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After a leisurely breakfast, I found myself in the mood for some shopping. Two tempting options quickly came to mind: 1. Chatuchak Weekend Market with a side trip to a Saphan Kwai massage shop. 2. Platinum Mall with a pitstop at Arena Massage on the way back. Just the memory of navigating Chatuchak's maze-like alleys in sweltering heat was enough to steer me towards the air-conditioned comfort of Platinum Mall. The massage guys at Saphan Kwai could wait. As I stepped out of the hotel, the cute doorman greeted me with his big smile. I pointed to the shuttle and asked when it was leaving. "Now, I can take you," he replied. I giggled internally and reminded myself to behave—this hotel is quickly becoming a favorite, and I don’t want to risk getting banned! I may have mentioned this before—while hardcore bargain hunters might argue that Pratunam Market across the road is the real deal, I prefer to pay a bit more for the convenience of air-conditioning and the peace of mind that I won’t be run over by vehicles, food carts, or the bustling crowds. One perk of Pratunam Market, though, is the people-watching—especially the shirtless local guys marching back and forth, carrying goods three times their size. After a quick shopping spree, I took a taxi to Silom Plaza. The traffic was surprisingly cooperative, but that meant I arrived at Arena Massage way too early, with slim pickings in the masseur department. I asked the Papasan for advice, and he suggested coming back around 4 PM. So, I strolled around Maha Nakhon in search of a quick afternoon bite. When I returned, the selection had dramatically improved, leaving me torn between three appealing options! The Papasan did his best to upsell me to a deluxe room, highlighting perks like free coffee and snacks for just 300 baht more. I declined, preferring to give that extra baht to the masseur as a reward for good service. Besides, the irony of a "deluxe" room in a building that wouldn't pass a building code inspection back home wasn’t lost on me. After making my choice, the masseur, Pon, graciously offered to carry my shopping bags and escorted me upstairs. Pon introduced himself, directed me to the shower, and said he'd return in a few minutes. I hinted that I’d rather wait for him, and he got the message—we ended up showering together both before and after the massage. I can't help but chuckle every time I see those ketchup bottle dispensers being used for body wash and shampoo. It's funny yet clever. Oh, and the room I was in had a Hello Kitty wall clock—not exactly what you want to be staring while getting serviced. As for the massage itself, it wasn't anything to write home about, but the cheeky extras were quite remarkable. Before leaving, I scanned the reception area one last time and confirmed—the roster had indeed improved significantly! I stepped out of Arena quite satisfied, happily walking back to the hotel while planning my next visit to Good Boys tonight, with hopes of meeting #7 or #42.

Ching Chong is an informal Thai term for urinating/taking a pee http://www.thai-language.com/id/141748

I don't believe it was Londoner's intent to mock or slur any people or their language. If anything, he was acknowledging his inability to acquire foreign language and how it affected his attempt to communicate. .

Recently the fast track lane at the far right of the main immigration hall (to the right of the Thai Citizen and Autogate lanes) which dealt with Business/ Elderly/Disabled travelers also started accepting families with lots of children On my last 2 trips (biz) i found it quicker to deal with the main line, than deal with several families of 4-5 all trying to cajole their 4-10 year old kids to go through immigration on their own, get pics taken etc

I was at The One last night, a few things I can share from my experience on a weekday night, low season: a. I went at about 10-10.15pm, I was the only customer there. Recognized a lot of familiar faces among the guys available. b. When I came in, only three guys went up stage to show off. Others just lounged around and occupied on their phones. I decided to leave for a while and came back around 11+, just as they were about to finish the big cock/cum show. Less than 5 other customers were there, with 2-3 guys sitting with them. c. Aside from the doorman cum manager trying to get me to off a guy/buy another drink/tip him, or the one other guy there I met during the time the bar was out of business for a while coming to say hi, the friendliness and hospitality that I've experienced at Tawan before seem to be missing as guys were mainly on their phones. d. I decided to off one of the guys who went on stage and was friendliest with me from our past interaction. 500 off fee, 3000 ST tip. Session was good with muscle worship, foreplay and some good fun. e. Physique-wise, the available guys consist of a few bodybuilders in relatively good form (especially off season), several muscle/toned hunks and 1-2 twinks I can spot lounging around.

