TMax

Well the trek to Suvarnabhumi was long thanks to a traffic jam on the freeway but I made it ok, booked a car through the hotel for 800 baht. Although the airport is packed to the rafters (I've never seen it this busy before) it didn't take long to get through to the lounge, flying business class the check in, security and immigration was all fast tracked and less than 15 minutes all up. Surprised to see a long line of people outside the entrance and was wondering what the hell was happening and then it hit, they are all the smokers getting a last one in. Now to hope and plan for a more relaxed and enjoyable trip next year, not a lot to report on this trip but will check my notes (memory) and see if I can put something up but I will say it was good to get back to Bangkok after such a long wait.

After staying at Ibis Styles I find it quite reasonable, the plus side is the food which is good, location, pool and gym however I think next trip (late next year ish hopefully) I think I will return to the Tarntawan or Raya (most likely Tarntawan) I hope to be fixed up and better prepared too. I have enjoyed the Ibis but I suppose the only downside would be room size and lack of cupboard or wardrobe but I didn't mind too much and worked my way around that.

Toll is up to 6 now, the other young Australian girl has died. Holly Bowles has died with her family by her side at Bangkok Hospital after a suspected poisoning incident in Laos. Holly is the sixth person killed in the suspected mass methanol spiking after her best friend Bianca Jones passed away in hospital yesterday.

It was a pleasure to meet and chat with you @reader, it's been a relaxing trip so far and something that was needed before the medical procedures back home, this thing slowed me down more than I had hoped. It's just a pity I haven't been able to visit more massage places this trip but very much hoping to be back late next year with less restrictions.

Taken over by IHG (Intercontinental Hotels Group) and will be rebranded as The Voco Bangkok Surawong, I'm not too sure if the plans have changed but they were originally looking at reopening some time in 2025.

Ventured into Arena yesterday just after opening. Being an early bird there was only about 5 boys to choose from but the choice was made easy for me as I was greeted with a smile and a wave by one of the boys upon entering and as he was more my type and not as big or buffed as the others I went with him. 90 minute aroma oil massage wasn't too bad (750 baht and in the standard room), I've had a lot worse but let's face it not many actually go to Arena for the massage and in the end we both had a happy ending so tipped 1500 baht. I did easily manage to have him not do the sensitve area that had caused discomfort after a previous massage, on leaving the number of boys had grown to a nearly packed house full and of all different types as well. Not a lot happened during the day after that but some relaxing by the pool for a while. Evening was also quiet and started with a couple of beers and a delicious stir fried chicken and cashew at Happy Beer Garden before enjoying a good walk around the neighbourhood.

Damn, been sidetracked as my spinal injury has flared up a bit so just doing mundane things, hope to be back into massage over the weekend or Monday.

It didn't look like it but they escorted me all the way to the right hand side, I suppose the fast track / priority counters (there was only the 2 counters there), I just showed them the business class boarding pass and away I went.

The boys I saw there were all rather good looking and for the most part had toned bodies (probably just the one that didn't take my eye), I would say a good mix of twinks and those with more muscular bodies but I didn't see any big muscular types. Going early, as to be expected, there wasn't too many there but by the time I was leaving quite a few had arrived and from what I saw a very nice gathering indeed.

Was too easy getting the Rabbit card set up again despite it not being used for about 5 years, took all of about one minute to get it done and topped up, no need for any form of identification required either. Senso: a bit different since long ago visit, this time the price was all inclusive of massage and boys tip payable on completion downstairs, previous for me was tip the boy in the room and then pay for massage session downstairs. Selected 120 minute aroma oil with a nice looking twink (getting there early there was only a few boys to choose from) and was taken straight to the room. Massage was actually quite good and not the usual oil up and rub all over type, he applied good pressure with a dry massage first before the oil came into play. The oil surprisingly was used properly, he put it on his hands before massaging (they way I believe it should be done) and he used it sparingly so I didn't feel like an oil slick afterwards, so massage was good quality. The afters weren't all that special, I wanted versatile or top but he was more bottom but such is life and he managed to finish the job with a smile and gave a thorough shower after so no lingering oily feeling. Total cost for the 120 minutes and tip was 3900 baht but because of the massage quality I slipped him a bonus upstairs and he was happy. XOne currency exchange had a good rate for the Aussie dollar (or south seas peso) but picked the wrong time of day to change some money there (late afternoon), it was packed (only takes 6 people to pack that tiny room😅) and a couple of locals had them busy with stacks of notes but got it done eventually. Finished up with a nice quiet evening after dinner at The Mango Tree restaurant, sorry but nothihg on the bars as that's really not my scene.

Haha not that much space no.

