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Having visited the bar twice, I, too, am puzzled by the owner’s aspiration. On my first visit, all three waiters came to table to inquire if I wanted company. On second visit, sat at bar but was generally ignored. Compared to the three other gay-oriented bars on Patpong 2 (the two HM bars and the one under Fresh Boys with pool table), they all have very friendly staff who speak English and are offable. Dragon an Koi doesn’t appear to be operating with same agenda. And if that’s the case, it’s main competition is the Crown Royal across the soi.

I said most California farm workers were here on permits but certainly not all. A very similar situation applies to foreigners working in Thai construction and food processing industries (some on permits and some exploited illegally). Consider the places we frequent on our visits. 🫢

Heard same rumor 22 years ago on my first trip so must be just rumor.

Agree about domestics, Most of the Mexican farm workers are here legally on agricultural work contracts.

Two major issues propelled Trump to then White House: inflation and immigration. Voters will soon find that there’s nothing he can do to improve the former and his plans for tariffs could likely make it worse. Mega employers of foreign workers (who were big time Trump supporters) are already influencing him to tread lightly around their industries and concentrate on issues at the border and in big cities that are mostly in blue states.

From Pattaya News One of the most common emails and complaints we get to our news desk is about scams or people who have been taken advantage of by a scam. We have written recently about an alleged regular scam involving miracle cures and herbal products in Pattaya that have led to hundreds of complaints and police reports and multiple raids and arrests over the past few months, including this recent situation. Now, let’s take a general look, presented by our legal sponsors at Anglo Siam Legal, of common scams in Thailand. 1. Online Dating Scams – Scammers create fake profiles on dating sites or social media, pretending to be interested in a relationship. They might ask for money for various reasons like traveling to meet you or dealing with personal emergencies. When money is given , they usually block or remove their profile. Particularly targeted in Thailand are middle-aged Thai women, often with pictures of young, handsome men pretending to be pilots, doctors, or military. 2. Phishing Emails – These scams involve emails that look like they come from legitimate sources like banks or service providers, tricking individuals into providing personal information or clicking on malicious links. Scammers pretending to be government officials or police are also common. 3. Fake Investment Scams – Scammers promise high returns on investments, often in cryptocurrencies, forex trading, or pyramid schemes. They might show fake profits to lure more investment before disappearing with the funds. Recently, the Icon Group scam dominated headlines as we discussed here. 4. E-commerce Scams – Products are advertised online at very low prices, but once payment is made, the buyer receives nothing or receives counterfeit goods. An example includes ordering expensive electronics like iPhones or Playstations and receiving rocks or fake items instead. These scams are widespread on places like user marketplaces, groups, and social media. Buyers should always insist only to pay upon delivery and after inspecting the package in person. It is advised to never pay a deposit or money upfront before getting a product from individual buyers. It is a massive red flag if the seller insists not to meet before payment or before inspecting the product in person. 5. Advance Fee Fraud – This includes scams where victims are promised rewards or services but must pay upfront fees or deposits, after which the scammer vanishes. These are often called processing or administrative fees by the scammer with promises to in return give the victim huge benefits. 6. Rental and Real Estate Scams – Listings for rentals or properties are posted with attractive prices, but upon payment of a deposit or fee, the property does not exist or is already occupied. In Pattaya, scams around renting villas that aren’t available are common, usually on social media groups. Buyers should use reputable companies for booking property and not book through random individual social media users. 7. Lottery or Prize Scams – Notifications about winning a lottery or prize that you didn’t enter, requiring payment of taxes or fees to claim the prize which never arrives. 8. Charity Fraud – Scammers exploit natural disasters or crises by setting up fake charity collections, promising to help those affected but pocketing the donations. There are many legitimate charity organizations in Thailand, giving to the organization or center directly versus through a third party is always advised. 9. Tech Support Scams – Fake tech support representatives contact individuals claiming there’s a problem with their computer, leading them to install malware or share payment details for unnecessary services. 10. Loan Scams- Offers of easy loans with no collateral or credit check often require an upfront processing fee, after which the loan never materializes.

You spiked my curiosity. Looks like interesting alternative.

Sounds kinky. I like that in a man.

Wear your walking shoes. 🙂

From The Nation Selected historical sites in Ayutthaya province will be illuminated with lighting art installation and projection mapping shows from now until November 17 to showcase the glory of the old kingdom. The Culture Ministry, the Fine Arts Department, and related agencies joined hands to launch a collaborative project “4 Temples, 1 Palace of Early Ayutthaya Era”, aiming to boost nighttime tourism in Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Thailand. Complementing the government’s plan to organise “winter festivals” around the kingdom to boost tourism at the year-end, the project also aims to raise public awareness of Thailand’s arts, culture, tradition and folk lifestyle of the early Ayutthaya period (1350-1448), the Culture Ministry said during the press event on Friday. From November 9 to 17, the Fine Arts Department will decorate four temples and a palace in Ayutthaya with lighting art installation, namely Wat Chaiwatthanaram, Wat Ratchaburana, Wat Mahathat, Wat Phra Ram, and Chankasem Palace, from 6pm onwards.

