a447a

I'll definitely give the Ruen Urai another try next time I'm in Bangkok. The Rose Hotel was my go -to hotel for many years. The rooms were as Andy described, but it is in an ideal location. The bar on the left hand side of the lobby was also devoid of customers when I stayed there. And I never saw anyone in the pool. Maybe things have changed. I hope so, as the restaurant has a very good reputation. The ladies at reception were lovely, too.

"I find it unacceptable that someone from neighboring seat can invade my space." "....it's simply unacceptable for him to steal part of another seat that someone has bought and paid for." "There should be consumer protection laws that ensure a passenger will have the full use of the seat he has purchased." That's the crux of the matter. It's not "fat-shaming." I don't care how large someone is, but if he is taking up part of the space I have paid for, I would consider seeking redress from the airline in the form of a partial refund. I've experienced this situation on a short-haul flight. I only fly business class on long -haul, especially on overnight flights when I like to sleep. I'm small enough to easily fit in an economy class seat. Business class does not offer me value for money if the flight is only a few hours. On this particular flight I had a window seat and the guy in the middle seat was morbidly obese. He invaded my space and that of the girl sitting in the aisle seat. To make matters worse, he obviously hadn't showered for a month. I was squeezed up against the window and his feet took up most of my space. I found myself in a very uncomfortable position akin to a contortionist. The flight attendant had trouble passing me the meal tray and ended up passing it over his head. He had to eat his meal on his lap, or rather, on his stomach, as he couldn't open the seat tray. It was physically impossible for me to eat my meal - the one I had paid for! The flight attendant saw the situation and was rather embarrassed. I asked if I could move to another seat but was told the flight was full. I then asked if I could buy a business class seat but they were also full. She apologised to me as I left the plane. I told her it was ok, as it obviously wasn't her fault. I paid around $600 for the seat but only got to use less than a third of the space. So in theory, the airline should have refunded me $400 and recouped that amount from him. I never followed it up but these days I always consider business class on short -haul, although I usually take my chances in economy. But why should a passenger have to pay extra to get away from someone who can not fit into their seat? It would be difficult for an airline to ban large people outright. Imagine the reaction from the PC crowd! But they could always introduce a rule which states that if, when the passenger arrives at the check -in counter, it is agreed that he is too big to fit into his seat, he must pay for a business class seat or buy the adjacent seat. If these seats are unavailable, then he cannot fly. He should not be allowed to use part of another passenger's seat.

I went there a number of years ago so things might have changed. Also, possibly I went on week nights.

I ate a few times at Ruen Urai when I stayed at the Rose hotel. The food was delicious but I was always the only customer. Eating in a deserted restaurant is a bit uncomfortable. The Mango Tree also serves nice food but I think it's overpriced. Still, my "friend" likes it and I have no complaints if he wants to eat there. Two of my favourite restaurants are Kazan Tonkotsu ramen just last Patpong market when heading towards Soi Twilight, and Ros Niyom in the basement of Silom Complex. Both serve very spicy food. "Kazan" in Japanese means "volcano" so that gives you an idea how hot the ramen is. Ros Niyom serves Thai street food and has some innovative dishes. If you have a sweet tooth, try the various Japanese dessert cafes on the "canal" in the basement of Siam Paragon. They serve incredible Western-style desserts with a Japanese flair. Awesome!

Ah, but do the "Unimpeachable Dream Boys source" and the "Impeccable Maxxi's source" agree with the Incontrovertible German source? That's the question!

We are all adults here so I have no problem with the topic or any the posts per se. Nobody is advocating the use of drugs; on the contrary, they are giving us a timely warning. I don't use the apps, but colmx's post was very informative, nevertheless.

Vinapu wrote : "Learned that lesson years ago when few offers were gone before I made my mind." Some (all?) apps use cookies which they store on your computer, so they know that when you log on again, you've already been on their site and are still looking. So the cheap seats magically disappear and the same seats are now offered to you at a higher price. Try deleting the cookies, or log in on a different computer. I always book directly with the airline, as it allows me to choose my seat at the time of booking. It also allows me to easily make changes. It usually costs a bit more but for me, convenience is more important than price. I only travel on certain airlines and now avoid low cost carriers in Asia. There have been times when I've wanted to make a quick trip to Luang Prabang from Thailand but my preferred airlines don't fly there. I'd have to fly down to Singapore and take a flight from there.

Yep, that makes perfect sense to me. If either of my two "friends" in Thailand got involved with drugs, I'd be devastated. But both don't even like alcohol and are now past the age when young guys make stupid decisions. I've known them for so long that no matter what they do, I'll always support them.

More likely that nobody bothered to turn up for work!

