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I now do both, there are two advantages in being able to bottom as well as top. First, all money boys are now potentially open to you in the bars and apps. Not many straight tops will bottom, but a large number of gay bottoms will also top if requested. Second as you get older (I shall be 70 next year), I frankly haven't the energy and libido to be able to top as often as I used to be able to do. So now when in Pattaya I will probably do two short-times a day, one as top and the other as bottom. I am happy, the money boys are happy: win win! 😂

WIth all respect to @ChristianPFC whose experiences over years in Thailand have been so insightful and interesting, we have also to remember that he speaks Thai and so bargaining or making clear his financial parameters is much easier than those visiting for a short vacation who do not have a command of the language.

Its website seems to be promoting it to compete for Jupiter clientele. https://www.facebook.com/circussoi4/

It was only 3 denarii in ancient Athens. It was different baht and different dollar. Nobody says prices, went down, specially in nominal but when compared to other prices we are getting different picture. Not that long ago Foodland was offering breakfast for 65, now it, s 93

If by messaging you mean obvious lies and by better you mean an audience too stupid to understand they are being lied to.

The current issue of the Harvard Men's Health Letter featured an article on tainted sexual enhancement products that make claims to increase testosterone, prevent erectile dysfunction or boost stamina. According to the FDA, these products may cause potentially serious side effects and interact with other medications or dietary supplements. You can view a list of these products flagged by FDA at https://www.fda.gov/drugs/medication-health-fraud/tainted-sexual-enhancement-products

I have been in 24 a couple of times on each visit to Tokyo virtually since it opened. It's certainly big even though the layout and experience there is much the same as other saunas I used to go to. I'd also recommend 24 in Ueno, the second of the three 24s to be opened probably around 20 years ago. It's a smaller facility on several floors and tends to attract a more well-built and dare-I-say working class fractionally older type of crowd (late 20s to 40s I'd guess). It's also a good 15 minute walk from Ueno station. Haven't been in the original 24 close to the end of the Ginza subway line in Asakusa (not to be confused with Akasaka) and virtually at the back of the wonderful Senso-ji Temple for probably 2 decades. It was pretty run down then, on two floors and had quite a number of much older men. On the other hand, I recall also a lot of student types which struck me as odd because I cannot think of any universities being nearby. Unless the sauna has been renovated, I imagine it must be in a pretty rough condition. The faciities in 24 in Shinjuku are slightly different than as described by @hojacat. As you enter, there are the shoe lockers on the right which require you to deposit a ¥10 coin. Then you go to the ticket machine on the left of the reception desk, as you need to purchase a ticket before going further. If I recall correctly, the basic fee gives you something like 10 - 14 hours. Here also you'll pay extra for tickets to the private rooms. You then take the ticket and your shoe locker key to the reception desk which is low enough so that neither party sees the other's face. There you will be asked to give a name and handed a small basket with a large towel, long small towel and a yukata. The large towel is mostly for drying off as you are about to leave the sauna, although some patrons do use it as they walk around cruising. Several will don the yukata and walk around in that. On your way to the changing area, you will see a TV room on the left. This is purely for relaxing. The next floor has the bathing area. On one side there is a bank of low showers for washing thoroughly before proceding further. Hence the small towel! On the other side are two medium heat pools for relaxing and people watching. Many guys will be totally naked as the Japanese, unlike many in the west and in quite a few parts of Asia, have no hangups about walking around nude in such a setting. Proceeding through the washing area, you come to a much darker area. This has about 8 full sized shower cabins, some with glory holes, and some patrons will use these for sex. Also at this level is a pool with freezing cold water, a sauna, a totally dark steam room next to a room with a sling, a rainshower room and a more popular steam room with a little more light where there is often a lot of action usually involving a few guys. Most people walk around this area naked. As you leave, there is a small fast spin dryer for drying your small towel before taking it with you upstairs. This floor is closed for cleaning, I think about 6pm On the next floor up, there are the two very large dark rooms, one virtually split into two sections. Each has long mattresses running along one or more sides. One side of the right section has only bunk beds but there are more bunks spread throughout the areas. When the sauna is busy, these rooms see a lot of action, and few seem to mind if you watch, even though it's not possible to see much given that it's dark. Imaginations, though, are useful! 🤣 Bareback is unfortunately not uncommon so take your own condoms and lube. At one end there is a TV room often showing Japanese porn (sadly when I have been there with mostly chubby actors) with around 8 slightly partitioned bed areas. The next floor up also has another large dark room with mattresses and bunk beds. At the end above the TV room on the lower floor there is a smaller dark room, again with a mattress and nothing but a starlit ceiling. It's on the next floors that there is a variety of private cabins which require extra payment and keys. I have never been to one but they do seem to be popular. No one cruises up there that I have noticed. As in most Japanese society, it is important to be polite in a sauna setting. If you see someone you like and gently touch his towel or his leg, if he is not interested he will either gently move your hand away or himself move elsewhere. It's not acceptable to pursue this guy further. So just find someone else, or pop down to the bathing area to see if there are any new arrivals who interest you! You'll have fun! I honestly can't imagine any Hong Kong sauna owner changing policy in order to embrace inclusivity!! Increasing profits is much more Hong Kong! I'm keeping my options open for the moment. Having been to 7 already and being much less interested in the dance parties and overcrowded saunas and hot springs than in the Parade itself, I may give it a miss this year as I do want also to revisit Tokyo.

