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BiggusDikkus’s excellent account of his first experience of Bangkok planted the idea that a thread on ‘First Encounters’ with the City of Angels could be entertaining. Here is mine to kick things off. Before landing the story in Bangkok I need to back up a little as I had a vicarious familiarity with Bangkok long before I first visited. My perfect gentleman of a father (on one occasion, after finding a slug in his salad, he wrapped it in lettuce, doused it in dressing and ate it to avoid any embarrassment to his hostess) spent time in Japan and South East Asia on business in the 1960s/70s. He was very nice and very slightly naughty. As a child I was fascinated by beautifully produced Geisha House books he brought back from Japan, full of oval pictures of perfectly made-up young women. He and my mother were each other’s best friend so whatever he found to amuse himself, it was done with her knowledge and if not blessing then at least understanding. My parents had a broad outlook and so my being gay was a practical issue not a moral one. They had gay friends. The World was tough on homosexuals (the then term-of-use). This was unfortunate but a fact. How could they help? They lead me to believe that sex is enjoyable, even more so if you and your partner have a connection. Nothing wrong with casual sex, but avoid becoming fixated on mere physical sex. Sex is also a mental pleasure, which is why a connection is so important. To balance the enjoyment, there are risks. Life is a bugger. No Free Lunch and No Free Hedonism. Unplanned pregnancy can be a major life problem (although you are probably free of that one) as are diseases. Particularly syphilis (this was pre-AIDS). To clarify the point for a fifteen year old they gave me some quite advanced and very graphically illustrated medical texts. The autopsied syphilitic brain looking like a Swiss cheese was a standout image. To paraphrase my father “Swimming is great fun. Try to only swim in clean water. If you suspect the water may be less than clean, cover up properly and wash thoroughly afterwards, in which effort medicinal alcohol is useful”. So I was launched into the World with few hang-ups about my sexuality, open to and aware of the pleasures of the flesh and totally paranoid about STDs. Even with raging teenage hormones the image of the brain-as-Swiss-cheese could deflate my dick in seconds. Preparing for my first encounter with Bangkok in the pre-internet age my advance research was undertaken at the local gay bookstore. My father recommended his hotel, which is now the Anantara by Ratchadamri BTS but which back then may have been a Peninsula as that was his regular chain, and assured me that the Thais were very charming and open minded people and that I would like them. In Bangkok, ensconced at the now-Anantara, I made a strategic decision that I soon reversed. I was not sure exactly who I would encounter at the clubs and, despite my father’s assurances of open-mindedness, I could not picture myself walking comfortably through that stunning lobby with a pickup. Guided by my gay guide I went to the Tarntawan and reserved a room for recreational purposes. Friday, my first evening free of business obligations and I am excited. I have a map. I have a rec room. Krung Thep, mon amour! However, there is No Free Hedonism. As I am about to going swimming in possibly less-than-clean water, I am possessed by an almost paralyzing fear of Swiss-cheese-brain-syndrome. It takes several sazeracs to reduce this to manageable dimensions before I launch myself into the night. The hotel porter whistles up a cab (this is pre-BTS), I give the cab driver my destination and into the traffic we go. The driver looks at me in the mirror. ‘You like boy?’. Yeesss, I carefully reply. “I take you better bar”. I feel a surge of almost crazy elation. Yes, he is probably going to his friend’s bar where he gets a commission, but these people are relaxed. I decide to go with the flow. I have a map. ‘Ok’. I have no idea where he took me. Starting several sazeracs in and then continuing to drink at bar after bar, I have only a sketchy memory of the evening. I wanted to see it all and my memory is a blur of many bars, many boys and tip jars swallowing many red notes. All fun. It was all huge fun, even if I can’t recall the details. Finally I took a guy off from a bar that had an aquatic show. Tall, elegant, looking wonderful in speedos. Charming. And very understanding of someone with a few too many drinks in him. He took me to a hole in the wall restaurant for carbs and coffee. Possibly I was worth sobering up as, back then, I had thick floppy bond hair and a trim swimmers build. Possibly, understandably, he did not enjoy the fumbling of drunks. We spent several sensuous hours in mutual exploration and pillow talk. He was a student. This was how he financed his studies. How long was I in Bangkok? Not long enough, I thought. Departing in the morning we ran a gauntlet of stares from much older farang breakfasting with last night’s offs. The kind of detached lust-absorbed stares of people trying to picture you naked, people whose conversation is best avoided as it is often distasteful. The people who in my then-not-so-far-back youth had caused me to stop going to gay clubs and switch allegiance to jazz bars. I began to dislike the Tarntawan. In the evening I headed out to reconnect with Elegant-in-Speedos. Pre-Line, pre-iphone, pre-internet there was no easy way to remain in touch. I had to go back to the bar. But which bar? At the time I was not sure it was the aquatic one. Exploration is fun. I began at Tawan, planning to do the rounds in an efficient non-drinking manner until I found the right bar. Leaving Tawan I was accosted by the tout from a small bar across the soi. Many boy, you like! It was a small shabby bar with maybe eight guys who upon my entry mounted the stage and gyrated in a semi-sensual vaguely come-hither torpor. All except one and that one guy worked it with every asset and move he had. He was the most masculine of the group. An intelligent lively face, deep brown, solid muscle on a slender frame and large hands and feet which accurately indicated the potential of his endowment. In bed at the Tarntawan after showering together I am in sexual overdrive. This guy is hot. And then, the third time he removes my exploring hand from between his stunning buns, he holds it against my chest and gives me a polite but firm lesson in reality. He like girl. Have girlfriend. Have men sex as it pay a lot more than construction. While I am customer, he is himself, has boundaries, I need to respect them and him. It had never occurred to me that any guy working gogo would be anything but gay (naivety) or that anything within my vanilla repertoire would be off-limits (arrogance). He sees these thoughts on my face and smiles, pulls close and says ‘Here what I do’. I tell him what I do and then, as two tops, we proceed to make each other feel good. Within his boundaries he is very sexual. Why is more of the World not like this? After showering we leave together, him to his girlfriend and me to the more comfortable accommodations of the now-Anantara. It is around 1am and in the lobby I again encounter the gauntlet of stares from the sexually-fixated. Now I dislike the Tarntawan. Sunday, my final free evening, I reconnect with Elegant-in-Speedos. Looking at him in his street clothes I think I would not at all mind being seen with him at the now-Anantara. So that is where we go. We have cocktails and Thai food from the twenty four hour menu in the lobby. No one stares. In the room there is a bowl of red spiky Thai fruit which I have not been sure how to approach. His eyes light up and he shells one for each of us. They have a sweet and slightly scented taste. Our lips lock in a sweet and scented kiss. I looked for him the next time I visited Bangkok. ‘How long you not here? He graduate, go home’. The beginning of a cycle. A long and enjoyable cycle. Long may it last!

