MarkyM3

the guy is Russian i believe. not unknown on this forum for compatriots to dislike others from same country.

Definitely recommending Transcend based on my experience. Dr Panu was the guy I saw. Enathanate would be a good alternative to cypionate or compounded cream. It's somewhat better rated than Sustanon by the providers I spoke to. Can't remember why, peaks and troughs were one thing I recall.

In modern TRT the "normal" ranges seen on blood panels don't necessarily apply, rightly or wrongly. The conversion of excess T to estrogen depends on physiology, body fat, genetics etc i.e. some people are more pre-disposed than others. The AI is available and works but thinking on it is sharply divided. My provider, along with a number of others, don't advocate using it for various reasons, not least because it's said E2 is a very crude marker. Haemocrit ratio is something that does need to be carefully monitored - thickness of the blood. No doubts on that. I'm on the limit at 54 but I was when I used gel and had crap T readings. So many variables involved with TRT. Ultimately it comes down to how you feel rather than just chasing numbers. You need a doctor who is on side with that. I will say I feel better since getting on the HCG (some do, some don't). Though my main reason was to try get my fertility and balls back 😄 Unfortunately, I stuck with the NHS for 6 years trying various things out and they wouldn't offer it unless I stopped TRT. Dual-therapy is normal in modern TRT. They didn't offer cypionate either btw. Btw - when I started injecting at 3 times a week I did my bloods at "trough" level (though theoretically I should have been fairly steady-state after 5 weeks or so). So I would do the draw prior to injecting on my longest interval day. Now I'm daily it's just before injecting on any given day, obvs.

Hey there Hummin, My provider is in the UK. I spend part of my year in SE Asia (this year was late Jan to early May and I expect to be back in mid October until end of year) and rest of my time in UK. So the cypionate and HCG was prescribed and dispensed for me here in UK. I used the clinics in BKK because I wanted to get my bloods done while I was away. I pay for a TRT package deal here in the UK - all meds and consumables , quarterly bloods (42 markers), video calls etc. Costs me £245 a month which isn't cheap per se the doctor knows what he's doing and is on TRT himself. In contrast, my NHS endocrinologist was seriously deficient in knowledge imo and that's not isolated. My current regime is 100mg cypionate weekly and 1000iu HCG weekly. I started on 3 times a week dosing but went to daily because I have had issues with high E2 and prolactin and the thinking is daily injections best mimic what your own body would naturally do without TRT i.e. you don't overload it. I inject subcutaneous in the belly fat area - .30 gauge needle for the HCG, .27 for the T. No need to go intramuscular at all imo - research I've seen suggests no benefit and subQ is painless pretty much. It's an easy routine to get into and doesn't leave injection scars. I seem to be a good responder to cypionate because some guys might inject 1.5 to 2* what I do. It's all about the bloods as to what you need, that's why they are so vital to understand. Last time I checked I was near 1200 raw T level and my free T was high as well. So I don't need any more imo. The issue I do have is high E2 and prolactin - I am a little bit overweight so I'm trying to focus on getting back in normal range. Conventional medicine would say cut back the T but the kind of figure I get is normal in modern TRT and many guys don't have the E2 issues I have. As mentioned, I've hear compounded T cream (not gel which is crap for most people) can be very good or even better alternative. Not tried it, but I might do possibly later this year if my issues persist - my provider offers it. You put it on your balls once or twice a day with a click dispenser 😄. I might have some doubts about getting that in Thailand because it has to be specially made - I would want it done in a Western country tbh. Btw, the cypionate and HCG vials are really small. The hassle for me is the needles but I'm gonna order them from Lazada or similar next time to save bringing them over. Regards cypionate availability in Thailand......I recall asking the doc in Transcend BKK about it since I might spend more time there in future and he seemed to be suggesting that it wasn't easily available. Not sure why because Google search says it's legal? Saying that, when I asked about Arimidex, they couldn't prescribe that and I bought some at South Eastern pharmacy on Suk Rd for 3 or 4k baht. It may be a case of asking around - I wonder if it's possible to import it if it's online prescribed? Like I say, the package is tiny. I wouldn't go to the unlicensed body builder sites etc. because you have no idea what you're getting. Cheers

