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From Pattaya Mail PATTAYA, Thailand – In the early hours of October 23, a potentially tragic incident took a heartening turn when the Pattaya Sea Rescue and Community Safety Unit responded to a distress call from worried tourists. The call reported a person attempting suicide by walking into the sea at Pattaya Beach, near the Pattaya Police Station. Onlookers, mostly tourists, witnessed the distressing scene as a young woman, identified as 24-year-old Rattanaporn, entered the sea, emotionally distraught. Acting swiftly, a courageous local teenager, 17-year-old Parit Yunkrathok, jumped into the water and heroically brought her back to safety. Following the rescue, local sea rescue teams and volunteer medical teams arrived, finding Rattanaporn emotionally shaken but physically unharmed. Police officers and community volunteers joined forces to provide initial psychological support to the distressed woman, who revealed that her actions Further investigation unveiled that Parit, the young hero, had earlier noticed the distressed woman while hanging out with friends on the beach. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, he swiftly entered the water, successfully rescuing her. After bringing her back to shore, Parit promptly called for assistance from local authorities. Responding police officers helped calm Rattanaporn and suggested a heartfelt conversation with her boyfriend, who was invited to the scene to resolve their relationship issues. The incident concluded without harm or complications, thanks to Parit’s bravery and the quick response from local authorities in de-escalating the situation.

The Catholic Church wishes you to know that the creator of the universe, the alpha and the omega, the Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient and, of course, Omnibenevolent God who chose to incarnate as a human and kill himself so that he could forgive you is really, really, REALLY obsessed with what you do with your penis. Because that's how the creator of millions of stars, planets, and life forms rolls. They may also have a bridge in one of New York's boroughs that they'd like to sell you so that they can continue their holy works. Ministering to those who misuse their penes is at times a costly undertaking.

there's something in it. Actually a lot that comment brought me memories of long distance travel by buses in China in mid-80-ties. Cost of ticket included overnighting in some cavernous halls on the road , there was some bedding on the floor but basically whole busload of people was sleeping, at least some nights, in one big space. If was obvious that other passengers thought nothing about screaming to their friends across the hall in deep middle of the night and when we tried to gesture to keep quiet , plainly they did not understand what fuss is all about. The same in sleeping coaches on the train. Then we took it as part and parcel of exotic travel (it was shortly after big chunks of China was opened to independent foreign travel ) but it was immensely annoying so no wonder Bangkok Guy is ballistic. Tell him he has full support from old vinapu. To be fair I must add that during quite a few long flights I took with various Chinese airlines there were no middle of the night noise problems.

They did it this summer when I made my "every few years I have to check out Tawan" visit Only few visitors and 2 guys for chuck wow. They collected money for first guy and guy came. Then they collected for second guy but not enough so 2nd guy did not come. But they did not give the money back ... not really nice. Will go there again, but my visiting interval increased by a few years.

Because they haven't gone down that rabbit hole....yet. Half their country isn't obsessed with guns......

nothing will ever start peace or healing process until last settler and settlement will be removed from West Bank. Blending two nations , each having own scores to settle , using barbed wires will never work, specially not in such cramped, resource poor, place.

Unfortunately West, out of hatred of communism, was not any better. Vietnamese chased Red Khmers in 1979 but Khmer Rouge regime, so called Democratic Kampuchea kept her UN seat well into 80ties even if their atrocities in the country were well known and documented. At least we financed UN peace mission and rebuilding of the country in n90-ties as partial redemption for such shameful conduct. so we have very small tittle to condemn Thailand's overtures to Russia. Unfortunately. It's called politics, nasty thing when comes to morality

The Dodo boys love dancing. The bar has a constant flow of customers and it was diffcult to find a seat last night but much easier to find a boy to have a drink with. 20230830_225322_1.mp4

correct on both accounts. You can physically eliminate terrorists by jailing or killing them but that only makes room for next batch or you can starve them support of local population but that may be tall order if occupant or government is seen as even worse and/ or less effective. throughout human history many terrorists were later labelled freedom fighters and become prime ministers or presidents. And some of those , first lawfully elected or elevated by popular will tuned to terrorize their own population and neighbours.