OK...happy and lucky manhas reached Tuesday...it begins sort of slow, breakfast in the hotel, catching up on email, catching up on the news, calming down from catching up on the news. When asked by the boys and folks I meet “where you from?”, I reply California. I’m proud to be American but maybe prouder of how California votes. That out of the way, I decide to brave the heat and take the BTS to Siam Paragon...I know the hot street and distance from the Tarntawan to an air conditioned BTS to the air conditioned Paragon. My suffering is minimal. I’m there for exercise not shopping and log three miles on my pedometer. I then have some tea and scones at the tea restaurant on the M level. Back to the hotel, head to Arena. Usual, pick good body with a smile, we both smile at the end. I only heard the name as a mashup. Said he was from Issan. May have been. Pricing same as quoted in other reports. It was OK but not worth elaboration. It’s still early, back at hotel update this report which I was working on before I went to Arena. Answered some PMs, thanks Reader and PaulSF for thoughts and a question or two. I’ll drop the answers in the report. Periodically during the day, I think of Hep and Shy, my Lucky Boy and Moonlight Offs. Decide to return to Prime to fill in some time until I head to soi 4, so I have a 90 minute Thai massage. I ask to have Yo beat me up, again, and he is available. We adjourn to the room, about 20 minutes into the massage I have the hiccups (hiccoughs, for those who prefer the alternate spelling), it is hard to maintain dignity during a Thai massage when one is noisily responding to pressure points. We take a break, I use the family response, and down a glass of water [tea at Prime] while holding my noice to realign the airway. This works...for about 20 minutes...Yo does a work around and the last 40 minutes he is able to return to normal torture. I go back to the hotel, change, and head to soi 4. Have some lentils soup at G’s German restaurant. Check out Banana but resist climbing the stairs. It’s just about 10pm when I arrive at Jupiter. Encouraged to go in and get a good seat. I Pay the entry at the toll both. I’m escorted to a seat right in the front at the end of the runway!!!!!. Assume, someone must think I’m a friend of one of the Chinese women who set up open bars in this area. Slowly, nursing my Sprite, as show time approaches, it dawns on me that not many more customers have arrived. Of the 20 or so I can see, half are women, and all but me are of an Asian cast. There are at least 20 guys in the rotation...most looked bored. The movements were more mechanical than choreographed. Maybe 30% are shirtless. The shirtless guys enjoy Thai kicks to the boxing bag. So now this part of the report turns into today’s Rant - the show is showing its age. It takes forever to set up each act and then wait for the signature propulsive noise. The acts are the same as they were in November and a year ago February. Thefamous bodybuilder transfer from Tawan has put on some not flattering bulk. Hula hoop guy loves his work and brings some life to the audience and is the first to get appreciate applause. I decided to leave and call it a night. I head back via Patpong 2 and am spotted by Lady Lucy and grabbed, but manage to escape. The grabber at Freshboys is better at this job as he utters the marketing term...F*** Show Now! And so it is as I enter and Mamasan Bang Bang (that’s what she said) put me in a side seat where I can watch the energetic on stage action, the rotation boys in their changing room, and have my back and neck massaged by the wait staff, and a rotation boy caresses my hands. More people here than at Jupiter. Mamasan can’t quite believe that. Collection box passed around for the “catcher”..very acrobatic and almost erotic. F**k shows ends, place begins to empty out. I see one other farang. Mix of Thais and other Asians exiting. I am now even more the center of attention as the rotation boys return. One or two are my type...I’m lightly pressed to choose. This mamasan is not as in my face as Lucy. I remember that when I was here the other night, I had my heart set on (translation “hots for”) one of the waiters. This is mentioned and, not to my surprise, I have two waiters planted on either side as Mamasan is not sure which one I meant as their numbers are different tonight. I endure the suffering the attention demands and indicate the waiter on my left. Waiter offs are 200 more than the rotation boys. Fine with me. We depart for the hotel, he has his ID! In the room, he immediate strips and gets on the bed. I realize that given his youth (20) and his energy it’s like having a puppy who humps your leg. The leg didn’t enter into the gymnastics, but once Minh told me his name and I asked “Vietnamese?”, I knew before I had an answer (which was “yes”) that we’d need to be creative to ensure some action. This happened and it was a good time and it’s nice to have a puppy around. We’d showered and he left and was Line messaging me within five minutes. I then went to bed.

