Half a million dollars US to gogo boy..

[vinapu]

4 hours ago, reader said:

I remain baffled that not a single individual can verify that anything in this story is true yet so many individuals are prepared to believe it. Half a million dollars, really?

 

Would  123456.78 $ made a difference in what we had to say?

4 hours ago, reader said:

 

 just a guilty pleasure of someone else's misfortune,

 

what misfortune ?

Did we hear that generous farang was complaining? Or  a boy ?

Only unfortunates in the story are us who don't have half million USD to spare, not to mention to lavish on our favorite boy or in my case , favorite 20 boys

[spoon]

Did the boy steals or force the farang to give him the money or the farang willingly gives the money to the boy? 

[Guest]

5 hours ago, reader said:

I remain baffled that not a single individual can verify that anything in this story is true yet so many individuals are prepared to believe it. Half a million dollars, really?

 

Some people waste their time watching soap operas. Others read the gossip in trashy magazines.  I do none of that, although football transfer gossip gets looked at occasionally, which is the same kind of BS.

Everyone who has participated in the thread (including both of us) is prepared to speculate and offer opinions on some incredible story which may be very accurate, or severely embellished.    I doubt the average bar boy has a clue how much he has earned, so the accounting may well be dodgy to start with.  Then when you see Thais using a calculator to figure out the change for a 49 baht purchase made with a 100 baht note, converting to dollars could easily be a source of error.

Since no one is named, it doesn't matter much if the story is accurate or we are having a hypothetical discussion.   The reality is, this tittle tattle is the most popular topic here today.

If anyone tries substituting some more serious financial topic, or anything about the environment, development of democracy and so on, experience shows it will not get much interest.

(Another 15 minutes frittered away.   Time to go)

 

 

[Londoner]

Agreed. Those of us who are in LTRs are interested in the subject and the interesting discussion that followed because the points raised directly concern us. Whether the sums mentioned are accurate or not is irrelevant. Some of the posts on the gay forums, particularly those which relate events on the gay scene in Thailand, are exaggerated and a few quite probably fantasies. Does it matter?

[orson]

i know of a rich farang who is now based in thailand that has gifted a few boys their own business. each costing at least around 2M baht. it might be because of his age that he sees  no reason to be stingy at this point in his life. obviously at his age, i really doubt there was physical engagement involved, maybe during his younger years, but definitely not in recent times.

[Guest]

Good for him! Hopefully he taught them the business skills necessary to own a business and prosper.

[bobsaigon]

With regard to the boy:  Seems like very few Thais want to work for anyone else, unless it’s in a job that is very lucrative.    The alternative is self-employment and they are generally quite ill equipped to succeed in that.  Hair dressers shops, convenience stores, small restaurants or bars very soon fall victim to mismanagement, poor planning, lack of business acumen, or simply a failure to expend the time and effort that is required to grow a small business. 

With regard to the farang who is said to have parted with 500K to the benefit of this young man:  His money, to do with what he wishes, and as said above, once the money is given, the donor no longer has the ability (right?) to ensure it used in the ways he expected.  His only choice is at some point to stop providing funds.    If you’re getting near the end of your expected life span, there’s little reason not to share the wealth.

Planning for the future:  I never met a bar worker who had more than a few hundred baht in his bank account.  Many of them didn’t know what bank accounts were for till they found out it was a good way for farang to send money.    Because of their circumstances, poor people are often unable to make any long term plans for their finances or their lives.    Most of the boys in the game can not see beyond saving enough to pay the rent.

[Guest]

Although much of what you say is correct there are successes but they require IMHO 2 things.  The benefactor has to stay involved  until the lucky Thai has gotten the tools to be successful.  The 2nd thing is age .  If the benefactor usually looks for younger boys , for discussion purposes 18-24 , unlikely to be successful unless?  Now we all know that Thai Boys usually look much younger then our farang eyes might think they are. So the key is if the benefactor was attracted to a boy who he thought might be 18-22 when in fact he was 28-30, the chances of that boy making a success of a business venture goes up exponentially IMHO. I am not going to bore you with why I believe that because I think if you look at yourselves at age of 18-22 and 28-30 your capabilities and desires were completely different.

I have met very few 18-22 year olds even in the USA capable  and desirous of wishing to run a business.  

