Londoner

It looks beautiful; probably less so if you are a Burmese fisherman.

This subject attracted some interest in a more general discussion of Bangkok. So here goes. What are posters' preferences for breakfast? Room only plus 7 11? or , ahem, a certain place in Patpong? or a lavish spread? I only have daily company when i'm in Thailand and so I particularly enjoy a relaxed breakfast with P. And quickie reviews? Tarntawan's breakfast is always enjoyed, particularly since it changed to a buffet plus cooked options. Agate is fine for P, who always chooses Thai options, and we like eating opposite the waterfall. The most disappointing? Aonang Villas in Krabi, the most expensive hotel we've ever stayed in. Limited and over-priced. Very over-priced. The best setting? Golden Beach, also in Krabi. Almost on the beach. I only eat what used to be called a continental-style breakfast- that is, no cooked dishes- but I still want the use of a decent toaster and a variety of jams and fruit juices. The best ? Chiang Mai's Amora, a 4* place near Thapae. Larger than any other places we stay in and so with a lot of customers and consequently an enormous choice. And well-priced, too. A final question; is there anywhere in Thailand where you can get decent bacon? and, more importantly for me, top-quality coffee? The best I 've had was in a gay guesthouse in Patong, the Rendezvous. French ownership , predictably. And, surprisingly, Zing in JC where we ate on a few occasions when Agate wasn't offering breakfast. Charming service, too.

Any comments from recent visitors as to how busy it is nowadays? and the Thai/falang ratio? What has happened to Punya? a nice guy.

Too true. It won't. For my US friends, here's what your greatest (gay) poet had to say, possibly recalling the boy he met in New Orleans.... "How sweet the silent backward tracings! The wanderings as in dreams- the meditation of old times renewed...." Walt Whitman

Were your friends charged joiners' fees?

Maybe it's because it was named after the River Gambia? In fact, human settlement is concentrated around it. The country is a very odd shape, surrounded by the francophone Senegal where the population is of the same two tribes. Wolof and Mandinka, I think.The vagaries of colonialism! The Gambia was Kunte Kinte's home (alleged) as we older gentleman may recall.

We were welcomed by the Gambian beach boys-or "bumsters" as they were known. They offered their services as tour guides, sold woodcarvings....and often themselves. There were no gay bars and so the beach was the only cruising area available. Any single man out walking was a target. I'm talking about the 90s.... it was risky enough then, but the scene is long dead. I was a regular until Thailand opened my eyes as to what could be appreciated without fear of the police. Only once did I go to a guy's room for pleasure and, my goodness, he was cute, but the experience persuaded me that it was not worth the danger.

BBB was never a favourite of mine- I was always more interested in twinks and, anyway, I found the rotation of guys much too slow. There were sometimes sixty or more and it took hours to view the whole stable. And more drinks! However, there's one thing that seems to have been forgotten; it was the first Pattaya bar I can remember where women were much in evidence.... not just for looking but for offing. Not many, but enough to draw comment in those conservative days. I remember one seasoned US guy who'd "seen it all" since the early days of Boyztown complaining that these women were responsible for a recent rise in the number of STDs! Has any other poster been to The Gambia? There (as well as in Haiti, apparently) sex-tourism is primarily for women seeking young male companionship....and young males seeking marriage and emigration in return for favours. There were also opportunities for such as I in the 90s. Pretty dangerous behavior which makes me shudder in retrospect.

I'd be interested in the experiences of our posters who use 5* hotels....how do the duty-staff react? I assume with total neutrality, or they should at that price. And the other customers? But most of all the guys themselves. Excited? overwhelmed? expectant of a huge tip? Or merely "cool". I recall that I was often asked about my hotel when I offed a guy. Tarntawan and Ambiance seemed to receive expressions of satisfaction, perhaps because they were only a short walk away! But I wonder how the prospect of an assignation in The Oriental or Royal Cliff would be received?

Good news. You will live longer and be able to walk. Even I, merely a visitor, know two people who were killed on motor-cys, one in Pattaya, the other in a rural area outside Nakon Sawan. Which reminds me; increasing age means that I can no longer swing my leg over a motor-cy seat (avoid the UK joke about leg-overs, please)....and so I too will live longer. At a cost of 200 bht per taxi trip as opposed to 40bht on a motor-cy. And worth every baht.

It depends on the health and resilience of the traveller. I was just under fifty on my first trip and so dazzled was I at what I experienced that I booked up another two flights on my return. However, I was still working then and the best I could do was one week, of which two days were devoted to the flight. From London, door to door, including waiting at the airport, the journey was about seventeen hours each way. And at that I age I coped. Now? no chance! I find the journey absolutely worthwhile and regret nothing.....but, the truth is, I struggle even now when I use Business Class. So, if you are young (under sixty, or whatever!) and are full of beans ((as we Britons say), go for a long weekend if you like! And good luck to you

Yes; try London. For example, a Tantawan or similar here would cost at least 8000 pn.

TB is often the first indication of Hiv+. I don't know whether this is the case now but I recall reading about strains of TB that are resistant to the usual medications across the world. I remember a Thai guy some years back who made zero progress while under the common (perhaps cheap?) medication at his hospital but was able to find the money to buy a more effective one which worked quickly.

