PeterRS

Not sure how many will use Asia Miles as their primary airline miles programme. If you do, be aware that almost all awards will soon rise, some significantly. October 1 is the date. So if you want to get rid of miles at the old rates, get your booking in before then. In fact, get it in several days beforehand. Experience thaught me that leaving an award request to the last date resulted in all phone lines being clogged and miles lost. The one consolation is that miles remain in your account as long as you use or earn even one mile within 18 months. Then they will remain in your account.

A new Japanese-style onsen is opening next week, with a soft opeing tomorrow. Unlike the still relatively new Yunomori Onsen on Sathorn Soi 10, this one is only for guys. On the other hand, unlike Yunomori which opens at 10:00 am and closes around midnight, Kaikan Onsen will be open from mid-afternoons till the early morning hours. Whether that means there will be any action I do not yet know. I have also been told the owner operates at least one gay sauna. So it may be worth a visit. Location is near Saphan Kwai but please note it is closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays. I have read somewhere that there will be a limit of 50 patrons at any one time. Hence the sugestion on the website that reservations are made in advance. Entrance is 450 baht making it 100 baht cheaper than Yunomori - unless you are 65 and over in which case Yunomori has a special rate of 300 baht. The Yunomori seems considerably larger. Although the photos on the website below feature ladies, the men only section is large, has around 18 showers, 7 pools, sauna, steam room and around 300 lockers. The Japanese-style cafe is available to both sexes for which yukata are provided and the food is excellent. https://www.kaikanonsen.com On the map, Saphan Kwai Skytrain station is on the upper left and the onsen is on the bottom right. https://www.yunomorionsen.com/sathorn/onsen/

Can I ask what was the amount for Personal Accident? Seems I should consider your insurance company if that's possible.

So true. You just have to look at Brits. Once based outside of the UK, our National Insurance pension (kind of like Social Security) is frozen. Whereas those on a state pension in the UK have enjoyed annual increases, those who happen to have retired here for, say, 15 years are still stuck on what His Majesty's Government decided they should be able to llive on 15 years ago. Inflation was very low for much of that time, but recently it has been in double digits. Who can survive on that without other financial resouces? I can remember the 1970s when the average rate of annual inflation over the decade - average over 10 years! - was 13%. In 1975 alone it was 25%. The 1970s was 'special' in that most of the world was shaken when the price of oil more than quadrupled. But that was followed in the early 1980s by the USA's tight monetary policy. in December 1980, interest rates were hiked to 19%. By late-1982 they were down to 14%. These rates might have been 'special'. But who is to say other 'special' occasions will not arise again in future? Did any of us ordinary mortals foresee the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its effect on the world as a whole? I have made a mess of my finances more often than not and so I am the last person to offer advice. But I will just say one thing. Please save in one form or another a good deal more than you think you might need.

I'm glad you found a guy you liked, but surprised you expected him to be verbally proficient as well. The guy is not English or Australian. He's a construction worker in a foreign country with clearly little ability in English. Can I suggest that before your next trip you get someone (preferably big and butch) to pre-record on your phone your requested phrases while in the act. Then all you need to do is set it to play each time! You should be in seventh heaven! It reminds me of a time decades ago when I was escorting a large group to Japan. My assistant was Hong Kong Chinese and spoke excellent English, although obviously with a bit of a Chinese accent. A couple of days before departure, he posted a note on our noticeboard in the hotel lobby. "Please remember to reconfirm your frights!"

Just out of curiosity, does any form of insurance over this dreadful form of accident? I assume that if the balcony railing had given way, there could be a lawsuit against the hotel. But that's not insurance and the cost of suing in a country like Thailand 9,000 kms away from home could easily outweigh any award the Court might consider reasonable. I suppose there might be a case to be made for Personal Accident but my experience of such clauses in Travel policies, the amounts tend to be quite small, they are hidebound by conditions and they rarely cover very high medical costs. It's too early to speculate that he might have been pushed or even jumped. In neither case can I imagine insurance companies offering coverage, though. I only hope the family has started a crowd-funding site, although past experience of even these seem rarely to cover the huge costs of repatriation of a patient with serous medical injuries.

