"Boy will get old before open"

[numazu]

So I had an old friend in Bangkok who messaged me out of the blue, which made me think about Thailand, which made me think about this forum. It has been 20(!) months since my last Thailand trip, in December 2019.  It has been way too long. I have, of course, been putting most of my travel eggs in the Brazil basket this pandemic, which is a pretty good consolation prize, since going to Thailand seems to still not be in the cards any time soon, and I have a feeling, not even this year.

I always wondered how Brazil can be as open like they are - with virtually all the boy saunas open.  Even if the big Brazilian gay dance clubs are still closed, I'll take that over the totally closed Thailand. I hope the situation changes soon, though from the posts here it does not seem likely. I guess I have to keep taking those Brazil trips to get me through the year.

Anyway, back to my old friend, who messaged me today. He is probably known to some of you on here, but I won't divulge his identity. He is not a boy, but you have probably crossed paths with him if you have ever taken tours in Bangkok (and beyond). 

He opened up the conversation, telling me about how he remembered me today when he drove by my old party condo building Centric in Sathorn:

I haven't been paying close attention, but are there really no boy bars open? That seems really sad:

I've always wondered how the boys are surviving. Not being able to eat is grim. I know there are apps, but without the tourist numbers, there is only so much money they can earn:

"Boys will get old before open" was a very funny thing to say, but this also applies to us, the farang clients. Grim.

So this made me sad. Maybe 2022 will be better?  Or have any of you heard about the rest of this year? And will we be able to see the old boy bars back? I am dreading how this long closure has affected the bars. 

When do you think I can go back to Bangkok again to a nice boy bar? Any guesses?

[Londoner]

Brazil is open because its deranged President doesn't believe in Covid. Anyway, he needs more time to complete the destruction of the Amazon rain forest.  Accordingly, the death rate rivals that of Florida.

However distressing the situation is in Thailand and however incompetent the junta is, at least it's not in denial. In other words, one day Thailand will recover and, if Bolsonaro stays in office, Brazil won't.

[spoon]

I think there are ways to go to bangkok already. Phuket sandbox have been extended to three more regions and after 14 days, u can make your way to bangkok or anywhere in thailand. When will it totally open is something no one can answer. We all hope on the vaccine, but vaccine alone wont help, and we can see many countries that dont have supply issue also fail to get enough peoppe to be vaccinated due to anti-vacs and the like. Most likely itll take a while before a nation to realize covid is not going away and start to compromise and open the country back. And this is not something anyone can predict. 

[reader]

I'm encouraged by the number of bkk residents who received their first vaccine dose (reported today to be 6,717,824). The number of new infections appears to have stabilized across the country the past 10 days. This leads me to believe Thailand may be approaching the tipping point. And if these trends hold up we could see a return to some degree of normalcy in time for high season.

Westerners make up a good representation of foreigners attracted to the Phuket opening and I suspect they'll also be near the front of the pack when Bangkok opens directly again. And the first to take the plunge will be those tourists who've supported the Thai economy repeatedly and loyally in the past--like the members of this forum.

I look forward to walking down Patpong 2 and Silom again before Christmas with some semblance of the sights and sounds that I recall from 2019. I don't expect all of the old venues to be up and running but Thais are among the world's most resourceful and resilient souls. If anyone can mount a recovery, you'll find them first in Bangkok.

[anddy]

@numazu I'd say don't expect to be able to make a trip to Thailand that's worth your while this year. The country is still virtually closed, the supposed "opening" through the Phuket Sandbox is way too onerous to deserve the label "opening". I don't see a true opening anytime soon really. They could have done a test- and qaurantine-free true opening for vaccinated guests during this 3rd wave, since they pose a close to zero risk to the covid situation in Thailand with their 20k domestic new cases every day. But they are still irrationally paranoid about foreigners. Go figure.

As for nightlife and bars, hard to predict when they will open again and under what conditions. Now a "green card" is being touted in a way back to a "new normalcy". Any bar openings will probably gradual, with some remaining closed because it's not (yet) viable to open with the continued lack of foreigner. 

Sad state of affairs, predictions and planning are futile, so I advise to follow the single best strategy there has been since this began: wait and see.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, anddy said:

Sad state of affairs, predictions and planning are futile, so I advise to follow the single best strategy there has been since this began: wait and see.

Predictions are risky, but if we're prepared to extrapolate current daily vaccination rates to the end of the year, isn't there a chance that this puts Thailand where some European countries are today ?      I know extrapolation is risky, but with vaccination programmes slowing up in Europe & N America, vaccine availability is more likely to improve than deteriorate.

However, I agree planning is futile.  My next trip is likely to be booked between 0 and 4 weeks before departure. 

[floridarob]

16 hours ago, numazu said:

I guess I have to keep taking those Brazil trips to get me through the year.

Thought you were going to Europe and forget about Brazil....?