In that case, treat yourself to a sandwich. 🙂

I guess you thought I wouldn't click on the link and actually read the article. For the several people who "liked" your post, and therefore didn't bother to click on the link, I will tell them that that article has ZERO to do with the current situation, and in particular NOTHING to do with taking down the sites with which Hamas is using to volley missiles into Israeli civilian areas. All it does is suggest that negotiating with hostage-takers is a good idea. Nice try, but again devoid of integrity. Obviously, even if one were to buy into the idea that negotiating with hostage-takers is a good idea, that argument does nothing to address the immediate issue of stopping the Hamas missile launches. To address your aside, which has nothing to do with the situation we were supposed to be discussing, I personally think it's a bad idea to negotiate with hostage-takers, as this only encourages further hostage-taking. Nothing wrong with pretending to negotiate while planning a rescue mission, but I would oppose any concessions. Otherwise, one will end up in an endless cycle in which one gives up more and more as more and more hostages get taken. That being said, I strongly oppose Israel's recent policies vis-a-vis the Palestinians, especially the settlements in the West Bank, which are simply obvious provocations. One could also argue that placing a kibbutz, such as Nahal Oz, right on the border wall with Gaza, might also be construed as a provocation and/or asking for trouble--not that this would excuse slaughtering unarmed civilians or hostage-taking. I very much understand the Palestinians' frustrations, especially at the arrogant and offensive policies of Netenyahu. However, the insurgents would have had my sympathy had they limited to targeting IDF troops, and lost my sympathy by shooting and kidnapping women, children, and the elderly.

Some years ago i was thinking that I might consider leaving Bangkok to live in Taipei. Naturally I like Taiwanese. Like Bangkok Guy I also like peace and quiet. What put me off was basically one thing - noise! I could only have afforded an apartment on the outskirts of Taipei and I was concerned at how thick or thin the walls night be. Given that it is prone to earthquakes and typhoons, I assumed pretty thick. But what if neighbours to the right, left and above enjoyed playing mahjong regularly? Since throwing the tiles down on the table is part of the fun, I reckoned it would be all but impossible to keep that noise out of what I planned as a peaceful abode. So I finally ditched the idea.

From the Nation Muay Thai legend Buakaw Banchamek may have just landed the biggest challenge of his storied career so far – from a 13-year-old American boy. Reed Harrington, a 7th grader who lives in the US, recently posted an Instagram message promising to follow the advice of the most-liked comment if he reached his milestone of followers. “Okay. When I hit 200,000 followers, I do whatever the top comment said on the video and post it," the teenager said in a September 29 video posted from his reed_harrington23 account. The top comment, which broke the Instagram record with over 2.57 million likes, came from user fiven9nekid: “Fly to small town in Thailand, get accepted by their people, learn the language, train Muay Thai for a year and half, fight in a tournament, win the tournament, return to the USA and join the UFC, stay in shape & go undefeated in your weight class, retire and do an interview saying this comment was the reason you fought so hard.” The comment caught the attention of former finance minister Korn Chatikavanij, who tagged Buakaw and also Muay Thai film star Tony Jaa, saying, “I'm sure these two gentlemen will be happy to help.” Buakaw was quick to get back to the American teen: “Hello, I am Buakaw! Both myself and the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand extend a warm welcome and are prepared to assist you during your stay in Thailand. I will send you a direct message to discuss this further." Reed’s post has also drawn support from fellow influencers like Kush Papi, a Chicago-based comedian with two million followers on Instagram. He commented, “I’ll pay for the Thailand ticket.” Just in case Kush Papi doesn’t come up with the money, Harrington has launched a GoFundMe page titled “Trip to Thailand for me and my dad”. The page had racked up total donations of US$7,679 as of press time on Tuesday.

