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I was back to Bangkok last night. Saw three Viet freelancers around 10 pm near the bus stop and in vicinity of Bangkok Christian Hospital (they were usually there much earlier). Also saw all three of them on Grindr. Speaking of twinks, I also saw a new(????, at least to me) Massage place named 9-teen Massage opened on Silom road (from Silom 6, turn right and walk a few meters). There were 4 masseurs sitting outside, all twinks from the look of it (although they all had their mask on so I couldn't be 100% sure). The place looks cozy, opening hours: 10 to 24.

I can see no reason to visit New Twilight again until it has substantially impoved. Numazu has given a detailed description of the interior in his post of July 18, 2022 (thread: https: // www.gayguides.com/forums/topic/37995-bangkok-trip-report-2022-the-wait-is-over-what-was-i-waiting-for/page/3/). I will just list here my immediate (and similar to others') impressions on entering (about 10pm): Large hall; Quite large stage with underfoot lighting and a massive video screen as backdrop; Ear-piercingly loud music; Cold airconditioning; Seats quite far from stage. Boys were fully dressed in shirts, jeans and shoes. After seating me, papasan informed me: Drink = 350 baht. Off fee 500 baht. Recommended tip for boy 2,000 baht. After 10 minutes, a few more observations: Only eight boys on rotation; Boys were all "standard twinks" (to distinguish them from "skinny twinks"), in their twenties; There were only 3 other customers in the bar at 10pm. There were - 3 or 4 papasans - maybe 5 waiters, - a bar tender, - a DJ, - and one of the former top dancers in Moonlight (there was even a Youtube video that featured his life) whose role was not clear to me, but he was definitely not one of the rotating boys (he could be the choreographer), - a manager, - 2 barkers and greeters at the front door In other words, staff outnumbered customers 4 or 5 to 1 Generally, their rotation boys were (in my estimation at least) almost all quite good looking and of "off-able" quality. However, not a single one made eye contact with customers or smiled. By 10:30, there were about 8 customers (including me). The show began and some cross-dressers came on to lip-sync, with 3 or 4 of the boys as backing dancers. Each lip-sync item was interspersed with another item done only by the same 3 - 4 boys. (Obviously, the other 4 boys didn't want to dance). As the fith and final item, five outsourced street dancers ("B-Boys") did a number. Halfway through the show, one of the customers lit up - so they allow smoking inside - which meant I left as soon as the show was over. The 3 - 4 boys who performed at least did so stripped down to underwear. But no cocks seen. Then at 11pm, rotation resumed and it was fully-clothed boys on stage again. I was on my way out. In my one hour there, I didn't see any customer take an off. In the minutes prior to the showtime, I had the opportunity to talk to a 30-ish guy introduced to me by a papasan as the manager. I wanted to stress to him the absurdity of running a gogo bar with fully-clothed boys and deafening music. We went on to discuss a bit more about the challenges of staying in business. Given the deafening music and language gap, it wasn't easy to maintain a coherent conversation, so all I have a a rough sense, reading between the lines of his responses. He volunteered that their location already put them at a disadvantage; He mentioned something about the difficulty of attracting gogoboys should they insist that they strip down on stage ("Boy don't want to work here."). I would have thought that if that's the boy's position, then this cannot possibly be a vocation for him, but New Twlight might think differently. I tried to ask about tea money and if there were different rates for strip bars versus jeans-and-shirts bars, but got nowhere (or he didn't understand my question); When I asked how they expected to compete against the other bars, especially given their locational disadvantage, he mentioned "But have you seen our show?" The conversation went on a bit following the last point, so I shall summarise my take-aways: They're a bunch of people, starting from the owner down, who somehow think that business success in this sector hinges on a super show. ("Ah, that's why they've spent tons of money building an opera house!", I said to myself). They seem to think that if the show is great, there would be customers, and as a trickle down effect, there would be offs. I would have thought the opposite. Intimacy and contact should be what counts, not dazzle and spectacle. Getting offs for the boys should be the #1 business aim. That means hiring plenty of boys, seducing your customers with lots of skin and keeping prices reasonable. There are many ways to get that boy-customer interaction which gogo bars in Thailand hardly even try: table dancing close up (unlike the opera house distance between seats and stage that they have); private dances (500 baht for 15 minutes in a cabin at the back?); boys circulating among customers and chatting a little bit without immediately demanding that customers buy a boy drink for one minute of hopeless language-barriered "what is your name? where are you from? how long you stay Thailand?" fun games with discounted off-fees as prizes to customers. Coming back to tea money as a possibility for clothed boys. I thought this might be the case at first, but later came to the view this was probably not so. While it is possible that without enough tea money, the powers-that-be might frown on boys parading in underwear, thus compelling them to put on jeans, I can't imagine that the powers-that-be also compel them to put on shirts. I think it's an internal policy of New Twilight. Given the size of their space and the large number of staff relative to customers, the running costs (e.g. airconditioning and wages) must be higher than other bars. Fresh Boys had half the space, 30 boys, 3 mamasans (one doubling up as show MC), one DJ, one bartender, 2 barkers and 3 waiters (total 10 employees) serving easily 25 - 30 customers (as at start of showtime). No cross-dressers for their show, so they don't have to pay for outside talent. And there, I saw at least 3 offs in the half hour before showtime.

I had a dire need for a haircut, and as I arrived at Saladaeng Station (coming from the airport), I noticed a "David no.5" barbershop right where the steps from the station reach the street level (on the same side of Silom Road as the massage shops). The following morning, I enquired how much a basic haricut would be. The guy at the door said 350 baht. For Thailand this didn't sound right and so I declined. I walked around the Silom area a bit and couldn;t see any other barbershop. Stupid me forgot about the upstairs barbershop on the opposite side of Silom Road which I had patronised many times before. See what Covid does to one's memory of Bangkok? I can't recall what its charges were but I'd be mightily surprised if they were anything like 350 baht. Back in the hotel room, I surfed the net and found a recommendation for a place in Sukhumvit Soi 23 charging "local prices". I went there; it was not hard to find, only about 100m northwards from the junction of Sukhumvit Road and Soi 23, and about two-thirds of the way towards Soi Cowboy. Here's a map and a photo of the shop sign. Lex Barber had 2 barbers working there and no one waiting. So I was attended to immediately. It's an old-fashioned barbershop with nothing fancy, but they gave me a nice enough haircut the old-fashioned way. That's all I needed. I was out of there within 15 - 20 minutes and only 150 baht poorer. Then as life has it, I began to see barbershops all over the place. You know how it is. You look and look for one thing, and as soon as you have found it, you start seeing a similar thing everywhere you turn. Immediately on walking out of Soi 23, I saw a barberhop right across Sukhumvit Road. It's name was "G Club". Hmm, interesting choice of name, I thought, so I crossed the road to take a closer look. And what did I see? On its glass front was its price: 600 baht. Madness! Then on my way to Sabardee Spa, walking from Lumpini MRT station, I saw another barber shop "TJ Design". This one was on the southwest side of Rama 4 Road right where the first overhead bridge is after crossing Soi Ngam Dupli. A paper sign on its door said 200 baht. I can't read the Thai words but I reckon it refers to a haricut. I carried on walking up the overhead bridge, down again and into Soi Plukjit. Not 100 metres into the soi I saw yet another barbershop. Then another, and another. Altogether there were five within a stone's throw of each other. I didn't enquire about their prices, but looking at how they're tucked away behind phone stands, clothes sellers and food stalls in a shantytown, there's no need to ask. Haircut adventures were not what I planned for this visit to Thailand, but it's interesting - and fun! - when it happens. None of the barbershops looked busy. In only one case did a customer walk into one, sit down and begin getting his hair cut while I was taking pictures. A big farang guy went into G Club. Yes, the shop charging 600 baht. And here I was going to write, "I wonder how they stay in business with those prices?"

