Supposing it all became too expensive...where next?
The strength of the Baht is depressing. I remember some years ago when it was in excess of 70 Baht to the British Pound: terrific!
When I first visited Pattaya, in or around 1993, and stayed at the Penthouse, Pattayaland Soi 2 (gay friendly in those days and perhaps still is), the exchange rate (33 - 35 Baht) was a little less than it is today (39 Baht).
Apparently, some of the senior banking fraternity are pushing for a devaluation of the Baht, as tourism forecasts for Thailand are, sadly, disappointing. There is hope that Indian tourists will arrive in Thailand in their thousands and prop up the hotels and entertainment venues. The Chinese, apparently are sniffing around Vietnam. There is additional fear that hitherto stalwart single male tourists are now beginning to take a look at other venues: Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. I'm hearing good reports, for example, about Taiwan and Israel.
My question is this: okay, we all reminisce about the mad past of Sunee and the glitz and facade of twinkle town - Boys(z) Town, but there is a feeling that slowly but surely the 'scene' is being ground down. I hear, for example, the price of drinks in some of the go-go bars and clubs are pushing past the 200 B in some greedy venues!!
So, if you decided to break with the habit of flying to Thailand year after year (like me) to spend your annual holiday allowance of, say, £2,000 - £3,000 for a fortnight's R and R, where would you go? Cuba? Vietnam? Rio? Cebu? Boracay? Taipei? Glasgow? (eh, no, don't go there for that)!
I am at the crossroad of indecision right now. I've made about 30 trips to Thailand in the past 27 years, where the focus has always been on Pattaya and Bangkok, for the same reasons we all go there - the flora, fauna and wildlife (!)
"Shall I, shan't I book Thailand for January 2020? Where will I find a comparable or better gay scene (perhaps a lesser known one or one in its infancy), with eager partners and where the price of food, accommodation and drinks is fair and reasonable?"
One helpful member of this board is a great supporter of Cuba and the more I hear about Cuba from others who have been there, the more I am inclined to book a flight!
I remember recently speaking to Mama Pai at the Sunee Plaza (plastic white/green chairs) bar last March, about the lack of tourists. "They all go Vietnam and Cambodia," she said.
Now, there are many on this forum who - quite understandably - state that you cannot beat Pattaya for the sheer availability and variety of gay partners. They claim the city, in worldwide terms, wins hands-down and they may well be right. But, I've never believed that Pattaya has a monopoly in this respect. Somewhere out there, in this rapidly melting planet of ours, is an emerging Sunee/Boys town/Jomtien Plaza, perhaps still in its infancy, desperate to fling open its doors to the pink pound: a pound/dollar that will go further than if it were used to purchase Thai Baht.
Are we, perhaps set in our ways? Are we deluded, conditioned? Do we arrive at BKK airport each year in the hope that it's all going to be as we remember it? I wonder how many of us live in the past, as we stroll up and down Pattayaland Sois 1 and 3, Soi Sunee, Soi Yensabi and Soi VC,?
"I hope the same boy will be in bar X. I hope my favourite restaurant will still be open and that my favourite Go-go bar will still be jumping with these angels in briefs! I'm guilty of living in the past and hoping that it will all return one day. It won't: it's moved on, but where?
I can't help feeling that its all coming to and end in Pats, and let's face it, many of us are the mature side of 65+ so we need to make very good use of the time and money available to us, instead of kicking over the ashes of what has been and unlikely ever to return.
Please PM me if you have any recommendations of an alternative venue(s) for my annual break in January. I'd love to hear your thoughts, in confidence of course, unless you reply openly in this thread.
PG
Re: Supposing it all became too expensive...where next?
I refer you to bucknaway's excellent post about Brazil, buried away on p.4 of someone's thread about drink prices in Pattaya - https://sawatdeenetwork.com/v4/showt...ghlight=Brazil
Re: Supposing it all became too expensive...where next?
Thanks Frequent, I've read his post with interest.
Re: Supposing it all became too expensive...where next?
The prices that he quotes certainly appear a bargain by comparison to Thailand.
There are other factors to consider, and I think that safety is one of them.
I have never felt unsafe in Thailand (well, maybe a few adventures in the traffic), but I have listened to
people talk about Rio, and that they cannot leave the hotel at night.
I have not been to Brazil, so would need further advice on this.
Re: Supposing it all became too expensive...where next?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
neddy3
The prices that he quotes certainly appear a bargain by comparison to Thailand.
There are other factors to consider, and I think that safety is one of them.
I have never felt unsafe in Thailand (well, maybe a few adventures in the traffic), but I have listened to
people talk about Rio, and that they cannot leave the hotel at night.
I have not been to Brazil, so would need further advice on this.
Safety in Rio is pretty much nil. I was waking down a main street during day light hours. Five guys rode by me on bikes. One turned around and rode by me again.
Then I heard a voice, good English I must say, "do you have the time sir?" he asked. I raised my left arm to look at my watch, he grabbed it and held a knife to my throat as the other guys on bikes were now going through my pockets looking for whatever they could find. I kept calm, told the guy with the knife there was no problem, take whatever they wanted. Finally after finding about $25.00 in one on my pockets they got on their bikes and rode away. No one the street helped, nor the owners of the business that were looking out their window at what was going on. I was calm and not excitable until the next day to realize I could have been hurt or killed. Thank god they did not find my credit cards or the cash I keep in my shoe. That was about me 5th trip to Rio and it was my last. The word unsafe does not adequately describe what can happen.
Re: Supposing it all became too expensive...where next?
There's a 125-page thread on the Whiners and Whingers Forum aka. Thaivisa started by an SGT former member Jingthing (so it's sodomy-friendly) about Latin America
https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/108...nges/#comments
Re: Supposing it all became too expensive...where next?
cant leave the hotel at night...LOL...ROFL...
Re: Supposing it all became too expensive...where next?
chip...theres the problem..u probably had a USD5000 watch ...even a newbie that has spent the last 20 years living under a rock knows that in brazil u wear NO jewlry..no cameras...no iphones...
Re: Supposing it all became too expensive...where next?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
latintopxxx
chip...theres the problem..u probably had a USD5000 watch ...even a newbie that has spent the last 20 years living under a rock knows that in brazil u wear NO jewlry..no cameras...no iphones...
Nowhere is really safe - I’ve been similarly mugged in central Kuala Lumpur with people looking on. It hasn’t stopped me going back
Re: Supposing it all became too expensive...where next?
Marketwatch USA runs a regular question-and-answer series along these lines. All you need do is add a parameter such as "and the Latino boys are cheap and plentiful" and you may solve your problems https://www.marketwatch.com/story/im...ire-2019-11-11