Trip Report: Bangkok

[Asian traveller]

Hello fellow forum members!

They say all good things must come to an end and so it is with a tinge of melancholy, I say farewell to Bangkok for now. 

This forum has been both informative and tantalizing for me so wanted to do my bit and contribute my experiences with the hope that it helps others. 

There are a few things I discovered through my journey:

1) Logic doesn’t always seem to apply when communicating to massage places on Line; 
2) Think first, act later rather than the other way around; 
3) Massages can be good, massages can be bad but you really don’t know until you’re there;
4) You can plan as much as you want but often what or more likely who, you want is probably unavailable so you need to be flexible.

Arrival

Arrival into BKK was ‘smooth as silk’ although not all fellow travelers did not seem to share my eagerness to get out and into the city as much as me. Landing in the evening, I wanted to squeeze in a massage in the evening if possible, the only obstacles in my way being the tour groups of passengers who decided to block the travellators and Bangkok traffic.

Priority queues for business class immigration seemed to have been removed but managed to get into a newly opened short line at immigration. Armed with an iPhone and an e-sim it was now time to get to work on sorting my evening out while in the Grab. I had done my research before arrival, faithfully adding various venues on my Line account thanks to this forum. The evening would teach me a few lessons it turns out, yet more of that to come later.

Zoo Onsen and Spa

The eye-candy of Zoo / Malepark had caught my eye ever since I’ve been planning my trip to Bangkok. There are reviews on here which had I heeded, I would have saved myself time and money but alas, sometimes I think I can beat the odds in the high stakes game of finding a place to make you happy… 

Booking via Line was both convenient, confusing and complex in equal measures. I contacted Malepark (sister site to Zoo) which advertises an apartment like room as a venue – this is not the case, at least for me and my massage was just in the usual Zoo venue. I sent of a message requesting a particular therapist, only to be advised that both my first and second choice were unavailable. As such, I settled with my third choice, a guy with a video with a great body but with a face suggesting an attitude of somewhat disregard. I would later discover that first impressions do count…

Booking made, I checked into my hotel quickly before jumping on the BTS to On Nut. I read the directions but having gone back and forth past the Google maps location, I pondered if I would ever find the place. The reviews elsewhere on this forum point to entry through a neighboring spa, unfortunately that seemed to be closed so I had started to ponder what I was going to do as Zoo weren’t picking up my calls. Finally I decided to have a go of it having spotted some eye candy in the Nut spa next door, I asked them if they were Zoo after which they asked to see my Line messages and they finally twigged. 

They took me up a couple flights of stairs and I was then told that the person I had booked was only available via the ‘Superboy’ package, whether this is true or not I don’t know but by now I was fully invested having spent 20 mins walking up and down the street looking for the place. I was told that this would cost 6000 THB including tip – steep I know but I’m on vacation so decided to assume that at that price, there must be some quality to it…. But wait, the soften the blow of the 6000 THB cost, there was a 3 for 2 offer. It is at this point I should have paused and thought but I didn’t. As such, I just whipped out my credit card to splash out on the 12k THB. They didn’t want cash for some reason. 

We showered separately and then came the ‘massage’, only it wasn’t anything I would call a massage. With absolutely no pressure applied at all, he basically spread oil over my body for an hour or so. I’m not sure if it’s his natural state but he seemed somewhat disgruntled, perhaps with Zoo management, and one of the first (and few) things he said me was that there are better and cheaper massage places to go to… a resounding endorsement then! The only good things were that he was in his underwear for the task and he had clearly been advised where the more sensitive parts of the body were so decided to spread oil around there for a bit. 

The end finished with a h/j (nothing else offered) after which he asked if he wanted me for him to continue with the massage. I think we both sighed of relief when I said no, I showered alone while he hung around the room. As the tip was included I did not tip extra nor did he ask for anything. Perhaps Zoo short change the therapists in passing through the tips which is why he was so grumpy – who knows.