to chip in a little bit from my small part in ggbkk's trip: very pleasant evening together last night. Original plan was to meet at Hotmale beer bar to toast on Paulsf and then go for dinner from there. Plan was changed on short notice due to heavy rain just half an hour before meeting time, so decided to meet at Silom Complex for dinner first, then take it from there. Luckily by 7:30 the rain had already stopped even though it was quite a downpour. Nice dinner with some drinkable inexpensive wine and chocolate dessert. Ggobkk's plan had been to not really go out and retire to the hotel early, but of course after dinner a drink at Hotmale was in order. Toast on esteemed member @paulsf was duly executed While out and about anyway already, we decided to have a look at Lucky Boys to see if his Cambodian off Hab from a prior night was there. He wasn't, so ggobkk stuck to his original plan to go home alone. We left just after the show. The bar was not full but not empty either. As the show drew to it's end after 11pm quite a lot of new people came into the bar. During the show a boy sitting to the side of the stage by himself took an interest in me. I flirted back, but no more. A bit later he was called over to another table and offed. As we left I briefly greeted him, found out he is from Myanmar and even cuter from up close than the distance. Parted with a red note and promise to meet again soon.... Overall, very nice meeting ggobkk for the first time, very pleasant company and conversation indeed. Meet again next trip

Lovely report, thanks. You are correct. It probably was The Peninsula on Rajadamri. Now the Anantara it was built near the end of the 1970s as part of Hong Kong's Peninsula Group. Thats one reason why the lobby looks very like the lobby in the Hong Kong flagship. But bust quickly followed that economic boom and so the Peninsula management sold on to The Regent International Hotel Group in the early 1980s. Later it was then sold on to the Four Seasons. During the Regent era, there was a policy of no joiners. I once took a nice boy from the bars back to the hotel. I knew there was a security guard at the lift lobby and se we waited until he was otherwise engaged before sneaking in to one. I had forgotten about security cameras. About 3 minutes after we arrived at the room, the phone rang. I did not answer. It rang about 4 more times, and than thankfully ceased. But then came the knock on the door. I quickly realised this was security. I told my guest to be silent and did not respond. The knocking continued for about 5 minutes, after which we were finally left in peace. But I was furious! I checked the hotel regulations. Nothing there about not taking guests to the room. So I wrote an angry letter to the GM. He responded with a major apology and the offer of a free week-end. I made sure to book for two people!

