DivineMadman

It is long-settled U.S. law that Customs searches at borders do not need a warrant. See, for example, 1977 Supreme Court case "United States v. Ramsey." So customs agents can ask you questions, check your bags, turn on your devices and look around. They can make their decision based on their judgment and experience. No warrant is needed. If you have a password on your device and refuse to open it for the Customs agent, or have a lock on your bag and refuse to open it, I think you will find that the agent will seize the property and can have it sent to a lab to be opened. Whether there are additional penalties for failure to cooperate with a Customs agent in a lawful search, I do not know.

Yes, Customs can search your possessions, including computer and electronic devices. They can do so without a warrant.

Just to add some diversity to the opinions here, I've never minded the street vendors. I'm seldom in a rush, don't mind crowds and to me it's part of the joyous, chaotic, overflowing fabric of the city. I miss the the flower market, to name just one lost gem. Much of the same drive to "modernize" and clear the sidewalks leads to things like the clearing out of the community at the Mahakan Fort, one of those quirky Bangkok places that are fun to visit and explore and sit and chat with locals, and will all too soon be gone. I don't think Old Town Hanoi would be nearly as fun if the sidewalks were cleared.

Some general thoughts and then a couple of specifics. Pictures where the subject looks like he is 14? Eeew. Really, really, really hope your friend was kidding when he said that. If the U.S. has been checking you thoroughly you might be in a database that the U.S. shares with Thailand (or other countries). The U.S. most certainly does cooperate with Thailand on these matters. I have no idea if Thai Immigration is plugged into this, but if you come to the attention of/under the scrutiny of the Thai police for any reason and your name is "flagged" in their computers, they may well check your devices and forget about burdens of proof in Thailand ... The law in the U.S. There is some technical precision to the statement that, here in the U.S., the government has to "prove" the image is of a "child" (i.e., below whatever age the particular statute specifies). Age is an element of the crime and the government has to "prove" each element. However, it is simply and unequivocally false to suggest that the government has to prove that by means of hard evidence such as birth certificates or such. The age of the subject of the image (the victim) can be determined by the jury (or the judge) based just on the image alone. So to put this in the context of the rule "the government has to prove each element of the crime":- (1) the government introduces the photo, (2) the defendant says, I don't have the guy's I.D., but I got it off the internet, and he's asian, not young" and (3) the jury says, "we think it's an underage individual" ==> PROVED. For the doubters: Two quick examples I found in 5 minutes research: The Statute In New York "Whenever it becomes necessary ... to determine whether a child ... was under an age specified... the court or jury may make such determination by any of the following:  personal inspection of the child;  inspection of a photograph or motion picture which constituted the sexual performance;  oral testimony by a witness to the sexual performance as to the age of the child based upon the child's appearance;  expert medical testimony based upon the appearance of the child in the sexual performance;  and any other method authorized by any applicable provision of law or by the rules of evidence at common law." New Jersey jury instructions: "A person who is depicted as or presents the appearance of being under the age of 18 in any photograph, film, videotape, computer program or file, video game or any other reproduction or reconstruction may be inferred to be under the age of 18. It is not a defense that the defendant did not know that the [child][children] [was] [were] under the age of 18 or that the defendant believed that the [child][children] [was] [were] 18 years old or older, even if such a mistaken belief was reasonable." (Emphahsis added) In the U.S., some State or Federal child pornography laws may have different knowledge rules, but don't count on protection there. The New Jersey rule quoted above is a good example - it is not a defense that you reasonably thought the subject of the photo was 18. Child pornography are deliberately meant to be extreme. Of course, as a defendant you would be permitted to make the case to the jury that the subjects of the photos are not underage, but good luck. Don't expect sympathetic juries, don't expect expert medical testimony ("They're not young, they're asian") to come cheap, and of course the point is that if you're already at trial your life is in the crapper anyway. The rules are harsh. Prosecutors don't have the time or inclination to go after everyone, so they are not going to go after everyone, and judges (and juries) are good at protecting against over-reaching applications of rules like this. Still, why risk it.

There was sidewalk-vendor food sold on Silom near DJ Station, at the intersection with Sala Daeng and also near Soi Convent

thanks for the great report!

Sorry to hear the bad report about The Prince. I did hear a very similar report from another member recently. I'm lucky I've had more success there, so it's one of my favorite spots. (Been there more than 10 but less than 20 times?) I've never tried the VIP room, so certainly can't speak to that. My concerns about The Prince are that although there is a a core group of guys who have been there a long time, there are so many guys working there and there seems to be a bit of a high turnover, which always makes me wonder about quality control. Also, in my experience, you tend to shower alone before and after. I prefer help in the shower after to get the massage oil off. And if you go late afternoon/early evening the guys will inevitably return immediately into the bullpen for the chance of a future customer, which I think sometimes means they may rush and/or save themselves for the next customer. All this I think tends be true for most shops - I just present this in the interest of a fair appraisal. It's still in my top three places. The location works for me, I like the selection and the layout and because, as I noted, I've had success there ranging from great to good experiences. Statistically it means I'm probably due for a dud.

