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Arrival was smooth. Once you had all your Test and Go paperwork, it was an easy ride in from the airport. The advantage of landing around midnight. I ended up in the Quarter in Silom. Central, solid, cheap. Only real downside is they are doing construction and it is noisy during the day. Test took the full 12 hours. I was sampled at midnight at the drive through, but didn’t get my clearance until just before noon. Masking up everywhere, including on the open street is a bit annoying, but it seems like things are otherwise beginning to get back to normal. No night market, and many places still closed, but a solid core still open. Bars aren’t enforcing the mask mandate at all, though given how few customers there are, it felt very safe to me even so. I hadn’t expected I’d feel comfortable to unmask. Frankly, I felt far more uncomfortable being the only patron in several I visited. I could have my pick of the boys, because everybody is looking just at you. If you like being the center of attention, now is the time to go. Bonus for me, no Chinese ladies. Dreamboys: I was the only customer, I think. Maybe two locals. Two other foreigners came in and left shortly thereafter. About 18 boys, good mix of types. One guy, however, looked like he was on the other side of 40 and pretty used. I wondered what his story was that he was trying to make it as a go-go boy. Freshboys: Again, no customers, I didn’t stay. (400baht beers add up) About a dozen boys, towards the twinkier end, though lots of tattoos. Moonlight: 6 boys, but all that perfect jock muscled look I love. Could have offed any of them. Will return. Had about 3 other customer groups, so very light, but not entirely empty. Attentive staff. Jupiter2018: Sad. I’m not a fan, but about 6 boys, half of whom even in the show didn’t take off their shirts. Most wore mask shields (boys weren’t masked anywhere else) which we know do nothing so not sure of the point. Had maybe 4 other customers. Half the boys didn’t make eye contact when they walked in front of you. Just stared into space. Guys were hot enough though. Tawan: As bad as I feared. 2 Guys, muscled but fat, both probably 40+. A few more in the place, who might have been guys on offer, but they’re fully dressed sitting by the sides, playing on their phones. In the dim room, you can’t really see them, and they never even looked up, despite the fact that it's pretty clear that having a customer is rare. Place is tiny, but since there’s no one there, I guess it doesn’t matter. I drank my expensive beer and left. I took one for the team. I don't suggest you bother unless you're a complete muscle nut. On the plus side, visiting some tourist places I hadn’t been before. I recommend both the flower market and the amulet market for a fun bit of exploring. Icon Siam for those who like ogling temples of consumerism (a $1.65B dollar mall). The Thursday Muay Thai fights at Rajadamnern Stadium were fun. I stayed through the first title bout, but the Thursday card runs from 6pm to something like 10:30pm, and the next title fight is the last fight of the night. Fights are thursdays and sundays.

There would be benefits though .....

Erm, ‘daring and sensual’ likely not taken very far, but with the showers a virtual secondary stage opp in the show area of both old and new setting I wonder why this concept did not take off earlier, assuming that is where they are getting wet.

Just what the hotel, and some of the rooftop deck, will look like when the renovations are complete have been released by the the owners and The Standard Hotel. Contrary to earlier reports, the pool will not be on the roof deck. From Coconuts Bangkok The hotel space inside King Power Mahanakhon has been somewhat of a mystery since the retail brand joined the project in 2018 and rebranded or flipped much of the assets inside, including a previous hotel scheduled to occupy the bottom third of the tower. Now, the brand has announced what will take its place: The Standard. The American hospitality brand already owns a successful property in Hua Hin — a 199-room airy low-rise building near the beach — but has said the new Mahanakhon property will be its flagship product in Asia. It certainly looks like one. If the pictures are anything to go by, the hotel’s surreal art deco interior looks like it was pulled from the set of a Hollywood movie, replete with all the bold, colorful outlines, curved shapes and zig-zaggy forms that defined the design movement in the 1920s and 30s. Crafted in part by Spanish artist and designer Jaime Hayon, who was listed by Wallpaper magazine as one of the top 100 most influential creators of the past decade, and the in-house design team at The Standard, which itself has won several interior design awards, the hotel’s bold color pallet, rounded accents, art installations and lush greenery combine to create an unquestionably unique-looking hotel among a domestic market that is saturated with them. The Standard hotel portfolio has come to be known for its swanky poolside venues, and The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon is no slouch in that category either. Here, the pool sits on the west side of the building (nicely tucked inside one of those Lego-style depressions in the hotel’s facade) and faces Silom Road towards the river. It’s enclosed in plenty of green, too, so guests have the option of soaking up the shade or keeping out of the burning sun depending on the day. Continues with photos https://coconuts.co/bangkok/lifestyle/check-out-the-surreal-art-deco-interior-of-the-soon-to-open-the-standard-bangkok-mahanakhon/

yes, we can, I'm not competitive, there's always next day

A very good question. The “old” Hero was the best best gay massage venue by the widest possible margin.