[Riobard]

This may be just as good a place as any to plunk this contradiction about Brazil rules. Apparently the São Paulo vaxx passort idea for bars (think crowded unventilated Lagoa) was backpedalled, yet a more outdoorsy venue … 

[Riobard]

1 hour ago, floridarob said:

Thought you were going to Europe and forget about Brazil....?

I have forgotten both … what are they again? 

[vinapu]

6 hours ago, Riobard said:

I have forgotten both … what are they again? 

bars in soi 6

[vinapu]

9 hours ago, anddy said:

 . But they are still irrationally paranoid about foreigners.

I like  what ChristianPFC wrote somewhere recently 'no covid is a problem but various government's reaction to it" .

Thailand  is not only country paranoid about foreigners, but that's no consolation.

Australia apparently is not even letting in it's own people stuck abroad

[vinapu]

16 hours ago, reader said:

 

I look forward to walking down Patpong 2 and Silom again before Christmas with some semblance of the sights and sounds that I recall from 2019. I don't expect all of the old venues to be up and running but Thais are among the world's most resourceful and resilient souls. If anyone can mount a recovery, you'll find them first in Bangkok.

I don't know why but somehow I share your optimism. I canceled my Oct ticket and some hotel reservations I made but still have a feeling sanity with dose of greed will prevail and next bookings will be those finally utilized.

 

 

[numazu]

On 8/26/2021 at 11:32 PM, Londoner said:

 In other words, one day Thailand will recover and, if Bolsonaro stays in office, Brazil won't.

I agree with Bolsonaro being a big destructive force in Brazil. However, this destruction means less jobs and less money for the boys, and therefore more available boys. While I'd like Brazil, as Thailand, to succeed after COVID, while it sounds bad, I am definitely reaping the benefits in the interim.

On 8/26/2021 at 11:59 PM, spoon said:

I think there are ways to go to bangkok already

But is anything fun open?

On 8/27/2021 at 3:31 AM, reader said:

I look forward to walking down Patpong 2 and Silom again before Christmas with some semblance of the sights and sounds that I recall from 2019. I don't expect all of the old venues to be up and running but Thais are among the world's most resourceful and resilient souls. If anyone can mount a recovery, you'll find them first in Bangkok.

Ugh @reader. From your lips to god's ears. I am ready to go in December. Will they let me? Will there be anything open?

On 8/27/2021 at 10:14 AM, anddy said:

Sad state of affairs, predictions and planning are futile, so I advise to follow the single best strategy there has been since this began: wait and see.

On 8/27/2021 at 12:58 PM, z909 said:

However, I agree planning is futile.  My next trip is likely to be booked between 0 and 4 weeks before departure. 

Sad state of affairs indeed. I am not a wait and see guy. I am go and do. That's why I go to Brazil and do everything in sight.

On 8/27/2021 at 1:41 PM, Riobard said:

This may be just as good a place as any to plunk this contradiction about Brazil rules. Apparently the São Paulo vaxx passort idea for bars (think crowded unventilated Lagoa) was backpedalled, yet a more outdoorsy venue … 

I went to this party last Sunday btw. Another story for another day...

On 8/27/2021 at 1:08 PM, floridarob said:

Thought you were going to Europe and forget about Brazil....?

Yes to Europe, and I guess my schedule opened up and Brazil is back on.

On 8/27/2021 at 8:03 PM, vinapu said:

I don't know why but somehow I share your optimism. I canceled my Oct ticket and some hotel reservations I made but still have a feeling sanity with dose of greed will prevail and next bookings will be those finally utilized.

Sad that you had to cancel your trip. Someday I will see you at a boy bar and I'll buy you a drink @vinapu.

So, any new news about reopening? Any new sandbox news?

[vinapu]

57 minutes ago, numazu said:

Sad that you had to cancel your trip. Someday I will see you at a boy bar and I'll buy you a drink @vinapu.

So, any new news about reopening? Any new sandbox news?

Thank you  , I hope to see you there as well, not only because of that drink☺️

I follow developments closely  but I will not go when all those non-sensical sandboxy restrictions are in place. I can live with proof of vaccination and perhaps test before flight but that's about it. On another hand if they open I'll go even if bars will not be opened yet as I firmly believe that closures won't last long after re-opening and early bird get a worm

[ggobkk]

I drifted away from the Forum for a few days and returned to find this thread with comments from so many Thai traveler colleagues.  I'll also buy drinks for VInapu, Spoon, Reader, Numazu, Paul SF, aandy, DIvinemadman, and a few more...miss yseeing you guys in Thailand.  Onward to the future and returning.

[vinapu]

1 minute ago, ggobkk said:

.  I'll also buy drinks for VInapu, Spoon, Reader, Numazu, Paul SF, aandy, DIvinemadman,....

You have a good heart !!!

it would be even nicer  if all of us could meet together at the same time !!!