Bangkok Again? 5th time a charm...?

[ggobkk]

Serendipity

When I returned from Thailand three weeks ago, I had every intention of writing and uploading my trip report.  Unfortunately, my body rebelled and succumbed to a rather nasty version of the flu.  I did have a flu shot before my trip and wither it was ineffective or it warded off a nastier version I don't know. Upside: Managed to discard 4.4kg of body weight in the past two and a half weeks.

Forum member Vinapu's solicitousness  about my recovery from the is appreciated, but he is relentless in gently prodding me for a report on my November 2019 Bangkok visit.  This was my fifth visit to Thailand in 53 weeks!  A year ago, forum member Reader and I celebrated the US holiday of Thanksgiving at Maxi's in soi Twilight.  We vowed to repeat the experience in 2019 which caused me to book this trip.  Between November 2018 and this year, I was also in Thailand in February, May, and the last weekend of August.  

While recovering I had the pleasure of reading about myself in Numazu's scintillating and titillating reports on his three day return visit in which he did more, ate more, and saw more than I did in ten days.  But he is younger and had a lot of catching up to do.  His reports set  a standard...a standard that I will not even attempt to match.

So, to drift back to November 18th, I wake up early to ease myself into a day of travel.  I'm booked on ANA from San Francisco to Tokyo, then after a layover on to Bangkok and a midnight (on the 19th) arrival.  This flight will secure my Star Alliance/United platinum status for one more year...probably, the last as United is shifting its status system to one based on $$$$$ spent rather than the current one that allowed for blending spending with miles flown.  The upside for me, is I can shift from ANA and UA to EVA which delivers west coasters to Bangkok at noon rather than midnight.

While gathering up my carry-on and flight electronics case, I see there is a Line message.  It's from forum favorite and Screwboy posterboy Yoyo.  "How are you, when you come to Bangkok, miss you".  Being a firm believer in serendipity, I Line back that I'm on my way to the airport.  This dialogue continues while I'm on the train to the airport and we arrange for a meeting when I arrive assuming fate and the planes deliver me to Bangkok on time.

At San Francisco airport, after the ANA staff bow to the passengers in the various checkin lines, I'm told that I'll be seated on an aisle in economy plus with an empty seat next to me.  The bad news is the plane will depart an hour late due to its late arrival and need to be cleaned.  I'm assured I will have time to make my connection.

ANA uses United's Club lounge in the international terminal.  This lounge, which is due to be renovated, is to put it bluntly "tacky".  United's other lounges at SFO are clean and have a positive vibe.  This one, while clean is messy.  It's sort of a boarding gate with oatmeal and a coffee machine that always seems to be out of order.

Once on the plane, things go smoothly to Tokyo.  I skip the food, have a drink, sleep, read, play sudoku, and watch part of Tarintino's Hollywood film featuring Brad Pitt's body...I think there were other things in the film but  that's what I remember.

Landing in Tokyo, ANA has expedited the transfer process and gets me to its lounge.  This is a lounge I haven't been in before. It is huge, probably could use the space to park one of the grounded 737-Max's.  Grab a drink and the some newspapers that are still printed papers.  Join a conversation about Thailand with a couple on a six city seven day honeymoon trip to Thailand and a fellow from my part of the Bay Area who is on his way to the north to join his wife who is visiting her  family.

Not knowing where my gate is I head out early  to locate it, taking fifteen minutes to get find it.  Arriving early, gives me a chance to chat with the gate agent, sort of an airport mamasan, who bumps me up from row 32 to row 12 and premium economy.  She even manages an aisle seat with an empty next to me.

Boarding is delayed, so I text Yoyo, he tells me he'll be at Screwboys until closing at 2am and will be there.  Flight boards, usual thirty minutes of driving around Tokyo airport before taking off.  Once airborne, I wave off the meal and sleep.  I wake about  to learn that we will be early, maybe 11:15 rather than midnight.

Once landed, we taxi around, I'm hoping it won't  be one of those park two towns away and bus to the terminal arrivals.  It isn't but we are delivered to the last of the E gates.  As usual, the non business class peasants (me included) are barred from getting off the plane until the last of the upper class fliers have headed off to immigration.