13,000 taking part in the Pride event and 15,000 in the anti-Pride protest rally across the Square? It seems South Korea still has a very long way to go before the LGBT community is accepted. But then that country has always been something of an enigma. A country where the macho image of a man remains the ideal for the vast majority, where every male (with rare exceptions) must undergo almost two years of military service whatever their jobs and professions, where the salaryman leaves for the office every day and returns every evening, letting his wife manage the household finances. It's a country where the new President recently told the husband of the USA's Vice President, "homosexuality can be treated." Yet this same country is the centre of the K-Pop worldwide phenomenon, an entertainment which amost demands that its particpants undergo plastic surgery so thay all look more or less identical and where the boys look incredibly handsome. This in itself is all so new. When I was visiting Seoul many times in the 1980s and early 1990s, I saw no one who looked anything like a K-Pop star. Virtually all young guys seemed boring - at least to me. It was one of many Asia countries I just did not enjoy visiting. A recent Washington Post article underscores the generally homophobic nature of South Koreans. Despite the little progress that has been made recently, homosexuality is still a taboo issue in most households. Look back into Korean history, though, and it was certainly not always thus. During the three main Korean dyasties, homosexual activity was far from uncommon at Court. During the Silla Dynasty, King Hyegong was known for his adventures with other men. He was even described as "a man by appearance but a woman by nature." One group of his elite warriors were called the Hwarang or "Flower Boys", so called because of their homoeroticism and femininity. During the later Koryo Dynasty, King Mokjong and King Gongmin had several male lovers.When his wife died, Gongmin even went so far as to create a Ministry whose sole purpose was to seek out and recruit young men from all over the country to serve his Court. His sexual partners were called "little brother attendants!" King Chungseon is known to have had several long-term relationships with other men. In the Chosun era, it was members of the mobility which frequently engaged in same-sex relationships. As in Japan, travelling theatre groups developed providing various forms of entertainment. Often these included under-age "beautiful boys" and their entertainment included graphic representations of same-sex coupings. All finally came to an end in 1910 when Japan invaded Korea and imposed its often brutal and repressive regime. After those years and the years of virtual American occupation when it restored to power the loathed President/dictator Syngman Rhee, perhaps it's not surprising that, as in China and Japan, so many in the country have now forgotten their homosexual-acceptance pasts. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/05/11/south-korea-gender-lgbt-rights-president-yoon/

Talking about barbers in BKK... Need to find out where this hottie is having his shop.... Lol

Day 3.5: Growing Pains The bar tonight was New Twilight. I was actually excited to go here. It’s not everyday a Bangkok Boy Bar is newly added to the dwindling slate of bars in the landscape. In these uncertain COVID times, it’s fairly bold to open up a new entertainment venue. When this report actually happened, I haven’t been keeping up with what others have been saying about it, just that it has opened, it where it was, near the Mango Tree restaurant. It would have made sense to eat at Mango Tree instead of G’s because of proximity, but something to look forward to in the coming days. As we make our way through Soi 6 to make our way to Soi Than Tawan, I opted to take a peak first at one my faves, Tawan Bar, just to see it from the outside, to check out the new location across the street. Actually Mango Tree, Tawan and New Twilight are within 2 minutes of each other. Kudos for Google Maps to have all three locations be searchable on their website: We arrive at Tawan and see this colorful rainbow flag: But Tawan was not our destination, but New Twilight. We get there soon enough. Good job on the outside signage: Entering the facilities, I was impressed by how spacious and well thought out the whole setup was. The stage had a center area and a runway, something that is working well for Jupiter, and not the static one center stage concept that Moonlight and Dreamboy has. Jupiter uses that runway to its full effect by showcasing the boys and its cool that New Twilight sought to do the same. As we got seated, I notice that seating is plentiful, though a little bit far from the stage. I like my bulges hanging over my head, and not need those mini binoculars one uses at the opera to see them. There were about 4 parties in the bar, which is fine I guess for a Tuesday night. We were asked drinks (again coke and rum cike – which was pretty weak). There was New Twilight branding everywhere, including the tissue dispensers: There was a huge stage backdrop screen that covered the entire backdrop of the stage, which was pretty impressive as well. As seen in this promotional video posted recently: TWBar.mp4 The boys on offer: there were about 6 boys on stage when we first got there. All were in jeans and tennis shoes. I took notes in my phone to remember the details of this bar, and I see in all caps: WHY THE PANTS?????? Some were cute but no one really interested me. No obvious stars. Noone on stage was catching my eye, tho a good number of them where trying their luck catching Tiago’s and my eye. The waiters were nice though. I think the waiters were much better looking than the boys onstage. There were two that I liked, one twinky one and one sort of hunky one. The stage numbers: kind of amateurish. The dancers were average at best, both in looks and in choreography. How new was this bar? Maybe they need more practice? There were some drag numbers which were fine. There was a teacher and student number that was just ok and clumsy. There were some sensual numbers, some actual smoking onstage which was funny. Tiago was yawning. He saw me catching him yawning and apologized. “The number are actually quite ok, but the other bars are better,” he said. “The boys in other bars are better too.” Since we were in Hot Male, Jupiter and Moonlight the nights prior, I’d say that is true. I was sort of keen to off someone here tonight, but no one was trully holding my attention. I asked Tiago what he thought and he commented on how nice the screen was and how high tech it was. I told him I was asking about the boys. He said they were a little bit “girly” for his taste. I laughed. Should we get you a real man? Because Tawan is next door. He laughed and said that he has nothing against more femmy guys but he wouldn’t necessarily want to pay for sex for one, even if I was paying. We decide to order another round of drinks, just to settle in and get into the mood of things. The two waiters I liked were unfortunately sitting with other customers. So, we tried, but unfortunately it was not meant to be. We pay for our drinks and head out into the night. --- I am just going to chock it up to growing pains. The bar is new. They are trying to find their identity. They are starting from scratch, developing numbers, building a boy base, and starting on a challenging time post-pandemic. Fortunately, time is on their side. It is late June (the time this report occurred), and high season starts in December. That’s 6 months worth of tweaking and perfecting before they find their voice. The good news: the bones are there - the venue is nice, the staging and seating are one of the best I’ve seen in Thailand. And the place is not that hard to find, and is close to Tawan, a bar with firm voice of its own. One glimmer of hope was this July 13 post on their Facebook: They have b-boys, and they look great. This takes me back from the b-boys in the Pattaya boy bars. And their message: So yeah, if you're in Bangkok, or planning to go in the near future, please go! It'll give them the necessary support to grow, and it'll give you a chance to report back on this board your opinion on the bar and tell us if they are changing for the better. But there was no off today sadly. But I did have on trick up my sleeve, next.

From Channel News Asia VANCOUVER, Canada: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s initial easing of COVID-19 restrictions was dramatically reversed following the arrival of Omicron in late November 2021. He most notably shut down the Japanese border – bucking the trend of reopening in East Asia and causing consternation abroad. Kishida has responded cautiously to domestic and foreign pressure to reopen Japan’s borders since April. Japan reopened its borders to holders of long-term visitor, business or student visas on Jun 1, as well as to tourists on authorised package tours. Independent tourists are not yet granted entry, although they can be expected to be allowed back by autumn. The Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, Wada Kouichi, stated there had only been 1,300 entry visa requests for travel purposes in Japan as of Jun 15. This is despite Japan having its lowest exchange rate in 24 years (136 yen to US$1). Indeed, Japan’s current border rules for foreign tourists are the most restrictive in Asia with the exception of China. But Kishida’s COVID-19 policy response and his slow reopening have earned public support. This is no easy task in a country that has been sensitive to rising cases and experienced shortcomings like the government’s inability to provide enough hospital beds. The latest polls indicate broad support for Kishida’s approach – with COVID-19 becoming less of a salient issue for the now delayed Upper House elections in light of the Jul 8 shooting of former prime minister Shinzo Abe. Continues at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/japan-travel-rules-tourist-group-covid-19-wave-vaccine-kishida-abe-2817761

The sex shows have moved to the New Twilight Bar just around the corner. Scantily clad boys perform every act imaginable. Everyone's raving about it.

That is unfortunately true. However, I think we should resist the tendency towards moral paralysis that might induce. If we wait until western Europeans are no longer racist before we support action to help any victimised white and Christian country, we will end up helping nobody at all in this century.

I asked before in pattaya, and its a no.

Your observations about guys hanging out on Silom coincide with what I was seeing before I left. The new massage shop is a great find. Location is good because it's just around corner form massage alley (Soi 6).

White shorts. And I mean shorts, not bermudas. No shirts.