If you're in BKK and contemplating TRT, I recommend speaking to Transcend Clinic in Times Square on Suk Rd. The other provider I've used for some bloods is Excel Male but Transcend costs less and seemed less transactional. They offer 3 blood packages and in my case (I took middle package) included 2 no-rush consultations with the doctor, who I found very good. He knows his stuff and speaks great English. A proper blood panel is necessary for anyone contemplating TRT - one or two markers on their own are not sufficient. The only thing I would mention about Transcend is the doc advocated use of an AI (arimidex) to deal with high E2 (which I have an issue with). Some providers strongly disagree with using it, including mine in the UK and feel is counter-productive. I've been on TRT in the UK with both public and now private providers since 2018 and used Transcend for a quarterly blood panel since I was in BKK for the winter. So I certainly wasn't a novice when I went in there and could judge if doc knew what he was talking about (many doctors don't as far as TRT goes...). My present regime is T cypionate & HCG - I inject daily but many don't need to do that. I do so due to high E2 and prolactin issues. Everyone has different biofunction. The regime I follow is generally regarded as being the optimal treatment regime in modern TRT, though compounded T cream is a strong or possibly better alternative to cypionate for some. HCG is optional but TRT will shrink your nuts a lot and make you infertile. Even if that doesn't matter, the view is that it still contributes to well-being by not shutting your normal reproductive function down, even if it is diminished from when you're younger (the brain detects exogenous T and tells your nuts to quit making sperm, basically). The public health system in the UK doesn't prescribe HCG alongside T, hence why I went to a private provider eventually (my doc also was ignorant about modern TRT despite being a consultant....go figure). Enthanate is an alternative to cypionate tho not as well regarded. DON'T bother with gels, Nebido etc. - they don't work well/consistently in many cases. Been there, done it. Pellets are certainly not recommended in modern TRT either.

An Airbus cunningly disguised as a 737-800....

Did I say you were and is that the best you can come up with?! Critical faculties really are in overdrive it seems...

Importing Islam into the West must be one of, if not, the most, catastrophic errors of recent times. It's a religion attached to stone-age thinking which has zero compatibility with liberal democracy and legitimises it's venerated prophet's consummation of marriage to a 9yo, global domination under Sharia law and so forth. Its followers are also some of the lowest achieving groups in society. Chomper just reflects the left-wing tolerance of this situation. Only appears on politics threads.

Hang on....since when does American Airlines have anything to do with the discussion? Me and two other posters have mentioned AA already and we were clearly talking about AirAsia. Yes, American are a legacy carrier and that's their flight code but so what? I know what different airline flight codes are and have flown all the ones you mention and many more. I wasn't aware of the circumstances in 2022 but lots of airlines hit trouble in C19 and AirAsia have recovered well if so. I didn't fly them during that period. Did so before and after C19. Thai Lion Air - look into the number of short notice cancellations they do and get back to me. I did following my experience. FYI, the weather was fine in Bangkok and at ZhengZhou, there were no airspace restrictions either in Thailand or in China and they had plenty of time to find a replacement aircraft. Presumably they don't have enough of them or they had crewing issues. I had to delay my departure by a day thanks to them, paid to go in an airport hotel and rebook an indirect flight which added several hours to my journey. I've flown AirAsia many times and they provide a good low cost experience imo. It's about expectations. As per my previous posts in this thread, I recommended paying for an exit row seat. If you're too tight to pay a bit extra for that, well that's on you. The regular seats in the plane are no more cramped than someone like Bangkok Airways ime and the interiors are a lot newer. No issue for 2 or even 3 hours flying. They aren't spacious for sure, but get an exit row seat if you need it. I mentioned earlier I wouldn't want to do 6 or 7 hours in one to the Middle East but did transatlantic in a 757 some years back and it wasn't a disaster. Would want an aisle seat for sure. Not sure where you have flown to but most your complaints about the smell of the food are somewhat bizarre. You're in Asia, what do you expect?! Not something I've had an issue with. I flew them several times over the winter - internally in Thailand, to Vietnam and to China and encountered an experience in line with a decent low-cost airline each time. Been to several other places pre-C19 and same applies. Yeah, the crowd may be cheap and cheerful but so what? It is on legacy carriers in economy as well. People don't cause me an issue as long as they respect my space. The flight attendants generally have a good attitude and smile ime. App and website - didn't cause an issue. The meals I ordered came as expected. Laptop - if your battery doesn't last for more than 3 hours then bring a tablet surely. In my previous post I also mentioned I generally fly between UK and BKK in EVA business. Also done so on Qatar and Gulf Air. This winter, flew BKK to Hanoi in Vietnam Airlines business. So I know what the difference in service level between different cabins and carriers is. Doesn't change my opinion of AirAsia at all. Your comment about AirAsia and "the clientele it attracts" comes across as being snobbish in the extreme. Do you only mix with J class travellers in day to day life as well?

