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I'm not surprised. As I said, I've seen this tactic time after time over the years. Your story and Min's story are merely the two latest. The most vulnerable farang are the first-timers and those who don't read these boards. They go to Thailand, go to the bars for the first time, are overwhelmed that a young, good looking boy seems very interested in him, is very affectionate with him, and gives him a sexual experience like he's never had before in his life. The farang victim is convinced the boy has fallen in love with him, so now he falls in love with the boy. The trap has been sprung. He treats the boy like a king while he is in Thailand and promises to financially support him after he goes back to his home country. Once he's returned home, that's when the pleas for money start. Usually it's small amounts at first and not too often. Then the boy comes up with more and more reasons why he needs more and more money, more and more often. No matter how much you give him, it's never enough. It continues until the farang just can't do it anymore. Relationship over. The farang is heartbroken, but the boy simply moves on to his next target if he hasn't been doing that since the moment you left. I have a feeling more than one person reading this has had exactly that happen to him and is either still in the middle of it or has learned the hard way what truly has been going on. I remember years ago a friend from Scotland came to Pattaya. He met a bar boy and fell for it. He was in love. He forgot that nobody really falls in love that quickly and no bar boy is going to fall truly in love with a farang customer in such a short time. Sometimes people forget - a real relationship develops over time. Falling in true love in just a few days is fine for the movies, but in real life it doesn't work that way. There, of course, have been exceptions, but few and far between. I was with them the day my friend left to return to Scotland. He was staying at the Ambiance in Pattaya. The boy was there too while my friend was waiting for the taxi to the airport arrived. He wanted to give the boy a lot of money to go to a language school for English lessons. I tried to talk him out of it, but failed. I got him to at least give me the money and let me directly pay the language school. He agreed to that and the boy acted very excited about being able to learn English. Meanwhile, when the taxi arrived my friend and the boy had a tearful farewell. Then the farang got into the taxi. No sooner than the taxi rounded the corner at Second road the boy tried to get me to give him the money. Of course I refused. A day or two later I took him to the language school, paid the school for his lesson program, and that was that. A few weeks later I received an Email from my friend asking me to check with the language school about the boy's progress. It turned out that the boy did go - for a grand total of one lesson. Then he told some story to the school, got them to refund the money, and disappeared from Pattaya. I never saw him again. And I'm the one who had to break that news to my friend. He doesn't go to Thailand at all any more. There are so many stories. Another of my favorites was the boy who carried around 5 mobile phones, 5 different farang. Another one - Maybe some of you remember the lady-boy manager at Corner Bar. He was getting financial support from 2 different farang. Then his nightmare happened. Both of the farang showed up at the same time for a 2 week holiday. I don't know how he managed to successfully pull it off, but he juggled things around and got away with it. Neither farang had any idea of the existence of the other one. (I hope neither of those farang are reading this . . .) In other words, be careful. Think with your head, not your crotch. And do not - repeat: do not make any promises. The safest thing to do with the boy of your dreams is to enjoy every moment with him, but whatever you do, don't give him your contact information, especially not your Email address. When it is time for you to go home, give him a very generous tip, thank him for a fabulous holiday, and goodbye. Anything more than that and you too could easily fall into the trap. If he does manage to contact you - maybe via LINE or an app - just ignore it or block him. Do NOT respond. He'll stop once he realizes he's not going to get any money out of you. One of my favorite "make me cringe" things I hear farang say - "Not this boy. He's different." Yeah, right. This is a good time to once again post my all time favorite quote - The Richard Burk Philosophy: "If you want love in Thailand, rent it."

I was just thinking back about 18 months ago when all we talked about was how much we missed Thailand. We hung on any news of declining covid cases; any indication that the country may open up again. Now we find ourselves warning each other about the snares waiting to entrap us in Thailand.

The only thing you did wrong was thinking you did something wrong. You did nothing wrong at all. You make a good point about trying to joke with them, at least until you know the kinds of things they think are funny and the kinds of jokes they just don't get. Rodney Dangerfield would be a total flop in Thailand. And don't take it personally or feel insulted if a boy calls you old or fat or bald. That's one of their ideas of humor and they mean nothing by it. Understanding their sense of humor takes time. For example, if a boy calls me fat, I just laugh and tell him I'm not fat. I'm having a baby. That's the kind of thing they think is hilarious.

and we can't wait to be subject of that entrapment again and again ! On serious note, it does happen but not too often Most boys we met are behaving professionally , providing requested service for a fee and closing door when done.

Stays of one month more or more are legal in Bangkok. I stayed at Ashton Chula more recently and did not experience any problems. I believe that the majority of units in this large complex are rentals.

Gay falangs get a good deal in Thailand for 99% of the time. There's nowhere in the world where beautiful guys , a night out, good dinner and hotel are so cheap. And equally important, safe. The vast majority of us recognise this and are thankful for it. It was entirely reasonable for Min to show sensitivity and concern. There really are guys in desperate situations, the like of which few of us have faced. And sometimes we may be exploited. We make the decision to travel there, or even to live there; anyone not able to cope with the occasional (very occasional, in my twenty-five years experience) exploitative guy should stay at home and pay UK or US or European prices for beautiful guys, a night out and so on. We are in someone else's country, where the vast majority of citizens are much poorer than us. Put up with it. I hope we continue- and this forum suggests that most of us do- to take the seriously the feelings of the guys we meet, even if that sometimes makes us vulnerable to the occasional con-man. Just as Min did.

Yes, it does. That is exactly what is going on. I wouldn't go as far as calling it sinister or calling it a plot, but with all I've seen, heard, and personally experienced over the years, I'm convinced the vast majority of the money boys are trying to do just that - and I don't blame them. You know why? Because too many farang treat them as if they are nothing more than sex machines, make empty promises, screw over the boys, and generally treat them as if they and their lives mean nothing. Many make no effort whatsoever to understand anything at all about their lives and culture. It's just give me my happy ending massage and here's the smallest amount I can get away with tipping you. Nearly all the money boys I've known over the years have stories about being treated like that - more often than not. If you've been on these boards long enough, you probably have seen that for yourself - farang trying to figure out the cheapest they can get away with giving to these boys. Just today one of the boys was telling me what happened to him a few days go. He advertises himself on some of the apps as a massage boy. That's all he does and he'll say so. He'll give a good massage and a happy ending, but no fucking. Meanwhile, he says, most of the farang trying to make an arrangement with him make it clear they want to fuck him. He turns them down. But just a few days ago one customer said he understood and won't try to go beyond his limits. The boy went to the farang's place, started the massage, and shortly into it the farang wanted to fuck him. The boy reminded him of what the agreement was. The farang gave him a couple hundred baht and told him harshly to get out. He'll find another boy who will do what he wants. Have you any idea of how many similar stories I've heard over the years? Most are much worse. You can label it a "sinister plot" if you want to, but I see it much differently. So, I stand by exactly what I have already posted on this topic. Nobody has to agree with me, but I'm in a position to know more about it than most on these boards. I see it as I see it. If anyone doesn't want to believe me, fine with me - believe whatever you want.

