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Libraries represent one of the very best uses of public funds. They provide services that many residents cannot access or otherwise afford. And they have traditionally been a haven for gay people of all ages.

Actually, I consider Foodland restaurant's coffee pretty good stuff. And when you consider that it comes with egg, meat, toast and juice for a price most of the specialty shops will charge you for just the joe, what's not to like? I'm not a Starbuck's fan except for their "light" roast blend: Veranda. It also comes in Starbuck's instant form ("Via") which I find indistinguishable from the real thing. Before traveling, I pickup up a few packs ($9.95 for a dozen individuals packets) and tote them along. Beats the Nescafe in the room.

From Conde Naste Traveler 11 Best Places For Coffee in Bangkok Bangkok gets a bad rap for its very sweet drinks (I’m looking at you, Thai iced tea), and their coffee drinks are no exception. But that hardly encompasses the city's entire coffee culture; the coffee shop scene in Thailand overall is nothing to scoff at. Whether you like your blends light or medium, pour over or espresso, even the most uppity coffee snobs jonesing for a good cup can find a perfectly brewed blend in the city, whether from a hipster chic spot or mom and pop cafe. Read on for our picks of Bangkok's best coffee shops and cafes, and plan where to get caffeinated while you're in town. https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/best-places-for-coffee-in-bangkok From Perfect Daily Grind Top 5 Specialty Coffee Shops to Visit in Thailand https://www.perfectdailygrind.com/2015/12/top-5-specialty-coffee-shops-to-visit-in-thailand/ From Fousquare The 15 Best Places for Coffee in Bangkok https://foursquare.com/top-places/bangkok/best-places-coffee

Very true. If a guy takes liberties in the bar, he's destined to disappoint in the room. "If in doubt, walk" is good advice for veterans and newcomers alike.

From South China Morning Post (Jan. 13) Three reasons Thailand is winning on same-sex rights in Asia Success for the gay rights cause in Thailand lies in, as the old Chinese formula goes, the “right time, the right place, the right people” Last month, the Thai government supported a bill that would make Thailand the first Asian jurisdiction to allow same-sex civil partnerships (“Thai government approves same-sex civil unions”, December 25). It is significant progress in the battle for sexual equality in Asia, in contrast to the failed referendum on gay marriage in Taiwan. Success for the gay rights cause in Thailand lies in, as the old Chinese formula goes, 天時地利人和 (tian shi di li ren he), or the “right time, the right place, the right people”. The right time: Asia has become more open-minded with regard to LGBT culture, as evident from increasing media productions featuring sexual minorities. The past few years in Thailand have seen a number of local movies and TV dramas portraying homosexuals and transgender people, which received worldwide exposure through web platforms such as Line TV and YouTube. Never before have sexual minorities received so much attention in the media and popular culture, which makes it the best time for Thailand to advance LGBT rights. The right place: Thailand appears more relaxed about sex and sexual orientation in general. The sex industry, especially sex tourism, thrives in Thailand. Walk down a street in Bangkok and you will probably see a number of transgender entertainers. Their performances are welcomed by not only Thais but also overseas tourists. The atmosphere of openness in Thailand makes it the right place to promote same-sex marriage. The right people: the country is facing political instability, as a result of the military coup and delayed general elections. The junta has been slammed for the political crisis. To stay in power and gain public confidence, it has to show the nation and the world that it has taken steps to promote human rights. The move to back an LBGT rights bill helps the military government promote a positive image and stay in the good books of the sexual minorities. https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2181660/three-reasons-thailand-winning-same-sex-rights-asia

I have fantasies about pizza delivery guys, room service waiters, and some of those 7-11 workers. Or guys on the train, bus, boat. Or those who set up and tear down the Patpong night market. Or some of guys who work in sidewalk stalls. Or..........