Abhorrent....dramatic much?! You could pay a whopping 15-20 quid and sit in the exit row and have great legroom and usually a free seat next to you. You sound like the passenger from hell tbh with that attitude.... It's loser, not looser btw 😄

AA have been going for years and not showing any signs of going anywhere. Their pilots also get well paid. Meanwhile, Thai Lion have a dubious rep and they cancelled my flight to China at 11.30pm the night before it was due to depart, not unknown apparently. Never had AA do that. As for lack of IFE, take a laptop or tablet if not's up to snuff. I never use it. Food you can buy onboard or take yourself. You don't get much in economy anyways. The AA flights are not direct to the EU, they will stop in the Middle East. 6 or 7 hours isn't much fun in a single aisle aircraft, granted, but it isn't much more fun in a 10 row economy layout either in something like an old 777 or 787. These are brand new aircraft. I flew UK-Newark-UK in a 757 years back which is a similar flight time to the Middle East and no great shakes. If they can meaningfully undercut the legacy carriers I predict they will do well. People flying legacy in economy are just as much "Cheap Charlies" by your yardstick and plenty aren't backpackers etc. Never had any issues with the AA website or app.

Wouldn't disagree the Russian girls are hot but their stolen aircraft are worthless now, they haven't been serviced properly and are cannibalising parts to keep them flying. No thanks 😄

I've had positive experiences with AA flying domestically in Thailand and to Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. The aircraft are new and the flight attendants generally have a good attitude. Some of the full service carriers could learn a trick or two from them. Bangkok Airways' aircraft look tired out compared to AA's. Btw - always worth paying for the exit row ime because you invariably have a spare seat beside you because most punters don't want to pay for it and the staff always eject them if they try sit there. Would I want to fly in a single aisle aircraft from Europe to Asia with a stop en-route? Not really. Also, you need to factor in luggage, buying meals and drinks etc. But for budget-conscious travellers it could be just the ticket. Personally, I prefer direct flights now and try to go business with EVA. But a return is nearly £3k a pop in that. Even the economy is pushing £1k now and I am sure AA will undercut that by a good margin, even factoring in the above costs.

Not sure where you got your stats from but different parts of the UK get very different weather. So that may be true for some places but not where I live (South East England i.e. near London, where this girl comes from). Following the driest spring on record, it's been wall to wall sunshine for weeks here, 33c last 2 weekends, it's completely clear skies as I type this. I returned from winter in Thailand in early May and have seen virtually no rain here. There's a water shortage brewing in some places already. So yeah, she should have known better but as you say, the sun in Samui is intense, even compared to Spain etc. It's easy to burn even with cream on in my experience. No pollution layer either to mask it. As for the most vocal critics on this thread, I wonder if they knew it all at that age.....probably hadn't even been abroad or popped their cherry in some cases. 😄

Magictoad....not everyone has a Thai bank account. Unless you're a retiree or working in Thailand it's near impossible to get one. My UK bank cards are free of ATM fees in most countries and use the Mastercard rate but I can't escape the Thai ATM fee. It used to be free of charge up to 2009 so we are being had, basically. I pull out 20k baht at a time which minimises the impact (I would take more but that's the daily limit on UK cards) but the fee is still not justified, I can pull out money fee-free in Vietnam or Malaysia. Meanwhile, the Thai authorities moan about lower tourism while their banking oligopoly pulls these stunts.