As I've mentioned, I looked at Thailand and Mexico, made a pros/con list...Immigration was a big consideration. Once you have Residency in Mexico, that's it, only interaction with immigration is to update your address if you move. After 5 yrs as a resident , you can apply for citizenship and if you're over 60, even an easier process. Plus is soo much much closer to go to USA.... And not to forget Vinapu's wise words....If you live in Thailand, you can't look forward to "visiting" Thailand 👑

I very much support the views of those who speak of the benefits lone-travel. The one thing I'd add is that it helps enormously if there are plenty of English speakers around. I loved my single-travel in northern Thailand before I met P but I'd have loved to have been able to speak with the locals. So limited was my Thai (it's even worse now) that I couldn't even explain to a shopkeeper on the way up to Doi Inthanon that I desperately (really desperately) needed a ching-chong. My physical actions to describe the agony I was in would have caused my arrest in Bangkok. I found in West and East Africa plenty of English speakers, thanks to British colonialism and the teaching of the language in schools. However when I went in-land, away from tourist areas, it was more difficult. I remember being less successful in Morocco "off the beaten track" where my appalling French encouraged pity. In Palestine, so many people spoke good English that I was able to travel by bus anywhere. And, obviously, everyone had a story to tell and a demand that I repeat it when I arrived home. The children had been taught in school to welcome us, even though my country had betrayed Palestine continually for ninety years. "Welcome to Palestine; you are most welcome here," was a constant. It must be be in some school text-book. Overall, the vulnerability of being alone, strangely enough, was often a bonus in foreign parts. My experience is that wherever you go, you can make friends by being open , willing to listen, interested and courteous. And, it goes without saying, being sensible and following local advice. Here follows my usual banality; "the poorer the people and the more disadvantaged, the warmer the welcome you receive. "

NOTE -- If you're planning a trip and trying to figure out what the exchange rate will be when you arrive, I wouldn't waste a lot of time or effort. Rates fluctuate by the minute. You can get a clue on what direction they may be moving bythe action of your home country's central bank on interest rates. If they are raising rates, your currency will likely appreciate against the baht. If they are lowering rates, it will likely depreciate. Cross currency rates at 0700 today: Dollar 34.35 Euro 38.28 Pound 45.07 CAN dollar 25.29 From The Thaiger The baht is poised to strengthen further, potentially reaching 34 per US dollar or even higher, following a 13-month peak attained yesterday. This surge occurred as the Bank of Thailand opted to keep the policy rate steady at 2.5%, encouraging potential inflows ahead of the US Federal Reserve’s upcoming September meeting. Closing at 34.21 on August 20, the Thai currency rallied to 34.06 against the dollar early yesterday, marking its highest level since July 2023, before settling at around 34.13-15. The appreciation of the baht mirrored movements in other Asian currencies, driven by a drop in the dollar index to its lowest point since December last year. Market expectations suggest the US central bank might ease its policy stance as early as next month. Over the past two days, the baht appreciated by over 2%, coinciding with the Bank of Thailand’s decision to maintain the policy rate at 2.5%, a decade-high level, said Kanjana Chockpisansina head of research, banking, and the financial sector at Kasikorn Research Centre (K-Research).

If we are to pursue this topic, it would be amusing to note other Thai words or derivatives which falang visitors discover early on in their associations with Thailand. Here's a few; Mamasan, khatoey, aroi-na, baht-bus, check-bin, bir-sing, mau. And sawatdee-khrap, of course.

For those not lucky enough to be in Bangkok and doing close-up muscle worship, maybe this will be helpful:

"MY Dad's the GREATEST".... "MY Dad's the WORST, a Liar, a Cheat, a Fraud, an Insurrectionist, a Felon, and those are his good qualities "......

Agree with conclusion about colonization. However, China has never given up on it's intent to make Thailand a client state by any means possible, much in the same way it has Cambodia and Myanmar. Its methods are diverse but the goal doesn't waiver. As you say, Thailand is well aware of the efforts. I, too, do not believe it's xenophobia but a necessary paranoia.

