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Late Wednesday, 28 November 2024, my gym trainer alerts me with the below message that our gym will be closed effective the following day. Quite perplexing as they did not say anything in the morning. The former location was at the Jomtien Skypark Lucean center on Second Road near Soi 1. Today, Sunday 01-Dec-2024, I walked to the new gym location so I could learn where it is exactly because my start time is at 7:50am tomorrow and I do not want to be late or get lost. Going south on Jomtien Beach Road, it is shortly after soi 8, after the 7-Eleven and is now housed in the former Giant Octopus Seafood restaurant - as shown below: New relocated gym marquee: Here is a video that my gym trainer sent me today of the new much larger gym space - it looks good as I see that there are more machines available to work with - especially the running machines which were often full in the former gym space. 1733052549017.mp4 This will be my last week at the gym, as I am letting my gym membership lapse in preparation for my departure from Thailand as part of my 2025 year tax minimalization plan. The previous location was perfect for me as I could walk there from my condo in about 10 to 12 minutes. The new location is much further away. Unfortunately, in Jomtien there are not many gyms with air-conditioning - as most of the gyms are outside gyms - and that is just too hot for me to work out properly as I am already exhausted in the airconditioned environment. A gym won't serve me until September next year and perhaps another airconditioned gym will open in the now former location which is now empty. In closing, I leave you all with this entertaining self-indulgence video of some of the Jomtien Complex guys who also work out in this gym. I believe that they are all MBs - and they are working on their bodies for all of you - our forum members - so that you can have a good sexy time with them. https://www.facebook.com/reel/1596569601191223

Forum member JD100 and myself, we attended the Friday 01-Nov-2024 Venue Cabaret Halloween special edition show. Neither one of us have ever seen the cabaret show here as we have frequently attended the M2M show in the Jomtien Complex and recently the stupendous cabaret show at Tiffany in Pattaya - recent review here: The Venue is one of the primary hotels in the Jomtien Complex (aka, Supertown) https://www.facebook.com/TheVenueCabaret/ The price for admission was 1 required drink (360 baht I believe - JD paid for mine) which is good value for money - as the cabaret show started at 10pm and we exited between 11:30pm - 11:45pm - as they then move everyone from the main stage to the pool area for the more sexy cabaret version (we did not stay for that show). We had front row seats - as I had made a reservation via email the prior day = thevenuejomtienpattaya@hotmail.com At first, neither of us felt an affinity with the performers - as we have been jaded by the excellent performers at M2M - as they seem to be more passionate about their performances and they work the audience more to draw you into their themed acts. The M2M audience is much more inclined to tip the performers throughout the show, whereas, The Venue audience was more subdued and reluctant to tip. However, after about 30 to 40 minutes into The Venue show, we started to feel enchanted with The Venue cabaret performers and by the end of the show we were totally in harmony with them. I would recommend our viewers/readers to see this show. I give a ranking as follows: 5 stars to the Tiffany show in Pattaya City, 4.4 stars to the M2M show in the Jomtien Complex, 4 stars to The Venue show in the Jomtien Complex. JD has decided to leave Thailand to return to his home country later this month - so we want to squeeze in one more night out to see the show at the Colosseum. I will post a review after we have seen that show. Here are some photos from The Venue Halloween show: My favorite scene was the dance number with the nuns with the picture frames - I found it unique and entertaining.

Since 2012 I've been coming to South-East Asia almost every year. And when lucky, sometimes even twice a year. I always start and end my journey in Bangkok. But every time I try to explore a new area/country also. I usually stay around one month in Asia. For this year, I have planned to first fly to Bangkok for some nights of barhopping and meeting boys. Then off to Pattaya for a week beach- and relax-time. After that I will go to China for the first time, visiting some highlights and sight-seeing. Just before returning to Europe I will conclude with some more nights in Bangkok... Any other forum members around on these dates? Bangkok: October 14 - October 18 Pattaya: October 18 - October 24 Bangkok: November 13 - November 17 Of course I will keep you posted via this topic/thread about my adventures when I arrive in the Land of Smiles... Catching up with this forum now, reading about what has changed and what's the current situation in the (gogo)bars, massage parlours, etc.

Pattaya Koh Larn island trip report - November 2022 This is my trip report to Koh Larn from Pattaya. It is written for those who might want to venture over to this beautiful island for a day trip or to stay a couple of nights like we did. I travelled with 2 of my Thai friends, as it was one of their birthday’s, hence these chosen dates. Why Koh Larn? Because you may want to get away from the hustle & bustle of busy Pattaya to stay at some truly beautiful beaches that have transparent blue turquoise clean water with nice white sand. As we know, most of Pattaya, and lesser so, Jomtien beaches have brownish water, consequently making it sometimes difficult to enjoy a true pleasant beach experience that Thailand is known for. Note, that Koh Larn is NOT at the level of beauty of Koh Samui or Phuket – but for only being 20 to 30 minutes away from Pattaya – it is a nice quick and easy substitute for them. Day ONE - Monday 21 November 2022 We took a Grab taxi from Jomtien over to the Bali Hali Pier in Pattaya. At the pier, there are many offerings for private tours via speed boat (costing thousands of Thai baht) and also transport via speed boat for ฿150 baht per person one way. We opted for the speedboat transportation modality, which takes 20 minutes. Note that if you continue towards the pier you can buy a ฿30 baht one way fare on the ferry boat, which takes 40 to 45 minutes. Note ferry schedule below – there are 2 destinations available – Naban Port which faces Pattaya, and Tawaen Beach which faces west into the Gulf of Thailand. http://kohlarn.com/getting-to-koh-larn.html The speedboat ride was quite enjoyable, as the sea was calm – consequently there were not many bumps. If you find that the sea is rough, then I would suggest that you instead take the ferry. Each of us wore a life vest – including all of the other passengers. After exiting the speedboat onto the floating pier, you will be almost immediately solicited for room rentals, taxis, and motorbike rentals. My 2 Thai friends had already reserved us a place in a 2 unit bungalow that they really liked (from previous trips) because it is isolated and private and still within the Naban village. We walked about 5 to 6 minutes south from the pier (as indicated in the below map) to where my 2 friends were greeted by a friendly Thai lady who acted as the broker for our 2 sleeping accommodations, which included 2 motorbikes (1 per unit). The price was ฿1,500 baht per unit and we always took 2 units – as I like to sleep alone. This is our first night accommodation. Simple – but nice and very private with a rocky beach front – when the tide is up the balcony is on top of the water and when the tide is out the balcony overlooks the rocks. Nice places to sit on each single balcony with 2 chairs each with a small table, nearby tree with tons of shade and an outdoor table if needed. From the below photo, you can see that the rooms are modest but practical. There was good air-conditioning and normal bathroom with hot water for a shower. The best part was the view of the Pattaya city and Jomtien skylines. For some months now, I can see Koh Larn from where I live in Jomtien and now I can look back to where I live. I have to say that it is very impressive – more so from Koh Larn looking towards Pattaya/Jomtien – especially at night when the entire city is illuminated. Note, there was NO breakfast included in the above mentioned price. View of Pattaya City and Jomtien from our Koh Larn room balcony – quite impressive. We unpacked our bags and then headed out to lunch at one of the many roadside cafes on our way to our first beach destination at Hat Nuan beach – which is on the southern tip of Koh Larn. Beach was pleasant and nice, but was not my favorite because when you walk into the water, it quickly gets deep – as there is a drop-off in the sea floor. I prefer a gradual drop off where you can walk out far into the water before it gets deep. At the far end of this beach – towards the rocks – are a group of monkeys. Many tourists were feeding them. I did not attempt to get too close as I saw many Youtube videos where the monkeys will steal something from you (like your mobile phone) and run away. No thanks. After a couple of hours at Hat Nuan beach, we then drove over to Samae Beach, which is on the western side of the island. The center of the island is dense green with large hills – so the ride from west to east and east to west are breathtaking – as the views from high up are stunning. Note the following - The roads on Koh Larn are narrow and there are NO cars – only the occasional baht busses that shuttle passengers back and forth between the different beaches. Each way on the baht bus is ฿30 baht for each single ride. Consequently, since there are NO cars – it makes driving on Koh Larn very pleasant, as it is just motorbikes going about – and they tended to drive slowly without any chaos. This is truly a nice experience after the crazy chaos of motorbikes in Pattaya city. Also, even though I have my official Thai motorbike driving license – I have not yet started to drive a motorbike in Thailand. I believe that driving one on Koh Larn will help me get over my fear to get started. Consequently, during this trip, I was the 2nd passenger on one of our 2 motorbikes. Going up some of the bigger hills puts a strain on the motorbike – so, if you plan to go 2 persons on a single bike – make sure that you get a motorbike strong enough. For sure, 2 falangs on a single motorbike might not make it up some of the steeper hills. In my case, we were always 1 falang and 1 Thai – and as we know, the Thais don’t weigh much. Next stop, was Samae Beach. This beach I really liked. During this trip, we visited 5 beaches in total and Samae was tied for my favorite with another beach that we visited on day 2. Samae, has the type of white beach sand that I really like with the gradual decline in the seabed, that allows you to walk out quite far before having to start swimming. The water is a beautiful transparent turquoise color. After almost arriving to sunset, we drove back to our room to freshen up for our Main Event – the birthday celebration of my Thai friend at the infamous Klom Klom restaurant / bar. The Klom Klom restaurant / bar is truly an eclectic cool hippy type of place and was an excellent choice to celebrate my friend’s birthday. This was one of my most favorite places in Thailand – something that I would expect to find up in PAI, in northern Thailand. A jazz band was playing during our visit. The food and drinks were very good. The only negative is that the food came from another affiliated place that is across the street – which made the wait for our meal somewhat longer than normal. When I thought that the bill would come, instead the waiters and band played and sang happy birthday for my Thai friend – which was a nice surprise. Even the customers joined into sing. A weird jello birthday dish was served with a lit candle in it (?? Thai tradition ??). To find this place – see below map – as it is about half way between Naban village and Tawaen Beach. Anybody who lives on Koh Larn knows about this place as it is super famous. Back home for some more drinks on our balcony to enjoy the illuminated Pattaya skyline. Day TWO – Tuesday 22 November 2022 We had to switch accommodation locations because one of our 2 bungalow rooms was rented out to another party (surprise snafu). So, we moved north of the main Naban village pier to ธนัชชา รีสอร์ท (Thanatcha Resort). Note from the map below, that this place is VERY close to the main ferry pier and if you remember from the above ferry schedule, the first ferry is at 6:30am bound for Pattaya. It starts blasting its horns for departure at 6:20am. So, I would avoid this place if you do not like to wake up early. Also, it is kind of run down and you can see that it has seen better days. It has a large wooden deck that is tastefully illuminated in the evening with an excellent view of the Pattaya city skyline. Breakfast is included. Price was the same as the previous accommodation, ฿1,500 baht per unit and we took 2 units. This place includes breakfast out on the terrace, which included a Thai kind of rice / chicken soup, toast and marmalades, and eggs sunny side up + coffee. Our next destination was to go see the BIG giant Buddha up on Buddha hill. What is impressive about this place is that you have an incredible view of almost all of Koh Larn – especially looking down onto the tourist packed Tawaen beach. Furthermore, this is where the paragliders take off and land – it was truly breathtaking to watch all of them as there was at least a dozen of them up in the air above us. Have any of you tried this paragliding thing? https://www.flykohlarn.com Driving down into Tawaen Beach, the scene was overwhelming, as the beach was teeming with tourists mainly from India – it was loud and super crowded. I told the guys to continue onwards, and we found a great place to have lunch just before the next beach over, where Tong Lang Beach starts. It was much more quiet and tranquil. I believe that Tawaen Beach is extremely crowded because the main ferry from Pattaya also stops here. Here is a photo of the tranquil and beautiful Tong Lang Beach, where we relaxed for a couple of hours. It was nice and pleasant – but was still not yet my most favorite beach spot. Our next stop was Tiennara (Tien Beach). As I mentioned from day one this was also my most favorite beach. But now after writing this report and reliving the fond memories, this beach is my number one favorite from this Koh Larn trip. Why? It is a very BIG (long) beach with many variations within the beach, such as lush green canopy overgrowth where there were many places to stay shaded, eat, relax, etc. There are even secluded places to lodge and stay overnight here --> I definitely need to return to sleep in one of them. Have any of you slept in any rooms that are directly at Tien Beach? If so, please share with us the relevant contact information. To arrive at this paradise, you first park your motorbikes and then walk on this elevated concrete pathway until you arrive onto Tiennara (Tien Beach). It feels different than the other beaches as you feel more isolated and more immersed into the nature with the white powdery beach sand. Note that walking north (opposite way from which you entered) you will eventually find some red chair lounges. This is where we stayed, and the older owner/manager is most likely gay and one of his sexy younger workers appears to also be gay. He was quite flirty – another reason to return to this beach. On our way into this beach over the elevated concrete walkway, my 2 Thai friends acknowledged a group of fellow gay Thai individuals who were heading back – as they only came for the day. So, perhaps this is the beach more frequented by us gays ? The sun was starting to set and it was time to drive back to our accommodation to freshen up and to head out to our last dinner on Koh Larn. The chosen Thai restaurant is, ยกยอ-เกาะล้าน (Lifted Yo - Koh Larn) https://yokyor-kohlarn.business.site/ which is located on the main road going south from the Naban village that follows the sea shoreline (see below map). It is a somtum type of Thai restaurant and the food was great. It received a 4.3 rating out of 5 maximum in Google. After dinner, we made a quick stop at 7-Eleven (even on Koh Larn they seem to be almost everywhere) to grab some beers to enjoy our last view of our hotel sea deck illuminated Pattaya / Jomtien city skyline. We had breakfast in the following morning at our 2nd day hotel and then off to return our motorbikes and join the crowd looking for speedboats back to Pattaya. Again, ฿150 baht per person one way. In about 22 minutes we were already back at the Bali Hali pier in Pattaya. We called a BOLT taxi to take us back to Jomtien. Would I go back to Koh Larn? MOST definitely – I was truly enchanted with this place and I see that it will take several trips to discover all of the nooks and crannies on this wonderful island – truly an oasis in nature to get away from the craziness of Pattaya city. What would I change? 1.) To have better control over the accommodations that were chosen – there are tons of them and some are truly amazing. 2.) To get over my anxiety to drive a motorbike in Thailand – as Koh Larn is definitely a tranquil place to overcome this fear. In closing, I hope that you enjoyed my long trip report. I hope by sharing all of this information with all of you that it will encourage some of you to take advantage of this unique place in Pattaya.