Once off the plane, I check my watch and note that it's 11:22pm.  I bump up my adrenaline and head to immigration, noting a plane from India has also arrived as well as two from China, maybe others as the immigration area is backed up to the last minute duty free.  OMG the line!...luckily a few years back I was advised by PaulSF, the Yoda of this forum, to use the "monk line".  It's for religious, air pilots, diplomats, and folks of a certain age.  Meeting one those qualifications, I find no one in line and clear immigration, having only carry on, I'm through the baggage area and customs and heading downstairs to the taxi area, only a momentary wait and I'm off to the Tarntawan hotel having agreed to pay the tolls.

I arrive at the Tarntawan just after midnight, so went from plane to hotel in about 40 minutes!  Chat with the staff, accept my welcome drink, am taken to my room on the 3rd floor.  Something tells me this is not the room for me...but, I have some things to do tonight and so will figure it out later.  Unpack a few things, wash up, head out...decide to walk around Patpong 1 and am treated to the aerial ballet of shirtless guys dismantling the sales stalls from the the night market.  Swinging over to Patpong 2, I observe some barkers still hustling clients for the last hour at Hot Male, Dreamboys, Luckboys.   I give Minh from Freshboys a hug and head to Screwboys.  

My regular mamasan sits me in front, the room is not as smokey as I remember and has several asian customers one or two westerners, and maybe a dozen boys.  Yoyo quickly joins me and we share a drink to the mamasan.  I ask Yoyo not to change right away as I want to enjoy looking at him...then realize this is stupid as we can be naked together once at the  hotel.  He gets dressed in his usual high fashion style, and we head out.

At the hotel, naked, we catch up on what's been going on in our lives in the six weeks since we were last entwined.  I suspect I learned as little from him as he learned from me.  Yoyo confirmed he was only at Lucky Boys for short while, as reported by Vinapu, as the room was too cold and Screwboys made him a welome back offer.  He invites me to shower with him  and in the shower among other things going on, I notice that Yoyo will not allow his hair ( a work of art) to get wet.  This observation will be repeated will all of the boys who visit my shower or I visit theirs.It's one of the memes of the week.

Once in bed he more than earns his fee and maintains his reputation for superior service.  He is able to get more out of me than any other off this visit, other than when i repeat with him.

On the plane, I read an article about Paris in the Edwardian era (1910ish) and  how Paris was the Bangkok of the time, where whims were catered to and "up to you" was practiced regarding intimacies.   So to make a historic reference to Yoyo and his abilities, the greatest of the courtesans of the era were know as "la belle horizontale".  Given his ability to please, Yoyo is one of Bangkok's "le beau hozionatale"!  Am I going overboard in praise, maybe...but he stayed most of the night and we repeated and expanded on what we began earlier.  Yoyo left before breakfast.  Thanks to the serendipity of a random Line message, I had a very enjoyable,  pleasurable, and memorable return.

[vinapu]

2 hours ago, ggobkk said:

 

Forum member Vinapu's ......... is relentless in gently prodding me for a report on my November 2019 Bangkok visit. 

because I know you are modest and very shy !

Glad to see that I'm not only one who feels that adrenaline bump when de-planing in Bangkok, always , no matter how sleepy I'd be onboard as soon as I feel firm Bangkok ground it' s like   shedding 30 years.

Also happy to hear Yoyo is still in top form and delivers poking into eye all those who are complaining about Viet guys.

Don't worry about notes as you right there, report is emerging in the fullness of time 

 

[ggobkk]

Folks, I'm not sure how my notes got attached to the end of my report.  I've asked the powers to be to try and remove it.  Apologies.

[Jasper]

ggobkk wrote “I notice that Yoyo will not allow his hair ( a work of art) to get wet. “
 

And some of the boys do not like his hair touched. 
 

About 60% of the boys I know go to hairdresser before work to have set  an elaborate gogo boy hair style which cost about 120-150 baht. 