@unicorn this is an excellent question. I am coming up on my 2 year anniversary as a retired expat living in Thailand (Jomtien). My feeling from living here 2 years is that I don't believe that this hostility comes from xenophobia, but more from the fact that Thailand was never colonized and went out of its way to avoid being colonized during its long history. Consequently, I believe that there is a fear to give us foreigners any rights in Thailand to avoid the fear of feeling to be colonized by us foreigners. You see this in the draconian way that foreigners are not allowed to own land in Thailand - Thailand will resist at all cost the idea that foreigners could take over Thailand. However, Thailand likes to make us feel good in Thailand and loves to take our money via tourism and to accept us as retired expats - as this is one of the many ways that Thailand acquires foreign currency and helps the GDP. In my opinion, it is like a "safe" way for Thailand to get what Thailand wants from us without having to give up anything physical in return. Thoughts ? 🤔

Wow. Thailand's laws sound hostile to those who seek permanent residency there. There are many countries which are far more welcoming. Certainly, the Philippines seems to be one, but there are many more in other regions, including Belize and Portugal, where my sister has obtained permanent residency and soon citizenship. Portugal also has good infrastructure and healthcare. You'd think a country would be happy to have foreigners spend their hard-earned pensions there, rather than be assholes about it. Where does this hostility come from? Xenophobia?

Is the entrance fee to Beef during weekend when they have shows/guests invited? There is no fee when i entered during the weekday when its raining, so im not sure if that 400 fee includes drinks. I sure hope so. Popular hotels does tend to booked out during high season even with higher prices. Weather can be unpredictable which is why an umbrella can be a time saving at times. Be more flexible with your plans and u should be fine.

Make that 100% certain now, the 35yo SRRV was canned because (apparently) so many Chinese were getting it and working in the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Organisations (POGOS). The SRRVs for over 50's is still in play, the one I looked at and would consider in the future is the SRRV Classic, US$ 20,000 in a term deposit for 12 months after which it can either be withdrawn for use in a condo purchase / condo renovation or leave it in and get a very small interest rate on it.

From The Nation Pita Limjaroenrat, the former leader and prime minister candidate of the now-defunct Move Forward Party, posted a message on Medium website on August 20 that he had taken up a visiting role at Harvard University. The party-list MP was disqualified from running for office for 10 years following the dissolution of his party by the Constitutional Court for undermining the constitutional monarchy system of government. Pita said that his next chapter will begin at Harvard University this semester as a Visiting Democracy Fellow. He expressed his excitement about this opportunity to further his commitment to promoting leadership and democratic principles in the ASEAN region. "Returning to Harvard this time is deeply meaningful to me because, during my previous studies here, I was greatly inspired by several former leaders who served as visiting fellows at the university. They played crucial roles in transforming their countries and lived in Boston to nurture new leaders regardless of race," he wrote. Pita also outlined two main goals for his time at Harvard: Sharing: He intends to share his experiences in leadership, political struggles, democratic systems, public policy, and citizen engagement with young people across ASEAN studying at Harvard, not just Thai students. Learning: He aims to gather knowledge to enhance his ability to address issues in Thailand and beyond. As his political tenure ends, Pita says he is fully committed to using this opportunity to reflect on his experiences and the challenges faced during his term. His work at Harvard will involve a deep exchange of political knowledge and meeting with global leaders to return as a better political leader when the time comes, he said. "I will continue to travel between Bangkok and Boston almost every month, without leaving my hometown for too long. This approach will help me apply the insights and strategies gained from Harvard to my ongoing efforts to develop Thailand and the ASEAN region. I am sincerely grateful for this opportunity and the support I have received. Let's work together to create a brighter future for our next generation of leaders," Pita said.

Indeed. Weird to think otherwise. Perhaps thaiophilus should read the message again.

I wonder. I hope you are right, but I don't think that the army, or he who can't be named, are influenced by academics. Still I read that General Prawit may be in a spot of bother with his party, so perhaps there is some hope!