Bangkok Guy has a good ear for accents. On our first walk-through of the building he enjoyed telling me "this person China, this person Singapore, etc" and by the number of "this person China" it was clear the building was majority Chinese, which at the time did not phase him. However, at the time he had not experienced being a minority. He looked so guilty admitting that he wanted to move to a new building that I had to agree that he can look for alternatives to show me when I am next in Bangkok. It is a shame as the building has fantastic facilities, I really like it, but fantastic facilities are nothing if Bangkok Guy is unhappy there.

An invasion of Afghanistan, with ALL the eventual changes and deaths, was intended to accomplish what exactly? Were you not aware of the history of foreign invasions of -- and externally coerced regime changes in -- Afghanistan? I certainly was. What did you think the so-called Operation Enduring Freedom would likely achieve, given the difficulties (and past histories) of foreigners accomplishing anything at all that lasted in Afghanistan? In hindsight, how did that turn out for you? And by saying "What the fuck else were we supposed to do?" about 9/11, you unwittingly disclose your actual motivation -- and the motivation of the US government and the 88% of Americans who agreed with Bush & Cheney, Inc.

The good news ( or bad news depends how you look at it lol ) is that Thai's can't understand us the falangs either.

Mine are gone dozen years already but barely day goes without me thinking about them. It was good 5 years after my father died when I still caught myself thinking one day : ' I did not call home for a while"

Indeed. I don't think Hamas is capable of admitting its strategy is never going to work. I vaguely hope that Israel will wake up and realize its strategy isn't either. If at least one of the two parties acts rationally, things might get better, if not good. Getting rid of Netanyahoo would be a good start.

Post trip reflections. Highlights - S'sense is a big winner and a pleasant discovery for this trip. I always tend to go to a no hanky panky spa for a decent massage and then visit another place in search of the fun extras. I am delighted that from experience, both elements are present in S'sense. I always make it a point to avoid recommending a specific guy as experiences and individual connection can vary. However, I would recommend Knott just for his massage skills alone. - Hotmale is another surprise. I am pleased that I gave this place a second chance after a lack lustre experience from my first visit. - My meetups through apps have been consistently pleasant during this trip. While this mode takes heaps of time and effort to weed out time wasters and dodgy characters, it can be worth it. My meetups with non Thailand based MBs thru the app is a new Bangkok experience for me. - Tawan is always a highlight. The unpretentious ,relaxed and friendly atmosphere is something other boy bars are not able to duplicate. - Kman Spa. Another notable discovery this trip. Worth the effort getting there. Looking forward to explore the other establishments in the Saphan Kwai area next time. - LTs: maybe because of the lean season, securing LTs are not as difficult compared to previous experience pre pandemic. Most guys are also not in a hurry to go home the next morning. Maybe it's just my luck this time. Lowlights - Banana bar just didn't tick any of my boxes this time. I'm not sure if its unusual but they only had four performers rotating the whole time I was there. People will take a peek by the door and will instantly walk off. - Fresh boys is always a lowlight for me but I always end up visiting at least once every trip. The lack of subtlety on the part of waiters and Mamasans when asking for tips and drinks can be irritating. I mean asking for tips/drinks within the first minute of conversation? - AirBnB: given its legal status in Thailand, I always second guess and brace myself everytime I bring a boy back. The apartment I rented have posted notices and banners saying that the building is strictly for residential use and not for short rental like air bnb. The notices were written in a way that the renters can get into trouble if they don't report this to building management. But again, this is Thailand. While I didn't have any issues during my previous stay, I'll stick to the usual tried and tested Silom hotels next time. - Jupiter: as advised, I will try to ignore the ice cold standoffish behaviour of the guys next time. I might be in for a surprise. - Dreamboys is a mixed bag for me. While their new place is a definite improvement, both my visits didn't result to an off. Not crossing this off my list and will give it a try next time. Compared from my visit last year, things are really looking very positive. There seems to be no remnants of the pandemic and Silom / Surawong area is bustling with most establishments back to operating till late night / early morning. Overall, this 12 day experience have been pleasant with no major dramatics with any of my off. Fingers crossed it will be like this next time. Thank you for reading my reports and hopefully this will be of help to you guys for your next trip. I am looking forward reading your future reports too!

