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From The Nation
 
New cases of HIV in Thailand have fallen to less than 10,000 per year thanks to the increased use of condoms and advances in preventive medicine, the Disease Control Department's Bureau of AIDS, TB and STIs revealed on Thursday.
 
Bureau director Dr Saman Futrakul told the National News Bureau of Thailand that the rate of new HIV cases per year has dropped from its peak of 150,000 to between 6,000 and 10,000. He said the Public Health Ministry plans to lower the rate further to less than 1,000 a year by 2030. 
 
Dr Pannee Pitisutham, head of the Vaccine Center of the Mahidol University's Faculty of Tropical Medicine, said the center's AIDS vaccine development program, which has entered its third phase, got a promising result – an increase in immune cells - in the latest test conducted on male HIV-positive volunteers.
 
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30315614

Of late there have been warnings about visiting several areas in the southern islands.
One is the south part of Cebu Island.
But I still think Cebu City is very safe. There have not been any bombings there.
 
Here is my suggestions.
Go to Cebu City.  There are many malls and discos in CC. I think there are even some Go Go Bars but I have not explored that.
The main Party Area is Mango Square. Crowded with young men and ladyboys. Two main Clubs: Alchology and Juliana.
Check with NIrishGuy also on here. He was just there recently.
 
Most guys are on PlanetRomeo and looking for Sex, a Date, or a Lover.
Many are available to meet up and would love to go out for a night of fun.
And most are not money boys. Make a Friend!!
 
Then plan some side trips.
If you want unspoiled white beaches, not taken over by the tourists, go to Bantayan Island and stay in Santa Fe. Take a Pinoy guy with you as there are not any pickup places that I know.
Go to Panglao Island, which is part of Bohol. Plan to stay at Alona Beach. Lots of guys there!! Or you can meet some hotty from Bohol on PlanetRomeo.
Or even take a flight over to Palawan Island. There are direct flights to Puerto Princessa and, now, even to El Nido. Beautiful beaches, ocean, and mountains.
 
Other places I can recommend are on Mindanao, Cagayan de Oro is very safe (go river rafting) and Camiguan Island off the north coast (swim and go to the hot springs). I even feel Davao City in the far south is safe. But they did have a bombing there this past year.
 
And of course there is always Boracay Island. Beautiful with the best white beach and lot of FUN FUN FUN in the evening. Easy to meet guys or take one with you. Flights from Manila or Cebu to Catician and a short pump boat ride across to the Island.
 
OH and I almost forgot the Island of Mindoro. Fly to Manila and take a Van down to Batangas. Then a short pump boat ride over to Puerto Galera. Stay there or go to White Beach. Pick a time of one of the Parties when all the horny guys from Manila come down to Play!!!
 
INGAT!! or Take care!!

Thai Puan, the free magazine in Thai gay venues, has a new issue out.  There is a section on what's new in Jomtien.  Here is a link
 
http://www.thaipuan.com/whats-new/

I suspected that glad boy had a secret admirer when he let slip (no undergarment connotation) that a PM he had posted about me was actually interned for another.  And now I see my worst fear realized: one of my trip report heroes is courting him with promises of erotic underwear.
 
Oh, a447, how could you do this.  You labored behind my back (no reference to much discussed photo controversy) to attract the young and impressionable glad, I know your plan.  You parade yourself in a rainbow of colors until he is dazzled by your peacock-like charms and succumbs,
 
But I will win his affections by appealing to intellectual bent.  He may think of me as lazy but I will seduce him with colorful words of passion.
 
Feint heart never won fair athlete. I'll be relentless in pursuit of my Chiang Mai studmuffin.
 
 

Nah, it's my massive member that does it.
 
Gets them every time. Lol
 

I suspected that glad boy had a secret admirer when he let slip (no undergarment connotation) that a PM he had posted about me was actually interned for another.  And now I see my worst fear realized: one of my trip report heroes is courting him with promises of erotic underwear.
 
Oh, a447, how could you do this.  You labored behind my back (no reference to much discussed photo controversy) to attract the young and impressionable glad, I know your plan.  You parade yourself in a rainbow of colors until he is dazzled by your peacock-like charms and succumbs,
 
But I will win his affections by appealing to intellectual bent.  He may think of me as lazy but I will seduce him with colorful words of passion.
 
Feint heart never won fair athlete. I'll be relentless in pursuit of my Chiang Mai studmuffin.
 
 

Life may go on without trip reports but it certainly won't be as much fun.   Have absolutely no idea what you're referring to when you talk about a PM.  I've never sent you a PM or received one from you.   Personally, I think it's wonderful that a 24-year-old exchange student (in Chiang Mai) from Singapore finds enough time to post so actively, and manages to travel about the country.  For someone who says he hasn't been in the LOS very long, you've enjoyed an incredibly wide variety of experiences.   Although I'd think you might be more comfortable hanging out with much younger guys, with whom a young Singaporean like yourself would be quite in demand, you nevertheless choose to grace this forum.   It's a privilege and sheer sensation to be called intellectually lazy by such a hot boy.