 

[reader]

5 hours ago, vinapu said:

what misfortune ?

The misfortune is that the easily-identifiable farang (assuming that he does indeed exist) has been exposed to ridicule.

3 hours ago, z909 said:

I doubt the average bar boy has a clue how much he has earned, so the accounting may well be dodgy to start with.  Then when you see Thais using a calculator to figure out the change for a 49 baht purchase made with a 100 baht note, converting to dollars could easily be a source of error.

I've learned over the years that it's a mistake to underestimate Thais or guys from any of the other SE Asian countries we're attracted to. What they may lack in formal education they compensate with in street smarts we can't come close to appreciating.

3 hours ago, z909 said:

Since no one is named, it doesn't matter much if the story is accurate or we are having a hypothetical discussion. 

The surname was not given but the OP makes it easy to ID by the mentioning the bar's name and the age and nationality of the wealthy farang.

4 hours ago, spoon said:

Did the boy steals or force the farang to give him the money or the farang willingly gives the money to the boy? 

You'll have to ask williewillie, or his accomplice and longtime--and former--friend, if he indeed exists.

2 hours ago, orson said:

i know of a rich farang who is now based in thailand that has gifted a few boys their own business.  each costing at least around 2M baht ....... i really doubt there was physical engagement involved, maybe during his younger years, but definitely not in recent times. 

Given the popularity of this thread, I think a thread about this guy (let's call him generous farang #2) would make a good topic on its own merits. It could open up the discussion to dwindling virility and the pros and cons of various drugs to maintain an erection if that becomes  a matter of concern. I think a lot guys here could weigh in on that one.

1 hour ago, bobsaigon said:

 I never met a bar worker who had more than a few hundred baht in his bank account.  Many of them didn’t know what bank accounts were for till they found out it was a good way for farang to send money.    Because of their circumstances, poor people are often unable to make any long term plans for their finances or their lives.    Most of the boys in the game can not see beyond saving enough to pay the rent.

You paint with a broad brush.  As I say above, it's easy to underestimate some of these guys. Although what you say most likely is accurate in describing the circumstances of the majority of bar workers, I believe it's a mistake to think that all fall into this category.

------------------

More than a few claim that whether this thread is true or fantasy doesn't matter. It simply makes for good entertainment as evaluated by the number of views. This isn't the first time this issue has been debated here and certainly won't be the last. So I take this opportunity to say why I think it does indeed matter.

Those of us who read the forum regularly want to believe what posters say is true and not fiction. Take, for example, trip reports. They historically garner the greatest readership of any category of posts. They provide information that's instructive as it is titillating. And for those of us half-way or so around the globe from the scene of the action, they remind us why we should return. Meanwhile, they allow us to live vicariously though the adventures of others.

Fortunately, for the best trip reporters, we have no reason to doubt the veracity of their posts because we either know them personally or know their reputation for accurately portraying their visits. It's always a pleasure to read them and we eagerly look forward to their TR's (just ask Vinapu who is not shy in reminding trippers to crank out their reports).

And here's the crux of my argument for accuracy in posting. Once we begin to adopt a "what does it matter" approach to reading some posts, it likewise diminishes the efforts of those posters who take pride in their accurate reporting.

True events described by those who experience them have become very popular in recent years. In the US,  public radio and television feature programs like Stories from the Stage and Ted Talks. People willing to share major events if their lives with us have the power to change attitudes and open our minds and hearts.

Why would we want to tamper with that?

I'm a reader of not just news but I enormously appreciate good fiction that I read almost daily. And fiction can not only entertain but also expand our minds and attitudes. But it's nice--no necessary--to be able to distinguish between fiction and non-fiction if the trust between reader and author is to remain in tact.

 

[bucknaway]

Coming to a message board for me is like being in a friendly town, sitting on the porch of a store listening to the group of friends hold a chat.  Some talk about the day they had, some of the sex they had or wish to have, but the favorite of the group is the guy that can spin a yarn of captivation and drama.  Did it happen?  Maybe.  Is it all true?  Who's to say.  One thing for sure, we enjoy his stories.

 

[vinapu]

11 hours ago, reader said:

. It's always a pleasure to read them and we eagerly look forward to their TR's (just ask Vinapu who is not shy in reminding trippers to crank out their reports).