Vacation has kicked in as the jet lag lessens. My phone has messages from Yoyo and Hab. Try to plan a day as there is nothing on my schedule and figure out that’s not a bad thing. Heat is still oppressive but with my new wide brimmed hat, I can venture out - and since google informed me that Tony Leather moved just as the other denizens of Twilight did and how to find - I have a morning goal. Tony Leather was the remaining Leather work store on Surawong. When I first returned to Bangkok there were a few leather stores where one could buy shoes, belts, jackets off the rack or have them made to order. Over time, all but Tony closed. The Indian restaurant near Siam Heritage hotel was one leather location closed three years back. Anyway, with google map in hand I cross Surawong, turn left and 300 steps on I am there. Jack , the owner, tells me they only had short notice that the lease wouldn’t renew. This new location was once the 88 Restaurant, I’m here to have a light weight leather jacket made up. He shows me some samples, none of which is what I’m imagining. I promise to come back on Wednesday to see some more samples. We talk price, we bargain, we are almost in agreement. See what happens on Wednesday. (Even at Jack’s first price, the jacket would cost less than half a non custom made jacket would at home). Sorry, if this sounds like a commercial. I like the shop and have at least a five year relationship and many shoes and belts to attest to it. Took the day as it came, some street food for lunch, set up with a friend an outing to the National Museum for Thursday and the Bangkok Silent Film Festival for Friday. Around 7pm, I head to Telephone for dinner and to watch the boys come to work at Jupiter. It’s too early, visit Banana Bar, talk to a Nikrat masseur I know who tells me business is slow...everyone always tells me that...but it might be true as there are available seats everywhere. Decide, that since I’ve checked out most of the action at the relocations, tonight it will be Jupiter or Moonlight. It’s only 9:30ish, so I don’t want to hang out in Jupiter until 10:30, I’ll go to Moonlight. Encounter update #2. The first update which I didn’t number was the Hot Male mamasan now mamsaning at Superboyz. This new encounter is my running into the Hot Male grabber/tout with the bandana who was often called out in reports. Anyway, he’s touting for Moonlight which makes sense as the owner is the same guy as Hot Male’s owner. He chats me up, tells me the show doesn’t start until 10:30....so I go to Starbucks for an ice tea, some internet, and to use the restroom. Discovered lots of antique and jewelers shops in the Burger King/ Starbucks Mall. OK, walk back and let the tout take me to Moonlight. He gets points...customer miles(?). It’s now about10:15. Place is jammed, really jammed, only seats open is the row of stools at the foot of the stage and some spaces near the shower which is to he left of the central seating area. That’s where I’m taken. Not a bad seat as I’m very close to a corner of the stage where all of the boys and “mega stars” move during their on stage rotation. Within a few minutes, the other three seats are taken. One gut can only see the stage by looking through the glass wall of the shower(!). I order my paid with entrance fee drink. There are several bottle tables in play, and two seats in the first row closest to the stage off the main passageway have an assigned waiter. These stools will be filled by two Japanese guys who will finish their bottle during the show. A neighbor of theirs has a line up of shots at his seat. Group of women behind me have waiter service with some of the rotation boys already with them, another table of women near the bar. As far as I can tell, I am the only farang (see my definition in earlier report). Maybe 10% of customers are women. One of the mamasans who remembers me from past visits (or at least tells me that and mamasans don’t lie), well, he tells me they have many many guests from China and Taiwan. Ugly American that I am, I didn’t perceive that it’s not always the Chinese that are flooding the area with visitors, it might be the Taiwanese I watch the rotation. First thing I notice, is many of the boys are shirtless. This is an improvement over my visit in November where only one or two were shirtless. Guys are a mix, young, mature, good bodies, some very good bodies. Many are meeting my offable standards. #5 is a stand out, shirtless, with a hard gymnast’s body, but no smile. Boys exit the stage and come by where I’m sitting until the have to move them to wedge in more customers. One of the young boys is a friend of the guy who has the see the stage through the shower seat. Quite a few of the guys join the women sitting behind me who are running an open bar. Show starts. Now, I may have been the first forum member to review Moonlight when it took over the old Jupiter space. The waiters were still wearing Jupiter polo shirts. I mention this to note how much everything has improved. Yes, it’s 500 baht which is an increase over two years. The show is excellent, no wasted time, no lady nobody’s singers. Opens number solid with all of the stars moving and celebrating themselves as each, in tun, mounts some steps to be at the top on the choreography. Here are Tae, Lucky, Turn, Smart, and the ever lusted after Babe. They will return two more times, once the always video entry down the stairs which occurs at the exact mid point of the show and one more energetic dance number. Babe, probably due to his height, is the best dancer. The other numbers come quickly, change over to next scene is quick., I’m living in fear of a lady boy number, remembering when there was a staircase to the stage and always a diva singing. Not tonight...guess they have all moved to DB Paradiso. One downer is that none of the “stars” is in the Raining Men number. At some point during the show the row of stools directly in front of the stage is filled by a group, not a tour, but men and women who arrived together.. During one of the musical numbers, one of the rotation boys who is in it is given a baht necklace by the guy with the row of shots set up. The dancer also takes a shot along with the necklace. Shower closes with the shower scene. Only three guys are closer to the shower action than I am. Then it’s time for the finale. Several red notes and shots are passed to different boys during the finale when all of the dancers, save the stars, come on stage before the new rotation starts at 11:30. Place empties out as the rotation begins. To my surprise, there are still more than 20 guys in the rotation and all have numbers. I find i have some Jimmy Carter’ lust in my heart for #5 (google ther reference). My aging body is still worn out from Hab and Yoyo, and I hadn’t planned on an off...so I decided to give him some red notes and come back another night. My Mamasan “friend” signals for him to come over to me, I give him the notes, and the smile - which he never had on stage - was wide and engaging. You can write the scrip...ten minutes later, we were out the door, escorted by the bandana man, who I think was singing my praises. We get to the Tarntawan and OMG he doesn’t have his passport! A rerun of last night...he tells the desk his situation, they won’t budge. I’m thinking of an improper bride. But, my off, whose name is “Shy” says if ok with me, he lives nearby and will go get his passport. Everyone is happy... WIthin ten minutes he’s at the door, he must have moved quickly as he has a strong masculine sweat smell. Once he is out of his clothes, what I see is as close to perfection (for me) as I can conceive. The rest of the night goes very very well. This is one of those rare offs of whom I take a photo. We exchange Line info. Then we shower together and then work up another sweat smelll. I am a happy and lucky man. Today’s rant...the auto correct cannot decide if mamasan is capitalized or not. So Iet it be erratic. Today’s rave - thanks for the kind works and PMs. Auto correct changed “shower” to whore. I corrected the autocorrect. One thing with this heat wave is that I have time to keep up my journal...usually, it waits until there is a one break or I am home. This is close to real time reporting....don’t hold me to it...tomorrow is a return to Jupiter.