Myself and another forum member, we decided to see the Tiffany Show last night here in Pattaya. The Tiffany facility is huge and is situated very close to Terminal 21 in Pattaya. They have 3 back-to-back shows every day at 18:00, 19:30, and 21:00. We had 2 VIP Gold seats at 2,300 baht each. The show has a duration of about 1 hour and consists of 13 amazing performances: Pattaya The Glory Flare Be Italian I Am What I Am Maharaja Saigon Arirang Je Ne Sais Quoi Reflections The Magic Stone Tsarist Russia Tiffany's Follies One Man, One Woman The theatre was about 80% full and I would estimate that 80% of the crowd was Asian - predominantly Chinese. The show is great and well worth the price to see it and what impressed me the most were: The ever changing scenography on the stage - done in such a quick continuous way as each scene concluded and commenced. The use of hi-tech digital lighting and lots of amazing neon lights was truly impressive, The performers, both the lady boys and the male dancers were very talented, The originality of the individual sets - that was a very good mix of most of the cultures that visit Pattaya - very smart - from Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Italian, American, Russian, etcetera - there was something for everyone. Energy - as the show is very energetic and entertaining I felt like I drank 7 cups of coffee when I left feeling very satisfied. So, if you are visiting Pattaya, I highly suggest a visit to see the Tiffany Show https://www.tiffany-show.co.th/ Also, for a very entertaining smaller scaled down version, you can also see the Cabaret show at the M2M bar in the Jomtien Supertown Complex. https://www.facebook.com/people/M2M-Bar-Club-Cabaret/100063975036102/ I share some random images from the Tiffany Show - unfortunately, they were prohibiting us from taking photos/videos by pointing green laser lights onto anyone who had their phone camera out who was filming - so I could not capture my FAVORITE scenography - of the electrical neon intensive backdrop of Pattaya - as if it was from Walking Street - very well done - reminiscent of scenes from last year's "Pattaya Heat" movie - which I truly enjoyed.

Gents, I’m planning a trip to Thailand in March and need your advice. CONTEXT During a couple of work trips to Bangkok more than a decade ago I did lots of vanilla tourist activities, so my upcoming trip will instead focus exclusively on carnal and hedonistic pleasures. I enjoy romping with—and getting massages from—muscular or athletic guys. Based on feedback offered by others on this forum, I understand that I should be able to easily find such guys while in Bangkok (at The One, Moonlight, Jey Spa, Arena, Sabaidee, Jupiter, Krubb, Grindr, etc.). I’ll definitely spend a few days there. For the beach, I will also visit Pattaya and/or Phuket. After lounging at the beach during the day, it would be great to have access to muscular or athletic guys at night, but I understand that Pattaya (and maybe also Patong) will primarily offer twinks. MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU Are there more options for finding (via bars, massage shops, Grindr, etc) muscular or athletic guys in Pattaya or Patong? Or should I count on a dearth or complete absence of muscular or athletic guys in both Pattaya and Patong? (Based on his posts, I suspect the esteemed @vinapu is of this opinion. This is not a dealbreaker for me. I would still go to P and/or P for the beach and would simply lower remove my expectations and allocate my time there accordingly.) Is boyinthai.com a reliable resource? More specifically, do the masseur photo albums and prices on the spas’ pages of that site seem up to date and accurate? Looking forward to your feedback. Cheers!

I am expected to be a month in Thaild. What exactly are the prices as of today? for short and long? By the way Where is it recommended to look for twinks? In pattaya and bakaok In the style of this Thai - https://www.xvideos.com/video50593811/bareback_asian_twink_in_hotel#show-related By the way Are there any escort agencies that anyone knows? I could only find women's..