When you see a guy who usually have hair styled but not on the particular day, it means he was drinking till early morning couldn’t get up earlier for the beauty routine. lol

[numazu]

10 hours ago, ggobkk said:

While recovering I had the pleasure of reading about myself in Numazu's scintillating and titillating reports on his three day return visit in which he did more, ate more, and saw more than I did in ten days.  But he is younger and had a lot of catching up to do.  His reports set  a standard...a standard that I will not even attempt to match.

High praise indeed! Thanks!

I definitely ate more LOL, as I think I gained some poundage from all the delicious street food and hot pot.

Argh I don't want to think I set a standard for the trip reports here. Just post it in your style because trip reports remain the bread and butter of this site.

10 hours ago, ggobkk said:

So, to drift back to November 18th, I wake up early to ease myself into a day of travel.  I'm booked on ANA from San Francisco to Tokyo, then after a layover on to Bangkok and a midnight (on the 19th) arrival.  This flight will secure my Star Alliance/United platinum status for one more year...probably, the last as United is shifting its status system to one based on $$$$$ spent rather than the current one that allowed for blending spending with miles flown.  The upside for me, is I can shift from ANA and UA to EVA which delivers west coasters to Bangkok at noon rather than midnight.

...

ANA uses United's Club lounge in the international terminal.  This lounge, which is due to be renovated, is to put it bluntly "tacky".  United's other lounges at SFO are clean and have a positive vibe.  This one, while clean is messy.  It's sort of a boarding gate with oatmeal and a coffee machine that always seems to be out of order.

I am abandoning United because of this as well, and probably Star Alliance in general. As I post this I am waiting for my flight to Sao Paulo on United, and this segment will extend my 1K to next year. Since I also renewed my Executive Platinum on American Airline from my series of Cathay Pacific legs to BAngkok and Manila from California, I think I'll stick with AA from now on. I prefer Cathay Pacific anyway when going to Asia, and AA ot LATAM to South America. Maybe I'll dip my toe with Delta. Aeromexico sucks but has the flights I need to Mexico.

And yes, the United Club lounges suck in general. I am in the United Polaris Lounge here in IAH though, and they are a marked improvement. Leaps and bounds.

Looking forward to more!

[jason1975]

6 hours ago, Jasper said:

ggobkk wrote “I notice that Yoyo will not allow his hair ( a work of art) to get wet. “
 

And some of the boys do not like his hair touched. 
 

About 60% of the boys I know go to hairdresser before work to have set  an elaborate gogo boy hair style which cost about 120-150 baht. 

When you see a guy who usually have hair styled but not on the particular day, it means he was drinking till early morning couldn’t get up earlier for the beauty routine. lol

Yes it’s pretty irritating when I shower with boys and they don’t want their hair wet!

[anddy]

16 hours ago, ggobkk said:

His reports set  a standard...a standard that I will not even attempt to match.

I think everyone agrees that @numazu's reports are amazing and outstanding, but that doesn't mean other's can't be. Yours are super delightful and witty in their own way, and I love your choice of words  

Thanks for the effort and looking forward to the remaining installments

[manuelmendez]

is the hotel you been is hotel tarntawan surawong? so its mean they finished the renovation? right?

[ggobkk]

5 hours ago, manuelmendez said:

is the hotel you been is hotel tarntawan surawong? so its mean they finished the renovation? right?

Yes, the hotel is the Tarntawan Surawong. Overall, the renovation is complete...but there is still some tweaking going on around the edges.  Example - the internet is stronger than before. but requires repeated log ins.  Staff is top notch. 

Edited December 20, 2019 by ggobkk
Didn’t completely answer question asked

[ggobkk]

On 12/19/2019 at 11:52 AM, ggobkk said:

Folks, I'm not sure how my notes got attached to the end of my report.  I've asked the powers to be to try and remove it.  Apologies.

The powers that be fixed the problem and only the few who read the report early in its posting life will understand. Thank you, Michael!

[manuelmendez]

2 hours ago, ggobkk said:

Yes, the hotel is the Tarntawan Surawong. Overall, the renovation is complete...but there is still some tweaking going on around the edges.  Example - the internet is stronger than before. but requires repeated log ins.  Staff is top notch. 

thanks for the info. the hotel is affordable and good location. quite ease when bringing off guys. i also would like to try raya, just the price more expensive. 

