Love Interest 2026 Update

[jimmie50]

Greetings, All!  This will come as no surprise to some of you, and others may be shocked.  Currently back in Bangkok and planning to be here for approximately three months.  That will all depend on if my request for a 30-day visa extension is approved the end of June after the initial 60-days.  I made the decision for several reasons.  First, since I am retired and have no real commitments or obligations to keep me in Denver other than family, I decided there is no reason to wait until November.  In addition, it is low season so not nearly as many tourists.  When checking airfares, I actually found better prices now versus later in the year due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.  Since there seems to be no end in sight and jet fuel prices are skyrocketing, airfares listed for the fall are astronomical.  Of course, the single most important reason is I missed Cam and really wanted to spend some long term quality time with him.  We were both anxious to spend time together sooner rather than later.  We have been texting multiple times each day ever since I returned to Denver, and video call at least once a day, if not more. There was really no strong, compelling reason to wait until late in 2026.

My posts will not be as often as my previous trips to Thailand, nor as detailed.  Only a few select friends, immediate family, and one or two forum members know of my location.  I have zero plans to see my Thai friends.  There will be no visits to massage shops; no contact via Line with regulars I saw previously…including Paradise guy.  I doubt we will visit any of the bars and will probably avoid Silom as much as possible.  Cam made the necessary arrangements with the bar to be off during my entire visit.  Thanks to forum members for setting me straight about off fees for something long term, no money was provided to Hotmale. lol.  However, I did give Mamasan a nice tip to offer our thanks for his support of Cam.  After I returned to Denver, Cam made the decision on his own without any prompting from me to discuss with Mamasan that he no longer wanted to go with customers for off’s, but would only go for drinks.  He explained that we were together now and that he would be returning to Cambodia after my visit and I would most likely be joining him there.  Mamasan agreed to that request.  It only presented a problem with one customer, which speaks more about the customer’s character than anything about Cam.  Customer knew from Mamasan that Cam would only go with him for a drink…nothing more.  After one hour of drinking, customer decided he wanted more from Cam.  Cam said ‘no’, and politely told the man he was leaving.  Man would not even give Cam any money after he spent one hour with him for drinks. Cam didn’t care about the money, and left to go back to his room.  So, I felt a generous tip was in order for Mamasan since he was so supportive of Cam’s decision.

This trip is all about spending quality time together and getting to know each other better.  We are staying in an Airbnb away from the Silom area for the duration of the trip.  We have some side trips planned as well, including a trip to Pattaya and Chiang Mai for a few days.  Cam has been to Pattaya one time, but really enjoys the beach so we definitely want to go there.  He has never been to Chiang Mai, so that will be a new adventure.  Keeping in mind Cam’s status, all of our accommodations are through Airbnb and all of our travel is via private car service.  We may even do a little exploring around Bangkok and visit Ayutthaya.  Cam has never really ventured outside of Silom very much and experienced other parts of the city.  Again, please do not expect daily updates as I have done on my previous trips.  This visit is totally different from past experiences.

[hank75]

Delighted to hear all has gone well for you and Cam, and he seems as committed as you are. Wishing both of you the best. 

[FunFifties]

Enjoy! I hope you will share some impressions of what it is like to live a more settled life in Thailand for a 2-3 month period. It is something I hope to do on a regular basis in a not too distant future, so would appreciate your thoughts and experiences in that regard. 

[jason1975]

What a shock! We could have met for drinks or a meal together yesterday if I had known you were in Bangkok @jimmie50. I am now at airport. End of weekend trip.

I am happy for you and your guy. Wishing you great times and unforgettable experiences.

I will be in Bangkok again in 2 weeks time, for Pride Parade on Sunday 31 May, which travels along Silom Road.

[khaolakguy]

Thanks for the update, wishing you both well on your journey.

[floridarob]

21 hours ago, jimmie50 said:

There will be no visits to massage shops; no contact via Line with regulars I saw previously…including Paradise guy.  I doubt we will visit any of the bars and will probably avoid Silom as much as possible.

We'll all keep our fingers crossed for you.... 3 months is a long time 😉

[Keithambrose]

22 minutes ago, floridarob said:

We'll all keep our fingers crossed for you.... 3 months is a long time 😉

Yup, let's hope...

[kram987]

3 hours ago, floridarob said:

We'll all keep our fingers crossed for you.... 3 months is a long time 😉

+1

[jimmie50]

On 5/17/2026 at 2:18 PM, jason1975 said:

We could have met for drinks or a meal together yesterday if I had known you were in Bangkok

A belated Happy Birthday, Jason!   Well, as I said, we are keeping a low profile and avoiding Silom area in general.  No need to be around there since we are not participating in any of the extra-curricular activities.  Did not realize it was pride in Bangkok.  That will be something to discuss with Cam to see if he is interested in checking out the parade or other events.  Have my doubts, but open to the possibility if he is interested.  

[jimmie50]

Airline Info:  Wanted to share that for this trip I booked travel with StarLux Airlines.  It is a luxury, premium Taiwanese airline.  I think they were founded around 2018 by someone who used to be with Eva Airlines.  Their prices from the US are fairly competitive.  It was recommended to me by a friend who lives in San Francisco and has flown with them a number of times now to Asia.  I would also add my recommendation.  Service was outstanding, food was better than most, and truly felt spoiled and pampered in business class.  Very comfortable and will definitely fly with them again.  This trip was SFO to Taipei (11 hours), 3 hour layover, then Taipei to Bangkok (4 hours).  All Airbus fleet...mostly A350's on long hauls.  As I did on my last few trips, timed my arrival in Bangkok for noon, then made sure I stayed up and active the rest of the day until a somewhat regular bedtime.  No jet lag the next day.  

Immigration News: No line whatsoever at section for Seniors and Disabled Persons.  Walked right up to the first available officer.  No real problems and received 60 day visa.  However, he noticed my other recent trips and provided me with some friendly advice...not a warning.  He explained that the government was in the process of reducing the 60 day visa to a 30 day visa and it would probably happen soon.  If, on any future trips I was thinking of staying longer than 30 days I might want to consider applying for a different type of visa.  So, it sounds as if the 30 day tourist visa is a done deal with only the target date to be announced.  If things go well with me and Cam this trip, that won't be a concern for us anyway.  When I return to Denver the end of July, Cam will be returning to his hometown in Cambodia at the same time.  My next trip will be to Siem Reap, so any visit to Bangkok will simply be a layover between the two cities.  I won't even need a visa for that.  

[Min]

On 5/17/2026 at 11:57 AM, jimmie50 said:

I made the decision for several reasons.  First, since I am retired and have no real commitments or obligations to keep me in Denver other than family, I decided there is no reason to wait until November.  In addition, it is low season so not nearly as many tourists.  When checking airfares, I actually found better prices now versus later in the year due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.  Since there seems to be no end in sight and jet fuel prices are skyrocketing, airfares listed for the fall are astronomical. 

Why bothered with all of these. We all know why you can't wait to come back 😄

[jason1975]

2 hours ago, jimmie50 said:

Did not realize it was pride in Bangkok.  That will be something to discuss with Cam to see if he is interested in checking out the parade or other events.  Have my doubts, but open to the possibility if he is interested.  

Another forum member and I will be there that afternoon cheering the parade participants. I think it's wonderful there is a parade!

[bkkmfj2648]

For those who will be in Pattaya - there will be a Gay Pride parade on Saturday 27 June.

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/Prpattayacity/posts/พัทยาเดินหน้า-pattaya-international-pride-2026-จัดยิ่งใหญ่ริมชายหาด-2628-มิยนี้-/1400999792051925/