The OP presented a legitimate concern and many (myself included) responded with what I'm sure is well-intentioned advice. My comment goes to the irony of it all; when we finally got what we wanted--an open door policy to the LOS--we are now quick to see bad intentions in those we've traveled long and far to meet again. Couldn't it just be a simple misunderstanding between people who speak a different language and come from a different culture, as I believe Min alluded to in his opening post? It doesn't necessarily have to be a sinister plot to coerce money out of us, does it? Because they provide a service we seem to highly value, it's tempting to place them on a lower plane and see ulterior motives in their actions. Can't we just give them the benefit of the doubt. What I'm suggesting is that we not jump to the worst-case scenario based on anecdotal examples of what some other guys did in the past. I think all of us have likely done stupid things in our earlier interactions with mb's. Maybe it was a harsh word and inappropriate reaction. They most likely gave us a second chance. That's all I'm suggesting here.

Sometimes you can find the same apartment or other apartments in the building with the same floorplan to see more photos on https://www.hipflat.com/ which is a property sale/rental site. Ashton Chula seems to have plenty of info available https://www.hipflat.com/projects/ashton-chula-silom-rqmwim

visited BoysBoysBoys last night and there was a lot of hot guys there. If you’re into muscle you’ll find someone to make you happy for sure. One guy was wearing red short shorts and did a magic mike routine and his body was just beautiful, athletic, muscular, with a strong defined back covered in Thai tattoos. Really nice!

Boy rescued from Tham Luang cave offered footie scholarship in England From The Thaiger One of 12 teenage boys saved in the heroic Tham Luang cave rescue mission in northern Thailand four years ago has been offered a scholarship to study at Brooke House College Football Academy in Leicester, England. Duangpetch “Dom” Promthep, who is now 17 years old, says his “dream has come true.” On June 23, 2018, 12 members of the ‘Wild Boars’ football team – aged 11 to 16 years old – got stuck in a flooded cave system in Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand with their 25 year old football coach Nopparat Kanthawong. At the time, 13 year old Dom was the Wild Boars’ team captain. Dom posted online to inform his friends of the good news… “Today, my dream has come true. I’m going to be a football student in England. I would like to thank Sport Education and the Zico Foundation for getting me this scholarship in England. Thank you to Brooke House College Football Academy to give scholarships to allow “upcountry” kids like me to develop themselves. Thank you also to Oronas Ltd. and Sports Hero Co. Ltd. for supporting me with this important, one of a lifetime opportunity. Thank you to the principal and all the teachers at Wachiralai School and all those who have supported me so far. I would like to thank Coach Zico especially.”

Neither do I. You're greatly exaggerating what I'm trying to say. All I'm trying to convey is it is very easy to fall into the trap, even if that is not at all what the boy intended, so be careful and use common sense. For me it is not a question of what I believe. It is a question of what I see, what I'm told, and what I know has happened between many farang and boys. I'm talking about money boys. What do you think a money boy is after? I am perfectly well aware that most farang go to Thailand, have a great time, and nothing goes wrong during their stay and after they return home. But enough of it does happen that it is easy to lose sight of reality. Over the years I've seen too much. As I said, believe whatever you want, but I'm telling you I know what I'm talking about. Enjoy your time in Thailand with the boys, but remember - you stand warned.

I can't look at the KFC logo now without thinking, there's a wise man 😉

I asked a friend who works nearby to check if Spa Bangkok is open for business. He reports that it was open today (Wednesday). Was also told that 90-minute session at Best Massage is 600 bht.

Seems to me to be a 'holding-position' to keep the court happy. I would not be surprised if we had not heard the last of Gen Prayut yet.

I think it’s about going over the term limit. He has been serving since 2014, so his 8 years are up, although he and his supporters argue that the time should only be counted from 2019: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/2375980/constitutional-court-suspends-prayut

I rented an Ashton-Chula condo in 2018 through airbnb. Although I enjoyed my stay and had no problems (with joiners or otherwise), there were posters everywhere (in the elevators, lobby,.. ) stating that airbnb was illegal and the tenant and landlord could be fined or even go to prison. That was rather intimidating. My airbnb host at the time just said that if they asked anything, I should tell them that I was his friend staying at his appartment, but still.. I don't know what the situation is today though (legality of airbnb).

I, for one, am not complaining. Not all boys I met were angels, some had problems to keep their promised side of bargain, but often improved given second chance ( I said it 127 times already my second worst off and THE BEST were with the same guy perhaps 2 trips apart ). Few enthusiastic on the first off started slacking a bit on the next one but overall picture is rosy one . It's why , like many, I keep returning and returning. Like Min , I believe money should be earned and don't send them money when they ask and needs to be said some are shockingly straightforward with their requests ( " I need 20000 baht and my account is xxxxxxx " , I'm kidding you not ) but I treat is as part of folklore. Not discounting fact they may be in genuine need, I just don't intend carry somebody else's problems on my shoulder. But at times it pays to be generous. W hen in covid time I learned guy I like is in problem on my own I sent him some money not even being sure he remembers me. Year later we met by chance in soi4 , he not only recognized me but also thanked me for the money, so obviously he valued it more than me. So at end of day guys are in it for money and we can't blame them for trying to earn it by , after all, honest means. We have our brains and from time to need to use them not to fall into entrapments skillfully set.

Oh gawd, isn't he the one with all the watches and sleeps a lot on the job?

You got it right the first time . . .

What a wonderful ending to his ordeal for this young man - and a wonderful beginning, too!

Our confidence and comfortableness with social interaction is a complex area and people make a profession out of trying to sort it all out for us. In my simple world there are two types of people and if both go to a crowded party, one will be the life and soul of the party, whilst the other will be found 'in the kitchen'. For the most part you would find me in the kitchen at a party, an observer rather than a participant. Living alone doesn't help much with all this, especially post-retirement. Now decades of work have built up my social confidence, my ability to make conversations with people; but my default position is to be the one sitting quietly in the corner of the bar, but nevertheless enjoying the atmosphere and/or having a drink with a boy. So on my holidays I have been fortunate to be able to surround myself with farang and Thai friends who are much more socially gregarious than me, who encourage me join in, talk, get up and dance etc. And I love it!; in fact I look forward to the social interaction of my holidays almost as much as I look forward to the sex.

