DivineMadman

of course it's a website and it's ridiculous to suggest that a site in Thailand can't qualify as a "website" unless it's robustly in English. Let's not quibble -- entirely unnecessarily -- with a productive member's post, which can only add a dose of discouragement. if you use google chrome browser it's also quite easy just to say "yes" when the good folks at google offer to translate the page for you. that's not so hard.

i think the evenings are ok to sit and hangout outside (at least in BKK). The day time is of course oppressive - but its easy to avoid the heat by catching up on movies and walking around the many well air-conditioned malls.

Just a follow up word of warning on the reverse trip. Because the ARL is also used by commuters, there can be a long wait to get on the train heading out to the airport from Phayathai station during the evening rush hour, so leave quite a bit more time than the usual 45-60 minutes for the trip out to BKK. (Photo of the Friday evening rush courtesy of the "Airport Rail Link My Love" ("ARLที่รัก") facebook page.)

The first line of defense against this is to be unashamedly explicit. "I want a guy who will [suck][top][both][bottom]" whatever you want. if cock size/shape is important and you will be disappointed if you don't get what you expect, then tell the manager. Everyone in the process wants you to have a good time. By giving the manager the information you are doing him a favor by helping him get you the right guy and you are doing the right guy you end up with a favor by giving him the opportunity to extract the best tip possible. So be good and explicit and you will increase the net happiness in the world.

There is a fairly longish covered elevated walkway that gets about 95% of the way to the MRT station (Petchaburi). After you go down the escalators to street level there may be a very small uncovered bit before you get to the MRT entrance. Personally, if you are going to Sala Daeng BTS/MRT I think this is a bit faster than going to Phayathai, transferring to BTS, then changing lines at Siam, but to each his own. Here, as in so many areas, there is no right or wrong answer.

Nice report. Chakran Sauna has had a reputation for being asian only/farang not encouraged. VCK the massage shop is not so discriminatory, being on Ari Soi 4 it might not get as many farang customers as it might if it were closer to the central business district. (It is, however, worth the trip.)

Reader- Nice meeting you and always love a good "Cheers" reference.

Just to be clear I wasn’t trying to start a pile on ggobkk. Actually I am fortunate to have met him and know he has a simpatico view towards the bars. Rather I was responding to these nonsensical things like boycotting. It’s fair to comment that maybe you didn’t like show. Or gee the drinks are expensive. That’s of course valid observation. But it’s just nonsense to suggest that somehow dreamboys is outrageous or hurting soi twilight. It does a good business and is an anchor for soi twilight and attracts and retains some great guys. Btw the upstairs bars would be x-size or hot male.

When Dreamboys is at the top of its game, it has the most good looking all Thai guys of any bar, as well as a long energetic show -- if formulaic by this point. The mamasans are non-intrusive. It can be a fun place to go. NO ONE IS BEING FORCED TO GO THERE. The European manager of Dreamboys is just applying market principles to pricing, so I don't really see why people get in uproar. It's a premium product for a premium price. When other bars make pricing decisions they seem to get mocked for something derisively called Thai logic, but Dreamboys is straight up capitalism in market for male-for-male entertainment. IF YOU DON"T VALUE IT, YOU DON"T HAVE TO GO. The guys who work there generally have their choice of places to work. As some of us were chatting about the other day, they rather famously do not budge from their set minimum off fee. They clearly see the value of working there and not undercutting their own high, premium, prices. ( A precious few of the guys are on Hornet, but I have yet to try hooking up with one from their. I doubt they cut prices, but they might.) IF YOU THINK IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR TASTE, YOU DON"T HAVE TO GO THERE. DON'T IMMEDIATELY PIEGEON HOLE THE PEOPLE WHO GO THERE AS CHINESE OR NEWBIES. I thought the often-derided Chinese tour groups that go there got special pricing for the cover (or drinks). But regardless, more power to Dreamboys and roping them in. Also, with cover/drink prices posted outside, even a newbie or friend from China can make the decision on his own. I certainly don't go there all the time, but once a season -- at least -- I'll go just to see the guys and the show. Sure it's expensive, but I know that and I budget for it and it's all good. I've even offed guys from there. And they were all good too. It's the same as every once in a while I will go out and have a nicer more expensive mean, and other days just fired rice from the street vendor. A vibrant, often busy, usually successful, go go bar in Soi Twilight that brings in people to the soi. Good for Dreamboys and good for Soi Twilight, which by extension, is good for me too.