From Khaosod English BANGKOK — The free visa policy for 53 countries/territories has led to a continuous increase in the number of tourists entering Thailand, with Chinese tourists ranking first. However, there are growing concerns that money is not flowing into Thailand as it should because Chinese zero-dollar tours have returned. According to Tourism and Sports Economic Division, from January 1 to August 18, 2024, Thailand received a total of 22,474,172 foreign tourists who generated revenue of 1.05 trillion baht through their spending. The five countries with the highest number of tourists are China (4,555,262), Malaysia (3,104,092), India (1,294,076), South Korea (1,193,255) and Russia (1,053,724). Although Chinese tourists top the list, Thailand faces challenges related to market-disrupting tours [The practice of foreign tour companies using Thai nominees to bring foreign tour groups to Thailand involves offering the lowest possible prices — “underbidding with a willingness to take a loss” — to put Thai tour companies out of business and drive them out of the market).

I've been watching a lot of Mark Halperin's daily 2 Way conversations, which is exceptionally good political reporting and rapport by the Game Change co-author. Some of the Republican regulars keep insisting that when voters find out about how liberal Harris is, she'll tank. Newt Gingrich, always a flame thrower, got out early in predicting this sets Democrats up for a McGovern style loss. Since Gingrich likes to talk history, one would guess he'd know that by August 1972 the polls showed McGovern was in fact headed to a landslide defeat. The polls now show Harris tied. Whatever! Harder to dismiss is Alex Castellanos, a more moderate GOP type who usually doesn't make such far out predictions. But so far he's holding tight on the idea that Kamala is like Wile E Coyote, running on air. Look out below! If that's true, voters don't know it yet. The polls and momentum and money make that clear. Gingrich is calling Harris a "San Francisco radical" and is banking on the fact that her record will indict her. Funny to think about Harris being indicted. 😉 One of the first factoids that was used is that Harris is more liberal than Bernie Sanders. Three points on that. Sanders denied it. And according to GovTrack, the source used, Sanders is and was the most liberal Senator of all. But the third and most interesting point is that Harris's liberal voting record is almost exactly the same as this guy named Barack Hussein Obama. Remember him? President Barack Obama Voting Record Vice President Kamala Harris Voting Record They don't give either a numerical score. But if you look at that chart as having ten lines with 5 meaning center and 0 meaning most liberal, Obama and Harris would both be right at about 0.7. That's liberal, for sure. Obama had eight Senators more liberal than him, including Clinton, Kerry, Sanders, and Sherrod Brown - who manages to keep getting elected in now red Ohio. Harris had three Senators more liberal than her, including Sanders. (Brown moved from about 0.5 to about 1.5, probably to keep getting elected in Ohio, I'd imagine.) Needless to say, the national voting history of Obama, Clinton, and even Kerry and Sanders does not suggest landslide losses. Kerry is the only one of the four who actually lost the national popular vote. The polls in Summer 2016 said Sanders would have beat Trump had he been nominated. Kamala Harris Is Unburdened And Has A Prime Opportunity To Define Herself That article is the most substantive one I have seen so far on voter perceptions of Kamala Harris. And trust in her, versus Trump. Sounds like Harris is being helped by excitement, not ignorance. Voters know where she stands on abortion, health care, climate, democracy, and rights. No wonder women, young voters, and non-White voters are flocking to her. Harris actually does a little bit better than Trump on those issues. Which may be why she is tied, and in place to open a lead soon. The attack ads will no doubt find Harris's vulnerabilities and pounce on them. But the idea that she will be branded as a radical doesn't seem likely - anymore than it led Obama, Clinton, Kerry, or Sanders to landslide losses. Harris now has the momentum of Obama in 2008. He won, right? 😉 And then there is this: Sure, Obama had "Dreams Of My Father" and that whole birtherism mystique. But a book on crime written by a prosecutor seems more down to earth, and moderate. Harris is more like Road Runner than Wile E Coyote, I think. She will likely outpace the Failing Felon, who polls say voters believe is old and lacks mental acuity. Poor loser!

acquire /ə-kwīr′/ transitive verb To gain possession of. "acquire 100 shares of stock." To get by one's own efforts. "acquire proficiency in math." To gain through experience; come by. "acquired a growing dislike of television sitcoms." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

Tim Walz publicly proclaimed his love for his children at the DNC; something the trump children have longed to hear from their father for their entire lives.

