Bwana_LB

I've stayed at Citrus Suites Soi 6 the last few times in BKK. Aside from a mediocre breakfast buffet, it has a lot going for it. Location is hard to beat.

If you show up at night with fewer than two ladyboys, they might suggest you find another hotel. Not that you asked, but few of us stay at the Nana Hotel, because it's a bit of a dump.

Yes. It's their HQ clinic.

That's consistent with my experience. All the hotels I looked into required direct contact with the hotel for ASQ bookings. The hotels had information about the ASQ bookings on their own websites but required that I book the reservation via email with their reservation service rather than through their online systems. It seems that Agoda and other booking services cannot provide the documentation required to complete the Thailand Pass application process.

Still available at every pharmacy.

Phuket's LB scene is small (and smaller than it once was); the scene in Koh Samui is minuscule. Samui is a lovely place for some R&R but a lousy place for chasing LBs, IMHO. That said, both Phuket and Samui are lovely places to hang out on relatively uncrowded and unpolluted beaches (unlike Pattaya), so if you want a little time to de-stress and just chill, both are fine options.

I'm also a fan of Big Dogs, for the same reasons as OTS, who I've joined at the Big Dogs rail to watch the talent arrive.

I'm not sure this is a fair statement. There's no empirical evidence that this is the case. Teno-Em, the Thai generic version of Truvada, has been found to pass chemical equivalence tests, and clinical trials have found its effectiveness identical to Truvada. Gilead would love people to believe that generics are not as effective, but there's no evidence for that claim. If you're more comfortable taking the branded version, go for it, but evidence does not indicate that it's either more powerful (they are chemically identical) or more reliable (the equivalence testing samples from many batches).

Yes. Physicians will tell you to take PrEP for 7 days before any protection is effective. Then take daily, and take for at least 2 days after your last sexual encounter. https://www.pulse-clinic.com/prep/how-to-take-prep/

I've not stayed there, but the Indian restaurant on the top floor is first class. I visit often.

Thanks. I'm actually in the market for Tafero-Em. Teno-Em has the nasty kidney-liver side effects that I'm trying to avoid. I'll check Chula pharmacy in case they also carry Tafero-Em.

Thanks. I am hoping to avoid the generic versions of Truvada, as they have much stronger effects on liver and kidney functioning. I may check with the pharmacy that's around the corner from the Pulse clinic.

A question: do most of the BKK pharmacies carry PrEP drugs? I checked with PULSE Clinic on their price for Tafero-Em (emtricitabine 200mg + tenofovir alafenamide 25mg) and they quoted 2,200 baht per bottle, which is double what it costs via mail in the US. I'm hoping I can find it for closer to the US$35 price. If not, is there a recommended pharmacy that would have a variety of PrEP drugs?

Had no charge at Citrus Suites Soi 6 for two guests.

Many thanks, SAG and OTS. I think the absence of a pool would be a deal-breaker for me. Schlepping across the way to use a pool doesn't really work, as I have enjoyed running from my room to the jacuzzi with my LB guests in the evening at the Soi 6 location. Weather permitting, I'm poolside reading and listening to music for an hour or two every day.