grrrr. not great when i think they advertise their hours as opening at 13:00. Hmmmmm. Sorry to waste your time.

best wishes for bypass

A quick thumbs up review of a new massage shop in Bangkok called "Ganymede Spa." Map Line ID: Rubyricher Ganymede Spa opened two weeks ago near the Phayathai BTS station. It's easy to get to. It's towards the end - on the left - of a private road that leads to the Pathumwan Resort Condominiums. A short walk from Phayathai BTS Exit 2. Reception is upstairs, and the massage rooms are up another flight of stairs. Everything is very nice and new and tastefully done. Photos of the guys are on Line. It's a small shop, and new, so hard to predict how many guys will be available. On a Sunday at 5:00 one guy was available and the others (1 or 2?) were with customers. The nice young manager said that more guys would be available starting March 12. I was able to select my masseur from a live line-up (albeit a lineup of 1). But I expect booking ahead based on the photos shared on Line will be the preferred way of booking for those of us who are comfortable doing so. Despite the "Ganymede" name the guys working there so far are in that Bangkok sweet spot of athletic fit good looking guys in their mid-to-late 20s. Prices are a bit less than the more established top-of-the-line shops: 90 minute was 700 Baht with minimum tip of 1,200. 60 minutes would be 500/1000 The rooms are not large but nice and clean with massage tables w/face cut outs. Tall people might not be able to use the face cut out because the tables are not long. Shower and bathroom are shared at the end of the hall. Shower is in a bathtub, so beware getting in/out. My masseur was an older muscled type. The massage was outstanding/excellent. Very Strong,, started on the back and shoulders, which is minority practice over here, and just the right amount of oil used (i.e., not to much oil). And the oil seemed to be of good quality. Special services were very good. Perhaps it was just my masseur, or with luck it will be the shop's attitude for a while, but there was definitely a real trying-hard-to-please attitude. Masseur was in his briefs to start, but those came off at the right time. Shower alone before or after A nice shop in an area without a lot of other M4M shops. Perfect after a tough day at Chatuchak or MBK. I hope everyone gives it a chance.

I spent last year in Ubud and will be going back again this year. The descriptions of Nyepi are accurate, although I wasn't really aware of the roving enforcement gangs. I have even read that some hotels turn off the TV systems, but I don't think that is the norm. That might have been a guesthouse. Nevertheless, probably download some movies ahead of time. No entertainment and no "pleasure" are two of the prohibitions. Fortunately not really enforced in hotels. In my experience you do have to stay in your hotel and get all your meals there. The hotels in my experience set out the rules when you check so you can stock up ahead of time. I can't specifically speak to the beaches, but I think they mean it when they say you have to stay in your hotel. The afternoon and evening before is a very festive special event where each village has parades with colorful demon effigies and purifies the village for the coming year, etc. That's the reason to go. It's a photographer's dream party. The days leading up to it all are very active as the villages prepare. Traffic is really a nightmare all over the island, even more than usual. But still it's all very raucous and fun. On the day itself everything shuts down except the hotels. Certainly in Ubud there was a noticeable decline in tourists in the couple of days leading up to Nyepi, when I think a lot of tourists start fleeing the island, but I'm not sure that's really necessary if you can just face a day of doing absolutely nothing around your hotel. I don't remember if the hotel spa closes or not - I assume it does. If you want companionship for those 24 hours you probably need to bring it with you on the trip or scramble to arrange it with a local guy ahead of time once you get there. I don't know how amenable a local guy might be. A least for the Bali natives it's an important holiday, with reduced staff usually working at the hotels. (Ubud makes Luang Prabang look like Bangkok as far as the gay scene is concerned - as I recall there was about 1 cute guy on Hornet close by, and he was the Thai guy I brought with me. (Only a slight exaggeration.) The scene is closer to the beach.) I think guys from Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar (among other countries) can go to Bali without a visa so it's a favored trip for them.

Just FYI Nyepi - the day of silence - is March 17. If it's something you may like then plan for it. The lead up to it is great, at least up in Ubud and the surrounding villages. But a lot of tourists seem to try avoid the island that day.

