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numazu

Bangkok/Pattaya June-July 2016 Trip Report: To Butterfly or not to Butterfly

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Posted

I am not a good writer (I wish I was). I just narrate what happened. The way you distill it made me realize how close i was to having a ruined night with my anger. Glad I am easy to forgive.

 OK since you keep insisting quite often about your poor writing and stubbornly don't believe posts here to the contrary such as vinapu's: you are a shit writer. But you are an AMAZING narrator!!! LOL  ;)

 

As for getting angry, that's a general lesson in life, don't judge (and getting angry is a form of judgement, as it implies the other did something wrong) before you know all the facts. So better ask who he was talking to and why BEFORE spitting out the anger at him. That would have quelled the anger even before it would have reached him and led to tears. Mothers are very important to Thai (and Cambodian and Lao, and...) boys, so it was a valid excuse for appearing "rude"

Posted

Looks like the Thais as well as other foreigners try to steal our guys as mentioned in your post with #32 trying to organize something with your date. That really annoys me when they watch us having drinks with someone and then folow our friends into the toilet and try to exchange numbers etc. It has happened to me at Telephone pub, the Red House bars in Taipei and also at a sky bar in Ho Chi Minh city. On all occasions the guys with me were not mb which does not excuse the behavior and my friend at Telephone was asked "how much for sex?" which really upset him. I wish these rude people would find their own guys. There are plenty of others available mb or not mb.

Posted

don't be so modest , actually you are good

 

 

 

+1

 

 

 OK since you keep insisting quite often about your poor writing and stubbornly don't believe posts here to the contrary such as vinapu's: you are a shit writer. But you are an AMAZING narrator!!! LOL  ;)

 

 

Thanks guys! The feedback is greatly appreciated. When I started these trip reports, I wasn't sure how it was going to be received. But the majority of the feedback has been pretty awesome. Wasn't sure if being overly personal was the way to go. I'm glad it was the right way to go about my reports. I will endeavor to continue these, maybe every other trip so I don't get burned out.

 

I think that my experiences are great enough that writing about them was fairly easy for me. Again, hopefully this trip report inspires others to write about their experiences as well. 

Posted

Looks like the Thais as well as other foreigners try to steal our guys as mentioned in your post with #32 trying to organize something with your date. That really annoys me when they watch us having drinks with someone and then folow our friends into the toilet and try to exchange numbers etc. It has happened to me at Telephone pub, the Red House bars in Taipei and also at a sky bar in Ho Chi Minh city. On all occasions the guys with me were not mb which does not excuse the behavior and my friend at Telephone was asked "how much for sex?" which really upset him. I wish these rude people would find their own guys. There are plenty of others available mb or not mb.

 

Hehe, it'd be a huge complement for me if someone asked me "how much for sex." But I get your point. Not sure if it was obvious that CB was with me (or with DTG and me) before CB went to the bathroom, but CB made sure it was obvious once he held my hand while #32 looked at us, when he told me about this.

 

 

If I ever were to do what numazu does with his boyfriends I would be dead the next day; death by forsaken boyfriend! 

 

Death By Forsaken Boyfriend: sounds like the perfect title for my next chapter haha. One forum member has playfully accused me of being guilty of youthful enthusiasm (at 35, i don't know how young that is). I admit I am horribly naive at times, and any other sane person would not make the foolish decisions I have made this trip (two whiskey bottles! two boyfriends in a queen sized bed! paying for sex!), and past trips (eating gogo boy cum! punching a lady boy! offing a boy while suffering from food poisoning!), but at that time, it made total sense to make those decisions. Hey, I'm still alive to tell the tale. I only let me hair down like this 8 weeks in a year. I'm actually pretty stable and conservative back home.

Posted

I admit I am horribly naive at times, and any other sane person would not make the foolish decisions I have made this trip ..... two boyfriends in a queen sized bed! paying for sex!)...........

 

.....I only let me hair down like this 8 weeks in a year. I'm actually pretty stable and conservative back home.

nothing foolish in having two boys with you in queen sized bed, tested and certified personally 

 

foolish part is to invite second boy without consulting and getting sincere OK from the first one, also tested personally.

 

From my experience best outcome would be if idea of crowding bed came from boys themselves and presented to you to stamp / and finance/. Then even twin bed will be spacious and comfortable for all three of you.