From Entertainment.com The lawmaker who authored Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill will serve four months in federal prison for fraud and money laundering. Former Republican state representative Joe Harding was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gainesville last Thursday, according to The Gainesville Sun. He was initially indicted for wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements in connection with COVID-19 relief fraud in December 2022. Specifically, Harding received more than $150,000 in pandemic relief funds that were intended to keep small businesses afloat, submitting numerous loan applications for “dormant” businesses. Although Harding initially claimed that he was not guilty, he pleaded guilty in March, with prosecutors dropping three of the charges in a plea deal. In a press release from the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney Jason Coody, who announced Harding’s sentence, said that “the theft of any amount of taxpayer funds is inexcusable.” From Russia to Florida, far-right leaders are driving a new wave of legislation that aims to erase LGBTQ\+ people from public life. “However, the defendant’s deceptive acts of diverting emergency financial assistance from small businesses during the pandemic is simply beyond the pale,” Coody said. “Today’s sentence both punishes the defendant’s criminal conduct and should serve as a significant deterrent to others who would selfishly steal from their fellow citizens to unlawfully enrich themselves.”

There have been posts over the years about misunderstandings with boys from the bars and other difficulties some have found in communicating with Thais. I have been coming to the country for four decades for work, play and finally living in Bangkok, but still find Thai logic all but impossible to comprehend. The latest incident concerns of all things air conditioning maintenance! For many years I had an annual contract with one company to come to the apartment three times a year to service three units. When they went out of business, I asked our excellent receptionist who speaks pretty good English if she could help find another company. I get on well with her, always give her a Songkran brown envelope and other little gifts from time to time. But after almost a year she could come up with none. A friend who lives in a much more luxurious condo then suggested I try their maintenance company. Although a lot more expensive, they came twice, seemed excellent, but then did not reply to calls. The receptionist tried half a dozen times before finally someone answered. The company had decided to base themselves out of Bangkok, allegedly! In some desperation, last week I did what I should have done almost 2 years ago! I spoke to my neighbours to find out who serviced their units. It is the company run by the husband of our receptionist, they told me! So during all this time when allegedly she and also I have been trying to find an aircon contractor, her husband ran such a company yet she did not tell me! After I approached her about this to see if they could come, I assumed it would be a few weeks later. They turned up the next day, spent much longer than the other companies and as far as i know did an excellent job. So why could she not have told me this before? I'll never understand!

You pay them, they disappear!

Getting rid of Hamas is noble undertaking but impossible to achieve even if all Gazans would be annihilated. Quite opposite parking lot solution by it's cruelty may invite even more support for Hamas next incarnation. As long as Palestinians will be driven into desperation that will feed their support for extreme measures.

you mean offensive?

Go to temple and meditate.

This is getting really tedious.....

Right here. You cite three—and only three—parties involved in the conflict. if there are other parties, why don’t you identify them. ”Until something can be done about the US/srael/Iran conflict, is there even the remotest chance of peace?” You place the responsibility solely on those three.

This is a direct quote from you: ”Until something can be done about the US/srael/Iran conflict, is there even the remotest chance of peace?” How in hell did I misrepresent what you said. You only mentioned three nations. I didn’t make that up, Peter. You can’t have it both ways. I put no words in your mouth that you didn’t utter. Maybe you were thinking something else but I can’t read your mind.

Your mistake is believing that it’s just a problem existing among Iran, US and Israel. Iran is a world-wide exporter of terrorism. It’s everybody’s problem.