Now armed with a 3 for 2 package, I felt the need to return to Zoo the next day. I refuse to end up paying 12k for such a dud so at least I could better justify it in my head if I had a more decent massage. The next day, I requested a different therapist, again my chosen therapists were unavailable so I picked Mike. I cute looking guy but not muscled like my usual preference.

The massage was somewhat of a redemption in the fact that the massage was of good to very good standard. At least I managed to enjoy a massage if only would have been at US / European prices. The therapist was clothed throughout and ended in a h/j again and he was somewhat embarrassed that I was looking at him while he was working on it. 

Overall, a lesson learnt, don’t over commit, don’t over pay and make sure you know what you’re getting before you start. If they are cagey it’s probably a red flag. In fairness to myself, I did try and get the required info from Line beforehand but they said that they would discuss ‘extra services’ when I got there. 

I tried making another booking for another therapist only to be told that he wasn’t classed as a ‘super boy’ so couldn’t be used. I think they’re making up things as in the poster he was clearly pictured. I was also told that the spa was closed on the day I wanted to book only to see them later advertising which therapists were available on the day, including the one I wanted.

In the end I abandoned my third ‘free’ massage. Not wanting to waste my time, I had found a better massage as described below.

Another day another opportunity

Determined to change my fortunes, I started researching for the following day. I had several failed attempts at Apollo Massage where by I messaged the team on Line only to be told 1) The guy I wanted was not available today then 2) The guy I wanted as a back up was back at his home town. This is despite the daily Line postings showing the ‘therapists’ of the day being available including said guys – guess it’s marketing.

Having had an overall disappointing and expensive run at Zoo which I’m going to put down to education, I decided to go through Twitter and do a little bit more research. I do recommend the Thai Twitter accounts who seem to offer, in Thai, some detailed reviews. There I picked out a review for Aurora Massage which was already on my Line list but I had dismissed as I hadn’t seen it mentioned on this forum before.

I decided to minimize my risk by picking the same therapist that was reviewed. The Google Translation talked of B2B massage and a good set of skills so it seemed to fit the bill. The person at the other end of Line appeared to have a good command of English and was explicit on the costs which I liked. Massage was around 1500 THB depending on the service and it was 2000 THB for soft and 3000 THB for hard service. I decided to be equally explicit on what I wanted, not full hard but oral and shower afterwards. I said I would pay the min tip and asked him to communicate to my therapist so there was no misunderstandings.

The tricky bit was the need to pay a deposit which equaled the cost of the treatment. I advised I wasn’t able to send as a tourist but they said go to a 7-11 to send the money. Going into the 7-11 they just pointed me to a bank. After 15 min wait in the bank line, I finally managed to make the transfer but in hindsight it was quite the hassle. As the spa is fairly central, I think next time I would just ask if I could go to the spa to pay the deposit first and return later, that would have been quicker than waiting in the bank I think.

Per-fect Auora massage

I arrived on time and I was greeted by the therapist on entry. I wasn’t 100% sure it was him at first give he was wearing a mask, I was hoping that the mask and others would come off soon. The spa itself was quiet and I don’t think they have walk in customers as while central, it’s a good 10 min walk from the main road with the BTS stations on.

Upstairs, I took a shower alone and waited for him to return. Here things started to get special. There was an aroma electric diffuser with mood lighting in the room which helped improve the environment and the therapist now re-entered the room mask off and changed the music to some easy listening English songs. It just seemed to set the scene just right for me.

Then came the massage, all I can say was it was Perfect. He took off his clothes such that he was left in just a crisp white underwear, very sexy indeed. He had the right level of coverage, pressure and got just the right level of teasing whilst ensuring the massage came first and foremost until we were ready to finish off later on. It was the little things which made me feel like he was professional like keeping one hand on my back while he maneuvered around the table to get to another position. 

In transition between different parts of the body he oiled up his muscled body and did a body to body maneuvered which sent tingles of excitement through my body. When it came to the end there was a perfect transition and my request to pass on my requests were flawlessly executed. Post the first time of me cumming, he offered to help me go again but I can’t reset that quickly these days so we moved on to the shower. Again, without me prompting, he was well briefed of my request and we showered together. He gently washed me down and I saw is log like appendage. 