I've never seen anyone paying with a credit card in a gay bar, but I wouldn't be surprised if BBB accepted them, given that it is a large and popular bar. I've been a cash person all my working life - in Japan cash is king. But since returning to Australia to live I've relied solely on my credit card. I don't carry cash at all. Not a single cent. In Thailand It's a different matter, I use it to go shopping and to withdraw cash for my fun. But I'd never take it to a bar ; everything there I pay for in cash. On occasion I've run out of money and had to return to the hotel to grab some more from the safe. No big deal. Walking around the bars with a credit card at night is akin to walking around with your passport. Both stay in the safe. I also take a debit card with me just in case I lose the credit card. But I've never used it in Asia. At the start of the financial year I load up the card with a year's worth of money to be used for my travels, including fun in Thailand and elsewhere. At the end of the financial year I donate any money which is left over and then load the card up again for the next year. That way I avoid interest payments.

Host bars for women have been part of the landscape in Japan for as long as I can remember. Wives do not get a lot of sex with their husbands - the guys get their fun in girlie bars with their colleagues after work. I've been to a some host bars over the years with female friends. Most of the bars feature guys who are fully dressed, usually in designer clothes. The guys are all offable, but the price is very high. None of the ladies I went with offed a guy - they just sat and chatted. The girls really enjoyed the explicit sex talk but didn't want to take things further. I didn't find the guys attractive at all, but the girls all went gaga over them. As I was their guest, I didn't have to pay but I remember it was ridiculously expensive. I went to one where the guys wore Roman-style togas and small, white briefs. I couldn't take my eyes off them - they had gorgeous bodies. But again, I didn't find their faces attractive. The gay guys are much cuter imho. Nothing much happened, apart from the girls touching the guys' thighs and rubbing their bare legs. I didn't see anyone being offed in the bar but as the number of guys gradually decreased over the evening I'm guessing they were taken by customers. It's all very discreet. These host bars are packed with women, often bar girls who have the cash to spend freely on French champagne at around $1000 a bottle! Women in bars behave differently to guys, from my observations. They seem less eager than guys to go for the grope. They enjoy the atmosphere most of all and love to admire the guys' bodies rather than concentrate on cock. BBB in Pattaya was always a gay bar, but as the clientele changed to include more and more Asian women, they changed into a show bar and any sleaze basically disappeared. I doubt BBB would still be open if it relied on farang. Once Boyztown becomes almost completely Chinese-owned, even Toyboys may change from being basically a gay bar as more and more Asian women discover it. Cupidol will have to follow. So I can see Boyztown soon being absolutely packed with women, and farang will just walk through the soi, like the Chinese tourists do today, reminiscing about how gay it used to be. Sunee appears to be unknown to most gay travellers. For some reason the old crowd of Sunee regulars has slowly declined and on week nights I've sometimes been the only customer. Part of me wishes the Chinese would discover Sunee and bring it back to life. But another part of me - you can guess which one - hopes they don't.

Definitely the end of an era. The owner told me he was throwing in the towel next year so that will probably coincide with the move.

I've met a number of guys over the years ago have been lucky enough to go on holiday overseas with a farang. Judging by the photos and their stories, they all had the time of their lives. I never asked them if they got paid. Maybe some didn't. If a guy declines to accept any payment, feeling the holiday itself is enough reward, then good on him. Afterall, some farang appear to spare no expense, starting at high -end hotels and taking the guys to expensive restaurants. But I think the default position is that you pay them. I would always talk to them about their expectations first.

Terry, I certainly didn't find your post offensive. I actually think you made some good points I agree with your reaction to the rude guys on the baht bus. There are a couple of members of the gay boards who love to criticise the size, age, appearance and clothing choice of farang they see, especially in Pattaya. Sometimes I wonder if those members are not secretly describing themselves! And I admire anyone who has the ability to ignore those disapproving looks. Unfortunately, I'm not one of them. I was simply a little confused by the last sentence in your post. And speaking of being confused, I mistakenly attributed the comment about the 75 year old to you; I've apologised for that.

Agreed. Any time spent with a guy, no matter where you are and what you do together, must be paid for. Unless you are in a committed relationship. Being with farang is work.

Yes, I was replying to Terry. And yes, I did attribute your comments regarding a 75 year old to Terry . Sorry!

Yes, I agree. But even a farang in his 40s walking around with a Thai guy in his 20s would still invite those knowing looks is disapproval. I think their "relationship" would be pretty obvious. If they were both farang, the situation would be entirely different.

I eat out every night with my regular guy in Pattaya, and quite often with my "friend" in Bangkok. It's always just the two of us, although I have suggested they can invite some friends. I always leave the choice of restaurant up to them. So far, neither has suggested any place remotely considered high dining. If they did, I'd have to go out and buy suitable attire, as shorts and Nikes just wouldn't cut it. We tend to go to the same places -MK, Mango Tree or any Japanese restaurant in Bangkok, and Fuji, MK or any steak restaurant in Pattaya. Both take lots of photos of the food and post them on social media. If my guy in Pattaya suggests Sizzler, I just hide my disappointment behind a smile and off we go. Maybe they are intimidated by the thought of eating in a high-end restaurant. I've never asked them. A number of years ago I met up with a German friend in Paris who had arranged to take me out for my birthday. He told me to dress nicely for the night. We ended up in a very posh restaurant and to be honest, I felt a bit uncomfortable, as everything was totally over the top. Also, there were a lot of dishes I couldn't eat, (foie gras, anybody? Yuk!!) I would have been happier with a pizza! So if they do feel intimidated, I can well understand why.