In the Philippines you can live there on a tourist visa for 36 months, you just have to keep extending it but must leave once just before 36 months is up then return and start all over again (even leave for just one day). Although now they are getting a bit stricter and interviews are now part of the long term extension process (mainly thanks to the people abusing the tourist visa extension process, re my post above), still not that hard but just a bit more complex.

We first tried to see the BoyzBoyzBoyz show at 10:30 but all tables reserved except for the horrible ones to the side of stage. They said they had to hold the others so we left without a show or drinks. Toy Boys was second stop and boy Tawan boy and I both found boys we liked and had them over for drinks. Mine was from Laos and cute and on a normal night, I would have taken him but I can to celebrate the beloved's BD so I let him pick someone. Needless to say it was a fem boy. But, very sweet and good English. We brought him back to the hotel and the BF had about 2 hours of fun with him. When I asked why I only get 45 seconds of fun every time, he said, "that is you and not me." Oh well, age has both advantages and disadvantages. We had stopped here after a trip to Sunnee. It was good to see that NiceBoys still has that photo of Charlie. Wow. He was such a fun guy and good to that bar. As for ToyBoys, honestly, there were at least 4 or 6 guys I would have taken on my own. Some cute and well defined bodies. I did get my drink boys LINE as he said he comes to Bangkok some and wants to spend Songkran there.

I knew you'd be back soon than later....

I recommend "Thai for Gay Tourists" by Saksit Pakdeesiam (Paiboon Publishing). A few Thai Gay phrases will impress the average go go dancer enormously. Some may be out of date now....such things have a limited shelf-life. And I'm told that some are not for polite society. "Ching-chong" is the term that a little boy would use when speaking to Mama. Our "pee" as Colmx points out. Harmless.

That seems an "appropriate " move for that NUT JOB

I read somewhere that RFK offered to endorse Harris in return for a Cabinet appointment. Maybe just a rumor. If true, glad she said no. It would be seen as pandering. For Trump, of course, pandering is what he is and does. As well as being a felon, of course!

@Olddaddy Those big black African cocks might have to wait.....or could be another chapter in your long lost medical posts 🧐

The last comment may be a banality, but it is often so!

Arrived in Pattaya today and happy to report that 7/11 returned to its rightful location on corner of Boyzton and 2nd Road. To early to say anything about boys

Since the criticism is coming from well-established colleagues, he may give a bit more of a damn today. Even Rhett Butler's life ended in scandal and disillusion.

From Bangkok Post A group of lawyers and university law lecturers have criticised the Constitutional Court's recent rulings to dissolve the Move Forward Party (MFP) and dismiss Srettha Thavisin as prime minister. The group, comprising 134 law experts, released a statement critical of the court for allegedly overstepping its power, which could potentially undermine the country's system of checks and balances. The statement refers to the two rulings: one made on Aug 7, in which the Constitutional Court ordered the MFP to be disbanded for attempting to subvert the constitutional monarchy and 11 party executives to be banned from politics for ten years. The other was passed on Aug 14 against Mr Srettha for appointing ex-convict Pichit Chuenban as a cabinet minister. The experts said they disagreed with both rulings, which they attributed to the court's interpretation of related laws. This interpretation is inconsistent with the laws' basic principle and could endanger the rule of democracy. The legal experts outlined four reasons to counter the rulings. First, they maintained that the court may have overstretched its authority, which resulted in the MFP being dissolved, its executives facing a political ban, and Mr Srettha being removed from the premiership. They insisted that if the law was applied to curtail a person's rights, it must be done restrictively and cautiously. In the MFP case, the court determined its authority goes so far as covering its judgement of crucial issues such as the party's policy administration and legislative amendment power. In the Srettha case, the court insisted the scope of a prime minister's dishonest and unethical acts extend over their reckless nomination of a person with questionable qualifications, a reference to Mr Pichit, as a cabinet minister. Second, the Constitutional Court did not permit the accused to fully and fairly present evidence and witnesses in their own defence. The court accepted certain pieces of evidence and witnesses in the MFP case. However, the court did not allow the party to testify or counter accusations during the proceedings. Third, by judging the MFP guilty of acting to undermine the constitutional monarchy, the court has expanded its authority beyond its limit and may be deemed to be asserting a role of keeping the lawmakers in check, which obstructs the checks and balances between the legislative, executive and the judicial branches. Disrupted checks and balances could imperil the protection of people's rights and freedom and the independence of lawmakers in doing their duty, according to the statement. Lastly, the experts felt the rulings have dented public confidence, both at home and abroad, in the country's legal system and democratic rule.