 

It's my self -imposed community service. I know from few posters that they did report only because somebody  showed an interest in their adventures and from other few who stopped their reports mid-way because they thought nobody cares, no comments , no 'likes' etc.

 

On subject of windfalls I have some first hand experience , unfortunately not my own , and not Thailand related but may explain my earlier comments commented uncharitably as gospel somewhere above.

In course of job I had an opportunity to meet and deal with three ' lucky '  individuals. All back in last few years of XX century , all educated ( I know difference between wise and educated, wisest person I ever met was not educated ) and all in 25-30 age period. All windfalls were in excess 1 000 000 $

One got unexpected inheritance ( both parents died in short order) , other two (actually three as it was a couple ) won lottery. Out of three cases only couple's ended well as far as I know. Other two were somewhat tragic. Beneficiary quit her job in nursing and squandered her wealth very fast to a point of having brush with the law - got caught stealing in supermarket.

This sobered her up but money was gone for good ,  at least she could return to her profession.

Other lucky winner decided that  is  both rich and smart and was  enticed by greedy advisers to invest almost all in very promising venture which spectacularly collapsed leaving  nothing. In person's  own  words 'winning that lottery was worst thing which happened in my life"

[reader]

Well, folks, I think this thread has run its course.

What you didn't know is that williewillie and me collaborated on this project for a week beforehand.

Hope you all enjoyed it as much as we did bringing it to you.

[PeterRS]

13 hours ago, reader said:

More than a few claim that whether this thread is true or fantasy doesn't matter. It simply makes for good entertainment as evaluated by the number of views. This isn't the first time this issue has been debated here and certainly won't be the last. So I take this opportunity to say why I think it does indeed matter.

 

Those of us who read the forum regularly want to believe what posters say is true and not fiction. 

Sorry reader, but anyone who expects the truth every time they read a gay chat forum is in the wrong place. Truth requires more than a degree of trust and verification. How can 90% or more of what is written in such forums be verified? It cant. All we can do is  base what we read on the posting history of the relevant poster and make our own assumptions based on that history.

 

Of course we want to believe that what we read is the truth. But most of us dont even know any of the other posters. Looking at the three main Thailand chat rooms it is obvious that some posters are very far from what they claim. I have written that I live in Bangkok. Do you have any proof of that? If anyone asks if I would like to meet up for a drink and I say Ill be too busy, can that be considered the truth - or an attempt to disguise the truth, that truth being that I actually live in Madison Wisconsin but part of my conscious being wants to be in Bangkok?

 

some time ago a least three Boards put up with a troll named Beachlover for well over a year each. This poster claimed to be a mid-20s successful Sydney-based Asian who suddenly appeared, gingered up discussions for a while with discussions of his luxury trips to Asia every few months, before boring the pants off most readers who eventually realised he was a fake, and then he disappeared into the ether. I dont think Beachlover has every been identified. Whoever he is (or was), I suspect he had a big laugh every day. Other fake personas still exist. That is just part and parcel of Board life. But if a persona is fake, how can his posts be trusted, no matter how genuine they seem?

 

Chat rooms thrive on anonymity. I cant see that will ever change. Thus what is written and by whom it is written will always require more than a generous pinch of salt.

[vinapu]

24 minutes ago, reader said:

 

What you didn't know is that williewillie and me collaborated on this project for a week beforehand.

 

so which one of you were that millionaire donor and which one was that fuck hungry go-go boy  ?

Well since I know williewillie personally I'm pretty sure he was not that boy

 

[PeterRS]

29 minutes ago, reader said:

Well, folks, I think this thread has run its course.

What you didn't know is that williewillie and me collaborated on this project for a week beforehand.

Hope you all enjoyed it as much as we did bringing it to you.

Here is a perfect example of what i was writing just as this post above appeared. I enjoyed the discussion. I thoroughly dislike the deception. Future contributions for both posters now go on a 'suspect' list. That is IF what reader just wrote is true! And for me that is itself suspect, How could concocting a story that has been told and written about several times before take an entire week to dream up? Thats pretty unbelievable!