 

Whole idea of letting CB to slip on the couch shows that he was insanely jealous or  feeling out of place or both. But on another hand if we don't try we will never know so chalk of discomfort,  if any,  to experience but don;t do it again as it leaves bitter taste in three mouths at once. Just my 3 1/2 satangs

Posted

nothing foolish in having two boys with you in queen sized bed, tested and certified personally 

 

foolish part is to invite second boy without consulting and getting sincere OK from the first one, also tested personally.

 

From my experience best outcome would be if idea of crowding bed came from boys themselves and presented to you to stamp / and finance/. Then even twin bed will be spacious and comfortable for all three of you.

 

Whole idea of letting CB to slip on the couch shows that he was insanely jealous or  feeling out of place or both. But on another hand if we don't try we will never know so chalk of discomfort,  if any,  to experience but don;t do it again as it leaves bitter taste in three mouths at once. Just my 3 1/2 satangs

 I wouldn't think either of those things Vinapu: my assumption would be that he was fixing to go out with #32 and the boys - and if #32 is who I think  he is, so would I.

Posted

Day 17: The Morning After

 

Today is my last full day in Thailand this trip. I’ve had 9 days like this in the past, but this one seems to be the most bittersweet. I’ve grown accustomed to my constant boy juggling, grown fond of Dream Boy Thai Guy (DTG) and Cambodia Boy (CB) and all the supporting cast, and will miss the gogo bar hopping staring at impossibly gorgeous boys. Like I said in a previous post, too much of a good thing may be a bad thing, so this fantasy vacation has to end eventually for me to retain a sense of reality and sanity.

 

But onto the matters at hand. I wake up with a warm body next to me. For a split second, I forget who it was I was cradling. Smooth skin? Smells great? Could be anyone. My hand travels to his pecs. They are big, round and muscular. Maybe it’s a Tawan guy? My hand then travels to the abs. Six big, prominent, and round bumps. Hmmm, some of those Tawan men have big, steroid bellies. This one had abs that were naturally muscular. My hand reaches for his ass and feels his hole. Slippery and warm. I guess there’s still some lube in it from last night. He can’t be from Tawan then. I open my eyes and I see DTG sound asleep. We did not shower after sex, because DTG did not want to disturb CB in the living room, which explains the still lubed up ass.

 

I then realize that DTG is like Tawan guy without the attitude, as much as CB is like a Jupiter boy without the difficulty. I have two boys with me looking like boys from my two favorite bars, without actually them being from there. I’ve built a connection with these two guys. I wonder if it was possible to have the same deep connections with actual Tawan or Jupiter boys. While I’ve great success offing boys that were sexually compatible with me, I haven’t had success with the deep connection part of the equation, at least with the guys I’ve been interested in offing. Maybe next time I will give other guys a try. In the meantime, these two perfectly suitable alternatives for those bars are more than enough for now.

 

I suddenly remember that CB is in the living room. I get up carefully, put on my briefs and quietly open the door and silently tip toe into the living room. The aircon is on, but the living room is kind of warm. I see the temperature from the aircon remote, its 25 celsius. I guess CB likes a warm room. I see CB sleeping, still wearing long pants and my t-shirt from last night, splayed all over the couch. I approach him, and he stirs. I squat down to his level, trying not to wake him, but just wanted to see him sleep. He is a pretty boy, even when sleeping. His long lashes still standing out of his pretty face, his small but firm chest rising up and done with his breathing.

 

After probably 10 minutes I hoist myself up from the squatting position. The wooden floor creaks under me when I do this (have I gotten fat). CB wakes up from the noise, and immediately looks up at me. “I’m sorry. I did not want to wake you.” He closes his eyes, and then fully opens them again, and reaches one hand to me: “Come here baby.” I sit beside him, cradling his body, putting out a hand to stroke his cheek. Did you have good sleep? I sorry you sleep here. He says “It OK. I cum a lot last night.” What? Did you have boy here? “No, I alone last night, I hear you. I chuck wow and cum a lot.”

 

I then realized that he couldn’t have had any boys here last night because I had the condo key cards in my wallet, in order to get back into the unit if he left, or to operate the elevators, or to get back into the building. My wallet was in the bedroom with DTG and I. I felt so guilty! Not because I wasn’t part of his orgasm, but because he had to do it alone without my, or anyone’s help. I ask if he was horny last night. “Yes. But in my room I no chuck wow alone. I only chuck wow with customer. Last night can cum because I no need customer.” I understood what he wanted to say. He saves his cum for customers, so he rarely jacks off alone. Maybe its good that he can do it by himself, free from pressure from other customers, and just did it for his own happiness? Maybe its actually good he was alone, albeit listening to my and DTG’s sex sounds?

