed to the region's economic upturn in that period. I recall the upper floors my place of work in London being almost inhabitable during the rare heatwaves that we suffer in London.

I find it curiously reassuring to hear of instances where one of "our" guys shows discernment in matters of cuisine, even if we don't necessarily share his opinion. Vinapu should be gratified. Just as I was when P sent back a dish to the kitchen in a relatively pricey restaurant and had it replaced because it hadn't been cooked to his taste. How things have changed over the decades! A progression from street food in Pattaya Tai to haute cuisine. Well, more or less.

Just like Moonlight, circa 1996...anyone else remember?

....and now better! at least here. I didn't realise I had so much influence.

Loading has been slow for a few days...at least for me.

The Pheu Thai leadership has betrayed the hundred of its supporters slaughtered in Bangkok not long ago. Its craving for power ensures the continuance of the Junta, one way or another.

I cannot help recalling a terrible night-time LHR-BKK flight many years ago in which two young women kept -up a non-stop conversation for the entire twelve hours. The odd thing is that, on occasions when I tried to listen to it just to understand what subjects could be of interest for that length of time...sex? football? Thai food? However, after a number of attempts at this, I gave-up; they were talking about nothing. Nothing all. There was no discrete meaning to anything they said. The sounds were enough. For twelve b***** hours.

I'm a Londoner; the cultural, political and sporting life of the city is part of the very fabric of my body....but heaven knows how I'd cope without my regular trips to Thailand to be with P. And to enjoy chicken and cashew nuts, naturally.

Trying to understand now why I decided against relocation in 2004, despite the financial, sexual and romantic advantages, I come down to this one decisive issue; I knew Pattaya only as a holiday destination, three or four times a year. What was so attractive to me, apart from the obvious, was the fact that it was different, very different, to my life in London. I decided that, were I an expat there, the changes in scenery, routine and sources of enjoyment, would no longer be as attractive as they were, and indeed remain for me as a tourist. There are, of course, some disadvantages for someone enjoying his one and only gay LTR....but that's another story. As long as I am fit enough to travel comfortably, I remain confident I have made the right choice.

It will be fun to see it navigate a gale. Or not.

Not a BBB Guy! mine is the Oldest Twink in Thailand!