Unless the farang is handing over a lot of money. Then it's "What are you doing home? The farang is waiting. Go on, go, go go! And don't forget to remind him that I'm your sister, not your wife . . ."

1250 units available for rent! I think that's almost the whole building! (Although I guess maybe it's the same units listed with multiple sites so the numbers could be inflated)

This is one of many proofs that debunk all religious written word. Even if there WERE a god," it" would NEVER, EVER tell a man to write down in some magical book that you must cut off the tip of a boy's dick. It is ludicrous to entertain that thought. Circumcision is brutal, genital mutilation and it should be stopped globally immediately. While I respect the right to book-based faith, I also feel obligated to point out how ridiculous and human-made it is.

Being partnered in Thailand, my bf is aware I have some apps still on my phone which I use occasionally when I travel. Yes, I know I could temporarily delete them but it's just easier to keep them there. I therefore have some experience of chatting with Thai boys as most weeks there are a few who click on me. In my limited experience can I suggest that as others have suggested unless you know a guy at least a little, joking with Thai boys often backfires. What a westerner considers a joke, very often Thais do not. Years ago I used to go out on Sundays for dinner and a visit to a bar or two with a good friend I have known for decades. He loved to joke with the boys. Although I suggested several times that he stop doing it as virtually all the boys had no idea what he was talking about, he just kept on doing it. In a bar setting he could get away with it - just. I suspect on the apps there is always a danger it will be taken the wrong way. Then if someone clicks on me whom I do not know or do not want to know, I keep everything simple and merely end the conversation as politely as I consider appropriate. So I usually say "sorry I do not know you" and then enter into no more communication. Or in the OP's case above, perhaps a "sorry I was only there for the shows and was not looking for company" might have been more effective. My feeling is that expressions of "I like/love you" or "I love your photos" rarely mean anything other than sex with you might be fun - tip or no tip depending on how the chat continues. So best to end the chat quickly and make sure nothing follows.

I think all of the above can be condensed to: There is a very small minority of farang that try to manipulate the boys and treat them badly, we all know that. There is also a very small minority of boys that try to manipulate farang to do their bidding. I see this day in day out on Facebook where the same guys try to guilt trip some unlucky guy into doing what ever it is they require. Similarly I have seen them play mind games on the gay apps and throw a hissy fit when they don't get their way. Either was both camps are best avoided!

But that doesn't keep some men from trying. This presentation (often comical) features four doctors discussing the methodology for attempting to reverse circumcision. Before forewarned: it's pricey ($25,000) and has a reportedly poor track record. Bottom line: I think Floridarob has it right. https://www.thedoctorstv.com/videos/is-circumcision-reversible

they showed now suspending PM after all. It's why I suspect he crossed spades with somebody more powerful

I don't speak Thai and like you , find Translator tiring. So only conversation possible is in English. While I can engage overnight off with guy speaking none or very little of it, for trip or longer stay with me , even day trip, I wouldn't even think about taking guy who doesn't speak at least basic English .

or even worse , KFC man as I was called on few occasions. When they call us those things they don't mean to be mean, rather thy say it matter-of-factly. That illustrates well difference - what is neutral for them , may be bit offensive for others and other way around.

About a week. Not sure how busy they are now, but they ask you to set up an appointment before heading off to see them. They are meticulous about their tailoring. Not sure about prices in Australia, but definitely somewhat cheaper than a custom made quality suit in Canada.

Can't it simply be choice? I'm no introvert and if I go out to the bars, believe me I'll be very happy to talk to anyone who wants to talk with me. While I don't wear a badge that says "I'm Gaybutton" sometimes people recognize me and want to talk, and I'm glad to talk all night if they want to, But frankly I'm not looking for that. I'm not going to the bars to have a conversation with farang. If I'm looking to mingle and have a conversation at the bars, guess who I'm going to do that with . . .

No argument there. I'm writing from the perspective of someone who lives in Pattaya, so even during Covid I didn't have to be worried whether Thailand was opening soon or not. Lucky me . . .

If you are a citizen or permanent resident of the USA, my understanding is that it's a violation of USA federal law to travel abroad and have sex with someone under the age of 18 - no matter the age of consent adopted by a particular foreign nation which may be less. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2423

If it was true love the boy would never block and insist making contact with you to show you he is serious and have true feelings for you but one harmless jock from you he understood you aren't serious so he moved on to the next potential victims . He is money boy no more no less don't take this incident too seriously. The boy block you and moved on, you should do the same.

Thanks again for this vinapu. I think I will try to head over to Tawan a bit earlier at say 10pm and get an inconspicuous table by the side.. to observe, but hopefully not be in the clear sight of being excessively observed to th e extent I can! These are enormously helpful tips. With all these exchanges, I’m feeling I’m so looking forward to the trip! 🙏

I wholeheartedly recommend having separate flights on the same ticket. On several business trips I have had delays for one reason or another when it became the airlines' responsibility to look after me. Twice, though, I have been on separate tickets and suffered as a result. The first was a BA ticket from Edinburgh to Munich via Heathrow to connect with a Lufthansa flight to Dresden. Both were cheap tickets purchased on the net. To protect myself against delays, I allowed 4 hours for the flight change at Munich. What I was not prepared for was delays at Heathrow. In Edinburgh the 1:00 pm 767 departure was boarded on time and the doors closed. Only then were passengers advised high winds at LHR had led to delays and our take-off slot had been moved back by an hour. What was maddening was just a couple of bays away there was an Easyjet non-stop flight to Munich which I should have taken instead of BA! The cabin crew were great in checking onward boarding passes to ensure we were rebooked on the next flights. But then of course my next flight from LHR was delayed because the aircraft was still waiting to take off from Paris back to London. End result I landed in Munich as my Dresden flight was taking off. I ended up losing my LH return flights for which 'd paid €90, having to rebook full fare flights at nearly €450 (for a journey of little over 200 miles) and €85 for an airport hotel. Thankfully, I had travel insurance which reimbursed most of my costs but only with a lot of paperwork from the 2 airlines. The second was probably unique. I was in Argentina visiting the stunning Iguazu Falls. I had the cheapest Buenos Aires/Iguazu ticket on the Argentine airline. On return I would be changing airports and connecting to a business class mileage ticket on LAN Chile from BA to Santiago. Before then I had to return to my excellent guest house in BA to collect my large suitcase. So I allowed for a 6 hours changeover. When I was waiting to board at Iguazu there was a LAN Chile flight departing to BA only 5 minutes earlier. Both were in the process of boarding when we were asked to leave the aircraft. Both sets of passengers were then stuck in the departure lounge with no announcements. Eventually someone told me a single engine private plane had crash landed on the single runway. Our flights would not be departing until it had been removed. I panicked. I called the nearest One World office in Miami to try and rebook the LAN flight to the last of the day. Unsurprisingly I was informed the next available flight was in 3 weeks time! I called the guest house owners who very generously agreed to check arrival times and bring my case to the domestic airport and arrange a taxi for me. We finally boarded 2 hours late. With delays on arrival, a bus gate with no buses and being unable to find the guesthouse guys, I was in a complete panic. I finally made my LAN flight with 2 minutes to spare. Had I only booked LAN from Iguazu, I would not have needed to go through all that angst!