This has been a fairly regular topic in this foum and I could not agree more. Didn't we read relatively recently that all the TM6 arrival/departure forms had been moved to warehouses because there was nowhere to store them? When I go to Immigration in that vast barn of unused hideously expensive air-conditioned space at Chaengwattana, I see mountains of paperwork at every officers' desks. Because Thailand insists on pasports being carried at all time (although some use photocopies or laminated copies), the UK government is little better because to renew a 48-page passport it now insists that I have to copy every single page, have them couriered at my expense to the UK and have the new passport couried back again at my expense about 3 months later. But we are advised we can not use the passport during that 3-month waiting period. As one who usually travels vidtually every month, this is ridicuouos. About 10 years ago, all I had to do was take the passport to the Consulate in Wittayu and the new one would be ready at a fraction of the cost in a week. Our bureacratic world is going mad!

The Bangkok Tourism authority should be deeply grateful to @numazufor his efforts here which encourage people like me to return to Thailand.

I've come to Thailand about 40 times since 2011 so I have seen a few things but I've had new experiences in the last few days. Today I went to the massage shop behind Tukcom. I got the man's clothes off in the end for kissing and wanking. When I tipped him 700bt he said: 'Too much'. Most massage men when it comes to 'extras' say 'how much you give me or '1000'. I didn't reduce his tip, which I thought was fair. I googled for a laundry near Jomtien, took my favourite pants and about 5 t shirts. The next day the laundry woman said a falang had insisted my clothes were his clothes. He didn't return them over the next few days so the laundry woman said she would pay me. I suggested 1000bt which she agreed to. If I'm back in 3 months and my clothes are returned we can reverse this. A Thai man I have known for years visited my hotel in Jomtien. Reception asked to keep his id card while he was there. (The night before reception had photocopied another man's id when I brought him back.) We left for a drive and he discovered 50 km away that the hotel had given him someone else's id card. He said that he should have checked when the hotel gave it back to him, but didn't. Happily, we rang the hotel and his id was still there. But suppose it wasn't, his id had been given to someone else and was now 200km away. Or what if it was the passport of a man we had taken back to the hotel, who had no visa and was here illegally, which was given to the wrong person? For this reason I now prefer a hotel which does not keep passports in this way as I no longer think I can trust hotels. Maybe I can trust laundry women despite some crazy falang about.

Don't forget, I banned all Republicans on this board. jk But, I do try to ignore them.

Day 2.5: Heavenly Bodies I am unclear on the origins of why Bangkok boy bars are named the way they are. Maybe the thought process is to have your bar name be as descriptive as possible, so customers know what they are getting when they want to go to that bar. So all your boys and males are either Fresh (boys), Hot (Male), Dream (y) (Boys) or Lucky (Boys), or you may want to Screw (boys) them, or want to play with their Bananas (bar). Then there are the bars that are named after heavenly bodies or phenomenon – Moonlight, Jupiter and Tawan (Tawan ตะวัน = Sun). These bars, more or less, have their specialized brand of boy bar, probably what sets them a little bit apart from the ones mentioned previously. I’d say these three bars indeed have “heavenly bodies”, and as such, have boys with more mass i.e. more meat on their bones than those bars that have predominantly twinks in them (those Freshboys really are fresh, for example). This is a generalization of course, Dreamboy had a lot of more meatier boys than twinks the night I was there (at least my definition of what Thailand meaty is), but generally you will not find any traditional twinks in the Solar System bars. Don't ask me about New Twilight. I don't know how that boy bar fits into things. Interestingly, to me at least, Tawan’s naming is more consistent with how most Brazil boy saunas are named. Tawan’s street is situated in Soi Than Tawan, from which I am assuming Tawan was then named after. In Rio de Janeiro for example, Clube 117 and Pointe 202 addresses are in 117 Rua Candido Mendes and 202 Siquiera Campos respectively, which means they are named after their street addresses as well. Various other saunas in Brazil do this (the ones in Salvador and Recife come to mind, etc.), and even if the name of the current street of the famous Sao Paulo sauna Lagoa is different from its name, originally it was located in a street called Borges Lagoa before its move to 130 Pedro Taques. So we find ourselves in one of the Solar System bars – Jupiter. My description of it in 2016 is here: Still, I do remember at least two memorable offs from Jupiter in the past. Both were the typical Jupiter type: tall, muscular athletic, fair skin and handsome. Both I’ve had trepidation offing in the past due to my preconceived assumptions about the aloofness of the Jupiter boys, and hence, both exceeded my expectation when it came to the off, further fueling my desire to go back to the heavens more and more. My whole off with MuscleBoy here: And a snippet of my off with Korean Boy: --- We emerge from a sex-induced slumber at 9:30 PM, after a half day of running around Bangkok and seeing the sights. Tiago, as goal-oriented as he was when it comes to going after his dreams, surely knows what he likes doing during vacations: lots of rest and lots of sex. He admitted to as such while we were traversing Dubai. As a result, we have missed a tourist spot or two that was on my list of must-see things to see. Still, my method of running ragged of wanting to see as many things as possible and to sleep with as many boys as possible, combined with his more leisurely pace of stopping and smelling the roses, and establishing deeper connections and sacrificing certain opportunities as a result, worked for both of us and benefitted our experiences. Quality over quantity was essentially the result. Still, he knew that it was important for me to go see a Boy Bar every night we were in Bangkok, so when the alarm went off to wake us up that night, he darted out of the bed and did a few shadow boxing exercises to wake himself up and get the blood flowing. I fired up the water heater and made two cups of those delish 3-in-1 coffees, and pair of showers later we were on a Grab to Silom Soi 4. 71 baht. We arrive at Soi 4 around 10:15 PM, and the familiar sights of the street were still there. I noticed a new (to me) boy bar called Banana Bar, with their tout enticing us to come in and partake of their fruit stand. Perhaps on another night. We passed by the usual bars, notably the renamed Circus Bar, formerly Telephone Pub – I am not too familiar what precipitated this name change. There was a good-sized crowd seated in almost all the bars, with a good showering of farang tourists, perhaps a sign that the tourist numbers are rebounding at a good clip. But we had our goal today – Jupiter. We were greeted by the sharply dressed tout who didn’t bother with his spiel because it looked like we knew where we were going. Inside, the outer seats were taken, some full with rowdy Thai revelers, others with more reserved farangs and Asian gays. We were seated at the very front. Tiago plopped himself on the seat, ready for the show. Regular coke and rum coke (pretty decent). Onstage where 3 or 4 boys at a time, rotating through their roster, a trick I’ve seen in almost all the bars that had more boys than a stage can logically contain. I am reminded right away of Jupiter delights: the preppy, handsome, clean cut, masculine fair boy. Tiago noticed this, and commented that the offerings were pretty enticing, and handsome. Perhaps Tiago was also a Jupiter man. I was overjoyed when I say MuscleBoy and Korean Boy still working here, as if nothing has changed through the years. They both still looked gorgeous and fit. There were other stunners as well, well-documented in the Jupiter facebook. They feature each of their models fairly well on FB, and some even have studio-quality photoshoots that highlights their best features. What impressed me was the number of guys that were on offer. If you want an idea of many guys are available on a given night, watch this: ParadeJupiter.mp4 Also, this was were I was seated, where the red dot is: So I was up close and bulge level to these fine specimens, so I was having a blast. I would highly recommend seating up there for maximum viewing. Not sure why the other customers here preferred sitting further away from the action. They are missing out. The show soon starts and it’s the usual drag queen/boy number combination. The drag queens were pretty polished, moreso than what I’ve seen elsewhere in Thailand, or even Brazil. Also, there were numbers with drag queens and boys combined, and I remember this was a thing before from pre-pandemic: With all this happening, Tiago was seemingly entertained. My hunches about this bar were right, that this was a bar that is easy to show to first-timers, or your girl best friend, that had enough distractions and hot boys to entertain pretty much anybody. I know a lot of us here prefer a less refined, more hardcore experience with Thai boy bars, and I do miss that type of atmosphere, but there is a place for these kind of bars both in the boy bar landscape, and in every one of my travel itineraries. There was the question of offing tough. I was thoroughly smitten with one of the guys in that clip above. Everyone in the bar was looking at him. Maybe it was the grinding and the dancing he did. I was about to look for him but saw that he sat down with some clients and I missed my chance. Still, there were a lot to choose from. I could choose from any number of tall, fair, lean muscular boys. There was something about that guy with the full body tattoo (see video). He looks like he would know a thing or two about a good time. Plus, in perusing Jupiter’s FB posts, he is figured in a set of photos that seem to show another, more fun side of him: I ask Tiago what he thought about that guy. He said he was more interested in another handsome lad, as he tells me his number. I recognized the guy from Patpong. He must’ve belonged to another bar but is now working in Jupiter. He was the Jupiter type. He had really white skin, very smooth. Boyish handsomeness, abs and muscles. He fit the type that I liked, so I motioned to him to sit with us once the show was over. He was in jeans and shirtless. He sat in between Tiago and I. A waiter quickly comes to us to ask if the boy wanted a drink. He asked for a coke. He recognized me from the pre-pandemic days, and asked me the usual stock questions of name, where you from, how long Bangkok and all that good stuff. I of course had to translate for Tiago, who was rubbing his leg and looking at him closely. He was Vietnamese, and Tiago found that fairly interesting possibly because it was the first time he has ever met a Viet guy. After a few more pleasantries, VietBoy asks if we wanted to off him. I then asked what he was into. He said he is all top. I translated this to Tiago and then he promptly grabbed his dick to see. More questions. 5000 for short time because we were two people, so double the price he said. Then I asked if he kisses. He said no. He said he was straight. I then translate this all to Tiago. “E hetero?” he said, sort of disappointed. “Quanto custa,” he asks. I do some quick math and tell him “130 dolares ou 700 reais,” I answer. Tiago makes a face, ”E caro demais,” he replies, thinking the price was a little bit too steep. He then asks me that its up to me, but I already knew my answer. After a few more pleasantries, and as he finshes his drink, I gave him 500 baht and bid him farewell. It was just not meant to be. To Tiago, a sexual partner who doesn’t kiss, let alone doesn't do it passionately, is not worth it, and life is too short for that kind of BS. I tend to agree. He later said that for 130 dollars, he’d do way more than just top. While all of this was going on, Jupiter turned from a Boy Bar to a lounge, and it was actually enjoyable. Customers were having a blast with the live singing, boys were joining the fun, drinking with customers, and it all looked like fun: Jupiter2018 - Everyday After Midnight It’s Time To Party 🎉... By Jupiter2018 Everyday After Midnight It’s Time To Party 🎉 With All The Jupiter’s Model 🤩 #jupiter #silom4 #bangkok.mp4 There is someone in the video clip waving some money in front of the boys. I figure that the video is at least accurate in that sense, as it will take that much money to get the boys to act happy to be with you. I didn’t even try to look for another boy to off. I tried, it didn’t work out, and that was that. I didn’t even feel that I was missing out. I had good memories of this place, and will continue to make more in the future. Right now it was about me and Tiago. He might be the ultimate cock block as he is giving me more than probably any of the boys in this building ever could, in arguably better physical attributes, among other things. There is a time and a place to “settle” for a more chill sexual encounter and I am willing to adjust to the task at hand. Sometimes that it was I need, other times, like right now, it is Quality over Quantity. After another round of drinks, we leave the celestial confines of Jupiter. While it weird for me to not off a guy form this bar, truth is Jupiter will always hold a special place in my groin. There will be other nights in Jupiter, to look for this guy, for example: We then head over to Footland Patpong to have a late dinner. After that we decide to make that 25-minute walk back to the apartment, since it has cooled down a bit. Tiago asked again if it was safe to walk at 2 AM in the morning in Bangkok. I said yes it was. He commented that if this was central Rio we would be assaulted many times over. i laughed, because it was true. And even Tiago had a hard time avoiding comparing Brazil to Thailand, but this time, he was noticing something that Thailand had an advantage over Brazil. “That’s why we are here Tiago,” I tell him. “We are here to forget about our troubles in Brazil. We are in Thailand now.” We should make the most of our time here, as Thailand has a lot to offer. And we do just that, next post.