[pong]

From other sources:

Thai immi/customs is to start screening all luggage, thus also from farang/tourists, by having them at least put it through the X-ray as per 1/1/20=63. Also that idiot card to fill out, system 1950ies, is to be scrapped and to go digital. MY and SIN have already switched to it, so it seems possible in ASEAN. One major reason: it seems they have now 3 or 4 warehouses full of those cards and are not willing to build/hire another one just for this silly thing.

 The tipical Thai does not care about il/legal or not, I hear that word in fact only from USAers. For Thai it mostly is perceived as yet another way of the nasty rattabaan=govmt. to suck money out of pleasure seeking people by those BiBs with too tight brown shirts.

Quite another topic the very first time for me for a Lao (really from there) guy in a msg shop, both stark naked as he was walking around the table with a strong and very willing member all the time and kept on talking in incomprehensible Lao about how much fun he got here in BKK what he could not get @ home. One of the guys Iĺl never forget. Many years ago.

[ggobkk]

Onward

I woke up a few hours after Yoyo left and went down to breakfast.  The breakfast area hasn't changed much, the look is the same, but there is a difference in that the menu now has a Japanese breakfast option, and several tables are occupied (it's 6:30am) by avid Japanese golfers with their bags of clubs being loaded into several waiting vans. It's like the good old mornings at The Raya, but with better eggs.

I have my usual pedestrian cheese omelette, toast, and tea.  Pleasant chat with the hostess/waitress who has been with the hotel for many years.  I text Reader to let him know I arrived and to confirm that we're meeting anddy tonight.  I return to the room and realize what it was that bothered me last night.  The room is on the back side of the 3rd floor, its wall of windows look out onto another wall.  Result - there is very little natural light.  Back down to lobby and a chat with the desk staff.  They ask me to come back in an hour when the manager will be in the hotel.  I dutifully return to my dark cave of a room and wash up, taking to care to get what remains of my hair wet when I shower.  

I meet the assistant manager, a young woman with great English fluency, and while at first she doesn't say no she doesn't say yes to my request to move.  Then she works the computer and pulls up my file and sees that I am a frequent guest of long standing.  She mentions this and the conversation shifts to an explanation that  she will need some guests to depart but hopes I'll be able to move to a higher floor by the afternoon.  

Back in the cave, I catch up on email and reply to reader who is also awake and send ing me suggestions about guys I might be interested meeting.  He says we should meet at Red Dragon.  Actually, he didn't say "Red Dragon", he just described a bar on Patpong 2 in front of Screwboys and next to the stairs leading to Freshboys.  Location information is passed to anddy and we agree on a time that will allow us in full PaulSF style to watch the boys coming to work while we plan evening activities.  So this report, doesn't seem like inside baseball/football, let me explain that PaulSF enjoyed sitting on the edge of the traffic pattern in soi Twilight either at Hot Male Bar or Maxi's and holding  court with the many boys he knew and who adore him while simultaneously welcoming visiting forum members, including dignitaries like Numazu and Vinapu.  

With the closure of Twilight and Maxi's and the shift of Hot Male bar up a flight of stairs and away from the roadway, many regulars have been looking for a new PaulSF nest.  So tonight will be an opportunity to evaluate reader's recommendation - which since it's from reader will be spot on.

I head out to MBK more out of habit than necessity.  I have a manicure and pedicure at Red Nails on the 2nd floor.  I find that while I like forum favorite Cutey and Beauty, the calluses I develop on my feet need serious work and Red Nails does serious work, the manicure fills in some time while the feet are being repaired.  900 THB later, I'm able to flex my feet and walk comfortably.  I pick up a hat from one of the vendors to ward off the sun's rays and being the first customer watch my 200 THB  waved over the rest of the stock in the shop.

I head back by BTS to the hotel and notice a good looking guy in a bright yellow shirt, I stop at Boots for toothpaste, and when I come out and get to the Nakarat junction with soi 4, I see yellow shirt is offering massage upstairs.  Why not?  We discuss options and head up the stairs, this time I use my phone's flashlight to see the steps.  At the top, the manager/mamasan/amulet purveyor offers me a cool drink and takes my money up front.  My massage enticement, introduces himself as Bi, pronounced "B", and leads me into the massage room with the marble tub, I shower and get on the massage table which has a face space.  Bi is Issan all the way and asks if I'd mind if her took off his clothes.  

