macaroni21

Just a word of thanks to @reader for these news updates that are posted from time to time. They keep those of us outside Thailand updated on changes so we're not surprised when we do arrive in Thailand. One small thing about the above news story though: it says "providing a solution to reduce congestion at the main terminal"... But the worst congestion, when it happens, tends to happen at immigration. I don't suppose a satellite terminal does anything for that.

Story doesn't say if they adjusted for the increase in average height of adult males over the last 30 years. Nor which countries.

Maybe it's because most travellers are no longer new to Thailand and thus don't need guides, whereas they're still new to Vietnam.

The above quote is from your opening post, but now that you have made your intentions clearer, perhaps some of us can give you more specific advice. As Vinapu said in his first reply, your best venue is Tawan Bar. They generally have several bodybuilder types though it depends also on whether it is competition season or not. If you're also interested in guys who are fit and gymmed but not bodybuilder type, then Jupiter bar might serve your needs too. From a gogo bar like Tawan and Jupiter, you can call any guy you fancy to come sit with you and you buy him a drink. He will engage in small talk with you (may depend on his language skills) and eventually, if you wish, you can ask him whether he will go back to your hotel room with you. You need to be clear whether you want "short time" or "long time". Short time is usually 60-90 minutes. Long time means he stays/sleeps till morning. The boy will tell you how much he wants for ST and LT. some boys do not do LT. You don't have to say in any great detail what you want to do within that time since your intentions are not very demanding. (If you want to top him or you are hoping for bondage, etc, then you SHOULD get his agreement beforehand.) The boy may be a bit surprised if, in the hotel room, you don't really want to proceed all the way to sex, but he is not going to insist. Remember, these guys have seen many different types of clients. Do not expect or even ask for a discount just because you don't intend to proceed to sex. You're paying for his time. Vinapu also mentioned 3 massage places with bigger boys. They are "bigger" by Asian standards, not by European standards. Very few bodybuilder types. On some days, none. I am not sure how they will respond in a massage place if you're only interested in body worship (I won't even call it muscle worship), because in a massage place, they have a certain protocol to perform a massage. If you don't want a massage, they may be confused. If you do want a massage, then that's well and fine. The massage shop will usually tell you what the shop's price is and what the expected tip for your chosen boy is. Don't be afraid to ask. Hope above helps.

Bangkok could have kept its status as a hub connecting incoming travellers from Europe, Japan, Korea, China, India and Australia to various destinations in southeast Asia and to each other of these further regions. If it had, Thai would have had good use of the A380s. Basically, Thai failed to keep up with its regional competitors such as Singapore Airlines. The latter flies 14 A380s according to a quick websearch I did. It just shows how bad the management of Thai has been.

Point taken. I don't know what Scott456's intention was but I for one wasn't trying to change the OP's mind or travel plans. I was merely trying to manage his expectations. I got the sense from his opening question that he might not be familiar with the Thai scene. Typically, when one is not familiar, one maps one's existing assumptions onto the new field. He stated his height (190 cm) and then said he was looking for someone "fit" and "big". In Europe or North America, this would mean a certain physique with height perhaps over 180cm, weight perhaps over 90 or 100 kg. There are fit and big Thais - but meeting those European standards? Don't expect too many.

I have, though it must have been 12-15 years ago and I don't recall the details. But I do recall that Iguazu Falls was fantastic and the sex a close second. I think I only had two guys though, as I only knew of one sauna and nowhere else. One was a hunk, the other a twink. But I don't wish to hijack the thread so I will stop here (though hazy memory doesn't leave me with much to say anyway.) But my general impression is similar to what you said - there is perhaps more variety in Brazil, in skin tone, in size, in hairiness, than in Thailand. Am about to leave for another, longer, visit soon.

Another reason why I prefer Asian countries: good quality massage is easy to find.

I think Scott456 is right. "Muscle guys" mean different things in Brazil and Thailand. The OP said he was 190 cm and looking for big guys, which I take to mean guys of comparable height, plus build. For those ( especially if they are bottoms) whose focus is narrowly on bodybuilder types with humongous dicks, the chance of success in Brazil is way higher than in Thailand. And likely costs less too. For others, like me, who have a wider range of acceptable physiques, Thailand works just as well maybe better since hotels and food in Thailand cheaper too. And as others have mentioned, there's no comparison re safety.

