PeterRS

How are they going to tell who is a businessman and who is not? More of the bureaucratic surreality like we're seeing with the 4am closing time.

Let them steal our Ospreys for their invasion...

It is Russian restaurant with caricature on famous in Russia Armenian film actors on the picture :))))) Name "Tatos" is Armenian name.

 
As per reviews on Tripadvisor, it is excellent promoted as "Russian restaurant" in Harbin, but Russian visitors leave reviews like "nice interior" and "meals have Russian names, but are very far from to be real classical Russian meals".
Russians love Armenian cuisine. Therefore, we can assume that it was originally an Armenian restaurant serving local Russians, and then it became simply a “Russian restaurant”.

Assuming you've been vaccinated for diphtheria, the only bacterial infections which affect the throat, generally, are strep and gonorrhea (staph can cause an abscess, but that would be obvious), and none of those cause a cough. I'd be curious as to what the other medications were. Viral infections usually turn the corner after 10 days, so it could be just a coincidence. If one of those medications was prednisone, that could really have made a difference, especially if there's a history of asthma. Hopefully you were tested for gonorrhea (though, again, that won't cause a cough). The antibiotic may have been helpful if a sinus infection developed and was the cause. Normally, a sinus infection will cause site-specific pain under either eye, behind the nose, or near the center of either side of the forehead. 
Since it doesn't appear as if a specific diagnosis was made, it would probably be prudent to recheck the hsCRP and CBC to make sure the numbers normalize when this is over. Although quite unlikely, you want to make sure something weird isn't going on (for example, leukemia, or tuberculosis). If one of the medications was prednisone, do not recheck the CBC/hsCRP until at least a week after you finish the prednisone. 

I wouldn't worry about it; you're peers are probably all doing the same thing but just opt not to talk about it, either. Prostitution is an equal opportunity exercise.
It's those who don't use prostitutes from time to time that are most likely to become predators.

This is the standard comeback when others respond by saying things that a poster doesn't like.
FYI... Tangents are allowed in these forums. There's nothing in the rules/guidelines that prohibit them. People do it here all the time. And when someone responds with structured paragraphs that are connected, it's not at all "scattershot." 😇 
But did I go off on a tangent? No. I simply brought up some related details that offended you. 😘

I agree about Vietnam.
Although it lacks the transportation infrastructure that Thailand offers, it possesses many outstanding national parks and beaches and no shortage of attractive men.
The first country that can produce a reasonable cost health care plan attractive to retirees will have a foot up on the others.

Alas no! I hesitate to comment on what is a marvellously written account of your trip to Thailand. But I I'd suggest your conversion rates are incorrect. Thailand works in litres (which you may well have factored in) and one litre is somewhere in the region of US$1.25 for gas - somewhat less for gasohol and so it depends on the vehicle. By my reckoning that makes roughly US$4.70 per gallon of gas.

Well, not quite. Of the original 13 states, only one wasn't on the coast (Pennsylvania), and it was a larger one. In the 18th Century, the idea of electing a national leader by votes of the common citizen was novel, and that's why the founding fathers came up with the electoral college. Now, the system is easily recognized as horrible in many ways, but getting rid of it would require majorities of both parties, so such a Constitutional amendment is unlikely to pass--it gives less powerful parties the opportunity to game the system.

How is a bar to know whether a customer is driving or not? And @PeterRS question about leaving at 3:39 am? 
How are bars to know who a customer's friends and relatives are, and their phone numbers? 
And many more questions. Oh gosh, it boggles the mind.

On Fast Track- Since I'm in the 70+ group, I've found that this always works well for us seniors. Take advantage of the benefit.
On tipping massage boys -- The only shops outside of Silom that I regularly use are in Saphan Kwai where most shops have an 800-1,000 minimum tip. If I receive what I consider very satisfactory service I add 200 (especially if they shower after with me). Have never had anyone in SK ask for more. I generally follow the same policy in shops with no minimum. I believe superior service should be rewarded.
On big spenders -- It was just a dozen days ago when I witnesed just how much some Asian women can distribute. One young lady was celebrating her birthday with some friends at Hot Male beer bar and I understand her liquor tab alone was about 5k. The waiters joined in the festivities and were well tipped.  There are also regular male customers who'll off a few waiters just to sit with him and drink. Others take a few off for dancing or karaoke. It comes down to what the customers enjoys and can afford. For you Jupiter regulars, such stuff is commonplace.
The spontaneous behavior is another reason the bars offer opportunity that the apps cannot do at the spur of the moment. Reservations not required.
 

