PeterRS

I am one of the 70% for whom melatonin does absolutely nothing. Tried it half a dozen times and never felt any improvement after a long flight. Most agree that avoiding alcohol helps, but I find a little actually helps. Im a hopeless sleeper on planes and so now always have a prescription pill handy. It may only give me 4 or 5 hours of sleep,but it is better than nothing! The best advice I was given is to adjust to arrival time before you get on the plane. That can screw up things like meals on board, but most plane meals are pretty inedible. So I just take with me a nice gourmet sandwich. On arrival I try to get as much natural light as possible. I find expanding time is much easier to adjust to than contracting. So if I am gaining 6 or 7 hours, I try to stay awake at least until 11:00pm and then crash. If losing that time, the adjusting before getting on the plane helps a little, but jet lag is always with me for a few days.

I may be wrong but I really cannot believe the average hotel in Thailand has actual weight sensors for minibar drinks. I certainly have never seen one. I have been in a couple of hotels in Europe where the minibar looks nothing like a regular minibar. It is more like a vending machine where as soon as you pull out a drink the front desk clocks the charge on your bill. I can only recall these being for canned liquids like cokes and beers but I am sure the makers must have developed a way to include the small spirits bottles. I also reckon the chances of staff stealing from a normal minibar way too risky. What would they gain when they could face the sack? Much more likely surely is that for whatever reason the minibar was not restocked properly after a previous guest had checked out. One scam I have experienced is a previous guest using a couple of small gin bottles, then filling them with water and putting the tops back on. Thats a difficult scam to spot. I suppose a whisky could be replaced with cold tea if tea bags are in the room. My habit is just to check the minibar on arrival to make sure every item listed is actually there. If not I immediately report it to the front desk. As for a boy taking a whisky for himself I agree completely with other posters who say you must not make an allegation against anyone unless you have proof. The fact that the boy was the only one in the room at the time is not proof enough I think. Whatever the size of the bottle in the case mentioned by the OP, I think it is actually careless to leave anything of any possible value in a room when you are entertaining anyone you have almost certainly never met before. So emptying the minibar before he is with you makes a lot of sense. Then again, if you are in the habit of consuming vastly overpriced minibar items, why not buy a bottle of your favourite tipple and keep it hidden somewhere. Minibars are a completely unnecessary luxury for most of us I expect.

Steveboy wrote the above in the now locked Derailing of Threads thread. Unfortunately the comment does need some addition. I agree Bkowing Wind is a much larger site than this one with vastly more contributors. As befits the young age range of most of the posters, a lot of it is boring to the older generation, although it is sometimes interesting to be reminded of those topics which interest the young gay Asians of today. It does have a very active and often intrusive moderating team, though. Yes, the flaming room helps by removing more controversial posts. But the site's moderators are very active at jumping in to make sure rules are followed. Warnings are common and banning does happen.

When I hear that name I cannot get out of my mind an image of one of his victims. He had persuaded a 14 year old Lao boy to go back to his apartment to have some nude photos taken. Whilst there he drugged him and injected some acid into a small hole he had made in the poor boys skull. Despite all this, the boy managed to escape. He was found wandering the streets naked by 3 women who called the police. Dahmer soon appeared and explained the boy was his 19 year old lover. The police believed the story, failed to check his criminal record and walked them back to his home! The boy was murdered soon after. Such a ghastly series of events! Inevitably a series of sick Dahmer jokes made the rounds. Dahmer: Mummy, mummy! I don't like my friends. Mother: Dont worry dear. Just put them to one side and eat the vegetables!

Give it two years. If the gogo bars are still there Ill certainly eat something! LOL I have rarely seen Asian guys off gogo boys or the boys in the Beer Bars in Bangkok. They tend to look for sex in saunas and massage spas before going out in groups of 2 or more in the evening for a drink and a show. Then perhaps a disco. That appears to be one reason drinks prices have soared. The bar owners have to compensate for the reduction in offs. Cant speak for the Asian ladies. Apart from Dreamboys in Soi Twilight, I havent noticed many in any bars.

I found there were a lot of non-MB on the apps. A good mix of Chinese and Malays, although more of the former.