I don’t like oil because I find it difficult to wash completely off after massage. Nevertheless I agree it can reduce friction between skin and masseur’s hands, making massage more sensual. A massage guy I know well always carries a small bottle of baby oil with him on outcalls. Finding the LINE ID can often present a challenge depending on how it registered its “official account “ with LINE. Sometimes I find I get it by searching LINE by shop name. But more often than not I need the ID. In those cases, I’ve often find it in a Google (or other search engine) listing. And you may also find it in posts by members who have taken the time to supply it. So try putting shop name in forum’s search engine.

You obviously didn’t read the article.

LINE is a messenger app used throughout the world but is most popular in SE Asia. Every guy I’ve run into uses it as do many members here. Easy to join and free. Just about all massage shops use it. https://line.me/en/

See post by “Liz” above with LINE ID.

From International Rivers Site of the proposed Sanakham Dam (October 2023). Credit: International Rivers By Rin Sohsai In early October, the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRC) sent a letter to Thailand’s Prime Minister expressing serious concerns about the plans for four more hydropower projects to be built on the mainstream of the Mekong River near the Thai-Lao territorial border— namely, the Sanakham, Pak Chom, Ban Kum and Phu Ngoy dams, all of which will be constructed in Laos but are expected to export electricity to Thailand. The NHRC letter to the Prime Minister comes in the midst of several high profile incidents of flooding of communities residing along the Mekong riverbanks and its tributaries. It is particularly timely, as the Thai government has been updating the country’s Power Development Plan (PDP) using assumptions based on outdated data and a process which has bypassed meaningful public participation. Meanwhile, government authorities have also failed to provide any assurance that adequate assessment of transboundary impacts have been done prior to moving forward with plans for this massive build-out of hydropower dams. On these matters, crucially, the NHRC findings and recommendations provided to the government echo critical concerns raised persistently by civil society and community based groups in Thailand as well as across the Mekong region. The NHRC letter to the Prime Minister is the result of an investigation by the NHRC undertaken in response to a joint complaint filed in June 2023 by ETOs Watch Coalition — a network of civil society groups, including International Rivers, which together monitors the human rights and environmental impacts of Thailand’s outbound investments — and the Thai Mekong People’s Network. Commissioners and their staff took the time to not only review documents at hand, but also heard testimonies directly from members of the communities along the Mekong who will be affected by the development of these dams, engaged with civil society groups and academics, held dialogues with local and national government bodies, and undertook site visits to areas within Thailand that stand to be affected by the Sanakham and Phu Ngoy Dam sites. Continues at https://www.internationalrivers.org/news/thailands-national-human-rights-commission-raises-serious-concerns-about-impacts-of-mekong-river-dams/

From CNBC Americans disappointed with the outcome of the U.S. election took their anguish online, with searches related to moving abroad surging following the results of the presidential race. Google Trends showed that searches related to “leaving the country” and “how to move to …” spiked following the news that Donald Trump would be returning to the White House. Searches for “how to move to Canada” peaked on Nov. 6, with Google Trends showing interest in the phrase highest among Democratic strongholds, like Vermont, Maine, Oregon and Washington. Those searching for “can I move to another country” were highest in two pivotal “blue wall” swing states — Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which NBC News has called for Trump — as well as Oregon, Minnesota and Indiana. Here are the top countries where respondents indicated interest in moving, should their preferred candidate lose the election: Canada United Kingdom Japan Australia Italy Ireland New Zealand Switzerland Spain France Sweden Germany Netherlands Costa Rica Mexico South Korea also made the list at No. 21, followed by the Philippines at No. 22 and Thailand at No. 23.

From The Nation A once-neglected wetland area in Chiang Mai has been transformed into a stunning park, offering a tranquil escape for urbanites. The Chiang Mai Provincial Administration Organisation has successfully turned about 48 hectares of wasteland into a picturesque space featuring lush lawns, walking paths and cycling tracks. The park's centerpiece is a large, serene lake, offering breathtaking views of Doi Suthep. Work on the wetland area began in 2022 when provincial authorities sought to find a larger venue for the annual Chiang Mai flower festival, and since its opening on September 14, it has become hugely popular among health enthusiasts and families seeking to spend time outdoors. Continues with photos https://www.nationthailand.com/life/travel/40043119

Recent video on shop’s LINE feed: video_533905594319896629-7DVAkuJh.mp4

According to the rules of the board, here’s what qualifies for posting in Beer Bar: “Open to general topics not covered elsewhere including Current Events, Politics, Religion, Movies and other topics. Discuss the topic, not the policy or personality. Have fun and enjoy!” Knowledge of On-going terrorism is southern Thailand may indeed be useful to visitors to the country. But I understand that if you are no longer visiting the country it may not be relevant to you personally.

If you’re looking for availability, there are quite a few cute guys working at Avarin Massage’s two shops on Surawong, one of which is situated at corner of hotel driveway and the other one a shopfront away. I can attest that they do one of best foot and leg massages in Silom along with oil massage done in rooms with table and in-suite shower than can accommodate two. 🙂

When the woman who owned original Tarntawan Hotel sold it (and adjacent apartment building at corner of Soi Tarntawan), buyer changed name to Tarntawan Hotel Surawong.

Just noticed this so I guess it’s new.

Guess I am a little. 😉 Noticed that Phetboy has taken a page from Phoenix Massage and also posted an another video of some of its guys shirtless.

I can—and frequently do—remember every guy who does, going back decades. My all time best fantasies.

The best harbinger of exchange rates is your home country’s central bank interest rate policy. If it rises so should its advantage vs the baht. Political leaders can influence trade but have no effect on cross currency rates that I can see.