macaroni21

I wonder how the massage- and gogo- talent hoping to enter Thailand via land crossings are going to show USD 10,000 worth of medical insurance.

Debating the particular - patpong and Pattaya bars - does not really throw light on the more general issue. The general point as I see it is that reader and perhaps some others hold non-discrimination as an article of faith. With quasi religious fervour. I have explained that there are situations where a rational consideration can justify discrimination, and that discrimination in such situations can produce social good valued by people. Z909 has pointed out that all over the world, discrimination exists and is accepted. Sometimes, the rationale is clear. Other times, e.g. snooker contests, the rationale is not. Especially when it's a private business*, the owner should be free to establish whatever customer policies he thinks serves his business goal, including making his business exclusive to one community. *The exception is when a private business has such large market share, it approaches monopoly position. But these rational arguments and real life examples will never convince true believers. Dogma is funny, isn't it?

Alright, you're compelling me to explain my reasoning. Speaking only of "discrimination" is too blunt and superficial a concept. A better way to think about the issue is to frame it with reference to (a) power (b) volume and (c) safe spaces. The concept of safe spaces is to permit small minorities or oppressed communities to have their own spaces which they can call their own and feel safe in. To enable such spaces, a degree of discrimination needs to be applied to keep the more powerful or more numerous out, otherwise the space becomes swamped or dominated by the powerful or the more populous. There is therefore an argument for women-only safe spaces, keeping men out. There is an argument for teenage girls safe spaces, keeping horny teenage boys and older men out. There is an argument for Muslim-only safe spaces (in heavily non-Muslim countries), keeping non-Muslims out (especially proselytising Christians). An argument for keeping anti-abortion protestors a minimum distance (several hundred metres) away from abortion clinics.... In the scale of things, hetero women are far more numerous than gay men, and therefore there is an argument for gay-male spaces that keep out hetero women, otherwise the tone of the space will change to cater to hetero women. The same argument can be made to keep out hetero men, but in practise the non-availability of boobs, tits and pussies would mean they have no interest in swamping the gay bar anyway. However, once boobs, tits and pussies get into a gay bar (in the form of women customers), you can bet the hetero men will follow. Thus the "slippery slope" I referred to above.

See https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/covid-19-travel-information.html

It's all flights into the US (unless my information is out of date). But one does not need a PCR. A rapid antigen test will do. Won't any doctor's clinic be able to do this? Then again -- any doctor's clinic -- will the clinic be able to issue a test certificate that meets US regulations? Better to ask. Based on my recent entry into the US, all it requires are these details: name, date of birth or passport number (and country), type of test, date of test, who performed the test, test result.

Good idea.

After having visited Thailand's many kinds of gogo bars over the years (decades), I'm of the view that there's a downside to too large a space. Lucky Boys of Patpong 2 (which I understand has not reopened) is one such space I would consider too large. It makes it hard for eye contact and smile contact, and therefore tends to reduce the boys to mere statutes. This is not to say that (if rent is affordable) a large floor area serves no purpose. I can imagine a smart operator splitting a large area into several, more intimately-sized rooms with a different vibe in each room to suit various tastes. Some customers like drag shows; others like shows with full-on nudity; yet others just want to mingle with boys, talk and tip them with the aim of finding a suitable guy to take out. But first and foremost, the space must remain a gay male space. Owners must keep women out, in my view. Once they are let in, it's a slippery slope. The dancers (mostly straight) tend to pay attention to them over the gay male customers. Then women's tastes begin to change the flavour of the club (i.e. men in jeans preferred over nudity), and then the girls' hetero boyfriends start to go with them to the club.... and that's the end of the business as far as I am concerned. I recently read a comment somewhere about a Montreal bar (Stock bar, I think) letting more and more women in. Their gay customers then complained that screaming hordes of women utterly destroyed any gay vibe there used to be. The trouble with Western countries is this madness about non-discrimination and how it may be illegal to bar women from entering (but yet, it is OK to bar men from entering some clubs especially on Ladies Nights). I am all for discrimination in such matters. But it'll be a long thesis for me to explain my thoughts and reasoning, and I will spare you that.

As Thailand was announcing this half-measure of a relaxation, Singapore announced complete removal of all pre-departure testing for vaccinated travellers. On-arrival testing had been removed some weeks earlier. Now, only an online health declaration needs to be conpleted -- the online version of the pre-Covid arrival card, I guess with a few more Covid-related questions, perhaps. Thailand needs to scrap its insurance requirement and its Thai Pass system, which by all accounts, is slow and inefficient.