On exit, I paid him a tip. I had promised 3000 THB but given I was so satisfied I gave him 4000 THB. He tried to hide his expression but he eye contact with his colleague told me enough to see that he was happy. While I know some may disagree with over paying tips, for me the extra is not material and I’m happy to pay for something I value and if it makes others happier still, then that’s a bonus.

Having only one day left in Bangkok, I took the opportunity to rebook him again the next day… The next day was a 120 min massage marathon. Every bit as good as the previous day although I do recognize that sometimes some of the fun is the anticipation of what could come next. Having experienced it just the day before, I had less anticipation but a great time that was perfectly executed.

Not wanting to miss out if I ever returned to BKK, I asked him for his Line (I’ve had it before where therapists move spas and I can never find them again). We tried adding each other but I think my Line is corrupted or blocked somehow as it’s not adding people. Not wishing to give up so easily I took his Instagram instead.  it seems like he has quite a number of followers with his model like photos. I thanked him again and gave him 5000 THB this time, 120 mins of hard massage work deserves a good tip in my view. 

Later in the evening I messaged him on Instagram to which he replied and sent me a few messages. 

Clubs / bars

On one of the nights I was free around 9pm so decided to head down to Boy Town to check things out. I’ve been before but not for 10 years or so and I was intrigued what had changed. My first impressions was that it felt less crowded before and far fewer touts than I remember. It could be that I was walking down different parts. I went up and down the soi several times but noting that the show didn’t start until 1030, I decided to circle the block several times to see that market and buy myself the time.

Hotmale

This was a Wednesday night so may not be reprehensive of weekend but after getting bored of circling the block, I decided to accept the tout’s request and head to the Hotmale bar around 945pm. Sitting and standing on the stage were probably 15 or so guys wearing red sweatpants and most were topless, fairly good looking but nothing absolutely striking. Other patrons were few and far between, in fact, just one couple in the corner whom left after 5 minutes from my arrival indicating that they would return at 1030 which they did. One mature farang entered after me along with a somewhat tipsy (nearly fell over) mature Asian.

I found the stage somewhat awkward as all the guys had eyes on the patrons and I wasn’t really wanting to make eye contact with them as I didn’t want them to come over if I wasn’t into a particular person. I thought it would be somewhat rude to send them back. Anyway, after 30 mins of glancing but not really making eye contact, I asked to see a guy who fitted my profile the most. Filled with some Dutch courage I asked him over for a chat. He had a good command of English and equipped with the knowledge of this forum, I bought him a drink. I assume they must get some kind of cut of this because he was given a slip for his pocket. The cost of his drink was 400 and mine was 500. After 10 mins or so of holding hands, I signaled that I had an early flight to catch the next day (a lie) so couldn’t off him but for his time I tipped him 300. I settled at 1030 just before the show started.. 

Dream boys

Dream boys also had a show starting at 1030pm so I thought I’d pop in there to see what was going on. The guys were of ok standard but seemed likely older and less interested. I ordered a drink and the show started shortly after. However, the first act was some menial dancing and given not one of the guys was giving me vibes, I thought I would just return back to my hotel. I settled up and left which was a surprise to the touts who checked whether I had actually paid my bill so quickly after entering. 

Hotmale take 2

Having decided not to off the guy the day before, I couldn’t have helped wondering what could have been. Having never done something like this before, the curiosity was overwhelming so the next day I decided to jump back in a taxi and go back. As I was debating with myself whether I should go or not, I only arrived at 1115pm, just as the show ended and in walked the rest of the guys including the guy I had chatted to the other day. 