Because I am switching from a temporary employment contract via an agency to a permanent contract directly with my employer, I had some holiday time left to use before April 1st. What better way than to spent that holiday time in LOS? Only a short stay this time. Two weeks in Bangkok and Pattaya. ARRIVING After a few days in Dubai with an old colleague and friend I was flying to Bangkok and arrived yesterday. I had read some comments on this forum (and messages on English language Thai news sites) about enormous waiting times for immigration at BKK Airport and long queues for a taxi into town. But thank god that was not the case yesterday. Immigration was cleared in about 10 minutes and outside I could walk straight to an available taxi. No lines at all. HOTEL Hotel I booked this time is the Quarter Silom Hotel, in the same soi as Tawan bar. They had good offer and the pictures looked good. Indeed the hotel is very modern. Rooms are big enough for my liking. The design is a bit dark. I like the led lighting that you can control the colour from. I arrived at 2pm but unfortunately my room was not ready yet. I had to wait about 1hr for my room to come available. Downsides: my room has a connection door to neighbouring room. Because of that some noise from that other room is coming into my room. But more concerned about what the neighbours might hear coming from my room when I have a visitor... And like more and more hotels you need keycard to use the elevator. No chance in letting a Grindr boy come directly to your room. Need to pick him up from downstairs, with staff probabaly noticing. But also probabaly not caring. FIRST NIGHT I was tired from missing out on a night sleep because of flight times. After a quick nap I decided I wanted to have a look at the Patpong boybars. Curious about the new Dreamboys location. Still tired, while walking around the area and checking out the re-opened Patpong night Market, some messages came in on Grindr. A guy with nice muscled body was advertising himself as "love to suck deepthroat". In the chat he told me he doesn't only like it, but he's also very good at sucking cock. So I decided to try if this was true instead of visiting the bars. Turned out a good choice. Was long time ago I was given head so skilled. A good first night in Thailand. The bars can wait for tomorrow... That was what I was thinking. Turned out that was not possible. But more about it in my next post. Nice body of my first night guy

Burapa – 2023 – Back to the Culture – Ride for Peace motorbike parade Background Being a new retiree in the Pattaya / Jomtien area I am trying to experience many of the unique Thai cultural events that take place in my new home country, Thailand. This report is about the annual BURAPA Bike Week event that takes place each year (except during the pandemic years) in Pattaya. How did I find out about this unusual event? I am a member of the PCEC (Pattaya City Expats Club) and on 11 January 2023, Richard Rhodes, one of the founders of Burapa, was invited to give a talk about their annual event. Pattaya Mail article about the PCEC presentation of BURAPA I do not own a motorbike and I barely know how to drive one. So, I was not driven to see this event because of that but instead to see/learn about a different kind of not well known Thai happening. The below PRIME video gives a good summary of what they are about. Prime Video - Burapa: Bikers of the East Logistics I don’t own a car or motorbike, so, with 2 of my local friends (Thai / Laos – they were featured in my earlier New Year’s week events posting here), we took a BOLT taxi to the event. My Thai friend has a car – but he wanted to be able to drink and that is why we took a BOLT taxi. The Burapa Bike Week event is held at the Eastern National Sports Training Center in what the locals of Pattaya call, “the dark side” = Eastern Pattaya – east of the railroad tracks. Below map indicates where it is on the right hand side. It was a 120 baht fare from the Jomtien Dongtan beach area, and took about 35 minutes. Unfortunately, Google took us on a wild goose chase where for the last part of the trip it sent us on long and windy dirt roads that circumvent the northern part of these large grounds in true darkness – as there were no street lights. However, there was a ton of traffic – so it was slow going. For the return trip back to Pattaya – we made the mistake of trying to get a BOLT taxi from the northern point that we entered at – which is dark and on a dirt non asphalted road. The first 2 BOLTs that we called gave up – even though my 2 friends who can speak Thai tried to navigate the BOLT drivers to where we were – it was just too dark to find us – even though there was a ton of traffic all around us. So, now I know where the “Dark Side” of Pattaya originates from. I prepared the below map for all of you so you can avoid our mistake – which was caused by Google navigation that the original BOLT driver used. I strongly suggest that you arrive and depart this event from the SOUTH part of these grounds on the well lite Chaiyaphruek 2 Road. See the below 2 exit points indicated in green. The third BOLT driver that eventually found us where the above RED X is indicated on the below map – explained to us that for future visits we should always wait for a taxi on Chaiyaphruek 2 Road – as it is asphalted and well lite. Our trip back to Pattaya (Jomtien) was a breeze and quick. Ride for Peace On the third day of this 3 day event was the annual, “Ride for Peace”, where hundreds of motorbikes drive from the fairgrounds in eastern Pattaya down Beach Road in Pattaya City, and then continue onwards to Jomtien Beach Road and then return to the fairgrounds. So, around 3:30pm, yesterday (11 Feb 2023), with my 2 friends we walked over to the Police Box at the beginning of Dongtan Beach to wait and watch for the arrival of the motorbikes. Some had said that 500 would come – but I estimate that around 200 motorbikes passed us on Beach Road. It was kind of exciting – more for the surprise of the many unaware tourists who were going about their beach business and for all of the bahtbuses that were blocked from moving until the 200 motorcyclists had passed by. This made me aware of the fact that this event is not well advertised / known outside of the motorcycle community. We even asked the local motorcycle taxi guys if they knew when the parade would start and they did not even know what we were talking about. So, my Thai friend went into the Police Box and they told us that they were already on our way as they had already left Pattaya City and were heading for Jomtien. In about 10 minutes the entire thing was over. Below is a photo from the short film that I made (notice the motorcyclist riding with a LARGE live snake). Fair Grounds This place is HUGE – so dress accordingly – in shoes/sneakers that are good to walk in and you do not mind walking in the dirt. They laid down hay everywhere to reduce the dust and this was very effective. The main attractions are: The two BIG concert areas – structured on opposite sides of the fair grounds. One is exclusively Thai rock bands and the other one is foreign falang rock bands coming from the UK, Australia, USA, and Europe. There are plenty of places to sit and/or stand to watch the concerts and nearby are places to buy drinks (Chang beer was one of the main event sponsors), including cannabis infused drinks, like ganja. Performance area – where the motorbike guys show off their very interesting motorbikes – they slowly ride back and forth amongst the crowds. It makes this event very exciting – as if to be in a movie or Medieval or Renaissance festival. There were many sexy motorbike guys – especially the young ones. Market place – this was my favourite part of this festival. On the outer perimeter of the above mentioned areas, there are these narrow winding dirt paths FULL of individuals / organizations selling their wares. Including; t-shirts, leather wear, motorcycles – even Italian Vespas, Harleys, etc., pottery, knitwear that was very ornate and detailed – some of it was in native Indian style, places to eat, cannabis, tattoo shops, jewelry, food, drinks, opportunities to have your photos taken with various artistic types with a motorcycle emphasis, chances to sit ontop of horses and have your picture taken with native Indians (Thai people), visit Indian tepees, boot shops, etc. I was totally amazed of the potpourri of offerings that were available in this marketplace, as I had never seen anything like it before in my life. In conclusion, would I go again? YES, but I would be better prepared – from a transportation point of view. Also, since this event is held over 3 days, I would try to arrive earlier – we arrived around 7pm – to instead arrive around 4:30pm – just to see some of the daytime shows and to see what the fair grounds look like during the day. I highly recommend this event to all of you. Note that the entire access to the fairgrounds is FREE – great value for money. You only spend if you want to eat/drink or buy merchandise. The concerts and entertainment are ALL free. I share some of my pictures below.

I’m visiting for 10 days. Does anyone have any up to date recommendations for massage places or boy bars/bars with rooms in the Jomtien Complex? Thanks x