International relations are rarely simple. The Vietnamese invaded partly to stop incursions and killings on its territory by the Khmer Rouge. Mercifully Vietnam did invade for it finally put a stop to the Pol Pot genocide. But Cambodia pre-Pol Pot was allied to several countries including China and it was to Beijing that Prince Norodom Sihanouk fled after the 1970 coup. Sihanouk backed the Khmer Rouge as did China. And when Sihanouk returned in 1975 it was as the figurehead head of state in the Khmer Rouge government. Although he soon became disillusioned with Pol Pot' regime, China did not. After the Vietnamese invasion, It continued to back the Khmer Rouge, even training its fighters. China and Vietnam were traditional enemies, and partly because of the invasion, the Chinese then invaded Vietnam in February 1979. The China-Vietnam war lasted a mere 4 weeks, ending after it captured a few Vietnamese town on March 6. I remember that so well for I flew from the UK to Hong Kong on March 2. As a result of the war, all flights were denied Vietnam airspace. Those from Bangkok to Hong Kong had to fly down and around, resulting in an additional hour's flying time. Going back to the issue of Thailand welcoming Pol Pot, one reason for this was Kissinger's request to Prime Minister Chatuchai on November 26 1975. Kissinger said that the US would support the Khmer Rouge despite their being "evil". "They are murderous thugs but we won't let that stand in our way. We are prepared to improve relations with them." Sadly, after the humiliation of the war in Vietnam, there was no way the US would wish to be seen encouraging that country. After the Vietnamese invasion, the US slapped even more sanctions on Vietnam and then blocked the IMF from loaning more to the country. To be fair, this US view was echoed by many other countries who also backed the fallen Khmer Cambodia over its Vietnamese invaders throughout the 1980s.

yes , easy. just point on member's nick, small window will appear with 'ignore' button in lower right corner. Click on it and you or your friend are set. Keep in mind that you still will be seeing their posts if quoted by somebody. ( If you ignored by somebody he will still be able to see your post I'm quoting above)

Your experience reminds me of two two long ago trips of mine. The first was to China in the 1970s when group travel was still required. It was a great experience with one exception. Walking down old narrow streets I became mildly paranoid about the sound of vigorous throat clearing from high above that was the prelude to the flight of a descending gob of phlegm. On the flight home the front two rows were occupied by a group of officials in Mao suits from whose ranks emanated the sound of a vigorous throat clearing - my burst of laughter overtook me so suddenly that my own nasal passages got a good rinse out with champagne. The second was a trip to Japan followed by HK in the 1980s. Crawling through HK in a cab from old Kai Tak airport to my hotel surrounded by the bustling, sweating and yelling throng I felt that I was back among 'real people' after the politeness and neatness of Japan.

Thais and Chinese are so different in nature like water and oil, if Bangkok Guy regrets renting this apartment better cut losses and move somewhere else just make sure no Chinese there .

Give me a brown toned Isan guy any day.