He gave me a wry smile and a cheeky ‘I know you lied to me look’ after I had told him I was leaving the day before. This time I called him over right away and made up some excuse and again bought him a drink. I asked him whether he wanted ST or LT and he said ST. I appreciate the explicit view rather than being told LT only to have some excuse to leave. I thought we would leave immediately but whether it was because I told him that I had just missed the show or he was calming my slight nerves, we stayed until the end of the midnight show. The midnight show was only three acts and I think it lasted just 15 mins long. A couple of dances and then a big c parade. It’s probably best described as a parade as they just whipped it out and walked around the stage. After the music stopped they walked out to the audience and offered a hold, one guy came to me which I found quite awkward as I was already with my guy so I gave him 100 THB and a smile and he went off. I ponder what the ‘off rate’ is for these guys, I saw a couple other patrons with guys but not many at all. I think most were in just for the show.

My off then asked what I was thinking as venue which I said I would take him back to my hotel. We jumped into a normal taxi and the driver, obviously knowing I was in no position to haggle, said it would be 300 THB to get back to central. A 10 min ride but to be frank, I didn’t really care.

I was a little apprehensive in getting into my hotel as it’s was one of the top end 5 star hotels and entry to the guest lifts is a direct walk pass a narrow-ish walkway which is flanked by both the concierge and reception. I think we both instinctively knew what to do though and we whipped out our phones to look at while walking passed confidently and quickly pass the reception. 

In the room we had a shower together as my request and direction. I didn’t want full on activities but managed to have a good time. He was a kisser and playful and clearly knew what he was doing. He too had an appendage like a log, I suspect it’s part of the job requirements. We took a shower together afterwards but after the activities, he probably needed to get back home to his gf / bf or something as he was texting something to say that he was on his way back I guess. I sent him on his way with a 3000 THB tip (2500 THB was advised at the bar but thought I’d give him extra for a taxi home). Overall an interesting experience which I wouldn’t repeat again but now my curiosity is somewhat satisfied.

Overally, Bangkok delivered again with excitement and energy. The massage at Aurora Massage was an absolute highlight and will be etched in my memory for some time.

I’m not sure when I’ll be back again, perhaps a number of years time but I shall, forever have fond memories.
 

  

[macaroni21]

Oh dear, your trip report has made me, as an old-timer, feel somewhat guilty. Why? I'll come to that later.

But thank you for an honest and insightful report. All of us make mistakes or have bad days, even old-timers who have even more reason to slap ourselves when we foul up. We should have known better! we say to ourselves.

What you've unknowingly pointed out - and it is of value - is that whereas most of us write about our experiences in Thailand with regular forum members in mind as the readership, we may be forgetting that there are newcomers such as yourself, who are drawing information from our posts in planning for their first trip. Thus the guilt. I can totally understand that lurking will be the preferred method pre-visit since a newcomer has little to add to the discussions. But lurking means invisibility, and so the regulars in this forum don't realise the effect our posts may have on newbies making their plans.

So, for the benefit of potential newbies, allow me  to make a few observations that may help:

1. If you're going to travel all the way to Thailand, and money isn't a serious impediment, plan for a longer visit rather than overpay for services because you're short of time. Hotel, food and local transport costs are relatively cheap in Thailand. Giving yourself the luxury of extra time takes away the pressure of getting things right at first try. It allows a longer learning curve, and therefore a better chance of getting a number of good sessions even if you hit a few duds along the way.

2. Be self-aware and extremely careful when you are the "visual" type. (see the thread https://www.gayguides.com/forums/topic/40355-the-different-erotic-things-we-look-for/#comment-368148 for explanation), i.e. you're the type that chooses your partners based almost exclusively on looks. Looks do not correlate with service quality. If anything, boys who are aware that they are above-average in looks may be below average in service quality; it is the not-so-nice-looking guys who know they have to work harder for their keep. See also point #6 below.

3. The rise of Line-based advertising, where the massage places send out pictures of their boys by the bundles may have increased the vulnerability of buyers who are visual, because then you're relying (exclusively) on looks (photos). When I use Line with the massage places, I tend to do it in a slightly different way. I first tell them what time I want my appointment and what I prefer of the boy service-wise. Then I ask them for a shortlist of boys who fit my criteria. Most places with decent customer service will send back about 4 - 6 pictures to choose from. Those places which do not reply with a shortlist I quickly ignore - it indicates they have no idea what their boys can or cannot do or they are not interested in ensuring a fit between customer and client.