I am totally blown away when I try to think of space, the big bang and how it is that we come to be living in such a vast universe. I simply cannot comprehend what happened and continues to happen 'out there'. So I am staggered by the early photos from the Webb telescope. That these images were taken just a few hundred million years after the big bang is to me just unbelievable. Images: NASA, BBC, CNN

Writing this on my way to BKK airport, still can't believe how amazing this trip was! Off-ed boys for 5 consecutive nights, one of them whom I first met 3 years ago... It was my 4th night, when I visited Dream Boys in Bangkok around 10:15pm. (First two nights were in Pattaya, I will come to that later.) Despite being a weekday, there were close to 30 boys on stage (topless in jeans), almost half of them had their cocks out during a "cock parade" show segment (surprise surprise!). As I scanned the stage, two off-able hunks immediately caught my eye: a tall Korean-looking boy, and a bearded man with the body of a Greek god. Just as I was pondering whom to off for the night...he appeared. Yes, the boy I first met at Screw Boys 3 years ago. The boy I added on LINE but had not kept in contact. The boy who blew my mind in bed, one of my best offs ever. Yet, he looked kinda different. Was it the hairstyle? Was it the new tattoo? Was it the buffness? We made brief eye contact...it seemed like he recognized me. Or didn't he? Before I could react, the lights dimmed, the boys scattered, and the show began. Just then, I received a LINE message from him: "How long you stay in BKK?" OK IT'S HIM. He remembers me (and also my name in his LINE contacts)...even though I put on quite some weight during the pandemic. That moment, I decided to tease him a little. I did not reply him, and continued watching the show. Until an hour later, all boys returned to the stage after the show. I acknowledged him with a cheeky grin, and signaled him to come sit with me. He hugged me real tight, and whispered in my ear: "I think you forget me." HOW COULD I? He pecked me on the lips, and gazed right into my eyes. At that moment, I knew I was definitely off-ing him. But still, it was such fun teasing him. We held hands with fingers interlocked, while watching the guys on stage. I told him playfully: "Number XX looks like Korean, so tall and cute." He pouted slightly and hesitated before asking: "You off him tonight?" HAHA ALRIGHT. enough with the teasing. I caressed his thigh: "You come hotel with me?" He smiled widely, almost with a sigh of relief. I paid for our drinks (450B x 2) and bar fine (400B), and off we went. [to be continued...]

There's another possible reason: the manager and mamasans were all wearing suits. Part of the "higher class" look that they're aiming for, perhaps? They won't feel the cold, and think the airconditioning is just fine, while the boys and customers freeze their male-tits off. In a sense, one can say, even in the simple matter of temperature control, the (misguided) business design has closed off a feedback loop.

maybe it's too cold for them to wear less clothing

Freshboys' men were in white shorts a week ago. I will be there later so any change I will report.

I am even more blown away. 13.1 billion light years away. Only 700 million years after the Big Bang? How does one actually measure that? How long has that light taken to reach the telescope? What was the Big Bang? I was always taught that if something inflates then it must do so into something - like a balloon inflating into the air around it or a ship displacing the water it sails in? What existed prior to the Big Bang? Into what did that monster explosion of matter expand? Try as I have, I just cannot get my mind around it!

I am in the same situation. I was never a particularly prolific poster there (where I post under the name RonanTheBarbarian), but I have deliberately kept my posting there to a minimum since the invasion (other than some postings in the aforementioned extremely lengthy war thread). I just didnt feel comfortable posting there any more. Others are free to take their own view, of course.

This thought occurred to me too, but it's only one of several possibilities. For now, I think a more likely explanation is that they're trying to emulate the "higher class" bars like Jupiter and Moonlight. Even Dream Boys has their boys in jeans, and New Twilight thinks that this is the way to go. My observation so far is that the bars with the skimpiest dress like Tawan, Freshboys and Hotmale are the ones getting the most offs. Would like to hear others' observations too.

Z909 Yes - looking at the boys in your 3 pictures I would certainly visit any bar who had boys like those. I particularly focussed on these two who are wearing ideal kit for a Gogo bar.

Thanks again young11 for this great new report. I'm afraid it's being overlooked having been tacked on to Santiagodc's wonderful long original post. Maybe it should have it's own thread?!

