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I've found that in most cases, you can get the same or better rate rate at the individual hotel's website, but not always. I've used Agoda from time to time over the years and never experienced a problem. However, as some have noted above, you need to carefully read the conditions (cancellation rights and payment schedule) before booking. But I agree with PeterRS that Agoda;s pricing advantage appears limited to Asian locations. By booking by credit card, you have recourse if the hotel or agency fail to honor their obligation. Other than that, it's not rocket science.

On that subject, I believe the one you should be asking is the guy who provide you with service. If you're both satisfied, it's a win-win. Looking back on my last two trips (both 60 days), I averaged about one massage every other day. They were all in the Saphan Kwai and Silom areas. So the total was somewhere in the vicinity to 56 because I didn't have any on first and last days. Of that number I had three of what I would consider disappointing or unsatisfactory. Maybe I'm just easy to please. Maybe I've just been lucky in picking the right guys. My typical tip is 1000-1200 for one hour and 1500-1700 for 90 min. Judging by how they were received, I considered it a win-win for all concerned. Quite a few of the guys became repeat providers. I enjoy getting to know them and learning something about their lives outside of the shop. I'm aware that there are members who have posted about unsatisfactory massage experiences, but wouldn't say they were numerous which is a highly subjective term. To some, five might constitute numerous, to others it may mean 25, 50 or a 100. I've very much enjoyed my experiences with these young men. You won't find me apologizing for coming to their defense. Go back a few years and many of us were bemoaning the fact that Thailand was closed and we couldn't wait to return. Now that we're traveling again, the enchantment seems to have faded for some posters. Just glad I'm not one of them. 🙂

NOTE -- Kudos to PaulSF, a good friend and sports aficionado first class for bringing this to my attention. When the Miami Marlins yesterday beat the Pittsburgh Pirates to clinch a spot in the divisional playoffs baseball playoffs, few were aware that the team's general manager, Kim Ng, is not only the first woman general manager in Major League Baseball history but the daughter of mixed east Asian ancestry (mother from Thailand and father of Cantonese descent). Her unlikely rise in a man's game had very early roots when she accepted a post with the Chicago White Sox in 1990. The rest is for the history books. From Time magazine Kim Ng took her seat on the chartered jet. As assistant general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, she was joining the team on a road trip in 2008. Soon the Dodgers players started filing onto the plane, and a flight attendant began taking drink orders from staffers. When she reached Ng—pronounced Ang, rhymes with Hang—the flight attendant leaned in close. “So what did you do to get on this plane?” she asked. After nearly two decades in baseball front offices, Ng had become accustomed to the condescending glances, outright hostility and attempts at intimidation that come with being the only woman in the room. But this was, well, something else entirely. So Ng decided, as she had so many times in her professional life, to have some fun with the situation. “Do you really want to know?” Ng said conspiratorially, teasing a salacious secret. “Yeaaah,” the flight attendant replied, barely containing her enthusiasm. “See all these guys?” Ng said. “Yeaaah.” “They all work for me,” Ng said. Speaking during a video interview from a hotel room in Miami where she had been staying for the past month or so, Ng laughs recalling this conversation. “She slinked away,” Ng says. “The point was, Why are you asking me this?” Ng was named the general manager of the Miami Marlins in November, becoming the first female GM in the history of major North American men’s pro team sports and the first East Asian American to lead a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. She had interviewed for GM positions at least 10 times over the years, only to be passed over for someone else. But her hiring by the Marlins was not just a personal victory—it was widely celebrated as a breakthrough with the potential to place more women in traditionally male power roles, in baseball and beyond. Richard Lapchick, whose Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida publishes an annual report grading the hiring practices of sports leagues—MLB most recently got a C for gender hiring—hails Nov. 13, 2020, the day that Ng’s new position was announced, as the “most note-worthy day for baseball since Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947.” Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton sent Ng kudos via Twitter; two of Ng’s inspirations when she was growing up, Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova, also cheered the enormity of the moment on social media. On the night of President Joe Biden’s Inauguration, Ng even participated in the virtual festivities, sharing words from Ronald Reagan’s 1981 Inaugural Address celebrating peaceful presidential transitions. “It is unbelievable yet totally deserving that Kim has ascended to a position of power, influence and leadership,” King tells TIME. “Kim Ng being a GM of a major sports team is a strong indication that if you can see it, you can be it.” Ng, 52, grew up playing stickball in Queens, N.Y. One manhole cover served as home plate, a parked car to the right was first base, another manhole cover down the street was second, and a parked car to the left was third. She was always the only girl. “I grew up a tomboy, for sure,” Ng says. “Always the oddity.” Her father, who died when Kim was 11, had introduced his daughter to baseball. She slept under a poster, sponsored by Burger King, of the 1978 World Series champion New York Yankees. Baseball’s slow pace—the average sports fan’s biggest complaint about the game these days—-actually drew her in. “It gave me time to ask questions,” Ng says. “It gave me time to socialize and to be curious, and not necessarily be completely entranced.” When her family moved to Long Island, she took up organized softball. She was then the star of her team at Ridgewood High School in New Jersey and continued her career at the University of Chicago, where she hit .388 as a junior. She played multiple infield positions and emerged as the unquestioned team leader. “She was one of those loud people on the field,” says Rosalie Resch, an assistant athletic director during Ng’s years on campus. “There was no question how many outs there were.” In one photo from the time, Ng is kneeling at the front of the dugout, eyes honed in on the Chicago hitter, more immersed in the action than anyone else. Ng playing softball at Ridgewood High School in 1986 Mike Grattini—USA TODAY NETWORK/Reuters When her family moved to Long Island, she took up organized softball. She was then the star of her team at Ridgewood High School in New Jersey and continued her career at the University of Chicago, where she hit .388 as a junior. She played multiple infield positions and emerged as the unquestioned team leader. “She was one of those loud people on the field,” says Rosalie Resch, an assistant athletic director during Ng’s years on campus. “There was no question how many outs there were.” In one photo from the time, Ng is kneeling at the front of the dugout, eyes honed in on the Chicago hitter, more immersed in the action than anyone else. Photo courtesy of UChicago Athletics Read the full article at https://time.com/5943601/kim-ng-first-female-gm-miami-marlins/ ============================

