Londoner

Of course, some falang visitors are easily seduced by their first encounters with beautiful Thai guys; I certainly was. And I've no doubt that some, overwhelmed and desperate for a partner, speak too soon of "love." Nevertheless, I'd suggest that most of us who are now happily in such relationships don't come into this category. It's probable that more, like me, were old hands at the game before meeting the right guy. And that the Thais, similarly, were not straight off an Isaan farm but had some experience of that "game." Genuine relationships are less likely to develop after a night or two of unbridled passion than over a period of time. I can understand why some are cynical. There are tourists who have been taken for a ride and have ended -up disappointed. Perhaps many. Equally, there are Thais whose falang boyfriends have been only too happy to find a younger guy when it suits them, destroying their hopes for a secure future . But I stand by my original post....and I'm echoing another forum member when I say this; a genuine relationship, despite difference in age, culture , religion and race can endure and flourish over decades, and prove to be (and here I quote) one of the best things that have happened in that person's life.

Yes. And I've also met three more in Pattaya with their LTRs, friends of P from his performing days. Two from the US, one from the UK. We may be a minority but we're real!

Undoubtedly true...and I know a number of falang men who met the loves of their lives in Thailand and thank God everyday for the blessings that followed. Some of them are members of this forum.

The JC guys use the Agate passage way to shop in the 7/11 across the road. Their presence, along with a handsome guy on the till, always cheers me.

The first time! How I envy you.....and how that August night in 1996 stays in my mind, even today.

A huge relief for a Certain Person who suffered from711 deprivation to a painful degree last month when we were at Tarntawan. And for me....well, there's inevitably a cute guy working the till to provide eye-candy. I'm told that, at least in the provinces, you can buy or order almost anything in a 711......well, why not a massage?

You could well be right but I can't remember an example off the top of my head. I suspect that you are spot-on when it comes to the cheapest options. I have noted that Agoda prices can change by the day, even the hour, in some instances.

The advantage of Agoda is that you can cancel without losing money. I've never tried this , but it may be that, faced with PeterRS's situation, you could probably do so and rebook at the cheaper price. To be honest, I wouldn't....Agoda's prices are usually good enough for us. However, if there is a hotel at which you are " face"- a regular- a direct booking may well be the better option. I have to admit that I envy those who don't book well in advance, as I always do. I'm a natural pessimist! Perhaps rightly so; our hotel-booked well in advance- was full when we arrived a few weeks ago. Anticipation and then recollection of a trip to Thailand is an important part of my enjoyment, and any insecurities about flights and bookings would disrupt the anticipation.

It may be that I have become sentimental in my old age and find myself much more comfortable with the "old" Thai culture. Or perhaps it is because, in 1997, I received a bucket of iced-water in my face while traveling on the Jomtien bus traveling at 30mph and have avoided Songkran ever since. Similarly, the traditional practice of making- not buying- kratongs, which I know took a lot of time and effort, appealed to be more than dangerous fireworks on Pattaya beach. But I suppose that's age too.

Has anyone been fortunate enough to experience the traditional ceremonies for Songkran, still practised in many areas of the country? I find the visits to elderly relatives, the sprinkling of water and the delight that is visible on the faces of the recipients touching....if only we showed similar respect here in the UK.

Agreed, and following on from an allusion to Chiang Mai, I also encountered my first mook there. I'd put my money on most of the possessors being straight.

Agreed, and following on from an allusion to Chiang Mai, I also encountered my first mook there. I'd put my money on most of the possessors being straight.

Mooks are bad enough but silicone enhanced penises worse. And don't get me started on tattoos- I know, we have differing opinions on those. But the bottom line is, why don't they leave their bodies alone? Why desecrate something already beautiful?

Has anyone any memories of pre-a/c Bangkok? I shudder when I recall nights in West African hotels with only a fan...and sometimes not even that.

On the positive side, early mornings were delightful. We are early risers and my delight was a 0630 walk along Jomtien beach....a walk shared by, I noticed, many others. But not by a Certain Person who preferred to stay in the room, much to my disappointment! Come to think of it, most of the walkers and joggers were falangs.

Yes; the hottest few weeks I've spent in Thailand in nearly seventy-five trips. For the final two weeks, we saw not a cloud in the sky. I can only imagine what it was like in pollution-struck Bangkok.