There are roll-down blinds, so boy-du-soir can shower without me ogling and salivating from the side of the glass. 🤣

I know I made a lot of controversy here but I didn't mean to, I don't suggesting anyone what to do or not to do I just said that personally for me it will be very sad to come and see the consequences of the Covid and I am not sure I can ignore it and have a good time because it might be too devastated for me too see the closed bars which I liked ,the closed markets, businesses and street stalls so I prefer to wait for better times to come.

cash-and-tuck person

A few minutes before 10pm when I walked in, Dream Boy had about 30 patrons, making it 75 percent full. Nonetheless, a good seat had opened up and I was shown to it. Two things struck me immediately, though I had been pre-warned by other members here. (1) The boys, while shirtless, were in jeans. (2) The music was loud. The waiter was helpful in explaining the charges without my having to ask. That's good; it suggests a degree of staff training. My drink would be 450 baht, a boy drink would be 400 baht, the off fee would be 500 baht and the recommended tip for short-time was 2,000 baht. I would later ascertain from the chosen boy that his share of the boy drink was 100 baht. There were about 25-30 boys divided into three rotating groups, with an average age over thirty. Some had maintained their form, but not a few were losing the battle with either Covid or the passing years. In the thirty minutes watching the rotation, I could only shortlist four guys whom I might take. For someone like me who is not especially picky and who has a rather broad acceptance range for body types in my partners (also known as "slut"), four out of nearly 30 is a poor ratio. Visits to other bars in the subsequent evenings would confirm that Dream Boys has an aging problem compared to the others. I have no problem with taking a boy over 30, and in my experience, they can be better in bed, being more experienced in the arts of pleasure, but it would be nice if they were in reasonable shape. Watching the scene before the show, a few more things struck me: (3) with years, the boys seemed also to acquire more tattoos. There was one chap with full-body Yakuza-like work. No doubt, an ink aficionado might appreciate the skill and artistry there, but I find large tattoos way too distracting in bed. (4) about all the waiters must have been at least fifty. Perhaps one or two could have been sixty. The show began almost promptly at 10:30pm, by which time the bar was nearly full (about 40 -45 patrons). It had eight "acts". Four were performed by lip-sync cross-dressers, and four by the boys themselves. The music got even louder! The first of the boys' acts had three coyotes, one of which was among my shortlisted four. He turned out to be the best dancer of the lot which was more than enough reason for me to tuck 100 baht into his briefs. He was cheeky. He pulled the briefs open (forward, not down) and guided my hand deep into it till I was able to wrap the red note around his cock. At that moment, I kind of decided that I would off him later, but after the dance item, I saw him go straight to sit with another customer. I was too late! The second of the boys' acts had three guys in briefs, and soon enough, their joeys (baby kangaroos) were poking their little heads out above mamas' pouches. The last of the four boys' acts was a copulation show. I off'd one of the four from my shortlist, but it didn't turn out well. Back in the room, he was in a rush throughout, saying "we cum together" barely five minutes into playtime. All in all, I think he spent less than 40 minutes with me. He's best forgotten, so the less said here, the better.

My enjoyment of this current trip started within twenty minutes of landing at BKK.....the many cute young guys who work there immediately reminded me just how different -and better-Thailand is for such as I. And then my rather long wait at the luggage carousel was made bearable by the presence of two handsome young airline reps, my mask hiding an admiring smile. My holiday was off to a flying start.

Great post dankfq.You must have really enjoyed yourself.

Thank you for cheering us up

If I was a bar owner, I'd want to know why a prospective customers walked out without making a purchase. Maybe it's something I can't do anything about (i.e, too crowded). But it's more likely it's something I can. I've posted in the past about the idea of bars experimenting with promotions from mid-week beer specials, half-price off fees, 2-for-1 drink nights. The idea would be to get more people in the door than the other bars. In short, becoming competitive. But I don't think that's ever going to catch on in Bangkok. The attitude seems to be customers come or they don't. Mai pen rai.

Muscled bottoms who kiss are indeed a harder thing to find in Thailand for some reason. Not in other places of the world. MonBoy is by no means a muscled-bound, but meatier than the average boy in Thailand. I'd recommend DreamBoy and Hot Boys. I've offed two who may fit your three criteria (muscle, kisses, bottom), and have had tremendous luck in those bars in the past. Happy Beer Garden has been a staple of mine, unfortunately these days I will only remember that it is there if I was walking from Moonlight to Patpong. Otherwise, with Soi Twilight gone, the area is less busy. Just like the good old days... how I wish. I'm glad I could enlighten you on the dick situation at Hotmale. Oddly enough, I found more impressive dicks at the bar a meters down the same floor as Hot Male ;). Yikes, those are indeed high fuel surcharges. Virgin is known for having these high fuel surcharges. Another reason to not fly them. 400 baht short time? Wow that is cheap. I think when I started it never went under 1000. Ummm, yes? I thought that was implied. And as for being generous - I thought that was the point of this website. LOL I was also gonna say, isn't sex considered exercise? I'm not disputing your point @z909. But I must say that there are a million walking spaces in Brazil that are safe. The 30-minute walk from Post 1 at Leme/Copacabana to Post 10 in Ipanema is a great example. Hiking up to Christ the Redeemer is another. Parque ibirapuera in Sao Paulo (great eye candy), and Avenida Paulista on Sundays when they close the whole major street for exercise, are the Sao Paulo standouts. Recife - late night/early morning strolls at Boa Viagem, with the bonus of jumping into the warm ocean, Fortaleza - the crazy Praia de Iracema park walk with LOTS of eye candy, walking at various times day or night at the Pelourinho in the old part of Salvador... I could go on and on. And pretty safe to do so. And Brazil has milder weather (still hot, but better relative to Thailand) so actually the walking is more pleasant. I'd argue that I walk outside in Brazil more than I do in Thailand, just because of the outside temperature, plus Brazilian boys walk more it seems than bar boys (who seem to need a taxi to go everywhere LOL).

Love the story. Glad he remembers you.

It's always a nice feeling when they remember you, I know the feeling! 😊

@macaroni21 finally you are describing us the truth about the current situation in Silom-Suriwong area because almost all the latest reports by other members you could get the false impression that things get back to normal which isn't the truth, I know some can enjoy hunting boys in Bangkok and tell the whole world how wonderful their latest trip was and ignore the lifeless streets , shuttered business, absent of street stalls and markets but I couldn't do it , I will not be able to enjoy my self on this gloomy post covid area. I hope the situation will improve very soon so I can visit again my beloved Thailand as it was before.

Tiago has been living in Thailand for a number of weeks now, so everything still feels new. But he says that cost of living is lower, and food, transportation and entertainment is cheaper. Plus things that have to do with his work - gear, gym time etc, are cheaper. He can also get compensation with teaching Jiu Jitsu in Thailand teaching either tourists of locals that he says is more than what he can get in Brazil, probably because there are fewer of him in Thailand with his set of skills so he is more in demand. He is already looking at staying longer than his planned 6 months and looking at his visa options. So yeah he likes it in Thailand better but he is looking at it through the lens of someone working. My take is complicated (always). I have my own preferences that may be different than yours. Sex - @floridarobhas alluded to this. I've had sex with duds in Brazil so that exists, but I found that a Brazilian's average minimum effort is still much more passionate and more to my liking than what I get in Thai. I get that in Thailand too, but I am more assured that the sex will be more passionate and I am left satisfied, sex-wise. Depends on the situation of course. Cost to hire - It's just cheaper in Brazil. No escaping that fact. I'd say basic short time fee in Brazil is $30 vs $40 in Thailand, and you get more for your money. Grindr - I've had way more luck in Brazil, but my Generic Asian Face™ is more of a novelty there relative to Thailand. Gay saunas (not for pay) - Brazil saunas are hotter and wilder Food - Thailand is way superior to that of Brazil, in my book. Food is also way cheaper in Thailand. Tourist Infrastructure - Thailand is more developed hands down. There is a reason Bangkok has toppled Paris as the most visited city in the world in 2019. Just the ease in which you get basic stuff like SIM cards (airport in Bangkok with clear pricing and GB vs not as easy in Brazil), taxis and hotel staff with English speaking drivers, the Tourist police etc., is superior than what you will find in Brazil. I've said before that Brazil has a steeper learning curve, though if you have a patience to see it through, it's hard to let go. Thailand was just love at first sight for me. One night in Silom and I was hooked forever. Safety - Advantage: Thailand. No way out of this. But I must say that if you know what you're doing, its fairly easy to keep safe in Brazil as well, as I have after a million trips to there. But yes, advantage: Thailand Shopping - Slight advantage to Thailand. Lots of cheap finds in both places but I think Thailand has better variety (MBK and Chatuchak are gold standards). Massage - Huge advantage to Thailand. Not even a question. Beaches - Beaches in Thailand are prettier and better, but Brazil's are more fun and more lively so, depends on what you like. Rio's Copacabana and Ipanema are obvious strengths, with Bangkok not having a comparable analog, but Phuket and Samui are stunning places to visit once you get there. Festivals - toss up. Songkran is fun, Carnaval is fun. It's all fun. Nightlife - both have their advantages, boils down to what you prefer or are looking for. Language - For me, Portuguese is way easier for me to learn, i.e. I learned it vs I will probably never learn to speak Thai because English is widely spoken in Thailand. There is some utility to learning the language in any country as you get to know it in a much deeper level. Even if Thais more or less speak English, I suspect I missing something by not speaking Thai. My 2¢. I love both. Will continue visiting both. Will account for the shortcomings and enjoy the strengths of either place. It's good to have these two wonderful options to choose from!