I'd say enjoy your life whilst you can - whatever your age. Like many my worry as I aged has always been health. What if something should happen requiring major surgery and long term care? I have had friends, sadly most no longer alive, with all manner of medical ailments which have severely hampered their ability to enjoy life. One was so severely overstressed, his body just gave out. So I now realise the important thing is to know your medical situation and, as it were, enjoy life around that. For years I have had a minor medical ailment in my digestive sytem that requires a course of medication every 6-8 months or so. When I had no choice but change insurance policies, this being a pre-exisiting condition was not covered. So with funds being tight, I enrolled at the public King Chulalongkorn Hospital across from Lumphini Park. I cannot stress enough that the doctor I see there is fantastic. She spends three days a week in public hospitals and three in expensive private ones. Sure, the facilities are not up to the standard of Bumrungrad or BNH and waiting lines are considerably longer. But when her consultation fee is 200 baht and the facilities charge 50 baht compared to 1,600 and 350 at Bumrungrad, I'll happily put up with some incoveniences. When I first consulted her and went through my history, she decided she wanted a second opinion. She had me do a CT scan which had never been recommended at Bumrungrad. That threw up a cyst on the pancreas. Knowing how deadly pacreatic cancer can be, that scared me. She reassured me it was small but fractionally larger than she was comfortable with and so had me do an MRI to check if there was anything underneath it. Since then I have had 3 more MRI scans at 6 monthly intervals and I've now had two on an annual basis. Nothing has been found and next year should be my last MRI. I estimate the cost of the various scans has been well under a fifth of that at a private hospital. Prior to each scan, a cheap kidney function test has been required. Thankfully, no problems. At the end of this month I have an appointment with a Professor of Retinology about removing the start of cataracts and repairing a tear in one of my retinas that I have had for 25 years. The cost will again be less than a fifth of that quoted 6 months ago at Rutnin Eye Hospital. I did splash out at the start of last year when BNH offered 65% off certain procedures like colonoscopy, gastroscopy, heart MRI and carotid artery unltrasound. Having been certain that with my lifestyle and work-related stress, my heart would not be in prime condition. I did the lot and got a completely clean bill of heath. That cheered me up no end. So far, therefore, medical conditions have not stopped me enjoying life to the full. And I know that with luck my body is unlikely to crack up any time soon. Like @floridarob though, if I should be run over by that bus tomorrow, I know I would take my leave of the world with a smile on my face. There are a dozen or more guys already up there I'll be delighted to see again. On the other hand, if the trapdoor were to open, there are likely to be a lot more down there that I guess I'd rather not see again LOL.

I have a few pics of near naked guys at the Taipei Parades I have joined. For those not acquainted with gay life in Beijing, Destination is the hottest gay club in the city. I suppose this guy should be regarded as clothed - with balloons!

I have a simpe rule. If going up on an airport escalator, my suitcase is on the step in front of me, my hand firmly on the handle. At the end of the escalator, I lift the case slightly so the transition to terra firma is simple. If going down, the case on the step behind me. I am therefore always in control of it. I have seen quite a few instances of passengers who lose control of their cases because either the case is in front of them going down or behind them going up. I have also seen at least six instances of passengers at BKK with over packed trolleys going down the moving walkway to the taxi rank with the trolley in front. When it comes to the end of the walkway, the trolley somehow snags slightly and all the bags fall off. Instead of getting out of the way, these passengers merely stand at the foot thereby causing near chaos behind them. Large signs illustrating how to deal with suitcases and trolleys could help.