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

Here is a perfect example of what i was writing just as this post above appeared. I enjoyed the discussion. I thoroughly dislike the deception. Future contributions for both posters now go on a 'suspect' list. That is IF what reader just wrote is true! And for me that is itself suspect, How could concocting a story that has been told and written about several times before take an entire week to dream up? Thats pretty unbelievable!

Agree entirely.  Both posters on the IGNORE list.  Accessible via the menu in the top right corner.

 

[kokopelli]

51 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

Here is a perfect example of what i was writing just as this post above appeared. I enjoyed the discussion. I thoroughly dislike the deception. Future contributions for both posters now go on a 'suspect' list. That is IF what reader just wrote is true! And for me that is itself suspect, How could concocting a story that has been told and written about several times before take an entire week to dream up? Thats pretty unbelievable!

What reader posted is not true.  Just a lie on his part.  I know willie-willie and what he posted is valid based on his sources.  If anyone should be put on the  ignore list, it is reader.

[DivineMadman]

I assumed that reader was just making a joke.  Or perhaps more accurately given the strong reactions, trying to make a joke or make light of his apparent frustration.  Given the various exchanges on the topic, that really seemed to be the only reasonable explanation.  So maybe not so big a deal??  As so often when it's just words on a screen we miss out on the intonation or the arched eyebrows, or tones of exasperation, or other clues.  

Now I need to go figure out if I'm part-year Bangkok resident who likes massages and is rumoured to have a stash of wine at Maxi's, or am I really a homebound lesbian in South Dakota who writes gay porn for a living.....

[ceejay]

On 1/16/2019 at 8:44 PM, reader said:

 

 

[TotallyOz]

8 hours ago, bucknaway said:

Coming to a message board for me is like being in a friendly town, sitting on the porch of a store listening to the group of friends hold a chat.  Some talk about the day they had, some of the sex they had or wish to have, but the favorite of the group is the guy that can spin a yarn of captivation and drama.  Did it happen?  Maybe.  Is it all true?  Who's to say.  One thing for sure, we enjoy his stories.

 

 

[TotallyOz]

4 hours ago, PeterRS said:

Here is a perfect example of what i was writing just as this post above appeared. I enjoyed the discussion. I thoroughly dislike the deception. Future contributions for both posters now go on a 'suspect' list. That is IF what reader just wrote is true! And for me that is itself suspect, How could concocting a story that has been told and written about several times before take an entire week to dream up? Thats pretty unbelievable!

I think he was being tongue and cheek. However, if not, someone has way too much time on their hands.

[Guest]

A forum works best when there is at least some trust.   So that when a doubtful story is published and debated, people give it the benefit of the doubt.

If a total breach of trust is permitted, with no sanctions, then the remaining members become more cynical and are slightly less likely to tolerate any suspect stories.    

Events and policies have side effects. If you want people to be distrusting and hostile to any fanciful story, this is the way to get that result.

It will be sad when members cannot trust slightly unusual stories an do not know if the debate is real or a pre-planned sham.

[Guest]

In a perfect world maybe . But Forums are not a perfect world . When we have a new member post a Trip Report, we have no way of knowing it is true or a made up story. As time goes on that poster may continue to post and may meet members and thus trust which may have been given only on face value is strengthened by the knowledge that other posters have met that individual and he is a real human being who actually visits Thailand.

Maybe Vinapu knew 50 Board members before he posted his first Trip Report but I doubt it. He has since met many members and thus his posts have more meaning then someone who has only made 1 post. That is certainly not to say that we don't all look forward to a report from a first timer.

Willie Willie is well known here and other Boards and thus there are members who took it on face value , but realizing as Willie stated that it was information given to him not by the benefactor but a former friend.

The ensuing discussion really revolved around whether the story was believable.  Despite all the posts made subsequently , not a single poster knows if it is true or not,

Sort of like a Politician telling you something!

[reader]

It's been about 10 hours ago since I posted the "collaboration" post. There was no collusion (been waiting for a long time to use that word in a sentence that didn't apply to Washington) between me and williewillie aside, perhaps, of inadvertently contributing to a well-followed post that attracted a wide range of posters.

I did this to make a point about the issue of accuracy and whether we--as readers--have an expectation that that appears to be presented as fact may actually be partially or wholly lacking in it. Does it bother us if we are misled?

Or does it matter at all?