When a bar (or massage place) has more customers during weekends than weekdays, it usually means that it is drawing mainly local customers, not tourists. Here, by 'local' I mean folks resident in Thailand including expats. In pre pandemic years past, I have not noticed much difference between weekday and weekend traffic. The businesses then were heavily reliant on tourists, not locals. We will know when tourism has fully revived when weekend/weekday traffic evens out. Bkk bars and massage places used to have a distinct surge in customers during the major holiday periods of east Asian countries, particularly 1st week May and 1st half Oct, in addition to Christmas and new year. I wonder if we will see a surge in a month's time (May). If so, it will be a good sign, though personally for me, these are periods I avoid.

This thread is being bombed ... by a business providing female escorts! Shudder!

Here's a recent review of Thai Airways' business class from Bangkok to Heathrow. Has service deteriorated after the huge losses the airline suffered as a result of the pandemic?

It's interesting that Thailand is scrapping the pre-departure test but keeping the post-arrival test. It's the opposite of what four of its neighbours are doing. Vietnam: Pre-departure PCR or antigen test required. No post-arrival test Philippines: Pre-departure PCR or antigen test required. No post-arrival test Singapore: Pre-departure PCR or antigen test required. No post-arrival test Cambodia: No pre-departure test. No post-arrival test. -- Malaysia: Pre-departure PCR test required. Post-arrival antigen test required. Indonesia: Pre-departure PCR test required. Post-arrival PCR test required. --- If the rationale is to avoid imported Covid, one might think that screening before the flght is more important – though I fully agree with z909's point about the absurdity of shutting down an entire sector of the economy over 0.002% of infections. That Thailand is scrapping pre-depature tests but keeping post-arrival suggests to me that at last part of the reason may lie in the commercial interest among Thai labs and hotels in keeping the golden goose (mandatory PCR tests and SHA hotel stays) alive for as long as possible.

Thanks z909 for the update. It's disapponting; we can only hope that in a few months' time, they'll re-open. There was a period when Screw Boys was well-known for its Vietnamese offerings. If it wants to stick to that formula, it may be having a harder time than other bars in finding staff while borders remain difficult.

One bar which was a staple pre-pandemic doesn't seem to be much mentioned lately -- Screw Boys. Has anyone ventured in lately? Is it even open?

I came across this yesterday as I doing trawling through the web for information an have just found it again. It's from Singapore's Changi airport website, and it says "Covid-19 test requirement - A pre-departure test is not required for transit travellers for all flights arriving in Singapore, including VTL flights." A quick check on Expedia shows about 2 direct flights a day between Singapore and Phnom Penh.

Thanks, spoon. However, the linked article only says quarantine abolished. It does not say whether pre-departure and/or post-arrival tests are still required.

Thailand may be under increasing pressure to open up more quickly, considering the way its neighbours are opening up. Although Thailand will lift the requirement for pre-departure PCR tests on 1 April, the Thai Pass, insurance requirements and on-arrival tests are still in place. As seen in the above quote, Thailand's Tourism minister is only asking the cabinet for a downgrade from PCR test to antigen test after arrival on 1 May. No mention about abolishing the Thai Pass pre-application before entry. Reader posted that Malaysia will be liberalising its requirements on 1 April. With that, it will be ahead of Thailand. From 1 April, Malaysia will not require travellers to seek entry permission before travelling, and will only require an antigen test after arrival. However, a pre-departure test is still required. Today Singapore announced a liberalisation too. For fully vaccinated travellers, not only will Singapore abolish the requirement to seek permission before entry, it will abolish the post-arrival test from 1 April. Even the post-arrival test has, for some tme now, been just a rapid antigen test, not a PCR test. It will be gone from 1 April. Singapore still has a pre-departure requirement for an antigen test, but is now suggesting that at the next review in about 2 - 3 week's time, this may be abolished too - which will mean a full restoration of open borders as they were pre-Covid (for vaccinated travellers). The Philippines requires vaccinated travellers to register through Bureau of Quarantine’s OneHealthPass (OHP), an online platform, three days before departure -- no mention about waiting for approval, so I guess it's only registration, not application, unlike the Thai Pass -- and take a PCR or antigen test before flying. No post-arrival test, no quarantine. Vietnam requires a pre-departure PCR or antigen test and submission of an online health declaration. No post-arrival test. No quarantine. Cambodia, to the best of my knoweldge, is ahead of its neighbours. Fully vaccinated travellers do not have to take pre-departure or post-arrival tests when entering Cambodia. Disclaimer: The above information is what I read today in a quick bit of research into entry requirements. I don't swear that my information is fully accurate or up to date, so please don't rely on what I'm reporting here without doing your own checks. Indonesia is the one country where I am getting conflicting information, so I have left it out from this survey. Some information is about Bali only, others are about the whole country... confusing!