4. As you noticed very quickly, paying triple or quadruple the going rate does not get you triple or quadruple the satisfaction. In fact, it only makes you a target for the unscrupulous. My advice to newbies is: Steel yourself to resist overcharging. Walk away. Of course this is easier if you have time on your side which is why my point #1 above is important.

5. Old-timers like me write about places pretty distant from the city centre. Newbies should stick to the Silom-Surawong area, at least for the first 4 - 5 days. There are plenty of attractions within that area alone to keep you busy. And plenty of hotel options, so you don't have to travel by taxi or Grab and get stuck in traffic. Save the more distant places for your second visit. See map of gay ghetto: https://shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog/2023/12/07/map-of-silom-surawong-area-december-2023/. Tip for those wanting muscly masseurs: Go (walk) to Arena Massage. You don't have to go all the way to Sabaidee or Jey Spa.

6. Especially if you're a very visual person, the gogo bars may serve you better than the massage parlours. Firstly, you see the boys in the flesh (though in some bars they are more covered up with sweatpants and T-shirts nowadays compared to 10 years ago) and you can take your time in making a choice. Secondly, for the price of a boydrink (and perhaps a thank-you-but-not-tonight tip of 100 baht) you get a chance to engage in a bit of conversation with a shortlisted boy. You can assess his language skills and personality, and very often too, get a sense of whether he really wants to go with you. Boys are not as desperate for customers as we may imagine (I know of boys who say they will not go with a certain type of customer.) Do not be put off by oldtimers like us moaning about ever-increasing costs at the gogo bars 😂 The bars still give reasonable value. However, never admit to the mamasans that it's your first time in Thailand; once they get their claws into you, they won't let go!

 

[floridarob]

9 hours ago, Asian traveller said:

As such, I just whipped out my credit card to splash out on the 12k THB. They didn’t want cash for some reason. 

 

9 hours ago, Asian traveller said:

I advised I wasn’t able to send as a tourist but they said go to a 7-11 to send the money. Going into the 7-11 they just pointed me to a bank. After 15 min wait in the bank line, I finally managed to make the transfer but in hindsight it was quite the hassle

 

9 hours ago, Asian traveller said:

I had promised 3000 THB but given I was so satisfied I gave him 4000 THB.

 

9 hours ago, Asian traveller said:

I thanked him again and gave him 5000 THB this time

 

9 hours ago, Asian traveller said:

We jumped into a normal taxi and the driver, obviously knowing I was in no position to haggle, said it would be 300 THB to get back to central. A 10 min ride but to be frank, I didn’t really care.

I often wonder when I hear boys, touts, taxi drivers talk about stories like this, who the fuck does this stuff....🙄

 

9 hours ago, Asian traveller said:

one of the first (and few) things he said me was that there are better and cheaper massage places to go to

Ummmm, yeah. And you've been reading this message board and have to hear it from a massage boy in BKK too?

 

 

9 hours ago, Asian traveller said:

I’m not sure when I’ll be back again, perhaps a number of years time

in the meantime, you've raised the bar to a point that is deceptional to many workers,  giving them hope that there are more of us willing to pay those prices...




Even with my shitty comments, was a well written post 😆

[spoon]

16 hours ago, Asian traveller said:

I was then told that the person I had booked was only available via the ‘Superboy’ package, whether this is true or not I don’t know but by now I was fully invested having spent 20 mins walking up and down the street looking for the place. I was told that this would cost 6000 THB including tip – steep I know but I’m on vacation so decided to assume that at that price, there must be some quality to it…. But wait, the soften the blow of the 6000 THB cost, there was a 3 for 2 offer.

Thank you for sharing this. Definitely ill avoid this place. Not only it is steep, not mentioning this early on when you made the booking is really sketchy and sounds like a standard bait and switch scam. 