Frippe, you may need to be more specific about your situation, and be more exact about the words you use. Otherwise you may get conflicting advice. If you are holding a Swedish passport, then you are "visa-exempt" for 30 days from date of arrival. You would have gotten an arrival stamp on your passport with date of admission and last date for departure included within the same stamp. I am also from a visa-exempt country and that is what I get each time I enter Thailand. Please do not refer to that arrival stamp as a "visa" or "visa on arrival". It is not a visa at all. When you flew out of Thailand, you would have gotten a departure stamp in your passport. That departure stamp effectively cancels your arrival stamp. So, that means that once you leave Thailand, that arrival stamp is no more. You can enter Thailand again at anytime and get a new 30-day arrival stamp. I have done that many times. My trips to southeast Asia often involve more than one country, so for example, I go to Bangkok, then to Jakarta, then to Singapore, then back to Bangkok... all in the same month. When i enter Bangkok a second time (in same month), I get a new arrival stamp. Obviously, you shouldn't do this like 25 times a year. It will arouse suspicion.

The short videos posted above of this bar reminded me of Krazy Dragon in sunnee. Although I was never a fan of Sunnee because the boys were often too skinny, too fem or too young (or all 3), I did have some fun evenings at Krazy Dragon. DoDo might do well to recreate something of that bar. Although Krazy Dragon had a gogo stage which would not be possible in Jomtien Complex, the stage was not key to it's success. It was that the boys would literally come dance on your table. With their loose shorts - another thing DoDo can copy - the boys' appendages were often flapping away beneath the thin textile (no underwear of course). And they were game for a grope or two, for a tip.

My feelings exactly. Having made as many visits as I have I think I know Thailand is not the place (for me) for longer than a few weeks. It's great when one's focus is a sexcapade. Not a place for settling down and dealing with cultural differences, language and bureaucracy. As Olddaddy pointed out, one will need something else to do besides boys. I like the thrill of looking forward to a visit and arriving. Staying will not give me the same thrill.

If he had meant 43,000 Australian dollars a month as pension, I should be planning to move to Australia. But back to the topic, maybe we shouldn't assume that those on a tight budget are miserable. They may still decide they're happier in Thailand than back home, all things considered. I think of it this way: when younger I travelled on a shoestring budget. They were the happiest times of my life. I don't think I would have the same experience if I had money to splash around.

One favourite that is definitely gone was located at the corner of Soi Twilight and Suriwong Road. The number of times I patronised that place, sometimes with boy de la nuit in tow! But seriously, I wonder why Family Mart outlets have so drastically declined in number when 7-11s have grown. I've never found any real difference between the two chains; I'd go to whichever was nearer. Were other customers choosier, I wonder? Causing Family Mart to do worse per store than 7-11?

I got the same warning when I tried to access via my laptop with Microsoft Edge. Now accessing via Chrome on my phone, no problem.

Vinapu's explanation that it is the boy's interest to register his off with the bar (even if it was 6pm and the bar wouldn't be open yet) is credible. Even if that wasn't the guy's motivation, I think it speaks to his integrity as a sort-of- employee to make sure the bar got its cut. You appreciated his honesty earlier when he reminded you that he had already received his fee. There's no reason to think he is not honest with his boss.

I think the police handled the situation well. Their first objective must be to diffuse the situation especially when there are many members of the public around. What I expected however was that he should have been arrested for taking several swings at an officer, and with an implement too. He should have been arrested and then charged. Finding him guilty should not be difficult. I am surprised they found him another flight and waved goodbye.

This raises a good question: What do lesbians want when they travel?