Only sex LOL!

With this I cannot agree. I am certain there are some other big tippers out there who happily spash the level of cash which makes most posters and readers here wince. I remember a middle-aged Thai in one of the Twilight bars at least 10 years ago hand out literally handfuls - yes, handfuls - of 100 baht bills to many of the boys as though there were lots more where these came from. Indeed, I always had the feeling the few Thai customers who by that time continued to patronise the bars paid better than farang. Equally, though, as we know, there are the stingy lot who will always give as little as possible and then complain that anyoe paying more is distorting the 'market'!. 
Does anyone tip as much in the go-go bars as the Chinese/Japanese ladies who all but throw 1,000 baht bills at the handsome guys on the Moonlight runway? And that's just in the bar. In my many bar hopping years, I never knew what the rate was or even if there was a rate. Never once did i ask a mamazan. I gave what I felt reasonable and it was always accepted with a smile - except just once with a boy from Screwboy who had the cheek to ask for 500 baht more. Given what i already handed over, that indeed was cheek! He didn't get it!

So bars can stay open till 4:00 am. What if a paron who tests positive on the breath test is leaving at 3:39 am? Where does he sober up? And perhaps someone who thought up this mad scheme can recall how long it takes actually to sober up. If someone has drunk 8 beers over the course of an evening, he'll likely have to remain somewhere ifor around 12 hours.
I think there must be a little attic somewhere staffed with elves, goblins and, for those who are operatically minded, Nibelungen whose sole job it is to think up these mad schemes and then send them down by old pressure tubes that used to be common in department stores 60 years ago to the relevant ministry for pronouncement as policy! 

You give them too much credit!
What I'd like to know is how this pleasant new beach is going to be protected from the natural wave effect of beach erosion. 
There is no way of which I am aware to prevent wave erosion other than to construct wooden pier-type sea wall structures that run from the costline right into the sea and located every 60-80 meters or so.The is especially true of a beach that is essentially flat. The only other method is regular sand replenishment which can be horribly expensive. Ocean City in Maryland spent US$40 million on beach nourishment but this can also be harmful to the eco-system. It also requires sand to be constantly replaced. From a Bangkok POst article in June 2020, it seems that 680,000 cubic meters of sand will be transferred from Koh Rang Kwian. Presumably therefore constant replenishment will be required - and someone in future will have to pay for it.   
The northern Scottish city of Aberdeen used to be known as the "Silver City by the Golden Sands" a result of many holdings being constructed of granite which gleams in sunlight and a very long large beach. When the beach started eroding many decades ago, the CIty Council installed the structures seen in this photo. They are ugly and I have no idea how effective they have been in the longer term. Not very, if the photo is anything to go by. But I cannot see what is being utilised to stop sand erosion in the new Jomtien Beach.
 

Alas no! I hesitate to comment on what is a marvellously written account of your trip to Thailand. But I I'd suggest your conversion rates are incorrect. Thailand works in litres (which you may well have factored in) and one litre is somewhere in the region of US$1.25 for gas - somewhat less for gasohol and so it depends on the vehicle. By my reckoning that makes roughly US$4.70 per gallon of gas.

Isn't prostitution in one or other of its forms one of the reasons many gay guys visit Thailand? We all know that tips for offing from bars aren't tips; they are just fees for prostitution! Was Sunee's reputation for prostitution any different from Soi Twilight's? 
But another reason for Pattaya's slow decline as a gay go-go venue may be its having been much more a retirement haven for westerners, many of whom moved there quite a few years ago partly for the availablility of the bars and guys. Many are ageing given the length of time they have lived here. I'd guess there are many more retirees in Bangkok but Bangkok also has a vastly larger array of evening haunts apart from go-go bars and a great many expats who choose for whatever reason not to visit go-go and other bars. A bit like the new version of me! 
For a dozen years, I had living next to me a couple of elderly gay UK expats enjoying their retirement here. I once asked them of they read this forum. They did not read any gay forums and had no interest in them! In the evenings, only one of them would visit the then Telephone Bar about 4 or 5 times a week, but only to meet up and chat with fellow western expat friends. That was his only reason for the visits and they never went anywhere else. The other cruised occasionally in Silom Complex but no idea how successful or otherwise that turned out to be.
And isn't one basic problem for Pattaya that perhaps retirement options now in other parts of the world are a good deal greater than they used to be. I know several people who are considering Portugal before its existing easy visa access is changed, including Chinese guys from Hong Kong. For medical costs, India is now a good deal less expensive than Thailand with some very fine medical faciities. Of course Thailand takes some beating, but for those who read the American threads on this forum, several countries in South America have become/are becoming attractive.
As I know from my travels, there are also gay young Asian guys in many European cities very happy to meet up - although the numbers are small. In Asia, I expect Taiwan will eventually introduce a retirement visa and that Vietnam may change its previousy changed policy and reintroduce one. I certanly would find Vietnam very enticing. Just thoughts!