I note that my Jomtien hotel is putting-up prices for my November visit, but only by 200 baht pn. Bearing in mind that I've been paying the same price there for five years, I'm not complaining. I also see that baht-buses are charging the same 10 bht that they were in 2000. Beer prices in bars are higher than in 2000, but the increase is less than it is in the uK. Restaurant prices have risen a little but they remain excellent, so much so that I find London prices fearsome when I come home. Air fares have certainly increased but there are many good deals for long-haul flights available, at least from the UK. As for travel within Asia, the budget airlines still provide good value. When I arrived in 1995, an off was in the region of 500 bht+ but it had increased to 1000 bht by 2005. If it is now 1500 in Pattaya, then the increase is by no means surprising. I understand BKK prices are higher. When I was (idly!) Googling London prices, the usual sum required was (in Thai terms) at least 6000 an hour. Conclusion; we get a good deal. Or at least, I do. Anyway, for me, my trips to Thailand are such an essential part of my life that any sacrifice at home is worth it.

I read that book a few years ago. Some a fascinating insights though I suspected that the events portrayed may have been a composite of the experiences of more than one guy! Perhaps slightly OTT for one life-time? Still, I recommend it.

Ah yes, the Colonial Way. It used to work decades ago in some parts of the world but Thailand was never colonised and many falang visitors have found out to their cost that Thais don't like being patronised or bullied. On the contrary, they feel that their ancient civilisation and their spiritual beliefs are of far more intrinsic worth than ours.

"No Sir. For when a man is tired of Pattaya, he is tired of life. For there is all in Pattaya that life can afford......" as Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) almost wrote.

We like Balcony (Soi 4) for traditional Thai food. Well-priced and good for people watching.

That was certainly true a year ago....and those roadworks had begun before the Covid period. I'm not saying all is well but our March stay was much better than our November one in this respect, particularly in Second Road. Twenty-five minutes as opposed to forty from the JC to Central in the early evening.

I'd be interested, Foolish, if you have been to Pattaya or Bangkok? The most important thing is not to expect Phuket (specifically Patong) to replicate the sort of scene you find in those two places. It's a good place for beaches- though not the best in my view- and has some good hotels, but you'll be disappointed if you expect to find the extent of gay life available elsewhere.... I found this out as long ago as 1997....which is not say that none exists around the Paradise area. I recall massage joints and a number of bars. So if you go there, explore the possibility of other activities rather than relying on the scene. By the way, prices used to significantly higher than in Pattaya ...but I haven't been there for six years or so.

Some of us are blessed with good looks.....

Yes, I used to find that in Bangkok. not so much in Pattaya where the "walk" is a lot shorter if you're staying in the Boyztown area. What was more concerning was the occasional guy whose good humour and affectionate disposition evaporated by the time we arrived in the hotel room. Perhaps it was the result of getting a closer look at me!

Apologies......I was about to comment that age has certainly vanquished my "adventurous spirit." For thirty plus, I ached for the unusual and the edgy. Travelling for miles through the West African bush with my (very handsome) friend, Ismaila, to visit a celebrated marabout to receive some sort of magical charm. White people didn't go there and the children were so frightened of seeing a white man they ran away. Nevertheless, I was still invited to a circumcision hut where small boys awaited their fate. Both eye -opening and knee- crossing. Later on in Palestine,, confronting settlers in Hebron and callow, aggressive army youths outside Jerusalem who enjoyed sticking guns in my face. And the kindness, even love, I received in the refugee camps. And there I was, driving through West Kingston in Jamaica in the middle of a political gang war (this was the 70s). OK, it was by accident.... we'd taken the wrong turning and had arrived in Trench Town, of Bob Marley fame. That was scary. Later, my spirit somewhat tamed, I was still anxious to visit places off the beaten rack. In Thailand, some of my happiest memories are of when we rented a car and explored the north... places like Mai Salong and Mai Sai. Now, we stay comfortably in tourist hotels in Koh Samui, Chiang Mai and Jomtien. And our journey to Terminus 21 is the furthest we venture. However, I've no doubts "as the days darken around me" that some of my happiest memories (apart from being with P, naturally) are of those places which were difficult to access and had an element of, well, insecurity and chance about them. Places where I was an outsider, though- and this is crucial- where I was warmly welcomed. Indeed, the more disadvantaged the community, the more kindly was I received.

The JC to Central journey in the early evening often took over forty minutes last November owing to the never-ending roadworks. In March it was better, perhaps thirty. Occasionally even less. If you go during the daytime, twenty minutes is the average in my experience. Much the same as the return to the JC. It's a d**n nuisance but we don't find the JC at night as interesting as central Pattaya. However, I must add that the Jomtien promenade at sunset is fun with a couple of decent places to eat as a change from Dick's. Better than Pattaya's in fact. And no business girls. I like seeing the women do their dance-exercises to music- often fifty of them- and admire the occasional elderly falang who tries courageously to participate! I've said before that the atmosphere there is almost Mediterranean. Not just falangs but Thai families.