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There are a lot of variables involved in answering that. It mainly depends on the time of year. During high season traffic often can get just as bad as Bangkok. But right now we're in the middle of low season. Except for rush hour the traffic is usually rather light and flows smoothly. The later the hour, the less the traffic. For example, I live on "The Dark Side", meaning the east side of Sukhumvit - technically not in Pattaya at all. If you're not familiar, Sukhumvit is the main highway through Pattaya. Pattaya begins and ends on the west side of Sukhumvit. If you cross Sukhumvit, you've just exited Pattaya. The name of my area is Nong Prue. If I'm going to Jomtien from my place, right now the drive usually takes about 15 or 20 minutes. During high season the exact same commute will usually take a minimum of 45 minutes, and often even longer than that. But returning home is hardly ever more than 15 minutes because by that time most of the traffic has cleared and not much traffic is headed out my way in the first place. If you're bringing a boy from Boyztown to Jomtien, then you most likely will be with him during the commute. So, I would recommend going by baht bus or a Grab car. Depending on traffic and where you're staying in Jomtien, the ride should take no more than ten or 15 minutes. But when it's time for him to go back, you're probably not going with him. Give him money enough for a motorbike taxi, which is much quicker and probably no waiting. He'll appreciate that. Of course, if he turns out to be a dud who won't live up to whatever he agreed to do, let him wait for a baht bus . . .

I would suggest a long stay > 1 year in Thailand before planning the final retirement to Thailand. I did my long stay for 1.5 years, and I decided it is not for me.

I use Bolt in Pattaya as do most people in Pattaya. It’s new so at the moment so a very reasonable price. A one way trip from Boyztown to Jomtien would be 60 baht. The service is very impressive and waiting times are always less than 5 minutes, often only one or two minutes. Use it while it’s a “loss leader”. A motor bike taxi is also 60 baht. So no contest, unless there are severe traffic problems.

I am not sure how they would revive the tourism industry? I think the main audience is still teenage girls all over Asia, but do they have the time & money for travelling to Thailand? It's easier to bring the boys to their countries and there are many fanboy/fangirl events all over Asia and I think the boys make a lot of money with them. Locally, the BL stars play a big part in the "skin & tooth whitening industry". They are basically grinning from every advertising screen all over the country. Their must be a huge lot of money behind!

"Kinn Porsche" seems to be a recent exception to this. There are quite steamy scenes, dirty jokes and even some SM scenes that still make me wonder how the passed the censorship. Can anyone who has seen KP explain me what they wanted to tell us with the relation between Pete and Vegas? And I wonder who is the main audience for this series, it cant be the Thai schoolgirls?

Enjoyed those trips down memory lane to 2009 Shamelessmack. I think that map of the Silom bars in 2022 merits its own thread, too!

The answer is both. It depends on how and why you would be in a rural area. After living in Thailand as long as I have, I can tell you the more Thai you learn to speak the better off you'll be. The ability to speak Thai usually is not absolutely imperative when traveling to a rural area, even if you are traveling alone, but it certainly helps. You might be surprised by how many people, even in those areas, who can speak at least a little bit of English. Think about the bar boys who speak enough English to get by. Where do you think they got it? I think I speak Thai quite well. When I travel to a rural area I don't have any problems communicating. I can speak it well enough and I can understand it well enough. But I've never even tried to learn to read it. I've never found it necessary. Almost everywhere signs and even restaurant menus are in both Thai and English. Most of the time if I travel to a rural area it is with a boy. No problem communicating with him, but if we're visiting family and/or friends, without the ability to speak a good amount of Thai you won't be able to communicate very much with them. You certainly won't be able to participate in conversations and you'll spend much of the time feeling left out. You know why? Because you'll be left out. If you're retiring in Thailand, but don't plan to live in a major city, I would definitely advise spending much of at least your first year attending Thai language classes or hiring a good tutor. You'll learn enough of the basics to be able to pick up a vast amount of the language on your own. Just as important, don't forget that Thai is a tonal language. You'll need to work on getting the tones right. A lot of farang have a quite a bit of trouble with the tones, but without getting them right many Thais won't understand what you're trying to say. I can't stress strongly enough how important it is. And remember that most of the time if the word is more than one syllable, the emphasis is usually on the last syllable. Even if you're going to live in a major city, I would still advise language lessons. The more Thai you can speak and understand the easier life will be and the more meaningful life will be. I know several farang who retired to Thailand, but eventually gave up and went back to wherever they came from mainly because of the language barrier. They never made a good effort to learn the language. If it is going to be a few years before you retire to Thailand, I would recommend starting Thai language lessons wherever you are. The more you know even before retiring the better off you'll be. The same, by the way, goes even if you only travel to Thailand for holidays. The more you know, the better.

Once again, I find myself in admiration of the way Numazu expresses his thoughts, when he wrote in his 12 July 2022 post (in page 1 of thread: Bangkok Trip Report 2022: The wait is over. What was I waiting for?): He gave me an idea then, but it's taken me a while to get it done. In addition to creating a new map of the area showing gogo bars and massage parlours that are open post-Covid, I have also retrieved some old posts that illustrate what Numazu was saying about the contrast between what there is in Patpong 2 and what there was in Soi Twilight. As with most of the my reports, I record the prices too, and some might find it interesting to see what prices were 13 or 14 years ago when Soi Twilight was in its heyday. www.shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog The specific post with the new map: https://shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog/2022/08/01/memory-lane-and-a-new-silom-surawong-map-july-2022/

I have put up a new map at https://shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog/2022/08/01/memory-lane-and-a-new-silom-surawong-map-july-2022/ You will need to scroll down to the bottom of the post to see it. Hope it's useful to you.