During my recent trip to Pattaya I was really surprised to see a couple of prominent selling it. I had no intention of partaking - the last time I did so was a long time ago in Amsterdam and that was not a happy experience. I wonder if poppers are legal now in Thailand ?. I was also surprised to be offered a bottle to sniff during the later stages of a massage which I refused.

I know you didn't ask me, but I'm willing to bet he has a similar response 😉 I love both places....but Brazil, sex is more passionate and it doesn't feel as transactional. No matter how bad they have it, living conditions, family problems, etc.... you'll normally not hear about it, pity trip conversations.....and no "up to you" Sex is def less expensive in Brazil and most of guys are super fun to be around...... Food , massage and hotels are generally better and cheaper in Thailand, and is safer........Brazil didn't shut down during Covid. I was pretty good friends with Hugh Miller, he was the manager of the Ambiance hotel when JIm and Gordon owned it. The stories about the stories he told about the tricks the boys do to get customers to buy them things and "gift" them more money....actually, was kind of sad to hear. Knowing how foolish men can be....it's 10 times worse in the straight world 😲

Day 2: Same same, but different Just a quick note on threeways in Thailand, and my inevitable comparison to those I've had in Brazil. In general, I usually don’t plan on particularly having threeways. I’ve always preferred the classic one-on-one, as it takes away certain wildcards out of the equation. But threeways are fun when they do happen, even if they come out a bit awkward if one or two people in the threesome are left a little less satisfied. There is always the danger of becoming the third wheel, with either having two participants in the threesome who seem to be enjoying each other more than the third person, or if you’re the only one enjoying the action and the other two are just going through the motions to satisfy you. I’m guessing the latter more has to do with clients getting two boys who may or may not click with each other or with you, but since money is in the equation, one tends to overlook certain misgivings. You can probably guess where I'm going with this, that even with the few threesomes I’ve had, on average, I’ve had more satisfying threeways in Brazil than in Thailand. Maybe it’s cultural, that South Americans bring in the heat way more often than their Asian counterparts, but anecdotally anyway, that’s been my experience. Take that as you will. I’m never going to say that Brazilians are better than the Thai, in bed. That simply is not true. What’s true is that the boy (or boys) in your bed at the moment is going to be always better than anyone else who is not in your bed, and you should make the most of any situation. I actually first met Tiago in a threeway situation. Last year, at a start of a Rio trip, I was met at the airport by a working boy I’ve known for a few months, and he told me that he was bringing a friend with him who he said was interested in meeting me, who turned out to be Tiago. After dinner, and then a shower back at the apartment in Copacabana, this working boy proceeded to start kissing me and taking off my clothes to initiate sex. He then asks me to kiss Tiago. Tiago was tentative at that point, since he is not used to this kind of setup (plus he just met me), but warmed up to me eventually. The resulting threesome was pretty good, but it turned out that the working boy was just using me to get to Tiago, who he had the hots for and couldn’t just hook up with him because theirs' was not that kind of friendship. Tiago mentioned this to me a few months after the encounter, after I’ve had a falling out with said boy. It didn’t matter to me at the time. I had two hot Brazilians in my bed no later than an hour after I arrived from the airport. That’s a win, and I sure made the most of it. So the threeway with MonBoy and Tiago was still fun, despite MonBoy’s apparent awkwardness in the situation. As long as I've known him, MonBoy was always eager to please, and our history through the years has shown that. The one threesome I had with MonBoy and another Burmese boy turned out pretty good. I’ll make sure I get MonBoy all to myself the next time we meet. I am actually looking forward to that. --- MonBoy wakes me up at 6:30 AM to tell me that he is leaving to take the BTS. As he puts on his clothes, I fish out 4000 baht from my wallet. I figure since he was technically offed by two people, not just me, then he deserves that double pay. He takes the money and pockets it, not counting it. He gives me a peck on the cheek as he always does, exits the apartment, and disappears into the early morning. I get back to bed. Tiago rolls over to spoon. “Everything ok with him?” Tiago asks. “I think so,” I answer, a bit tentatively. We both fall back to sleep. We wake up around 12:30 PM. We intended today to be a lazy day, a chance to catch up on rest and help get over jet lag, which was a little bit less painful this time since it was only a 3-hour adjustment from where we were. I go to the kitchen to try to make some coffee and could not find the coffee maker. I did find these ubiquitous 3-in-1 coffee packs that I forgot was more of a thing in this part of the world. The apartment owner left a generous care package of 3-in-1 coffees, instant noodles and some granola bars, which is perfect for moments when you need something fast to consume. So today, our first daytime in Bangkok, since Tiago is going to stay for at least half a year in Thailand, I was keen on showing Tiago around Bangkok, having him get used to how Thailand works, and also get used to the sights, the people, and other relevant things. I am not an expert though, I am just a humble tourist, but at least Tiago will not be starting from scratch with his Thailand knowledge when he sets out on his own next week. He of course has his fellow Brazilians to lean on that are part of his Muay Thai gym as well. But they don't know what Numazu knows. 1. Money Looks like I visited at the right time, as the dollar is pretty strong at the moment, compared to the Thai Baht (and pulled even with the Euro!). The rate has hovered around less than 0.03 baht to the dollar. Using my Charles Schwab ATM, which refunds the ATM fees at the end of the month whenever it is charged, I’ve consistently got a ~0.0283 baht to the dollar baht during this one week stay in Thailand. That meant when withdrawing 20,000 Baht + 250 baht ATM fee, my bank takes out $573. Which is an improvement to my standard brain shorthand conversion rate of 3000 baht for every $100. Brain Shorthand Conversion Rate: What I use when I’m calculating baht prices in my head, whenever I am out shopping or mongering. My brain math will always think that the standard Short Time rate of 2000 baht is 66 dollars. When in reality, $66 is actually 2332 baht. That’s 332 baht extra, almost enough to cover the entry fee/welcome drink at boy bars. That has been my point of reference even since I've been going to Thailand. I’ll be in trouble if the conversion rate ever creeps over 0.033. I think ever since I’ve been going to Thailand since 2014, the only other time that the dollar was stronger against the baht than it is now was in Christmas season of 2015. So life is pretty good right now, except if you were in Thailand Jan 30, 1998, where a 2000 baht short time fee was only $38. Granted, the short time fee back then was even less than 2000, so those of you who were there during that time, hope you made the most your time! Does anybody remember how much the ST fee was in 1998? Tiago has been saving his money to be able to devote to his Muay Thai training for 6 months in Thailand, as well as his accommodations, which was a room (no AC, just a fan) in the same building as the gym. While he has not saved up to cover all of expenses – like meals and transportation, he saved enough for some of his gym time and everything else related to his profession. The rest he hopes to earn through his fights. I told him he could try his hand (and penis) on escorting, but he said he hopes it doesn’t come to that, and his fellow Brazilians have been able to make it work without having to resort to that. So he took all of his savings with him from Brazil to Thailand. And instead of using a money changer in Sao Paulo to convert the Brazilian Reals to US Dollars, so he can then use those dollars to change to Baht with a money changer in Bangkok, which as you can see is double the fees, he will just gave me all the Reais that he had, and I will just take the money from the ATM to give him the equivalent Thai baht. Never fear, I’m always in Brazil, so those Reais he gave me will be put to good use. Unfortunately for Tiago, the Reais to Baht rate has not had the same trajectory as the dollar, and lost some value since 2017. Nevertheless, he is still saving money exchanging banknotes with me, than if through those money changers: 2. Transportation It was important for me to get an AirBNB with a washer and dryer, two bathrooms, two bedrooms, and some basic kitchen stuff, for this trip. Like I said earlier, after 2 weeks and half living in hotels with Tiago, it was nice to have the extra space, and the homelier facilities, to be able to stretch out more. And the extra privacy is nice, not because of modesty, as Tiago and I pretty much have no boundaries at this point, but because maybe I’d need some alone time with a boy and did not want Tiago to feel out of place or left out in the apartment, and he’d have another room in the house to occupy. Also, having a separate bedroom to house for our suitcases and valuables, devotes the other bedroom just for sleeping and sex, which is great both in a compartmentalization aspect and logistical aspect with hiring boys and having personal valuables isolated in a separate room. But having this perfect oasis meant picking an AirBNB a little bit further away from Patpong. The apartment I chose was still in the Silom area, but was a 25 minute walk to Patpong. However, GrabTaxi is easy enough to get, and is just a 65 baht ride away ($1.83), but today I decide to take the BTS with Tiago to show him where it was, how to buy fare, how much money it costs, how to use Google Maps to know what station to look for to get to your destination, etc. We use the BTS that was closest to the AirBNB to get to Siam Paragon, the glitzy shopping center to eat some lunch and window shop. Stock photo: Granted, Tiago is going to stay at a city that is not Bangkok (I choose to keep this unmentioned for reasons mentioned earlier), and will not have a BTS/MRT system to lean on, but nevertheless its good to know what is out there (I also talked to him about Tuktuks, Baht Buses, and regular buses). In reality though, Tiago is going to rent a motorbike during his 6-month stay for 1500 baht a month, which is roughly $45. Seems pretty cheap to me, but Tiago says that that’s what his Brazilian colleagues have been doing. 3. Food One of the main draws, if not the number one draw, of Thailand for me is the delicious food. I would like to think that I am pretty adventurous when it comes to my food choices, and for some reason Thailand that has that variety and balance that I look for when it comes to cuisine. So for lunch, we go to Taling Pling at Siam Paragon, which seems to be a staple for me everytime I find myself in Thailand. I of course order the Tom Yum soup with shrimp. I can’t get enough of that. Ordering for Tiago was a different matter. Like I said, the Brazilians aren’t particularly fond of spicy food, so his options are limited. The options in Thailand are still plentiful though, so the shrimp fried rice, soft shell crab, and Thai omelette that I picked for him was a winner. He ate all of that and wanted more. Tiago has mentioned his gym will serve regular Brazilian food everyday for 50 baht a meal, or $1.4 dollars. Pretty cheap again, but they are a group there so they can save up. After window shopping, and finding some items at Uniqlo, we head over to Siam Square to eat dessert at After You Dessert Café. BurBoy (remember him?) introduced me to this decadent café, and no Bangkok trip of mine can be complete without trying one of their Kakigoris (shaved ice dessert): It was sweet, not spicy, so Tiago devoured it all. Closing footnote: I find most of Bangkok unchanged this side of the pandemic. Everything felt the same, the same things were still at the same places. My usual haunts before the pandemic were still there. The traffic was still atrocious. The BTS still filled up during peak hours. The only thing that stood out was the mask wearing, which was understandable. It's kind of hard to wear a mask when you’re sweating in the heat and humidity, but it sure beats the alternative. With the removal of the Thai Pass requirement to enter Thailand, I’d say that Thailand is truly back, and I am very happy about that. There is some sadness though. Apart from the loss of lives due to the disease of course, it is sad to see some businesses have remained closed, sometimes it looks like for good, and that is more than likely is due to the pandemic rendering certain business unable to sustain themselves through the hard times. Screw Boy? Lucky Boys? All still closed. Don’t they know I'm back? And probably the saddest of all, Oasis Restaurant, with @vinapu's Award Winning Chicken and Cashew Nuts ™, is still closed, and looks like in disrepair: Next, a boy bar for a Monday Night. This next one should be obvious given my taste.