I would probably just leave...that is definitely triggering for my, what some would call, social anxiety. However, it could be the wrong terminology as it's just not a situation I want to be in because I don't like crowds in general. I wouldn't walk away though because of worrying about what others thought of me. I do this with all kinds of situations in life, especially crowded restaurants. If my social anxiety were a result of worrying about what others thought of me, I wouldn't have done half the things I did at the jockstrap party I sponsored at Tawan. Social anxiety manifests itself in different ways and for different reasons possibly. Your observations aren't wrong; it's just a nuanced and complex situation.

I’m sorry but Thailand has temples?😮😮😮

And many of those same girlfriends also work in the agogos and beer bars, so perhaps it isn't just the gay customers that should be concerned 😂🤣 Honestly, it has always been that way. Just about every gay-for-pay straight guy will have a GF. And just about every gay boy with have a BF. Condoms will rarely feature! We are 'work sex' only. Have a few beers, and sit there with you hands, mouths, and wallets open and enjoy the cock-fest that is Nice Boys

Sounds like Dui, he has told me the same before. He is like a machine, but never fails to 'rise' to the challenge, and never disappoints either in the bar or in the room. He is top of my list to see again next month. My BF and I often take him and his GF out for Thai buffet late at night; she brings the baby too! 🤣 Dui is a condom boy, as are most in that bar. Yes Sunee can be dark, with the bars as little beacons of light in the distance, and even Nice Boys can appear closed from a distance even when it is bouncing inside. Be brave!, it is worth it! 😂

Having had more than a dig at the USA in a recent thread, it's time I wrote a bit about my own country's major historical errors. One was colonialism which was at the time was thought of as Britain doing parts of the world a tremendous favour. Of course, it was nothing of the sort. It was purely for trade and bleeding countries of their natural resources. I was reminded of this yesterday when I received my copy of the magazine of Hong Kong's Foreign Correspondents' Club of which I remain a proud member. It contains a series of articles from those who remember the negotitions leading up to the events of June 30/July 1 1997 when Britain handed back Hong Kong to Chinese rule. The 25th anniversary of that event took place litle over a month ago. Why it took place was a result of one of the strange quirks of history. Having roundly beaten China's army in the first two Opium Wars, Britain and its opium traders forced China to hand over to it in perpetuity Hong Kong Island and then a large chunk of the Kowloon Peninsula. Later, following China's defeat in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894/5, Britain started gobbling up more of the Chinese mainland. It wanted to expand its holdings in Hong Kong. Accordingly it entered into negotiations for the rest of the Kowloon Peninsula and the much larger New Territories behind. Given that Britain then had the rest of Hong Kong in perpetuity, why did its negotiators, now in an extremely strong bargaining position, not insist that the New Territories also be handed over in perpetuity? Well, you can perhaps blame the Germans, for in April that country had negitiated a 99-year lease for a naval base in the Shandong Peninsula. A shorter lease had also been given to the Russians. So when it came time for British diplomats to negotiate Britain's terms, leases were the flavour of the month. So Britain went ahead and agreed a 99-year lease, no doubt never expecting this to cause any problems in the future. Fast forward to 1978. The businessmen who basically ran Hong Kong needed time to make good - often excessive - returns on their investments. With no idea what might happen 20 years later, many became nervous about further investment and made their feelings known to the Governor, Sir Murray Maclehose. In any case, by this time the New Territories was providing much of ever-growing Hong Kong's need for agricultural produce. Maclehose had spent time in the Embassy in Beijing, spoke fluent Mandarin and knew some of the leadership. He was to become the longest serving Governor of Hong Kong and one of the most respected of them all. He decided the time had come to raise the matter of the 1997 lease with the government in Beijing. So in early 1979 he made a visit to Beijing to meet with Deng Xiao-ping. On his return, Maclehose painted an upbeat picture - one, as I found out yesterday, he did not believe. He said that Deng had told him Hong Kong's investors should "put their hearts at ease," adding "it doesn't matter if the cat is black or white, as long as it catches the mouse." "Black" and "white" were interpreted as meaning "capitalist" and "communist". But Deng was deliberately being opaque. He, probably more than anyone else in Beijing at the time, wanted all of Hong Kong back. Britain's Margaret Thatcher arrived in Beijing to start formal negotiations. Maclehose had by this time retired and been replaced by another former civil servant with a vast knowledge of China and its leadership, Sir Edward Youde. Thatcher's position was made perfectly clear. Britain knew what was best for Hong Kong. Britain would not give back Hong Kong under any circumstances. When informed by Youde and her own advisers that Hong Kong could not survive on its own without the New Territories and without water, most of which was now being supplied through pipes from Guangdong Province, Thatcher's response was that she would moor large tankers in Hong Kong waters, these having been adapted to hold water instead of oil! Throughout, Thatcher's arguments were almost exclusively economic - how Hong Kong's continued prosperity under British rule would aid China as it developed its own economy. Before flying to Beijing, she insulted Deng by telling the world's media that the Chinese would have no clue how to run Hong Kong. Deng's arguments were equally simple. The Chinese had to right historical wrongs whatever the cost. Restating China's sovereignty over all of Hong Kong was more important than any economic argument. While Youde and the key figures in Thatcher's team understood the Chinese view, Thatcher never did - and she never wavered in her view. The one group left out of the negotiations were the people of Hong Kong. Until, that is, fear raised its spectre. Aware through leaks that the negotiations were at an impasse, Hong Kong people started to panic. Several senior Chinese who were members of the Governor's unoffical "cabinet" flew to London to warn Britain of impending disaster. They were totally ignored and humiliated. There was a run on banks and one major one collapsed before being taken over by what is now HSBC. The Hong Kong dollar slowly at first collapsed against the US$, at one time losing 10% of its value in one day. It was quickly pegged to the US$ at 7.8 and that peg has remained to this day. As we know, Thatcher was finally persuaded that she could never win. So she caved. Britain would hand over all of Hong Kong once the New Territories lease expired on June 30 1997. It has always been assumed that the wily, highly experienced Maclehose had been pleased as a result of his meeting with Deng in 1979. In the issue of the Foreign Correspondents' Club magazine I read last night, this was far from the truth. Then the Managing Editor of a news feature programme on Hong Kong's ATV, Susan Yu covered the handover. She writes - "I interviewed former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at the Mandarin Oriental. She was brimming with pride that Great Britain had done its utmost to secure the best for Hong Kong. But my interview with Hong Kong's longest-serving Governor, Lord Murray Maclehose [long after his retirement], struck a completely different tone. He was contemplative and subdued. He recalled with great clarity his 1979 meeting with Deng in Beijing . . . Maclehose [also] had a very dim view of Britain's highly politicised management of Hong Kong during its final days (when for the first time ever Britain under John Major placed a self-serving politician, Chris Patten, as Governor instead of a former civil servant as had always been the case in the previous 150 years). Although he was locally very popular, Patten did an enormous amount of harm to Hong Kong and its future under Chinese rule. It has even been reported that John Major, seeing all this, tried to recall him. Patten refused. "15 years later I bumped into a British former diplomat who had been a key member of Britain's 1997 negotiating team. I asked if he had any regrets. There was a long pause. With a deep sigh, he said, 'We could've done more. We should've done more.'" Sadly, while Hong Kong flourished for almost 15 years under Chinese rule, the events set in motion by Patten were merely simmering under the surface. When they finally exploded in 2014, Hong Kong's Chinese appointed leader had no idea how to handle them. Some years later President Xi had had enough. He broke international law and put his own people into Hong Kong. It is now a very changed city. And that has directy led to much greater complications for Taiwan.