 

I repeat the promise he made me make for him. That it was just going to be me and him tonight, my last night this trip. He smiles and replies “Thank you baby. You love me.” I put the cherry on top and tell him that I needed to shop for souvenirs for friends and family back home, so I will take him and DTG to the mall today and they can get some clothes they need. He smiles gets even bigger. I know him well.

 

CB then says he will shower and get ready. While he does this, I go back to the bedroom and cuddle with DTG. Me going back to bed and the noise from the bathroom has woken up DTG. He looks at me and smiles, and then he realizes that there is another boy in the condo. He figures out that it is CB who was showering. He asks me if CB is OK. I tell him yes, he was fine. I tell them about CB telling me he chuck-wowed while we had sex. DTG makes a face and tells me it should be CB in the bed not him. I assured DTG everything is fine. CB and I go way back, and it’ll take more than this to affect our friendship.

 

CB is done and emerges from the bathroom and changes in the living room. DTG asks if he could go next. He says he has lube up in his ass. I said I know, I felt it this morning. He pretends to be shocked and kisses me. I go to the living room and see CB dressing up in his usual trendy style: long sleeved blue shirt, skinny jeans and boots. I make some coffee for the group. I make two cups and give CB one. I sit with him and have some light chit-chat while DTG is getting ready.

 

Soon it was my turn. I turn on the shower and wonder how much the condo’s owner’s water bill is going to be this month. I hurry up, fully aware that there were two gorgeous boys out there, no doubt hungry, and hopefully being friendly to each other. I come out in a towel and see CB and DTG having coffee, both fully dressed, looking at the internet in my laptop, pointing to the screen and laughing. I look to see what the hubbub was about. They’re on facebook, looking at a video. Its a series of videos of cats sitting in boxes. Cat videos are universally funny, apparently.

 

I put on my Farang Wear™ and I take my passport with me. I am going back to DTAC at Siam Paragon to get international roaming on my Thai phone. I tell the boys we are going to go shopping at Siam Paragon. We should probably have lunch there as well (it is 1 PM). CB takes all the used coffee cups and puts them on the sink to wash later. We all check ourselves in the mirror (I look like shit compared to these boys. Oh well.) and head on out.

 

DTG suggests we take a cab to the mall instead of taking the BTS. I read about Thai guy’s aversion to walking all the time in this forum, so this was not surprise. The BTS Sala Daeng station is only a 10 minute walk from the condo. But since the 22 baht fare to Siam station is 66 baht total for all of us, we might as well take a cab and probably pay the same price. He gets a cab in front of the condo right away, talks to the driver in Thai, DTG sits in front with CB and I in the back, and we are on our way. Thankfully not a lot of traffic today, and we get there in no time, 62 baht later. I hand DTG 80 baht, he returns 20 baht to me and adds a 5 baht coin to my 60 baht and hands it to the driver.

 

Siam Paragon is busy on a Sunday afternoon. Lots of Thais, Asian tourists, and a sprinkling of farang in the mall. I decide to take the boys to a favorite of mine in the basement level with the food court. I’ve had good luck eating at Peppery Thai Bistro. The boys look at the menu and find items they like. So we ask for a table and the receptionist says about 10 minutes. While we wait, she asks if we can put in our order so they can work on it and not have a long wait in the table. We all pick seafood as our mains, DTG orders a salad and veggies to share.

 

We get seated, and we get asked our drink orders. We make some small talk. CB has been to Siam Paragon just a handful of times.  DTG usually finds himself in the mall once or twice a week, most probably with a customer. I ask the boys what they usually eat when customers aren’t around to foot the bill. They say the same thing: street food. DTG says he has a kitchen but doesn’t cook. He does not have the patience nor the time. CB does not have a kitchen at all. But they both say they know how to cook. Thai/Cambodian food. I tell them one day I will ask them to cook for me.  They both say yes. They both will make some lucky bastard’s great husband someday. Kind of sad that it’s not me. It was never going to be me anyway.

