tm_nyc

I wish you luck & hope you can re-connect with the German guy. It's great to casually meet somebody while traveling & really hit it off with them. And yes, it s**cks when it comes time to pay the bill & leave & know you will probably never meet that person again. I also find it almost impossible to bring up personal matters, like sexual preference, in situations like that. Could be that I'm a wimp.

Tourists could also go to a wat & pray for the bars to reopen.

Yes, I noticed that too. Those sites would be a place to start looking for the local talent.

Great post! How is Yucatan doing with covid? Any restrictions?

The Cambodian PM has announced a plan to open the country to travelers from Thailand. For fully vaccinated Thais & foreign tourists, that is: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50959071/cambodia-to-allow-quarantine-free-entry-for-travellers-from-thailand-by-air/ Zero details on the when & how at this point but it's another bit of encouraging news.

A small step in the right direction.

I visited Phu Quoc in 2014 & I do recall visiting a waterfall that was a big local tourist attraction. However, it was in the winter & there was no rain so there was not much to see. Funny that they would 'borrow' a photo from a site in Laos!

Another interpretation of 'is being developed' is: we're making it up as we go along.

Good point about the Chinese vaccines. I have been to Phnom Penh several times & find that I like it more & more. But, for 'our kind of attractions', what's available in PP is more like Chiang Mai. No comparison to Bangkok.

Yes, that will definitely make things complicated!

I would hope that they would just include it in the airline ticket price. Given all the current obstacles that foreign visitors face trying to get into Thailand, another 500 THB seems pretty minor.

Vinapu, I guess that you are right! All the other trans-Pacific flights from North America to SGN would involve a change in Hong Kong or Seoul/Incheon or Taipei, so a re-fueling stop amounts to the same thing.

Cambodia's 60%+ full vaccination rate is very impressive, compared to Thailand's 20% & Vietnam's 6%. Maybe Cambodia's re-opening plans are not just talk.

I am big. It's the pictures that got small.

'Round up the usual suspects.' and... 'Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.'

'Forget it, Jake, it's Chinatown.'

Interesting, although the refueling stop makes the VN service less attractive. When the lockdowns in Vietnam are lifted & they start issuing visas to foreign tourists again, Vietnam Airlines might be an option to look at.

Sorry to be piling on but Cuba has also been experiencing a big rise in covid cases since June, so it is not the ideal time for a visit.

Both Istanbul & Kiev are high on my list of places to visit too. My impression is that Istanbul has some gay nightlife plus the hammam & Aquarius while the gay scene in Kiev is tiny, like most Eastern European countries. According to travelgay.com, Kiev has one gay sauna which does offer massage it's not Aquarius. If you have a Planet Romeo account, you can search various destinations on Hunqz anywhere. Hope this helps...

If the Arena news is true, that is very sad indeed. The end of an era in BKK.

As of August 1, people doing the Phuket Sandbox will be allowed to travel to Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan & Koh Tao after 7 days on Phuket. For everywhere else in Thailand, the 14 day Phuket quarantine is still in effect. https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/sandboxers-can-travel-to-specified-islands-and-beaches-after-7-days-in-phuket

My understanding is that Mexico is experiencing another wave of covid & cases are rising, owing to the Delta variant. Mexico State is 'green' but Mexico City is currently 'yellow' & will be moving to 'orange' next week. In other words, the covid situation is worsening in CDMX. Someone please correct me if I have got this wrong. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-23/covid-explodes-in-cancun-and-los-cabos-as-third-wave-hits-mexico

Interesting. I keep an eye on the NYC-BKK air fares on kayak & they have remained pretty stable for months. However, I was not aware of the rescheduling issue. Not surprising as the demand for flights to SE Asia is probably not that strong right now.

Like everyone else, I am rooting for Thailand to re-open & am hoping that they get all the details right. But, by upping the Phuket quarantine from 7 to 14 days &, now, keeping the bars & entertainment venues closed, they are treating potential visitors, who have ALL been vaccinated, like it's last December & the vaccine doesn't exist.

Thanks, XClay, your description of the local talent in Athens is pretty much exactly what I had hoped!