I refrain (with a smile) from objecting  and I don't object to anything else that happens in the next 90 minutes, which include  a decent Swedish type massage, a body to body massage, some free play time, and a shower together finale.  I tip 1500.  There is another cool drink waiting while I reattach my shoes to my feet. Note, the shop next to the Nakarat marketing area has deprived the boys of some of their prime seating area.

I pick up some street food on Surawong and return to the Tarntawan where the a new room has been found for me and the security guard helps me move which only takes a moment since I haven't unpacked.  I'm now on the 5th floor, back side of the hotel, with light and a view of construction and the top floor of the Prime Massage building.

I take a  nap, check for messages, Yoyo checking in on when we are meeting up next; Van my long time long time wondering when he'll see me, I reply Friday or Saturday.  It's Wednesday and I want to keep my butterfly options open.  There are a couple of guys I had time with back in the first week of September that I wouldn't mind meeting up with again.  Decide to head over to Patpong 2 early and see if the guys are still around and available before meeting reader and anddy.  

I take the walkway that runs between the two Dreamboys to enter Patpong 2 where I'm waved at by the bar boys at Hot Male bar, I go up the steps and sit down and chat up one of the Lao's whose transferred over from Twilight.  I'm looking for his friend who last visit was a fun and highly active replacement off the night my Moonlight off was a dud.  He is enters from the club in full pink sheath with jewels and high heels, it's  his birthday and he and several others of the bar boys are off to celebrate.  I'm still processing the transformation when I'm asked to come to the party.  I decline as I'm meeting reader and anddy in little while.

I go downstairs and easily find outrmeeting place, the waiter who is also the bar man and any other employee he needs to be recognizes me from sitting with PaulSF over other visits.  Minh one of Freshboy's barkers and one of its waiters once show time arrives, joins me for a drink.  Minh is Viet, has cheekbones that are sharp enough to cut paper, and is filled with charm.  I've offed him in the past and recall that it was o.k. but not more than that.  But he is very hands on and all over whomsoever he is with.  Some of the other barker/waiters join us once reader arrives as he has a favorite boy here.  Anddy swings by, checks in, and heads off to park his motorcycle.

Once we are gathered together and the various boys coming to work who recognize one or more of us stop by to say hello and angle for drinks or more, we check in.  I inform the guys of how my arrival night went and the serendipity with Yoyo.  Which gets us into a discussion of Yoyo who is a favorite of mine, of Vinapu's, and a few more forum members.  One thing leads to another and I text Yoyo to see if he's like to join us - Screwboys entrance is at one end of the bar.  Answer is yes, and I say there will be a wait as he will be getting himself fashionable to meet folks.

Anddy asks if the bar has a name and we are directed to a sign that says "Red Dragon".  The barker/waiters from Freshboys are swarming around and joking with us as they pull the punters to the show upstairs.  Yoyo emerges from Screwboys, sees me and joins us.  He speaks Thai, anddy speaks Thai and they are off the races.  Reader tells me he had offed a guy with a name like Yoyo but it wasn't this Yoyo.  

We start talking about dinner,  I mention there is an imposing French restaurant in the walk way near the entrance to Pavilion Place's rooms for the moment entrance.  Yoyo and/or Anddy suggests that French Kiss is another option.  Yoyo asks if I'm going to off him and I say not tonight, i give him 500 TB for his time and for meeting, marketing to,  and charming new friends.

The three forum members check out Le Bouchon and find it formidably French with a menu that would have been a standout in the 1960s.  We then walk a few meters to French Kiss which is situated across from Bangkok massage.  I thought after walking past it over the years that it was a Thai restaurant as that was the posted menu.  Well, it is, but there is a menu listing French options inside.  Prices look good, the manager (owner?) is welcoming and we have a very good meal. Well meals plural as we each have something different.  We share some wine, have a desert and the manager treats us to an after dinner drink.

