Londoner

I can't be the only one desperate to receive some good news about entry so that I can start looking forward to my trip in July without anxiety, whether or not that anxiety is justified.

I loved that.....not just the stares from the falang couples but the response of the of the door man to your arrival on a motor-cy taxi. It's good to know that the snobbery for which my country is notorious also exists in Thailand.

I was a committed traveller to unusual and sometimes risky places across the globe until my late forties....and my advice is exactly the same as vinapu's. "Be brave and just go". The trips , journeys and encounters that stay in my mind are those about which I was a little unsure; perhaps slightly dangerous? difficult to reach? Off the beaten track? Today , they are the ones that provide the best memories for me thirty years on. Thailand is, of course, none of these things but it offers more than just Silom and Boyztown. Explore!

I noticed a number of gay Chinese porn clips that showed guys wearing masks having sex....how does that work for you?

Yes. I'm frightened of mobile technology (in fact , all technology) and am unable even to put a new SIM in my phone. I also wish to phone P the minute I'm on the ground and so an airport shop that provides them is essential, particularly if I'm to be under armed-guard at an ASQ hotel. Yes, I know that I could use LINE , as Z909 told me some months back...but, bluntly , it's not the same since P's internet connection in darkest Kamphaeng Phaet isn't reliable. That airport shop is crucial for my peace of mind.

Crimes are assuredly being committed in Ukraine and there are more to come. However, I doubt anything similar to the total destruction of Fallujah will happen. Prisoner of war camps will be established but I doubt that they will be as bad as Abu Ghraib. Ukrainians are white Christians after all. I notice that two misleading photographs have been circulating on SM. One is of the destruction of a tower block that turns out to be the one hit by Israel in in Gaza . Another is of a little girl shouting at invading soldiers. Later it transpired it was of Ahmed Tahini, a Palestinian girl confronting Israeli soldiers outside her home. According to western governments, some but not all invasions are war-crimes.

We in the West may be animated by the events in Ukraine; it's not the case in other countries, many of whom view the unpunished war-crimes committed by our governments in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine as no less reprehensible. Some countries, particularly poorer ones who do not share our (and Ukraine's) ethnicity are pointing out that while war-crimes committed on white people are considered worthy of condemnation and punitive action, those perpetrated upon peoples with darker skins or different religions aren't.

That is correct.....M*A*S*H* is still shown on TV here in the UK and deservedly so. when I think of the best of US TV, only The Wire has given me more pleasure.

I've never considered Pattaya a beach location....nor Jomtien, for that matter.

When I first arrived, back in 1995, I had exactly the same taste as Boy69, but over time, I found my tastes changing. I came to value experience and expertise as much as looks and found that older guys were often more reliable. I can recall thirty year-olds - Thais keep their youthful looks longer than we do- who provided a better service and certainly better company. I liked chatting to them. At the same time, I discovered that the cutest dancers of all, the most popular and in demand in Pattaya's go go bars, may not always "deliver" , particularly if a return to the bar and another customer were in the offing. I hated it when a guy would rush off after his shower. At the same time, I began to insist that my partner was gay....though I accepted that I couldn't expect complete honesty. I met P. in 2005 and he most definitely fitted Boy69's ideal....and mine. We've aged together (him better than me!) and looking at those early photos certainly remind me why I was so attracted to him.

I prefer the rainy season in Pattaya..... quieter (sic) which used to be a plus! And anyway, most of the pleasures available are of the indoor variety while the rain rarely lasts more than an hour or two. However, a visit we made to Krabi a few years back was a disaster; we had planned boat-trips to various islands including Phi Phi. Each day, we'd wake -up to glorious sunshine but observe clouds on the horizon. By the time we were due to leave, the rains had come. We spent much of the time in-doors. And no Phi Phi.

I go along with that. Anything extreme, extraordinary or "enhanced" has always been a turn-off. Controversially, I must add that enormous length or girth is also unwelcome....I know that for many, "size matters" but, for me, smaller than average is preferable. Am I alone in this?

How does it compare to Babylon in terms of opportunities for senior falangs?

In my early Thailand days, I encountered a guy with a mook in Adam's Apple, Chiang Mai. Innocent and ignorant, I thought he had some horrible VD I'd never heard of. Spoilt the occasion for me, naturally. I spent the next few days checking to see if I'd caught it off him! Only once did I off a guy with a silicon-enhanced penis (if "enhanced" is the right word). By then , I'd learnt enough not to fear a VD.....but it was still a distressing experience, particularly because in other other respects he was both cute and willing. I wouldn't wish to raise a controversial subject, but I feel the same about other forms of self-mutilation.....such as tattoos! Thais have such beautiful skin, i regard any such alterations to their bodies to be verging on the sacrilegious.

Yes; and having shown willingness to respond to industry pressures, perhaps the next step- the withdrawal of the first night ASQ stay- will be the next to go in a month or two.

Thanks for posting this....the latest "intimations" suggested that there would be no changes. It's made my day!

I remember seeing this in a falang's Youtube presentation when the "new" regulations were first introduced. On the other hand , I don't recall the Thailand sites (like Thiger) mentioning it when issues relating to insurance were addressed In other words, I knew about it while many (most?) others didn't. Did the regulation result in any rejected Thai Passes applications? I have to concede that it makes sense.

The "size" issue is a remnant from the days of slavery when levels of fertility in the males added to the price demanded. With women it was fecundity. Sorry; a distressing topic.

I kept my legs crossed during the video. I remember being taken to a Muslim circumcision hut in West Africa. Twenty boys , aged around ten, were being kept in isolation there and periodically "frightened" - it was all a game- by Devil-like creature who'd suddenly appear from the bush with a cutlass. I was told it was a privilege for a white man to be shown this place- thankfully not the actually cutting which, I was told, is done with a bamboo blade.

Yes... my life becomes richer the moment the doors of the airport open and I'm assailed by the smells and the heat. Seventy plus trips now; and it works every time. And next time, it'll be even better after two years away.

Midguy1 writes; "Seriously planning to retire much earlier (like early to mid 50s) to allow more travel time!" I was lucky; I received a generous pension at the age of fifty-two but even if it had been less so, my mind was made-up. And it was the best decision of my life. That was more than twenty years ago. it improved my health, both mental and physical and it eventually resulted, nine years into retirement, in my meeting the one and only love of my life. Go for it!

Removal of the second test would make my spring/summer trip more likely; removal of all would make it a certainty.

My first visit changed my life...it even resulted a couple of years later in my taking early retirement. And a pay-cut! I hope your experiences are just as thrilling.

Very likely.

"Are we talking about the same boy ?" asks Boy 69. No. The guy to whom I am referring was "Eric". He was on Romeo for some months. But he certainly fitted your description.