Pantherz

From what I can tell, PULSE isn’t a conventional franchise operation. It was founded in Bangkok in 2015 by two brothers, Dr. Deyn and Tony, and has since expanded across Thailand and several other Asian countries. They appear to operate as a centrally managed group, with shared recruitment, staffing, and administration across branches. There are several legal entities involved, though, so it isn’t clear whether every location has identical ownership. They definitely aren’t the cheapest out there, but they do offer great service, a very inclusive and welcoming environment, very little waiting time, and basically a one stop shop for men’s sexual health. What clinic do you prefer Olddaddy?

If you make it interesting and somewhat theatrical my guess is they will be intrigued and won’t rush you along 🤣

I went back to Pulse Clinic in Silom for routine HIV/STI screening and noticed that their consent forms still contain those shocking infection statistics mentioned earlier in this thread: 33% of gay men in Bangkok are HIV-positive and 20% have syphilis. Those numbers still seem extraordinarily high to me, and I’d be curious to know what studies they’re based on, particularly whether they reflect the broader gay population or specific higher-risk groups. Anyway, it reminded me to come back here and share a couple of useful updates. Pulse now offers a PCR panel that screens for 31 different pathogens associated with STIs and other genital infections. They also tailor the testing sites to your sexual history and potential exposure. For example, if you only top and haven’t had receptive anal exposure, you generally won’t need an anal swab. So not only can you avoid the discomfort (or pleasure, for some people, I suppose!), but you may also save some money by skipping unnecessary swabs. Of course, it’s worth discussing your actual exposure history with the clinician. Another interesting development is the new twice-yearly injectable HIV PrEP, lenacapavir. Generic versions are beginning to become available through international access programs, with a target price of around US$40 per year (approximately 1,300 baht) for the medication itself. That’s not yet a confirmed retail price in Thailand, but it’s a pretty remarkable development for HIV prevention. Something particularly useful for frequent travelers is that you don’t necessarily have to get your next injection on the exact six-month date. If you expect to be more than two weeks late, there’s an approved option to bridge the gap with weekly oral lenacapavir for up to six additional months, or your doctor can arrange an appropriate alternative oral PrEP regimen. You do need to plan ahead with your provider, rather than simply letting the injection wear off. Pretty encouraging to see how much progress is being made in HIV prevention and STI screening.

Look forward to hearing more about your impressions of Goa and what the scene is like. Never been. Did you go to any bars in Mumbai or did you just meet on the apps?

Please tell us more! Sounds like you are the only one with Lebanon experience here. I hear that Beirut is very festive and has a large gay community.

The train?

In my experience the male therapists in the luxury hotels that have them are old and/or unattractive.

This is a really interesting question. I hope someone who has experience with this responds. It would seem much better value to order a bottle if you wanted to entertain a number of guests rather than order many individual watered down drinks.

That’ll work. Please upload a video of you being wheeled around.

What spa would you recommend in Dubai?

Does it turn you on when they call you Sir?

They must have known that Capella’s hotel limousine was waiting for you by Exit # 5. No time to waste.

What did you think of Bengaluru? I have been reading that there a lot of young people around from all over India because of all of the IT employment opportunities. Also read that they have great restaurants and bars and that the climate can be a bit more moderate compared to Delhi and Mumbai. Did you like the place? Any gay bars? Spa? Thanks for the tips.

Any recent experiences in India?

There are several places in the world that are a lot more fun to visit than they are to live in. I think it’s really important to spend a few months somewhere before deciding on moving there long-term.