It is also true here in the UK that religious schools tend to get better results. However, this is due to selection processes that ensure that non-denominational schools are left with the less-able and more socially disadvantaged pupils.

If Trump could be said (cynically) to have been successful in anything he did in his four year nightmare, it was to pack the benches with MAGA extremists.

Apologies in advance for wandering off-topic but the issue of attitudes to nudity deserves a thread of its own. There are some interesting (and amusing) disparities historically and culturally. For example, while Athenian youths in the time of Socrates practised and performed athletics and wrestling in the nude-often watched by admiring audiences of men- English guys of the same age at Rugby School three hundred years ago (yes, Tom Brown's school) were required to undress in barrels to ensure total privacy. And there's the shyness of Thai guys undressing in our rooms , often discussed on forums such as this, which surprises newbies. None of this however compares to the deranged attitudes at play in the Michelangelo incident.

A political appointment? is that why so many US judges are so young? I was reminded of this when the Mar-el -Largo prosecution of Trump was delayed by a judge who appeared to be barely out of high school. Not that I'm particularly enamoured of the the ancient judges that make important decisions here in the UK.

Has anyone any views as to the state of tourism in Thailand at the moment? I've been here twelve days and offer my totally subjective impressions of what I've seen in Bangkok, Koh Samui and Pattaya. BKK was more crowded than on my previous two post-Covid visits (November and July), so much so that I used the Priority Immigration queue for the first time. In fact , there was no queue, I waltzed through. My traditional first Thailand dinner in Balcony revealed a vibrant Soi 4; subsequent wanderings-admittedly early in the night- suggested a very different picture. But thirty-six hours in Bangkok isn't enough to make any relevant observations as to the number of tourists overall. Koh Samui flights were full but our hotel, situated about four kms outside Chaweng, was only at around 50% capacity. We looked at Chaweng only once- not a very impressive place in our view- but it seemed lively enough though not as lively as on my previous visit. Memory plays tricks....that trip was in 1998! Returning to Jomtien, again on a full flight, I could only term the numbers of tourists ( particularly our gay brethren, of which more later) as disappointing. It is true that Terminus 21 and the new food market just outside were busy but the punters were predominantly Thai. A nearby music even may have contributed to this. But gay tourists? Here's the rub. i'm no longer a bar-goer but I do enjoy a wander around from time to time while P is otherwise engaged, welcoming the banter with guys in the bars. And sadly, it looked to me as if they far out-numbered falangs in the JC. Too many were transfixed by their phones because the punters were so few. I must admit that, again, I was early ....about 2130?....but my impression was confirmed by one of the masseurs who was adamant that business was worse now than in November. Admittedly it's now low-season I also note that my hotel clientele, hitherto very gay-disposed, is now overwhelmingly straight. Mainly older couples. And, I believe, Russian. Have other visitors or ex-pats drawn other conclusions? perhaps I have i into print to early in my stay? I'd welcome other views. And just a final word.....we're having a great time. Again. Come and join us!

A few years ago, I forgot to pack one of my medications for high blood pressure. I attended the almost- deserted Bangkok Christian hospital in Silom at midnight and, fifteen minutes later, I had the required medication. It is wise to carry a copy of your prescription issued by your GP.

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/mar/14/lgbtq-crackdowns-uganda-environment-hostile Anti-gay hatred is not "natural" in Africa, There is plenty of evidence of its prevalence in African societies well before the arrival of western missionaries and colonists. It needs to be remembered that US evangelical preachers, with huge financial backing, have been creating and subsidising churches there for decades which, like similar ones in the US, even now are asserting that same sex love is "unbiblical" and wealth is "good." The "prosperity gospel" . In a financially-deprived society it is an even more potent doctrine than in the US, where millionaire televangelists boast of their private jets. while speculating what terrors they would enjoy imposing on people like us Perhaps it is unfair also to note that that some of these same preachers have sometimes been caught in seedy hotels with rent boys. Or indeed women.

As far as the UK is concerned, Medexpress.

The JC's expansion into adjoining sois is a good sign. i recall how the darkening of the sois around Sunee contributed to its decline. There were at least five or six new businesses attracting custom on my last visit. Potential punters don't appreciated walking through deserted sois with empty premises.