Not being a retiree, I can only make short visits to Thailand, or anywhere else in Southeast Asia, for that matter. So, as mentioned above, paid sex at business locations is the most time-effective way to get what I need. Except when one is hiring someone one has engaged before, it's always hit and miss. Paid sex hired through various digital platforms (also hit and miss), I have tried and given up. As have some of my friends for similar reasons - fake pictures, badly delayed arrival, the inconvenience of having to meet outside first, etc. Someone I know even had security issues with a guy he invited to his hotel despite meeting outside beforehand and paying for expensive coffee. Fortunately I haven't been in a similar situation. I am realistic enough to recognise that since I do not want to have sex with someone like me, I really shouldn't expect anyone to be offering free sex to me. And yet, off and on, it has happened. Once in a while I still find myself being cruised on the streets or the metro. More often than not, they are not my type anyway, usually, a bit too fem and not because they are too old - I have relatively wide acceptability ranges for age and body types. I'm not someone who must have 20-something twinks or muscle jocks. But at my age, I have to pinch myself when I think someone is cruising me. Is this really happening? Why does he want my body? And then I start to think, oh he must be a moneyboy (sometimes a 45-year-old moneyboy)... but even when we get to talking, it's really hard to broach the subject to establish for sure whether it's going to transactional or not. It can cause offence, especially when expressed badly in a foreign language. Yet unless it is clear, the uncertainty can complicate how to proceed. So, and I hate to say it, even in these rare occasions when I am cruised, I tend to turn down the offers. That said, there was one recent instance in Bali which not only was non-transactional but turned out great. The next dayI asked myself, now how many potentially great encounters have I missed out on because I tend to be too careful?

It usually is every time the Thai Police gets involved in an investigation.

I made an abortive attempt last December to give them a bit of business. You can read about the car wreck here: https://shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog/2022/12/28/bad-omens/ In short, I have no idea what the inside of the shop looks like or what their standards are. Sorry, can't be of more help. IMHO, there is no need whatsoever to make massage bookings two weeks in advance. Most places can accommodate walk-ins. Others may ask you to book in advance, but even so, in my experience, they're not set up to handle bookings more than half a day ahead.

Indeed I do, but when it comes to myself, I am at a loss for words. Perhaps "non-descript" will have to do for now.🤣

Apologies in advance, but I am about to hijack this topic 🤪 There's the term "gym rats" which is used to mean folks who spend perhaps half their lives in gyms, obsessively building muscle. Then there's the danger of using such terms in the company of Thais for whom English is not the first language. So... There was once when a newly minted Thai friend and I went to a gym. Neither of us had bodies one would associate with gyms but we thought it would be good to at least do something for fitness sake. So we went. Bad choice. It was a gym for very serious body builders. The men there (I don't recall seeing any women) were almost obsessive compulsive in their workouts, and we looked like pathetic wimps in their company. We got looks (or more likely, self-conscious me imagined we got looks) that kind-of queried us, what are you two doing here? I remarked to my Thai friend that maybe we should look for another gym, at least the next time. "Why? What's wrong?" he asked. "This place is full of gym rats," I whispered, which I thought was more than obvious why. "Eeeeeeeek" ran off my friend. I had to run after him as (this time) real looks focussed on us. I'm pretty sure he never actually saw a physical rat.

Absolute waste of perfectly good skin.