 

After lunch we go to DTAC to get me some international roaming. More customers today but I get to the English speaking rep pretty quickly. He asks for my passport and my phone number. After a few clicks on his computer he asks if my name was this Chinese sounding name. I said no, this is my name (Western-ish name). He shows me his computer’s screen and shows a photocopy of a Chinese passport, with a Chinese woman pictured. I tell him that is not me (obviously). He looks at my American passport. He tells me no problem. Sometimes they recycle unused numbers, and I guess my number was registered to this person before. He changes the number’s ownership to my name, and then activates the international roaming. I ask to top up my account with 1000 baht as well. He makes it happen and I get two text messages confirming the roaming and the top up. It was a quick and efficient transaction.

 

On to the main task at hand: shopping. I was not going to buy souvenirs in Siam Paragon. It’s too hi-so for what my idea of Thai souvenirs should be. We will walk to MBK for that. But it’s perfect for clothes shopping for the boys. And while I did not need any more clothes, I will be more than happy to buy these two guys who have endured my foibles these past few weeks, the clothes they want, as a token of my appreciation.  I will give them money too, don’t worry, but they wont go to these shops to buy clothes on their own dime, so I am assuming this is a treat for them.

 

Before we continued on, I tell them the rules: they can get one thing in the store we are going to. They are OK with this. I intended on going to two stores so that’ll be two things each boy. Even if I am being generous, I’d like to be sane about it. We find the H&M first, and since this is CB’s mother ship, he darts into the store like a mad man. DTG meanwhile, is stuck at the entrance of the store. He wasn’t walking forward, just surveying the crowd inside the store.

 

I ask him if everything was OK. He looks at me, looks at the store, and looks at me again.

 

To be continued.

Posted

I ask the boys what they usually eat when customers aren’t around to foot the bill. They say the same thing: street food. DTG says he has a kitchen but doesn’t cook. He does not have the patience nor the time. 

 

no surprise here, I live off of street food as well. It is THE single best solution to eating, as it is both cheap and soooo good. I do have a kitchen, too, but never ever cook, mostly because I'm too lazy, and because I don't know how (Thai food, at least) AND because it's so utterly pointless, when you can get a super delicious Thai meal for the equivalent of 1 or 2 $$. I usually buy my food from a place on Silom, they put it in a plastic bag, add a bag of rice (total price: 55 Baht) and at home I just heat it up in the microwave. Impossible to match the taste and the price by cooking myself. 

 

I ask him if everything was OK. He looks at me, looks at the store, and looks at me again.

 

To be continued.

don't ever deny you're the master of suspense, this is in intentionally crafted cliff-hanger!! ;-)

 

 

I ask him if everything was OK. He looks at me, looks at the store, and looks at me again.

 

To be continued.

 
Posted

nothing foolish in having two boys with you in queen sized bed, tested and certified personally 

 

foolish part is to invite second boy without consulting and getting sincere OK from the first one, also tested personally.

 

From my experience best outcome would be if idea of crowding bed came from boys themselves and presented to you to stamp / and finance/. Then even twin bed will be spacious and comfortable for all three of you.

 

Whole idea of letting CB to slip on the couch shows that he was insanely jealous or  feeling out of place or both. But on another hand if we don't try we will never know so chalk of discomfort,  if any,  to experience but don;t do it again as it leaves bitter taste in three mouths at once. Just my 3 1/2 satangs

 

I will tell you in a future post what was CB's reasons for wanting to sleep on the couch that night. Two boys in a bed is less of a fantasy for me than having two boys to have sex with at the same time. I am a very light sleeper (and have a slight case of insomnia), and both CB and DTG, having been in the same bed with me before, know my quirks when trying to sleep. I have managed the insomnia thing fairly well in Thailand, but two boys in my bed might affect me.

 

Having said that, I may have to try that at some point in my next trip, the way my planning is shaping up right now... 

 

 I wouldn't think either of those things Vinapu: my assumption would be that he was fixing to go out with #32 and the boys - and if #32 is who I think  he is, so would I.

 

#32 is a looker for sure, and I understand why my friend PNGguyBKK bought him a beer. I would consider offing him next time if given the chance. chancellor, do you have experience with him? Please tell if he is a good off or not if you have :).

