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
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Originally Posted by neddy3