I would later look for it, on several occasions, but without much success. That first night in Bangkok, as I was leaving Galaxy Boys, I was told to go in the opposite direction from how we arrived. As it turned out, the soi the bar was on met up with Surawong, maybe a block and a half from the hotel I was staying at. Also as it turned out, I had been on Soi 4 when the tout led me away. I found that out the very next night, when I had to find Telephone to meet a Japanese friend who was also traveling in Thailand for the first time. This night, I arrived a bit early. I didn't want to repeat my mistakes of the previous night, regardless of how adventurous they turned out. So I was better prepared when the same tout approached me again. I gave him a firm no. This time instead of craning my head and looking at the businesses as I passed by I would look ahead of me, and sure enough, there was Telephone, not far up the soi, on the left. How could I have missed it last night? But before I could step inside I was again waylaid. This time by something or someone tugging at the cuff of one of my pant legs. I looked down. It was a little boy. He looked barely old enought to walk but he must have also been able to run. How else could have he sneaked up on me? When I stopped to look down and met his gaze, he bowed, his hands together, in what I had read was a wai. I was gonna ignore him and just head to Telephone, mindful of what had happened the night before when I had allowed myself to be so easily swayed. But something about that small, barefooted kid tugged at my heart. I got to wondering how old he was. Couldn't've been much more than 3, if that. And then my over-active mind stirred up recollections of what I might have been doing on a Saturday night when I was 3. I pictured myself sitting on a carpeted floor, in a converted garage, watching a black and white TV with my brothers and sisters, none of whom were hungry that night, none of whom had ever known what hunger must feel like. I had a fortunate middle-class upbringing. And now in my early 30s I was able to travel to an exotic destination half way around the world from where I had grown up. Why was I fortunate to enjoy this little boy's country while he was in the street begging? So I decided to reach into my pocket, dig out some change and drop it into his hands. Then I had a second thought. I pulled out my wallet, squatted down so the two of us, the fortunate tourist and the hungry native, might be face to face. I peeled off a couple 100-baht notes, folded them up and handed them over. As soon as I did, the little boy did the fastest 180 I'd ever seen and scampered away with surprising speed until he was safe at the feet of his mother, tugging at the hem of her skirt. I remained in a squatting position, rather shocked that I didn't get even a “thank you.” I felt almost wounded not getting one. And now I would have to stand up and let everyone in this crowded street see my embarrassment, gawk at the gullible tourist. My Bangkok trip was not turning out how I had planned. Still squatting and looking toward where the little boy had run, I decided to stand up and to walk as quickly as possible to the door of Telephone. I had already spotted the entrance before I felt the tugging at my leg. Now it promised me sanctuary from the stares and snickering of bystanders. So I stood up, ready too make a beeline for my goal when the most surprising and gratifying thing happened. Everyone sitting down at the outside tables along Soi 4 had apparently been watching my encounter because they broke into applause. I looked around. So many young smiling Thai faces. I paused to soak up the Saturday night energy, which had suddenly turned very positive. I smiled back, then walked into Telephone. That great energy would last. It turned into one of the greatest nights of my life, one that would not end until 5am. Really, though, it did not end until two Sundays later, when it was time to go back home. I had a late flight, after midnight, so in the afternoon, with a few hours to spare, I thought I'd go look for Galaxy Boys. It seemed fitting to spend my last night in Bangkok — after saying goodbye and exchanging phone numbers with all the people I had met during my stay — in the same bar where I had spent my first night. That same sleazy bar I had never told anybody about. I got lost, though, and could not find it. Still, there's a story from my search that still rattles around my mind on a daily basis. Perhaps that story will be my next entry in this thread.