I just saw another post where the poster was saying he was retiring to Pattaya in September. Now this question has been thrown around the gay forums for years and of course many of the original farang expats are no longer with us. The "latest" gay farangs of course to retire will be more wealthier however is it just me but I have noticed my last few months there is far far less gay farangs retiring to pattaya,no idea about Bangkok but far less gay resident expats in my opinion So this is my update, I just spent several months in Thailand, particularly in Pattaya to see if I still had that "urge" to settle down there forever like I used to want to when I worked hard and all the overtime I could to save enough money for that "exciting retirement" Fast forward 25 years and sadly it seems going by my last few months in Pattaya I no longer have that urge or excitement to retire here in Pattayail,I'm not ruling out other parts just Pattaya now doesn't do it for me Its a combination of things, unfortunately I tend to reminisce over old times and what Pattaya used to be like, walking thru the old Sunee recently I had memories after looking at the old Top man go go ,the exciting & busy times there etc, Michael who used to own it,memories bar ,the old farang expats who used to talk chat laugh with The boys who were more Boyfriend material entertainment,rather than the business like boys nowadays. It's no longer like that,well to me anyway,yes I know times change 25 years on and now near retirement I cannot see any reason to retire there,the boys are drying up and more than ever " businesslike" with one even sending me a written quote for his services on grinder and times of service etc. The beer bars I can no longer relate to,I find a few farang owned great where you can communicate with other farangs but most seem Thai owned and uninteresting . Unfortunately I suffer with "it's not like it used to be" syndrome. I find most things in the supermarket etc just as expensive if not more expensive than my own country eg cheese& coffee. But what confirmed it was talking a gay farang in a beer bar who had been here 2 years who was "lonely".He was thinking of going back to the UK as he had his daughter there. He spent his days living in a jomtien condo near the complex and was ,in his words,"bored" He had no friends it seems or should I say "real friends" just seemed to be the other gay farangs attending daily the beer bars he would say hello to.On asking if he had a BF he said no you cannot find a real BF here and I believe he is right. Talking to him gave me that extra thought that it's too early yet and with risk to retire there without having any "support'. Support meaning someone who is a genuine friend, someone who notices you not around etc ,support when you get sick I imagined what my scenario could be 62yo ,then retire to pattaya,I'm still gym fit & relatively healthy. So I would rent a condo probably near jomtien complex and spend my days doing what? Maybe going to gym like I did, massages etc but the days start to get boring, missing family back home, etc Visiting bars? Hiring the services of male prostitutes who want to go as quick as possible,then what? That got bored for me. Watch tv ? I would be bored too and very lonely . Obviously age makes a difference too,if I was 75 instead of 62,it may be more inclination to retire to pattaya but once again where do you get that support if you need it in sickness etc What some guys cannot fathom is you will no longer be a guy on a 2 week holiday chasing arse or dick, you will be living there and you will grow tired of it . You will find the boys working will become disinterested in you as you no longer use their services as much as a 2 week millionaire and they stop contacting you on Grindr etc You will sit most nights in your condo watching tv bored shitless, you will go out during some days to beer bars just to talk to someone. You will be alone the majority of your time unless you hire the services of company who want to most times leave asap anyway I can't do it at this stage of my life ,I prefer to continue working and travel each year . One thing that could change that though is if I had a very genuine Thai boyfriend and I don't mean a paid boyfriend who works in a bar I mean a real lover , someone you can move there for and live with . But at this stage guys I would say be very hesitant to jump into something such as retirement to Pattaya and finding out your more lonely than ever! Suffering depression being away from family,living by yourself in a high rise condo would be no fun with no network support wouldn't be fun, and to be brutally honest with you I have heard there have been far more negative stories of farangs retiring to pattaya particularly gay farangs than positive,that's why you see so many going back after trialling it for a few months It wasn't what they imagined, I doubt any like me on here will admit that though,that they didn't like it here full time , I do,I couldn't cut it guys,living in that jomtien condo everyday ,not at this stage of my life, it got boring,I got lonely ,I felt like I had no support,I wanted love after a while, someone to care for and he cared by, the moneyboys,that's what they call themselves nowadays, weren't people I could relate to,times change I guess ,but maybe some day I can get my spark back when Pattaya comes back I guess but not this time, I'm going back home

The Grand Centre Point Space Pattaya will be flinging its doors open on Monday and promises to become a new bright landmark in this eastern seaside town. Kitti Worrabanpott, managing director of LH Mall & Hotel, said his company has high hopes of Pattaya City becoming an international tourist destination, which is why it decided to spend more than 3 billion baht on building this hotel. Besides, Pattaya is just an hour from Bangkok and offers beautiful seaside vistas as well as plenty of sightseeing venues. The hotel built by LH Mall & Hotel also includes a massive space-themed water amusement park. The space theme has been applied to not just the exterior, but also the interiors, the landscape and the amusement park. The hotel boasts of two restaurants – the Orbit and Sola Luna Rooftop – and the Oort Cloud tearoom. It also has the Space Convention Centre that can accommodate 1,000 people and a massive LED display. Paveen Korbboon, from Palmer and Turner (Thailand) which created the design and architecture, said the space travel theme was applied to every facility in the hotel. For instance, he said, the hotel’s roof and front look like a space shuttle from afar, while rooms sport digital displays of fields of stars. Boonchai Sakulthammarat, from Green Architects which designed the landscape and waterpark, said his company was given free rein to convert 80,000 square metres of space into a space-themed extravaganza. He said a light-and-sound show is held every night to take people on a flight through space. The hotel has 490 rooms and suites between 45 and 133sqm in size. The Space Water Park, meanwhile, is divided into four areas, namely the Mountain Zone, Flying Rock Zone, Space Pirate Beach Zone and Planet Zone.

From Vietnam News By Lê Mai Pu Sam Cáp Cave in Pu Sam Cáp Commune, Sìn Hồ District, in the northwestern province of Lai Châu, is known for its wild, beautiful and mysterious beauty. Known as the most beautiful cave in the northwest, it is about 6km west of central Lai Châu City at 1,700m above sea level. To get to the cave, visitors have many means. However, passenger cars are still favoured because of their safety and low cost. In Hà Nội, visitors can go to Mỹ Đình coach station or Giáp Bát coach station and take a car to Lai Châu. When reaching the centre of Lai Châu City, they can take a taxi or motorbike taxi to Pu Sam Cáp. In the Thái ethnic language, Pu Sam Cáp means three large mountains overlapping. This is a complex of more than 10 large and small caves that were just recently discovered, of which the three main caves are Thiên Môn (Heaven Gate), Thiên Đường (Paradise) and Thủy Tinh (Glass). The wonder of the cave system is a sleeping beauty set deep in the forest. According to experts, the cave’s pristine beauty can be compared to any previously recognised cave, such as Phong Nha - Kẻ Bàng in Quảng Bình Province, Thiên Cung Grotto in Quảng Ninh Province, and Ngườm Ngao Cave in Cao Bằng Province. Continues with photos at https://vietnamnews.vn/gallery/1272550/pu-sam-cap-cave-the-hidden-charm-of-lai-chau.html

Slot Machine also did well with the theme song on the KP soundtrack. There's an English version and a Thai version. I may have to make some time for this series. You're right about the skincare products. Dunk is all over the place with his many endoresements.