[reader]

17 hours ago, Asian traveller said:

On exit, I paid him a tip. I had promised 3000 THB but given I was so satisfied I gave him 4000 THB. He tried to hide his expression but he eye contact with his colleague told me enough to see that he was happy. While I know some may disagree with over paying tips, for me the extra is not material and I’m happy to pay for something I value and if it makes others happier still, then that’s a bonus.

Thank you for your detailed report. I think the best advice you could receive was supplied (above) by Macaroni21: remain in the Silom/Surawong area for short stays like you had. Everything you need to satisfy your curiosity is right there for the taking. Travel time between venues is measured in minutes.

 

[fedssocr]

Thanks for your detailed post. You are obviously a very generous person.

I found at Zoo that I had to be a bit more aggressive than I would normally be to get what I wanted. Although the first boy I saw there provided B2B massage as part of the package and I got what I wanted out of that encounter. I will agree that things there are a bit more trouble that it's worth. They do have a lot of pretty boys who cycle in and out of their stable though.

[WelshGuyUK]

I do wish I enjoyed reading ☺️

[Boy69]

I am still shocked of the extravagant splashing money of the OP it will take me sometime to recover.lol.

[Marc K]

For those of you (us) who fret over the demise of "the gay scene", now you know the answer There is a cohort of visitors who are willing to splash money around as if they are in Kirk Straat or Berlin, paying 5x or more the going rate, and creating the illusion among venue owners and staff that there is another flight arriving tonight with a plane full of overspenders. The OP's post felt as ludicrous to me as would be a post from a first time visitor to Amsterdam offering the trade 30 euros.

Be generous, be kind, be human but this kind of outrageous extravagance strikes me as both pretentious and boastful. And this comes from one who lights his cigarettes with 100 euro notes. Not.

[Boy69]

Overpaying is not guarantee for be better service in the contrary most of the times the sex workers will participate the overspender as foolish and naive and the service will be Bellow the normal standard. From my experience in Thailand overpaid is considered as weakness and not generousity by the locals.

[revengeboo]

I hold a different viewpoint on this matter. In my opinion, if someone has the financial means, there's nothing wrong with choosing to spend generously. Being overly generous is a positive trait, showing kindness and support to others, especially in service-oriented industries - especially the most intimate/controverisal service industry of all. However, it's important to note that being excessively frugal, especially when one has the capacity to give more, might not be as commendable.

However - that charity would get bothersome if it leads to lasting inflation for us plebeians.

[Asian traveller]

Thanks all for your comments,

When writing my report I knew that there would definitely lessons to be learnt plus differing views.

On this trip, I was definitely cash rich (by Thailand standards) / time poor on this trip which really affected some of my decision making.

The Zoo experience was definitely money down the drain which I shall not be repeating although I would never rule out the draw of some eye candy to pollute the thinking side of my brain.

I recognise that tipping more than the minimum can cause some controversy although in that regard I’m comfortable with my decision even though not all will agree. I respect your view points but for me, it’s more about 1) I was very happy with the service and I believe in paying for what I recognise as good service… especially relative to the duds at Zoo and 2) If I wanted to be remembered (and connections via Instagram probably prove that) then standing out from the crowd probably has some intangible benefits.

Overall, I loved my trip to Thailand but not sure when the next opportunity will be to return. As such, it was about maximising what I could in the few days I was there.

In the meantime I’m just going to have to live intravenously via your forum posts and trip reports :) 

 

 

[PeterRS]

On 12/11/2023 at 1:58 AM, Asian traveller said:

Arrival

Priority queues for business class immigration seemed to have been removed but managed to get into a newly opened short line at immigration.

Just for information of other travellers, the Priority Lane still exists at BKK. It has been moved but only around 50 meters to the East. Certain categories automatically get free use of the service, including those over 70, APEC Business Travel card holders, Thailand Elite members and others - see photo. Although it states that FIrst and Business Class travellers gain access, I have found in the past this is not true for every airline, especially the budget ones with a premium class since they have to pay for their passengrs to use fast Track. Legacy carriers have no problem. Best to double check in advance.