Day 6.5: There is such a thing as too much technology, or A Numazu’s Guide on How to Not Experience Tawan There are a few things I carry with me on travel that I can’t live without. Apple Airtags (GPS trackers) are essential, and I have one on every piece of luggage, backpack, wallet, passport folio, and even in my car when I park it at the airport parking lot, so I can use my iphone to track all my belongings on any given time. Saved my bacon a few times when I left my wallet at home for example, and my iphone pings me saying it is not with me, or whenever the airline loses my luggage, at least I know where it was left, and can track its journey back to me. Having a power bank is also essential, for times when my cellphone dies and I need a quick jump, or if there are not enough outlets in a hotel room, and with my ever growing number of technology pieces that travel with me – cellphone, tablet, work laptop, wireless headphones, smart watch etc etc etc, having my power mobile is also essential. But sometimes having technology could screw you over. At Suvarnabhumi Airport, as we disembark from our plane and head over to domestic baggage claim, Tiago and I were just chattering away, trying to figure out the remaining things we wanted to in the 3 days remaining I had left in Thailand. We get to baggage claim 2 and see a Bangkok Airways agent waiting in front of it, with a piece of paper with two last names on it. My stomach turned. One of the last names was mine. “I’m Numazu,” I tell the agent. The agent apologizes, and proceeds to say that my luggage was randomly inspected back at our original destination, and they found my power bank inside. The agent then said that they could not put the bag in the plane without taking out the power bank, and needed my permission to take it out of the bag, so the rest of the bag can fly to BKK, so they just waited till the plane landed to tell me. I asked him if it was at all possible to have informed me while I was waiting to board the plane. I remember waiting 45 minutes to embark, so it would have been more efficient if they could’ve informed me then. The agent said he didn’t know if they did a notification of not. We were lead to the Bangkok Airways baggage office which was just next to baggage claim. While the agent left us to get some forms, I looked at my phone to use the GPS to track my bag. Yup, sure enough, it was still there at the previous airport. I was at least relieved that I knew where it was and I could track it. There is no worse feeling than having lost luggage. The agent went back with a form. I began writing my information on the form. “For telephone number, I have a US number, do you need a Thai number?” I ask. The agent confirms, so I look at the phone for contacts and put down Tiago’s Thai number. Thank goodness for having that. I put in the address of our AirBNB. As I give the form back to the Agent, the agent asks what I wanted to do about the power bank and my bag. Since I need my clothes and stuff I ask him if the bag can get on the next flight to BKK. He informs me that I can get the bag today, because there is another flight arriving in 2 and a half hours from our origin, so it can make the journey to BKK then, but they need to take out the power bank. I tell him to leave the damn power bank there and put the bag on the next plane. The agent then asks me if I will wait for the bag at the airport or have it delivered to the house. I turn to Tiago and asks him what to do. Tiago says since I can track the bag that just having the bag delivered will enable us to at least spend the time at the house instead of the airport, since it was going to be a 3 hour wait. I tell the agent that delivery is our option. The agent informs me that the delivery fee was 500 baht. Since it was my fault, I gladly pay the fee. The agent takes the money, gives me a receipt and a copy of the paperwork, and tells us that the bag will most likely be delivered at midnight. I thought this will work great, as we can have dinner, see a boy show at 10:30 PM, and then go home after that to receive the bag. So we make our way to the taxi stand. At the ride home Tiago takes my hand, as he perceives that I am worried about the bag. Every once in a while I check my phone to see if my bag is still where it was, or if it is magically finding its way to the house. It was still where it was. Tiago started yawning and says he is hungry. Tiago suggests we get something delivered at home instead of going out to dinner, and if we can get it now while in the taxi, so we don't need to wait for it at home that long. So I look for some options on Grab and settle for McDonalds, which was a treat that Tiago and I partake of once in a while. Tiago is looking at my phone as I scroll through the burger options. He finds it interesting that there is fried chicken offered at McDonalds here, so he asks for some of that and a Cheeseburger without pickles. Our order is 541 baht ($15): We get home, and 10 minutes later I get a call from the delivery guy saying he is at the house gate with the order. That was fast. And all the items in our order arrived in good condition, which is great. Tiago and I chow down (we have been pretty hungry). I was still worried about my luggage and I keep checking my phone to see where it is (it hasn’t moved), and Tiago always assures me that it will arrive today. It was only 7:30 PM so Tiago recommended that we take a nap so I can relax a bit and forget about the bag. Tiago always knows how to calm me. With AC in full blast we take that needed nap. At 9:30 the alarm goes off and I immediately look at my phone. Success! The bag is now in Suvarnabhumi! The smile on my face told Tiago the news. He takes my phone to see for himself. He then makes us both coffees and then we shower to get to our bar for the night, Tawan. Old map, still interesting: We take a Grab taxi and it had Tawan as one of the locations. Familiar tout at the door. I was curious to see Tawan in its new digs. I’ve heard that it was a smaller space than previous location. Upon entering I see a single row of seats to the right, and the stage to the left. It was indeed small. We were lead to the set of chairs towards the back, close to the bathrooms. There were some muscular boys sitting on our chairs but were quickly shooed away by one of the staff. I am quickly reminded what made me like this bar in the first place. Muscular guys in skimpy underwear running around the place. Some of them were flexing onstage, some were milling about, some were sitting with customers, and others just in the back with us, sitting down. There was probably about 15 boys in total. Not a lot but I figure enough for me, from the looks of it This bar was probably the singular bar that made me want to visit out Thailand. I was always curious about all the Bangkok boy bars, but Rush’s Bangkokbois blog (@ggobkk now I remember extensively reading it, once I googled it) has heavily featured Tawan, and it had captured my imagination ever since. And the bar has delivered on its promise of muscular boys to have sex with. So I kept going to Tawan. Even when the sauna Clube 117 in Rio de Janeiro came into my life, and thus replacing Tawan as my main source of good looking muscular guys, and the sex was superior to anything that Tawan could give me (i.e. having bottoms for starters), Tawan would still be an occasional haunt of mine. Even after Moonlight and Jupiter have eclipsed The Sun in my muscular Asian dreams. The show started, but I don’t remember any of it. I wasn’t paying too much attention to the action onstage as I was always looking at my phone to see where my luggage was. I can get pretty obsessive about things. Tiago, on the other hand, was reacting pretty openly on what was happening onstage. Gasping at the S&M parts, fascinated at the too perfect and pretty drag queen, and when the chuck wow session began, who could not believe his eyes. “Why are they jacking off?” he asks me. I tell him to notice the people with a collection cans asking for tips. “They are asking for tips, and if there is enough money collected, they will cum.” Tiago could not believe. “Fucking Thailand, man!” he exclaims. "Well the, put some money in!" Tiago excitedly tells me. I fish out 100 baht to add to the pot, to help hasten someone to cum, and to gross out Tiago more. After a few minutes, someone does cums, and Tiago watches jizz fly out from one muscular guy’s penis and land on one of the tables that was occupied by customers. I hope it missed the drinks. Or maybe the customers were into that. The stage is now so close to the seats that this was possible, as opposed to before that the tables were far enough that cum will just fall to the floor. #Tawan problems. Tiago was enjoying every minute of it. I check my phone and gasp. The luggage was mobile! And approaching Silom! And it was only 11 PM! I map out the location and see that it was 10 minutes away! I begin to panic. Should we leave and go back to the house to pick it up? I didn’t want to cut our time at Tawan. A few minutes later Tiago’s phone rings. Maybe it was the delivery driver that had our bag. Tiago hands me his phone and I go to the bathroom to answer it. It was indeed the driver. He tells me he is almost at the AirBNB. I tell him that we were not there, but if he could drive to Soi Than Tawan, we can meet him here. He agrees and hangs up. 5 minutes later he calls again, and upon answering tells me he is at the curb of the Soi. I tell Tiago that the bag has arrived. I quickly pay for our drinks and we leave Tawan. I wanted to spend more time there but this is more urgent. Sure enough the driver was there. He was in a van, no doubt delivering left or lost luggage all over Bangkok. He confirms that I was who I was, and then opens his van and produces my precious bag. I breathed a sigh of relief. Tiago then tells me to go back in Tawan to finish up the show. He will take the bag to the house and then come back to Tawan. He knows that I wanted to spend more time in the bar. He knows me very well by now. I fish out 200 baht out of my pocket, since Tiago did not have any Thai money yet, so he can get a taxi to the house. There are several taxis in the area, so we flag one down and I showed the driver the Thai directions of the AirBNB that was left by the owner. Tiago was on his way. So next post, I'm not gonna let technology ruin my time, is the rest of my time in Tawan, ALONE…