From Pattaya Mail Income tax fears replace insurance worries in latest Pattaya expat poll By Barry Knyon The new top concern of Pattaya expats, almost 60 percent, is the recent announcement of the Thai internal revenue service to tax all income brought into Thailand by both Thai nationals and farang residing here over 180 days in a calendar year. According to a straw poll of 150 expats (UK, US, EU, Australia), conducted in Jomtien soi five from 26-28 September, the subject has displaced visa and insurance concerns from their traditional first place in past polls. “Touch my pension and I’m out of here, was the response of many expats. Some, mostly retirees, said they were reviewing their options such as moving to Cambodia or the Philippines where tax laws are believed to be softer or ignored for foreign residents. However, about a quarter of the respondents had never heard of the proposal or thought it did not apply to them. Five respondents thought it only referred to currency speculators, holders of off-shore accounts in Hong Kong or elsewhere or rich investors in overseas businesses. Pattaya Mail contacted a Thai tax lawyer for his personal perspective. Here is his reply, “Thai revenue is simply updating an old law by saying that tax must be paid, from next year, on foreign income even if the incoming money’s arrival is delayed into a future tax year. But there is no intention to tax again income that has already been taxed abroad. For example, the pensions of most foreign retirees are taxed initially in their home country and there are, in any case, double taxation treaties with 61 countries. The issue is whether all resident expats will need to register with Thai revenue to obtain a tax identification number (TIN) to explain their individual circumstances. Nobody can answer detailed questions until the revenue issues more guidelines for the non-business community.” Second subject choice for most respondents was concern that more long term visas would soon require compulsory hospital insurance. The prime worry was amongst the holders of non “O” retirement extensions or the annual extension granted to foreigners with a Thai spouse. There have been no official announcements, but remarks earlier in the year by a deputy national police chief, Surachate Hakparn, seem to be the main source of worry. Several respondents said they had now moved to Elite visas which guarantee multiple-entry to Thailand for 5-20 years depending on the initial cash sum paid, starting with 900,000 baht. The whole subject is controversial in Thai government circles as the evidence shows that most non-payment of hospital bills by foreigners arises from motorbike accidents involving short-term tourists under 40. Other subjects of worry raised in the field study included the future of night life in the city which some see as short-term as the Pattaya tourist profile changes to Asia and away from Europe and the future of ganja leisure smoking in view of recent government announcements to restrict use to medical treatment. Brits are understandably upset by their “frozen” old age pensions here, although respondents seem resigned to the inevitability of discrimination. Four respondents primarily raised the issue of inflation in supermarket products, whilst three referred to traffic jams which they blamed on city hall or too many music festivals. A sole Australian expat said she was really worried about an influx of Americans if Donald Trump won the general election next year.