@numazuyou may have read all or parts of this masterwork at some point. Reference to "Rush"...refers to the author of Bangkok Bois (also titled "Dancing with the Devil in the City of Angels. For newbies it is incredibly helpful and also provides a visit to Twilight in its heyday. Well, it was for me, at least.

I’m not a moderator, but consider just leading each other. Happy trails, and best of luck to any locals in your path … FullSizeRender.MOV

Wow Numazu, In my opinion, you are Rush reincarnated with your writing capabilities. Rush archives I really like the way that you write and the fact that you included a map, which is a 5***** star act for me!! So many posters here write their fabulous trip reports (greatly appreciated) but without a map for context - I often get lost and confused about the lay of the land. A map helps me to get oriented and prepared for my to-be adventure. Thanks. Numazu, the snippet what you wrote above - is SO true. Us gays we have fought so many years for equality and now that we have almost gained it - we are starting to lose our ghettos (hang out zones) - which for me are what made being gay so special. The first time I walked into Soi Twilight many years ago was one of the MOST gay captivating events in my entire gay life (even more so than Amsterdam, San Francisco, Paris, and New York). The intensity of it all was at first overwhelming but over time it became easier and easier to digest and enjoy - it was like heaven. I cannot wait to read your next segment.....

New Lis Smith book interview: Lis Smith Loves Politics (If Not All Politicians) By Shawn McCreesh Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer; Photos: Getty Images There’s nobody more fun to get spun by than Lis Smith. A hard-rockin’, quick-draw political operative who, in her own telling, loves “some good trench warfare” and “to roll around in the mud,” she became famous for making Mayor Pete semi-plausible as a presidential candidate. She has a sharp answer for everything, and an unnerving nerviness. And yet … is she really tearing up when I ask her about working for Governor Cuomo during his auto-da-fé last year? “It’s hard for me to talk about,” she said, clenching her teeth and a bottle of Bud Light last Friday night at Barrow’s Pub, a dive bar near her apartment in the West Village. We were there to discuss Any Given Tuesday: A Political Love Story, her new book out Tuesday, July 19, which ends with her time attempting to advise Cuomo on communications. Not that he was listening. She knew going in that the job was “notoriously an exercise in masochism,” and contends that she got played by Cuomo. “He’s someone I cared for, I loved, I trusted, I viewed as a mentor, a father figure, and it breaks my heart,” she said, lower lip quivering. After the first blush of accusations against Cuomo, she’d stuck around because he swore he’d merely been “stupid” and that nothing else would emerge. The ground kept shifting as more women came forward. As Smith writes, “America’s governor was quickly turning into America’s asshole.” The eventual attorney general’s report on his sleazy behavior was the coup de Cuomo. Smith said it pains her to think of “the collateral damage of his actions, all the people who lost their jobs and had their reputation ruined. Frankly, I’m not one of them.” But some of that mud did splash back on her, I pointed out. Texts between Cuomo aides that were published as part of the attorney general’s report showed Smith bragging about how she worked over reporters. (In other words: She got caught doing her job.) Read one entry: “I’m texting w Katy tur. Katy is saying my spin live. Like verbatim on CNN.” Tur, who actually works for MSNBC, was furious about that. “That was taken completely out of context and was completely unfair to her,” Smith protested. “She was talking to Cuomo sources and I was a Cuomo source. She did nothing wrong. She did something people do every day of the week. That is her job. I do feel bad about that.” But Smith also had a spicy anecdote to drop: “In the last week or two of Cuomo’s governorship, when Cuomo was hemming and hawing and defying all his advisers about whether or not he should resign, Chris Christie confided in one of the advisers that he would personally get in his car and drive to Albany to get Andrew to resign.” (The two ex-govs are as tight as traffic on the GWB.) Smith, 39, has advised races for governor’s mansions (Terry McAuliffe; Jon Corzine), the Senate (Claire McCaskill), and the White House (Barack Obama; Pete Buttigieg). She grew up in Bronxville, just outside the city, the daughter of two lawyers deeply enmeshed in politics. She was inspired by the The War Room, the documentary about Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign that focuses on his strategists, James Carville and George Stephanopoulos. “That was, for me, why I wanted to get into this,” she said, “but let’s be real, it’s a very male movie.” That didn’t intimidate her much. Smith is comfortable in her own skin, drinking, smoking, swearing, and — when necessary — intimidating, all from behind her Gucci sunglasses, which she often wears inside for the same reason Anna Wintour is said to: so nobody can see what she is looking at. With Pete Buttigieg in April 2019. Photo: Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Smith writes that a presidential campaign is “unpredictable. It’s not like tracking a menstrual cycle and knowing the window when you’ll be most fertile or the day you need to carry tampons in your purse.” (I bet Karl Rove has never thought of it quite that way.) Male political operatives, she said, “are deified for being rakish and cursing and drinking and women are expected to be, like, school marms.” Sitting there in her black tee shirt and cutoff jean short-shorts while queuing up Johnny Cash and Guns N’ Roses on the jukebox, Smith looked like the farthest thing from a school marm. She’s fun — something that is in exceedingly short supply in today’s Democratic Party. She learned the strategic importance of fun from McAuliffe. “Republican leaders said the fact that he was relentless, the fact that he always invited them over for beers, made it easier for them to work with him,” she said. “We sometimes are perceived as the party of school monitors, but we don’t have to be, and there are a lot of people in our party who are not that way. I would say Joe Biden, especially, is not that way.” Maybe so, but Biden isn’t exactly winning over many Americans these days. And he’s walled off the press. “Biden is not the slickest, sharpest talker on the block, but he never has been,” she says. “That was always his appeal as Obama’s running mate. I worked as the campaign’s director of rapid response in 2012, and there was a yin-yang dynamic. At times, it could be frustrating, because in my job, I’d always have to clean up when he’d say, ‘Good morning, Pennsylvania,’ when he was in Ohio, or talk about Governor Tom Kaine when he meant Tim Kaine, but that’s part of his regular-guy appeal. Most people don’t speak in perfectly formed sentences.” She said Biden should get out there and “talk to people every day, let them know you feel their pain, you’re on top of it, you’re listening to them, and care less about what the D.C. media is saying about your style, and whether you won the day or not.” Perhaps she should go work for the White House. Somniferous Biden could use a doubleshot, and there are job openings, after all. Her passion for politics is clear, and sometimes, at least according to her book, this can get blurred into her feelings for the politicians too. When John Edwards first lost in 2004, she wrote about how she “sobbed uncontrollably. Edwards was my first political love. When his campaign ended, it hurt as badly as my first breakup.” At Dartmouth, she dated