Since I am still fairly new here in Thailand as a recent retiree - I would like to share with you my first Thailand New Year's Eve period to get your feedback. Part ONE - New House Blessing On 29 December and 30 December - a gay couple (Thai + Lao) that I know bought a new flat in the Life City Park over in Bo Win in Rayong. They can be seen in the below first photo - the one in the green t-shirt making the peace sign and his partner inside the house standing up and pointing. The monks were coming to the home early on the 30th so they asked me to sleep there on the 29th to guarantee my presence. I still don't have a car or motorcycle and we checked BOLT and its dependability on big distances like this during the crowded holiday period would not guarantee my arrival in time. So, on the night of the 29th about 30 of their friends and family stopped by or slept there ( 16 people slept in the actual house as they also came from far away ). They finished the food preparation for the next day and we celebrated by eating some of it for dinner on the floor on floor mats. At my age, it takes me some effort to sit like that as my body is now more rigid than when I was young. Are you able to sit and eat like them on the floor ?? The food was really good and I ate some things that I NEVER have eaten before. They even warned me to NOT use the hot sauce but I insisted on trying it anyway - and yes I sweated after eating it. Morning came and the 5 monks arrived and they sat in the living room on the floor on special mats that were delivered from the local Buddhist temple. My friends had to move out of the living and dining room areas all of their furniture. Conveniently, as this is a new housing complex, the house immediately next to them is vacant so they used that patio to put all of their furniture. While the monks were praying and blessing inside the house the most important people of the 40 in attendance were busy preparing the monk's meals in special silver ornate metal bowls - also delivered ahead of time from the local Buddhist temple. The part that most amazed me was the "opening of the third eye" - like right out of a science fiction film - as we don't give much attention to our individual third eyes in our Western world. So, the designated Buddha statue is given to the main primary monk where he makes this statue "operational" by opening up its third eye with a special Buddhist blessing. I believe that the third eye is like an antennae to our higher spiritual being (or creator). While the monk was performing this exercise, the hairs on my arm stood up as I found it so moving. I need to discover more about our dormant Western third eye. Do any of you reading this use your third eye?? I believe that it is located in the center of your forehead above your nose. Then the BIG event - the primary main monk got up on a chair above the main entrance of the house to paint / etch with a special golden pen a symbol that, according to my Thai friend, states that this house has been blessed and that evil is not welcome here. This process of etching and then placing seals on the etched insignia took quite a while and the gay couple had to stay on their knees for quite a while to support the chair that the monk was standing on to ensure his safety. Lastly, the monks then went through each of the rooms sprinkling "holy" spiritual water ( it is probably sacrilegious to use the word holy to describe what I saw in the Buddhist religion ) and then they exited the house to sprinkle this religious water on each of us to bless us. They used a type of bamboo bundle of sticks to do it and I was told that the religious water is prepared back at the Buddhist temple. Have any of you had similar Buddhist monk experiences in your time in Thailand ? This ends part one of my lead up to my Dec 2022 New Year's celebrations. Part TWO - Condo holiday party etiquette About a week ago the condo where I live solicited for donations to pay for a New Year's Day party for the staff (maintenance, security, gardeners, administration, etc.). What I found weird is that the notice was directed towards condo owners. So I felt excluded as I rent here. So I called the number and I spoke to the organizer and she told me - well we don't include renters - as our past experience is that renters don't want to make donations as they are not owners. I asked her if I could make a donation as I am made to feel VERY welcome here by all of the condo complex staff here. She was quite surprised that I even cared about the condo complex building staff - as she said that they even have difficulties in getting donations from the actual condo owners. The condo staff offer a great service. For example, if I am having difficulties coming home from shopping they are right at the BOLT taxi to help me get into the elevator and up to my condo - you never have to ask them. If they see you coming for the elevator they hold the door open to make sure that you can enter. Two times that I needed maintenance in my condo - the maintenance team was at my condo within 1 to 2 hours after my request. Every day when I go in and out they are always smiling and saying hello. We used to have this kind of concierge service in our large condo buildings in New York City in the 1970s and 1980s - before the ravages of self-service in the USA came and all of these types of normal services were either taken away as cost cutting measures or made to be very expensive for the select few who could afford them. Living here in a Jomtien condo building is a real treat - especially if you are a baby boomer who remembers the good old days. Being in the holiday spirit, I decided to take a personal initiative where I would prepare and give each condo staff member a personal card from me saying how much I appreciated their professional service and as a new retiree here that they make me feel special, welcome, and belonging to a great condo complex. Firstly, I had to find money cards. These are easily found back in Europe and in the USA during the holiday season. I had great difficulties finding something equivalent. I traveled over to Pattaya city and walked around until in a Mr. DIY shop at the Pattaya Avenue complex I found ornate Chinese money cards ( as the Chinese New Year will arrive at the end of January ) that were perfect and super cheap. Then onto my home computer to write the perfect thank you message in English and then to translate it from English to Thai and then back from Thai back to English to see what could be tweaked to make sure that I deliver a correct and meaningful message. Then the printing of the messages in both English and Thai that would fit into the size of the small money card envelopes. Then the ironing of the baht bank notes that I collected so that they would feel crisp, clean, and new. And then the assembly of the complete package - illustrated in the below photo collage. Before heading over to Bo Win for the above mentioned house blessing I went around lunch time downstairs to the main floor where the hive of activity is by our condo workers and I started to distribute them to everyone I could find. And when I could not find someone the staff were already calling them from their work duty station to come to the lobby to collect their holiday note gift. The smiles on their individual faces and kind words in their limited English - truly made my holiday the best!! In fact, one of the security guys - every time he sees me he taps his shirt pocket ( as he showed me that he stored my note in his pocket ) and says thank you - I will never forget you. Truly a blessing to live here as a new retiree. So, do any of you who live in a large condo building have any similar experiences? I am curious to know how your condo building team that takes care of you every day is treated. Part THREE - New Year's Eve festivities Around 10:30pm I headed over to the Jomtien Supertown Complex to join my 2 Thai friends at the massage shop where they work - they had already been drinking for quite a while and kept asking me when am I coming to join them. I wanted to start late as I was sure that I would suffer a hangover the next day. They were already dancing in front of their massage shop and I immediately joined in - and got about 20 minutes of dancing in. We drank until 11:45pm when we headed over to Dongtan beach to watch the local fireworks and the massive launching of the flying lanterns - the sky was amazingly alit and the beach was full of happy people. -->> sorry about the crappy third photo - as Koh Larn is quite far away - my mobile phone camera did not do a good job of capturing the amazing Koh Larn fireworks - but with the naked eye they were still breathtaking. What was also amazing to note is that there was a dual firework show put on by Pattaya city with simultaneous fireworks on Koh Larn. From Dongtan beach we could see the fantastic (although distant) Koh Larn island fireworks. However, from Dongtan beach it was not possible to see the Pattaya city fireworks due to the curvature of the beach and Pratumnak hill. So we were truly immersed in 2 sets of fireworks and floating lanterns. We hugged and kissed at the conclusion of the countdown and remained a little while to take in all of the amazing sights. Then we walked back into the Jomtien Complex and walked through the main covered section which by now was heaving with a TON of people and there was a blockage in the main walkway as The Palace bar had constructed a dance floor that protruded out into the main walkway. You had to kind of climb over one of the edges of the dance floor to proceed to our destination, which was the Coqtale bar to say hello to our friend Paul and then to hopefully dance in the Double Shot bar. At this end of the complex - near the Poseidon hotel/restaurant the complex had a reasonable noise level and we could truly talk with each other and hear each other. My fantasy to dance in the Double Shot bar was not going to happen as the Double Shot bar was kind of subdued in my opinion ( whereas, on other nights it was more energetic and there were some people dancing ) - so dancing was not on the menu tonight. The only dancing would be to return to the madness of The Palace and the loud noise so we just decided to remain at the Coqtale bar until closing time. Before I knew it, Paul (the bar manager) said to me, hey you need to go as we need to close the bar before the police come. I looked at my phone and it was already 2:30 in the morning. Wow!! the night flew by. So I said good by to everyone and then walked home - and woke up very late the next day with a hangover. Had I been able to dance - I am sure that by dancing I would have burned off some of the excess alcohol and I would have had less of a hangover. How were all of your New Year's Eve celebrations ?

This will just be a short update report, I spent a long visit to Thailand a few months ago and this trip was just a side visit because I was 'in the area'. Taking every opportunity that arises I spent a week between Bangkok and Pattaya, too short to get to all of the bars I wanted, but long enough to get a feel for the recovery. My prior trip was still enjoyable, but dealing with the Thailand pass hoops and the shifting sands of closing time restrictions, outdoor 'restaurant' seating only, and other covid measures did put a cloud over things. I'm happy to say a lot of these hurdles are now gone, and the life in the bars is returning. Firstly, getting there: No more Thailand Pass paperwork 👍 Vaccine paperwork not checked on arrival, just at check-in 👍 Immagration was a 15 minute affair, just as before 2020 👍 Flight prices are crazy and my flights were full 👎 The exchange booths in the basement adjacent to the aiport station were open, 2 with identical rates, then the one bank (i cant recall which) booth with worse rates. Up a few levels and out to a Taxi, it felt so good to be in and out of the airport in 30 mins, in a taxi zipping down the motorway to Silom. Bangkok The first thing I always do is walk the Surawong, Tawan, Silom Rd, Thaniya block. It was around 8pm for reference. Surawong: Olivia massage was open with 8-10 guys (1-2 twinks), Green Massage was about the same. Tawan side: I think I counted 3 massage shops with guys outside, more muscle guys. Silom to the right of soi Tawan: A new shop Nineteen massage, I only saw 2-3 guys out front, none I fancied so I didn't poke my head in. Silom past patpong/soi4/soi2: The touts are back, a few massage offers from the guys outside Soi 4 for Adam Massage. The soi 4 bars were open and a bit of foot traffic, which was a good sign. On the path back from Thaniya I believe Amolir was open again, but I missed it in my notes on whether it is still mixed-sex or only ladies. The massage places are coming back to life, much more choice than earlier this year. I returned to Patpong later, and was flanked by touts as I stroll up the stairs to Fresh Boys... busy busy busy. They were down to 2-3 open benches left, there was about 25 guys on stage and waiting in rotation. Most of the guys I would describe as twunks, 3-4 twinks, shirtless in white booty shorts and a couple of cute waiters. The shows are never my highlight, but they at least have big cock pole kicking back I guess. My off was a bit of a dud, seemed to be new to the scene, but it's still good to be back. On the following afternoon I decided to investigate Olivia Massage, just as I picked my massuese another guy walked out that would have absolutely been my first choice. Oh well, I'm not going to let the guy down and switch half way in the door with him. Now I don't think i've been to Olivia before, I was under the impression it was generally considered a 'extras' kind of place. The guy I picked stayed fully clothed and made no advance to asking for extras, I made some not so subtle hints but he didn't take the bait. He was very new, very limited massage skills and no english. I made my way to Banana room after dinner at G's, Banana had i think 8-12 guys, still more twunks but a few options for me. I didn't end up taking anyone, just some drinks and enjoying the views. My final Bangkok day I did the rounds of the massage shops, but it was a bit early in the afternoon ~12pm. The guy from Olivia said hi, but the guy I really wanted to return for wasn't in. Green massage was empty this early so I did a walk past nineteen and it's too early for them too. Decided to pass and make my way back to the hotel. I had a coffee at the cafe beside The Quarter opposite mango tree (can't find on google maps). I picked beans from Chang Mai, absolutely delicious. Coffee lovers should give it a try and see if they're consistent, I only tried it once. Back at the hotel I fired up Grindr and set up a meeting with a university guy. He came over later and it was the best sex I've had in a very very long time, I was in heaven for a good 2-3 hours. We exchanged Line and I was considering canceling Pattaya to get the rest of the week with him, but I decided to hold strong and stick with the plan. I'll be back for him again another trip hopefully. That was my Bangkok stay, very brief, but some very good signs for the recovery. I'll post Pattaya in the next day or so.

I’ve recently been shocked no make that horrified when watching some of the YouTube Videos from Pattaya. There still seem to be people going about their business around the Sois but looking at all the closed down businesses and to let signs is really saddens me that the Pattaya I have loved for the last 30 years is disappearing. I live in that hope things will one day improve and the lovely Thai people who are suffering now can find some solace. I have bought tickets for Manchester Pride 2021 (my home city) it will be the first event for more that 18 months that I have attended where social distancing isn’t enforced. I must admit that whilst I am excited I am also frightened and feel extremely nervous. I have had many incredible times at Manchester pride over the years so I will just go with flow and try to have fun. Best wishes to everyone in the group.