From Pattaya Mail Heiner Moessing from Siam Properties was the guest speaker at the September 27 meeting of the Pattaya City Expats Club (PCEC). His topic was The Joys and Perils of Property in Thailand. Heiner has been in real estate nearly all his life. After graduating at Free University Berlin (MBA) he worked for a in their private customer division where he concentrated on property matters. Heiner noted that the property market in Pattaya is quite different not only from most western countries, but also from other areas of Thailand. This is due to it being a major tourist destination as well as the choice of many retirees for their home in Thailand. One difference he pointed out was that in Pattaya, one can list properties with many agents at the same time, there is no “exclusive listing” by a single real estate agency. Also, in choosing an agent, one needs to find one that actually “listens to you” on the type of property you are seeking, whether to buy or rent, as some agents are known to ignore your wishes and show you properties that are completely different from what you are looking for. He then proceeded to explain the advantages and disadvantages of condos units as well as houses. The types of ownership structures necessitated by Thai laws that generally prohibit foreigners from owning land and allowing ownership of up to 49% of units in condominiums. This was followed with pictures of properties as he pointed out areas one needs to consider when buying or building such as ceiling height and type, ventilation, and arrangement. Heiner concluded with things to consider if you want to purchase property as an investment. For example, he said it would be better to invest say 10 million baht in several small condo units versus one single unit or house. He mentioned current market conditions noting that older condo units will often be larger and less expensive than newer units which tend to be the opposite. However, the newer condominium developments will most likely have more amenities in the common areas than older developments.

I would agree with you about Prime. But Prime is unique because it has a long-established reputation for what you refer to as an exclusively "legit" shop. But for the other shops in the area, the reason they don't require minimum tips is that none want to be the first in fear of losing business to competitors. So it boils down to favor status quo.

Heartened to hear that you don't use Google. Guess what thew me off was that you cited it as the rationale for determining the customary tip. Tbh, I don't think getting a foot massage in the Thai business class lounge quite equates with the service massage shops provide.

It's a misnomer to refer to Thailand as a country where tipping is not expected in the area of massage. Less than 95 percent of the massage industry in Thailand is aimed at or available to farangs. The remaining five percent is an outgrowth of the Vietnam War period when the population was quick to capitalize on the presence of western young men who were making Bangkok and Pattaya R&R havens. But massage parlors existed long before that event to service the local population. Without "tipping" or some other type of service fee, it would have been unable to sustain itself. Without the tradition of tipping, the influx of young men from ASEAN countries would have never come about. Nor would the they come to dominate the go-go bars we discuss so much on these pages. Tips make up their livelihood. I hope that doesn't leave you anyting less than happy. It's noteworthy that in the Saphan Kwai area that primarily serves the local population, not only is the tipping culture firmly entrenched, so are posted minimum tips.

So if the massage shop changes 500 baht for an hour massage, you think 100 baht would be a fair tip? Please don’t substitute Google for your brain in all matters.

Why tip anyone. Just consider yourself entitled to have boys service your body for the sheer thrill of it. if we all follow your logic, no one would be tipping anyone. Maids, bartenders, waiters and bellhops would get stiffed.

In other words, Macaroni, you’d be perfectly content if your employer didn’t pay you for your job. Because that’s what the tips represents to masseurs. It’s their pay. What a ridiculous attempt to justify bad behavior.

