Londoner

Brazil has a racist and homophobic government. And it was elected on a popular vote. Isn't that a consideration? I was brought-up on a mixture of the 1950's film "Black Orpheus", The Girl from Ipanema and and the 1962 Brazilian football team and it remains the country in the world I'd most like to visit. But not at the moment; and I'm not even Black! Now, if Lula was back in power and gays, the poor and Black Brazilians were treated with dignity......

I use my bank, Lloyds, to Bangkok Bank. £10....but the exchange rate is poor. Four working days. A reliable service.

I encountered one on one of my firsts trips to Thailand, many years ago. In my ignorance, I thought it some sort of tumour and was repelled. I never saw one again; is it possible that this is because I was only interested in offing twinks? Perhaps mooks were more popular amongst other guys?

Thanks....good quality photos and an accurate map.

Indonesia is a huge collection of many islands; some are more liberal than others. No problems for gays in Bali, for example.

I can see that. When I decided not to relocate back in 2004, it was one of the many considerations that guided my decision. The anticipation and thrill of the journey- departure and arrival, if not the night on the plane- as well as the contrast with my life at home, help to make each of the days I'm there memorable.

When I'm in Thailand, I send a daily email report to a gay friend who collates and binds them for me in attractive covers. I re-read them before each trip, reliving happy memories and anticipating adventures to come. Photographs are included. The first is dated 2003 and the there are sixty or so. They also chart the development of my relationship with P. whom my friend has met in Pattaya.

Is the "First" World so much better? We shoot each other in the supermarket and schools and drop bombs on cultures and nations we don't like. Unless car ownership-or in the US, assault-weapon ownership- is considered the summit of achievement, then we should welcome the fact that some people don't care for it. I've travelled widely over the past decades; there's nowhere I've visited, however poor, that hasn't got something to teach us. And that includes Thailand.

I suspect that, for a few of us us if f not for many, the long-distance nature of the relationship is a plus. P is very Thai, rooted in his culture and religion as well as his family, while I am very much the urban Londoner whose interests are very different. Equally important, P is 36 and I am 72. I have no desire to live permanently in Thailand; I investigated the possibility thirteen years ago and, wisely as it turned out, decided to stay in London. Nor would P be happy here; he'd be friendless and far from his family. Three visits a year, each of which is an adventure, travelling in Thailand and Asia together, keeps the relationship fresh. For the remaining nine months, we have LINE! And yes, I miss him badly. I fear that,one day, the journey may become too much for me. Until then, carpe diem.

I paid Agoda £22 pn at Tarntawan for a September stay seven weeks ago; the price is now over £40. Ergo, book early? Well, no. A year ago, Chiang Mai's Amora's Agoda's price actually decreased after I'd booked. Vianapu is correct; some prices are very complicated and some of the bigger hotels have an array of rooms with different designations that are hard to understand. Breakfast, in my experience, is always worth paying for with the room price. I booked a room at a Krabi hotel in May- rather more expensive than usual- and , seduced by an apparently cheap deal, didn't pre-book breakfast. Buying it daily was expensive and in the long-run, cost me a lot.

And avoid those parked outside hotels and tourist spots. I remember being told that Tarntawan to Babylon was 200 bht. The metred cost is about 70 bht And when there's a row of them, prepare for a cartel.

The Agoda prices for Tarntawan are very low- about 60% of what they were when I was there in May. Or they were when I booked a few weeks back. I can't see them going much lower for Thai nationals. Perhaps it's an introductory offer owing to the change of management. An odd thing about Agoda (and perhaps other agencies) in Thailand. Sometimes, the prices undercut rack-prices by a huge amount; in other cases, the hotel offers better prices for direct booking. Jomtien's (excellent) Agate is in this second category.

I agree...but always smile when you do so. A smile is often returned, but even if it's not, it is far more effective than a show of annoyance The loss of the 300bht will be a good price to pay for learning this lesson. And yes, a good supply of 20s and 100s is a must. Ask when you change money and use the 500s and 1000s in restaurants.... and 711s. I've never had any problems there, even if I'm only spending 30bht.

There's an airport in LP and daily flights from BKK on Air Asia.

We've been in Luang Prabang twice. We were travelling as a couple and so commercial sex wasn't on our menu. I suspect that, had it been, we'd have been very disappointed! In one of the hotels we stayed in, there was a letter from the police attached to the door, warning against non-marital sex; only married couples were allowed to share a room. Not impressed by the two hotels we used. The first was acceptable but simple. Much more expensive than similar ones in Thailand. The second was very poor...more expensive than the first and inadequate. Both were on the river side and so benefitted from offering superb views. There are some expensive 1st class places outside the city. No problems for a gay couple but I wouldn't advise anyone seeking a Pattaya-experience to go there. Vientiane didn't seem to have much to offer. The river-front was particularly disappointing. But Luang Prabang is charming.

A number of options there, both gay and and gay-friendly. Agate is our choice. Spick-and- span, some cute staff, quiet (ask for a room on the swimming pools side) prices at about 1600 pn. Book direct rather than through Agoda etc. We've stayed at many Thai hotels; my boyfriend reckons this to be his favourite, even if we've stayed at places a lot more expensive. Rooms a bit small but each has a nice balcony .

Are you suggesting that Americans are particularly.....um....overweight?

Correct.Don't lead him on. Don't let him think that a few offs means than a ltr is a possibility. In my case, I was meeting my partner for offs from his bar for a year ( I was visiting three or four times annually) before it became apparent that this relationship was different. To both of us. It was another two years or so before I used the word "love". I recall exactly the circumstances because I emailed an old friend that he (my partner) hadn't been well and that I was worried about him. It was then that I said to my old friend, "I think I love him." What I didn't realise then was that my partner was beginning to suffer the early symptoms of TB which, a few months later, would put him in hospital and begin a difficult chapter in our relationship.

I experienced that in January. It was , apparently, a birthday party. I was in Ambiance and so was able to look down from the balcony at about 0300; the performance was for four people. Falangs, as far as I could see.

Jack'd (and Blue'd) were only accessible on a mobile....didn't work either on my tablet or my lap-top. Is Scruff any better?

The internet was replaced almost yearly at Tarntawan and, for the last five years, has been as good as anywhere. Back in 2003, I suspect that it was still dial-up. I remember trying internet shops in Chiang Mai; almost impossible to get a decent connection. The ones I've been using recently- Tarntawan, Ambiance, Agate, Amora (Chiang Mai) and Aonang Villas (Kabi)- even three hotels in Laos- have been almost as good as here in London.

JimmyJoe identifies a Thai characteristic that many of us have experienced. Our partners prefer us to look smart....not expensively so but well-cared for. It shows respect just as he does his best for us. In my case , this means in an evening ritual lasting an hour while he showers and dresses for dinner. I invariably sneak out for a beer out of sheer boredom! In the case of a relatively new friend who is testing the waters, he wants to be seen with a falang but not just "any" falang; he prefers a touch of class. It's a status thing. Indulge him!

Venezuela is a beautiful country- wonderful rain forests, waterfalls and gay-friendly beaches. However, the fact that the the US covets its oil and is itching to invade, even if Trump is happy for his proxies to act in the meantime, means that I won't be visiting anytime soon! By the way, I'd love to hear the Simon Bolivar Orchestra live again....I was at the London concert a few years ago and it remains one of the exciting experiences for me in sixty years of concert-going.

There are some interesting videos of 1980s/1990s on Youtube. Low-rise , distinctly shabby back then. On the other hand....

It was the smell of the carpets that announced my arrival in Thailand. Distinctive to say the least. My seventieth visit in ten weeks....they must have done something right.