From Pattaya Mail The ifs and buts of Thailand’s new friendship with Russia By Barry Kenyon The western democracies are still trying to fathom why Pheu Thai party premier Srettha Thavisin had his photo publicly taken with president Putin at the recent belt and road summit in China whilst inviting the Russian leader for a state visit. Critical social media suggest it was a bad idea because Srettha’s international claim to represent democracy and human rights has hit the proverbial iceberg. Not to mention the negative effects on tourism from traditional markets in America, Europe and Australia. On the other hand, international tourist numbers to Thailand has seldom been affected by the domestic situation for more than a few weeks, even post-coup. Examined from a Thai perspective, the issues look different. Thailand has had diplomatic relations with Russia for 125 years and the celebrations last year did not attraction any adverse international comment. Indeed, the last czar Nicholas II is commonly credited with helping to save Thailand from imperialist aggression by foreign powers. In 1996, Russia became a fully-fledged “dialogue partner” with the 10-nation ASEAN group, in which Thailand has the second biggest economy, and in 2004 Russia acceded to the treaty of amity and cooperation in southeast Asia. Russia was silent when the Thai coup if 2014 occurred and, under the leadership of general Prayut Chan-o-cha warm relationships continued. In 2017, both nations drew up a statement of reciprocity which gave Russians and Thais 30 days of visa free travel when travelling to each other’s country (now to be extended to 90 days on a trial basis). As regards Ukraine, Thailand initially voted at the United Nations in March 2022 to condemn Russian aggression, but has abstained from later votes condemning the annexation of the occupied territories. Nor is Thailand a formal state signatory of the international criminal court’s attempt to have Putin arrested if he steps abroad. All these developments occurred well before Srettha became the Thai premier. Putin has also accepted a state visit invitation from Vietnam. In this context, it’s worth remembering that Joe Biden’s trip to Hanoi in 2023 saw an upgrading of ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership between the US and Vietnam. Vietnam’s policy has to be seen in context, namely to avoid being too committed to one side or the other. Similarly, Srettha will visit San Francisco in the United States in November 2023 to attend the summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. As political analyst Thitinan Pondsudhirak has written, “Srettha has not turned to Putin at the expense of the west. He wants both.” Thai-Russian trade is still relatively small at US$10 billion a year. Thailand’s exports to Russia include vehicles, machinery, electronics, vegetables and fruit, whilst imports are mainly oil, fertilizer and steel. Much of the trade now moves through the port of Vladivostok with its offshore banking facilities designed to offset western economic sanctions and the exclusion of Swift from financial transactions involving Russia. Western commentators can hold up their hands in horror about Thailand’s collaboration with the man who has inflicted so much misery on Ukraine and the world. But Thailand is now led by a real estate tycoon who is an accomplished salesman keen to do business worldwide. His bold aim pure and simple is to generate enough national wealth to ensure Pheu Thai wins the next general election in 2027.

Where I come from - Asia - there used to be very little by way of a "community", if only because, as @Marc K observes, most of us were too busy maintaining facades and ensuring that our less licit activities remained under the radar. Growing up, the gay men around me were by and large judgmental, hierarchical, resentful. It wasn't great, to put it mildly. Things are a little better these days, thanks to the interwebs and the adoption of American notions of queer pride and community by a younger generation, but I still only have a small handful of gay friends. When I think of a "gay community", it isn't the pride parades that come to mind, but the sniping, morose, conflicted bunch in "The Boys in the Band" - which was brilliantly true to life. RIP Crowley and Friedkin.

I ageee, our parents deserve our respect. They did, after all, have some connection to us being at university at all.

Now there's a preposterous "alternative." Lots wrong with it. First of all, planning and arranging for a ground invasion takes a lot of time. It's absurd to imagine that Israel would just let Hamas continue to simply spew missiles towards their territory day after day, while planning a dangerous invasion (oh, and of course ignoring that if the missile sites are left intact, Hamas could easily target the potentially invading forces). Secondly, such an invasion would be extremely dangerous as Hamas is entrenched in cities they know well, and they have tons of tunnels, booby-traps, and so on. Thirdly, and most obviously, who in his right mind would imagine that a ground invasion in and of itself wouldn't result in ample civilian deaths? And, even if Hamas were to somehow wait around and just leave those missiles lying there, the missiles are still in highly populated areas. Missiles are, to put it mildly, explosive. Or do you imagine that Hamas is going to simply hand over the missiles to the ground troops, saying "Here you go!"?????

Congrats, that's great! And your last sentence is the key. Not just drinking friends, or traveling friends, or companions, or sex-friends, or gabbing friends, but friends you can count on. And ask yourself how you can be counted on by others, too.

Great advice by the friend , Israelis knowing well what situation is may follow on that but will Netanyahu and settlers listen ?

Excerpt from the Benar News Thailand is not a state party to the Rome Statute by which The Hague-based International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Putin for his alleged role in crimes committed against Ukrainian children.

Good job! Having friends is often life long exercise and require going through a lot of thick and thin. only then we reap our reward. Mu uncle who died in good faculties at 94 remarked that no matter what , at some point of life you find yourself lonely because most of people you knew all your life are gone or they already don't know who you are. He called it 'penalty for living too long"

not disputing but I think you compare prices of trains to taxi in SR. No way you can travel by taxi to Paddington for $ 30 from LHR, 30 gold bars perhaps yes

Whatever its faults, this website does allow some human/gay connection. I would miss it if it ceased operating.