I usually stay in Ibis Copacabana. Prices pretty reasonable for Rio and rooms basic but modern and clean. Never had problem with guys staying over.

Few observations as to short and long time costs of girls in Pattaya (I have no experience of Bangkok). First thing to say is that it varies hugely, Short-time for Beach Road and other freelancers, Beer Bar girls, soi 6 girls, internet hook-ups, etc. from 1k baht. From agogos, depending on the popularity of the agogo, and of the girl, and if she wants to go with you or not, say from 2k upwards. Long time, cheaper end say 2k - 3k, and from the agogos 3k upwards. Showgirls from say Sapphire or What's Up, arguably the two most popular places off Walking Street, you may be being asked 5k for ST or up to 10k for LT and that is not counting the barfine (off-fee) that could be several thousand more baht. Ironically, and just to confuse you, any 'unsold' agogo girls still hoping for a little rent money might go to the various Walking Street Discos - such as Lucifer or Insomnia, in which case they can often agree to be hired for a fraction of their agogo price ranges and without any barfine. That is a very, generalised synopsis, the pages of Pattaya Addicts forum are littered with hotly argued 'price threads' that go on for pages and many many posts. LOL

Thanks so much for all of this info. I'm really looking forward to my next trip - and I'll check in again as the timing draws nearer. In the meantime, if there are any big bodybuilder or ripped muscle boy sitings, please feel free to revive this topic/thread from time to time. Many thanks again.

Yes, glad I gave myself a lot of time in the DR. Many good memories and cock tales! If I return, it will be during the winter months. I also made it to Juan binbin sex house and it was just the bawdy place I expected.

I am sure you know your Bacardi as well as I know my Grey Goose and Belvedere vodka. I cant think why King Power would sell something that is not original but I do not doubt your observation. All I know is that their Grey Goose and Belvedere are the genuine article. But they are still more expensive in Thailand Duty Free than most other airports in the region!

I don't buy from Duty Free at the BKK airport anymore.....I believe it's not original Bacardi. Anyone that knows me, knows that I know my Bacardi......I thought it was a one off so on my next trip I tried again......something is not right about it. Who would believe that at the airport this might happen....but we all know what shouldn't be ....sometimes is in this country, lol