Life may go on without trip reports but it certainly won't be as much fun.   Have absolutely no idea what you're referring to when you talk about a PM.  I've never sent you a PM or received one from you.   Personally, I think it's wonderful that a 24-year-old exchange student (in Chiang Mai) from Singapore finds enough time to post so actively, and manages to travel about the country.  For someone who says he hasn't been in the LOS very long, you've enjoyed an incredibly wide variety of experiences.   Although I'd think you might be more comfortable hanging out with much younger guys, with whom a young Singaporean like yourself would be quite in demand, you nevertheless choose to grace this forum.   It's a privilege and sheer sensation to be called intellectually lazy by such a hot boy.

Welcome to GT

For years of doing the same but for money, I got experience: to give some basic info is important. You will have more contacts if you will describe your self: age, hobbies, interests, what are your strong points like art or expert in shopping.On this way you will have much more requests.
 
Pictures are important as well: "gays buying by eyes".

From Channel News Asia
 
BANGKOK: Large crowds and long queues are common in almost every Thai public hospital. Rural hospitals in particular are suffering from a severe shortage of doctors and most are short on funds. 
 
According to the Thai Medical Council, there are just over 50,000 doctors in the country - with almost half of them clustered in Bangkok. The unequal distribution of medical practitioners means hospitals in rural areas are overcrowded with only a handful of doctors.
 
Some observers say the shortage of doctors comes from a more systematic failing of the Thai healthcare system.
 
“Speaking from my personal experience - the reason why the public healthcare system in Thailand is failing is the attitude of most administrators and management,” said Dr Witawat Siripracha, a former doctor and director of Lanta Hospital in southern Krabi province.
 
According to the standard ratio of one doctor per population, one doctor should be responsible for about 1,500 people. The lack of doctors in many rural areas has driven the number to as high as 7,000.
 
“Back then, I was one of the six interns and had to work double shifts for 26 days straight,” said Dr Witawat. “The older doctors rarely showed up because they had their private clinic to run, so the young doctors had to run the show.”
 
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/thailand-s-failing-public-healthcare-needs-a-lifeline-8832408

If I'm reading it right, the bather made the video and the sarcastic comments himself, to make a point about someone's failure to repair the broken pipe. Not an opportunistic bath but a political statement.

No argument there. Arena is one of the best values in BKK. 
 
My Hero is priced just above Prince and has the same owner. It also IMHO has the best facilities in the city.
 
Prince seems to be doing a strong business based on reputation.  But judging from recent reviews on Travel Gay Asia, dissatisfied customers are numerous. 
 
With the exception of Arena and Banana Club, where I've always found satisfaction, the rest remain hit or miss. So much depends on timing, availability and the hairs on the back of your head...sort to speak.

As near as I can recall from my December visit, rates appear down across the board by at least 20%.
 
Looking at the pics of masseurs on website, the guy I chose was either the second from right in either the top row or bottom row (they look somewhat alike to me).  He was 35, said he use to work at Arena and provided excellent service.
 
Don't see any evidence that the restaurant is open, but there are numerous photos at FB page, two of which show the restaurant and bar.
https://www.facebook.com/myherobangkok/

No argument there. Arena is one of the best values in BKK. 
 
My Hero is priced just above Prince and has the same owner. It also IMHO has the best facilities in the city.
 
Prince seems to be doing a strong business based on reputation.  But judging from recent reviews on Travel Gay Asia, dissatisfied customers are numerous. 
 
With the exception of Arena and Banana Club, where I've always found satisfaction, the rest remain hit or miss. So much depends on timing, availability and the hairs on the back of your head...sort to speak.

There is a Hua Hin trip report here somewhere, but this terse summary will do.
 
My BF and a friend were there for three days, 2 days before Songkran last month. We wanted to have a short beach getaway that was relatively accessible from Bangkok, and the 2.5-3 hour drive was not too bad to get to and from there. We used Hua Hin Cab (http:\\huahincab.com - 1900 baht) to get to Hua Hin, and used Olay of Siam Roads on the drive back to Bangkok with some stops along the way (camels! seafood! temples! viewpoints!). FYI, Olay is so handsome and so friendly, he is highly recommended! Me and my friend were drooling the whole drive back to Bangkok.

The beach is fine, yes way less commercial, but pretty good and not busy at all, and great to just lay there and enjoy the sun and the occasional dip in the Gulf of Thailand. The beachfront vendors provide loungers and reclining beds, as well as beers and lunch/dinner/snacks, which are reasonably priced.