Last April, we planned to hold our Fifth Anniversary Party but, of course, the Covid-19 Shutdown cancelled that. We are now announcing our 5 1/2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY to be held Saturday, Nov 21st!!. Starting Nov. 7th, a free raffle ticket will be given for every drink purchased. On the Party Night there will be two sets of drawings for various prizes (you must be present to win). Additionally there will be a free food buffet and great musical entertainment by Lee Shamrock, direct from Bangkok. It's a night you wont want to miss!!! http://athomebarpattaya.blogspot.com/

Opening night for Double Shot in Jomtien Complex tonight. Good sized crowd and lots of boys on a drizzly night. Looks like a welcome addition to Jomtien Complex..

From Bangkok Post Pattaya pub becomes community kitchen PATTAYA: The coronavirus pandemic has turned a pub in this resort city into a community kitchen serving free food for workers who have lost jobs when the global tourism industry ground to a halt. Surajai Attanart, owner of the Differ Night Pub, and his workers feed up to 1,000 residents who have fallen on hard times due to the pandemic that has infected 530,000 worldwide, killed more than 24,000 and prompted many countries including Thailand to close their borders. Thailand’s measures to suppress the spread of the disease have left many without jobs as many businesses, mainly in entertainment and spas, were closed down. Like many others, Surajai’s business is hurting, but he wanted to contribute to the community. “On our part, we’re giving out free food to people who have borne the brunt of the situation. At least, (this way), they can save around 40 to 50 baht for a meal per day, adding a lifeline for them,” Surajai, 43, told Reuters. About a thousand lunch boxes are packed daily in the pub’s kitchen, where dozens of the remaining workers gather to prepare ready-to-eat meals. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1887855/pattaya-pub-becomes-community-kitchen

Hi All I'm due to fly out from Australia to Bkk and drive to Pattaya on the weekend. Australian Gov't has issued a 'reconsider your need to travel' warning I'm thinking I'm at as much risk of getting COVID19 at home as I am in Pattaya. I'm reasonably healthy (fat and unfit). Who's still going, who's cancelling?

Its time for me to start writing my report again. Last year, I had told myself i would not prefer to go to LOS during this time. Crowds is crazier, hotels are more expensive, so is the flight, and of course, boys are also more demanding. But as the year goes, i havent taken enough annual leave and need to use them by year end, so if i needed to overspend for travelling anywhere, ill choose one place that im sure will get my money worth, and that is LOS. This time around, I have the luxury of knowing what to expect travelling to bangkok and pattaya during this time, so i am very well prepared. And instead of focusing on the cons, there are clear advantages of travelling during peak season, otherwise it will not be called peak season for no reason. Boys are abundant, shows are getting better with specials, even the customer crowds are much cuter and hotter too lol. I also decided to go for a longer trip, 14 nights to be exact, and added Laos (3 nights) in the mix, at the time where bangkok and pattaya is too crowded for me anyway so i can get away from the crowd and hopefully have a rest in between my bangkok and pattaya men hunting. Thus my trip (18th Dec- 1st of Jan) we broken up with first 3 nights in Bangkok, 5 nights in Pattaya, 3 nights in Laos, and last 3 nights in Bangkok again. I like this setup better than previous year (24 dec - 2nd Of Jan, 4 nights Bangkok, 5 Night in Pattaya) because i went slightly before the peak of peak season time (christmas eve to new year) and this time around, it is Christmas in Pattaya and New year in Bangkok instead. As i booked my flight rather late, a direct flight wouldve cost me close to a business class, so i got a little creative and got several bookings done separately to cut down the flight cost. It does save me some cost, but not major saving after all the booking is done, but id do it again as it does gives me lots of flexibility to try and make my itinerary above work. I was using Air Asia final call promotion and managed to book flight to bangkok (1 stop) and return flight to Vientiane, using minimum points, and only spend ~USD 50 for the whole trip. Unfortunately my direct flight from bangkok to KUL is not cheap, a bit more than USD100 but adding more day for cheaper flight ticket started to make no sense even if i only add hotel cost, so i booked that direct flight back anyway. All in all, I can consider my Bangkok to Vientiane flight is really cheap, and i paid the regular price for KL-Bangkok legs, so all is good. As for accommodation, since i booked rather late, most hotels have already jacked up their prices, especially during the new years. My favorite hotel, Raya, is fully booked, and the normal value hotels around silom had either sold out, or jacked up their prices making them no longer value for money hotel, so i settled with a slightly more expensive hotel of known quality. For my first bangkok leg, I stay at Pullman hotel G, then stayed 2night in zing, 2 night in ambiance and 1 night in zing again, staying in best western vientiane, and for the last leg in bangkok, i stayed in Furama Silom. Of course, Zing and ambiance are already forum's favorite stay in pattaya, with very reasonable price and location, but for Zing, it is worth to spend a bit extra for the second tier room as for very little difference, the upgrade is huge. Im totally happy with my cheapest room in ambiance, though the room i had didnt have elevator access all the way, only at level 2, and then needed to take 2 flight of stairs. Not an issue this time, but wouldve been a big issue if this happened during my previous aug/sep trip where i had sprained ankle. So as a caution, if this is an issue, try to get a room with access to elevator if u stay in ambiance. Between Furama and Pullman, Id choose furama in a heart beat. Room is much bigger, with bathtub and shower and of course, the glass walls is great fun to have when entertaining boys, which is what i love with Raya rooms too. Pullman Hotel G room is fine for the hotel, but their cheapest room cant beat furama offering. Best western vientiane is also a great hotel, very reasonably price, huge room, with balcony, and super close to the night market, as well as close enough to the airport bus stop. I have done well with my budget too this time, and realized even before travelling, itll cost me quite a lot if i were to take one boy each night for long time companion, but i guess we shall see what did happened as i write my report. I also contemplating with my report style as 14 nights of detailed reporting my get too long and boring, but then again, i might not remember much anymore as i was there for far too long compared to all my previous trip so ill just write what i remember first, and some of them ive written in various thread before, so it might be a repeat. This trip, ive met lots more forum members and as always its nice to finally meet few veterans as well as new members and exchanging notes of boys and world's issues alike. And of course, this is my prized possession from this trip lol

Before i get started, I want to say a big thanks to all of the trip reports from you guys, I really enjoy reading all of your escapades and learnt a lot in preparation for my first trip! So a bit of a intro; I've never been to Thailand before but I'm fairly well traveled and not new to Asia in general or the pay for play scene. I'm not really sure why it has taken me this long to come to Thailand but better late than never. My preference is twinks so a lot of the guys i will focus on are 20-25yo slim bottom guys, sorry hunk muscle fans you can stop reading now. I will be staying in Bangkok for a week and a bit then Pattaya for 5 nights, with a few days reserved in BKK for 'business' meetings... or as i like to explain to the tax man and my work colleagues 'the purpose of my trip'. The report takes an interesting turn for me personally, i am usually very much a butterfly but well that wasn't how things worked out. enjoy. 18/12 Day 0- So my start to this trip report begins in the uber on my way to the airport, my driver and i got to chatting about where i was going and it turns out his wife is Thai and he is planning his retirement to go back to join her in the house they built in her village next year.. It was a great 30 minute ride, with a lot of the usual advice (don't drink the tap water, look for busy food stalls to eat at) and parting words of "you might return married, goodluck".. doubtful, but who knows. I finally hit the ground in BKK at about 10pm, it was a pretty horrible flight with Thai Airways and packed with very annoying groups surrounding me on a full plane. It was possibly one of the worst flights i've ever had with regards to other passengers being loud, drunk and obnoxious but i survived, if looks could kill i would be up for mass murder though. Immigration was a breeze, straight out to grab a local sim card from DTAC tourist sim stand with 20GB data ~B1200, withdrew some baht from an ATM and down to the taxis. It was a 30 min trip to Le Meridian and was about B320+75 in tolls, i was greeted by a very friendly hot French guy at the check in desk.. A bit of light flirting to see how he reacts, seems to be entertaining some subtle advances so I'll work on this a little more later if i get the chance and I'm on my way up to see my suite for the first 5 nights. At this point I'm pretty tired but i decided to just do a quick walk to scout out my surroundings around Patpong before i get some rest, i almost gave in on this plan when a cute massage boy grabbed my arm but i held strong and after a lap of Patpong noting some bar locations i retired for bed. 19/12 Day 1- Sleep was everything i needed, I woke up energized and excited. I ventured down to the breakfast buffet, I'm usually a 'coffee and cigarette breakfast' kind of guy but it's hard to say no to a full assortment of everything you could want for breakfast included with the stay. The coffee was mediocre but I'm a bit of a coffee snob, I'll drink it though. I walked down to the BTS station and took the train to Siam and I spent most of the day in Siam Paragon window shopping and walking around, I'll definitely go back when i have an appetite to try some of the plentiful food options on the lower floor, the shops were most of the usual stores you would find in a shopping mall around Asia but still interesting to look around and compare prices. At around 2pm It was time for a massage, i walked back down Surawong Rd to find that cute guy that grabbed my arm last night just past the patpong entrances, he was no where to be seen maybe it was too early and i couldn't quite remember where i saw him in my sleep deprived state so i found another cute guy K from Amolir a mixed male/female massage shop in yellow shirts. 60 min relaxing oil massage B500, I don't have much of a point of reference for massage but he did a decent job, he was a little shy after the turn so i waited for his offer (first offer request was B3000 as he knew it was my first time in Bangkok haha, instead i offered 1500 which was still probably too much) we agreed on a bj and he stripped down and put on a decent oral performance including kissing. He was all smiles and a sweet guy so it was worth it for me even if i did pay a little over a normal tip, we exchanged line contacts and off i went with a spring in my step. Back to the hotel to shower off properly and take advantage of the LM club lounge benefits of cocktails and snacks, this is where my day ended a little abruptly... I'm not sure if it was the heat, the alcohol, not eating since breakfast or a combination of the three but i felt horrible after my second drink, i was going to force myself to go and at least catch a show but I couldn't be sure i wasn't about to get worse so i decided to retreat with water and something easy on the stomach to eat while telling myself it's best to rest now and catch up on the fun later without the fever and sickly feeling. 20/12 Day2- I woke up feeling great, whatever it was has passed and i strolled down to the breakfast buffet again for about an hour of self indulgence and over eating.. after a mid day nap / food coma, went to foodland to grab some pocari sweat for the fridge (great for hydration and for hangovers) and some snacks for the afternoon, generally wanting to take the day slow and save myself for the night. LM lounge again for warm up drinks, and then off to LuckyBoys at about 930, the bar is 3/4 full but i get a seat off to stage right and sit with a very chatty and friendly mamasan. After a few questions about what i like and a drink for each of us i call down one of boys from stage to buy him a drink as well, he has just started at the bar last week and was very sweet but had pretty bad breath and after a while i noticed he was preoccupied by someone across the room that i assumed to be a repeat customer so i slid him B100 said thank you and let him go back to the stage/customer as I was only half interested in him anyway. I chatted with the mamasan about a cute viet but mamasan said no good, he no suck or bottom (possibly straight), "don't take viet boys" was her advice. The mamasan proceeded to call out across the room to him to confirm and he shook his head no. It was a shame, he was probably the best fit for my type body wise, later on he appeared in the big cock show which at least gave me a bit of eye candy from him. This mamasan was actually really helpful and funny throughout my time in LuckyBoys, i gave two drinks through the night and a B100 tip as a thank you. So i decided to call down a guy from Myanmar (i think, i have trouble understanding the boys), he has been in the bar for a month and just celebrated his 24th birthday, I order a few drinks each during the show and discussing what he does, everything is in order and off fee is requested then he goes off to get changed. The show went on for what seemed an eternity, it was ok and i enjoyed the big cock show where i got to see the straight viet on full display i was a little bored and spent most of my time watching the other customers reactions during the lip syncing numbers. Checked bin and off we went back to LM, No ID check or so much as a smirk from the doorman and I'm kind of glad the french staff member I'm keeping my eye out for isn't around. in room activities were ok, we each showered and it was on, he has a really nice body, had a little trouble with my size to start with but he didn't complain once and put in a good effort, we didn't have great chemisty in bed so i kind of rushed things and after about 30-45 minutes i was spent and sent him on his way. We are both somewhat shy and he was very quiet but still enjoyable to be with, B2000 ST + 500 bonus for being a good sport and he was out the door and i was straight to bed. Would possibly repeat, but not high on the priority list due to lack of chemistry.

