The memory of money boys is exceptional

[abidismaili]

I am often surprised how money boys memorize you and recognize you. I have only rarely encountered that it was clearly fake and I was sure we never met. 

It happened also this current trip. Two boys I had only offed ones, still remembered me. (And I remembered them, but that is not strange, I see no boys at all between trips, while they keep seeing customers when I am back home). 

How do they do it?  My last visit was October. Now at my current visit we are 5 months further in time. In these 5 months they must have had quite some other customers.  

Others recognize this?

[kokopelli]

Yes, I also recognize this situation. I always thought that the lads sold my name since I can only recall a few of them. But not just money boys,  just about anyone working in the "industry". 

[Travellerdave]

I echo all of this. I have had boys address me by my name and yet in turns out I bought them a drink a year ago. Is this some sort of talent possessed by Thai people generally ?

[Guest]

1  They almost always recognise you, but frequently don't remember your name.    An exception was one of the hosts at Ouds bar, who I once bought a drink for, but I had no interest in taking it further.    Despite no further visits to the bar, he an Oud both remembered my name when I walked past 12 and 24 months later.

2   There are several boys who I have seen before who immediately recognize me and vice versa.      There are the ones I have seen a few times who are onto me as soon as I walk into their bar or arrive in town with a phone app.     Then there are the other type, who I have seen once and never intend to off again, but they try. 

I try to even the game up by keeping notes of who I have seen and when, on a phone app called Colour Note.   Although, I often remember them as well.   The list can be read before my trip as a refresher.

One Cambodian lad on Grindr wanted to know how I knew his name.    I had him long time one year earlier AND he was chasing me to see him again on that trip, which didn't happen only because I had to fly home. 

Another one contacted me on Hornet, promising all services, but I noticed our Hornet conversation from 2 years earlier.    I checked Colour Note for that date and saw he was OK in bed, except he didn't want to suck.  

[hank75]

Boys seem to remember faces exceptionally well (how? when their memories are so poor for everything else) even those that you do not off. 

Names, not so much. But one industrious lad, who already knew I wasn’t going to off him then or ever after as he’s a friend of my regular, couldn’t pronounce my name so he opened a notepad app, jotted down the date and asked me to spell out my name for him. I saw many other similar customer entries On my next visit six weeks later, he took a good look at my face then unerringly found the right entry on his phone and proudly showed it to me. 

Probably the most suprising for me was when Poppy the singer at Jupiter broke off mid song to shout in my direction “Hello! I remember you!” even though I hadn’t been there for four months and he had only seen me from the stage during late night live music - no real interaction or conversation, and of course he was not angling for an off. He did get a nice tip for that piece of flattery though! 

[hank75]

8 hours ago, kokopelli said:

Yes, I also recognize this situation. I always thought that the lads sold my name since I can only recall a few of them. But not just money boys,  just about anyone working in the "industry". 

Has anyone experienced boys asking to take selfies with them? At first I thought it was just for fun but then I realised that they were using this as a memory aid...and even circulating this around friends so all the boys would benefit from appearing to have fantastic memories. 

I am friendly with one mamasan, but I was very displeased when I discovered that he had saved a huge folder of customer photos on his phone (including mine!) and did not mind showing them to other customers particularly if they are from the same country. This felt like a true invasion of privacy.

[jason1975]

1 hour ago, hank75 said:

Boys seem to remember faces exceptionally well (how? when their memories are so poor for everything else) even those that you do not off. 

Names, not so much. But one industrious lad, who already knew I wasn’t going to off him then or ever after as he’s a friend of my regular, couldn’t pronounce my name so he opened a notepad app, jotted down the date and asked me to spell out my name for him. I saw many other similar customer entries On my next visit six weeks later, he took a good look at my face then unerringly found the right entry on his phone and proudly showed it to me. 

Probably the most suprising for me was when Poppy the singer at Jupiter broke off mid song to shout in my direction “Hello! I remember you!” even though I hadn’t been there for four months and he had only seen me from the stage during late night live music - no real interaction or conversation, and of course he was not angling for an off. He did get a nice tip for that piece of flattery though! 

I think Poppy says that to anyone that he has vaguely seen before! But he is really charming. I listened to him sing last night with his two backup Singers.