As so often is the case with such announcements that are intended to boost tourism, the minister is silent as to what will happen if the test result comes back positive.

Here's what may be an unusual viewpoint: At its peak of its "glory days", I could never find any guy from Tawan to off. They were way too muscly for my taste. Between competitions or in more recent (pre-Covid) years such as 2015 - 2016, I thought the selection was better. There would be some guys who were biggish but not Mr Rippled Hulk. Compared to other bars, they were also (generally speaking) more pleasant personality-wise. Unfortunately, while the period of faded glory of the mid-decade was good by my taste, it was beginning to "fade" a bit too much in the last 2 years or so pre-Covid. Several of the regular guys there were beginning to run to fat - it's a real risk when one has become used to eating big meals but do not hit the gym as much as before. Also, my recollection is that the number of working guys were dwindling.

From reuters https://www.reuters.com/world/thousands-russians-stuck-thailand-sanctions-kick-2022-03-08/ Thousands of Russians stuck in Thailand as sanctions kick in BANGKOK, March 8 (Reuters) - Thousands of tourists from Russia are currently stranded in Thailand, officials said on Tuesday, as unprecedented Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine put a squeeze on Russians struggling to find flights and finances. Flight cancellations, a rouble currency in free-fall and payment problems from Russian banks being cut off from the global SWIFT system has left more than 7,000 Russians in limbo in locations like Phuket, Koh Samui, Pattaya and Krabi, Thailand's tourism authority chief said. "We have to be good hosts and take care of everybody," Yuthasak Supasorn told Reuters. "There are still Russian tourists on their way here," he added. Russia's embassy in Bangkok did not immediately respond to request for comment on its citizens. In 2019, Thailand received 1.4 million Russian visitors. In January, it counted about 23,000 Russians, representing about a fifth of the total arrivals. About half of those stranded were on the island of Phuket. "We've asked hotels to reduce prices and extend their stays," Phuket's tourism association president Bhummikitti Ruktaengam said. Some visitors, when able, had used China's UnionPay after cards issued by Russian banks using U.S. payment firms Visa (V.N) and Mastercard stopped working, he said. Visa and Mastercard announced on Saturday they were suspending operations in Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Russia has called its actions there a "special operation". Though Thailand was among 141 countries that backed a United Nations resolution calling for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops, it has not imposed any sanctions on Moscow. Bhummikitti said hundreds of people from Ukraine were also stranded, mainly due to airport closures there. He said efforts were being made to get stranded Russians onto flights to Moscow on Middle Eastern airlines and to arrange repatriation flights. A proposal was being considered to allow the use of cryptocurrency for payments at hotels, flights and other businesses in Phuket, he said.

From the New York Times yesterday, Following this, Aeroflot said it would suspend all international flights starting from 8 March 2022. Other Russian airlines are expected to follow suit. The problem seems to be that many (most?) planes are leased and when the Russian companies are unable to pay leasing fees, the leasing companies may seize them as soon as they land in a foriegn country. In any case, with Boeing and Airbus not supplying spare parts, it is doubtful if the planes could have been kept flying safely for long. This shouldn't stop Russian tourists from taking other airlines such as Emirates or Air China, though, but then there are still the questions of the exchange rate and payments systems. MasterCard and Visa has suspended use of Russian-bank-issued cards outside of Russia. But this little snippet from BBC is interesting:

The mention of plans for a new Muay Thai camp makes me wonder. What's an ambassador's nterest in this? An urgently needed new channel for money flow, illicit or otherwise?

It's not just the devaluation of the rouble, many are finding that their credit cards aren't working anymore. It's one thing to have to postpone/cancel a trip to Thailand for its warmth, it's another thing for those Russian tourists already in Thailand who may be having trouble with their credit cards.

I think it's a cultivated persona -- the "emo" look -- which apparently has its admirers too. 😲

You're not alone. It's been quite amazing to me (amazing in a good sense) that different people have such widely varying perceptions of desirability. Every somatotype -- from thin to Thor -- has its admirers. I even know quite a few friends who are into chubs. Personally, I like the boy-next-door or fit-athletic type, and even those past 30 and beginning to fill out. And as for size down there, it's never mattered much to me. Below average is fine. It's skill that I am more interested in. For me the key consideration is: Can the service provider provide a good service? More interestingly, I have also observed that not only is the desired type different from one beholder to another, the spread is also dfferent. Some have very narrowly specific tastes, while others (me included) have a wider range of acceptability, and not just in body type either. In terms of age range as well. Observing people and the spectrum of tastes has been one of more intellectual pleasures of my many visits to Thailand.