Londoner

The new venue at LCR is a major problem. I could feel as well as the thumping of the loudspeakers in my bed at 0300 the night before my return home in June. I've cancelled my next stay with great disappointment after twenty-five years and seventy visits. I'm too old to lose a night's sleep and my boyfriend and I prefer to retire before midnight. Of course, noise isn't a problem for everyone; if you go to bed at 0400 or aren't sensitive to noise, you won't be affected. Ambiance is replacing its penthouse doors, by the way. That may help. LCR may make money for the owners; unfortunately it runs the risk of ensuring that other businesses don't. Boyztown has declined year by year with old favourites like Oscars, Funny Boys and Panorama closed. I fear that it will soon be darkened, boarded-up soi only coming to a very limited life between 1200 and 0300. And, by the way, not for gays; we are not LCR's target group.

What is the situation for gays now that there is an evangelical, homophobic, racist thug is in power? I have read reports that the gay community is very nervous.

Agoda calls it "imm" on my receipt for September....but I'll be pleased if the old name is preserved.

Circadin (melatonin) helps with jet-lag. I bought mine at Boots, Silom. 500 bht for 18 tablets, if I recall correctly. As far as expense is concerned, you are right but hotels and restaurants remain good value. And, by the way, the old Tarntawan Hotel, beloved by many, will be called the imm hotel, Surawong (yes, small "i") and will offer excellent prices. Check out Agoda. My September room costs less than £25 pn. I paid nearer £50 in May.

Absolutely. And , apparently, Panorama in Boyztown has been bought by Castro. That's another one gone. O tempora, o mores......those happy early evenings sitting there, bir-singh at the ready, watching the go-go dancers pass by on their way to work, waiting for the bars to open......

A drink in Dick's, watching the crowds- tourists, dancers, staff- the cheapest and best (almost) way to spend an hour in Bangkok. And the same goes for Panorama. Ten years ago.

Boy69 and speedoo1 are both correct. My experience over the past twenty-three years is that the early part of the rainy season is likely to produce decent, if not perfect, weather while the later part, particularly September, can be disappointing for beach-lovers. This is not true of Koh Samui where the weather is good at that time of the year; it has a different climate due to its location.

Hotels are cheaper. Take advantage. Compare prices with those in January. As for the weather. I've just returned from three weeks in the Rainy Season, much of it in Krabi where long periods of rain aren't unusual at this time of year. We lost only one day due to bad weather. In Pattaya/Jomtien, a few hours. We were certainly fortunate but the truth is that I go there every year at this time and very seldom has my trip been disrupted.

I am one of the 90s generation....falangs who experienced a vibrant Pattaya scene and fell in love with it. At the age of seventy-two, I count myself lucky- I am one of the survivors, aiming to grow older more disgracefully. I am not alone in one respect and it is one that is sometimes forgotten. Look at the today's gay Thai/falang couples in Thailand; one thing has changed since the 90s. More of them are of an older falang (nothing new there) with a Thai who is in his 30s or 40s rather than 20s. No longer "offs" intent on making a1000bht for an hour's work but partners. Friends. In some cases, even married. Perhaps , one day long ago, the Thais were go- go dancers looking for that fortunate falang. Some found their man and are now in some sort of long term relationship. In my case, it's one of fifteen years. We don't go to go go bars but spend our money in restaurants and we don't restrict ourselves to gay hot-spots, such as they are. Krabi, Chiang Rai, Luang Prabang have been recent destinations. Usually, we are "the only gays in the village"....but nobody seems to mind. I suppose that people like me are some of the "lost" gogo bar punters and the ones partly responsible for an almost deserted Boyztown.

Blind Massage place in Jomtien Complex, near Zing and Agate? No H.E. but may help your back. Be prepared for some pain.

Thanks, kokopelli...it's good to know that some traditions live on.

Low occupancy in Jomtien and elsewhere means that most (perhaps) hotels will offer a good rate for a night. How much of the night you use is up to you! Off the top of my head, if you are thinking about the Jomtien Compex gay soi, there are two gay hotels nearby plus gay friendly places like Zing and (slightly pricier ) Agate. Others may correct me, but aren't Short Time hotels a thing of the past? I remember them twenty years ago....the cars of visitors would be curtained-off from prying eyes...but now?

One thing I liked about Pattaya is that the guys who worked in a particular bar are often friends....some of them from the same village who had traveled together to the bright lights. They often lived together, or close to each other and socialised. This meant that the atmosphere in the bars (and I must admit that I'm now talking about the past) was more humorous and friendly. In Bangkok, the guys often live far away from the work-place meeting the other workers only in the bar and so their relationships are less warm. And the bars less vibrant.