Mixed shop. They exploit the fact that the vast majority of shops in Silom/Surawong don’t require minimum tips. Classic Cheap Charlie behavior. And it’s consistently on display. I've patronized Prime and would be embarrassed to tip less than 500.

But if we told court we went to my room to discuss who was bigger asshole, Trump or DeSantis, I think they’d buy it.

I think it's stupid not to. Just texted with massage guy I talk with almost every night after work. Today he had three customers: two from China who gave him total of 300 baht and one from US who gave him four times that amount. Why? His shops does not post minimum tip. Those shops that do post tips don't seem to have any problem making it understood.

Prostitution is illegal but massage is not. Many shops post both on line and in shop the minimum tip. That would not be illegal.

From the BBC By Fergus Walsh Medical editor Men undergoing treatment for prostate cancer could be safely given far less radiotherapy, a major trial has found. Doses can be cut by three-quarters meaning five higher doses is enough, instead of the 20 or so given now. The international trial involved nearly 900 men with medium-risk prostate cancer that had not spread. Lead researcher Prof Nicholas van As from the Royal Marsden Hospital said the results were "outstanding" and "fantastic" for patients. Prostate Cancer UK said the finding had the potential to save time and money for the NHS, while still giving men the best outcomes. It means thousands of men could be given larger doses of radiotherapy - also known as multi-beam radiotherapy - at each hospital visit, but less overall. The study found that after five years, 96% of the men who received five doses of the multi-beam radiotherapy were cancer-free, compared to 95% who received at least 20 doses of standard radiotherapy. Side effects, such as needing to pass urine more often, were low in both groups. The top-line results of the PACE-B trial will be released at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiation and Oncology (Astro) conference in San Diego. Prof van As said he expected the results to lead to "enormous change" in the way radiotherapy was delivered. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-66946336

Good question. Pattaya One News reports that police identified the culprits using video surveillance footage, although they don't report on the outcome of the investigation. https://pattayaone.news/pattaya-transwoman-steals-from-bahraini-tourists-purse/

The Junta in Myanmar claim that its image has been tarnished by a blockbuster movie in China. How is this even remotely possible when it has already managed to tarnish its own reputation beyond salvage. https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2655306/myanmar-says-image-tarnished-by-chinese-thriller

I would endorse PeterRS' idea about making things clear in advance about fees and minimum tips. Just about all the massage shops in Saphan Kwai post minimum tips for individual guys (the tips are set by the boys themselves, as far as I know). This eliminates misunderstandings and ensures that masseur receives fair compensation. In shops where's no minimum (and that's most of the ones in the Silom area), I amazed by how many northeast Asian customers offer zero to a few hundred baht. As for Vinapu's observation, I have the same thoughts. I like to think of those guys as"Bangkok straight": they're straight until they decide they're not as the right opportunity presents itself when the door closes.🙂

If you're in town between now and October 8th,you might want to consider this street food event. Or you could also just check out the vendors who set up shop along the Silom-Surawong rectangle. From The Nation Celebrity chefs in Thailand are scheduled to showcase their culinary skills and latest street food inventions at the “SX Food Festival 2023”, an exhibition of sustainable food at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok. The event is part of the Sustainability Expo 2023 (SX2023), which runs until October 8 at the convention centre. Held under the theme “Thai Street Food Museum”, organisers modelled the exhibition venues after iconic street food neighbourhoods in Bangkok, including Yaowarat (China Town), Memorial Bridge, Chalerm Krung, Phra Nakhon, Ratchadamnoen Avenue, Hua Lamphong, and the floating market. The fair opens daily from 10am to 8pm. Admission is free.

