Marc308

Gosh coming up a composite for the ideal go-go bar is a challenge indeed. My first reaction is to say the ideal composite is the OPPOSITE of (most?) of today's offerings: 1. Comfortable: Seating, lighting, music levels, cleanliness, no smoke. 2. FUN: I think the current bars have lost track of this essential ingredient. FUN to me means a welcoming attitude of mamasans, staff, waiters, owners; maybe a fun show means something with creativity, "surprises", a fun-loving atmosphere which does not focus only on sitting and drinking too much. Maybe offer interesting drinks beside the usual "well" drinks. 3. Sweet After-taste (pun intended?): When you leave the bar do you say to yourself gosh "that was a good time and I look forward to coming back again!"? The rule that seems to be overlooked by way too many bars today is the notion that cultivating return patronage is good business. For me, there is not a single bar which I look forward to going to. I used to like to go to BBB but then the women took it over. I used to like to go to Jupiter until the atmosphere turned surly. I liked going to Babylon, until it unexpectedly closed alas. Now I'm perfectly happy to rely on the apps, chance encounters, repeats from special guys. '

Alas much of the world is going through a severe housing crisis. Local residents are being thrown out of their long-term residences as owners convert their properties to short-term rentals. The crisis is particularly severe here in Hawaii, and critically severe on Maui, after the Lahaina fires. On Maui up to 1/3 of rented residences are either empty or converted to AirBnB-style use. I'm not sure what the answer is. A decent hotel on/near the beach here will likely cost you around $800/night, which to my mind is totally crazy and forces visitors to consider more affordable alternatives, including inducing them to break the law. In Pattaya some of the new buildings are waging a kind of warfare against short-termers. This is especially true of Copacabana, the glitzy newish Jomtien condo where some residents have reported having to sneak into their accommodation.

Hi Panther bro, I know of no specific "special" going on at Bumrungrad or elsewhere at the moment. You usually see the discounts in August, during the lowest point of the low season. That's when the best discounts usually appear. Yes, Bumrungrad is a medical marvel, boasting very high US- and European accreditation and its services overall are excellent, surpassing those of many hospitals in far more advanced countries. The price differential however continues to narrow and I suppose in not too many years they may approach those in Singapore or Dubai. I did want to comment a bit on the efficacy of wellness packages, aka multi-phasic screening: Some years ago, Kaiser-Permanente, the big US-based HMO, did a large-scale study doing screenings each year on nearly half its members, and not doing them on the rest. The results were discouraging: (Symptom-less) cancers were not discovered earlier, cardiovascular events were not predicted earlier, mortality rates were unchanged, etc. The reason? There were way too many false-positive test results: Mysterious spots on the liver or lungs turned out to be birthmarks after being biopsied or, worse operated upon, for example. The key word here though is symptom-less. By all means if you experience even minor symptoms such as tightness in the chest, a drop of blood in the urine or stool, etc. by all means get checked out. But beware of false-negatives. Hope this helps. Marc

Gosh guys 500B is indeed quite a bit of money. I can't get my head (?) around 5,000B for ST. It's unimaginable to me, sorry. 500B is already more than the minimum daily rate that a large percentage of Thai workers earn for a full day of labor. (As of January 1, 2025, the minimum daily wage in Thailand varies by province, ranging from 337 to 400 Thai Baht.) The mamasan at Midnight Cowboy (Saphan Kwai) who I asked for her recommendation once told that "200B was quite a generous tip". Yes it was some years ago of course, but gosh how things change!

Hi Vinapu, Squirrel House is listed at US $39 today. Doesn't look too bad. But yes BBB Inn was definitely cheaper.

I similarly had a British buddy (Peter P) whose end-of-life health bills outraced his British pension and savings quite rapidly. He was quite fine when he came to LOS years ago with a high GPB exchange rate and a reasonable British pension but both of those eroded rapidly. In Peter's case the hospital was actively trying to kick him out as he was dying. Self-insuring is the best (and perhaps only viable option) if you are 70+ 75+ 80+ but always remember that end-of-life care is getting more and more expensive in all countries, including Thailand.

I couldn't agree more. It's a far different scene from LOS with its own pro's and con's. But if you like big horny hairy beasts, you can't beat Delhi. And yes most are free esp guys who had been pressured into marriage and appreciate an outlet. You'll get many offers.

Dear Vinapu, Even though I haven't met you, I do sense your emotional conflict. As you age, life's curveballs come faster and more furiously alas. I'm glad your trip is relieving the pain but frankly it will take more than a therapeutic romp at Arena to clear the air, alas. Life is complicated.

That's a really sad story. Eighteen months of bliss is hard to sever. How would a "banking problem" impact your relationship?

Thanks guys, your descriptions are amazing... amazingly bad! Once upon a time (15? 20? years ago), Patong had a thriving and lively gay scene in Paradise Complex (and elsewhere). It sounds like the same plight which has visited Sunee Plaza has hit Patong now. The massage places then were also more conservative than those in Pattaya, but there certainly were "No Sex" signs on the doors, that's for sure! And Phuket in general was always more expensive (think hotels, food, transportation) than either Pattaya or Bangkok.

I sincerely hope you are not serious, Zombie! I have a nephew who is trans, and he is suffering severe anxiety.

I sure do miss Babylon! Whatta loss when it closed.

Yes eSIMs are far more useful than those TRUE or AIS SIMs sold at the airport. I mostly use Airalo (in 8 different countries thus far) with good results. Holafly is also good. No need to pay those outrageous roaming charges that most western cellular carriers charge. Luckily Airalo's eSIMs for Thailand (from DTAC) also give you a local phone number which is handy for Bolt, food delivery and Lazada purchases. Most eSIMs in other countries only give you a data allowance but no voice allowance.

Keep in mind that lasers can be dangerous -- if pointed haphazardly at someone's eyes you can literally blind them (burn their retina). Giving the laser to an inebriated customer might not be a good idea, alas.

In other words we are too damn old and won't be around all that much longer. Do you prefer that?