Yeah, they stopped doing that around 2018. Was it because of what in a contemporary idiom would be called "embracing inclusivity" or just because they were in need for cash and was more profitable to let anybody in? I'll let you be the judge. Have been to at least 3 different saunas in Tokyo and at least one in Osaka. Didn't go to any in Kyoto and Kobe. Don't remember the names but looking at the pics of 24 Kaikan, I've definitely been in it. Big, clean, with a lot of amenities inside. I remember perfectly the room with pillows and tatamis were people slept or pretended to sleep and do some light fun instead.. It was at the end of a row of cabins, but you had to pay extra if you wanted to have one if I'm not mistaken. The highlight was definitely the big room filled up with rows of bunk beds. It was quite dark in there and the atmosphere around was definitely worth experiencing. There were people sleeping or just laying down , others talking, there was the unmistakable squeaky noise of box springs and a few people moaning loudly with their legs up in the air. and between all these , you had people walking and cruising around for a partner. Once you found one though, the bed turned out to be not that practical. First, it's smaller than most mattress you would find in a cabin. Then you would have a group of people around you who would not only watch , something that never bothers me, but as I would always go for the lower level bed, they would also touch you, sometimes quite firmly when you were in the middle of the performance. The people on the bed above you could also be a cause of disturb. One time this guy I was with stopped because the people that had climbed up the upper bed started being noisy and making the whole bed shake. The sauna in Osaka had the same format, though I think the cruise room with bunk beds had more of a maze-like layout which I think it made it even better. Anyway, I really think Japanese gay saunas should be on the "To Do At Least Once" list for gay travelers in Asia. I'm surprised they aren't more famous or known. Does it mean you aren't going to be there for Taipei pride this year @PeterRS?

On my first visit to Thailand, it was 300 short time, 400 if especially hot.It was 22 baht to the dollar then. I hope the Brasilians don't catch on.