Find it encouraging that government agencies are actively promoting gay tourism. Just hope that they don't lose sight of the fact that some come not only for headline events like the White Party, but many of us for the bars, massage shops and go-go's that have been the meat and potato venues bringing gay dollars to Thailand for decades. I appreciate the place the big events play in the greater scheme and acknowledge the role of apps in the evolving gay scene. Nevertheless I remain hopeful that there will continue to be a place--and a demand--for brick and mortar venues that will be displaced as commercial development moves ahead. Excerpts from The Nation (Jan. 12) While marriage equality is yet to clear the legislative thicket, advocates are encouraged by the country's efforts to woo more LGBTQ tourists The Life Partnership Bill still has a long bureaucratic path ahead and an election and post-election uncertainty to endure before it could become law. But its recent approval in the Cabinet was an important initial step in making Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia to legally recognise same-sex civil partnerships. Brightening prospects further for Thailand’s sizeable LGBTQ community is the government’s interest in pursuing “pink dollars” – revenue derived from tourism programmes that appeal to LGBT travellers. With a social climate widely seen as tolerant towards non-heterosexual orientations, Thailand has been called a haven for the gay and transgender lifestyle. The authorities are increasingly seeking to capitalise on that global reputation by encouraging more visits by foreign LGBT tourists, as well as the rights activists and artists who support the community. “LGBTQ are seen as a high-potential market with an above-average level of disposable income,” TAT deputy governor Srisuda Wanapinyosak told The Nation Weekend. “In tourism terms, they tend to travel more frequently than the demographic average.” In a recent report, LGBT Capital estimated the global LGBT population at 496 million, with 4.5 million LGBT people living in Thailand. Global purchasing power was calculated at US$3.6 trillion and spending on tourism at $5.3 billion. Srisuda said the TAT had begun targeting this segment five years ago, but the market remained niche and hasn’t yet reached its full potential. With the Cabinet’s endorsement of the Life Partnership Bill, though – however troubled its future might be – the marketing is growing more aggressive both domestically and globally. “The key to tapping into the LGBTQ market is to understand the diversity of preferences and respond accordingly,” she said. “It’s also important to welcome LGBT people genuinely and not be superficially ‘LGBT-friendly’.” There are three main components to the TAT drive – events spanning entertainment and lifestyles like the Songkran festival and the Wonderfruit and White Party gatherings; high quality in the destinations, hospitality and cuisine on offer; and legal support from the government. The TAT hosted an LGBTQ symposium in Bangkok in September that drew travel agents from 50 countries. This month Srisuda will lead a road show in Spain. About 20 Thai tour operators will join her at Fitur, an international tourism-trade fair being held in Madrid. “LGBTQ is a game changer for the tourism business in Thailand,” gender academic Thitirat Duangkong told The Nation Weekend. “Gender diversity and equality are goals of the United Nations and other global bodies and are even part of the election platforms for some Thai political parties. So it’s quite relevant to the tourism business,” added the guest lecturer at Thammasat University. “We’re stepping forward ahead off our neighbouring countries like the Philippines and Singapore, so we’re on track.” Tourism and Sport Minister Weerasak Kosurat said a new Bt30-million Digital Tourism Platform introduced by Kasikornbank will further boost the “pink economy”. “LGBT people have purchasing power and also tend to be creative,” he said. “Our new Big Data platform will provide information about all target groups, including LGBTQ. They can easily select destinations, activities and services designed specially for them and book online. “Besides more pink dollars, we want to see more big smiles from the gender-diverse community visiting Thailand.” Complete article available at http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30362082

It will be interesting if the reduction in iPhone prices going on in China will spread to the LOS. iPhones have a well-known cachet among SE Asian guys--and no small number of their admirers. From CNBC Retailers are slashing iPhone prices across China as consumers say the phones aren't worth the cost Apple's latest iPhone models are seeing huge discounts from retailers in China. The technology giant recently revised its first quarter sales forecast downward, putting a large part of the blame on a slowdown in the Chinese market. Experts said a mixture of a poor pricing strategy and a lack of exciting features compared to local rivals like Huawei has led to the newest iPhones' weak performance in China. Continues with video and pricing info https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/11/apple-iphone-retailers-are-slashing-prices-across-china.html

I visited Iconsiam with a friend and was pleasantly surprised by the experience. Found it easier to navigate than Paragon due to the better sight lines afforded by the design. We arrived a little after noon on a Sunday and the food court was jammed. Would recommend a weekday afternoon visit. The boat shuttle is free, fast and pleasant.

