Londoner

I find the five or so host bars in Soi Twilight more appealing than over-priced go-go bars. For one thing, you are more likely to meet someone who speaks some English. And the costs of drinks and bar-fines tend to be a little lower. Another "plus" is that you can judge whether you want to have a drink there without leaving the soi. The two bars at the entrance are off-bars. Further down the soi there are others. The guys will approach you and if there's one you like (he may be the waiter who brought you your drink) merely ask him if he wants a drink himself. This will lead to...anything you want. There have been times when some of the guys are fixated on their phones...but they are there for you.

Utterly disgraceful behaviour. Our police should exercise extreme caution when dealing with military juntas, particularly in Thailand which has a long history of racism towards the Burmese.

The forensic evidence was shot to pieces by a British expert a couple of years back. It is believed that the murder was committed by members of an important and powerful Thai family that more or less "runs" the island. Burmese are the easy fall-guys on whom to pin their crimes.

I agree. I find it hard to empathise with those who see a someone in need on the streets and then enjoy an internal debate about the whys, wherefores and long-term possibilities and probabilities rather than just giving him/her a few bht before continuing their journey.

DeWinter refers specifically to twinks....not many (if any) of those to be found at BBB. Come to think of it, even when it had one hundred dancers back in the 90s. only a handful were twinks.

My habits are much the same as vinapu's. And I agree that helping beggars is appropriate in a country that lacks basic social support. I do not give money to toddlers on their own but am happy to buy them an orange juice.

We Englishman have grown-up with a knowledge of such things, particularly if we've been educated in public schools. (that is "private" schools in US .parlance.) I asked my boyfriend about this once and he, frankly, had no idea what I was talking about. Nevertheless, he did recall a falang at Dreamboys (the Pattaya one) who "offed" six guys, took them back to his hotel room, dressed them in school uniform and caned them for smoking. My boyfriend found this hilarious until he learnt that the guys had been paid only 200bht each.

Since Air Asia transferred-alas- to DM, only on one occasion have we been seriously inconvenienced. And that includes foreign trips. However, we always try to avoid arriving in the evening....not only is the airport busier but, Bangkok itself can be very slow. Our last trip from Luang Prabang (January) was easy at the airport- my passport formalities were just as quick as my boyfriend's- but the first part of our taxi ride to Pattaya was a nightmare.....and so the lesson is, avoid the evenings if you can.

Perhaps it will find its way to Youtube? I'm amazed by the number of Thai gay movies available there - free, of course.

There is a group of massage places in one of the sois leading to the Paradise.....I think the third as you walk from the Ceylon centre. There seem to be plenty of guys available in the afternoons and they can, in many cases, be viewed from the soi. I suggest you take a walk an have a look. I have had both good and bad (very bad) experiences and can't recommend any in particular.

Yes; I've been the victim only once in twenty years of travel to Thailand. It was on my out to Bangkok at London Heathrow and my passport, money and house keys were stolen. Travel has never been the same since...I guard my belongings with neurotic attention.

I'm sure I've posted this elsewhere but on my first visit to Bangkok, I dropped my wallet in Blue Star Bar (Soi Twilight). I was walking down the soi when one of the go go dancers chased after me to return it. Full.

It always strikes me as surprising that Thai guys, often considered reserved and shy, should be much more assertive and adventurous in saunas than British guys are in European saunas.

Make sure that the gay Lotus, opposite Adam's Apple, is not confused by taxi/ tuk-tuk drivers with the huge Lotus which is part of a huge shopping complex. Regarding transport from Lotus, I never mastered the bus-route system; it is much more complicated than that at Pattaya.

The problem with the Adam's Apple area is transport, particularly late at night. The Mercure used to have plenty of tuk-tuks around its car park but when I last stayed there about three years ago, there were none.We now prefer to be near Thapae Gate. Someone has already mentioned the M (once called the Montri I beelieve). But we like the Amora, as long as we pay a little extra for the deluxe rooms. A long way to most of the gay venues though.

My boyfriend and I will e there in three months.... any recommendations for restaurants?

The advantage of Babylon is that it opens early...about 1200 I believe. I've been going for years and can never anticipate what sort of experience I'll have. My trip in June was excellent, the one in February poor. Usually, it's better in the low-season when there are fewer of us about. In the high season, the few Thais brave enough to enter are much in demand. On my last visit, I'd estimate that 56% were Thai....and that's the best I've ever seen in twenty years.

"Swearing" in English, refers most accurately to "taking the name of God in vain"....for Christ's sake, for God's sake and so on. Of course Thais have words for sex and bodily functions that are impolite but do they swear in the name of Buddha? I'd be surprised if they do. But then I'm often surprised by Thai culture.

Wasn't it once Villa Rouge, next to where Double Shot (aka Corner Bar ) is now?

1915 is too late. The best time is between 1630 and 1830.

Lats Sunday was also the day my boyfriend and I went to Sansuk....and you are correct, the Thai/falang ratio was much better. Even I was popular...though my boyfriend was in a different league! By the way, the restaurant there provided an excellent and well-priced Thai dinner.

Interesting posts on the gay beach at Pattaya and the new Boyztown bar, Prisma. Are you looking at the correct forum? there are more than one on GB's site.

I've just arrived home after three weeks in Thailand- Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya. Hardly a cloud in the sky until last Thursday when Pattaya experienced a shower at 1800. There are advantages to going in the low season; good hotel prices, sometimes even plane fares, more or less the same number of Thai guys looking for friends and less competition from younger falangs, no queues at my boyfriend's favourite restaurants in Central....and yes, as has already been noted, much better chances of fun at saunas. Babylon and Sansuk were both good places to be. The only time in twenty years that my holiday has been badly affected was four years ago when a September trip to Krabi resulted in too much time stuck in a hotel room on Aonang Beach owing to three days of almost continuous rain. Pattaya would have had more to offer for those days.

Good advice...though most of us have to go to Bangkok first. I suspect that there will be bar closures during that period all over the country. I don't know whether this is replicated across the board in Bangkok, but Tarntawan has raised its prices during October....from about 2500 to nearer 4000 bht pn, approximately. Perhaps it's co-incidence. And these new prices pertain on Agoda et al.

Phuket certainly has a gay scene in Patong, though I've never seen it busy.I have just returned from a trip there; hotels are reasonably priced in the low -season but I agree that travel around Patong is a nightmare. Some areas are very noisy- huge sound systems continue until 0600. The Paradise area is OK in this respect. We like Krabi but no sign at all of any gay scene, including massage joints. Have stayed four times over the past few years; usually, we never even see another gay couple. Our beach hotel is, nonetheless, very friendly towards us. May I put in a word for Chiang Rai? that's "Rai", not Mai. The best scenery I've experienced. Quiet town with a superb night market. Competitively-priced hotels but no gay scene. It's my favourite Thai town.