What the hell is a stap-on?

Well not really. If you sold your house in farangland wherever that may be ,and make Thailand your home then it's going to be expensive to go back to your own country unless you had somewhere to stay cheaply.

What makes you hope this? Hotels, at least in Thailand, have been ridiculously cheap for the last 2 years and are probably only back to 80% of prepandemic price level. I wouldn't expect them to lower again. Flight prices now are higher than before Covid but why would they go down with all those fuel crisis, co2 crisis etc? What am I overlooking?

Many of those posting on this topic are so fond of their own views, suspicions and belief they should apply to become cabinet members in the foreign policy arena.😆

Yes not a good idea to sell up everything in your own home country and then be left with nothing if Shit hits the fan.

A great option if noisy families and organized tourist groups is your fetish.

Yes I will try not to be so ambitious but yeah I may pop by jomtien to get a feel of the place if time permit. As our professor of orgy-cology taught on the art of offs, I may get busy at night. After all it is the witching hour hehe

Lifemiles has a notoriously bad search engine that may be contributing to the lack of available seating you are finding if the itinerary is at all complex (2+ segments). If you can find it available on Aeroplan or another Star Alliance carrier, try searching for it segment-by-segment on Lifemiles (specifying the specific airline as well as “Star Alliance” if you don’t initially see it) and email them for a manual booking if you can find the individual flights, using the process outlined here: https://frequentmiler.com/when-lifemiles-com-shows-no-availability-try-a-manual-booking/ I imagine you’ll want to burn your Lifemiles before dipping into AmEx points, but for future travel to Bangkok one other avenue you might want to explore is ANA’s “around the world” ticket. You could fly IAD-NRT on ANA/United, NRT-BKK on ANA/Thai, BKK-FRA on Thai/Lufthansa, and FRA-IAD on Lufthansa/United all for 115,000 ANA miles in business class. https://www.ana.co.jp/en/us/amc/partner-flight-awards/around-the-world/ I love helping to put award itineraries together so feel free to DM next time you are booking a trip 😀

My belief is that your idea is very good advice. Spend some time checking Thailand out before making a commitment to set up life here. Certainly before buying a condo and any real property because, let's face it, that is a major financial commitment that is not easy to get out of.

Chatting with a friend in Bogotá today and there was another victim last week. That puts the count at 11. Sadly this victim was known to several his close friends in Medellín. Of note -- all of the men are believed to have "met" the killer through hookup Apps -- but there are inconsistencies as to which App was used. Food for thought.

Just a thought. Retiring in thailand or pattaya specifically doesnt mean u are stuck there. The same way u are travelling for few months now to thailand, u could very well do the opposite when u make thailand your base. If this is the case, would anyone here feel changing your base to thailand easier?

Physique-wise, you should be able to get someone like that from BoyzBoyzBoyz. However, nearly everyone has huge tattoos, so you need to adjust your criteria. BoyzBoyzBoyz audience is now maybe 40-50 female, so it can be hard to get a boy's attention. Alternatively, similar boys *may* be found at A-bomb on the Soi next to Boyztown. But fewer boys available there. As for massage, Paradise (same Soi as A-bomb, I think) may be your best bet but I didn't look closely, so not too sure. There's also Scandic massage in the Boyztown Soi, but the few times I have tried years ago, the service was hopeless and a waste of money. For your preferences, forget Jomtien. Stay in/ near Boyztown. Forget Sunnee. It's on life support. Even then, barely.

But they were going to give you a free upgrade to the "I Love Thailand" suite.🙂

Or maybe it could get dark down there Or maybe car motors not powerful enough for upgrade. Or maybe cars could run out of gas. Or maybe they'll be a leak. Or maybe drivers will be too frightened to use it. Or maybe they sky will fall and break it. 😗

Of you only 24 hrs I suggest to focus on Boyztown area as chances of finding guys you like are bit higher. Paradise spa should provide massage boys. Sunee is easy 10 minutes walk Next day you can have massage in one of numerous shops in Jomtien Complex before you jump onto airport bus , station easy walk from Complex

More boys to choose from in jomtien complex,however .....the "tops" are mostly in Boyztown. Massage areas jomtien complex full of boys massage shops (twink types) I guess depending on the length of your holiday, you can spend a week in jomtien complex and a week up at Boyztown

Those are some really good points about who the stories focus on, but they're not documentaries, they're soap operas. So they reflect the same sorts of people as most soap operas do. Most of the more mainstream programs also seem to be relatively chaste, frankly. Everyone gets excited if the characters share a kiss. Shows that are more steamy seem to be a little more difficult to come by. I wonder if all of those pretty GMM actors would be up for more sexy scenes? Would all of those female viewers be interested in more erotic scenes? Or is it just us old gays who want that? 🙂 Many of the stories get a little same-y too and we could use some more creativity. I follow a few of those actors on social media. They seem to do quite a few shopping mall appearances and some of them are spokesmodels for various brands. And some fancy themselves as singers. It's very teen idol/Tiger Beat. I guess too much sex might hurt their personal brands.