You might not like it but that's the reality. Saw the same thing in lower Suk a number of times when I dropped by there earlier this year - groups of Indian guys trying to bargain with street hookers for a g**gbang. They didn't get anywhere, the women clearly didn't wish to lower themselves to that indignity. And...I've heard plenty of women say they won't go with Indian or Middle Eastern guys due to their questionable behaviour towards women. It's hardly a secret. Your average Western or East Asian punter may not be a paragon of virtue at times but we are the preferred option. Penny pinching - over egged perhaps but there's plenty of truth in it too. Indians are brought up to barter. You don't know them very well obviously. You'll be back on this forum soon enough, I'm sure😄

Musk is right on the money here. You don't have to be a "leftie" (and I am definitely not) to see that pumping up already huge amounts of govt debt and passing it down the next generation to fund tax cuts for the super wealthy totally contradicts what they were trying to do with DOGE etc. The leftie characterisation doesn't quite work when Musk calls it out as bs 😄 Also, the fact Trump's private organisation is explicitly pushing billions into crypto while he pushes to relax legislation on it is surely a conflict of interest as well. A shyster all the way.

I tried that journey this year one way for a change. Taxi Lamai to Nathon, ferry to Donsak, bus to Surat airport, flight to DMK. One checked bag. That took about 8.5 hours door to door. OK, saved maybe £60-70 versus Bangok Airways but I didn't feel it worth all the hassle.

A lot of these guys will get married off via arranged marriage by their late 20s so are having their fun before that in most cases. As for the group mentality - sharing and frugality does seem to be a feature of Indian culture, hence the various stories about the coke with 5 straws in it, cliched or otherwise 😄 Obviously extends to saving money for bedroom activities too. In the past, most bars around NEP and the area didn't allow Indians in but that has definitely changed it seems. As for the various groups of guys I saw, they were out on the street pestering the girls standing around looking to pick up a punter. I didn't see any go off with them tho!

Visited soi4 a couple of times this year for beers, both times seeing several different groups of Indian guys trying to hire a single girl. Thankfully even the brasses didn't wish to lower themselves to that to earn a crust. Never used to see these guys there in the past - grim.

Indeed, and the pr!ck can't even spell properly.

If you knew anything about the effects of weed, it mellows people out. And he was trying to buy e-cigs, not weed, if you bothered to read the story. Moreover, the bloke was confirmed to be p!ssed, not stoned. I think you'll find there's a lot more violence from alcohol than cannabis misuse. Seem to recall you spouting similar garbage on a story I read yesterday And yeah, I don't particularly like the proliferation of weed shops nor the smell of it but I do know what causes more aggro....

Met one off Tinder. Late 30s, runs a nail salon in HCMC, had flown in on the aforementioned tourist visa. Had a great attitude and lot of fun. One or two Viet girls contacted me on ThaiFriendly but one look at the numbers on lower Sukhumvit will tell you this story is total BS 😄 More African than Viet girls.

This I can agree with. I just returned to the UK from a 3.5 month stint in Asia, mostly living in Bangkok and I can say I found a number of my day-to-day expenses were close to or sometimes more expensive than they are here in the UK, and the choice of imported foods (and domestic produce) is pretty poor (using Foodland, Tops etc.). Take a look at your next supermarket receipt or Food Panda/Grab receipt and compare to your home country's one and you may be surprised. I earn good money and stay in a high-quality serviced apartment when I'm staying in BKK or wherever. It's certainly cheaper than something in London or Edinburgh but still, my 4* BKK residence was looking for £140/night during early February around Chinese New Year. Hardly "cheap". I first came 20 years ago as a backpacker and have been back most years since, living there for some periods so have seen the changes in recent years. Obviously, exchange rates play a part but the £/baht rate has been depressed for some years now. Where Thailand scores is on lower housing costs (lots of choices), eating local foods and not Western ones, jobs requiring manual labour etc. Not all of which benefit your average tourist vs someone living in the country. Having said that, I was in Samui (Lamai) in February and March and both times it was as busy as I've seen since circa 2010. During my Asia stay, I spent a week in mainland China (which isn't collapsing btw, it has problems for sure but the worst is probably over, though it has a looming demographic crisis still). A very good meal for 6 of us in a mall restaurant in Xi'An came in at £30 thereabouts. I paid way more in BKK for meals only approaching that quality. Other things are way cheaper so I'm not surprised some Chinese won't come. Thailand also has an image problem there as well, I was asked more than once if it was dangerous etc. I also found Vietnam quite a bit cheaper but I still put Thailand comfortably ahead in the experience it offers tourists. Ha Long has to be one of the most overrated destinations in Asia ime.

Private Dancer by Stephen Leather is a very good book imo. Fiction but realistic and some characters are supposedly based on real people the author was acquainted with. That's set in and around bar scene in Bangkok.