Now seems like the rush hour on the BTS covers most of the day. I was on the Suk line yesterday at 12:15 and again at 14:30. Both trains were a bit like the rush hour in Tokyo - absolutely jam packed. Yet the BTS continues to keep just 4 cars on those trains. This despite the line having been extended and now quite a few travellers with suitcases going to or from Phaya Thai.

Has anyone visited the bar which replaced Jupiter recently? I walked down that soi last week and could see no indication of any bar. Maybe just my not seeing what was glaring me in the face but it seemed there was some form of construction going on in that corner.

China now accounts for more than 25% of all tourists. That number has dropped slightly due to the crackdown on zero dollar tours but is still massive compared to a few years ago. At that time it was the Russians who suddenly started arriving in droves. The crash of the rouble stopped that. With the Tourism Authorities now targeting new markets like India, my guess is that numbers can only continue to rise, travelling on the Skytrain will continue to feel more Tokyo trains at rush hour, traffic will get worse, more malls and high end hotel will be built, prince inflation will continue to creep up - and Soi Twilight will continue its slow collapse!

At least one producer has moved his operations from Thailand to the Philippines. I thought some of the producers turned out stuff that was basically boring. Every vdo seemed to have the same formula. Island Caprice always had cute guys but you knew in advance how much time it would be before clothing came off, exactly how long for sucking etc. It was totally formulaic, had only about 3 camera angles and was basically plain dull. Some liked the Private Boy Movie series. I disliked the way at least some of those boys seemed to be humiliated. Some even seemed to be on drugs judging form their eyes. My favourite producer was the ThaiTwink Studio which had lots of cute guys, good story lines and much more interesting cinematography. In addition to the lack of Thai vdos, I lament the disappearance of Thai magazines like Door, Heat and so on.

Id appreciate it if Reader or another poster will keep us up to date not he outcome of the Beijing Health Commission results. I still think this was some sort of scam. But well see.

Is anyone attending the Taipei Pride Parade this year? I believe it is on Saturday 28 October the day after the Royal Cremation in Bangkok. If yes, I hope pics can be posted here please. Also, any news on the progress of the gay marriage approval given by the Courts earlier this year? I read the government was given two years to implement a bill. If not the Courts would do it for them.

Agree the apps are the way to go in KL unless you happen to have a chance encounter with some of the lovely eye candy as you walk around. On a recent visit, I did not even go to a sauna. I met three guys from the apps and had three great encounters. I had one massage from a guy from China. Great looks but average massage and very disappointing HE.

Hold it a moment! You are putting lots of words in my mouth that i have never uttered. 1. I have never berated Thailands new strategy to fight the epidemic. Please tell me where I said that. You certainly posted the Nation article. I added to it because it dealt in vague generalities about where the country presently stands and looked to the future. I doubt if any country wants it known that nearly 30% of MSM in its capital city are HIV+. I believe visitors and residents should know the facts as they presently stand, not just the overall rate of reduction and plans for the future. 2. I have never berated the UNAIDS Agency.. Again, where have I said that? After all that is Where the statistic about the percentage MSM being HIV+ has come from. I quoted that statistic. 3. Yes, I was wrong about there having been a sauna study. But you absolutely can not say I was wrong in my conclusion. Uranus stated the figure of 28.6% came from a sauna study. He stated it as fact. But the fact is that unless there is another study which neither you nor I can find, it didn't! That Australian sauna study, very useful though it was, was made 6 or 7 years ago. The UNAIDS figure is much more recent. Please note also I did not discredit that sauna study for what it was. In fact I analysed it dispassionately. However it was perfectly obvious that this was not where the figure of 28.6% of MSM being HIV+ came from. I was correct. 4. Yes, i cherry pick. You yourself have stated in one post that when you post articles (often interesting ones, I might add) you also cherry pick for length. What do you expect me to do? I cherry picked actual facts! Not thoughts, not conjecture, not suggestions, not supposition. Facts! 5. Of course readers can interpret the facts for themselves, but I do wonder how many actually have the time or can be bothered to read through all the pages that are linked to threads. That UNAIDS Report I quote from had many pages relating to Thailand! The long AVERT article had 68 Reference Papers, Who is going to read through all that? But lets not have a beef at each other. We all enjoy Thailand and want the country to get its HIV infection rates down. Being aware of the facts is one way of doing it. It is right that visitors are aware that the actual infection rates are very high in Bangkok as they are in certain other major Asian cities. Then they can be even more aware of the need to take precautions.

