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I arrived in Bangkok for the first time in June, 1997. I had made my very first internet hotel booking for the occasion, securing a room at La Résidence. I think it still exists. It’s a boutique hotel on Suriwong Road about 15-20 minute’s walk from the late lamented Soi Twilight. As a nervous first-timer arriving near midnight, I had booked a hotel car to pick me up from Don Muang airport. I remember marvelling at the elevated tollway, looking at the neon-lit cityscape extending as far as I could see, and wondered whether I had stumbled into a real-life Blade Runner scenario. Once arrived at the hotel, I collapsed into bed and didn’t awaken until noon the next day. In the evening, I dined at the hotel. I didn’t eat much, knowing that I was about to set off for my first gay night on the town. Poring over the Silom-Suriwong map in my copy of Gay Thailand (remember that little book?), I zeroed in on Dream Boy Barbeiry, mainly because it seemed I could just walk in a straight line from the hotel to the bar. I will never be able to recapture or re-create the impressions of that walk. The sights, sounds, and smells would all become familiar, but that first time it was total sensory overload. When I got to the entrance of the bar, I was ushered in by a tout. He handed me off to what I knew from my book was a mamasan, who showed me to a seat and took my drink order. I had previously been to a macho dancer bar in Manila, so I had some idea of what to expect. The show, however, was of completely different order than I what I had seen in the Philippine capital. The number I remember was set to Michael Jackson’s Thriller, and involved a number of boys in monkey suits who had a mock-brawl and ended up fucking each other. After the show, for which I had arrived just in time, a mamasan explained things to me. She had an eye for inexperience, I suppose. I bought a drink for a muscled lad with a large tiger tattoo. His English handle, unsurprisingly, was Tiger. Tiger eventually returned to my room with me for a short time session. As short time sessions go, it was for rather a long time. He, too, knew what to do with an inexperienced customer. After the ritual showering and a quarter hour or so of inconclusive foreplay, he took charge and became my first Asian top. Even though he was not well endowed, he acquitted himself well and I’ve been addicted to Thai (and other Asian) cock ever since. Note: It didn’t strike me as such until much later, but I witnessed something very unusual in the bar that evening. It was a quiet weekday evening and among the few patrons in the place was a very well dressed older Thai woman. She had a khunying-type hairdo and was bedecked in gold jewelry. The staff were extremely deferential to her as she paid her bill, as was the very handsome boy she left with. Never since have I seen an older Thai lady in a gogo bar as a customer, much less offing a boy.

Yes, I posted the map, and rollingstone is correct, it was Up2U bar. Here's the map again - saved from the old Dreaded Ned's website from 2002:

they were both a bit stocky, yes, but young and the more active one actually had a kinda cute face. He was quite active with his "role" of getting on stage, often intensely encouraged by the boys, but for some reason he remained completely limp the whole time. Even when trying (and with help from a boy) it didn't grow a bit. Pity, but great fun nonetheless. He even went so far as to be fucked by one of the boys after the official fuck show ended. You'd think this is a totally unique, one-off experience, but boy (3 years experience as a bar boy) told me that it does happen, usually with Japanese. So much for reserved Japanese culture haha

HOT MALE !!!!! 5 reasons 1) No ladyboy singing. 2) Lots of cocks on display. 3) Real fucking. 4) Boys with smiles. 5) Mamasans who are not pushy. And a 6th reason is customers who strip naked and join in the show! I kid you not! Andy and I just witnessed it tonight. By the way, entry is by coupon. 350 baht for one drink. Off fee is 500 baht.

Wow, that map brings it all back in big way. So many places have disappeared. One of my faves in the early years of the millenium was Super Lex Matsuda, specifically when it was being (well) run by Khun Phet. I had a regular there who was the star of the fuck show. He and it were very memorable, but the most memorable evening I ever spent there was during the beginning of the 'Social Order' campaign in 2001. Sex and nudity were briefly banned, so the bars suddenly had to improvise new shows. Khun Phet's solution was to turn the SLM show into a talent show in which the boys, fully clothed, did everything from skits to playing instruments to singing. One boy I'd never noticed before got up and did a haunting mor lam number in Lao, a capella. I've never forgotten it. A week or two later, everything was back to normal. Apologies for going off topic...