I consider myself very privileged to have met some of the friendly members on this forum. During my recent weekend trip to Bangkok, I spent so much time chatting with a fellow forum member that I did not visit any gogo bar during the 3 nights! Even though there were 4 gogo bars and lots of fine looking guys around us! We chatted about our lives - the past, present and the inevitable future. The waiters were sensible enough to leave us alone when the topic of conversation became serious and solemn.

and it worked intended way very well. Whenever option for meeting other member emerged it was almost always ' lets meet at Coffee Grindr"

There is always a choice. Terrorists always argue to have none. Lies.

50 years ago today one of the world's great iconic buildings opened. Its design and consturction had undergone huge problems, not least the firing of its designer Jørn Utzon, the near impossibility of constructing its 'sails', completion was 10 years late, the budget overran 14 times, and politicians interfering by insisting on a highly controversial rearrangement of its interior venues. Yet the Sydney Opera House has become Australia's most visited tourist attraction and is admired the world over. While the world has marvelled, I doubt if Utzon ever imagined that his baby would become a projection screen. Each Australian summer there is a Fesitval in Sydney when images are projected on to the structure. Many are stunning and I attach a selection. The most moving surely was a special projection to mark Anniversary Day of the end of WWI with a simple series of poppies.

Finally had the opportunity to try this shop today. When I arrived and inquired what guys were available, I was presented with an array of about eight cards with photos. After making my selection, a houseboy accompanied to my cubicle on the third floor and pointed out the shower down the hall. Before leaving, he hung a card with my masseur’s photo on the outside of door. My guy arrived about five minutes after I finished showering. He had a huge smile and the first thing he did was give me an embrace and said he be right back. He was hunkier than the photo suggested but proved himself very agile. Following the workout, we showered together which he succeeded in turning into additional fun. Before leaving the lobby, he brought me a cup of warm tea. One hour oil 400. Mattress pad on the floor. Found the facilities very clean throughout. Gladly adding this place to my other list of Saphan Kwai favorites: K Man, One Spa and KK.

There have been some changes in the local massage scene since my last trip in July. One new shop has entered the scene to become the lone mixed (male and female staffed) shop in either Patpong 1 or 2. Chaichana has opened on Patpong 1, nearer the Surawong end on the same side the original Madrid was located. When I stopped by the other night, it had three guys—two of whom I found attractive—seated outside with four young women. They offer all the traditional services, including neck and shoulder massage. Some of the public services are offered on the first floor. Thai and oil massage facilities are located on the lower level accessed by wide and easily negotiable stairs. There are three large massage suites, all with massage tables and en suite shower. One hour oil 500. Hours 3pm until midnight. Attire is red polo shirts. Meanwhile on Surawong, there has been some consolidation and (if memory serves me correctly) some space swapping. The shop at the corner of the driveway for Tarntawan Hotel is now known as Avarin and has also taken over the space which appears to have been the long-time home of Green Massage a few shop fronts away. Green is now situated in smaller quarters between the twin Avarin shops. Avarin staff in maroon polos while Green continues to wear the inexplicable orange. Avarin one oil 590. Further up Surawong you’ll find Olivia’s encamped in a large quarters adjacent to the still more expansive Urban Male shop. All of the shops mentioned have male and female staffs. Toured the new and Foodland market in the recently opened Park Silom building at Silom and Convent roads. Located on the lower level, it’s L-shaped layout is expansive, featuring a salad bar and prepared (7-11 style) take away meals starting at 49 bht. It also offers an expanded beer, wine and liquor shop. The attached Took Lae Dee restaurant was going quite strong at 10pm on Monday night with about 25 customers. Like the flagship Patpong location, market and restaurant open 24/7. And for those in need, you’ll find an immaculately maintained restroom on same level. There’s a Dairy Queen outlet also on lower level that I think closed at 9.