forrestreid

It looks like Stickman is retiring from the Stickman Bangkok website, with his final weekly update scheduled for the end of the year. It feels like the end of an era. For those unfamiliar, Stickman Bangkok has long chronicled the straight bar scene in Thailand. (If you Google “Stickman Bangkok,” you’ll find it.) He has published a weekly column every Sunday morning for the past 25 years. But with readership declining—especially among younger visitors, many of whom are, according to him, Indian or East Asian and don’t follow his column—he’s decided to retire. I’ll be sorry to see it go. While his focus was squarely on the straight nightlife scene, he occasionally touched on broader issues like transport and general pricing. Some of the discussions such as about the price of a bar fine (the straight version of an off fee) could be eye-opening. Notably, he never covered the gay scene—he seemed to avoid acknowledging it altogether. That’s understandable to a degree, as the scenes are quite separate, but it was striking that even as the gay bars shifted from Soi Twilight to Patpong, he never mentioned them—he was liable to make comments along the lines of “naughty bars seem to be dying out in Patpong Soi 2” without mentioning that this was only if one was blind to a certain type of naughty bar… For me, his departure isn’t entirely surprising. I had a sense it was coming. Stickman hasn’t lived in Thailand since 2015 (when he returned to his native New Zealand), and while he used to visit three times a year pre-COVID, he’s only been returning once annually since. However, I will regret the end of Stickman Weekly, as in an era of increasing generic and click-baity travel and nightlife websites, Stickman stood out for having a distinct voice and being fairly reliable. Another site worth mentioning—especially since it DOES include coverage of gay venues —is Bangkok Eyes. (Again, Google “Bangkok Eyes” to find it.) It’s run by some real old-timers, with the main writer apparently having memories dating back to the Vietnam War era. The site is meant to update monthly, but that’s been slowing down lately. The last update was September 1st, and the October 1st edition still hasn’t appeared as of today, 19th October. They usually include a roundup of Bangkok’s naughty nightlife zones, noting openings and closings (often with photos), but that segment has been missing recently. I understand the contributor who used to do the rounds is now in a wheelchair, at least temporarily. I suspect he is in an age-group that finds it hard to get out of being stuck in a wheelchair, once they are in it, and have a sinking feeling that Bangkok Eyes will be the next site to say farewell to its readers. If you’re interested in Thailand’s unique demi-monde, these two websites are well worth a look—while they’re still around.

I didnt like to say it, for fear that Deep Seek will think I am even more curmudgeonly in future...

Depends on the instruction you give. I asked Deepseek for a review of me in 250 words. It was trenchant enough (I have highlighted the bits that could be negative): Based on a review of his posts on the Gay Thailand forum, forrestreid's personality is that of a seasoned, cynical, and authoritative expat who embodies the "grumpy old hand" archetype. He writes with a tone of weary expertise, often expressing nostalgia for a more authentic, bygone Thailand that he believes has been eroded by modern tourism and apps like Grindr. His interactions are consistently direct and intolerant of what he perceives as naivety or foolishness. He positions himself as a dispenser of tough love and hard-won wisdom, often correcting other members with blunt, paternalistic advice. For instance, when a newcomer posted a romanticized question about finding a traditional Thai boyfriend, forrestreid sharply dismantled the fantasy, outlining the economic realities with unsentimental clarity. He shows clear disdain for repetitive questions and poorly researched posts, yet his lengthy, detailed responses on bar etiquette and cultural norms reveal a protective, almost professorial desire to guide serious travelers away from common pitfalls. Ultimately, he commands a grudging respect as a jaded sage, fiercely protective of a subculture he feels is disappearing. I would be a bit cautious of interacting with me based on the above.....I think I am much more cuddly really...

Okay. Fair enough.

For the money obsessed amongst us, could you give an indication as to the sort of range?

I stayed at the Rose Hotel just before Covid and really liked it. The rooms were a bit old-fashioned and (in the case of the cheaper one I booked), quite small. But the staff were friendly, the breakfast was good, and I especially enjoyed the large ground-floor pool surrounded by greenery. I remember swimming alone in it—it felt peaceful and secluded. Although it was overlooked you did not get that feeling. One thing I did not like was crossing Surawong Road to get to the bars in Patpong 2. Although the Rose Hotel is probably, as the crow flies, less than 50 metres from that strip of bars, crossing Surawong Road, just at that point where the lane meets it, was surprisingly difficult. I felt very nervous trying to cross—just as the cars passed in one direction, motorbikes would follow immediately behind, and before you could even react, traffic from the opposite direction was already coming. I sometimes waited five minutes just to find a safe gap. It might seem like a small detail, but that experience actually put me off booking the Rose again when I visited Bangkok last year. I ended up staying at Le Siam Hotel instead. (It is further away from the bars, across Silom Road, but you can cross Silom Road using the Skytrain station)

It's illegal to be gay there, I believe - The Maldives is a Muslim country and their law code is based on Sharia Law. Most Western tourists are sent straight to island resorts, where things tend to be more relaxed—especially when it comes to two wealthy foreign guests sharing a double room.However, if you're hoping to connect with locals, you'd need to visit one of the non-holiday islands, and that could get you into trouble. Definitely not a destination for cruising