her professor, Jeff Smith, and then moved with him to Missouri when he ran for state senate. “I’d always been a little boy crazy,” Smith writes. After Eliot Spitzer resigned as governor, busted in a prostitution scandal, he ran for city comptroller in a splashy attempted comeback bid in 2013 and hired Smith. She fell hard, writing, “I was a goner the second I agreed to consult for him.” Their relationship became tabloid dynamite. The New York Post staked out her apartment, her parents’ house, and tracked the couple to Jamaica. It’s clear the scrutiny took its toll. She writes about developing insomnia, paranoia, picking up a Klonopin prescription and losing, for a while, her sense of self-confidence. After years spent shaping press for others, seeing herself slinking across the cover of the tabs was like looking into a funhouse mirror. “Every scandal needs its archetypal characters, and the role I’d been cast in was that of the conniving whore,” she writes. Particularly acute was the agony of explaining it all to her family: “Trust me — no dad or brother ever wants to hear the words, ‘I’m in love with Eliot Spitzer.” De Blasio, for whom she was a chief spokeswoman when he ran for mayor in 2013, fired her after news of her relationship with Spitzer became public. And she’s not forgiven him. She writes about the rising panic she felt when she first interviewed with de Blasio, realizing that “the likely incoming mayor of New York was childish, intellectually lazy, overconfident in his own abilities, and annoyingly condescending.” She describes him spewing pseudo-intellectualisms while sipping Chianti, his teeth stained purple. “I basically blacked out for the next ten minutes as he talked about everything from Fiorello La Guardia to Buddhism,” she writes, comparing him to the “gross unshowered guy in college who showed up to Philosophy 101 and hogged ten minutes of class time to yell about the necessity of seizing the means of production.” Smith writes how “disingenuous” her firing was, given that a top de Blasio aide — the incoming head of New York City’s Department of Investigation — had been emailing Spitzer repeatedly, begging for his support, writing in one email that “Bill and I were both wondering if you would be open to getting involved.” “I can see why de Blasio was pissed,” writes Smith. “Both of us had tried to get in bed with Eliot, but only one of us had been successful.” None of which aligns with how most politicians, or even their operatives, talk these days. But again, she’s no school marm. Post Me Too, workplace entanglements are verboten. But she has only so much patience for that. “My parents met at the workplace, when my dad was in a position of power over my mom,” Smith shrugged. “I dated my college professor. I dated a candidate I consulted for. In my case, I didn’t feel like there were any power dynamics, but I fully understand that other circumstances might be different.” The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” began to play in the bar. “I wanted this to be Pete’s campaign anthem,” she said, “but our campaign lawyer said it had Me Too undertones. We went with ‘High Hopes.’” She thinks Ron DeSantis could be a formidable 2024 contender. “To succeed in the Republican Party,” she said, “it’s not as much about ideological purity. Sometimes it’s more about how much you hate the people the Republican base hates. Christie got it, he hated public employees as much as the Republican base did. Trump hated immigrants as much as or more than the Republican base did. With DeSantis, it’s the experts, and he’s taken on the experts in the education field, the experts in the medical field. He combines it with a real working-class pedigree, and an Ivy League pedigree, and I think he’s figured out the right style, and the right Republican erogenous zones to hit with everything he does.” The Democratic backbench appears to be nonexistent. “We’ve got to look outside D.C., because voters can smell D.C. on politicians,” said Smith. “I think the future is found a lot of times in states and cities.” She’s been helping out the Michigan Democrat Mallory McMorrow. She also cites as stars the Cincinnati mayor Aftab Pureval, Colin Allred of Texas, and Ritchie Torres in the Bronx. Does she worry this book she’s written might torch future job prospects? “Sure, there are people who won’t hire me after reading it,” said Smith. “The decision I made was that, I don’t give a fuck. If you think I’m good at what I do, you’ll hire me. If this bothers you, then you weren’t worth my time anyway.”

Just popped in around 11:30 tonight and can verify that location change hasn't impacted bar much. It was so full that I couldn't even get a seat. Overjoyed to report a few guys still sporting jockstraps which I believe leads to clientele staying long after show has finished.

As an avid concert goer I have had the joy of hearing many of the world' great pianists, and many who are not quite at that level. Rarely do I come across one of whom I have never heard. But one who just recently came to my attention and whose pianism I find riveting is this young man who prefers to be called Cateen instead of his real name, Hayato Sumino. He's 26, has been playing the instrument since he was three and never had any formal training apart from lessons from his mother. Never went to a Conservatory or Music Academy, although he does now study classical music and jazz with some notable teachers. In Japan he is best known as a jazz pianist. Go to one of the world's best-known jazz bars, Blue Note Tokyo, and the chances are good that he will turn up and play for a while. The customers will go wild and won't let him go! To get an idea of his amazing technique, listen to this video in which he plays Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm" at 10 levels of difficulty. Almost unknown outside his native Japan other than to his huge number of youtube followers, Cateen came to world attention in September when he won a place in what is now arguably the world's greatest Piano Competition, the Chopin Competition in Warsaw held every 5 years. He sailed through three rounds but just missed out on a place in the final 8. As an example of his classical work, listen to this short fiendishly difficult Etude Opus 10 No. 1 by Chopin. It's not recorded in a formal concert hall and the piano is fractionally out of tune. But I think this young man is incredible and should be much better known. I am certain he can attract hoardes of youngsters to listen to classical and other musical genres.

I tended to use the following websites... vivalocal - probably the best all-rounder fatalmodel - I can spend a good hour just watching video's of guys twirl round in their undies - the most difficult for guys to register on skokka - I think this is the cheapest (free-est) one to advertise on... so you get a fair number of young students I'd echo everyone saying that the sauna is safest... followed by the love motel... But once I had enough confidence, I did venture to guy's apartments. I remember one place in POA, where he ushered me through a sitting room full of people to get the bedroom! So embarrassing. More memorable than the sex itself. Another thing about being in someone's bedroom, is that you'll probably have to endure a 10 minute conversation about Pabllo Vittar, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, working out, baseball caps, "tenis" shoes or hardship at the end. In SP, I often splash out on a pornstar/stripper/gogoboy... and you get to see some very different people once you're on their territory... one guy who wanted to dress up in all his costumes for me! (I just sat and took photographs)... another who told me how much disliked his work in porn ... and another who lived in such a hovel that I paid, made excuses and left.