Agree with almost all of @hojacat's comments. I lived in Hong Kong for 20 years and worked there for an additional 16. So I do know it quite well. I love the mix of ancient colonial and modern architecture, although the main parts of the Island and Kowloon are now much more modern. There used to be a light show on the Island which you can see from the Kowloon side starting at 8:00 pm. Again that is something unique (photo without the light show!) Also I have been a frequent visitor to Taipei since the 1990s and continue to visit about 4 times a year. Perhaps because I knew Hong Kong so well and remember when it was not such a political football, I am gradually falling out of 'love' with it. I do return occasionally for business and love the place with almost as much fervour as I did when I first landed more than 4 decades ago. The views are incredible, the hustle and bustle unlike anywhere else, the food divine and its so easy to get around. The MRT gets you to most places (be careful: taxi fares are very high) and there are some fantastic places to visit. You have to go up to the Peak. Get the Peak tram to take you up - it leaves from Garden Road a short walk up from the imposing I M Pei's geometric Bank of China Building. https://www.thepeak.com.hk/en I love a simple tram journey either from Central eastwards or westwards. Fares are HK$3 (US$0.40) for as long a ride as you wish. It gives you a great idea of what old Hong Kong looked like. Same with the ferries. I used to love going to Lamma Island on a Sunday. There were ferries to Yeung Shue Wan which was close to a rather nice beach (now totally spoiled by a power station, alas), crash out for a few hours, walk over the hills to Sok Ku Wan and have dinner at the island's 'Hilton' - just an open air bar/restaurant but with fantastic seafood - and get the evening ferry back from there. As Hong Kong has gone downhill politically, so its gay scene is not what it once was (but then, where is?). Hutong is very much the sauna to go to and there are quite a few others of varying sizes and varying clientele. During the week, I'd suggest Hutong as your best bet. Not sure how old you are, but there is a tiny sauna named CE half way up Lyndehurst Terrace on the island and very close to the very long central escalator which takes you almost half way up to the Peak. I have not been for some years and so cannot vouch for its present state. It used to be a place for younger Asians to hook up with older westerners. But its not a patch on Hutong. The bar scene is also no longer what it used to be, alas. This ste lists some of them - https://thehkhub.com/best-gay-bars-hong-kong/ I've been to Zoo, Petticoat Lane and FLM in Sheung Wan close to Central District. None seems very busy during the week but packed at weekends. I also like to meet friends at T:ME bar off Hollywood Road but it's a small bar off the main street and not the greatest place to meet new friends to hook up. Taipei is also quite spread out. With its mutitude of cafes, restaurants and a few bars, the main Red House in the Ximending District is a great place for people watching although hook ups are not very likely here unless your gaydar is working overtime. @hojacat has mentioned Soi13in as the best sauna and I certainly agree. I wrote in another thread recently about the new incarnation of Hans Mens Sauna which is very close to the Red House (around 300 meters). There are lots of private rooms, dark room areas and 2 steam rooms where a lot of action takes place. Maybe worth a visit. Directions are on the post here. One of my passions in Taipei is quite simple - visiting a hot spring. Huang Tzu is the one to go to as most of the guys who seem to be there are gay. But do not expect much action as it a place to see and be seen rather than play around - although I believe there is some action in teh steam room after midnight. Good for making contacts, though. The one problem with Huang Tzu is that while it is easy to get there - take the Red subway line to Shipai station and then a taxi from there (around NT$160 now - just over US$5) - getting a taxi back is really difficult and without one, you are stuck with a long steep uphill trek to the main road to get a bus back down to the station. But then all the buses seem to stop around 11:15 pm or so and that would enable you to get the last subway train back to the centre of teh city. The apps are more active than I have found in Hong Kong. And it is unlikely you are going to find more than a handful of money boys on them if that is what you look for. Most Taiwanese just want to meet a foreigner and have good time with them - no money involved. Just remember that English is not as popular as in Hong Kong and so speaking a little more slowly will always help. For sigheeing, it depends very much on what you would like to do. There are countless Chinese temples, some very beautiful and many packed with younger people. The National Palace Museum is a must if you happen to like Chinese arts and crafts. When the Japanese started their march down eastern China prior to World War 2, the Chiang Kai Shek government crated many of the country's national treasures to keep them safe. Then after Chiang was beaten by Mao, he stole many of the crates and had them removed to Taiwan. The works on exhibit are a mere fraction of those in its possession but they include some stunning pieces, especially in bronze and jade. The little white and green jade piece on the cover of the Museum's catalogue is one of the Museums' most admired works. If you look closely you can see two tiny insects crawling over the green. And then of course there is Taipei 101, for a few years the world's tallest building. It used to be packed with Chinese tourists, but should now be much easier to get to the observation decks because very few Chinese are permitted to go to Taiwan. On a clear day you can see way beyond the city to the sea in the west and the mountains both around and to the south. In hot weater there s a gay beach west of Tamshui at the end of the Red Line. I did try to find it once but got lost. My friends tell me it is actually quite easy to find and there are usually a lot of gay guys there at the week ends. Outside the city there are several attractions including quite lovely walks. One trip perhaps worth considering is to the Shifen Falls. You need 2 trains to get there and then there is a good 800 meter walk. They are not especially large, but certainly with a visit and very popular. As you walk back you will see students lighting Chinese lanterns on the train tracks at the station and the floating them into the air. Lastly I totally agree that Hong Kong is more expensive than Taipei. Much depends on how much you are prepared to spend on hotels. If you check on the hotel search engines like agoda, you'll see Hong Kong does have cheap hotels but with very small rooms.