It was 5:30 a.m. Tokyo time when my alarm went off but it was easy to climb out of bed. With purpose. I was leaving for Bangkok later that day and I still had to pack. It wasn't until 8:30 p.m. that I was able to check into my hotel. That's 10:30 Tokyo time. I was hungry and tired, not to mention sweaty, having had to walk and lug my suitcase for the last kilometer or so. I did not go straight up to my room to shave, shower and get myself ready for a Friday night on Silom. “Or maybe on Patpong,” I thought to myself. “Patpong is supposed to be getting busy with gay bars now that Soi Twilight has turned out the lights.” Before I could take a look around, I needed some calories. So I broke one of my Cardinal rules of traveling in Thailand — I ate dinner in the hotel's restaurant. Side note: I was the only solo diner in the place but I was mostly doing the same thing everyone else in the restaurant was, using my phone to scroll through my social media accounts. Even couples fed their smartphone addictions rather than make conversation. So rather than feel lonely, I was part of the club. I was also feeling my age. I didn't get up to my room, unpacked and showered until after 10. I was exhausted; there would be no Friday night out in Bangkok for me. All I could do was crawl in bed and let memories of my first trip to this megacity unspool in my head. That night I also broke a Cardinal rule. Was it really 23 years earlier? Must've been. Like tonight, it was a Friday, but when I arrived at my hotel much further into the night, I was exploding with energy. I just had to wash up, pull on a pair of designer jeans and a Calvin Klein T-shirt and find my way to the fabled Silom Soi 4, to Telephone, to Rome and so many other bars and clubs I had only read or heard about. Could I find the soi on my own? I probably could have squeezed my guide book, “The Men of Thailand,” into a pocket, but I wasn't going to embarrass myself. I wasn't going to look like a foolish tourist. And besides, how hard could it be? One alley over from Patpong, TMOT told me. And my hotel was a 10-minute walk down Surawong from Patpong. It would be easy. So off I went. I would sate my hunger at a street food stall on Patpong. I was going to get the full Bangkok experience. Then, finally, I began making my way to Soi 4. As I recall now, I was almost at a jog. And maybe my haste was my problem. I ended up making some wrong turns. As everyone knows, there are two Patpongs, but I let this slip my mind. When I finally did turn into Soi 4, well, that's when I broke that Cardinal rule. Only I did not realize it until several long minutes later. ”Are you looking for the gay bars?” someone asked. How did he know? That's exactly what I had been trying to do for, what, 15 minutes? Was I on the wrong street? Again? How many wrong streets could there be? I had initially missed Soi 4 and not realized it until I saw a sign for Soi 2. Surely I didn't double back too far. At least I hadn't got all the way back to Patpong. And who is my interrogator? A gay basher? I don't think I would admit to a stranger back home that I was looking for “the gay bars,” but this is Bangkok, and TMOT, while perhaps failing to give more specific directions to Soi 4, did insist that gays are not harassed in Bangkok, that even taxi drivers wouldn't think twice if I told them to take me to “the gay bars.” So I could tell this guy the truth, whoever he is. ”Yes,” I managed to say. He smiled. He knew the answer. So at least “The Men of Thailand” was right about Thais not being prejudiced against gays. I felt braver. I could safely add to my one-word reply. “Do you know where Telephone is? Is this Soi 4?” ”Follow me,” I remember him saying. “I'll take you there.” So off we went, back out of the alley I was sure was Soi 4. Apparently I had been wrong again. When we got to Silom, we turned right. We walked past the nicknack stalls of the night market. We walked by the first Patpong soi that I had missed earlier in the night. We passed the next Patpong street. Is that really a Christian bookstore on the corner? Odd place for a Christian bookstore. And aren't we going in the wrong direction? Or maybe that was my mistake all along. I was supposed to take a right at the end of Patpong, not a left. Wow, that would have saved me a lot of time. I could already be in Telephone, flirting with a cute local. Or maybe Rome. I really want to go to Rome. I've heard so much about it. The best gay nightclub in Asia, they were calling it. My new best friend then brought me out of my own thoughts. ”Where are you from?” he asked. I told him. “How many times have you been to Thailand?” “When did you arrive?” “How long are you staying?” Hey wait a minute, I thought. How far are we going to walk? One alley over from Patpong, right? And this neighborhood doesn't really look like a nighttime entertainment district anymore. In fact, we seem to be passing a hospital. A Christian hospital. I didn't realize there was such a big Christian influence in Thailand. My inner monologue is often over active. It also has the ability to make the exact same sound as a needle being dragged across a vinyl record when it's about to change topics. “Who is this guy I'm with?” I finally thought. I didn't actually ask that question out loud but I could see a little anxiety in his face as he noted my own. ”Just a little bit more,” he assured me as we turned right onto I don't know what street — a street that did not have nearly as many Friday night revelers on it as the street where I had met ... Who? Who the hell is this guy? And then it hit me. “Oh, no!” my inner monologue screamed. “I broke the TMOT Cardinal rule — ‘DON'T GO WITH TOUTS!’” ”Obviously we're not going to Soi 4,” I managed to say with a snarl. “Where are we going?” ”A gay bar,” the tout answered. “Trust me. You'll like it.” He was practiced. He recognized that I was about to turn back, so he turned into a desperate conversationalist, keeping me stupidly talking to him as we continued turning corners and walking down poorly lit streets until we were there ... Under a sign that read, Galaxy Boys. We walked up to the second floor and into a very dark, very uncrowded bar that had at least a dozen go-go dancers. All young, maybe late teens, early 20s. All with perfectly lean but beautifully defined bodies. All with smooth, bronze skin. All with long, lithe legs. All with supple calf muscles that took shape much higher toward the knee than I had ever seen before. All dressed in nothing but bikini bottoms. And those smiles! The walls appeared to be black, and there was little light, only dim beams that lit the boys on the stage. The ones in the shadows were pulling out their little soldiers and rubbing them until they stood at attention. The achievement of a full erection would bring a broad smile and a glance my way. The tout was right, I kind of did like this place. In fact, I was entranced. There's something to say for sleazy bars. Especially when no one sees you walking into one. I ordered a beer and sat back while the tout walked toward the entrance where he engaged the manager, at least I think she was the manager, in an animated conversation. More of the dancers smiled my way. I smiled back, unsure what else to do. You can probably guess the next several events. The manager and tout would return. The manager would insist one of the boys come down and sit with me. He put his hand on my thigh, and one of my hands on his thigh. His skin was warm, smooth, a little damp. I found myself in the same conversation I had been in minutes earlier with the tout. The go-go dancer took my hand and placed it further up his thigh, so that my pinky was rubbing his cock. He giggled when my head turned, betraying my startlement. ”I like you,” he said without pronouncing the k. I stared into his eyes, and as I searched for the proper response — Was there one? — he began to kiss me. It wasn't a peck, but a full, lips locked, open-mouthed, gentle jaw movement kiss that my tongue remembers well to this day. ”I like you, too,” I said, pronouncing the k and figuring I might as well state the obvious. “I'm also hard as a rock.” I don't think he understood that but the tout and manager seemed to know that the time to pounce was right and they were back at my sofa with a 2,200-baht bill. ”For one beer?” I sneered. ”No for boy off too. And must pay boy another 2,000 baht at hotel.” Apparently it had already been decided that I was taking the best kiss I had ever had back to my hotel. But I balked. I was on my way to Soi 4, remember. I never made it to my intended destination that night. I left Galaxy Boys and returned to my hotel as it had been ordained for me. ... I'm not sure what will come next, a report on Night II of my most recent trip to Bangkok, or me reminiscing about that first trip 23 years ago.