A nice thing about Bangkok (and Pattaya also) is that it provides lots of different choices. The gogo bars put on shows and provide a parade of guys to select from. That costs money and that's why they're more expensive. For those who don't value those extras, it's of course silly to pay. But for those who like the shows, the scene and the live selection, they can and should of course go and have a great time with their hard-earned money. A drink and dinner with friends, old or new, at Maxi's, Dick's or the Soi 4 spots may be a bit more expensive than some other neighborhood restaurants, but provide a fun, gay-friendly, gay-crazy, convivial atmosphere that's hard to find anyplace else in the world. A drink at, let's call them the "host bars" on Soi Twilight -- Hot Male(s), Banana Bar, Scorpion and the other little spots that dot the alley, or Banana on 4 -- may be a bit loud and a bit more expensive than 7-Eleven takeout, but a chance to meet new friends, chat with old friends, a bit of a cuddle, all for the cost of a drink and, if the mood strikes, an off-fee for more. The massage shops provide their services at levels and price points across the spectrum (and open up early for those interested in "afternoon-delight"). There are saunas for those so inclined, at a comparatively modest cost. And the apps are there for those who like that particular back and forth and enjoy the convenience of room service. The apps have their advantages and their disadvantages. Cost-per-encounter or cost-per-orgasm is only one piece of each individual's decisions. And that's fine. Golden ages of the past didn't have the apps. Maybe, just maybe, right now is the golden age, because right now we have all of these choices. Regardless, I'm in favor of all.

Thanks!

Most of you all probably follow the Banana Gayllery on Facebook, but if not here's a Valentine's Day favorite, and a couple more for your amusement. https://www.facebook.com/TheBananaGayllery/

Songkran in Bangkok is a delight. GO and have a great time! I don't know about the sauna scene. I believe they have special parties. DJ Station is of course a scene. It's crowded. You're wet. You're dancing. The people who don't enjoy it aren't there, so everyone there is having a good time. It's possible to meet people. RCA is another crazy spot. As you note, there will also be the the Circuit parties, which is mostly for the out of towners. Some locals go of course, but I bet the majority are visitors. For the locals who might be on more limited budgets, one of the Thai-for-Thai clubs (App Arena) usually takes over an outdoor space and has big wet fun parties. I think if you're with a group of youngs or are young and comfortable on your own they can be fun but not a place for "action." The Thai-for-Thai clubs in general are not the spot for older guys to try to pick up younger Thais. As for Bangkok in general: Silom is the main spot in Bangkok, and Soi 4 is completely taken over by the water revelers. It's a time to go crazy and get wet. You can buy a drink and parade up and down the soi and get soaked or be a soaker. It's noisy and raucous. Not a place for "action" but you might make some friends. In the afternoon, a lot of the guys who work together on Soi Twilight will hang out in groups, enjoying the festivities and occasionally making it over to Soi Twilight for a break and water party. You can usually hang out at one of the outdoor bars by the entrance to the soi or grab a chair at Maxi's and enjoy the scene and maybe buy the guys a beer. In past years, after 8:00 pm the sois have tried to limit the water in the actual sois themselves, particularly after the first night. This is usually well-intentioned but with all the alcohol flowing and the problem of how do you actually get to the safe haven of the soi without getting wet as you enter or leave, you just have to accept that you will get wet. Enjoy!

+1

I have not heard anything about it being closed.

oh. ok. i thought your comment was that there were line id's in the bkkmassages.wordpress.com site that were wrong or not working =- those I could fix one way to track down some line id's is to search by phone numbers. that might work for prince. At least as of right now if you search to add a friend using the phone number rather than id, under mr. joe's number you get the right line account. 0857402222 I don't know what's going on with thaimassageboys. For me the thaimassageboy line group has become mostly irrelevant. I end up getting the same info just from timeline posts, plus more from the other shops tat are active. I mentioned to the owner of banana club that the Line should be fixed. I think advertising or building the business through social media just isn't a priority for him (right now).

which Line ID's aren't working? Maybe I can update them.

yes!!

+1

you can find the line ids for a a bunch of shops here: https://bkkmassages.wordpress.com/shop-specifics/