From Bloomberg: Rich Russians isolated from the West are flocking to Thailand’s Phuket PHUKET, Thailand - Russian businessman Alexander Nakhapetov has been a regular at the “banyas” in his adopted home of Phuket ever since several of the traditional steam baths opened in 2022. Lately, though, the 41-year-old’s routine has been disrupted by an influx of his countrymen to Thailand’s biggest island – which has resulted in those new bathhouses being fully booked most of the time. While Phuket has long attracted Russia’s wealthier citizens, the influx is accelerating as President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine makes competing destinations in Europe and elsewhere harder to enter. The number of villas sold on the island in 2022 surged 82 per cent to 338, about half of which were purchased by Russians, according to real estate agency Knight Frank Thailand. Enterprises from restaurants to saunas and concerts have sprung up appealing to the new clientele. Some 791,574 Russian nationals arrived in Thailand between January and June, an increase of more than 1,000 per cent compared with the same period in 2022, according to the Thai Tourism and Sports Ministry. More than half that number flew directly into Phuket airport, and they were the No. 1 source of tourists to the island in 2023, according to the Phuket Tourist Association. Russian speakers are the biggest single nationality of buyers in Phuket at FazWaz Property Group, said Mr Christian Steinbach, sales director, who in 2022 made one of his most-lucrative deals when one Russian buyer snapped up 16 villas. “You can generate high rental returns,” he said. “And there are many people who just want to live in a nice place.” In a sign of the island’s importance for expanding Russia’s diplomatic reach in South-east Asia, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov officially opened a consulate on Phuket in July and met with his Thai counterpart during his visit. The diplomatic office is within the Royal Phuket Marina, a seaside community that includes moorings for yachts and apartments and stand-alone villas priced from about US$300,000 (S$400,000) to multiple millions. While countries in Europe and the Middle East have long been the main havens for Russians, Thailand’s beaches, nightlife and openness in places like Phuket, Krabi and Pattaya provided an affordable alternative in Asia even before the war in Ukraine started in February 2022. Since Mr Putin began his invasion, the European Union has made it harder for Russians to travel to the bloc, with many direct flights to European cities abandoned. That has pushed people to countries with easy-visa entry such as the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Thailand. Indeed, Thailand has introduced several new visa programmes over the past year that allow longer stays for those who bring in money or special skills – such as in the IT, social media and crypto-asset industries, according to Ms Prakaipeth Meechoosarn, head of Phuket property sales at the Thailand unit of CBRE Group. Concurrently, the resort islands in the southern part of the country have also attracted many similar specialists, digital nomads and young families fleeing Ukraine. According to Ms Elena Marinicheva, vice-president at Russia Sotheby’s International Realty, a typical Russian buyer in Thailand might be an entrepreneur in their mid-30s from the eastern part of the Federation, such as Vladivostok. But increasingly, investors from Moscow and St Petersburg are seeing the Thai market as more and more attractive, she said. That has helped create an array of cottage industries. For example, Mr Alexander Nakhapetov said his entertainment business is booming. A 250,000 baht (S$9,650) box at a Russian rock concert he organised in Phuket’s Laguna Grove earlier in 2023 was sold out within the first hour, he said. In December, he is helping to organise a performance by the St Petersburg State Academic Ballet Theatre on the island. Sanctions have weighed on transactions, with Visa and Mastercard among the many global financial firms that suspended operations in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. Still, people have found workarounds such as linking to platforms of China UnionPay, digital assets, as well as paying with cash denominated in dollars and euros. As time goes on, though, it is getting more difficult to transfer funds out of Russia – and the rouble has also weakened against the Thai baht, Mr Steinbach said. Thais – especially those in the southern islands – are adapting to the needs and habits of Russian visitors. Phuket International Airport makes announcements in Russian. Many shop names and street signs are in Cyrillic. Street vendors sell borscht and blini side by side with local classics such as pad thai and spicy tom yum soup. Russian restaurant chain Veranda recently opened its fifth Thailand location, adding to the eateries and food shops across the island. Mr Nikolay Batargin, the owner of Chekhoff restaurants in Phuket, recently opened his third location serving Russian cuisine. Business was particularly “mad” during island’s high season from November to April, he said. Super-rich Thailand’s appeal extends to the super-rich. The 237-foot yacht Cloudbreak, believed to belong to Russian real estate tycoon Alexander Svetakov, was spotted in Phuket last Christmas, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Construction materials billionaire Igor Rybakov held business-coaching classes for a group of 20 on the island in January, starting with qigong exercises to relax the participants. “Everyone is welcome in Thailand,” restaurateur Batargin said. While commerce has boosted the economy and provided much-needed jobs in tourism- and investment-dependent Phuket and Krabi, the influx of Russians has also pushed some potential buyers from Thailand and other nations out of the market. Local workers are also feeling the sting of inflation on basic goods and their own rents. But in the wake of Covid-19, most people are willing to put up with side effects as long as Thailand remains an escape from war, sanctions and vitriol. Indeed, tolerance is a mantra for those who come to vacation or find new homes in Thailand’s islands. “The atmosphere for everybody is wonderful and peaceful,” said Mr Yuri Vorona, manager of Roadhouse restaurant in Phuket, which caters mostly to Russians and their Thai friends – but sometimes Ukrainians come for a meal. “We have everyday Russians, who just want to rest and not fight.”