 

no surprise here, I live off of street food as well. It is THE single best solution to eating, as it is both cheap and soooo good. I do have a kitchen, too, but never ever cook, mostly because I'm too lazy, and because I don't know how (Thai food, at least) AND because it's so utterly pointless, when you can get a super delicious Thai meal for the equivalent of 1 or 2 $$. I usually buy my food from a place on Silom, they put it in a plastic bag, add a bag of rice (total price: 55 Baht) and at home I just heat it up in the microwave. Impossible to match the taste and the price by cooking myself. 

 

don't ever deny you're the master of suspense, this is in intentionally crafted cliff-hanger!! ;-)

 

 

I agree, I live for the street food in Thailand. It's not obvious last trip, as I decided to treat the boys every meal. Apart from the unfortunate choice of McDonalds that one time, I usually eat street food when I am alone, or with certain boys who insist on having it, usually after dancing or drinking. I promise anddy to buy you a $2 treat in December!

 

About the cliff-hanger, I have to chop up these posts somehow, because this one was getting long, so why not at a period of possible conflict?

Posted

I suspect DTG lives in an expensive apartment if he has a kitchen.

One of the most surprising thing in Thailand I found is that in Bangkok, majority of Thai people live in an apartment without a kitchen.

Posted

 

I agree, I live for the street food in Thailand. It's not obvious last trip, as I decided to treat the boys every meal. 

general comment -  we think that inviting boy to a restaurant is a treat he would be grateful for but quite a few times I sensed they weren't keen on idea , perhaps not wanting to be seen there with farang twice or more of their age.

 

I wonder if others  had similar experience

Posted

Vinapu - my man just likes the places that serve good Isaan food - mind you, some of our most memorable meals have been siting on the hotel room floor sharing our street food takeaways

Posted

vinapu, maybe it's more the thought that an extra 500 baht tip would go a long way compared with enjoying one fancy meal than being seen with a farang. Also, most Thais who haven't been raised hi-so probably enjoy a hearty meal of Thai standard fare more than the fancy stuff.

Posted

Vinapu, I also don't think it is the idea of being seen with a much older farang.

I think it is a combination of:

As Alexx says the thought of what he could do with the extra money.

A fear the restaurant would only serve farang food which he doesn't like or has never tried.

He's frightened of displaying his ignorance of using western cutlery 

Posted

Somehow I don't think this is the case in most of offs that Vinapu has.  Most of his boys are older and have been around especially any of the boys from Tawan.  Boys new to the job may find Western food not to their liking but most have some things that they like and in fact many restaurants have Thai dishes available. Also since Vinapu usually establishes the fee and length of the off, there is no reason for them to think eat less and get paid more.

 

But boys in BKK may have straight friends working in the area and do not want to be seen with a Westerner . I have found this to be rare and you would be hard pressed to find a Thai boy to turn down the chance to eat at Fuji.  In some cases it may be the type of restaurant as much as anything.

Posted

I suspect DTG lives in an expensive apartment if he has a kitchen.

One of the most surprising thing in Thailand I found is that in Bangkok, majority of Thai people live in an apartment without a kitchen.

The type of kitchen Westerners  think of is not found in many Thai apartments. That said for many the kitchen is outside and consists of a rice cooker etc. Also many have a refrigerator and a microwave and thus that is considered a kitchen.

 

Many boys can only afford a simple room and thus no designated kitchen but you would be hard pressed to find many Thai families without a kitchen , just not a Western kitchen.

Posted

....the thought of what he could do with the extra money.

A fear the restaurant would only serve farang food which he doesn't like or has never tried.

He's frightened of displaying his ignorance of using western cutlery 

generally speaking you may be correct but certainly not part of my experience as I'm not fancy dinner myself and I'd never think about suggesting restaurant without Thai dishes on the menu and I'm not shy to say too expensive seeing price list.

 

I have no problem overpaying 1000 baht for long time tip but don't see need to spent 400 on a meal I may get somewhere else for 200

 

1. Vinapu usually establishes the fee and length of the off, there is no reason for them to think eat less and get paid more.

 

2.But boys in BKK may have straight friends working in the area and do not want to be seen with a Westerner . I have found this to be rare..... 

1.

I couldn't  say it better

 

2.

I can recall at least three  such a cases including one in  June when boy explicitly told me that as reported in my thread from that trip. Fully understood since we may have reverse situation - we may not want to be seen with boy in tow by friend or family member visiting BKK at the same time. World is sometimes surprisingly small place  

Posted

I suspect DTG lives in an expensive apartment if he has a kitchen.