From The Guardian Thailand’s gay-romance TV dramas help revive flagging tourism industry A scene from I Told Sunset About You – one of the ‘boy-love’ series that has attracted a large following across Asia. Photograph: Nadao Bangkok There is a table in Soontaree Thiprat’s Phuket cafe that is always fully booked. Most of her customers at the Dibuk restaurant want to sit in the corner, at the spot with the red tablecloth and purple flower. It is the table where the male student characters Teh and Oh-aew, played by the actors Putthipong “Billkin” Assaratanakul and Krit “PP” Amnuaydechkorn, would sit together and flirt in I Told Sunset About You and its sequel, I Promised You the Moon, a romantic Thai series that has proved hugely popular in its home country and abroad. Devoted fans of the show, who have flocked not only from across Thailand but also from Japan, Korea and Vietnam, pose for photos as they wait to dine in Billkin and PP’s hangout. “They scream so much that I would like to call an ambulance,” said Soontaree. I Told Sunset About You is part of a recent wave of Thai dramas known as “boys’ love” (BL) – also called the “Y” series in Thailand– whose portrayal of gay romance has attracted a large following across Asia. Already, 17 Thai BL series have been released this year, while 43 were released in 2020 and 2021, according to the fan website Blwatcher.com. The romcom drama series 2gether, one of the BL genre’s biggest hits, surpassed 100m views on the streaming platform Line TV just months after its release. As Thailand tries to rebuild its travel industry, the country’s tourism authority has sought to capitalise on their popularity, hosting “Thai BL” booths at a recent marketing event in Osaka, Japan, where the dramas are especially popular, and running a Japanese-language Twitter account profiling locations featured in famous scenes. Private firms have also responded to the trend. Japanese company HIS recently ran online tours of locations used in the filming of 2gether, while some Thai language teachers have also begun offering lessons that specialise in the slang used in BL dramas. Monruethai Harada, a Thai language teacher at Jaya & 3S Groups in Tokyo, said she has seen a 20-30% increase in students wanting to learn Thai after BL dramas became popular in 2020. Most of them are women aged about 30, though one recent student was 75 years old. “She really loves to watch the boys’ love dramas. She said it’s the most exciting and thrilling ever,” said Monruethai. While BL has its roots in Japanese manga comics, Thai production companies have transformed the genre by adapting it for TV and producing a flurry of popular series, said Rujirat Ishikawa, assistant professor at the School of Cultural and Creative Studies, based in Tokyo’s Aoyama Gakuin University. “In the past, I don’t think people believed there was a big market for the boys’ love dramas,” she said. Thai BL dramas first boomed in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. “Because of Covid, [people] had plenty of time,” said Ishikawa. In Japan, similar TV series are usually only accessible to viewers who have a paid subscription but Thai broadcasters are more relaxed about uploading content online, said Ishikawa. “[Audiences] just say: ‘We watch it on YouTube, it’s free, why not?’” Fans often add subtitles in their languages so that others can also enjoy the dramas.“You can see the internet power here and how it spreads,” said Ishikawa, adding that most fans are drawn to the series by the attractive male actors, the often happy story lines and the music. For Thailand’s struggling tourism industry, the popularity of the dramas is welcome news, though commenters point out that the Thai government, despite talk of building the country’s soft power abroad, has struggled to embrace the genre. “Initially, the Thai state appeared to be in an awkward position about the broadcast of Thai BL drama via traditional mediums like free TV channels,” said Poowin Bunyavejchewin, senior researcher at the Institute of East Asian Studies at Thammasat University in Bangkok. “Yet man has to eat. The Thai state needs money. It is as simple as that.” The majority of BL series are shown in Thailand on alternative platforms that link with smartphones, such as Line TV, added Poowin, which “may ease the concerns of Thai conservatives, as sweet erotic love between young men has not been highly visible to them”. Nor has it interfered with the traditional soap operas broadcasting on free TV channels. But some in the LGBT community have mixed feelings about the dramas. BL offers a happier, more positive portrayal of same-sex relationships than elsewhere in Thai media, where gay love tends to end in tragedy, said Kangwan Fongkaew, a lecturer at Burapha University in Chonburi province, who has studied the representation of LGBT communities in Thai media. But while this is in some ways refreshing, BL dramas do not offer true representations of society. They are generally focused on “puppy love” and omit the realities faced by gay men in Thailand, which still does not have basic rights such as equal marriage, said Kangwan. Viewers, added Kangwan, “might misunderstand that Thailand is a gay paradise, which is totally not true”. The leading characters are also predominantly light-skinned, middle class and educated, he said: “The boys’ love series don’t reflect the real diversity of the LGBT community in Thai society, and that’s why the stigma and discrimination against LGBT are still going on right now.” But he also believes the dramas could bring change, especially if their portrayals of same-sex love become more nuanced or political: “I am still hopeful.”

I retired/left the workforce 10 yrs ago at 48 yrs old. It was between Mexico and Bangkok where I wanted to move to, Pattaya was out of the question, is great to visit but I couldn't imagine living there. The more I looked into in, Mexico was the clear winner. Easier to get residency and no reporting BS and no keeping money in their banks. Once a resident in Mexico the only thing you have to report to immigration is any change of address. I built an impressive house that would cost millions in the USA.....Also, is less than a 2 hr flight back to the US if I needed to.....almost 2 yrs ago I needed to have my gallbladder removed and flew to Boston. Merida has great hospitals and Doctors, however, I'd prefer a Boston hospital over international hospitals when having the choice. I got a little bored after a couple of years and opened a NY Style Pizzeria.....that has kept me more than busy. In countries like Mexico or Thailand, having even a small business like this makes you sort of a celebrity. You hear "he's the owner" just like in Thailand, he's the owner carries big weight. My family isn't close and most of my friends have family and careers, so I hardly saw them. I hang around with almost exclusively locals between 18-35 and it makes me feel/look younger than I am. Plus Spanish is much easier to learn than Thai .....😝 I could imagine if I did go to BKK, I'd open a business there too....the bureaucracy in both places are stupid, but not impossible to overcome. I did all my own documents and even have a liquor license, all done without any bribes. Merida is in Mexico but corruption, although it exists, isn't as bad as other parts of Mexico or probably Thailand. I read somewhere that 72% of Americans live in or close to the city they were born in. I lived in Florida for 10 years and is a very transient state, many people end up going back to where they came from....moving internationally is a huge move and with a change of language, culture and politics, isn't for everyone.

Thanks, Olddaddy, for your brutal honesty. The issue of aging and loneliness is something I believe all gay men have to come to terms with at some point. It seems to be happening now for you. Some on the forum have found a life partner and that affects their decision to retire to Thailand. Others find that they're simply happier in Thailand than they are in their home country. But for most of us, Thailand remains a frequent destination but not our home base. It has crossed my mind to retire to bkk but I wouldn't consider it unless I could first master the language. Learning any new language is more difficult with age but still possible if you're adequately motivated. I'm not and I can't envision a life in Thailand without being able to communicate in Thai. If you're seeking boyfriend material, maybe just start looking for friends first. Friendships can have a way of turning into more meaningful relationships over time. But if you begin by limiting your field of candidates to sexual contacts, you may find that the relationships never grow beyond that point. In any case, you're still a relatively young old man. You have a right to a happy future and I wish you well on your journey.