I can imagine it's tough being a TSA agent, in so much as you are doing a security charade, pretending you're making the world safer when all you are doing is wasting vast amounts of time and money.

Sea massage Supreme Massage Managed to go to the completely wrong massage shop. Meant to go to Sea Massage across 2nd road from Boyztown and instead went to Supreme Massage a couple of doors down through not paying attention. Realised as soon as I was inside as it was half the size of Sea Massage but then thought wtf and decided to give it a go. Paid 950b for a 1hr body scrub followed by a 1 hour aroma oil massage. Boy was on a rota basis but could probably have picked if I’d wanted. As it was, he was cute and smiled so who was I to argue. Even though he was doing a body scrub, the boy had long baggy shorts and t-shirt on. Must be absolutely hell on laundry. The body scrub was just that though he was very diligent with it. He certainly didn’t miss any areas but I really got no hint as to how the oil massage would go after. After the body scrub, I showered alone which was a bit off seeing how hard it is to wash the scrub off some areas. When the oil massage started, he once again was clothed and I really wasn’t sure if there would be any extras or not. Anyhow, I set my arms/hands just a little wide on the table so they were partially hanging off. The massage was pretty good, medium strength which I like as it doesn’t aggravate my back and once again very thorough. About 20 minutes in, the position of my arms paid off as he was spending just too long with his groin presses against my hand. Soon we both had raging hardons though he was still dressed. As I played more and more with him a nice wet spot appeared on his shorts. He finally pulled his shorts down and he was leaking copious amounts of pre-cum. The massage cubicles were those where the wall didn’t go to the ceiling. There were no other customers but he seemed terrified of making any noise. At one point the BJ caused a slurp and he froze. Anyhow, mutual BJs as quietly as possible made a great ending. Fah massage For anyone that used to frequent Fah Massage, in Jomtien Complex, it has closed. There is a “For Rent” sign right in front. Can’t have happened long ago as the outside massage sign is still there.

I’m rather suspicious of your motives @Lucky Are you trying to promote this contest? Or are you seeking to become the prize-giver to the best new-comers?

There is major noisy roadwork going on at a few intersections where I notice some hotels front Calle de la Diputació. For example, the Leonardo at #100, just a bit east of Thermas. Where there is obstruction there is impatient beeping as well. My thought was that it might be prudent, for visitors whose focus is L'Eixample area, to book a few initial nights, getting the lay of the land, before a longer commitment is made.

Luckyboys turned me away too. I thought it was a cinch that they would hire me to dance, what with my name and all but they said to wait. Someday they would open Luckygrandpas!

Being a TSA employee has got to be tough. It's high-stress and nobody wants the delay. I'm not surprised by the little abuses I see when I travel, gratuitous acts of rudeness that would cause customer service incidents in a private business. It seems like we're all hardened to the mutual unpleasantness, and some of the passengers deliberately taunt TSA agents. I have a little game I play when I'm in a long line. If there's a hot agent I make sure he sees me checking him out. Once at PHX I got my wish: a sturdy latino led me aside for a very thorough pat down. I really wanted to touch his sexy webbed belt, but I held out my hands as instructed. He took his time and we both smiled. Sometimes a bit of the naughty takes the edge off a hard day at work.