One of the most surprising thing in Thailand I found is that in Bangkok, majority of Thai people live in an apartment without a kitchen.

 

 

The type of kitchen Westerners  think of is not found in many Thai apartments. That said for many the kitchen is outside and consists of a rice cooker etc. Also many have a refrigerator and a microwave and thus that is considered a kitchen.

 

Many boys can only afford a simple room and thus no designated kitchen but you would be hard pressed to find many Thai families without a kitchen , just not a Western kitchen.

 

From what I understood he visits his family for a few days in the week and maybe this is what he meant by having a kitchen. But I didn't ask him in detail.

 

Vinapu, I also don't think it is the idea of being seen with a much older farang.

I think it is a combination of:

As Alexx says the thought of what he could do with the extra money.

A fear the restaurant would only serve farang food which he doesn't like or has never tried.

He's frightened of displaying his ignorance of using western cutlery 

 

Never had a problem with boys trying out sit down restaurants with me, but then again I only get this far with the boys that get comfortable with me anyway. And about ignorance, for the longest time I never used my spoon to eat traditional Thai/asian food, being the American kid that I am. I quickly figured out its just easier to use it in tandem with a fork, especially with soupy curries and what not. 

 

Somehow I don't think this is the case in most of offs that Vinapu has.  Most of his boys are older and have been around especially any of the boys from Tawan.  Boys new to the job may find Western food not to their liking but most have some things that they like and in fact many restaurants have Thai dishes available. Also since Vinapu usually establishes the fee and length of the off, there is no reason for them to think eat less and get paid more.

 

But boys in BKK may have straight friends working in the area and do not want to be seen with a Westerner . I have found this to be rare and you would be hard pressed to find a Thai boy to turn down the chance to eat at Fuji.  In some cases it may be the type of restaurant as much as anything.

 

I can recall at least three  such a cases including one in  June when boy explicitly told me that as reported in my thread from that trip. Fully understood since we may have reverse situation - we may not want to be seen with boy in tow by friend or family member visiting BKK at the same time. World is sometimes surprisingly small place  

 

There have been some cases where DTG encountered straight friends while with me, either a neighbor or a former coworker or friend. Maybe because I am younger but he didn't have a problem introducing me sometimes. There was even a time me and CB and DTG were walking on Silom and he encountered a neighbor, a Thai woman with her toddler. No problem there. Maybe its DTG particularly. And he ate a lot at Fuji when he was an office worker.

 

I have encountered a friend (albeit gay) while being with a boy or two. If it was a family member maybe I'll have a problem, but was not at all embarrassed talking to my friends with the boys. 

 

generally speaking you may be correct but certainly not part of my experience as I'm not fancy dinner myself and I'd never think about suggesting restaurant without Thai dishes on the menu and I'm not shy to say too expensive seeing price list.

 

I have no problem overpaying 1000 baht for long time tip but don't see need to spent 400 on a meal I may get somewhere else for 200

 

This is one of the thing I could do better: limit eating food in more expensive restaurants. But part of me does think that it is a vacation and just like in my other vacations, with friends or family or my BF, I do not even think twice of spending money on local foodie spots. So maybe I should not think about this too much and just enjoy my 400 baht soft shell crab.

Posted

 

But part of me does think that it is a vacation and just like in my other vacations, with friends or family or my BF, I do not even think twice of spending money on local foodie spots. So maybe I should not think about this too much and just enjoy my 400 baht soft shell crab.

I like your way of thinking  and in fact practice what I like. Vacation for me is not a time for penny pinching,  we have whole year for that.

Of course it doesn't make sense to throw money around senselessly  but I believe one on vacation should splurge on things he likes , whatever it is. It's why if I can't  finance it , I stay home until funds are gathered i.e. debts from previous trip are paid.  

Posted

Day 17.4: Retail Therapy Session

 

Dream Boy Thai Guy (DTG), like Cambodia Boy (CB), and like a lot of money boys scraping by in Thailand, need money, and a lot of it, it seems, beyond what they need for their basic needs like food to survive and a roof over their head. They either have families that expect to get money from them (fathers, mothers, wives, etc), or dreaming of starting businesses that take them out of poverty (taxi service, t-shirt printing, tour business for example), or even saving up for the future (to buy a house back home to call their own, or enough money to go *back* to school, or even to leave BKK or Pattaya and live somewhere cheaper, or buying a mocy). It could be a combination of any or all these things. Some nefarious reasons like supporting a drug habit exist of course, as well as other reasons I can’t even fathom.