and BKK taxis have had the same 35 baht base rate forever too. I've never understood how any of them make a living either

Still too onerous.

From You Tube Hà Nội to a big step forward towards getting back to normal as the capital’s famous walking street reopened to pedestrians. Families and tourists flocked to Hoan Kiem Lake to enjoyed the sights and sounds… traffic free! In fact the only vehicles on the road where toy cars driven by excited children who have waited almost a year to enjoy this thrill.

as they should

I hope the murderers go to prison for a very long time, though I suppose that depends on how rich their families are.

Has anybody been in San Juan recently? I’m going tomorrow for a couple of days, it’d be my first time. Kind of surprised the city does not have a well-established escort scene. Apart from Rentmen, do boricuas use another platform to advertise their services? how about strip clubs? Is SX still going? Anybody know?

If you search for Bangkok in Agoda, you will probably be asked if you are searching for "Thailand Entry" hotels. If you say yes, the filter "Entry to Thailand" will be set to "Thailand Pass hotels", which is exactly what you need. In the search results check for "1 RT-PCR test" and "Airport pick up". The filter works also with Pattaya. Also use "1 adult" in search to avoid confusion if "1 RT-PCR-test" is for 1 person or one for each person (at least in The Quarter Silom price is double as high if you search for 2 adults).

Maybe nr 43 enjoys 3some with 2 farang?

we can't travel together, lol

Wow - those numbers really are tiny. I am amazed there are any businesses still going. I will be doing my bit soon - arrive on the 28 March as long as I manage to avoid the plague pre departure!

I like #43 in the first picture

In December there was booth of DTac (?) right by luggage conveyor, they fixed it breezily for me and cost was similar to cost of beer in Dreamboys so manageable .

NOTE - This doesn't mean many long-haul tourists will escape the pre-depdrture tests as most airlines require them, especially for transit passengers. From Thai Enquirer New rules on April 1 Thailand will lift the pre-travel test for entry regulations next month, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) decided on Friday. To encourage more tourists, all travellers will no longer require an RT-PRC test 72 hours before departure to Thailand, starting April 1. The remaining tests for vaccinated travellers going through the Test and Go and Sandbox procedures include an RT-PCR test on arrival and a self-administered rapid antigen test (self-ATK) on the fifth day of arrival. For people going through the quarantine programmes, the quarantine period is five days with the same testing procedures. Starting April 1, the number of “Blue Zones” an area where tourist sandboxes are located and Covid restrictions are more relaxed has been increased from eight to ten provinces. The provinces include, Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Krabi, Chonburi, Chiang Mai (new addition) Nonthaburi, Pathumthani, Phang Nga, Phetchaburi (new addition) and Phuket. https://www.thaienquirer.com/38733/covid-restrictions-ease-in-hopes-to-draw-new-tourists/ ========================== From The Tourism Authority of Thailand Relaxed rules from 1 April, 2022: Eligible travellers International arrivals under any of the current three entry schemes – TEST & GO, Sandbox, and Alternative Quarantine (AQ) – will be allowed to enter Thailand without the need to show proof of a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours of travel. Points of entry Air, land, and water points of entry. Number of approved airports increased from 7 to 8 – Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi, Phuket, Krabi, Samui, Chiang Mai, U-Tapao, and Hat Yai (new). Land border checkpoints increased from 3 to 4 – Nong Khai, Udon Thani, Songkhla, and Satun (new) Water points of entry increased from ports and piers in 2 to 3 provinces – Phuket, Chon Buri, and Surat Thani (new). Types of vessels also increased from yachts to also cover ships of Thai government agencies, while Thai crew members on cargo ships will also be allowed to enter Thailand. Testing requirement Two tests remain in place for the TEST & GO and Sandbox travellers: RT-PCR test upon arrival (Day 0) and an antigen self-test on Day 5. Sandbox staying period Reduced to 5 days from currently 7 days. After completing five days within the Sandbox destinations, travellers will be allowed to travel domestically within Thailand. AQ requirement Quarantine reduced to 5 days and an RT-PCR test on Day 4-5. ================================

some Brazilian are very rich even in US standard, thanks to wealth distribution inequality