Smug, condescending, and c.u.n.t.y. Elitism is on both sides. And this bitch is living proof how ugly it can be.

Or bar, or airport. You just find them anywhere "unashamedly" as we all should. I have been ashamed to go anywhere. Well, once when I went to a gay sex party meant for under 30s and I was a "bit" over the limit.

A new sauna is opening up in Rio in the next 1 - 2 weeks. It puportedly will be the largest in Brazil. It was the site of a former Casino and Hotel, so has the "rooms" already! It has been going extensive remodeling the past 3 weeks adding the saunas, and making it into a useable form for a Gay sauna. I saw a video yesterday of what it looks like. It is going to have 16 or 18 suites, a large showroom/dance area with Gogo boy cages 10' above the floor and also a smaller separate bar for having negotiations with the guys where the music is quieter! Oh...and it is very close to 117! It looks to be about 5 blocks apart on Google maps! They are trying to have it open by June 24th

It is equally disturbing to know about her bigoted father. The father is a religious psychotic news commentator. The father often says that Trump is the greatest president America ever had. On the father's television show he repeatedly defends Trump's lies and bizarre behavior by saying, among other things, that other news stations and news sources that criticize Trump are "fake news" and "the enemy of the people" which is a term we have heard Trump say often. Considering the lies told by this woman, while reconfirming the lies told by Trump, what will be this woman's legacy as White House Press Secretary be. Her children must be ashamed to have such a hideous person as their mother.

New model, Mr Boss looks great. Much more my style than the other big beefy guys/models.

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!

20k to 100k Baht is not cheap at all for Thai businesses...

We here much younger so it was easier to maintain natural one just by looking at us ?

And so do I , idea must had been borrowed by some other bar as I never visited Barbiery ( too shy to enter on first visit, switched to a massage boys on subsequent one )

This really is a trip down memory lane. I remember seeing that show.

What I obviously meant was a rentboy sauna along the lines of Lagoa etc

Probably FreshBoys Patpong. Sometimes Screwboys.

Hmmm...not sure what a "unashamedly" rentboy sauna is? Seriously I have never been ashamed to walk into a gay sauna or bar!

There are seasonal differences : less boys and clients , prices are lower and the weather is unstable.

Make sure you have an access to umbrella as rains may start already. other than that just go and enjoy . Don't expect any dramatic difference between high season and July. And don't forget to let us know what did you see !