Day 7.5: The Dreamers You know you’re getting old when you start reminiscing about the old days. And for me the old days were way back in… 2014. OK, I know that that’s not even 10 years ago, but that’s the year I first started going to Bangkok and started to darken the doors of its illustrious boy bars. Back then, Soi Twilight was in full swing (at least from what I saw), Tawan and Jupiter were both off-Soi choices I would visit, and Moonlight didn’t even exist yet. And back then, we didn’t need a New Twilight, as the old one was more than enough. Dream Boy on Soi Twilight was a standout for me. That neon sign alone was iconic. This was my impression of it way back in 2016: It seemed to be always full on weekends. The touts may have something to do with it, as they were ever present in the Soi, literally pulling indecisive people from the street to plop them onto DreamBoy’s seats. Inside, I’ve always thought old DreamBoy’s layout was the most ideal for optimal viewing of what was going onstage. Since the setup was “arena theater”-style, the audience almost did not have a bad viewing angle, and the shows were optimized for viewing of this kind of stage. But of course the greatest of structures is nothing if the main attraction is inferior. The fact that there was great variety in the boys here, often in skimpy white briefs, and with the seating the way it was, you can be up close and personal with balls in your face. I’ve spent so many nights searching for Mister Right Now in this bar. Oh the memories. --- As Tiago and I make our way to the gay area of Patpong 2, I only had to show my face to my usual mamasan at Dream Boy to be automatically led to the premises of the club. The club was almost full on a Saturday night, but miraculously there were nice seating close to where most the staff were sitting, with the mamasan shooing the staff currently sitting so we can claim the seat. Regular coke and rum and coke – it was fine, not too strong or weak. We got in just in time for a last glimpse of the boys on offer and before the coyotes terrorized the stage. There was a lot of boys, maybe 40, and a great variety as well, as in the old days. There were twinks, and hunks, and everything else in between. They were in jeans, which was less ideal, but beggars can’t be choosers. I see a few boys I’ve offed in the past, which is always a comfort knowing that they have toughed it out through the pandemic and able to continue with this life. There was a tall hunk (handsome, white skin, abs) who was model-like and was even better looking than any of the Moonlight or Jupiter boys. He got snapped up very quickly by a rotund Asian guy up front. The coyotes came, which was fine. “All girls,” Tiago said, as he thought the dancers were to feminine acting for his taste. I didn’t mind them, but no one was attractive to me. I’ve always thought the big column in the middle was an unfortunate fact in the club. It's probably load-bearing, so they can't do anything about it, but still, it's fairly awkward to have it obscuring the center of the stage. Though, it was ingenious for them to put a platform around the column so that it can be used for numbers. But boys and other numbers who end up behind the column would be unseen, and depending on where you were seated, you would miss some of the action if the column obscured your angled view. Far cry from the seating of the Twilight days, but this is what we have now. The drag queens were actually pretty good. Gone was the slapstick skits that were a trademark before, but now they just have the traditional lip-syncing goddesses that are staples of clubs all over. The numbers in general were pretty slick and choreographed, like it was before. I recognized the star of Dream Boy, still here after all this year, maybe looking a little older, but still hot as before, dancing his heart out like his life depended on it. I used to dream about how it was to off him, now, not so much. How my tastes have changed. Probably the highlight of the night, and possibly because Tiago was so entertained by it, was the fuck show. I recognize the bottom and I’ve seen him do this a thousand times before, but the top was new to me, and very handsome and had a good dick for topping. The fuck show was always more spectacle than erotic for me, and I am impressed by the dexterity needed to pull off some of the moves. It was all impeccably choreographed, fairly acrobatic, and Tiago is amazed that after all this impressive acrobatics, the cock doesn’t seem to leave the asshole at any point of the number. The pair then makes their rounds around the room, searching for tips. When the fucking pair gets to us, Tiago implores me to get out some baht as tip. 100 baht. When the boys are back onstage, it was time for me to choose if there was anyone to off tonight. There were a few possibilities, and one old off who, once he recognized me, tried to get my attention all night. I then feel Tiago’s head on my shoulder, as he yawned. I laughed. I asked him was he sleepy. He said he was just yawning. I asked him if anyone onstage was to his liking. He took a look, and then put his head on my shoulder again. “Up to you,” he says in Portuguese, which gave me a little chuckle. "Up to you," in Portuguese lands differently for me. “What do you want to do?” I ask him. He sits up at attention, and smiles his million watt smile. “I want ice cream!” he says. I laugh. That actually sounded better than the smorgasbord that was before us. Oh no, I have changed as well. I do not feel the same sense of urgency of offing, and fucking as I have before. Or maybe because I’ve cum three times today already, twice with Tiago, and once with the Tawan twosome, so maybe I deserve this ice cream. Overall, this club holds a lot of promise. The premises were nice, the numbers were entertaining, and the boys great looking. I'll put a pin on this club for now, and will take advantage of its delights at a future date. We then go to the famous 7 Eleven at CP Tower across Silom Soi 4, where a lot of gay cruising happens. Tonight was no different, as some young Bangkok-ians were checking Tiago out. But we were there for ice cream. And after two Magnum chocolate ice cream bars later, we walk back to the apartment. No Dream Boy for me tonight, as the one with me is very very real. My last day, next post…