 

So here we are, at H&M in hi-so land Siam Paragon, with prices of clothes ranging from 600 to 1000+ baht for shirts, 1000 to 2000+ baht for jeans, and more or less for shoes. Prices that seem run-of-the-mill to two-week millionaire farang, but mean life and death to the boys. DTG is seemingly frozen in time and unable to enter H&M. He looks at the prices of everything, splashed in big font sizes in signs all over the store, and is reminded of how much he needs the actual money for himself, and not to spend on frivolously overpriced hi-so clothing.

 

He takes some steps back and looks unsure what to do next. I ask him if he was OK. He said he was but he said he has forgotten how expensive the items here are. I tell him not to worry about cost for now, let me worry about that. I make it easy on him, pointing to his simple shirt, well-worn jeans and tattered boots: you can buy some things to replace what you are wearing right now. You will probably look better in new clothing, and the better the look, the better farang will feel about being seen with you, and maybe they give you more money. He smiles at my logic. He then asks, almost apologizing, if it was OK if he gets some jeans here. I say it is fine and to ask CB if he needed help.

 

I’ve only been once to an H&M, and this was at my last trip to Amsterdam. I messed up the t-shirt I was wearing trying to juggle coffee and an ice cream cone, while sightseeing with friends. We ducked into the closest H&M and I got myself a simple white shirt, the cheapest one I could find in the whole store. It was on sale for 6 euro. So my second time in an H&M is in Thailand, and a world away. I start my shopping slow at first, but pretty soon I find some items interesting. A t-shirt here or some shorts that look nice, pretty soon I find about 5 or 6 items on my arm, ready to go to the fitting room to try them on. CB spots me, carrying some items himself. He asks me if he could help carrying my items. I tell him I am fine, but he takes my items from me anyway and follows me around the store while I look for more.

 

I make one more circuit around the men’s section and I tell CB I am ready to go to the fitting room. We both head there with our items to try them on. We see DTG heading out of the fitting room seemingly satisfied with the jeans that he has chosen. I tell him if he could wait so we can do some fittings. CB and I both go in adjacent fitting rooms and try our stuff.  I go through my items and I hear CB say my name and ask me to come out. I put on a shirt and peek out. He is in his new pants and new shirt, looking so cute. He asks if it looks good on him. I say it is looks great. He looked very GQ. I go back to my things and decide to buy two shirts. I am the last person who needs any new clothing, but what the hell, these look good on me.

 

I get out of my fitting room and return the 4 items I was not going to buy to the attendant. I look for DTG and he is looking at a rack of t-shirts. He sees me and hands me the pants he wants to buy. I look at the price, it is 1200 baht. Not bad I think. I bet he looks amazing in these. CB then finds us and gives me his jeans as well. Same 1200 baht. I ask him if he liked the t-shirt that he was trying on. He said no. So I take the two jeans and my two t-shirts and pay the cashier. It is 3400 baht for the whole thing.

 

I then tell the boys we are going to Uniqlo. I am guaranteed to find something there. DTG checks the mall directory and leads us to the store. I love this store. I could easily bust my budget just getting new cute things here. And since they have Asian sizes, for my Asian body, I almost exclusively just buy my clothes in Asia, and mostly from this store. The small sizes in the US are sometimes too large for me, if not in the chest area, the length is usually too long for me. The first time I was in Hong Kong I went hog wild with the availability of cute clothes in Asian sizes. I am more measured now with the shopping, but still get one thing here and there once in a while.

 

DTG and CB roam around the racks and displays looking for their one thing. I do a loop as well, and pick out three shirts that I like. I also pick out 2 shirts for my BF. He is a medium in America, but a large here. 20 minutes later we convene in the center of the store. CB picks up a nice long sleeved shirt that was 800 baht. DTG is empty-handed. I ask him where is your one thing? He said he is thinking about getting shoes but doesn’t think it would be right to get them.

 

CB asks to see them, so we head over to the shoes part of the store to look at what DTG picked out. He showed us two pairs that he thought would look good on him. CB liked the high tops shoe, and commented it looks similar to what DTG was wearing now but obviously not in tatters. DTG then tells me it is too expensive. I look at the price, it is 1500 baht. I tell him it is not a problem and quite frankly he needs new shoes.