Day 4-6: Fighting for a new life Today is a new day, and for Tiago, today is the start of a new life. His main reason to be in Thailand is to stay for at least 6 months to get training in Muay Thai, as he had in Jiu Jitsu in Brazil, and economic realities meant that doing this in Thailand is way cheaper than in Brazil. It will also enabled him to get into the Asian fighting circuit that have boasted any number of Brazilians looking for easy money doing what they love to do. Having gotten to know him for a better part of a year, first in Brazil, then having him tag along in my travels, I am confident that he has the drive, and the skills necessary, to be a success. Probably not to the top of his sport, but enough to gain the necessary experience to further a career in this realm, to either teach the sport in western countries, or mount a school and/or gym himself in his home country, among other possibilities. He is certainly making the most of whatever physical gifts he has, and taking advantage of his youth and energy, to get to the next level. I’ve often wondered how boys get into prostitution. It takes a certain intestinal fortitude to withstand the day to day demands to survive the mental and physical toll that is inherent in the profession. One Brazilian boy I’ve known describes it as a constant series of humiliations, being objectified, poked and prodded, facing constant rejection, doing constant negotiating, a lot of chasing, all for the money he will need to pay his bills. He still sticks to it, because it is lucrative, and since he has not gone to school, and doesn’t have any traditionally marketable skills, this is his greatest chance to get the most money that he needs. He knows that he won’t be young forever, so why not strike while the iron is hot? Having a fat 9-inch penis doesn’t hurt either. Tiago has told me that the rigors of sauna and bar boy life aren’t for him. He is not above selling his body for money, he says, and admits he has entertained the random offers he has gotten when he is, for example, on a Brazilian beach or at a club. But he has a more stable family life and has gotten some support from his parents whenever he needed to get bailed out from a missed rent check or to refill his kitchen pantry. And he prefers using his body for fighting, a love of his that he has cultivated since he was a teen. After getting good at Jiu Jitsu back home, he has set his sights on Thailand where he wants to spread his wings. --- We wake up at 6 AM, to catch a 9:00 AM flight to another Thai city, where Tiago’s MMA gym is. We plan on spending 3 days there, to work out his living arrangements and secure his place in the classes that he wants to take, as well as to make sure that he has face-to-face interactions with the staff of the gym to make a determination that this was really where he wants to end up. Before this, all his conversations with the gym people have been virtual, with many video conference calls to the Brazilian part-owner and some of the Brazilian fighters on staff. Nothing beats in-the-flesh interactions, and he has asked me to form my own opinions of what I will see, to help him decide if this is indeed a good decision for him to take. I get us a Grab Taxi to the airport, which amounted to 427 baht, since I always ask the driver to take highways, and the driver was able to add the 75 baht tolls to the fare: The plane ride over was fairly quick and efficient. We then took a taxi to our hotel. I splurged a little bit on a resort hotel to at least get some pampering in, while taking advantage of the resort’s many pools, great restaurants, and other cool amenities. After a quick lunch, we quickly head over to the MMA Gym, to get it out of the way. Tiago wanted to spend the whole day tomorrow to just veg out in the resort with me, before we head back to Bangkok on the third day. Any doubts Tiago had over the gym quickly melted away when we stepped out of our taxi into the gym complex. Most of the workout facilities were outdoors, and with Thailand’s sweltering heat that might not be ideal, but we see a fair number of people working out sparring with each other and with punching bags which were a-plenty. There were two practice boxing rings that I saw, and a courtyard that had people milling about. Tiago’s eyes lit up. He was impressed. We were met with a Thai employee. He spoke to us in English, and as before I explained to him that Tiago didn’t speak English well. We were lead to where the living quarters would be, and we found some Brazilians who were living at the gym. Most of them then joined us and the Thai guy to take a tour of the place. There was a stage area, where the public fights happen, we were shown some of the living quarters – kitchen, bathrooms, and the room where Tiago would be staying at. It was a modest room, a bed, a fan, some shelving, closet space. We were told there was wifi all thoughout. Tiago told me this was more than enough for him. The room afforded him privacy, and a comfortable place to rest, which is all he needs. We then met up with the Brazilian part owner. He rolled up on his motorcycle, wearing Muay Thai shorts and nothing else but his flip flops. A fighter himself, he was 35, and still very much in fighting shape not to mention fairly handsome. A typical rugged Brazilian. After some introductions, he then takes us to his office to talk business. Tiago wanted me there with him to help with the decisions. The owner was impressed that I can speak Portuguese, and made the remark that when he first got to Thailand, he spoke no English, but learned through living here many years. Tiago then commented that he hopes that will be the case for him too. I mention my journey to Portuguese, and told them all the classes in the world were no match for actual immersion and speaking it with native people. The owner spelled out how things worked in the gym, the daily routine, how much the classes were, the accommodations, the food. The owner will be able to give Tiago a discount if he helped out with setting up the gym first thing in the morning, and cleaning up at night, since he was short-staffed. He then tells Tiago on how he can earn money with helping to teach MMA to western farangs who come to the gym to learn as well. He says that with Thailand reopening, he has seen student numbers tick up again, and is expecting to be really busy going into the high season. Also, there will be some opportunities to fight locally, in Bangkok, and overseas in Cambodia, South Korea, and other nearby countries is also a possibility, to earn some extra pocket money. This all sounded good to Tiago, and to me as well. After this we were shown some gyms with weights and cardio machines that Tiago can join to maintain muscle, and to a local fighting gear store where he can get his boxing gloves, tape and others things. The owner commented that it was more expensive to buy it here than in Bangkok, and recommends that if we were heading back to the capital that Tiago do his shopping there. We then sit down for some coffee (at the air conditioned gym thankfully) and just shared stories about Brazil and Thailand. The owner is very charming, and seems to be a really awesome guy, and he shared his take on how it was to live in Thailand as a Brazilian. As Tiago and I went back to the hotel after all this, we had a long conversation about all the information that was presented to us. Both of us had a good feeling about it. Tiago’s brain was already swimming with all the things he intended to get accomplished here. Once we step of the taxi at the hotel, Tiago holds my hand as we walk back to our room, and once we were in the room he hugs me, telling me that he is grateful for this opportunity, and it wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t buy his plane tickets. I told him that it was his vision that got him here. I only greased the wheels. Plane tickets for Tiago: $453 one-way from Sao Paulo to Doha, 10k + 40k Avios points from Doha to Dubai to Bangkok. Gratitude that Tiago has shown me: Priceless We actually went back to the MMA gym later that day, because there was a public fight scheduled that featured 5 fights. I got to talk to the other Brazilians as well. Thank goodness for hot Thailand weather. All the fighters were shirtless, and I’ve lost count of the abs that I’ve seen total. The fights were well attended, with some farangs sprinkled in a mostly Thai audience. They sold some food and liquor during the fights, which I bet is a money maker for the owners. As promised by Tiago, we spent the next day just vegging out. The pool, strolls around the resort complex, pool, sex in the hotel room balcony, pool, hit the buffet and the pool bar, and then a nice dinner in one of the resort restaurants. Even if there was a whole city outside this resort, I picked it to take advantage of the amenities, and also to take a break from all the running around we’ve been doing this past 3 weeks. The next day, recharged because of the relaxing day before, and renewed because of the knowledge that Tiago will be in good hands once I leave him to his own devices next week, we were in good spirits. Tiago left his big luggage behind at the gym since he was coming back, and left with just the necessities for the rest of my stay with him in Bangkok. We consolidated all of our things into my big luggage including some in my carry-on, and then checked my big luggage at the airport for our flight to Bangkok. That was a mistake, as I left something in the checked bag that almost ruined my night. That’s next post.