Day 7.25: The T in Thailand is for Threesome I’d say I’m usually up for things I’ve never done before. Whatever it is, if it sounds good, I won’t hesitate, and will just say yes. If I overthink it, I’ll just psyche myself out. That’s how I felt about the threesome with two Tawan men. The Tawan men, with big bulging muscles and the bravado that goes with it, in my experience, does not translate to particularly mind-blowing sex. This is subjective of course, and you might be all-in to what the hypermasculine have to offer, but I have the most luck with guys with just a tinge of gay in them. On the average, Tawan guys are not these, with a few exceptions, of course. And this is the first time I'm going to have a threesome with Tawan men. It's hard enough to get any threesome happen in other boy bars, let alone Tawan. But it was a situation where both men approached me first, showed some interest in making me feel comfortable, and made the suggestion of the threesome to me instead of me to them. It hasn’t even crossed my mind to have this in Tawan. I usually get just one guy and feast on him for the night. And the quality of sex has been uneven. Some have wowed me and do full on kissing and foreplay, others just insist on a muscle worship session and won’t initiate or be passionate. Probably because this is the mystique of the bar, and probably because most of them are straight. The two that I hired were the classic Tawan type. Even their profile pics on Line are of them competing in bodybuilding contests – all tan and oily and muscly. Not necessarily Tiago’s type. He is bowing out of this off for now. As he has newly acquired fighting gear to try on and admire, that will keep him busy while I am busy. I’ve been getting Line messages from both earlier in the day and closer to 5 pm. They both asked the address, and confirming our 5PM rendezvous. Tawan guy #2: Tawan Guy #1 Fairly professional communication. And at close to 5 PM I got a call from one of them asking for directions, as they were already closeby and wanted to confirm the address. They were on time, a very good sign. I told them I’d meet them at the curb so they know where to go. As I step out of the main gate of the AirBNB I was staying in, I see two big motorcycles, with big muscular dudes on them, literally a house away from me. I wave to them, and they look relieved that they weren’t lost. They parked in front of the gate, and followed me in to the house. You always get a different vibe whenever you see a bar boy in full street clothes. They were both in shorts, and wearing matching big Nike tennis shoes. 1 was in a fitting t-shirt, with his muscles bulging through the sleeves, and 2 was in a sleeveless shirt with biceps and arm veins prominently displayed. They lumber through the door and take off their shoes, another good sign, and survey the living room where Tiago, shirtless and trying out his boxing gloves, was. “Two?” 2 asks, pointing to me and him. “No, just me,” I laugh. They didn’t expect a foursome for sure, so I eased their confusion. “Boyfriend!” Tiago then exclaims, in English, standing up, pointing to himself. We weren’t really boyfriends, but I don’t mind when Tiago does this, perhaps to show that we are together, in case there was funny business planned by the two. He pointed with a gloved hand to himself, perhaps to further drive the point that he can mess these two up if need be. Not that there was any need for that. Tiago is just very protective when it comes to what he feels needs his care. “You do Muay Thai?” 1 asks Tiago. Translation was needed. Both Tawan guys got a kick out of Tiago. 1 asks where the bedroom would be, so I lead both to the room, and both take turns showering. As I already have showered, I hang out with Tiago until I see 2 in a towel. 2 is actually pretty talkative, telling us about his travels throughout Asia, selling his muscles all over. He said he has a hard time picking up other languages, and he has at least English to lean on, though it is not spoken in all the cities he has gone to. 1 now emerges in his own towel, and we go into the bedroom and I bid goodbye to Tiago. I was invited by both to strip down, as both take off their towels to reveal their moneymakers. 2 had some oil, and told me we can start by some light massage. The shoulder massage I got from the two last night, was continued, now with both hands touching my whole body. It wasn’t a massge per se, but it was a way for the sex to start, and it was effective. 2 was directing the whole tableau, as he instructed 1 on what to do, who is now super hard, with a nice thick cock, so feed me his cock, while 1 continued with using his hands all over me, and his tongue to play with my nipples, as he did last night. I was laying on my back, and 1 feeds his cock to me, as he offers up his body to my wandering hands. There was a lot of nice things to touch, as he had a a great ass, giant thighs, and a nice penis. 1 took a break from the pleasuring to wash his hands. After a while he came back hard as well, as he joins 1 with my wandering hands and mouth. Now it was his turn. He was smaller than 1, but he had big muscles and almost no body fat. After a few turns on foreplay on my part, 2 then again goes back to me to jack me off, while 1 continues to press his body against me. It wasn’t long till I came, all thanks to 2. 2 gets a towel to wipe away any of my spillage. And then 2 goes on to take a shower, as 1 stay behind with a still hard cock. I cuddle beside him, grasping his cock, as I talk to him about the night ahead – he’s heading to Tawan after this as it was a Saturday and it’s going to be a good night to work. A few more cuddles and 2 was done and it was 1’s turn to shower. I excuse myself to shower in the other bathroom. 2 stays behind in bed. Tiago at this point was shadow boxing, all sweaty and worked out wearing his new gear. “Good fighting,” 2 said, as he emerges from the bedroom, with 1 behind him. I give them what is owed, 2000 baht each, and no pleas for more money, which I expected but it did not come. They put on their shoes and asked me to see them at Tawan tonight. I say maybe, I’ll think about it. They find their motorcycles and off they go to probably eat. I just realized that aside from my alone time with Tiago, I’ve only had Threesomes with bar boys here in Bangkok. This must be a first. Tiago asks me about the off. I tell him it was fine, but I didn’t expect it to be as bed-shattering as how I usually prefer it. He asks me why I even wanted it, since he knows how I like it, knowing me very well by now. I tell him that sometimes I want the feel of a man’s body next to me, without the urgency of passion. It can be passionate sometimes, but the appreciation of other men’s bodies was the primary goal. “I don’t get it,” he says, as he takes off his shorts. “I’m super sweaty and taking a shower.” Two bouncy cheeks trailed him. I ask, “Do you want company?” “Come,” he says. I guess he was going to show me how I really liked it. After cumming twice in a row, I just needed a nap, which made us almost late to have time to have dinner and then a boy bar. But if one is pressed for time, one would only have to go to Foodland Patpong to have a decent and quick dinner, for cheap. It never disappoints. We taxi it to Patpong, first to Foodland, and then walk to our next boy bar… which ones do we have left to go to?