I don't believe this comes as much of a surprise to those who've been following events. From The Thai Enquirer Move Forward Party Leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, has been suspended from his duties as a Member of Parliament. The Constitutional Court made this decision in light of an ongoing investigation into his eligibility to hold office. The investigation stems from his ownership of 42,000 iTV shares. The Election Commission (EC) has stated that Pita may not meet the requirements for holding office due to his ownership of media shares, which is prohibited by the charter for political officeholders. As a result, the EC has requested the court to rule on Pita’s eligibility in this matter. The court has given Pita a 15-day deadline to provide a statement clarifying the allegations against him. There is no verdict yet. Pita has previously argued that he holds the shares in iTV as an administrator of his father’s inheritance. Additionally, he claims that iTV ceased broadcasting in 2007. In June, iTV itself clarified that it is no longer involved in the media business. However, critics contend that although iTV may have stopped broadcasting, it has continued to generate income from other sectors within the media industry. Even if he is suspended, it does not mean he cannot be nominated for the position of Prime Minister. According to the charter, a Prime Minister does not have to be a Member of Parliament. [Correction] The previous version of the article erroneously stated that the decision was unanimous. However, it should be clarified that the vote was 7-2.

It is a disadvantage if you want to stay somewhere in the neighborhood of truth. If Manchin is only going to get in to win, then I don't think he'll get in. He'd have a very tough uphill climb and would burn a lot of bridges to try. Threating to do it might get him something. Actually doing it, not so much.

If it's Trump vs Biden, one on one, Biden will probably win. Only hard-core Republicans will vote for Trump. Independents are the ones who determine election winners. If a moderate Democrat enters the race, Trump will probably win. Actually, almost any Democrat can swing the election to Trump. Due to the electoral college, one doesn't even need a plurality of votes to win. Even though he only garnered a tiny fraction of votes, Ralph Nader gave the election to Bush, Jr., with catastrophic results. Bush, Jr. won the election even though he didn't even have a plurality of the votes. Bush won by a handful of votes in Florida, which was all he needed. Now if Trump loses the Republican nomination but runs as a 3rd party candidate, the whomever the Republicans nominate will have zero chance of winning. 3rd party candidates can't win themselves, but they can steal enough votes to determine the election results.

I don't remember the requirements off hand but they have increased in the last few years...I qualified from property and assets, amazingly 😆

IF the main issue in the General Election is a recession then advantage Biden, if he repeatedly and effectively points-out the damaging financial decisions of then Pres. Trump and the mistakes and high interest rate policies of the GOP dominated decision makers at the Federal Reserve Board. The GOP is always better at messaging than Democrats, though.

