Life in Thailand - Test Results

[Armando]

Excellent post by Dodger with essential tips there for many of us. I have never visited Bang Saray but it does sound like an ideal place for retirement provided one has transport (never driven a motorcycle) and a long-term partner. For the rest of us I guess the question is Pattaya or Bangkok. I used to love Chiang Mai but the gay scene in general has gone massively downhill in the last decade I have ruled it out. Obviously I exclude the apps which I would everywhere. If you like to meet up with guys you have never seen before and who may or may not look like their photos/profiles, they're fine. But like some posters, I like to see who I am going to spend some time with. So the bars for me are important.

But I moved to Thailand only in part for the boys - the Thai boys of whom like others I have fond memories stretching back many years. I did not want Lao, Vietnamese or Cambodian boys, even though I know many can be great. And increasingly this seems to mean the apps. A gay scene and a more lilberal lifestyle was only a part of the reason for moving. I have other interests, like sight-seeing, local culture, concerts both pop and classical, meeting like-minded guys who might become friends, occasional travel to learn more about neighbouring countries - and so on. I found Pattaya just did not work for me. Yes, I like a nice beach but I prefer many others in Thailand to those in and near Pattaya and I don't have to live by one.

So I selected Bangkok. Finding a condo iin a quiet area was difficult but with help I found a nice affordable one. Being based in Bangkok gives me much of what I want and I enjoy it. It's not perfect, but where is? Perhaps Dodger put it best, "One thing I’ve learned is that there’s a significant difference between coming here as a routine sex tourist for holidays and living here full-time." How very true!