Day 7: In the heat of shopping I can’t believe it. After two and a half years of waiting, and finally being able to travel to Thailand, here I am, down to my last two full days in the Land of Smiles. It might not be a traditional visit, as I have Tiago by my side, but it was nice to see the old haunts. We still had some things we needed to do, and one of them had to do with shopping – mine looking for bargains and Thai-specific items that I’ve missed for 2 and half years, and Tiago some fighting gear he will need for the months ahead. Thailand is many things, but finding cheaper goods in the nooks and crannies of Thailand is certainly one thing that I’ve missed. On the subject of shopping, Tiago was sent a list of shops that the part-owner of the his gym recommended: I looked at the list and saw that some of these were in Chatuchak Market, the legendary outdoor market in Bangkok. Which was good, because it will give us a chance to visit the market after all these years, plus it will also satiate my shopping urges. I look at the map and yes, here they are: After a hearty breakfast at Coffee Club, we take the BTS using the Silom Line and then the Sukhumvit Line to the Mo Chit station. Leaving the station to walk to the market itself, we get a generous helping of Bangkok’s unfortunate heat and humidity. Perhaps this would be good to do earlier in the morning, when it is less like the surface of the sun, but we are both creatures of pleasure, and getting out of bed was a struggle. Regardless, we are here, basking in the infamous Bangkok heat, about to partake in an outdoor activity. Chatuchak Market is always a nice alternative to the traditional malls in Bangkok. I’m sure there is some logic to how everything was organized here, but the beauty for me about Chatuchak is how seemingly random everything is laid out, and how I find the stuff I want is always purely by chance. I have a mental note of roughly what I want to get, but basically I am content with wandering aimlessly in the market, buying stuff if I see it, and if the price is right. I am not beyond haggling, and actually look forward to it. I always leave with a healthy number of plastic bags with little things that I’ve found along the way. The experience is not without challenges though. The heat is part of the experience, but it is doubly challenging with a mask on at all times. I’m thinking part of it is ultimately performative, part of it is probably mitigating the spread of the virus, but I am at least more than willing to take part in it, if it makes the locals feel safer about me being around them. They are all mostly masked as well, so if its good enough for them, it’s good enough for me. When in Rome and all that. Unfortunately, the two stores selling Muay Thai gear were both closed when we got there, with the storefronts shut and a peak inside the stores revealed scant inventory. A casualty of the pandemic perhaps? I’d imagine 2 years of little to no tourist foot traffic in the market takes a toll eventually. I do notice other empty stalls as well. I feel bad for the locals who could not make it work and hold on until things got better, so I feel even better being here and doing my part to help the economy by spending my modest coin here. We still had one Muay Thai store left in the list that we could try, and it was sort of close to the MRT Line. Luckily Chatuchak also had an MRT Station next to it, Chatuchak Park. We head over to the station, and we were surprised that there was a full blown shopping mall at the station, and we continued our shopping there, albeit in more comfortable confines (they had air conditioning, for example). One of the finds of the trip was actually at a Starbucks in the mall, and this old-school Thailand mug, which design I prefer from the more modern mugs: After a good lunch at the mall, we make our way to the MRT, and a few stations later we get to the store called Super Export Shop. We were relieved to see that it was open, since we came out all this way. They actually had a great selection of boxing gloves, leg pads and Muay Thai shorts. Tiago was as happy as a clam, trying things on, asking me what I thought, and asked me to translate for the workers there when needed: It was quite interesting to see and experience. And also interesting to meet some other Brazilians who were shopping there as well. One Brazilian in particular was actually shopping in bulk, for a big shipment to the US, as he is based there, teaching MMA. Tiago and he had a fairly productive conversation about the sport and his goals, and they also exchanged contacts. Pretty soon he has chosen a couple of gloves, some Muay Thai shorts, some shin guards and athletic tape. He also insisted that I buy a pair of shorts he thought would look great on me, so I got those as well. I intended to pay for all this, and just wanted Tiago to keep his money for more important things. It was actually pretty reasonable, all of that was about $150. Small price to pay for my beloved to be ready for his future battles. It was 3:30 PM, so it was time to go. Before we head home, I notice there was a 7-11 walking distance to the shop. I wanted to buy some condoms, as I was preparing for the short time visit of the two Tawan hunks: Time to get happy. So next, a Short Time with Tawan…

Just as I was about to reach the slab block that housed Sabaidee Massage in its carpark floor, I noticed to my right a number of fire-damaged houses. It had been reported by @reader in https: // www.gayguides.com/forums/topic/37924-many-houses-destroyed-in-bangkok-blaze/#comment-335550, and there's even a photo of the blaze there from the Bangkok Post. I had read about it then, but didn't realise how close it was to Sabaidee's block. At its closest point, it would have been merely 4 or 5 metres from its back door. It's been a month since the fire and the houses have not been demolished. In my picture, the peachy orange wall on the left would be the boundary wall of the slab block. I tried to engage the Sabaidee manager on the disruption (if any) the business suffered as a result, but all he kept saying was "no problem, no problem." Perhaps he didn't realise I was asking about the past, and thought he needed to assure me that business is back to normal. He had sent me a ton of pictures via Line, but the photos of his masseurs had neither name nor number, and I didn't know how to specify which ones I was interested in should I wish to message back. So, without any prior booking, I showed up. He explained that I should have Lined back the pics of my shortlist and he would then tell me more about them. I hadn't thought of that, but surely, it can't be much more work to attach a name or number to each picture in the first place. It would have saved me (and probably other customers) a lot of puzzlement. Anyway, he then showed me five guys on his tablet which he said were "available". Four clearly worked out in gyms, one of whom was a definite W4M. Not quite competition standard but close. The fifth was an S3R- not much muscle - but he had the sweetest face. I told the manager W4M was my first choice and S3R was my second. He got onto the phone and managed to reach W4M immediately, only to be told that W4M was on his way to another appointment - one which the Sabaidee manager didn't know of. This suggests a considerable degree of fluidity in staff management. The boys are in fact freelancers who may work for other massage shops or have their own advertising. So S3R it would be. He was in the back of the shop and appeared within seconds. Let's call him Sucho. He led me up one floor to the next level which had about 8 or 9 massage rooms. I don't know about the other rooms, but the one assigned to me had an ensuite shower. It wasn't a fancy room, but not cramped either. There was enough space to move around the massage table. Sucho showered with me right at the start - that made a good impression already. His massage technique was average. There was a good deal of vigourous rubbing. Although he clearly knew several other strokes, he wasn't putting them to good use, or at the right spots. The exerted pressure was good and strong. As for coverage, it was originally not extensive enough, focussing mainly on the back of legs, back and shoulders. When I asked him to not forget the chest, arms and front of legs, he happily obliged. He knew what to do, but I guess bad habits of omission in a gay-sex kind of place quickly degrades a boy's standard programme. Although he was nude from the beginning, what was noticeable was that for a gay-sex kind of place, there was virtually no brushing during the massage. He wasn't skilled at the arts of seduction in that regard. That didn't deter me and we soon proceeded to Part 2. Nothing much to write home about but I left satisfied. He showered with me in closing. For a 90-miniute oil massage, the manager had earlier indicated a tip of 1,500 as expected. The house itself asked for 1,000 baht for "the room". Looking at the clock on my phone, I noticed that I had spent about 1 hour 35 minutes inside. One last point. When I asked Sucho which day of the week was his day off, he replied that he only worked at Sabaidee Spa 3 days a week. Apparently, the place has a kind of roster. I tried to ask Sucho where else he worked, but I couldn't quite understand the reply. He did volunteer that even on those days where he was "with" Sabaidee, he only got on average one customer a day. If this is the business model, I wondered if that meant that most of the numerous photos that Sabadiee Spa sent out might not represent actual availability on any particular day.