 

DTG then hesitates, and tells me he does not want to get them. I ask him why. He hesitates again, trying to think of what to say next. CB recognizes some tension in DTG and leaves to get us some privacy. DTG and I both sit down on the benches where people sit and try on shoes, and I ask him what is the problem.

 

He tells me that he feels guilty for spending my money. He tells me that he thinks it is a waste to buy these expensive things.  He pauses and then tells me the truth: that he would rather get the money than me buying the shoes. He then apologizes for saying this but tells me this is why he rarely has customers buy him anything. It’s like our conversation a fews days ago about me taking him to Japan, and him telling me I rather give him the money I would spend on him on the vacation.

 

I look at him and make my intentions clear. I tell him I am buying him clothes as a token of my appreciation of how good he has taken cared for me these past few weeks. I say “If you don’t want to pick an item, that’s fine. But I hope you give me this chance to thank you some other way other than giving you money. I know you will not buy anything for yourself, and everything you earn goes to someone else. So this is my way of forcing you to buy something for yourself, with my money.”

 

He laughs at this. He then says he understands why I am doing this. I tell him I see his tattered shoes and worn pants. I want to at least do something about it. He tears up a little bit when I said this. He gets up quickly and tries to look for CB. I wait for a minute and DTG and CB get back and look at the shoes again. After a little bit of deliberation, DTG chooses the high tops and says he is done. He takes all my shirts, CB gives him his shirt, and we both go to the cashier carrying all the merchandise.

 

When we get to the cashier there was no line.  He puts all the clothes down and talks to the cashier. While the cashier rings us up, DTG chats her up. Pretty soon all the other Thais behind the counter join in the conversation. I obviously can’t follow the conversation, but it seems that they were having a good time. The cashier rings us up and looks at me and tells me the total in Thai. I get my Visa from my wallet and she says a few more things to me in Thai. I just smile. I look Thai today. DTG says something, presumably answering her question.

 

I was not sure how much I paid at the moment, but at the airport the next day, I find the receipt of my purchase in my wallet and realized it was a little over 5000 baht, enough to get a VAT refund. I wasn’t asked by the cashier if I wanted that yellow form, and since I had my passport with me, I would’ve been able to get the refund form, and I could’ve gotten a few hundred baht back for my purchase, but it didn’t occur to me at the time of purchase. DTG takes the bag and we are done with Uniqlo.

 

I tell the boys that we will walk to MBK so I can buy some souvenirs. We peek outside and see that it was raining, so I decided to punt on going to MBK and not walk all that way.  We go instead to Exotique Thai on the fourth floor of Siam Paragon. It has the basic Thai souvenirs you can ever need, and the cost is not as bad as you would expect from a store in Siam Paragon. I buy a few things for friends and family, and it cost me half  what I spent at Uniqlo. The boys rearrange all the shopping bags between them, and I didn’t even have to carry anything. I offered to take some of the bags but they did not want me to lift a finger.

 

We queue up at the taxi line outside of Siam Paragon. The rain has thankfully stopped and the sidewalk is a little wet. It takes us a while to get to the front of the line, but thankfully we had DTG to talk to the driver and get us back to the condo. When we get to the condo DTG pays for the fare. I tell him he did not have to do that, but DTG said it was just 80 baht.

 

Back at the room, DTG and CB take their new clothes from the bags. CB takes off his top and wears his new long sleeved shirt proudly. DTG takes off the tag from CB’s shirt. DTG then puts his new shoes and pants in one bag. CB goes to the bathroom.  DTG and I sit in the couch. At this point it is almost 6 PM and DTG says that he should go so CB and I have our night together. I take 3000 baht from my wallet, as well as 650 baht for the off fee. He takes both and hugs me.

 

DTG then asks about my plans immediately after getting back home. I tell him the truth and elaborate on my next few weeks, which will be very busy working, traveling and other things. He is intrigued by some of what I said and asks more questions about it. CB quietly comes out of the bathroom and sits down on the dining room table. DTG and I continue our conversation about my plans. He tries to understand my job and work and we continue like this for another 15 minutes.

 

I then get up and tell DTG I will call him when I get home to keep in touch. DTG tells me to message him whenever I want and he wants to see me again next time I am in Thailand. I hug him deeply and tell CB I will escort DTG down to the lobby so he can leave. CB smiles at both of us and says goodbye to DTG. Was that smile a little bit forced?

 

To be continued

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