Darn it! I knew I had forgotten something! 🤯

Not wholly accurate, dear @vinapu. Slavery from Africa was introduced to the USA in 1619. A few years earlier, the Pilgrim Fathers met members of the native American Nauset tribe. So the presence of others than white immigrants was well known for over 150 years before Jefferson made his Declaration. Thereafter there have been endless examples of "inalienable rights" being untrue. The genocide of many millions of native Indian tribes who stood in the way of the country's expansion westards. The Jim Crow laws in the south enforcing segregation. This was seemingly an attempt to heal the wounds between the North and South which resulted in the Civil War, but they are still being felt today. 42 million Americns exist on food stamps. Again not unlike other countries, the small number of rich hold much of the country's wealth compared to the poor. In the USA, the top 1% control 32.3% of the wealth; the bottom 50% hold 2.6%. During the covid years, wealth held by US billionaires actually increased by 70%. According to Polifact and other sources, in 2011 the 400 wealthiest Americans had more wealth than half of all American's combined! I find it rather difficult to align these rights with those about all being born equal and having an equal right to the pursuit of happiness.

Funny thing is I have never done this in Thailand, even in the 'old' days (well, my old days!)! But I have met money guys in shopping malls in Manila (decades ago), and others not seeking any money more recently in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Melbourne. Gaydar is a remarkable attribute, along with a nice smile and a few words of the local language! I know that hotel staff are not permitted into guests' rooms unless for room service and cleaning. In SIngapore at the 5-star Pan Pacific hotel I once had one cute young guy take toom service a little beyond what I expected. He had brought my breakfast and I thought him especially gorgeous. I was in my bath robe and made sure there was plenty of eye contact. As he was leaving, he said he was going off shift in 30 minutes, Would I like him to come back? Now, that could have meant to collect the room service trolley. But I think we both realised it was more than that. Sure enough, we ended up with 30 minutes of unexpected but very enjoyable sex! I would have loved that to happen in quite a few of the hotels I have stayed in since then. Alas it was a one time wonder!

Happy Birthday USA! The world has much to be grateful to you for. But I seriously wonder how much progress has actually been made on that Declaration. It's perfectly clear that, as in many countries, all men and women in the USA are not created equal with those inalienable Rights. 247 years is a long time to make that work. Clearly not long enough.

Taiwan has lots of beaches. I guess those of us who visit regularly have less interest in them. I can say that the water off the south coast is crystal clear - far more so than almost anywhere I have visited off Thailand. For those interested there is a gay beach not far from Tamshui station, the west end of the red subway line in Taipei. It's not so easy to find, but I am told there is sometimes activity in the bushes behind the beach. I have also read that there is a nude section but know no-one who has been there.

Both spectators and marchers! But let's be clear that there is no full nudity in the Taipei Pride Parade - at least not that I have ever seen in the many Parades in which I have taken part. A small number of young and fit guys wearing their latest skimpy swimwear are often to be seen. But then the weather at the end of October will almost aways be very warm so that marching in briefs must be very pleasant.

Apologies! Yes, I took one quote and responded to it. I then thought it useful (to some, perhaps) to edit and add part of your second quote. Unfortunately, it is less easy to add in a second original quote, so I merely added the extra sentence. I did not mean to upset you or imply something you did not say. I acknowledge you made two separate statements.

Totally agree. I would never be seen wearing one! As an anecdote, my brother decided that he would like a couple of fake ones for himself and his wife. So I got them on Silom and took them on my next trip to the UK. One afternoon when my brother was working and his wife was supposed to be at work, she had to rush home to get something she had left behind. Entering their house, she thought she heard noises upstairs. She is pretty fearless and immediately shouted something. When she got upstairs the window was open and some drawers had been opened. The only things missing were the two Rolexes! I wonder what the thief thought when he tried to sell them! If Rolex takes your fancy, one good place to buy second hand originals is Macao. So many gamblers, it seems, sell theirs for just another evening at the tables and then cannot buy them back. There are stores galore with nothing but Rolexes!

So I wonder why you think London's Pride Parade is worthy of mention in any South East Asian newspaper? I may have missed it but I don't recall Sydney's Pride Parade being mentioned in the Bangkok Post this year.