I think it would wise to be prepared for the entertainment zones to be shut down for some period.

welcome and thank you for your report. I think selfies are ok - but should ask first. 4 hand massages can be tricky. Some guys may be reluctant to perform with their co-workers, so the general rule for massages is true in spades for 4 hand massages: make 100% clear with the manager at the time of selection what you want, and then re-confirm with the guys before you start. (Another approach is to off someone from one bar, telling him at the time what you want, go to another bar and together select a another guy to off for joint extracurricular activities.)

If we're being pedantic, then wouldn't it be "if the sex scene were less visible" ? (subjunctive; expressing a condition not currently true). "If I were a rich man, . . . " But english is a vibrant and ever-changing language, so no need for pedantry. (Such as the prohibition on beginning a sentence with "but.")

It's a nice little city, with a pleasant lake and park in the center. There are some interesting temples in the area and a couple of ancient sites. Overall a pretty nice and inexpensive place. I am not sure i'ld recommend it as a major "destination," but not a bad place to go to get a bit off the beaten path and gang out with Thais. I don't believe there's much if any overt gay scene, but you might find some activity on Hornet.

Spa Bangkok|Bangkok Retreat is a high end spa that offers tantric massage for men. It's very nice. The tantric massage is a "legit" tantric massage without release, but you might find that when the tantric massage is combined with another massage that you will leave happy anyway -- if a bit poorer, because it is an expensive shop. But very very nice. It is in the same building as Arena. https://spabangkok.net/premium-spa-for-men/ Dr. Bear offers a \similar massage from their menu of massages. Depending on who you get for the massage it's a great place or a mediocre place. (That's true at most shops but my own experiences at Dr. Bear have been particularly inconsistent.) I believe that there is a private room available, which I've never seen, but otherwise the massages are given on massage tables separated by curtains. Not my favorite set up. Some people find it hard to get to, but it's not that bad. I can recommend the manager there as one of the best masseurs in Bangkok. https://www.travelgayasia.com/venue/dr-bear-massage/

FYI - http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2016/09/30/brit-catches-massive-record-shattering-100-kilo-siamese-carp-ratchaburi

Good to know! Outside Thailand, I can recommend the bagels (etc.) at any of the Joma Cafes - Luang Prabang, Vientiane & Hanoi.

Thanks for the great trip report!

Masseurs naked during massage at a lot of the shops: Arena, Prince, V Club, Banana, Senso, any of the Soi Twilight shops, King Spa, and many others.

So you really only have to pay 700 for full on oral and anal? That surprises me - but more power to you. When I go there I don't actually negotiate either - but I pay more than the 700. But what I am trying to inform people about is that the stated 700/hour tip is for limited services and either the guy will tell you during the massage if you want extras it will cost you "x" or if neither of you mentions it ahead of time, he will still be expecting more if you had extras beyond the limited included services. Same as the Soi Twilight spots, and many others. Personally, I prefer the places where the minimum tip for full services - it's just another thing not to worry about.

I found Hornet was pretty active in HCHC, Hanoi and to a lesser extent Da Nang (but still worthwhile). Other places not so much.

I don't think there is a consensus that Arena has the hottest guys. (Although "hottest" is of course relative.] Prince is a bit more upscale and charges a bit more, but the guys are more "model" good looks. The minimum tip at Prince is higher but it is full service - extras don't have to be negotiated at Prince, while they do at Arena - so at the end of the day I think the tip ends up to be the same. Basically the same as Arena as far as muscular guys. Prince usually has more guys than Arena - the "fishbowl" at Prince is bigger than where Arena is now. At Prince you are less likely to shower with your masseur - you typically shower by yourself before, and after is a toss-up. Senso - very hit or miss - sometimes there may be a good selection, sometimes not. [Vinapu will invariably say you only need one. ]. If you want to maximize chances, skip it. Far fewer guys than Prince or Arena.

It's up to the masseur. Some do use condoms, some do not. If no condom is important to you then mention that to the manager when you are selecting your masseur. (It would be wrong to pressure or tell a masseur you do not want him to use a condom - it's his health at risk.)

I like the idea of tuktuks more than the reality. I am tall-ish, so the process of folding me into the tuktuk, and then unfolding me to get out, is not a pretty one. More important, because my head is jammed up against the roof I can't really see out the sides at all, so end up just looking at the traffic following behind. Having said that, I took a tuktuk from Vientiane out to the sculpture garden (name forgotten), and had a great, spine-re-aligning, time. But I agree Siem Reap can be very dusty out as you go exploring. Plus you're guide will probably really appreciate an air-conditioned car also.

You might keep The Prince in mind as an alternative to Arena.

Blued has been advertising heavily in Thailand.

Arena is full service but note that the minimum tip is just for the massage, shower and HJ. Anything more is in addition and should be discussed with the masseur.

You have to ask the manager at the time of selection. It's not a problem. Some places will expect you to tell the manager you like a particular guy and then you specify exactly what you want and the manager will confirm whether or not he does that. If yes, then you're good to go. If no, then it's a no pressure re-pick. Other places you can tell what you want and the manager can make recommendations. As often as not the manager will not pass on your specifics to the masseur, so you might also ask the manager to tell the guy what you want. He's not a mind reader. Communication = happy ending for all.