It's closing in on 10pm and we break up the party as I want to go to Moonlight and investigate the possibility of offing babe while I'm in town.  We go our separate ways agreeing to meet up again in the next few days.  I head over to Moonlight, bandana man sees me, and leads me in to pay my drink fee. Paul, the mamasan, who has hovered/watched over me  since Moonlight moved into the former Jupiter, see me and parks me dead center in the row facing the stage and mentions the "stars" will be dancing right behind me at the end of the show.  He suggests a couple of boys from the rotation, I mention that didn't work so well last time.  I show him a photo of one who did work well in May ( two offs) but he is no longer at Moonlight.  I mention my thought about babe and am told he is available tonight.  I say not tonight, but over the weekend.  We talk price what might occur, etc.  He says, wait and to meet babe at the end of the show tonight.

The house is fairly full, I am one of maybe three farangs.  One woman seated to the right of the stage surrounded by eight boys, not all from Moonlight.  Show starts, there are only five "stars" tonight - so it is mainly a babe show as he enjoys dancing especially to Ricky Martin's"she bangs".  Stars come out and dance in the aisle and guided by mamasan Paul seem to keep rubbing into me.  Babe is the shower show.  Afterwards, Paul introduces me to babe.  We agree the weekend will work, Paul will manage the details.  I give Paul and babe some red notes.

I head over to Lucky Boys but before I get there I'm enticed to Freshboys.  I walk in during the middle of its first show.  The mamsan of stern countenance as opposed to the Julia Roberts lookalike mamasan, seats me in a booth to the right and side of the stage where I'm able to see the boys coming and going from the locker room.  Waiters, Minh and Tron sit on either side of me, I buy drinks, and find that I have hands wandering in my clothes coming from both sides and my hands are encouraged to wander which they do.  Every now and then there is a break while my therapists clean the stage or set the stage.  Another waiter takes their place to avoid any interruption of service to me.  The guys are incredibly cute and I'm also watching two of the guys in the rotation who appeal to me.  After, a half hour of having my nipples and balls teased and my reciprocating back I suggest I off Minh and Tron...mamasan says one but not both as she needs them as waiters and stage setters.  I agree to return tomorrow to off whoever I don't off tonight.  We do the rock, paper, game and Minh is tonight's choice.  Off fee for a waiter is 600 THB.

He changes, which means he takes his tie off.  We head to the hotel, I ask if he has his ID, he says no problem it's on  his phone.  I think this isn't going to work.  On the way back we pass the yellow shirt massage place (near the tailor's dummy)  on the Patpong side of the Siam Heritage hotel, where I'm spotted by the masseur of happy memory form last trip.  I agree to find him tomorrow (that day is beginning to book up).  Minh and I head into the hotel where, as I suspected, security will not accept the ID on his phone.  He leaves to get his ID (he lives on Patpong 1).  The security guard tells me that Minh knows the rules but has tried the phone ID gambit before.  

I go to the room, he arrives at the door a few minutes later, smelling delightfully of sweat.  We shower, his hair stays dry, he has a compact well defined body.  His in bed performance is much the same as the last time.  He is highly active until he isn't.  We do get each other off but no exploding stars.  After about an hour,  I give him his short time fee.  I spend all of three or four minutes deciding if I want to go out again...Yoyo might still be available and the I decide "no more" and go to bed.  

 

 

[spoon]

22 hours ago, numazu said:

High praise indeed! Thanks!

I definitely ate more LOL, as I think I gained some poundage from all the delicious street food and hot pot.

Argh I don't want to think I set a standard for the trip reports here. Just post it in your style because trip reports remain the bread and butter of this site.

I am abandoning United because of this as well, and probably Star Alliance in general. As I post this I am waiting for my flight to Sao Paulo on United, and this segment will extend my 1K to next year. Since I also renewed my Executive Platinum on American Airline from my series of Cathay Pacific legs to BAngkok and Manila from California, I think I'll stick with AA from now on. I prefer Cathay Pacific anyway when going to Asia, and AA ot LATAM to South America. Maybe I'll dip my toe with Delta. Aeromexico sucks but has the flights I need to Mexico.