Shalom y'all! Just landed. Took some plane time to start writing. Some Background. 35yo married + 1. Israeli. This was my 6th trip (and trip report!). My husband has a big exam soon so he asked me to take our 3 yo daughter and go somewhere for the entire Jewish Holidays period (almost a month). Without any hesitation I booked us both a ticket to BKK for 26 days. The first 10 days of my trip was accompanied by a Thai nanny, and the rest was with my parents that decided to join some parts of my trip to spend quality time with their grand daughter. The trip was devided to 7 legs and so will this trip report. I scheduled it so we'll be in fun to party places during weekends (Bangkok, Singapore) and the mid week we went to places where it doesn't matter that much if you come on weekends or not (Pattaya, Chiang Mai). Since this trip was relatively long, and most of my time was spent at kids stuff with my daughter, this report will not be a detailed one. I'll try to stay focused on things that will be of interest to this forum. Take into consideration that my trip was about 70% child play and 30% dad's play haha. The report will focus on dad's play. Leg 1 - BKK weekend - Engines on TLV-BKK 11h flight went easy considering the fact that it was just me, 3yo girl and a fair amount of carry on luggage. The fact that I won the bid for upgrade to buisness class sure helped LOL. Suvarnabhumi Fast Track - after getting recommendations from forum members, I ordered Fasttrack, golf car, porter and a car with a child seat. 14 minutes from airplane gate to the car!! It was not cheap (4800 THB) but very helpful for a dad in need. Upon arrival, met the nanny which we already knew from our previous trip. Hotel review - Somerset Park Suan Plu - 3BR apartment (220 USD per night): This place was conveniently located a 3 minute short walk from Prince. When traveling with family, the concept of serviced apartments is my preferred. Apartment was all I could ask for: big, clean and each room had a lock haha. Breakfast was medium. Will return. I decided that first day of my trip will be dedicated to commercial sex and the days after will be dedicated to non commercial sex. Prince #1 - My goal with fasttrack was to arrive to the hotel at 4PM so my daughter will nap immediately upon arrival. I've become an expert in adjusting her naps to my needs haha. So it was no more then 15 minutes upon arrival that I was already at Prince after checking in, greeting the nanny and putting my daughter to sleep. Guys on display were nice as always. I saw the guy I was with last time, who is nicked Cha. For some reason, this guy seemed to be actively avoiding eye contact with me. At a certain point he actually stood behind someone and appeared hiding. He was of course the hottest guy there that afternoon. And by hot I mean shredded muscle. Retroactively thinking, I'm not sure why I chose him knowingly that he is avoiding me. But that is exactly what I did. I don't come to Prince to get massaged so can't comment on that. But his service was even better than our previous time. And by service I mean getting fucking him while he flexes. And also the prefuck teasing. All was so good I have really no idea why he was avoiding me. But I am sure he was. Left that place very happy and satisfied. I will see Cha a week later at XXO party. He looked at me and said "you look familiar". I told yes, I know. He then said "from the gym, right?". The whole situation was so weird I told him no and just smiled and went on. I then found his Grindr and IG. He states there specifically that he is not a MB. I contemplated the thought of sending him a massage and talk but that stayed only a thought. Anyways, Prince was a great start. Tawan #1 - after my daughter woke up, we went to Asiatique market for a pleasant evening. Recommended. I Put her to sleep at 22 with the goal of making it on time to Tawan. Arrived at Tawan 22:30 and finally met this forums superstar massage reviewer, DivineMadame. We had a nice conversation and inspection of guys. We both appreciated the looks of one guy in particular over there. He definitely seemed like a superstar and got his share of attention and tips from the crowd. When the show ended, encouraged by DivineMadame, I went to say hi. I ask for his name, of which he replied Tiger. 15 minutes later we were at my room. I didn't expect much from that guy cause I thought he was more eye candy than bed candy but he was mind blowing at what I needed from him. Which was a intense and intimate muscleworship session. The next day I took my daughter to the weekend market. An exhausting and nice place. When it was time for her nap, it was time to go to Babylon (#1). Until that point, Babylon never failed me. Nor it did this time. Had a taste of the local buffet of Asian crowd and some white guys too. I really like that place. After some more quality time with my daughter, it was bed time for her and play time for me. Had a sex night with someone I met on Grindr (#1) during my previous trip. This guy wanted to film our action. I only agreed to do that with my phone so we did that, then watched, then played more. It was a great night. Came back way to late considering the fact that at 8AM my daughter will wake me up. Next day, after some more exploration of Bangkok's children's play spaces, it was dads play time at Babylon (#2). This was the first time Babylon failed me. Don't know why. Maybe I was too tired, maybe just bad karma, maybe after a while I got too picky. But after about 2 hours I decided that I need to face the fact that no fun will probably happen here. So I left Babylon unorgasemed for the first time and to date also the last time. At the evening I took my daughter to the Cat Cafe. It was a nice experience although I think the cats were way too friendly and probably drugged. After putting her to sleep I had some time to kill before my Grindr hookup so I went to Banana boys and the show and guys has improved since the previous time I was there. Grindr hookup #2 - I started working BKK Grindr a week before arriving with FAKEGPS. A week before arriving I just started talking to ALL the hot guys there. One guy, I actually talked to several times before but it didn't work out till this trip. He unsurprisingly works in the fitness industry. This time he was more eager to meet. We met for drinks at Silom. I then realized that this guy, as hot as he was, had serious issues of low self esteem. I usually find it tiring cause then I need to invest energy in making him feel desired and hot. So, I play along cause I have a goal of bringing him to my room. An hour later we are in my room. He still needs a lot of me ensuring him that he is good enough for me which is a little turn off for me. But I was really into fucking that guy so out of 3 hours meeting, one hour was probably dedicated on sweet talking him to bed. But it was worth it cause that guy did everything I wanted in bed. He also had a very clear OCD which made him very sensitive to his cleanliness. But he softened with time. All and all it was a great night. 3AM, 20 mins after he left, my daughter woke from a nightmare. I was very happy that it did not happen earlier. I did not want her exposed to the other side of this trip. After about 4 hours of sleep my daughter woke me up, and we started packing and getting ready for our next leg - Pattaya!