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.

Day 1: The Quarantine 15 It’s no secret that my preference is for guys with a little bit of muscle on them. That’s just a preference, it’s like if men were all on a grocery store shelf, it’s the first one I’d pick out of the rest. But that does not mean that sometimes I'll venture further into the aisle and pick something fat-free, or something with more fat content, or something saltier (I don’t know what that means). I go with what is fun at the moment, and that kind of open-mindedness was improved by the pandemic, another unintended consequence of the event that changed all our lives. So in picking the bar to go to tonight, being pressed for time, I decided on the low hanging fruit, the one that has worked for me in the past, filled with my usual preference for boys. I also had to balance that with what Tiago, my companion, would enjoy the most as well. Granted, that this is his first time going into a Thai boy bar, or any bar that had escorts (he has not been to the saunas in Brazil, he said), so he was eager to just experience it all. So I had to pick one with a decent show. So there was just one bar I could think of that fit all this – Moonlight Bangkok. My first impression of Moonlight, July 2018: They are adept in using social media to evangelize their brand of boy bar. Which I admit bode well for them in the lonely months during quarantine. It is always interesting how any establishment that depends highly on reputation and hype dealt with the pandemic. In March 2020, as the world closed itself to deal with the pandemic, I remember Moonlight going from hyping Songkran 2020 (to which I was looking forward to): to temperature checks in March 15, 2020 (they tried!): to closure in March 18, 2020, with an expectation to reopen in 2 weeks (just like me who thought this was just a 2 week thing): to continued closure: to some reason the Moonlight models working at HotMale bar: to a final reopening at the end of September 2020: And a great show soon after, with an amazing model, Mr Jack, and his “sexist” underwear. i wish he would come back, he is hot: Through it all, they’ve maintained their social media presence, keeping the light on in that sense, and always kept everyone informed about next steps. I think with all the uncertainty with what pandemic has brought in our lives, having this reliable source of info, good or bad, was a comfort. Kudos to the management of that establishment, I think this should be an example on how to do social media, and customers are not left with gossip and hearsay to sustain them during those dark days. Back to the present: Happy Beer Garden has never changed. For some reason one of the waiters recognized me and asked me how I was. I do not remember him at all. Anyway, after a few pleasantries, I told him we were in a hurry to make a 10:30 PM show at Moonlight so we had to get our food in a jiffy. Since Tiago is Brazilian, he does not like spicy food, so I had to scour for the mild offerings in the menu. I settled on a chicken dish with rice, which he still thought was spicy. I told him to get used to it, since he’ll be here for 6 months. I also got a Thai Icea Tea to calibrate my taste buds and remind it how awesome Thai food was and to get ready for its many delights. Luckily the waiter was true to his word and we were out there in 15 minutes, which gave us plenty of time to saunter over that unpronounceable alley way off of Surawong Rd to Moonlight. I guess Mr. Nut is now the face of Moonlight? Great choice. Things that felt familiar: the 400 baht entrance fee with welcome drink, no changes in seating and stage. AC was on full blast. We get guided by a mamasan to our seats, which was toward the back and at the center, which I thought was pretty good seating. Tiago sat down, and looked around, took it in, smiling the whole time. He looked across the room, and found 3 boys, some in underwear, some shirtless, some in tank tops, some in pants. The boys rotated, but it was always 3 at a time on stage. Tiago then had a million questions, possibly the same exact questions I had when it was my first time in this bar, and in a Bangkok boy bar. Yes, all the boys are available for sex. Yes, you can use the number to identify the boy you want to off. No, most of them are Thai, but some are from Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. A boy costs probably 2000 baht to 5000 baht, depending on the boy snd the length of the off. Yes, most of them are tops, but there are a lot of bottoms as well. And the most important answer – Maybe, I can get a boy, but only if you’re comfortable with it. Tiago looks at me and shrugs. He tells me he always defers to me for that. “Let’s see who is hot among these guys,” he said. We were asked our drinks. Tiago, who doesn’t drink, ordered a water. I ordered a “rum coke”, which was a test drink I would order in every bar in order to judge who served the stiffest drink. This is a test I’ve employed in other establishments, and there was oftentimes a correlation between how good or strong my cuba libre (rum and coke) was to how much fun I’d have that night, since cocktails are of differing quality in the world. Tiago asks