From The Hollywood Reporter (Jan. 10) In the aftermath of last's summer's sensational cave rescue in northern Thailand, two phrases tended to pop up in newscasts the world over: "It's a miracle" and "like a movie." The real-life events indeed had the feel of a thriller: a daring international mission to extract 12 young boys and their soccer coach from more than two miles below the earth, with torrential rains and rising floodwaters providing the race against the clock. Naturally, Hollywood was quick to pounce. Within weeks, Universal Pictures revealed that it was developing a big-budget feature about the rescue, while director Jon M. Chu, fresh off Crazy Rich Asians, said he would be developing a competing project for Ivanhoe Pictures to ensure that the Thai story didn't get whitewashed in the West. Pure Flix, a production company known for faith-based films, said it too was seeking rights to the story. By July, Thailand’s Ministry of Culture had established a special committee to oversee the foreign films circling the story, which by then numbered at least six. Since then, just one project has actually gone into production, however — and it hails from much closer to home. In mid-December, Bangkok-based film company DeWarrenne Productions wrapped shooting The Cave, an independently financed Thai feature that recreates the rescue from the perspective of the mission's many unsung heroes. The Cave is written and directed by Thai-Irish producer and filmmaker Tom Waller, known for the Thai films The Last Executioner (2014) and Mindfulness and Murder (2011), both of which were acquired by Netflix. "I felt I was in a unique position to try to make this film, because I'm Thai, but I also have a Western orientation in terms of my background," Waller tells THR by phone from the U.K. "And that matches how this unprecedented rescue came together: It was a Thai emergency, but the whole world tuned in and tried to help." The Cave's executive producers are Desmond O'Neill and Jonah Greenberg, former head of power agency CAA's China office. Greenberg is producing through his newly launched China-based banner Salty Pictures. CAA's media finance group packaged the film. The real rescue effort at Tham Luang cave involved over 10,000 people, including more than 100 divers, dozens of aid workers, some 100 government agencies, hundreds of volunteers and police officers, and more than 2,000 Thai soldiers. Much of The Cave's dialog is in Thai, but also a plethora of other international languages — a decision that was made for the sake of authenticity rather than accessibility. "Every character just speaks the language they would have during the rescue — we have some northern Thai dialect, Chinese, English, pigeon English, and so on," Waller explains. The filmmakers also set several scenes in territories beyond Thailand, such as Ireland, Wales, China, Japan and Hawaii, where they traced the trajectories of the various rescuers who ultimately descended on Southeast Asia to help. "Besides the incredible heroism of the rescue mission itself, what makes this story so special is how people from all over the world came together in a selfless way to save these boys," Waller says. Now in post-production, The Cave is targeting a release date in July on the one-year anniversary of the rescue. Insiders is selling the film in Asia, while Wildbunch handles sales for the rest of the world. Continues with pics https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/thai-cave-rescue-indie-film-wraps-1175100

I came across this today on ESPN. It reminds me that of all the bad news that dominate the headlines, news of the 13 footballers never fails to lift my spirits. Can't think of better ambassadors of good will for Thailand. From ESPN (Jan. 5) The Wild Boars football team, whose rescue from the Tham Luang Nang Non cave last year captured the imagination of the world, will be at the Al Nahyan Stadium supporting their country, as special guests of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). On Saturday, three of them were taken on a guided tour of the stadium and spoke to the press while being shown around. Coach Eakapol 'Ek' Jantawong spoke for his boys, describing the trip as a unique opportunity to cheer for their team. "It's their goal and dream to be professional footballers one day," he said. "Coming here, and being here, they feel that one day they too will be playing for Thailand and playing against the best in Asia." Titan, the shortest of the boys, is a forward and a huge Lionel Messi fan. His coach likes Messi too, as does midfielder Tee. Adul, who likes to play on the right wing, is the only one to idolise Cristiano Ronaldo. Not surprisingly, he's also the only Juventus fan among Barcelona buffs. In the pre-match press conference, India coach Stpehen Constantine had mentioned how Thailand's front four players interchange positions a lot, and the key player is likely to be Japan-based attacking midfielder Songkrasin Chanathip. Titan smiles when asked about his favourite Thai player. "I like all the players, but if I had to pick one, it would be "Jay" Chanathip," he says. And do they think India has a chance of beating their favourite team? There's polite laughter, though most of it is just the joy of having overcome what they did last summer and living their dream by seeing their heroes in action. http://www.espn.com/soccer/afc-asian-cup/story/3743382/thailand-find-unlikely-support-from-cave-boys-ahead-of-afc-asian-cup-opener-vs-india?