I've responded to many posters, all of whom I believe were sincere in their posts. Many made it clear that they were here primarily for the entertainment value the forum can offer. A decidedly smaller number expressed some hesitation because they, like myself, were troubled by the lack of factual information and the potential for ridicule of the protagonists in the story.

And, yes, it was a bit frustrating as one poster surmised, because I felt the question of fact vs fiction hadn't been sufficiently resolved. Should we read the forum like we watch CNN and Fox news, aware that accuracy takes a back seat to politics and we should therefor be suspect of the content? Should we just go along for the ride with a mai pen rai attitude?

On the spur of the moment I decided to try to test it out and posted about collaborating with the OP. It didn't take long to learn that attitudes were more complex than they appeared before the post. Clearly, it did matter to some readers whether or not they believed what they were reading was fact or fiction--or something in between. More than 20% of the total views (now over 1,000) occurred within the last 10 hours.

DivineMadman and Michael correctly predicted that the post was tongue in cheek. Not surprisingly, Vinapu provided a moment of comic relief while others expressed opinions ranging from acceptance to disappoint to outrage. Thank you, all of of you.

10 hours ago, PeterRS said:

Here is a perfect example of what i was writing just as this post above appeared. I enjoyed the discussion. I thoroughly dislike the deception. Future contributions for both posters now go on a 'suspect' list. That is IF what reader just wrote is true! And for me that is itself suspect, How could concocting a story that has been told and written about several times before take an entire week to dream up? Thats pretty unbelievable!

Couldn't have put it better myself.

9 hours ago, kokopelli said:

What reader posted is not true.  Just a lie on his part.  I know willie-willie and what he posted is valid based on his sources. 

I've always enjoyed your posts, kokopelli, but you remind me of Rudy Giuliani here--not that there's anything wrong with that.

5 hours ago, Michael said:

I think he was being tongue and cheek. However, if not, someone has way too much time on their hands.

That thought has crossed my mind.

2 hours ago, z909 said:

A forum works best when there is at least some trust.   So that when a doubtful story is published and debated, people give it the benefit of the doubt.

If a total breach of trust is permitted, with no sanctions, then the remaining members become more cynical and are slightly less likely to tolerate any suspect stories.    

Events and policies have side effects. If you want people to be distrusting and hostile to any fanciful story, this is the way to get that result.

It will be sad when members cannot trust slightly unusual stories an do not know if the debate is real or a pre-planned sham.

We often want to have our cake and eat it too. Slightly trusting a story is like being slightly pregnant.

2 hours ago, Scooby said:

The ensuing discussion really revolved around whether the story was believable.  Despite all the posts made subsequently , not a single poster knows if it is true or not,

Sort of like a Politician telling you something!

Indeed!

7 hours ago, DivineMadman said:

 

Now I need to go figure out if I'm part-year Bangkok resident who likes massages and is rumoured to have a stash of wine at Maxi's, or am I really a homebound lesbian in South Dakota who writes gay porn for a living.....

See you Saturday at our favorite haunt in Rapid City.

------------------------------------------

I beg everyone's forgiveness for being unwitting participants in this ad hoc experiment. This forum is a great place for an exchange of views.

Now if you haven't read the last installment in ggobkk's latest trip report, please don't miss it. He sets the gold standard for TR's alongside Vinapu. There are others coming along (Spoon certainly entertained us) and just today a newcomer has emerged on the scene. The authors may not be youthful but they provide us with salad days of good reading.

 

[spoon]

I had to google mai pen rai after reading your post, ive seen it being mentioned several time but somehow none of the thai i took use it or they dont use it to me, or i simply didnt catch when they say it to me. Also rarely do i get thai using ending na at the end lol. Is it because im not as old, coz i come to understand ending with na is a polite way to say things to elderly?. 

Anyway, just want to say mai pen rai is somehow similarly used in malay culture as well. We say no as a polite way to not give troubles to host, but host will always insist on doing it anyway. Like if u visit someone, the custome is to serve drinks and snacks or food depending on time of visit, but visitors will always refuse saying its alright, u dont have to, we just ate etc. But the host will serve it anyway and we will eat or drink it anyway lol. Meanwhile, visiting someone house in the states for example, if they asked if we want a drink and we say no its alright, you wont get a drink lol.