I went twice to Fresh Boys on Patpong Soi 2 within the same week, but what a difference the hour makes. The first visit, I arrived at about 10pm and stayed for the show. The bar was more than half full. The second visit, I arrived after the show (I can't remember what time exactly) and there were only three other customers there. At 10pm, I counted 18 customers, filling up the two rows of benches facing the stage and as a result, I was shown to a side bench. From that vantage point, I could see that five customers had six boys sitting with them. The total number of customers increased to 25 - 28 by showtime at 10:30pm. However, the bar saw well more than that number of customers because throughout the evening, there was quite a lot of coming and going. The mamasan helpfully moved me to a better seat when a customer left. There were 25 - 30 boys, rotating 10 to 12 at a time on stage, all shirtless and in white shorts. Sitting with customers were 5 - 6 boys. Most were S2 and S3R with the occasional S3M or Q2. In short, "medium twinks". It's a small space, and customers are close to the stage. When off the stage, the boys often sit in a section that faces the customers and eye contact is easily made. That compensates somewhat for the bad choice the bar made in choosing yellow and white for some number tags. The contrast between the two colours is so low, it is virtually impossible to make out the boy's number from anything more than a metre and a half away. This annoyed me because the one guy I thought best-looking had a yellow tag and try as I might, I just couldn't make out his number. Fortunately, he walked by a few times and smiled and we connected. The show could well be the "best" in Bangkok in my estimation, for the simple reason that it had no lip-sync katoey items. These numbers put me off, not least because they also tend to turn up the volume for the song. Undoubtedly the acts were amateurish, but I wasn't here for slick and polish. There were only six items, all performed by the rotation crew. Five out of the six items had engorged appendages on display. The second last act had three guys with stiff members whacking a metal pole, after which they circulated among the audience for gropes and tips. This was followed by the finale that had two guys in coital positions. I didn't off anyone that night. My WhatsApp kept distracting me with messages from home, and with a small crisis brewing, I felt that a longish voice conversation was being expected from me in the following hour. A couple of nights later, I was back at Fresh Boys, timing it for after the show since I was intending to take a boy out. I had no clear idea which boy that would be but since I had the impression from my first visit that quite a number of boys from Fresh were within my acceptability criteria, it was probably the place with the best chance of a good fit. Wow, there were only three other customers post-show. More importantly, there were only about 12 - 15 boys. Assuming that the bar had started the evening with the usual complement of 25 - 30 boys, that meant that about half the boys had been taken, a pretty good "off" rate. I shouldn't have been surprised. The other night, amongst the coming and going, I saw three customers leave with new-found companions within the 30 minutes before the show began, Yellow tag was among the less fortunate ones that night. He had not been taken and was still there. I called him down from the stage and resumed our conversation from where we had left off the previous night. Unlike the last time when, because I didn't want to raise his hopes of an off from me, we talked only about his family and his home town, this time we went quite quickly into the specifics of what he would do and what he'd rather not do in bed. He leaned over and sort of whispered into my ear. "I can bottom," he said. I hadn't expected that, as he looked straight to me. Nonetheless, I did not let my surprise delay me. My reply was ready. "And I can top." A few minutes later, the bill was called. At Fresh Boys, each drink was 350 baht. The off fee was 500 baht.

Some interesting facts to confirm after just returning from this venue: - Bar off fee does exist, but it's set at 2000THB to offset lost earnings of drinks. No, this off fee does not include tip. I did not have any tip negotiation conversations tonight. - On the other hand, it does seem like they are given a script to follow. If a customer asks about taking back to hotel, they're supposed to say, "I take good care of you here," as a polite deflection. I think off fee only is discussed by rather persistent customers. - It's completely acceptable to get the Line ID of a guy you buy a drink for. - Lots of guys on offer to drink with, some cute guys in shirts and some twunky shirtless guys. - Sexy boy part of show was indeed sexy with way more peeks under the towel than I'd ever seen at other towel dance venues. However, it was abysmally short as it was limited to towel show and soda water show. - Soda water show is definitely sexy and I had no hesitation to buy two bottles for a total of 100THB in order to see the guy of my night gyrate and have his appendage become more visible with each bottle of water that traveled down his chiseled chest and sexy abdomen. He sold the fantasy completely. Money well spent for me, though I know others might disagree. - I was hesitant to believe that they could actually stay open until 4am. However, once you exit the main venue and go into the reception area, all the lights are off and you would be hard pressed to know any business activity was happening inside. Great design choice on their part. - There are at least two guys there currently who can speak good English...one Thai and one Cambodian. There are pictures of the Cambodian on Facebook...chiseled defined abs and curly hair. Still hot but less intimidating than in pictures. Sweet guy. - To have a drink with a guy for about an hour, you will have to pay 250THB. There is no begging for tips to be found from any of the staff. - Music volume levels become deafening as night passes on. Abominably hard to carry on conversation. - They try to bleed you dry by not including the cost of mixers and ice into bottle service. You need to be insistent that they stop bringing mixers because they do it without you asking to get as many baht out of you as possible. This soiled the experience a bit. - Show was quoted as starting at midnight, but in reality was 12:30. Sexy boy show quoted as being at 1, but it was also delayed. Their logic is that the other boy bars close at midnight, so they wait for those customers to leave other bars and come to Dragon. Overall, I'm torn. A few stunning guys there made the experience worth it, but a lot of the other faults make it a near complete skip. The three reasons I'll go back are: 1. I didn't finish my bottle of Black Label, and I didn't feel like bringing it back to my hotel. No corkage fee if bottle is kept on site. 2. One guy who I invited to drink and who performed in both segments of the sexy show was charming, though not nearly as much so as guys from Tawan. Those guys are pros who know how to pull at the heartstrings. Despite that, he's sweet enough and easy enough on the eyes that I will suffer the negatives just to see him again. Note: I'm still waiting on a response to my Line message to him on whether it's possible to meet him when he's not working. 3. Soda water show is perfect for a guy like me who likes interactive shows and a little left to the imagination.