Yes, indeed, one might even shoot you!

Or as Billy Crystal used to say, "women need a reason to have sex, men just need a place."

Thought I'd share my experience at Lagoa here instead of starting a new thread. I was there past 2 nights, just to check the place out. They had a karaoke session last night, and a drag show the night before with hunky strippers before and after that. The bar area was crowded on both nights I was there (Sat and Sun nights) Personally, I'd say most (if not all) the GPs there are hot! GPs ranging from bodybuilders to muscle hunks to toned, next door type. Clients seem to be mostly middle aged/older gentlemen, with a few exceptions. I only had a session with one of the GPs there: tall, muscular (Russian looking?) guy. Quoted 200 with gozar, which is pretty low based on what I understand from the posts here. The session was alright, he was straight, so some stuff were off limits (which I don't mind) but he gave me a rub down, kissing, some foreplay and let me play with his body. We both came, and showered together. I don't speak Portugese, and he doesn't speak English but we somehow made decent attempt at a conversation before and after the session. All in all, the place is amazing, with lots of options, especially for those who are particularly into hunks and toned guys.

Hi, long time Rio resident / expat here. This whole back and forth about whether or not there is higher pricing for gringos / tourists is never going to be solved. The answer is: “it all depends”. (1) It depends on who the garoto is. Some garotos price themselves higher than some others — usually because they look like male supermodels or are built like professional athletes, or are hung like a Shire horse — and the market has already taught them what price point they can command. (2) It depends on who the client is. Often, like with many other kinds of services, regular clients get reduced rates. A client that may not be seen ever again, or at the most only once or twice a year, or who may not see him regularly but also doesn’t provide him fringe benefits like gifts and Western Union, probably should not expect this kind of discount for a programa. Also, like it or not, looks / attraction as well as age, charm and personality, do matter to quite a few of the garotos — whether “straight”-identifying or not. The extremely rare superstar client that resembles something like George Clooney, Henry Cavill, Ricky Martin or Idris Elba would get this “discount.” But the overwhelming majority of us clients not blessed with such physical gifts aren’t in this category, and have to flirt with our wallets instead. (3) It depends on what the client wants out of the programa. Asking a garoto to do more performative or more “difficult” or unusual sex work in a short programa — especially for a visiting, rare client — is more likely to increase the cost. Remember, these are human beings, not machines. Yes, there are some garotos who want take advantage, act like scoundrels and charge foreigners more just because they’re gringos and might be naive or unaware of the current market. There are also some who will charge the same, no matter who the client is or what is done during the act. But the price is also to be negotiated and agreed upon in advance, each garoto charges his own price, and he is not obliged to charge the same price as the others, nor is he obligated to charge each client the same. The guys all are independent contractors, not employees of the saunas. The client goes into this knowingly and willingly. It seems like the problem arises when clients take these pricing differences personally. Hey, I’ve also seen the reverse occur: garotos getting upset when they somehow find out that a client paid another garoto more than him! So, it all evens out, I suppose… Gringos / tourists paying more has always been part of “the game.” It’s not like how it is with gentrifying-areas real estate prices; it’s more like tourist-area restaurants or gift shop two-tier pricing. It doesn’t seriously affect local pricing, and locals already know about the two-tier system. Gringos also try to “game” the system themselves by getting local pricing on what basically amounts to only a few dollars, euros or pounds difference between the two. Hope this helps.