Thanks

Great massage report. Also my type of massage. Since you didnt mention it was the masseur naked? I dont think I could handle two hours under that kind of erotic massage unless I could see and feel his body!

As you can see from the Appendix, that AVERT conclusion takes into account not just one but over 60 Reports from a variety of individual organisations. Any Report prepared exclusively by Thailand is bound to play down certain unwelcome statistics and play up others. That Thai Report inevitably plays up what is being done and what the government plans to do. It pays scant attention to the present. The later UNAIDS 2015 Report has very specific information on Thailand. Look at page 129 (yes it is LONG) and the statistics show HIV infection amongst MSM as a percentage of total infections rose from roughly 30% of the total in 2005 to well over 50% in 2015. The rising trend is obvious. Then look at page 130. This is clearly where the AVERT figure comes from. The Report generally makes clear that Thailand is a mature HIV destination compared to many of its neighbouring countries. The percentages should therefore start to fall earlier. However, as most posts in this thread have pointed out and as this UNAIDS Report makes clear, it is young people around the Asia Pacific Region who are both most at risk and showing the greatest annual increases in infection - No matter how accurate, statistics can be manipulated to suit different purposes. For this forum, surely the key points are just these two - 1) The rate of HIV infection amongst MSM in large cities like Bangkok is much higher than elsewhere. 2) It is the 18-21 age group which is showing the greatest rise in infection. The message is therefore extremely clear. Stay safe! Dont take any risks to your own health - and since many guys come to Thailand specifically for sex with several partners and may not be aware of their own most recent HIV status, please dont put the health of your Thai companions at risk.

By concentrating on the non-foreigner saunas the researchers were obviously able to get a far better picture of the situation as it affects Thais who prefer not to associate sexually with westerners. That is very valuable. But I really do not think the findings of just 728 participants over six days who may or may not have answered a written questionnaire correctly is a very good sample. That is an average of just over 20 per sauna per day. On the other hand the Reports primary focus is on how best to reach these mostly young Thais the better to communicate the safe sex and other STD message. The problem for the country is that the sample covers mostly better educated Thais living in the capital city with good salaries and good access to info about HIV. There is one further issue made at the start of that Report which is particularly useful in relation to the figures in the AVERT findings. The figure of 35% at the Silom Clinic in 2010 is especially alarming. More encouraging is that the numbers in the 15-22 year age bracket were falling. Yet all these men remain HIV+. I therefore assume that they help to make up the AVERT figure of 28.6% of MSM in Bangkok who are currently HIV+ Another factor on which little data seems to be published is of those infected by extended family members up country. I have one good friend from a northern family who was infected after being raped repeatedly by an uncle starting at age 14. Bright, intelligent, with a good degree and now in his mid-20s, he has been unable to obtain a job in his ideal profession. Companies require medical tests and will not employ anyone who is HIV+. He has a well-paid job in another field and an understanding western bf. But he is saving everything he possibly to move to the west as he sees no future for him in Thailand.

I am not and never have been. Given the above you make totally false insinuations.

This poster has an abnormal fixation on under legal age young men. The legal age in Thailand for almost all liaisons discussed on this Board is 18. I suggest abidismaili shuts up on this subject before he suffers the same fate as on the other Boards he has tried to raise this subject - being banned!

I have a feeling that message is at least 6 months old. I still wonder if it will ever happen.