[hank75]

3 hours ago, jason1975 said:

I think Poppy says that to anyone that he has vaguely seen before! But he is really charming. I listened to him sing last night with his two backup Singers.

Yes haha I had the same impression! Am not labouring any delusions that I have an exceptionally memorable face. Since he is my favourite singer at Jupiter though, I don’t mind! 

[Guest]

8 hours ago, hank75 said:

Has anyone experienced boys asking to take selfies with them?

I've had random Asian tourists ask to take selfies with me. 

As for boys, they often take selfies with both of us without asking.    Sometimes in the most inappropriate of circumstances, e.g. when their mouth is full.  I wouldn't think they would want that on their Instagram page..

[vinapu]

4 hours ago, hank75 said:

 Am not laboring any delusions that I have an exceptionally memorable face. 

Perhaps you have memorable wallet ?

As  for main subject I agree that often I was surprised how deep their memory goes but I don't credit it to skills unique to Thai bar and massage boys.

I think people working in places with constant change of faces develop this kind of memory, it's why our teachers years after seem to remember at which desk we used to sit in class.

And by no means boy's memory is universal. Few years ago I offed guy from now defunct Adonis and he was my longest off ever possibly, from 10pm to noon next day.

Next trip , only 6 month later I met him by chance at barber at soi Twilight RIP and he did not recognize me at all, after while thinking I was his English teacher.

On another hand some are really half geniuses. My prize goes to Wes from Arena whom  I offed LT to BBB Inn in Dec 2014. For him it was kind of milestone because it was his first time he went with client  to client's  place. Never saw him after until Jun 2018 so 3.5 years later and still he not only remembered me but also fact that we went to BBB Inn

[vinapu]

1 hour ago, z909 said:

I've had random Asian tourists ask to take selfies with me. 

 

When visiting Borobudur in Java I was positively mobbed for that purpose and I must be on at least 50-60 of those selfies including whole class , one by one with teacher first

[ceejay]

On 3/23/2019 at 6:00 PM, vinapu said:

I think people working in places with constant change of faces develop this kind of memory, it's why our teachers years after seem to remember at which desk we used to sit in class. 

I'm sure that's right. One of the security guards on the lift at the Tarntawan once greeted me with "Welcome back". I had been there once before - three years earlier.

[vinapu]

13 hours ago, ceejay said:

I'm sure that's right. One of the security guards on the lift at the Tarntawan once greeted me with "Welcome back". I had been there once before - three years earlier.

it could be good memory or mistaken identity and he took you for somebody else. On more than one occasions in different places I was greeted with " I remember you from last year ' even if I was never there or last time 5 years before

[ceejay]

4 hours ago, vinapu said:

it could be good memory or mistaken identity and he took you for somebody else. On more than one occasions in different places I was greeted with " I remember you from last year ' even if I was never there or last time 5 years before 

Possibly, but also consider the possibility that someone whose job is to keep out or let in the right people may develop enhanced recognition skills over the years.

So far as money boys go, I think they are probably often bullshitting (not always, just often). It may  just be a pploy to get talking to you.

[ChristianPFC]

That is indeed one area where Thais positively surprise me.

Not just boys I had sex with. In 2018, a taxi driver told me he once drove me and a friend, and as he specified the place where I got out, he was right! That was in 2013, my friend took taxi to Pattaya and I got out at ABAC on the way.

Sometimes I just recognize the boy, but he remembers my name, where I come from and other stuff we talked about, and where we went and what we did.

However, some are just fishing. One told me met x years ago and had sex, without going into detail, but as he is not my type I can say with certainty that we never had sex.

I remember where they come from much better than their names.

I sometimes have to refer to my notes or even to my blog to refresh my memory about a particular boy, in order to decide whether to meet him again or not, or what to pay attention to.

[Guest]

Yes, there are cases of remarkable memory and on the other hand people who bluff about previous meetings, presumably as they think it's a better sales pitch. 

 

Then there is the masseur who says "I remember you" every time I walk past his massage place.    He moved workplace from near Boystown to Jomtien.

I remember him too.  We hooked up via Gay Romeo & he was not particularly good in bed.   So I always smile, say "hello" and keep walking.  Memory is aided by walking past his shop so many times.

Referring to notes I see that I met him on 20-12-2014 and the rating was 2/5.