I am really surprised to hear this. How can they get away with this in the time when WCAG 2 compliance is such a hot topic? If you are elderly (which I am soon to be) and you need large font - an app is hardly going to be sufficient. In typical American fashion, I would file a complaint with the regulatory authority (Bank of Thailand). I wouldn't stop there either - would also send a letter of complaint to the Thai Assembly's standing committee on Finance if I did not get a satisfactory response from BoT. Be the squeaky wheel!

Bangkok Bank is good. I use a laptop for internet banking.

After fifteen days, this is my last night in Rio. I agree with mixer17. I also love the beach and I cannot bring myself to take Rio out of rotation, even if the GP scene is a roll of the dice. Earlier in this thread I joined the Rio/117 critics after a depressing, terrible Tuesday at 117. But, tonight (another Tuesday) 117 had a dazzling array of hunks, models, and cuddle bunnies. I had three awesome sessions. Tuesday reminder tip: If you arrive by 4 or 4:30, you can snag your preferred pal and get a jump on the queue for free rooms. The queue started tonight a little after 6:00.

I meant on apps , in gogo bars I doubt if you will find a boy who will accept less than 2000 bht.

One of my friends spent the last year or so traveling around Europe as a bit of a nomad since he is able to work from anywhere. He has Portuguese roots so he spent quite a bit of time there and really enjoyed it. I think his plan is to retire there. I expect to retire in about 2.5 years from now. I've been thinking a bit about what to do, especially if the political situation in the US keeps going to hell. But I guess every place has it's pros and cons. I'm probably more inclined to split my time rather than going all in on retiring abroad.

Semantic Error was fantastic. And JaeChan is adorable. For sure it gave his group a boost.

Not sure how relevant that is to the situation now. Trump has a far higher number of core voters who would vote for him even if he raped and murdered a 9 year old on 5th Avenue in broad daylight. Biden is a bad candidate and any centre democrat is going to garner more votes from the centre left and right than Biden is which is the area Biden needs to pick up votes or lose.

More a 3rd party candidate who would hand 2024 election to Trump. Manchin would take far more votes from Dems and Independents than from the Trump core.

Even after years, I sometimes judge wrongly. Unless the profile or the boys says so, I assume he meets me for free for fun. The money boys I meet get 1000 for short time (which for me is at least 1 hour), I reject everyone asking for more. Still plenty of repeat business or new boys for 1000. Not even a question of distance, some travel from the outskirts to meet me in central Bangkok, all for 1000.

It still happens though it felt a b it underwhelming from what I remembered. I only went there on a Saturday during my last trip to HK in May. Arrived there around 8PM. There were already plenty of people. I think the peak was reached by 9PM and then around 10:30 people start leaving. The sauna keeps being as clean as I remembered and its facilities are top-notch. However, the crowd is much mixed-aged than when I was there almost 9 years ago. There are still a good number of twinks, but gone is that allure of exclusivity that Hutong used to have (A local twink I met and hanged out with, when I mentioned Hutong, just said: "Haven't been there in awhile, too many uncles now") Messed around with three guys, plus the dark rooms are quite fun at Hutong, both for group fun or for seeing people doing it as, one of them has actually two beds inside. One thing to notice though, is the steep price. I paid 260HKD (aroound 33USD), which probably makes it the most expensive gay sauna in Asia (though I don't remember exactly how much I paid in Tokyo and Osaka). It's even more expensive that in some European cities known for high prices like London, Amsterdam, etc. They offer a discount for local guys under 25. I know there is at least one day when they can go for free as there was a big sign inside advertising it. I thought that day was Saturday but this guy I met on a Monday, told me that is actually Monday, the free night for under-25. As I was already with him, I couldn't tried it out. Next time, I'll do a bit more research and maybe visit on a Monday. Have you tried taking Uber from that location @PeterRS? I've used Uber all over Taiwan and it's been pretty reliable. A bit more expensive in Taipei, but still way less then I would pay in the US or Europe. It's also pretty popular in HK. I took it a few times and the price is not bad. Took it one time late at night, at around 1:00AM to meet this guy, from Jordan where I was staying to Kau Pui Lung for around 110HKD (14USD) round-trip. Still cheaper from what I would pay in LA or NYC. Do you plan to give it a try and see if you find it this time on your incoming trip @PeterRS?