And yes, the United Club lounges suck in general. I am in the United Polaris Lounge here in IAH though, and they are a marked improvement. Leaps and bounds.

Looking forward to more!

United polaris lounge in iah is awesome. Ala carte made to order menu is definitely leaps and bound from the sad buffet on their other lounge i went (not polaris) in denver.

[jason1975]

1 hour ago, ggobkk said:

Reader tells me he had offed a guy with a name like Yoyo but it wasn't this Yoyo.  

The other Yoyo is a 23-year-old Vietnam. Short but muscular. If I remember correctly, he came to work in Bangkok when he was 18 or 19. He worked at Soi Twilight’s X-Boys then moved to Freshboys. He followed the crew of Freshboys to Banana Bar but he is now back in Vietnam because he found a sponsor who gives him a regular allowance every month. (I wonder who. Lol)

[jason1975]

I have not met Screwboys Yoyo. I must endeavour to meet him during this trip. I have read so much about him.

There are actually two Red Dragon. Andy, spoon and I discovered that last night. One bar is manned by boys. The other is manned by Thai aunties. The two bars are separated by the staircase leading up to Freshboys bar.

[vinapu]

1 hour ago, jason1975 said:

I have not met Screwboys Yoyo. I must endeavour to meet him during this trip. I have read so much about him.

 

chances are you will not be disappointed

[reader]

2 hours ago, ggobkk said:

He changes, which means he takes his tie off. 

Great line...lol.

3 hours ago, ggobkk said:

Another waiter takes their place to avoid any interruption of service to me.

Their service follows the time-honored recipe for making a roux: it must be continuously stirred while being heated.

[Londoner]

Is Red Dragon a host bar?

[jason1975]

16 minutes ago, Londoner said:

Is Red Dragon a host bar?

There are some staff from Freshboys bar upstairs who will be there. They will gladly chat you up and try to

A) get you to go to Freshboys bar

or

B) get you to off them

the aunties at the other Red Dragon will try to get you to buy them drinks

[anddy]

9 hours ago, pong said:

From other sources:

Thai immi/customs is to start screening all luggage, thus also from farang/tourists, by having them at least put it through the X-ray as per 1/1/20=63.

all luggage screening on arrival when exiting from the luggage carousels? Will probably cause congestion at busy times....

 

Quote

Also that idiot card to fill out, system 1950ies, is to be scrapped and to go digital. MY and SIN have already switched to it,

SIN has not. Visitors still have to fill out a landing card, though I dunno if from all countries. At least I had to fill it out and hand to the immigration officer when ging to SIN just a week ago....

[DivineMadman]

Just now, anddy said:

all luggage screening on arrival when exiting from the luggage carousels? Will probably cause congestion at busy times....

The plan - as reported in the press - is that the screening happens before the luggage carousels.  This is already done in the U.S. for flights from some countries/regions.

[anddy]

1 minute ago, DivineMadman said:

The plan - as reported in the press - is that the screening happens before the luggage carousels.  This is already done in the U.S. for flights from some countries/regions.

i.e. in the bowels of the terminal building, before the bags are loaded onto the conveyor belt up to the carousels? 

Searching for what? Doing that BEFORE a flight makes obvious sense, but this?

[DivineMadman]

2 hours ago, anddy said:

i.e. in the bowels of the terminal building, before the bags are loaded onto the conveyor belt up to the carousels? 

 

yes.  or built atop/around the current conveyor belt system down in the belly of the beast.

2 hours ago, anddy said:

Searching for what? Doing that BEFORE a flight makes obvious sense, but this?

It's a customs screening and not security - so I guess maybe the security screenings and related computer ai systems aren't necessarily designed to catch the same things?  I don't know.   But the new screening of incoming bags is meant to replace the current set up where on the way out through customs agents pick people to have send their bags through the machines.

[reader]

2 hours ago, anddy said:

i.e. in the bowels of the terminal building, before the bags are loaded onto the conveyor belt up to the carousels? 

Searching for what? Doing that BEFORE a flight makes obvious sense, but this?

Some countries give checked baggage less scrutiny than others. I think the idea is to apply a final check that will be less disruptive than doing it after passenger retrieves luggage.