From The Nation Asia’s largest LGBTQ exhibition to open in Bangkok later this year In keeping with the Kingdom’s progressive stance on LGBTQ rights, a major art exhibition exploring gender rights in Asia is to be staged in the capital. “Spectrosynthesis II- Exposure of Tolerance: LGBTQ in Southeast Asia”, the largest-ever survey of regional contemporary art, will explore gender issues and feature more than 200 works by 50 artists. It will open at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) on November 23 and run until March 1 next year. The exhibition received huge critical acclaim when it was first staged in Taiwan 2017, after which its Hong Kong-based organiser, the Sunpride Foundation, chose Bangkok as its second stop. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30361941

You have terrific recall. That evening--and others we spent at Maxi's--provided many laughs and memorable companionship. Van is one handsome and personable young man and it was obvious that he looks out for your best interests. You're a lucky guy, ggobkk.

From Travel and Leisure "A lot has changed in recent years," says Roots founder Varatt Vichit-Vadakan. "Thailand is probably the only country in the world that has a well-developed consumer market — loads of specialty coffee shops in its big cities — while also being a coffee-producing country." When Han Wang moved to Bangkok eight years ago, one of the first things he noticed was the coffee. Unlike the delicate light roasts and well-balanced flat whites Wang learned to appreciate while attending college in Australia, everything seemed “too sweet or bitter to even consider swallowing.” Starbucks had been a major player since opening its first shops in the country in 1998; its robust dark roasts and cloying Frappuccinos were as ubiquitous as the equally strong, sugary iced coffee (a.k.a. oliang) that had long been a staple of Thailand’s shophouses and market stalls. Wang wasn’t about to give up on finding a truly great cup, though. Having recently witnessed the rise of third-wave coffee in Taiwan — Wang did a stint in Taipei before relocating to Bangkok — the Malaysian-born entrepreneur was convinced he could spark a similar movement in one of Southeast Asia’s most progressive cities. So he set his psychology degree aside and launched Phil Coffee Co. in an industrial neighborhood, with the help of his father and two sisters. Wang didn't rush into running a cafe, instead focusing on his roasting techniques and wholesale accounts for the first three years. Eventually, the team set up Phil's flagship shop in Bangkok's fashionable Ekkamai neighborhood. He wasn’t alone. Around the same time, other influential Bangkok outposts like One Ounce For Onion, Rocket Coffeebar, and Casa Lapin began attracting hip locals with elaborate pour-over setups, Western-style small plates, and bottles of cold brew for beating the heat and humidity. One leading figure during these early days was Roots, a heavyweight roaster that also happens to run one of the hottest brunch spots in town, Roast. "A lot has changed in recent years," says Roots founder Varatt Vichit-Vadakan. "Thailand is probably the only country in the world that has a well-developed consumer market — loads of specialty coffee shops in its big cities — while also being a coffee-producing country." Continues with pics and video https://www.travelandleisure.com/food-drink/craft-coffee-cafes-bangkok-thailand

I used to frequent Banana Club 2-3 years ago but found that the service (and selection) began to drop off over time. Liked the spacious showers and the manager's attitude. Read on another forum that manager said that it was becoming too much trouble to "manage" the guys. Fortunately there's an abundance of fine alternatives. DivineMadman's massage site is a great resource: https://bkkmassages.wordpress.com/