The (one) gay bar we tried to go to, New Guy Bar, was dead dead dead on a 10 PM Tuesday night. We didn't even stop by and just walked by it. So sorry can't tell you if it picks up later that night or if weeknights are bad. I didn't try Grindr because my BF (BurBoy) was there, but my friend was able to find a number of very cute free boys. Can't comment on the money boy Grindr scene.

The seafood at the Night Market is great, though make the effort to find a restaurant that serves fresh stuff. We picked one at random and the seafood, while delicious, was not as fresh as we could hoped. The Night Market is cute and another way to spend the time in this early closing town. Bluport mall is a pleasant shopping experience - not too busy, relatively good restaurants and vendors, and a good place to get aircon.
 
We stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel Hua Hin, and it has a beachfront, but they don't have loungers closer to the beach. The main beach area with vendors are a pleasant 20 minute walk along the sand from the hotel. The hotel itself upholds most of what Intercon hotels are known for, so I recommend it.

Finally, quoting a PM by a very helpful forum member:
 
 
Some photos here - at loungers with some snacks and alcohol, the beachfront by Intercon, The sunrise (Hua Hin beach is East facing) and the moonrise:
 

highly huggable and offable young men and now well bathed 

Photos from Kaung (Siamroads.com). Tour with client in Bagan and Mandalay (Myanmar/Burma)
 
You can find more info about Kaung and is guiding service here: http://siamroads.com/kaung-bagan-burma/

 
 
 

It was getting to the point it was no fun to read any posts.
 
Can we just go back to giving information about hotels, restaurants, food, bars, boys, beaches, tourist sights and places? And add pictures to make it more informative and enjoyable? Which are the reasons this site is interesting.
 
We will never ALL agree on our preferences, be it lodging, food, men or sexual position. So there are no reasons to make one preference better than the other guy and make it into a posting fight.
 
Let's go back to being happy and envious (!) of the person having fun in Thailand and appreciative of the time taken out of their limited time to posts their stories here.
 
That is, until the time each of us can go back and take the time to post our own trip report again.
 
Yes, bomb throwing is acceptabe, but let it be on the joyful side and not on the war to posts side.

When you buy in Thailand, how sure are you that what is in those little bottles is the real deal?

It's getting to be Groundhog Day in Pattaya.
 
From Pattayaone
 
Bang Lamung district chief Naris Niramaiwong joined an entourage of local police and soldiers parading through Pattaya on Tuesday.
 
According to the chief they were doing important work under government orders to clear up the illegal sex trade in karaoke shops, beer bars and soapy massage establishments or ap-op-nuat, reported Siam Chon News.
 
They were also on the lookout for illegal immigrants, illegal foreign workers and signs of human trafficking and other illegal activity.
 
Naris – who in February mounted a similar raid embarrassing a UK man caught with his trousers down in a short time room above a Go-Go establishment on Valentine’s Day – said it was part of improving tourism at the resort.
 
He also didn’t want the resort to be called “sex capital of the world” anymore, reported Siam Chon News
 
The report of the party’s activities did not mention a single arrest or incident encountered by the group on their foray into the resort’s nightlife.
 
http://pattayaone.news/en/yet-another-sex-clean-pattaya/

Gay guide and companion in Bangkok Mac at time or tours to Ayuthaya and Chiang Mai.
 
You can find more about Mac and write him at http://siamroads.com/mac/
 

they are some perverts personally known to me who when Thailand is mentioned they think ' shopping" and they mean it

People are selling themselves short if they arrive in Bangkok and immediately head for Soi Twilight, looking for cock.
 
There are some exquisite diamonds lurking amongst the rhinestones in the other sois. Finding them is the hard part. Many appear to be freelancers and don't turn up to work on a regular basis. But just grab their phone number /Line and arrange for them to come to the bar. During bar hours I've found they will not meet up outside the bar; they will during the day, however.
 
I sometimes just hop on a plane and head off somewhere on the spur of the moment. But if I know precisely when I'll be in Thailand or Cambodia I let them know in advance and they'll be waiting for me in the bar/massage place.
 
In Bangkok the nicest guys I've found have always been in bars away from Soi Twilight.

Had great experience with arena and their fb admin are also very responsive. I have some confusion regarding the charges, probably due to language barrier. A quick message to their fb and the even refund me the difference. Definitelye a place worthy for a visit.

From Pattaya One

 
Two more high speed catamarans will soon be plying the Pattaya to Hua Hin route after the successful introduction of the service that began in February.
 
Sophon Cable reported on Facebook that “Royal 2” and “Royal 3” are set to join the original “Royal 1” service after checks have been made of the boats.
 
The two new boats have virtually the same specifications as “Royal 1” but are in fact a little larger. They can each carry 350-360 passengers.
 
Ekachai said that after seaworthiness checks have been completed it will be decided what schedule the new boats will follow that will best suit the needs of the travelling public.
 
He expected things to be ready for the service to be expanded to three boats later this month.
 
http://pattayaone.news/en/patta-hua-hin-ferry/