macaroni21

I second @Keithambrose suggestion. Since you don't often go to the big city, you may not realise how Patpong road has changed. This blogpost from last December should give you an idea, complete with a few photos: https://shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog/2024/01/16/patpong-night-market-now-has-food/

It's been 23 months since the last post (April 2022) in this subforum, about a jazz festival in Hua Hin. Doesn't look like many members go to this beach town. I passed through the town one afternoon on my way back to Bangkok from further south and took some pictures. Didn't spot anything gay, but the place has a nice relaxing feel to it. https://shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog/2024/03/10/passing-through-hua-hin/

What?

I think this question has been overlooked: should parents have the right to make such decisions for children? Here's an analogous question: are parents allowed to tattoo their children?

The data for the graphic-map seems to be taken from this table: https://pophealthmetrics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12963-016-0073-5/tables/1 How exactly this article got its estimates (and that's the word they used) is unclear. Frankly, not only Thailand, (23%) but I also find the percentages for China (14%), Hong Kong (28%) and Japan (9%) hard to believe. Way too high.

I have read that even in the African countries without a high Muslim population there has been a push to circumcise boys and men because it was seen as offering some protection against HIV. How much protection, I don't know.

Hahaha. Basically, this update from the authorities sounds like "Nothing to see here, folks. Move on."

Ladyboys are also mentioned here quite a lot. Read the threads about robbing on Pattaya Beach Road and the latest one about an afray in Soi Nana 🤣

I would also add that if a bar has a significant number of Japanese customers, it will make sense to collect the tip upfront. This is the practice in Japan, and so, Japanese customers would be more comfortable about it because it signals to them that the bar management takes responsibility for the quality of services provided. It's kind of opposite to the situation where a bar says, what happens after you leave the bar is between you and boy (both in terms of service and remuneration) and we wash our hands of it.

I agree with @12is12 You've written the post in a manner that simply recounts the facts and lets the facts speak for themselves. Indeed, it serves as a cautionary tale for others. You've also been very fair by describing how the mamasan resolved the matter promptly and satisfactorily. Thank you. What remains as a bit of a mystery is how the upfront payment of 1500 baht for "tip" was even requested in the bar itself before you set off for your hotel. Was it condoned by the mamasan? Paid to the mamasan/bar cashier? Or paid to another boy for "safekeeping" for Jack? If the latter, it would be suspicious. That said, over 20 years ago, I did have a similar experience, where a bar on Sukhumvit Soi 23 (Bangkok) told me that their practice was to collect the tip in the bar itself before the boy goes off with me. I thought it strange then, but the bar manager explained it something along these lines: (a) the boy should have no reason to ask for more money at the end of the session, (b) if the boy does not perform, come back to the bar the next evening and let us know; we will not transfer the pre-deposited tip to the boy. In that instance, the boy did well and I had no reason to go back to the back the next evening. But till now, it remained the only time ever that I have encountered such a practice of collecting the tip upfront. So, what I am saying is that this practice of collecting the tip upfront may be rare, but is not unknown. And if the bar is a reputed one (which Circle Pub seems to be), it may be for a good reason - as your own experience has shown.

This is very interesting. It's a site for Asian travellers (I suspect majority Japanese) judging by the handles used by those posting comments, and by the fact that it offers automatic translation into Japanese, Mainland Chinese, Taiwanese Chinese, Korean and English (cool use of technology). I think it charges businesses for advertising/listing. It's great to see sites catering to Asian travellers. They are the one who will keep gay businesses in Asia alive and well.

Hmmm... The clues: 1. Soi Nana. 2. Five a.m. 3. Ability to mobilise 100 sisters within a day. Professional jealousy perhaps?

So, the next time we use OneSpa's rooms, we may meet a woman in the corridor? Or we may hear a woman moaning away in the next room? Hmmm. I think I will pass

I am more concerned about short transit times than about overnight flights. Nowadays, some airports can be terribly congested and there are infinite reasons for delays. I've had an occasion when I had to run to the departing gate because the arriving flight was late. I made it and was proud of myself. But at the final destination, I was told my luggage didn't make it. "Maybe it will arrive tomorrow". So if needed to avoid a short transit time, I would even choose an overnight flight.

I was going to say that one reason might be that many of the gay bars are owned or run by western expats and they don't want their hobby projects overrun by Asian customers. But then I realised that such a theory won't explain why they don't actively market themselves on social media to western tourists. So yup, I am just as puzzled why the gay businesses are so bad at, well, business.

Sadly, @Riobard is referring to the tops of the beer bottles. The boys' tops (Tshirts) often stay on. Remind me again - why are we paying money?

IMHO not at all, but the only choice we have is either to enter+pay or not step foot in a bar at all. However, to be fair, 500 is not the price of the beer. It is a combo price for the following: 1. The beer. 2. The waiter's effort bringing it to you and watching you like a hawk for the rest of the evening in case you leave without settling the tab ("check bin"). 3. The gogo boys' pittance of a salary for being there on stage. 4. The extra allowances paid to those boys who participate in shows. 5. Your share of rent and utilities. 6. Your share of the brown envelope money that even permits the bar to operate the way it does. 7. Costs of other staff such as the DJ who does not know what tolerable volume level means. 8. Management profit. All the above add up to 250 baht, which would be more or less what the girl gogo bars charge. It is 500 baht because each customer who steps into a boy bar has to pay the share of the missing customer who, having seen the fast declining quality of the boys and their undress (less undressed than before), the boring shows, and the escalating prices, have since stopped to the bars or much less frequently than before. If not for paying the share of the missing customer, there won't be enough revenue to keep the bars going. Enjoy 😛

See https://www.justia.com/criminal/offenses/homicide/second-degree-murder/#:~:text=Second-degree murder requires that,and understanding of his actions. I quote from above "Second-degree murder requires that the defendant acted impulsively, and without premeditation, but with an intent and understanding of his actions" The article makes clear that she was convicted of second degree murder. She might have acted impulsively in speeding, but she sped intentionally, and she would have an understanding of the risks and consequences of her decision to speed. Thus I think the verdict is justified.

Wait... You don't use the ticket vending machines, but instead have to rely on people? 😛

If you took a quick look at the Gay Pattaya section, you'd see that I asked the same question late last year and @floridarob was kind enough to reply. See I used the shop's services and found them to be good. The clothese were ready the next day. I have marked the location of Nok Laundry on my map of Pattaya Boyztown/Pattayaland https://shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog/2023/12/14/map-of-pattayaland-area-december-2023/

I'm kinda shocked too 😲 I thought us temporary tourists are automatons, rushing from one rentboy to another. Some of us (wink wink, we know who) have inhuman levels of energy, hitting up to four boys a day.

A wee bit tacky, no?

Let's assume the story is true, even if there is some exaggeration or missing elements. I for one am not surprised. Rightwing nuts live in their own bubble, consume their own media and therefore see the world through absurdly distorted lenses. They believe what they want to believe. Out of the millions of rightwing nuts, there will surely be some who act on those beliefs, like this man and his family.

I had exactly the same question and doubletake moment as @Riobard

@Japan lover Trying to call or speak is not a good idea unless you speak Japanese. They are not likely to manage English at the other end, with the odd exception. As @fedssocr mentioned, most of the businesses that serve foreigners have online forms on their websites. It is best to use them, because the shop can then do Google Translate with whatever you have written and understand you that way. Naturally, you should keep your sentences simple and avoid slang, abbreviations, or expresssions unique to your country, which Google translate may not be able to handle.