Fascinating study. It was clearly geared at saunas further from the centre of the city targeting almost exclusively younger Thais. No mention of Babylon, Sauna Mania, Heaven or Chakran. We must note that the survey was issued 5 years ago and so the findings are not up-to-date. I also have to add there is nothing in the study or the AVERT report to suggest that it was this study on which the latest AVERT findings were based. However, several very interesting points arise from the 728 men who completed the study. (Presumably they gave correct answers - and there can be no guarantee that this was the case). - the average annual wage of participants was Bt. 300,000. Even today, thats quite high. In 2012 it was a lot higher * almost 60% had completed secondary school and/or university * those under 30 get most of their info about HIV from the internet and family members * 72.6% had had an HIV test but only 57% in the previous 12 months * only 7% stated they tested positive * 12% said they would prefer not to say (which rather implies they could be positive) * those over 30 were more likely to have been tested than those under 30 * 23.8% had never been tested * gay kings (tops) were much more likely to have been tested than gay queens (bottoms) Other interesting factors - * 59% went to the sauna primarily to find sex * 31% went primarily to spend time with friends * 86.1% had anal sex * of these, 41% were tops, 18% were bottoms and 39% said they were versatile * 96.8% used condoms and 92% water-based lube * less than 3% had sex with a non-Thai A few conclusions at the end of the Report - As stated this study found the patrons were mostly highly educated. Counting those who preferred not to respond to the HIV question, the assumption could be that up to 19% had positive HIV test results. That is still way below the AVERT findings. IMO a further assumption could be that those saunas catering for less well educated Thais would probably find a lesser knowledge of HIV and therefore a higher proportion of positive clients.

https://www.blowingwind.io/forum/forum/5-blowing-wind-main-forum/ The real problem with Blowing Wind is having to wade through many hundreds of threads and posts to find out anything about local gay venues and events in Singapore. Its far easier checking other countries as they are listed in a different Travel Forum. Also, be aware that the average age of contributors to BW is probably no more than mid-twenties. So you are obtaining info that is generally more of interest to the younger generation. A look on the opening page of 50 threads has these as the first - Nudity with a Touch of Wisdom #2[NSFW] DO YOU BELIEVE IN KARMA OR RETRIBUTION Sexy/Hot / Cute / Cool Guys That Caught My Attention How Did You Turn Gay? Share Your Fantasies Dasmond Koh's NoonTalk What is The Longest Number of Days U Have Not Cum? Polling Day for P{residential Election set for 23 September 2017 Rumblings of an Aged Gay Fall in luv wif local mb China's Singing Competition / Songs etc. The only one related to a gay venue is a 132 page thread on Keybox Sauna. But there may be a few bits of interesting info if you have the time. No gay travel sites are perfect but this one has quite a bit of condensed info on Singapore https://www.travelgayasia.com/destination/gay-singapore/

Interesting statistical research. I am still waiting for Uranus to provide readers with the basis of his alleged findings. Sorry Uranus but I continue to believe they do not exist. I believe this trend has been continuing for some years if not longer. For those who lived through the early stage of the HIV-AIDS pandemic, we knew that infection meant certain death. Many of us were terrified. We took the best precautions we could by always wearing condoms. But there was always the fear - what if one broke? With the advent of the antiretroviral drugs, the disease morphed in peoples minds into a chronic illness. Keep taking the tablets and you will be OK overtook the safe sex message. Older guys who had been used to bareback sex before the early 1980s found it too easy to revert back to what they believed was a more enjoyable form of anal sex. Funding for safe sex programmes in countries like Thailand were drastically reduced. Young guys were no longer bombarded with adverts on television with the Grim Reaper and other pretty gruesome images. For them, it was just another STD than can be treated with drugs. Now with PrEP there is an assumption that safe sex is not necessary. And that is so stupid because every doctor will tell you that PrEP is only about 90% safe. Does it protect you against the host of other STDs? No! https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/hiv-prevention/using-hiv-medication-to-reduce-risk/pre-exposure-prophylaxis

At the start of the year it was announced that Bangkok would host a Gay Pride Parade at the end of 2017 after a gap of 11 years. Then the Royal Cremation was announced for date in December and the Pride Parade was postponed. The Cremation ceremony has been moved forward by two months but I have not found any further information about the Pride Parade. Elsewhere in the forum there is a post about this years Phuket Pride Parade taking a year off this year. The Bangkok Parades in the past were damp squibs dominated by the commercial gay venues rather than by individuals who really wanted to take part. I hope I am wrong but I just cannot see a Parade working here. Best that anyone wanting to see a real Parade make the short hop over to Taipei where 90,000 are expected for their Parade next month.