Air carriers in Vietnam are modernizing and expanding their fleets, according to the current issue of Aviation Week magazine. Discounter VietJet, one of the world's top 10 fastest growing carriers, has hubs in Hanoi and HCMC. It has already started accepting delivery of some 121 new generation Airbus 321 Neo's and expects to receive its first of as many as 100 Boeing 737-Max aircraft late next year. VietJet is also looking at adding international routes. Vietnam Airlines has 20 321 Neo's on order along with Airbus 350's and Boeing 787-9's. Both VietJet and Vietnam Airlines use BKK for Bangkok flight operations. Bamboo Airways, a new low cost carrier, is expected to makes it debut in early 2019 with a fleet of A321's and B787-9's. It is a subsidiary of conglomerate FLC Group.

From The Nation Singapore gay community urged to fight sex ban after India ruling A senior Singapore diplomat Friday urged the country's gay community to challenge a law banning homosexual sex after India's top court stuck down similar legislation, a rare high-level intervention on the issue. Tommy Koh, ambassador-at-large in the Singapore foreign ministry, made the comments on Facebook in response to a post about Thursday's historic ruling, which followed a decades-long campaign against the law in the South Asian nation. "I would encourage our gay community to bring a class action to challenge the constitutionality of Section 377A," Koh said, referring to the law which criminalises sex between men. Responding to a comment that previous petitions to strike down the law were unsuccessful, Singapore's former US ambassador and envoy to the United Nations said: "Try again." While Singapore boasts a modern and vibrant culture, attitudes towards homosexuality remain conservative. Sex between men remains technically illegal under a law dating back to British colonial rule, although the statute is rarely enforced. Despite the challenges, support for gay rights has been growing in recent years in the city-state of 5.6 million. Huge crowds attended the 10th anniversary of Singapore's annual Pink Dot gay rights rally in July. Pink Dot, Singapore's leading gay rights group, said the Indian ruling showed attitudes towards homosexuals were "positively changing in Asia" and called on parliament to decriminalise gay sex. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30353964

Excerpts from Khaosod English Sellers take to the streets to take back the streets for vending Tuesday at the Government House in Bangkok. BANGKOK — Top city officials said they will continue to clear vendors from the capital’s sidewalks despite a groundswell of opposition from Bangkok vendors. After frustrated sellers marched to demand the policy be rolled back and closed areas allowed to reopen, the provincial governor and his deputy said they will advance the campaign to new areas, including Chinatown. “City Hall’s policy has made clear that vendors can not come back to areas that have already been regulated,” said Deputy Gov. Sakoltee Phattiyakul, who’s been tasked with leading the effort. Marching on the Government House, vendors Tuesday complained that the city destroyed livelihoods with a heavy-handed approach that offered no satisfactory compensation. Sakoltee said efforts have been made to find new spots for those evicted, especially from the Asok and Memorial Bridge areas, with possible results by next week. Over the years, as the city forced vendors from places they had long hawked their wares, it typically offered alternative spaces the vendors said were impractical and distant. Vendors from throughout the city rose up this week after those on Khaosan Road recently won concessions by fighting the changes. As for the ongoing dispute over selling there, Sakoltee said district administrators have already designated spaces for selling on the sidewalks and is registering those who would like to sell. He said those violating the rules will be banned and prosecuted. His confidence doesn’t match the description of vendor representative Yada Pornpetrumpa. A day before Sakoltee’s comments, she said the zoning attempt had failed as there was not enough space for all vendors. A top local administrator on Thursday confirmed that the issue hasn’t been resolved. “It’s a dispute between vendors and building owners,” said Apichart Saenmanot, head of the Phra Nakorn district’s code compliance officers. “If we just have vendors put their stalls up [on the sidewalks], it also wouldn’t be fair to the owners. They don’t want their shops blocked.” . Apichart said the new ban on daytime sales will still be enforced. Yada, who has been questioning the rationale behind this rule, said Tuesday that she might tell the vendors to ignore it next week and erect their stalls during the day. http://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2018/09/06/unswayed-by-protest-city-hall-vows-to-evict-more-street-sellers/

This post by Finnseventy is augmented with many photos and entertaining narrative. He describes a journey, with his boyfriend Adhik, to some scenic areas of Nepal. http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic/11907-thailand-to-nepal-and-back-again/