After lurking here for quite a while, I would now also like to actively participate in this great forum. Today I coincidentally passed a bar called Black Snake here in Pattaya and since there were a few young smiling Thai boys sitting outside I was curious and went in for a drink. Indeed it was a kind of gay go-go bar! There were around 10 boys, unfortunately all dressed, and according to the “mamasan“ all offable. I had never heard of this place, also not in this forum. However, my experience in this location was rather disappointing. Has anyone else been there? It’s on soi 22 a few hundred meters from Tukcom

Ok so I rarely (if ever) write trip reports and this will be more of a synopsis of my travels in Thailand & Vietnam from Late Aug to Early Sept. Day 1 (BKK) Arrived at Swampy in the afternoon EVA (night-flight flight from London / LHR), lucky enough to get an Exit seat so was fairly comfy all the way and well sedated with a few G&T’s. EVA are fairly understated and still use the 777 but they’re solid and reliable and have never let me down (yet!!). Pretty obvious its low season from the short length of the ‘snake’ at immigration, think I was off the plane and in a taxi in under 40 mins speeding towards the State Tower where I had a condo booked for the first 3 nights. Condo turned out to be a LOT nicer than I expected and kind of annoyed at myself for not booking it for my last 4 nights in BKK too (hey ho), few pics for those interested…was on the 49th floor so lovely view at night. Quick nap then off to check out the bright lights like a giddy teenager, headed for Lucky boys first. Managed to swerve Lucy and got my (and Paul SF’s) fav Viet mama, unfortunately my timing was poor & arrived just as the show was starting plus I got a seat up in the ‘Gods’ at the back. Downed a Vodka sprite in 10 mins (well you need to re-hydrate after a long flight) and fled the show to the clutches of my beloved Screw boys as no show on there at that time. Screw boys was steady (nice greeting from Mama Phim) and a seat opposite the bar, fair few new faces, appeared to be less Viets and more Laos now, definitely a wider mix but some new talent which is always good. Phim was just scribbling me a note of which numbers can do the magic ‘everything’…when one of my regulars over the last 2 years a Viet ‘Handsome W’ came ambling over and gave me a lovely hug and asked if he could sit down. Some of you may recall I used to have 2 sets of 2 Viet brothers in this bar that I used to play with regularly, basically they just pimped me out to their relatives (who am I to complain). 2 of the 4 boys have since returned home to VN (1 out of choice and 1 due to Thai Royal Police), but the other 2 (inc my ex) are still in BKK. Whilst my roving eye was still taking in the new talent ‘Handsome W’ did look delightful and was very bubbly to see me. He’d toned up slightly since Songkran but said had been sick for 1 week recently & lost a little weight. Decision made…offed ‘W’ and asked him if he minded us going for a drink to another bar before we headed back. We settled on Fresh boys 2 so I could ogle the new talent and he could catch up with his Viet pals upstairs. Its easy with ‘W’ as been together so many times we don’t need to talk about what we will / will not do…we both know what the other likes and he’s relaxed with either ST or LT (over-night). Fresh boys 2 show had just finished so we grabbed a couple of drinks, nice line-up…again less Viets than my last trip and wider mix of nationalities with some very hot guys. Benefit of having ‘W’ with me is I get no hassle from the mama’s in there as he’s kind of like my partner for the night and guard as senses I’m jet lagged & flagging. Spotted a few other Viets from my not quite inner circle and a few came over to say hello plus the Viet waiters in that bar as fun as ever. Judging from a message that popped up in LINE from my ex…my arrival had been swiftly reported to the Viet Boys Intelligence network. We both bailed out for food and then headed to The State Tower, great seeing ‘W’ explore (read prowl) the condo and got his stamp of approval, particularly the view from the balcony on the 49th floor at night…pretty damn special and nice as the air felt bit cooler up that high and less traffic noise. Turned over the smart TV controls to him and got treated to some Viet pop and just dozed off with me head on his lap…woke up a bit later and we shared the shower (few things in life are as nice as soaping up 55kg of hot VN guy in the shower) then to bed and of course getting more intimately reacquainted. Anyone who thinks Viets are not passionate has been missing out imho, we both slept like logs afterwards …’W’ can sleep 8-10 hours no problem, noticed he was a little clammy so probably still shaking off the last vestiges of his illness the week before so I dialled down the AC a bit and opened the bedroom French windows ajar on the balcony to let some fresher air in, woke up a couple of times to find his Viet paws circling me but we both slept soundly…nice to be back in BKK! Day 2 (BKK) ‘Handsome W’ awoke around early afternoon (I’ve learnt its best to let him wake his own way rather than rouse him early), showered again and a bit more morning playing around…then off to locate some food in a local Thai place. He headed to his room to get changed for the gym (tipped his usual LT / overnight rate plus a bit more as he’s one of my favourites). Feeling a bit less jet lagged and hornier I started searching Hornet and found a cute Khmer Bottom who seemed up for a spot of Gymnastics, usual bit of on-line negotiating…what do you like? What do you want? etc. etc. Arranged to meet up early evening so I could have another nap first. Met him just outside the State Tower & pleasantly surprised as looked exactly like his pics and if anything a bit cuter, perhaps a touch fem but ok for me (I’m not usually a fem boy type). Very little Engrish though but deduced he was hungry so took him to another Thai food place opposite…not much open on Sunday evenings nearby but we found a small local restaurant. Re-fuelled we headed back and had a pleasant but not particularly inspiring session 6/10. I later found out he worked Fresh boys 2 sometimes and I think was just one of those guys who’s a bit lazy at what he puts out…never less I had my wicked way with him and so he was duly sent on his was with the agreed ST tip (albeit with not much on top of that). Funny thing is he’s one of those guys who just didn’t ‘get it’ as kept messaging me all thru the rest of the trip for a follow-up meet and making eye’s when I saw him on stage in FB2 again. I headed out bit later than planned and ended up in Hotmale after Kai spotted me wandering along the upper level near the beer bar, I suffered the last 10 mins of the show (he did promise me it was nearly finishing) and at some point I spotted a cute gogo in the seats waiting to get back on stage just as the fuck show was coming to an end. My interest piqued I patiently waited and show ended & boys returned to stage (nice selection tbh), love their pants by the way, great patterns and look much smarter than the usual plan white…spotted said cute boy (footballers, swimmers type body) entering the stage and enquired with Kai about him who pronounced him to be a ‘very good boy’…and surprise surprise a Viet (the old Viet radar still working….lol). The boy ‘B’ was a Top but Kai said ‘very good’ take care and as I’d just had a Bottom earlier in the evening this all seemed fine. Called him over for a drink and immediately ‘B’ was very engaging, both our hands were wandering nicely and lots of squeezes / cuddles etc…all quite delightful. Asked him what his preferred was, ST or LT and he actually requested LT (over-night) so Tip levels agreed up front (as he was a new one to me) we adjourned to a beer bar to relax followed by Kai’s approving eye as we headed for the door. Few drinks and a late night dinner than back to State Tower, again the condo proved a success as ‘B’ loved the balcony also, taking pics sending them to his pals on Messenger and so on. Warmed up on the sofa and then bit more action in the shower followed by some gymnastics on the bed exploring each other’s bodies, ‘B’ is quite an affectionate boy too once warmed up and we made some suitable puddles of Vitamin D…he was quite the gusher tbh before we retired to the showers and bed. Dozed off holding each other and I think woke up late morning to him chilling on the balcony having a smoke & taking in the view again. LT Tips dispensed along with some sincere hugs from him and the request to see me again he ambled off to the lifts and about his day...nice boy. Day 3 (BKK) Finally got my arse into gear around mid-day and headed for MBK to get my old S8+ un-locked and a new Thai SIM for the duration of my trip, after a bit of comparing prices on the 4th or 5th flr between shops settled on one and left the phone with them for 1 hour whilst they went to work on it. Picked it up later after some more aimless wandering around (I’m not really a shopping person) and then headed to the movies and caught ‘Angel has Fallen’…it’s probably not going to win any academy awards but was worth a watch, Nick Nolte puts in a great performance as the grizzled dad. Off for a haircut in that place with the red chairs that does a lot of the barboys (a friend showed me it a while ago)…think its Silom Soi 3? Opposite some massage place…bit tired and half dozed off in the chair and came around to find I had a Grade 1 pretty much all over (rather than a 2 on Top and 1 at sides)…hey ho lucky I like the ‘low maintenance’ look. Back to the condo for a powernap & then headed out and hit Lucky boys early tonight…maybe was around 21:30 so Viet mama gave me a choice of seats and I ended up in the ‘snugs’ pretty much centre of the stage and with a perfect eye view of the candy….oh my 40+ guys on stage & more wandering around in their hot Black briefs (plenty of hotties). Viet mama sensing my horned up status was gently nudging me to call a guy over but with I sipped my Vodka Sprite and waited patiently for the stage to go thru rotation, it’s kind of like lines or ranks of boys moving from rear to front in Luckyboys. Then a familiar Viet face popped out at me as he got nearer the front, another of my regulars ‘B2’ who is like a pint sized muscle twink with a great six pack. He spotted me when I walked in but I missed him at first as he was wearing a baseball cap. Eye’s locked and that was it…Viet mama moved in for the kill and her laser pen was out pointing at him to which he ambled quickly off stage and to me. Up close he looked even better tbh, still a very defined boy…had just got back to BKK after a spell at home in VN with the family. Bit of catching up and then we quickly settled on an LT off but he doesn’t usually do overnight so we started early. Asked B2 where he wanted to go and he chose Dream boys for the show, my first visit to the new club and quite impressed albeit I was pretty much the only farang face in there and it was busy. Got a good couple of seats at the front after a former mama from Lucky recognized me, nice modern club and good layout, decent sightlines but that sound system is like DJ Station level and was really pumping loud which is fine with me but might not be to everyone’s tastes. B2 enjoyed the show / coyotes so all good and tbh I didn’t mind it as the part we saw was free of the dreaded lip synch Lady boys. After Dream boys we headed to the Khao San road for something different, somewhere I like to hang out a couple of times when I’m in BKK, always a great atmosphere and reminds me of my misspent youth traveling Thailand in my 20’s. The guys seem to get a kick out of it too…but then you have clubs, music, drinks galore and food everywhere not to mention a lot of stalls so what young man would not. We had a few beers in a club about halfway down the Khao San and it was definitely jumping, B2 is funny as he can’t drink more than 2 small beers before he turns red but he’s happy and relaxed so that’s the main thing. Went for dinner at some Thai street food type place he chose but all good and in truth I’ve had some great meals in and around the Khao San over the last 20+ years. About 01:00 headed back to Silom as I wanted to try catch ‘Handsome W’ in Screw boys as I was leaving BKK the next morning and would not be back for 1 week. ‘B2’ and ‘W’ are friends so he was good with that but unfortunately when we got to Screw boys found out ‘W ‘ had a night off so we just had drinks and then headed back to State Tower. Bit of lounging around the condo and then B2 pulled me into the shower as a ‘let’s get busy’ sign and game on from there, nice couple of leisurely sexy hours of pleasuring each other followed, another passionate guy who knows what we both enjoy...was really nice to re-make the connection again after 3-4 months away. Think we called it a night around 05:00am, B2 does not usually sleep over as has funny sleep patterns in BKK which I fully understand…plus I had a taxi coming at 12:00 to take me to sin city the next day so all good. Full LT Tip dispensed and he well deserved it tbh, great guy whom I fully intend to see again (watch his space!) To be continued…. Next up 4 nights in Pattaya (that’s assuming the above hasn’t sent you all to sleep yet)