[Asian traveller]

11 minutes ago, PeterRS said:

Just for information of other travellers, the Priority Lane still exists at BKK. It has been moved but only around 50 meters to the East. Certain categories automatically get free use of the service, including those over 70, APEC Business Travel card holders, Thailand Elite members and others - see photo. Although it states that FIrst and Business Class travellers gain access, I have found in the past this is not true for every airline, especially the budget ones with a premium class since they have to pay for their passengrs to use fast Track. Legacy carriers have no problem. Best to double check in advance.

Thanks, when I was in the main immigration hall it didn't sign post that the business class was permitted so I just joined the main line. Good to know for the future - worth a try at least.

[PeterRS]

On 12/11/2023 at 11:10 AM, floridarob said:

in the meantime, you've raised the bar to a point that is deceptional to many workers,  giving them hope that there are more of us willing to pay those prices..😆

With this I cannot agree. I am certain there are some other big tippers out there who happily spash the level of cash which makes most posters and readers here wince. I remember a middle-aged Thai in one of the Twilight bars at least 10 years ago hand out literally handfuls - yes, handfuls - of 100 baht bills to many of the boys as though there were lots more where these came from. Indeed, I always had the feeling the few Thai customers who by that time continued to patronise the bars paid better than farang. Equally, though, as we know, there are the stingy lot who will always give as little as possible and then complain that anyoe paying more is distorting the 'market'!. 

Does anyone tip as much in the go-go bars as the Chinese/Japanese ladies who all but throw 1,000 baht bills at the handsome guys on the Moonlight runway? And that's just in the bar. In my many bar hopping years, I never knew what the rate was or even if there was a rate. Never once did i ask a mamazan. I gave what I felt reasonable and it was always accepted with a smile - except just once with a boy from Screwboy who had the cheek to ask for 500 baht more. Given what i already handed over, that indeed was cheek! He didn't get it!

[PeterRS]

19 minutes ago, Asian traveller said:

Thanks, when I was in the main immigration hall it didn't sign post that the business class was permitted so I just joined the main line. Good to know for the future - worth a try at least.

Unfortunately it is not actually in either of the two Immigration Halls. It is between the two.

[reader]

On Fast Track- Since I'm in the 70+ group, I've found that this always works well for us seniors. Take advantage of the benefit.

On tipping massage boys -- The only shops outside of Silom that I regularly use are in Saphan Kwai where most shops have an 800-1,000 minimum tip. If I receive what I consider very satisfactory service I add 200 (especially if they shower after with me). Have never had anyone in SK ask for more. I generally follow the same policy in shops with no minimum. I believe superior service should be rewarded.

On big spenders -- It was just a dozen days ago when I witnesed just how much some Asian women can distribute. One young lady was celebrating her birthday with some friends at Hot Male beer bar and I understand her liquor tab alone was about 5k. The waiters joined in the festivities and were well tipped.  There are also regular male customers who'll off a few waiters just to sit with him and drink. Others take a few off for dancing or karaoke. It comes down to what the customers enjoys and can afford. For you Jupiter regulars, such stuff is commonplace.

The spontaneous behavior is another reason the bars offer opportunity that the apps cannot do at the spur of the moment. Reservations not required.

 

[jason1975]

On 12/11/2023 at 2:58 AM, Asian traveller said:

 

I’m not sure when I’ll be back again, perhaps a number of years time but I shall, forever have fond memories.
 

  

Thanks for trip report. Appreciate your openness and honesty in sharing your experiences. Don't wait until many years later. Go back to Bangkok next year!

[floridarob]

6 hours ago, PeterRS said:

With this I cannot agree.

I've had guys mention that X customer paid me X amount, that's why he's worth more. It's been discussed here many times, more money doesn't equal better sex.

Peter, are you still hiring these days or in a relationship?

[PeterRS]

11 hours ago, floridarob said:

Peter, are you still hiring these days or in a relationship?

Relationship I'm delighted to say! As I have reported I am a free agent when I travel but I have never hired merely because there are many guys around who seem to want to spend time with me. 😁