Thanks @gerefan. Given the existing clients, on the basis of @macaroni21's theory below, this could suggest that the Complex days will also be numbered. I have no idea of the average age of customers there, but if I recall correctly Sunee's customer base when I was last there was not especially old - absolutely not all 60s and 70s. I remember a good sprinkling of 40s and 50s. But for some reason they gradually disappeared. Can Jomtien Complex continue to thrive if the average age of customers is somewhat advanced and there are few if any of the new breed of Asian customers? What is your view? Just curious!
 

With this I cannot agree. I am certain there are some other big tippers out there who happily spash the level of cash which makes most posters and readers here wince. I remember a middle-aged Thai in one of the Twilight bars at least 10 years ago hand out literally handfuls - yes, handfuls - of 100 baht bills to many of the boys as though there were lots more where these came from. Indeed, I always had the feeling the few Thai customers who by that time continued to patronise the bars paid better than farang. Equally, though, as we know, there are the stingy lot who will always give as little as possible and then complain that anyoe paying more is distorting the 'market'!. 
Does anyone tip as much in the go-go bars as the Chinese/Japanese ladies who all but throw 1,000 baht bills at the handsome guys on the Moonlight runway? And that's just in the bar. In my many bar hopping years, I never knew what the rate was or even if there was a rate. Never once did i ask a mamazan. I gave what I felt reasonable and it was always accepted with a smile - except just once with a boy from Screwboy who had the cheek to ask for 500 baht more. Given what i already handed over, that indeed was cheek! He didn't get it!

Only sex LOL!

Just for information of other travellers, the Priority Lane still exists at BKK. It has been moved but only around 50 meters to the East. Certain categories automatically get free use of the service, including those over 70, APEC Business Travel card holders, Thailand Elite members and others - see photo. Although it states that FIrst and Business Class travellers gain access, I have found in the past this is not true for every airline, especially the budget ones with a premium class since they have to pay for their passengrs to use fast Track. Legacy carriers have no problem. Best to double check in advance.

Only sex LOL!

I hold a different viewpoint on this matter. In my opinion, if someone has the financial means, there's nothing wrong with choosing to spend generously. Being overly generous is a positive trait, showing kindness and support to others, especially in service-oriented industries - especially the most intimate/controverisal service industry of all. However, it's important to note that being excessively frugal, especially when one has the capacity to give more, might not be as commendable.
However - that charity would get bothersome if it leads to lasting inflation for us plebeians.

Alas no! I hesitate to comment on what is a marvellously written account of your trip to Thailand. But I I'd suggest your conversion rates are incorrect. Thailand works in litres (which you may well have factored in) and one litre is somewhere in the region of US$1.25 for gas - somewhat less for gasohol and so it depends on the vehicle. By my reckoning that makes roughly US$4.70 per gallon of gas.

I've traveled to and lived in Southeast Asia for many decades. I know exactly how things work -- even in the sex tourism industry. I've seen what it once was and what it's become today.
Still, it's not "boastfulness" to want to be a somewhat equitable human being when in Asia. Sex tourists have the reputation of Ugly American for a very good reason -- no matter how many massage parlors and go-go bars you visit and how many sex workers you've "had" or "offed."
Claiming to be "cheated" as if you're at Harrod's or Macy's is simply laughable when we're talking about such small amounts in our tourist pocketbooks -- wealthy or not. 
It probably feels cool to be a such a shameless expert in the industry that you classify it according to detailed metrics about massages, parlors, and "codes" for every aspect of a human body. 
But it's still the sex industry, and it is correctly viewed as ugly. The fact that it exists because of supply and demand doesn't make it a noble enterprise. Yes, most of us take part in it to some degree. We don't have to make each encounter seem like it's an example of a "contract" as described in a microeconomics textbook. 

So if a newcomer like @revengeboo wants to pay what he wants, nobody needs to call him out on it. He'll figure things out just as you did -- but hopefully not to such an ugly extreme.