From Bloomberg, September 6, 2019: From quiet beaches in Bali to empty rooms in Hanoi’s hotels, pangs from China’s economic malaise and weakening yuan are being felt across Southeast Asia’s vacation belt. A boom in Chinese outbound travel in recent years that stoked tourism across Southeast Asia is now in reverse gear. The abrupt decline of Chinese travelers is becoming a painful lesson for nations such as Thailand and Indonesia that had become overly dependent on Asia’s top economy. “The slump in Chinese arrivals and tourism spending is being felt throughout the region,” said Kampon Adireksombat, Bangkok-based head of economic and financial market research at Siam Commercial Bank Pcl. “There’s always a concentration risk when relying on one market, and many countries may not be able to find a replacement for growth fast enough.” The slump is expected to continue in 2020 if the trade war continues to weigh down the Chinese economy, he said. Rising incomes over the past decade fueled the wanderlust of middle class Chinese consumers, making them the world’s largest outbound travel market, according to a McKinsey report, with the total number of outbound trips more than doubling from 57 million trips in 2010 to 131 million trips in 2017. “Southeast Asia is usually the first destination for Chinese travelers when they opt for farther destinations,” said the report. McKinsey’s 2017 China Outbound Traveler Survey had shown that the highest number of package trips were booked to Southeast Asia. Mandarin-speaking tours, Chinese eateries and Chinese mobile payment services mushroomed from Danang to Yogyakarta, these travelers thronged to Southeast Asian hotspots, lured by their proximity and familiar cuisines. The pullback now threatens the tourism industry with pockets of overcapacity, after companies and local governments doubled down and poured millions of dollars into expanding resorts, hotels and travel facilities. The decline is already showing up in some hotel operators’ results. Thailand’s Central Plaza Hotel Pcl reported a softening of its hotel business in the second quarter due to decreasing Chinese demand, Ronnachit Mahattanapruet, the company’s senior vice president, said at an investor briefing last month. Occupancy in its Thai properties dropped 7% in the quarter, and the Bangkok-based operator has 2,040 rooms in the pipeline to add to its existing portfolio of 6,678 rooms. ‘Unrealistic Expectations’ The Thai capital is also expecting a new Ritz Carlton by 2023 as part of a $3.9 billion development, while Hilton will manage two hotels due for 2022 opening. On Phuket island, a favorite for beachfront weddings and scuba diving, there will be 18% more hotel rooms by 2024, according to consultancy C9 Hotelworks Ltd. International arrivals in Thailand this year so far have grown only 2%, data from Thai tourism ministry show. “The supply was based on people’s unrealistic expectations,” said C9’S managing director Bill Barnett. In Singapore, casino operators Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Genting Singapore Ltd. announced a $9 billion expansion of their resorts earlier this year after the country’s skyline was beamed across cineplexes as the setting of the Hollywood hit “Crazy Rich Asians.” Marriott International Inc. has 140 hotels in the pipeline across the region, with plans to more than triple its portfolio by 2023 in the Philippines, whose white-sand beaches and turquoise waters are such a draw that the island of Boracay had to close last year for upgrades to its sewage system. Thailand - Tourist arrivals from China have declined in five out of seven months in 2019 Indonesia - Mainland Chinese tourists have dropped for six consecutive months through July this year. Share of Chinese nationals among total foreign arrivals fell from 19% in early 2017 to 13% in July 2019 Vietnam - Visitors from China, Hong Kong dropped 3% in the first seven months of 2019, compared to a 34% surge in the same period last year Singapore - Visitors from China dropped month-on-month in March, May and June. The June decrease in Chinese tourists defied an overall pickup in international visitors * Source: Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Indonesia’s central statistics agency, Vietnam National Administration of Tourism’s website, Khanh Hoa province’s department of tourism website, Singapore Tourism Board. Enamored with the sights made famous in hit movies such as Summer Holiday -- a 2000 Chinese romantic comedy film set on Malaysia’s palm-fringed Redang Island -- Chinese travelers became the biggest group of visitors to the region, adding $403.7 billion to its gross domestic product in 2019. In Thailand and the Philippines, tourism grew to account for over a fifth of their GDP -- twice the global average. Boom Dissipated The boom dissipated in the first half of this year as China’s economy slowed, its yuan weakened to historically low levels, and an ongoing U.S.-China trade war weighed on consumer confidence. The decline is also affecting China’s economy at home, as big-ticket purchases like cars and luxury goods slow. While China’s domestic problems are key, factors in each Southeast Asian country are compounding the decline. The Thai baht has strengthened the most against the yuan this year among emerging-market currencies, making travel more expensive for Chinese tourists. A boat accident last year that killed 47 Chinese tourists off the island of Phuket also damaged confidence. In Bali, the tourism promotion board’s deputy chairman, Ngurah Wijaya, sees the hotspot as a victim of its own success. “Internal problems like traffic jams are among the main causes of the decline of Chinese tourists,” he said, adding that those who are still coming are staying fewer days and spending less. “It also seems like they have started to get bored with Bali.” Chinese ship Bilateral tensions after a Chinese ship surveyed underwater oil-and-gas blocks claimed by Vietnam in July may have contributed to the decline in tourists from China, said Vietnamtourism-Vitours’ deputy general director Le Tan Thanh Tung. To be sure, not every country is facing a sustained decline. Malaysia’s number of Chinese tourists grew 6.2% in the first half of the year to 1.55 million, according to official data. In the Philippines, tourism infrastructure and facilities are relatively under-developed, so it’s not seeing any pull back in hospitality projects, said Richard Laneda, gaming and property analyst at COL Financial Group Inc. Still, the slowdown in tourism weakens another growth pillar for Southeast Asia at a time when exports are taking a knock from the trade war. The International Monetary Fund in its July outlook pared back its forecast for growth in the region’s top five economies to 5% from 5.1% in its April report, signaling a further slowdown. Countries are now trying to diversify their outreach efforts to lure visitors from other nations. Thailand waived visa fees for Indian tourists earlier this year and airline and hotel operators are trying to boost connections between the two countries. Vietnam, where Chinese tourists accounted for a third of 15 million foreign visitors last year, is setting up tourism promotion offices in the U.K. and Australia, while direct flights between India and Vietnam are being planned for October. But in the short to medium term at least, the hole left behind by Chinese travelers seems too large to fill. “Chinese tourists are the largest group of visitors by numbers,” said the Bali Promotion Board’s Wijaya. “Even the rise in holiday makers from other countries cannot compensate for their absence.”

As the saying goes, "All work and no play makes Jack/Mack a dull boy". In Bangkok recently for work, I made sure my evenings were free. Then tacked on a few more days in Pattaya. The first of four trip reports is up at http://shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog with one new report a day. Beware -- these are long reads. Sunday evening upload: Bangkok bars Monday evening upload: Bangkok massage Tuesday evening: Pattaya bars Wednesday evening: Pattaya massage.

Actually, this is a preliminary notice prior to a report. I leave tomorrow for a 2 weeks in Thailand, I'll stop in Hong Kong on Friday and get to Swampy mid-day Saturday. I'll be in Bangkok for 8 days and then six days in Pattaya, staying in Jomtien. Any forum members who might want to meet up send me a PM. I've been in touch with two members and we have hazy tentative plans about meeting. Today, began with a bit of controlled horror - I woke to a buzzing on my wrist as my watch replayed a text from my bank saying there had been an unauthorized charge. After the call and agreement that I'd not authorized a charge in Cyprus, my card was cancelled with a new one being sent. Pain in the... as this is my principal card for purchases. But there are other cards so I'm substituting. Then I visited the dentist to have repairs made to two teeth. Back at home, a call from my credit union telling me they had a charge from Cyprus! This is the card I use at ATMs when I travel as it has no fees. Ugh...this is not my day and it's only 11am. The credit union is a ten minute walk from where I live and I head there as the notice I'd received was automated, and wanted too too many codes and waiting times on hold to accomplish anything. At the office, the manager said hello and how could he help. I told him, and he helped. In a few minutes, I had a new ATM card and withdrew cash to change at the rail station at BKK. I'm looking forward to a rest from dealing with effects of Cypriots getting my card information and a respite from seeming constant traveling: Mid-April I flew to China, then back to the Bay Area, then on to the UK. From where I returned yesterday to attend two meetings. Tomorrow off to Thailand via HK. I'm looking forward to inspecting and evaluating and enjoying the revitalized entertainment zone(s) and having some massages. Sorry to be missing PaulSF and DivineMadman who have lef to rest up for their next sojourns in Thailand. Not sure if I report from the scene or when I return in June...but I swear to the spirit of Vinapu that I will report. PS: Some good news...United Airlines just called to tell me I'd been upgraded for the flight to Hong Kong.