I know. Hardly a subject for a gay forum. But I am nearly at my wits end. I have had one of the older original Nespresso machines for 4 years and love it. The only problem is that the capsules are now quite expensive if you want more than one small cup. So when I saw the new machines with the larger capsules, I did the math and realised that even with the greater cost of the larger capsules, the machine would pay for itself in about 10 weeks. So I bought one along with several boxes of a coffee variety I like. Along with the machine, you get a free box of 12 different capsules. Since I got it home, it has driven me virtually up the wall! I don't want a mug of coffee - just 2 or three much smaller cups. Whenever I tried this, the cup always overflowed. So I went back to Nespresso in Paragon and had a demonstration. The problem, though, is that the three different types of capsule have computer codes underneath and the cup size has to be programmed. You can programme one type to dispese only small cups until the capsule is 'dead'. But if you insert a different type of capsule, you are going to have a cup that massively overflows as happened to me this morning. I just wonder if anyone else has had this sort of problem - and how I solve it? Please don't direct me to the instruction book as the tyypeface is almost illegible and the illustrations so feint you can hardly make them out!

I have never even heard of pimping for gay young men in Taiwan. Perhaps it happens for young ladies. But even my Taiwan gay friends have never once heard of it.

If you are a connoisseur, there really is no way to test a fake - unless there is something fractionally wrong with the label - than to open the bottle and try it. But if you happened to own one of the three extant bottles of 1762 Gautier Cognac, the chances of your opening it are slim. It's a collector's item (hopefully!) and it will have a very detailed provenance. The bottle was sold by Sotheby's about 3 years ago for US$118,580. Cheap at the price for a Hong Kong squillinaire!

Thanks for making that point. Whenever I mention that there are young guys I meet on my many regular trips to Taipei who only want to meet foreigners (mostly older foreigners) and that money plays no part in the transaction - apart perhaps from paying for a meal - I seem to get several posters questioning this. I'll just repeat what i wrote in a post about my last trip at the end of May. Visiting the 'new' location of Hans Mens Sauna, a young guy came up to me and said "You don't remember me!" He told me we had met 4 years earlier at the gayish hot spring when he was with his then boyfriend. He'd then been 18. Now at 22 and single again, we ended up in one of the rooms for great sex. Like @TotallyOz's new friend, we have kept in touch and will meet again quite soon.

I love Valetta and cannot imagine so many cruise passengers destroying its atmosphere. Same with Venice, although I believe the daily number is slightly less. It's one reason Venice is moving cruise liners out of the lagoon in the hope this may reduce the overall number of ships. It's also true of Barcelona where in 2019 6,566 daily visitors were from cruise ships. Cruise ships bring chaos as well as cash.

You can also ask: why would London's Pride Parade be mentioned in Thai newspapers? Agree. On the other hand, Taipei's Parade number reflects only the marchers and does not mention the hundreds of thousands watching along the Parade route, many visitors. I do think the Parade itself is the most important element. If there were no Parade participants, there would be no watchers!

As is mine, although perhaps less so. I do have an expensive suitcase which I purchased only because I was taking so many long distance flights each year. It also had a 5-year warranty. Lo and behold, after 4 years and 8 months and an 8 flight trip it got damaged. The maker tried to repair it, but I was not satisfied with it. Without batting the proverbial eyelid, since this was within the warranty period, I was offered the choice of one of three brand new cases at no cost. I still have that second case after 8 years. Three of the wheels have recently had to be replaced but otherwise the money I paid for these two cases that have seen probably 100 flights or more has been excellent value for 13 years of pretty heavy use. Also, while I have never had the enjoyment of a bottle of Chateau Mouton Rothschild, thanks to clients I have enjoyed Chateau Margaux 1961 (one of the great years for red Bordeaux), Chateau Haut Brion 1985 and Chateau Latour 1987. SInce these were in fine restaurants I have no doubt they were originals - and I thought they were fabulous! But these wines deserve excellent cusine. I am perfectly happy with a glass of reasonable Chateau plonk - or Australian, New Zealand, South African, Italian, Chilean etc. wine - in a cheap restaurant. As for most other brand name products, though, I pass.