Thanks for that and will keep it in mind

Just starting the thread now and will keep updating as I go. So on to Plan B this trip. Thai airways didn't let me down as the plane from Perth was late (as always it seems) but the crew, service, food and entertainment were all very good. On arrival (about 10:40pm) and after the long trek to immigration I was shown straight to the priority counter, I flew business class and as soon as they saw that I was escorted to priority and took all of 5 minutes to clear. Rest of immigration didn't look too crowded and maybe would have only taken 20 minutes or so to get through. I still hate that finger print rubbish though, just a thumb print would suffice but hey this is Thailand. Caught a taxi from down stairs, no hassles whatsoever, told him which hotel and he got it up on his mobile phone / maps app. Didn't try to rip me off and he made good time to the hotel so gave him a tip on top of the fare. Booked into Ibis Styles, got to the room and after a quick shower I crapped out for the night, took about 2 minutes to hit sleep mode. As stated before the rooms are small and in my view lacking some minor things (like wardrobe / cupboard etc) but still pretty good and comfortable, thinking next trip will be back at Tarntawan. Breakfast starts 6am but there was a fair crowd of Europeans in there, had a feeling they were in a tour group and getting an early start as there are 2 big busses outside. Hit Foodland to stock up the room. Plan for the rest of the day See if I can get my old Rabbit card reactivated and squeeze in a bit more shopping, this afternoon will be Senso for a 2 hour relaxing massage with extras. The rest will be fairly mundane stuff but also looking at plans for next couple of days. To be continued.....

It looks like Ganymede use the nuru gel and costs only 200 baht more than oil on 90 and 120 minute massages so I may well be looking into them.

Agreed, oil usually takes 2 showers or more to wash off and besides that I don't much like the taste (hence I ask for fun first then massage). What I am hoping to try soon is nuru gel or as I saw somewhere aloe gel but not too sure on that one yet.

The only time I stayed at the Rose was way back in 1988, the room was very basic and very small, in fact the only redeeming features back then were location, price and the restaurant downstairs. The staff were good too and very helpful.

This thread reminded me a little of the old Bonny massage, could go one day and have a reasonably good massage (and sex) but the next time could be so disappointing but I must admit to more hit than miss there.

I booked Ibis Styles Silom for my coming trip, the other hotels I looked at were the Raya with Tarntawan in 3rd place. I basically just needed a hotel with a gym and a pool this trip as I need to keep fit for upcoming surgery and my usual walking in Bangkok just might not be enough, so not having either is a downside to the Raya and Tarntawan for me this trip. Not into the bars so location isn't an issue although the Ibis is still close enough if I were and still close enough to the restaurants and massage parlours.

I wonder if it's related in anyway to the Chillax that was on Sukhumvit 19? That one from what I can see was just a normal type massage place which closed down. Never know it could be anything and could well be open when I arrive, hoping it's a gay massage and if it is that and open I will may have to check it out.

Bit over a week to go now and looking forward to getting away from this bloody circus for a spell even if my activities will be a bit restricted, my activities in Bangkok are now reduced to Plan B as I have the first of two medical procedures shortly after my return. That first one is the easy one but next year will bring a bastard of an operation that I was hoping to avoid, such is life I guess but at least I will be doing my best to enjoy this trip, just not sure when the next will be but if possible I may try to sneak a week over before the op.

I hope Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore never go cashless, cash is king, only time I have ever used plastic in any country I have visited was to pay for hotels or some dental work in Bangkok on one occasion. I would also use the card for an emergency if it arose and that would preferably be through a bank not the atm, I hate the thought of countries going cashless but the scammers and criminals won't mind as they would step up their online scamming to new levels.

I prefer to have kissing in my encounters with the guys in Thailand (deep with tongue is a bonus) but it's not a deal breaker if they don't kiss, I am a convert to it though, at one stage kissing guys wasn't a turn on for me but a gorgeous twink in Phuket taught me just how good it could be and from then on I have very much enjoyed it. There is one very big caveat though, bad breath is an instant turn off and a big no from me. Never had a problem with the girls (in my straighter days) or ladyboys though and found they all kissed.

I hate it when they don't turn the meter on and quote ridiculous prices and hope they don't try it on me when I arrive (too late for the train), the reason I gave up using taxis when in Bangkok, once when hailing them from outside the Raya about 5 pulled up and the first words out of the drivers were ridiculous prices for the journey. After that day my use of taxis were airport to hotel and hotel to airport, BTS, MRT and river boat get me everywhere I need to go in Bangkok.

I like G's, good food, cold beer and always have good service there. My old routine on arriving in Bangkok (check into hotel was between 5 to 6pm) was to go from hotel to Senso for a massage and an extremely happy ending then over to G's for dinner and a cold beer. Upcoming trip will differ due to the late night arrival but will resurrect the old routine a day or 2 later.

I was approached by another foreigner at Sala Daeng BTS early one morning (many years ago now), no idea why he singled me out but he had that scammer look about him (he had a heated phone conversation that everyone could clearly hear just prior) so as he approached I just told him to go away and that I wasn't interested. Prick did follow me for a while before thankfully losing interest or finally waking up to the fact that I wasn't interested in him or his trouble. In Manila they used to have immigration police impersonators cruising the streets in Ermita looking for foreigners to extort money from. They would ask to see your passport and visa then try to bullshit and say it wasn't in order and you would have to pay some ridiculous fine at the immigration office or pay a "not so big on the spot fine", amazed at just how many fell for it too.