how much the drink was, I tell him it was roughly 55 Brazilian reais. “That seems really expensive,” he says. I tell him that this is like an entry fee, and tell him the entry fee to the Sao Paulo’s Lagoa sauna is 65 reais, without any drinks. And I tell him that we get to see this one-hour show, so it all is pretty worth it. The drink was pretty weak. Not a good sign lol. Before the show started, I see a familiar face among the rotating boys. The boy who has defined all my Thailand visits. The boy who other offs has been measured against – MonBoy, the Myanmar boy from Mon State. My first impression of him, in June 2017: I tell Tiago the cliff notes of my past relationship with MonBoy. He takes a look at him and tell me to invite him to sit with us. I mention to him to come over. He bows, but was hesitant, and then gets off the stage and goes over a group of 4 Thais sitting just to the left of the stage and talked to them for a bit. MonBoy then goes over to us. “Where sitting?” Mon Boy asks. Tiago schooches over to make a space between us so MonBoy can be sandwiched in between. Good sign. He greets both of us, and then leans on me and asks “Your boyfriend?” pertaining to Tiago. Good question. When we were planning the Doha-Dubai-Bangkok trip, Tiago brought up the subject of what were supposed to be to each other while traveling. This question came up when we went on that trial run to Mexico, when he was showing immigration hotel accommodations for Cancun where we were staying, which had both our names on it. He told immigration that I was his boyfriend, and I was American, which was code for “Don’t worry about the Brazilian entering your country, he is with an American who will pay for everything.” He even showed the immigration people our pics together (chaste ones having dinner, walking along Paulista Street, at the gym). I told him sure, this will work for Thailand too, but not in Qatar, or the United Arab Emirates. Not true, it did work, indirectly, in Dubai, where we checked in together at the Hilton. When we handed over our passports, the handsome check-in guy asked us if we needed a King size bed instead of two doubles. I replied “King, of course” and the guy didn’t even bat an eye. I reflexively said “Yes, he is my boyfriend,” after introducing him as such for a better part of 2 weeks now. MonBoy then looks at Tiago and shook his hand. Tiago, all Brazilian, pulls him in for a hug. They laughed. This might actually work out. After some initial greetings, MonBoy tells me that he is actually committed to a short time encounter with the Thais he talked to before. But he says that he can meet up after that if I was still interested. I told him of course. He gives me a kiss in the cheek, and gets Tiago’s left hand and kisses his hand, and leaves. This works out, no payment of an off fee. I explain the situation to Tiago. The show starts, and quite frankly, nothing has changed in the numbers, the drag queens, and the quality of the show. It’s like I’ve never left and just saw this same show the week before. I knew certain songs were different, and some numbers were different, but it all just felt the same. What changed me for, however, was I was with Tiago. He kept asking first-timer questions that were interesting and funny. Like “Is that really a guy,” or “Do Asian boys kiss like Brazilians,” or “Do these shows also exist in Brazil?” I tell him, no. The shows in saunas in Brazil were kind of different. Some drag queens, yes, depending on the venue, but the males did not have elaborate numbers like here. In Brazil, it was just a man, a very muscular man, stripping sensually to nothing but his undies, and then showing his ass, and then his erection, after the number was over. “Which one do you prefer? This, or Brazil’s way?” he asks. I think about it for a minute. I tell him it depends. Sometimes I like this spectacle and disciplined dance numbers. Sometimes I’d just like to see a large cock. So, “Os dois – Both,” was my final answer. “Very American of you,” he tells me. That was not the first time he has called me as such during this trip. Just some asides, and this might sound a bit petty, but I did notice some models were a little less defined than before. Don't get me wrong, they still look fine. The pandemic was hard to us all, and I am in no prized shape either. Maybe its because I was with Tiago, and therefore I was measuring everything with his (fairly large) measuring stick, but judge for yourself. 2019 in the left, when I left them last, and 2022 how I’ve seen them now: Mr York Mr Tum Or maybe they just had a big dinner, who knows. I did like Mr Korn A LOT. He has this cocky humbleness to him, and once in a while he would smirk and I see possibilities. Maybe a future off: The show finishes. Some live entertainment was next, and as advertised, it was pretty fun, and the vocalist, May, was pretty good I think this was a good addition to the bar. If we weren't tired, we would have stayed longer: I get a message from MonBoy, telling me he is going to his client’s hotel. We leave Moonlight. I tell him we were going to Patpong, to see what’s up. Next post, another Boy Bar to go to (which one, can you guess), and a familiar face, next.