My first encounter with Bangkok scene was back in November 2001, post 9/11 attack when planes were flying half empty and tourism was yet to recover . Our Thai 747 from Los Angeles to Bangkok with stopover at Kansai (Osaka) was barely 1/3 full and it made to one of most comfortable transcontinental trip I ever took having 3 seats to my disposal. Only inconvenience was arrival at ungodly hour but taxi driver made good introduction to a scene. We barely moved from Don Muang when he asked me if I want a girl, ‘no ‘ answer was immediately countered with ‘ if you want boy , I have one for you “ so I know gay paradise is not stuff of legends. But I did not take his offer if only because my usual dislike of using of intermediaries. Those days Dreaded Ned website was our Bible and I studied it before setting for that trip so in the evening I took BTS / that trip was only one ever I stay in Sukhumvit area / to Patpong to survey the scene there. Wandering here and there I finally arrived to my chosen bar , name long forgotten which was located along the Rama stretch where BBB Inn is right now. I’m pretty sure at that location them was massage called K-something and my bar was where Take a-Nap hostel is now as I clearly recall there were few steps down inside. Not that I entered immediately. Like every novice worth his name I was circling back and forth and it took probably good 10 minutes walking back and forth along the stretch before I braved in. Timing was good, place was packed, show was going on but mamasan found me a seat, brought my drink and chatted me up. Being inexperienced I confessed it’s my first day of first trip to Thailand and his bar is also my first. It was not actually bad idea as he explained me everything, that boys with numbers on the stage can be taken, off fee needs to be paid, when I said I can’t take boy to my hotel he said that boy knows where rooms to be rented by the hour are and what price would be and most important that boy expects a tip between 1000 and 2000. Only thing left out was short / long time distinction. Seeing that I can barely breath with all those sensation he took a lead and told me that I should take boy number this and that because he is very popular and I will be happy with him. He showed him to me on the stage , muscular and tall, I smiled which was taken as approval and before I could say something boy was sitting beside and it did not take much before he turned very clingy so we both knew deal is sealed. I was ready to go but both gentlemen told me to wait because special show will start now. Yes it was legendary acrobatic Bangkok f***k show, I don’t recall top but still remember that bottom was very attractive muscular guy. Almost as attractive as one which was forced upon me my that enterprising mamas an. When couple started their tip collecting tour among audience and they stopped right in front of me armed with visible 100 baht note, part of their act was done on my lap , to this day I don’t know why I did not get heart attack from excitement as it’s one thing to hear about those performances but another to have it actually performed right , say, almost on me. I don’t even recall mamsan soliciting any tips from me but he walked us both to a door wishing us nice evening which was bound to happen hell or high water because my new companion was actually 100 % my type. Tall, muscular but not overbuilt and smooth like baby and looked mid-20 for me , now knowing that Asians are looking much younger to our eyes I think he was probably even older . We went to short time rooms on ground level of Suriwongse hotel , I don’t recall what was price but definitely nothing eye-popping. It did not take much time for us to undress and land in the shower only to realize seconds later that there are no towels. But system worked because in the same second it was knock to door and some loud scream translated by my guy as towels arrived. Without second thought he went as he was , in Adam’s dress to collect then at the door enforcing my impression that we are not in place for shy people. Next 2 hours were heavenly but moment I remember the best came at very end. I remembered mamsan advice about tip 1000-2000 and was not in the mood to economize so pulled 4 500 baht notes / there was no 1000 bill those days, at least I don’t recall seeing one that trip / and handed over to a boy who made sound I can hear to this day. Embrace was one of strongest ever and parting kiss was longer than eternity . I thought it was just part of decorum and only later I learned that 2000 those days was considered generous overnight tip and for those 2 hours 1000 would be making boy smiling broadly. Lesson learned and I haste to say it was pleasant one. Boy made me happy and I managed to make him happier still , it cost me a bit but did not made me destitute. Next day I was flying to Phnom Penh , when I returned I decided to immense myself in pleasures of massages discovering HIS and Arena in the same plaza and later on Aqua Spa and never returned to that bar. Next year it was gone for good but I still recall that happy sound by the boy overpaid by farang without a clue

It was most enjoyable to hear the story about your first encounter in Bangkok. I hope others will contribute!! To that end, this was my First Encounter in Bangkok... Mine is about a tiny bar across from Tawan. My first visit to Bangkok was in 2001. I was lucky to have met a German man on Yahoo Chat. We met at the Tarntawan and set out to do the Bars!! We went to Tomahawk Go-Go, which was directly across from Tawan. It was tiny place with banked seating along one side of the room and a small platform on the opposite side where the Boys came out to dance. One of the Guys dancing caught my eye and after he left the stage I ask the Mamasan to bring him over for a drink. As an aside, the Mamasan was Lek who later managed Soild and recently the small bar in Soi Twilight. So the young guy arrived and sat with me. But something did not seem quite right. We talked, all the standard questions. And then I excused myself to go to the toilet. It was toward the back of the Bar when the Boys hung out between their moments on the stage. A path was cleared for me to the toilet, I relieved myself, and when I came back out I saw standing there the Boy who I had really been smitten by earlier. What was going on?? Well it turns out it was his younger Brother who Lek had brought over!!! We quickly cleared up the confusion and both understood my preference for the older Brother. So off we went to Tarntawan for an excellent night!! The Boy who I will call “T” was a dream. He had a great body. Beautiful smile. A huge cock. A nice tattoo. He did everything!! He loved to smoke and be smoked and he even had me fuck him!!! Well I fell in Love!!! Too bad I had a long-time Boy Friend back home in the USA… Just to complete the story. We met several times on future trips. And I always enjoyed our time together. Went on several trips in Thailand. He had two sons he was raising himself. His younger brother was Gay and had a Thai BF. Now many years later, my Guy is in his late 30s and still looks good. He worked as a Mamasan at Boys Bangkok. And the last time I was in the Bar he took me down the Soi to meet his two sons who work in other Bars. They are both grown, equally handsome, married, and have children. Too bad I have not seen Grand Dad in several years. But the memories are still the best!! Hua jai kong pom ben kong koon!!