After almost 2.5 year absence I am back in Thailand. I arrived today. Test&Go scheme. I am not into writing trip reports so I won’t do that. But I would love to write down some things that I would have loved to have read before departure. The PCR test results wait time can be speed up to only a 1 to 2 hour wait time. I had my test and I asked the lady when will the results be ready? The answer: “tomorrow morning”. Then I asked what it would cost to speed it up. They said you can arrange with hotel. Back at hotel the hotel staff called the clinic and I think 1 hour later I had the result. Negative. Price for speeding it up: 3900 baht. This gave me one extra day of holiday because I really had written the Thursday off. Considered it a day of quarantine. Around 21.00 I went on a tour to Sunee and Boyztown to see what bars are open, what massage places and if it is busy or not. Here the results of this scientific research. Of the 3 parallel roads that make up Boyztown only one is alive. It is moderately busy. Not very busy. The boys are not my number 1 or 2 type to be honest. There is at 21.30 a live show on the street in Boyztown. Of Sunee’s two parallel streets only one has some activity but very very modest. Maybe after 21.00 it gets more busy. I doubt that however. But the single street that is alive in Sunee is it only barely. Then I also went to see what massages shops I normally visited in the Tukcom and Boyztown areas are still active. The massages places near Boyztown, along that big road where the baht bus goes, are about 50% closed. Maybe even more. Didn’t see any boys outside in the ones that were open. Tukcom has still massage places with boys. SomJit for example still exists. Jomtien is the most active. Massage is open. Bars is open. Good activity. Happy my hotel is there.

Id rather they remove the on arrival pcr and 1 night prebooked and maintain the pre-departure pcr. But thats just me.

Additionally, we may be suffering inflation in air fares in general. My flight tickets to Buenos Aires are this year 500 dollars more expensive than last year.

Jey Spa in Sukhumvit soi 43 and Sabaidee spa in soi Pluk Chit, walking distance from Lumpini MRT station

Send me a direct email message here is best. The information changes quickly here as the economy comes back to life. I think I will add a single article (one-page entry) for Bogota, Medellin and Cartagena business pages listing the current gay bars and clubs in each city since that information is generally out-of-date on most travel websites (including the Colombian ones).

TopJohn5 started this thread as a sauna newbie seeking clarification on the Brazilian sauna scene. In São Paulo it’s Lagoa. Now to Rio. Although I have been there many times could someone who has been there more recently give him a clear statement on venues and opening hours? I know when I first went to Brazil I had the benefit of a very detailed post on a now defunct website by an individual known as Trilingual who was a legend on Brazil. Could we now provide the sought after assistance to TopJohn in a courteous and civil manner?

From Coconuts Bangkok The father of a university freshman killed during a university hazing ritual has refused to accept half a million baht in compensation from the upperclassmen responsible for his son’s death. Ekachai Chonphakdi, whose son Padyot “Prem” Chonphakdi died Sunday after being beaten while intoxicated, told reporters that he turned down the parents of the the seven students when they approached him yesterday. “Could I get my son’s life back?” the 55-year-old man said he told them. He wants justice from the criminal justice process instead. Padyot was the sole victim of a hazing ritual at Rajamangala University Technology of Isan where first-year students were forced to drink excessively then beaten. Prem died on the way to Fort Sunaree Hospital. An autopsy found bruises to his lungs and chest. His body is to be cremated Monday at Wat Noi in Nakhon Ratchasima. The seven students have been charged with assault. Police said additional charges are forthcoming as the families of two other students injured during the hazing plan to press charges.

Agoda has many listings but don't get fooled by some of the ridiculously low prices that turn out to be too good to be true. The Quarter Silom initially showed baht 746 for Test and Go package. But when I clicked on "select your room" it showed an additional baht 3,532 in taxes and fees.