"I dont care what others think anymore,im not here to please anyone or make others happy that i must please them." I think that's a great way to lead your life; I couldn't agree more. I was about to give you a "like ". But then you wrote this : "And nor do i judge others...", and quickly followed it up with : ".....there is some on this forum who going by their posts obviously have low self esteem and do care what others think ...." I'm one of those people and you are judging me. You've immediately contradicted yourself. I think my self-esteem is actually quite healthy, but I definitely find it uncomfortable being stuck in a lift with mum, dad and the kids as I take a guy up to my room. I don't think that feeling uncomfortable necessarily equates to having low self-esteem. It's just a bit awkward. But you are ignoring a big part of the equation - the feelings of the guy you are with. Afterall, they are staring at him too, and he also would feel uncomfortable. We have to take his feelings into consideration, too, and avoid putting him in an uncomfortable situation. And as has already been pointed out, you contradicted yourself again in your last sentence, where you said you would feel uncomfortable if you were say, 75 years old in the company of a younger guy, thereby indicating that you may also suffer from low self-esteem. I don't consider your post to be a "rant " but it is a little confusing.

His name is Porch Nattakrit. I've just seen some photos of him enjoying a wank. He's got a rather large appendage!

Any late closing and excessive noise may not be a problem for the new Chinese owners, as they probably have sufficient funds to buy their way out of any restrictions if they need to.

The entire staff call out "irasshaimase" (Welcome!) as you enter, the bar is absolutely spotless, the guys are incredibly polite, they bow and thank you when you ask them to sit with you, they shower you with compliments and pour your drink for you. And the waiters apologise for taking your money when you pay your bill! Lol

The problem is, some of those enjoying the karaoke are probably the very same people who should be controlling it.

Nothing in life is free; you get what you pay for. The actual cost of the fun is not the point for me - value for money is the most important thing. All I care about is whether or not I'm having a great time. If I am -and I always do - then it's worth it. If I had to worry about the cost - which btw is ridiculously low compared to Australia or elsewhere in the world - I'd stay home and be miserable. But I hate wasting money so I target it very carefully. I certainly don't throw it around with "gay" abandon. Jasper wrote: "Take example of this Taiwanese customer in Jupiter I have seen in September and November. He is late thirties or early forties, wearing expensive brand clothes, drinking champagne surrounded by 4-5 cute boys, tipping lavishly to boys on stage. He watches the show smiling all the time and when show ends he goes with 4-5 boys and have a meal/club. My friend who is a friend with one of the customer’s favourite boy informed me that this guy loves pretty boys and he goes to shopping with boys and buys gifts for them too." Good for him! He's the perfect example of someone who obviously believes he is getting value for money. And like Jasper, I also like watching customers enjoying themselves. If they can afford it, good luck to them. Fun does indeed need to be "oiled by money." The more money you can afford to spend, the more fun you can have. On a recent trip I reported watching a middle-aged Chinese lady holding wads of 1000 baht notes and freely distributing them to guys on stage every time they had a shot of whisky she had provided for them. When the money had gone she simply pulled another wad out of her handbag and the fun continued. She, the bar and the guys on stage were all winners. What's not to love about that? The whole idea of a holiday for me is to go home with a huge smile on my face and a desire to go back for more. And that's what happened after my first visit to Bangkok around 15 years ago. Sure, I was a novice and discovered I was tipping 3 times the going rate for an hour or so of fun. But I wasn't angry or in any way upset, because it was one of the best experiences of my life and that guy introduced me to something I previously considered to be unattainable to someone past his used-by date. And btw, I agree totally with paborn's comment about guys in the bars. In my experience 99.9% are decent, honest guys just out to earn a living.

It depends whether you are a night owl or like to go to bed early. Last holiday I stayed at the Ambiance in a large suite right above BBB. The window in the living area overlooked Cupidol. It was the last available room at the time so I just took it. Now I know why it was such a bargain. BBB had the karaoke blaring past 2am every night. The bar had closed and it was party time. But it didn't really bother me, as I don't go to bed until after 3am and the room had a bit of sound -proofing. If you want to go to bed after the bars have closed and don't like noise, then avoid the Ambiance. In fact, avoid the whole area. With Copa opening soon, the noise will only get worse judging from the size of the speakers and the TV screen I saw. Karaoke is basically an Asian thing so we just have to accept it, along with the volume. They are not going to change just to suit farang.