Ruthrieston

We can only hope what the future may bring. A few years ago I met a gay Thai man from a very wealthy family drinking with friends in Telephone Bar in Soi 4 Bangkok. Shortly after that his family told him that if he did not get married soon then they would throw him out and disown him. He married and the young lady soon worked out the issues and started demanding more and more money from him. The hiso set really do despise gay people, and are willing to punish their own children. As for any hope of democracy returning to Thailand, I simply cannot see the army ever relinquishing their absolute grip on power.

Putin is a closet queen, jealous of those who actually have the courage to come out of the closet and live their lives freely and openly when he cannot. His persecution of the gay community is all about his own issues. Sad but still unforgivable.

I really can't stand all this technology stuff, I much prefer to deal with a human being.

Westerners have not always been so clean. I remember my early years coming out and having sex with men who had what were then described as "cheesy willies", disgustingly smelly penis, who never seemed to draw back their foreskins to clean them properly!

One of the saddest events of my life was when I was in a senior seminary and in my second year. Among the dozen new entrants in the first year was a sweet, completely straight 17 year old. A 24 year old in the third year fell besotted with him, and got more crazy, even picking fights with him just so that he could touch him. The seminary was surrounded by farm land and we all worked the fields etc in the afternoons. One night the besotted 24 yr old went down to the farm buildings and took the paraquat (lethal weedkiller) which he drank, then walked back to the seminary, woke up the young man and told him what he had done and why. The young lad had a total breakdown, and left the seminary. Of course in Catholic Church teaching suicide is a mortal sin so there can be no requiem mass or burial in holy ground. Unless of course the church is covering it's arse and cannot admit a seminarian committed suicide. So there was a full requiem mass, presided over by the Archbishop, and we all had to attend. I left the seminary shortly after that.

I spoke too soon, blocked again now....

My pardon has been granted - that was quick!

I must have committed some punishable offence as I am blocked from reacting to any topics again today. I plead "not guilty"!

I look forward to Putin being arrested as a war criminal and imprisoned for the rest of his miserable life. Thailand's support for him is an international disgrace.

Sadly an old friend of mine killed himself in his condo on Friday morning, he was 89 years old and frail, tired and depressed. I only wish I could have helped him more. I hope he finds peace now.

In Thailand, money talks, and obviously walks too.

For now the army/junta stays in control, definitely not what the people of Thailand want. Time will tell, but I hope the Move Forward Party stays strong and focused towards the next election, if the army allows one.

I have lived in Thailand for almost twelve years now, and I have a work pension of 60,000 Baht a month and next year I can claim my old age pension. What has hurt me a lot was the UK vote to leave the European Union. The day before the vote the exchange rate was 56 Baht to the UK pound, the day after it fell to 36! Currently it is around 44 so still a serious loss of income.

I cannot find any supplies of the vaccine in Pattaya now. Anybody know of anywhere to try?

From what I see in Pattaya the Tom Boy clubs have all closed down. There used to be several on Third Road in Pattaya, but not one to be seen now. The anti gay prejudice is still strong in the Hi So set of Thai society and I have met the sons of rich families who have been forced to marry a woman or be thrown out of the family and cut off financially.

It is virtually impossible to get a covid vaccine in Pattaya now.

I am also reluctant to download my bank app on my phone.

My favourite is Railay Beach, a promontory off Krabi, can only reach by longtail boat, no roads, no cars or motorbikes, plenty of resorts, restaurants and bars.

Sadly I think you are right TotallyOz. At least they haven't got the army out with their guns yet, but I think that is only a matter of time. Here we go again with the "Attitude Adjustment Camps" and protesters disappearing from the streets never to be seen again.

Below 44 again today....

I moved to live in Thailand almost twelve years ago, and have never regretted that decision. In September I shall travel back to the disUnited Kingdom for the first time since I moved, mainly to visit family and friends and visit the place I was born and grew up in Scotland. It is going to eat up half of my savings or more as the costs in the UK are astronomical. Afternoon Tea in my favourite Browns Hotel in London is now 90 quid a head (4,000 Baht)!!!

I use ttb (used to be TMB) for twelve years now, and I use internet banking on my laptop regularly.

It is an improvement, but still nothing like it was before the insane vote to leave the European Union. The day before that stupid vote I got 56 Baht to the pound, and the day after the rate fell to 36 Baht to the pound. That has really hurt my income for these years.

I love going to Railay Beach, the promontory walled off from Krab by mountains, which you can only reach by longtail boat. There are many Rasta bars with Thais wearing their hair in Bob Marley style. Many bars, restaurants and resorts, but no roads, no cars and very few motorbikes. A great place.

The day before the vote to leave the EU I got 56 Baht to the pound, the day after it fell to 36!! A big loss to my income, and now it is just up to 44.5 so still 25% down.