This is an excellent introduction to a wide range of massage shops, broken down by geographical zones. Divine Madman, who maintains a blog on the topic, discusses his adventures and rates the shops on different criteria. Other members offer comments and info on these and other shops. It's great one-stop shopping for newbie and veteran alike. http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic/11512-info-on-a-bunch-of-bkk-massage-shops/

Divine Madman and Vinapu offer advice on a range of topics relating to traveling with go-go boys and others. http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic/11955-travelling-with-gogoboy/

Thailand ‘best country for people’, says travel survey Breaking News September 05, 2018 17:02 By The Nation Thais have been voted the best people in the world in an online survey by Conde Nast Traveller magazine, a leading US source of travel features. Thailand won in the category of “Best Country for People” in the 2018 annual award. The award honours “the best that the travel world has to offer”. Other categories include hotels, airlines, ski resorts, islands and architecture. In addition, Thailand came third in the “Best Country” category after Italy and Greece . Two hotels – the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok and Six Senses on Kho Yao Noi – came fourth and fifth respectively in the category of “Best Hotel in Asia and the Indian Subcontinent”. Meanwhile Samui island was awarded the ninth spot in the “Best Islands in the World” category, falling after Greek islands, Maldives, Balearic islands, Hawaii, St Lucia, Bali, Sicily and Mauritius. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30353802 NOTE -- The following link is to the magazine's 2018 annual readers' choice award in the category of "Best Country for People". Unfortunately, the article describes the many attractions of Thailand and not the people of Thailand. https://www.cntraveller.com/location/thailand This is link to all categories of awards: https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/readers-travel-awards-2018-winners-runners-up

+1 Please consider adding a new forum dedicated to FAQ about travel (or something akin to that) that only moderator could post in. If Scooby deems a post made in another forum worthy of essentially being pinned, he could move it (or link to it) in dedicated forum for quick reference. Members could still add replies in regular forums. Without something like this, great posts like above get forgotten over time. It would serve as a real service to both new and veteran members alike.

About LINE names, I get a mix of nick name they go by, their actual name, and something that seems to have nothing at all to do with either of the former. But since many include a photo, I find it easier to keep track. Your level of attention to detail is really well balanced. Find myself riding with you in the taxi, sitting with you at Toy Boys (even though I've never been there) and talking with the boys. And discovering a good pastry shop. The "sore cheek" or "dental work" explanation I've heard before, especially before first offs. Think they just want to see how the evening goes before getting too intimate. It also allows them to do something special for you if they like you and you take them again. It's always fun to read reports from guys who have truly enjoyed themselves--and others.

From CNN (CNN)Two gay women have been caned in Malaysia amid a worsening climate for LGBT individuals in the Muslim-majority Southeast Asian nation. The punishment of the two unnamed women took place Monday morning in Terengganu, a state to the east of the capital, Kuala Lumpur, according to rights campaigner Thilaga Sulathireth. The state is governed by Sharia law. Each woman was lashed six times after being caught attempting to have sex in a parked car. They were also required to pay a fine of 3,300 ringgit ($800). Sulathireth, who witnessed the caning along with around 100 other people, told CNN that it was a "public caning to all intents and purposes," and that one of the judges had said it was the first time a punishment of this kind had been open to the public. Monday's punishment shows the religious right "flexing their muscles and making clear that the laws against LGBT activity will be enforced in their state," said Linda Lakhdhir, a legal adviser in the Asia Division of Human Rights Watch. Homosexual sex is illegal throughout Malaysia under colonial era criminal law. The punishment follows a raid last month on one of Kuala Lumpur's only gay clubs, which saw around 20 men charged for "illicit behavior," and a brutal attack on a trans woman in a city close to the capital. "It's very uncomfortable, (people are) feeling very oppressed right now. People are afraid because this is the first time that two women are being caned for sexual acts," said Numan Afifi of LGBT activist group the Pelangi Campaign. Continues with photos https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/03/asia/malaysia-gay-rights-lesbian-caning-intl/index.html