I'd say the impression that residential buildings in Manila offer more privacy / less security than hotels is incorrect in my experience: Most upscale residential buildings, especially BGC, Makati, McKinnley, Ortigas, will have extensive security, controlling every entrance with the need to register visitors. Some newer buildings actually have digital registration systems and the landlord will receive a realtime notification with name/date/time of all visitors to the unit. Most security guards have been in their jobs for a long time and will know all the people in the building, their unit number and family/friends/staff- anybody who's a regular. Filipinos are generally very socio-economically aware and exceptions (from rules & registration) are made for regulars and/or wealthy or connected (seeming) people. A wealthy local lady, swinging an LV bag, dropped of by driver and tailed by assistant will most likely not be stopped. In fact, the guard will probably be able to tell you what family she belongs to, what businesses they control and what political faction they support... Similar rules, gradually tightening, will be applied to well dressed foreigners or locals. A young, local guy in basketball shorts, tank top and flip flops will face much more scrutiny. Some large buildings with mostly small apartments, like the Beacon, have many, many Airbnb units and may have somewhat relaxed rules - but security still observes and will step in when they deem somebody out of place... If you can afford an international trip to Manila, I would not recommend to stay in any place that doesn't have security - it's not a place you'd want to be as an obvious outsider... I consider the Philippines one of the safest places I have been - but there is a lot of poverty, desperation and violence outside the bubble... On the other hand, there is still a bit of a macho culture, sexcapades or affairs are very common, love motels and mistress apartments are everywhere and staff is very discreet. If you are not worried about privacy, stay at any mid-tier/upscale hotel/Airbnb you'd like and be friendly & respectful to the staff. The security guys are more likely to give you a wink than a raised eyebrow once they notice your shenanigans. Educated, English speaking middle class & up guys from (free) Grindr dates won't have a problem and will appreciate the environment (more than the next suggestion)... If you are greatly worried about privacy or security, stay at whatever hotel/Airbnb you like and take your love interest to one of the countless love motels. Their whole, thriving business is built on security & discretion! If you plan to have lots of visitors, they have regular (low) overnight rates, too, just stay there...

I can't really speak to massage spas and bars because I was inundated by messages on Grindr as soon as I arrived, but I can speak a little to guest-friendliness... I stayed at the Holiday Inn and Suites at Makati (June 2024) after a recommendation from this website and although there was security doing checks at every entry point, I was never questioned when I met a guy off site and then took him in with me and escorted him out again. Unfortunately each new guy I brought back to my room ever expanded the grins on the faces of the security people, especially the female ones for some reason, and although it was a bit embarrassing the thought of sucking this hot guy's cock or getting fucked by him very soon was enough to get through that... I would meet my hook up very close by, such as at the entrance to Glorietta Mall next door and say to security that he was my friend as we were having our bags "searched" (opened and then they poke around with a stick for 2 seconds.) On the few occasions I didn't meet my hook up outside and bring him in personally (I was initially waiting for them at the elevators), security would either keep his ID until he went back out or if somehow he got in without handing his ID, they would actually detain him on the way out until he provided my name and room number so they could check I was OK. One guy never checked the room number on the way out and Grindr was delaying messages as usual so he was detained by security for ten minutes before he could get through to me, and then security rang my room to check all was OK. I took a walk by and drive by of several other hotels in the surrounding areas and they looked to have even tighter security with airport style metal detectors at the door, and I was told that some hotels do not allow visitors to guest rooms at all... Hotel security was the stand out difference for me in Manila, especially compared to Bangkok (Ibis Styles Silom) where I would just meet a hook up at the bottom of the elevators and then he would see himself out with no issues at all (Dec 2023). But then I found Filipino guys so much less transactional than Thai guys - not one of my hook ups asked for money even for a ride to get there. They really really get in to having their cock sucked, which I know sounds strange, because don't all guys? Yeh, but it seems on another level with Filipino guys and I am happy to help them out! ...

Tragic news https://loyaltylobby.com/2024/08/22/bangkok-airport-removes-fast-track-immigration-on-arrival-for-first-business-class-travelers/

For crying out loud, just when I was starting to plan a trip for later this year 🙃

All fine, but, unfortunately, those in control 'don't give a damn', as Rhett Butler famously said.

Thx Jeremy, Do they also suck?