From The Nation Passengers flying from new terminal advised to allow extra 20 minutes People taking flights at Suvarnabhumi International Airport have been advised to check their flight information carefully to avoid confusion now that the new satellite terminal has been opened. “If you accidentally enter the new satellite terminal [SAT-1], you will have to restart the whole check-in process again and this delay may result in you missing your flight,” the Airports of Thailand (AOT) warned on Friday. The terminal, for which a soft opening was held on Friday, is designed to handle 15 million passengers annually, marking a 33% increase in the airport’s capacity from 45 million passengers to 60 million. Currently, two airlines are scheduled to use the SAT-1 terminals for specific routes. They are: Thai AirAsia X flights to and from Japan (Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo), South Korea (Seoul), and China (Shanghai) Thai Vietjet Air flights to and from Singapore, Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City) and Taiwan (Taipei). “Check your boarding pass. If it says Gate S101 to S128, that means you need to travel from the main terminal to SAT-1 terminal to board your flight,” AOT director Kirati Kitmanawat said, adding that passengers are advised to use the automated people mover (APM) as the terminals are one kilometre apart. Kirati added that according to a trial run, travelling from the main terminal to SAT-1 takes no more than 18 minutes. Since the APM leaves every five minutes, he said, passengers should ensure they have at least 20 minutes to spare. Airlines that have expressed interest in using the new terminal include Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, Mahan Air, All Nippon and Thai Airways International.

From CNN A sugar replacement called erythritol — used to add bulk or sweeten stevia, monkfruit and keto reduced-sugar products — has been linked to blood clotting, stroke, heart attack and death, according to a study. “The degree of risk was not modest,” said lead study author Dr. Stanley Hazen, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Diagnostics and Prevention at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute. People with existing risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, were twice as likely to experience a heart attack or stroke if they had the highest levels of erythritol in their blood, according to the study, published February 27 in the journal Nature Medicine. “If your blood level of erythritol was in the top 25% compared to the bottom 25%, there was about a two-fold higher risk for heart attack and stroke,” Hazen said. “It’s on par with the strongest of cardiac risk factors, like diabetes.” Additional lab and animal research presented in the paper revealed that erythritol appeared to be causing blood platelets to clot more readily. Clots can break off and travel to the heart, triggering a heart attack, or to the brain, triggering a stroke.

From VN Express National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines on Thursday announced that it plans to launch a direct route between the central coastal city of Da Nang and Thailand's Bangkok in November. This move materializes the outcomes of talks between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Thai counterpart Srettha Thavisin on the sidelines of the recent high-level week of the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York, where the latter proposed the opening of additional flight routes between the two countries. Vietnam and Thailand celebrate their 10th anniversary of strategic partnership this year. Vietnam Airlines is coordinating with relevant authorities to launch the route linking the Da Nang international airport to Bangkok-based Don Mueang international airport in early November.

It may puzzle us farangs why a high-level cop would seemingly be so careless in advertising his wealth, but to a Thai it's no mystery at all. Consider this narrative from "Bangkok 8" between Colonel Vikon and Detective Jitpleecheep, the protagonist: "Don't I know I'm vulnerable to an enquiry anytime? Don't I know that some army bastard or muckraking journalist, or some asshole who wants my job, can start digging anytime and find my stuff--my boat, my little house up north, my handful of bungalows on Samui--and start pointing the finger? Wouldn't I be happier with less assets and more peace of mind? Why d'you I think I keep that stuff where everyone can see it, when I could just sell up and put the money in a bank in Switzerland? Why?" "Because this is Asia." "Exactly. If I'm to do my job properly I have to have face. And my enemies have to see the war chest. You don't survive at the top of a greasy pole if you're a humble little cop piously shuffling files around."

From Pattaya Mail A 55-year-old tourist from Bahrain, Hasan Mohamed Almuqahwi, experienced an unfortunate incident during his late-night baht-bus ride from Soi Bua Khao back to his hotel on September 28, prompting him to report a robbery to the local Pattaya police. Hasan told the police that two women, visibly transvestites, had joined him on the baht-bus. Engaging in what seemed like casual conversation, the journey took an unexpected turn as the vehicle approached the hotel where Hasan intended to disembark. Seizing a fleeting opportunity, one of the women snatched Hasan’s bag, containing 7,000 baht, 60 Dinars, and essential documents. Hasan attempted to restrain the suspected thief, but failed. In a blink, the two transvestites made a quick escape on foot, leaving Hasan in hot pursuit but without success. Following the incident, Hasan reported the theft to the local authorities. The Pattaya police promptly initiated an investigation, diligently examining closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage to identify and apprehend the suspects.