Tiktok do have messaging system, but its only available to friends, aka, if u follow them and they follow u back. Nuisance but yes, many share their other soc media account for contacts

Glad that you have forgiven A and gave him second chance. You are magnanimous!

Gayromeo is still around, but of little use outside Bangkok and Pattaya. My favorite app is Blued, works everywhere I have been in SEAsia. Tiktok has no messaging system, but most have their facebook or other social media linked, and that's where I messaged the guy I saw on tiktok. One successfull encounter, out of dozens I have messaged. I'm not on onlyfans because it costs money to join and I don't want to watch, I want to touch.

Glad to know that my contributions to progress of humanity are not going unnoticed

Friday evening two of us went to check on Tawan. Bar is small so it's easy to fill and was decently packed. This time I decided right away on he off, asked guy to dress but we still stay for thr show. Several progressive numbers with botom in ***ck how being not only cute but also outright funny during circulation greting customers from his bit inconvenient position. Solicitation for tips during show never stopped, but it was still good natured. Quite a few girls in the audience. Right after show finished, bar emptied very fast. Since on Fri and Sat they throw another's show past midnight and managed to allure new clients. We both found somebody to accompany us to the rooms. One thing is for sure- Tawan no longer in just hunks paradise as there is healthy sprinkling of twinks here an there.

New Foodland opened yesterday in new building Silom Park on corner of Convent. Few 2 for 1 deals on opening day . Opened 7/24 and restaurant is serving the same dishes at the same price as world famous Foodland Patpong including 83 baht breakfast between 5.30 and 9. According to important looking employee I asked no plans to close old location so now we truly will have a choice. Few pictures

Peteus is a good one, but there are many. Christian from Petrus Is SUPER SEXY but he doesn't mess around with guys. He's very friendly and easy on the eyes though. I tried HAVING HIM but he has a girlfriend and he is lsnt BI or GAY. HAVE FUN and BE SAFE, my friend.

Me too! haha Perhaps this will help the 'what is a twink' debate? v0f044gc0000ch4og5jc77udju7hhe00.MP4

Twink: https://twitter.com/Thisis_Yoshi/

I might consider it if there was a free ticket ,but I think I will give the whole of Europe a miss !

Update on new sauna Lux: Lux was going strong on Friday. Saturday it was packed with even more clients and GPs. Lively, genuinely fun, upbeat atmosphere all weekend. Music was actually played at a tolerable level so you could talk without yelling. Steam room has been adjusted so it is hot but not scalding. Happily, no lip-sinking while I was there. One phenomenal live singer only sang a couple of songs but both were dazzling. I met the owner who seems like a really nice guy. GPs tended to be more nice-looking "boy next door" types (not Iberian Idols as I called them elsewhere) but a few were more muscled. As you'd expect in the far south of Brazil, they are mostly, but not entirely, a pale to olive mix. Rooms come with lots of gel and condoms on the table included in the 50 per hour price and have large bath rooms with hot, strong showers. I was not charged for the occasional extra towel. Some GPs will accept 100 without blinking an eye, but 150 might get you a more enthusiastic session. Suggestions if heading to Porto Alegre: Focus your itinerary on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Thursday could be OK too but hit or miss. Depart Monday when both GP saunas are closed, unless of course you've lined up a carefully screened hotel visitor. Go to Lux early (by 5) on Saturday before it gets crowded and the top-tier GPs get exhausted. Don't announce that you are a short-term visitor. I find the prospects that you might be a longer-term repeating customer elevates you to the Platinum level for customer service. And of course you indeed may come back for more. I sure do.

Sounds good.... up until the last part 😒