kokopelli

Well, ronnie, I might agree that every time I go to the go-go bars the harder it gets. 

The Immigration office in Pattaya can be very busy, but I have taken over the past eighteen months or so to going late, 3.30pm (they close at 4.30pm) and I have avoided the queues. In fact the office has usually been empty. As to the 800,000 locked up in my account, I view it as the money I shall use to travel to the Dignitas Clinic in Switzerland when it is time to leave. The worst part for me is the exchange rate for the UK pound, The day before the vote to leave the EU I got 56 Baht to the pound, the day after it went down to 36. Now we are struggling to hold around 43, so the loss of almost 30% of my income over these five or more years has been really painful. Another two and a half years till I receive my state pension, but that should help. More than ten years since I retired early and came to live in Thailand and I don't regret it at all. 

That's more or less how it worked end of December. Before you're allowed to go to passport control there's a check for your Covid documentation. Then passport control and waiting to collect your bags. After you pass customs you get to the international arrivals hall, where you are greeted by a mass of hotel representatives and staff to get all arrivals in contact with the right people.
It seemed a bit chaotic, there's so many hotels now, but there's plenty of people pointing you in the right way. Go with the flow and you should be on your way in no time. Just make sure you have a copy (or 2) of your booking and your Thailand pass at hand.
In may case I was asked me to wait a bit before I was taken to the car, which took me to the hospital for a snot donation, and then on to the hotel for what turned out to be about 8 hours quarantine.
I had time left for dinner at Circus (formerly Telephone Pub) and a short visit to Dream Boys. Everything had to close by 11PM.

buy Apple stock

Interesting that so many of the replies above show that you guys are wearing decent looking attire.
Many of the men I know usually wear the very same outfit every day and it is not fashionable at all!
At least none  I know wear tank tops aka wife beaters.

Interesting that so many of the replies above show that you guys are wearing decent looking attire.
Many of the men I know usually wear the very same outfit every day and it is not fashionable at all!
At least none  I know wear tank tops aka wife beaters.

The best shorts I found are Izod and Chaps Golf Shorts. They are synthetic and stretchable and have six pockets. Similar to cargo shorts but the "cargo pockets" are not the usual baggy type. Rather they have zippered pockets and are in the interior rather than exterior thus giving a neat appearance. About $30 USD. I usually wear golf type polo shirts that I buy from Thrift Shops for $3 or $4 USD. Great value and quality compared to the usual polos found in department shops. 

The best shorts I found are Izod and Chaps Golf Shorts. They are synthetic and stretchable and have six pockets. Similar to cargo shorts but the "cargo pockets" are not the usual baggy type. Rather they have zippered pockets and are in the interior rather than exterior thus giving a neat appearance. About $30 USD. I usually wear golf type polo shirts that I buy from Thrift Shops for $3 or $4 USD. Great value and quality compared to the usual polos found in department shops. 

I know I'm biased, but Japan is the only place where I feel totally safe no matter where I am or what time it is.

Well, it is hard to believe, but I have been overly cautious during Covid and yet, I met someone online that I thought was just remarkable and knew I had to them him. We chatted for a bit and finally I gave him, we both got tested for Covid and we met. He is perhaps the sweetest guy I have met in 20 years. He is charming, funny, caring, artistic and kind. Yes, I think I have fallen for him and he has now been with me for a while. I may be off the market in the future, but he said he is open to 3 ways if I proved to him I was not going to fall for someone else. Not sure how that is going to happen but, I'll try. He is not from Thailand BTW. He is from Africa and is stuck here until his country reopens.

After two years in Pattaya I returned home a week ago and received Pfizer the following day.

After two years in Pattaya I returned home a week ago and received Pfizer the following day.

After two years in Pattaya I returned home a week ago and received Pfizer the following day.

After two years in Pattaya I returned home a week ago and received Pfizer the following day.

After two years in Pattaya I returned home a week ago and received Pfizer the following day.

After two years in Pattaya I returned home a week ago and received Pfizer the following day.

7 days quarantine in Pattaya would be acceptable to me.

7 days quarantine in Pattaya would be acceptable to me.

People gained immunity after exposure or died.

People gained immunity after exposure or died.

So, I was curious about Facebook dating and gave it a try. People like you or you like them and if a match, you can chat. I met one guy that I thought was really cute and I wanted to meet him. We chatted for a few days and last night he came to my place for a date. We went to eat (not really as no seating but brought it back to the apartment). We chatted and had a great time. He speaks great English and is into computers and programming. He is a bit young, 20 years old, but very smart and funny. He did enjoy playing games online a bit, but that was fine. The night was great, sex was very good, and he asked for no money at all. He wants a BF. He comes to Bangkok once per week to play volleyball and asked if he could spend next weekend with me as well. I said yes. Since Jupiter Boy has left the picture, it looks like Volleyball Boy has came into the race.

I can't remember the last time I watched a music video.

And now back to the 737 Max and Airbus A320 Neo for medium haul oceanic travel in narrow bodies. Bring back the 747-400 puhlease! Loved that aircraft.

Nonsense! we are all irresistible, whatever we look like, whatever we wear.
Or so I've been told.
 
 

Speaking of clothes...
Things have certainly changed. On my first visit in 1995, my memory is that, in  Boyztown, falang gentlemen (sic) made an effort to dress more formally in the evenings. I mean by that long trousers, usually not jeans, and shirts with collars, not T-shirts. I certainly did but  "dressing for dinner" had  always part of my holiday experience. In the Caribbean, which was my chosen destination before Thailand, hotels wouldn't serve dinner to guests in shorts and some places even demanded a jacket.
it took a few years for me to adapt to the more informal (and infinitely more sensible) fashions of today. And P too, though I expect some of you will be surprised by that. Like me, he wore shorts in the daytime but for the evenings he changed to long trousers. He is as old-fashioned in a Thai way as I am in my  British habits!
And then , one evening, on the way to Central from Jomtien we both noted that we were the only men in a crowded bus not in shorts. A revelation indeed!
Now, my up-bringing is out the window and I wear shorts and a polo shirt to dinner. Just as P does. And it feels so much more comfortable.