Centran...yes, I know the place well. But even more familiar to us is Loyen Garden. I find myself calling it that now. Nearly sixteen years of attempting to encourage the pronunciation of "Royal" have ended in failure; if you can't beat 'em.....

Yes, we saw it last night....thanks.

Ggobkk and I seem to be following each other...first Tarntawan and now Jomtien! We arrived yesterday, after four sun-filled days in Krabi where the absence of gay couples is noticeable as we walk around Aonang. And certainly in our hotel -we are the only gays in that particular village.It is more expensive than the ones we're used to; some would say over-priced. Even so, no one seems to mind a Thai/falang couple, of whom only one is good-looking.Tthe staff in the hotel are welcoming. To be fair, that has been our experience throughout Thailand. Nevertheless it was good to be back among the brethren yesterday evening. Plenty of cute masseurs within yards of our hotel and Dick's Cafe served us the best dinner we've had this trip.. And now we shall look out for the new sign.

Michael; the answer is simple. I met someone in Pattaya sixteen years ago....and without him, I'd have probably stopped coming. We are aware of the scene- in both paces- and like being in a gay environment even if we are not participants. I must confess that I do explore Bangkok the day before he arrives from his home in the north of the country. Hence my comments about Patpong and Babylon.

When one of us has an infection, we pass it on to to others....and it spreads widely and quickly. Some of those affected may have neither the money nor the knowledge to to deal with it.

I've been dividing my time between the two for twenty years. Usually at least 80% of the time in Pattaya....which sums up my preference. I like Pattaya's clearly-defined gay areas and larger number of venues , even if they aren't what they were. Bangkok's have declined even more and I was unimpressed by my first visit to the Patpong gay area last week. One other thing. The Pattaya guys know that that many of their clientele are like to stay on holiday for two weeks or even more, while the Bangkok guys are often meeting-up with short-term visitors. This has an effect on the nature of the assignations, in my view.. I'd hazard a guess that those of us who subsequently developed LTRs did so in Pattaya rather than Bangkok. Babylon is a draw for me; were it not there , I'd probably dispense with Bangkok.

I'm pleased you are enjoying the hotel, ggobkk. Tarntawan has been my Bangkok base for nearly twenty years, my point of entry to Thailand, where I stay for three days, meet-up with my boyfriend and then depart for other places. Bangkok has its thrills, but for me they are short-lived. I was intrigued by the venom of some of the comments elsewhere and when I arrived, I tried to look at the place with an open mind. What would a first-time visitor, without all my emotional baggage, think of it? And I also took until account the views of my boyfriend who has been with me for fifteen of those twenty years and, by now, has wide experience of Thailand hotels, as well as some in neighbouring countries. And I still maintain that it is a good base for those who wish to enjoy the gay scene- at its price. My current hotel in Aonang, Krabi, is a better hotel in many respects and certainly has an attractive setting. But it is twice as expensive

Have just had three pleasant days in Tarntawan. Inquiring about the future, I was told that, after the renovations, the only change will be to the name. The staff remain. The hotel has had some critical comments recently; I can report that the reception and staff were friendly, the rooms as clean as always in my experience and the a/c quiet and effective. I thought some of the criticisms to be OTT, to say the least and noted that Trip Advisor's reviews were generally positive. In other words, I was not alone in my views. I am now In Krabi , staying in a hotel twice as expensive as Tarntawan. Not only is the breakfast nowhere near as good but I'm being charged 450bht pp a day for it. I have to say this though.....the restaurant- on the sea-front with a view of the islands in distance- is rather better than that of Surawong!

The staff are remaining, I understand, and according to Agoda, the pricing will remain much the same.

Ex- Tarntawan clients will be seeking hotels of a similar price. Le Meridien and similar are too expensive and the likes of BBB Inn too cheap. Tarantawan charges around 2500 pn.f

I'm due to arrive next week. And after twenty years of patronage the email I received this morning quoted by ggobkk heralded the end of an era; yes, another one. I've been getting discounts for years- deservedly so in view of my loyalty- and I suspect that that will end. As to the carpets....their distinctive smell always announced to me that I'd finally arrived after fifteen hours of travel and so was strangely welcome. More modern hotels in climates like Bangkok's no longer (in my experience) have them. Rightly so.

One of the advantages of the numerous places around Jomtien Complex is that many (most? all?) of the guys sit outside, making selection easier. There seem to me to be many more guys than at the Pattaya joints. And I've seen some cute ones, too. I hasten to add that I've no experience of any of them! By the way, have you tried hornet and Romeo?