Actually, if anybody could have a beef with the series, I think it might be the Thai police and establishment generally. It looks like she got a bit of help from the Thai police for the filming she did in the sex trade area, but then it went wrong, however it was never explained exactly what the problem was. It seems to me like she maybe got permission to do a quick run through of Soi Cowboy and Pattaya Soi 6, but the police didn’t realise she was going to linger so long and try to interview people. I don’t know, I would’ve liked to have heard to Thai police viewpoint on those events anyway. And, in general, the series tends to give the impression of Thailand as a place that you didn’t know what the rules were and you could fall afoul at any moment. I know from a simplistic reading that is true, but from my experience of reading about Thailand over the years, I think that in many cases people could have avoided problems if they’re a bit more sensitive to the subtle rules. For instance, when she was interviewing the English guy who now runs cannabis shops Ko Phangan, he said he got in trouble and a spell in jail because “some Thai people don’t like farangs handling money”. This was rather a sinister way of explaining that, as a foreign business owner in Thailand who is strictly forbidden from doing the ordinary work of the business (like serving customers), he had presumably allowed himself to be caught out. Not saying its not a crazy rule, but it is well known what it is.

Well, if you are pining for Thailand in the cold British winter Londoner, a you could do worse than watch it.

No offense intended Londoner, but I found the thread title a bit misleading. I initially clicked in thinking it was about someone trying to access BBC iPlayer from Thailand... Anyway, I’ve watched the first two episodes of the show so far, and while I wouldn’t call it amazing, I don’t think it’s fair to say it’s terrible either. For this kind of programme made by a British TV company, it’s fairly decent. My main issue is that, like many British TV shows about the LOS, it gives the misleading impression that half the tourists there are British. I suspect most readers here won’t be particularly sympathetic to the way these sorts of programmes tend to portray Thailand’s sex industry. That said, if you watch with an open mind, there are some funny moments. One that stood out was the presenter’s interview with a Soi Cowboy bar girl. She was amusingly enthusiastic when talking about the British teenage lads who hire her—especially the ones whose fathers paid her to “break them in.” That clearly shocked the presenter! While the show didn’t explicitly cover the gay scene, I wouldn’t say it was entirely lacking in rainbow representation. If you saw the segment at the Pattaya sex clinic, you’ll probably know what I mean. And, if you are not a complete rice queen, there is quite a few cute young British guys in view. Lucas (the young guy interviewed in Pattaya ) was quite adorable and that poor guy who was stabbed in Ko Phangan was a not too bad looking either.

Getting even more back to topic of Chiang Mai...If somebody was planning on travelling to Chiang Mai in the near future, he could do worse than to read Shamelessmack's record of his visit there last December. He writes about it on his blog, https://shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog/ Open the blog and search for Chiang Mai. It will bring up four or five entries, covering his adventures in places such as Circle pub, Adam Club and the Acqua Club massage. He gives you quite a good idea of what you will get from the places.

Thanks for your reply, Travguy. Regarding Hunqz, it was originally a subsection of Gayromeo, but it is now a separate website (or app). No need to download the app to read it, just look at it on the web. You can log into it on using your Gayromeo account, although it doesn’t make that much difference whether you are logged in or not. The reason I brought it up is that it seems to the main escort site for Greece at the moment. I just checked and when you do a search for a 40 km radius around Athens, over 100 escort ads come up. You have a lot of guys offering massage on the site, as well as escorting. I plan on visiting Athens next month, and I’ve been thinking of using it, as I thought it might be a safer option than copying your adventurous exploits by meeting guys in public parks etc. I like reading of your adventures, but I’m not sure if I’d like to copy them (you may have read some of my interactions with street trade in Athens on this site already, which mainly involved walking around Omonia Square but not going to any hotel anybody as I was too nervous of them). I might chance trying out the cinema. I’m just wondering, how do the the encounters work in practice? Do you have sex with somebody amongst the general seating, or is there separate booths you can go to, or do you go to one of the toilets? Any clarification would be gratefully received as I’m rather nervous public sex seeker, lol.

Thanks for the detailed report Travguy. You certainly are packing plenty of stuff in! Did you try Hunqz, the escort site associated with Romeo? From previous reports, there was a lot of availability on it for Athens, and some at reasonable prices.

Why restrict oneself to three? Here is a pic of a real dinner party from 1985 with, amongst others, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Quentin Crisp, Boy George, Rupert Everett and Bianca Jagger. To be honest, I suspect that in reality it may have been insufferable, but there would have been a lot of wit among the attendees anyway. More realistic to imagine than a fantasy line-up with people who lived millennia apart.

Well, from their Facebook (which is updated a lot, fair play to them) BB Gun definitely seem to follow the karaoke model, with guys on stage with tags, presumably available for call downs Personally I think the DJ is the cutest guy on the staff, but I assume he is unavailable... I noticed that BB Gun's Facebook page had the pride flag on facebook postings in June, which would indicate that in their case at least, they are happy to chase a gay clientele.

There seems to be a whole slew of videos on Youtube recently on the topic of "male concubines" at various times in history. From a brief perusal of some, they seem to be sort of crappy, AI-generated generic drivel. Obviously it is clickbait for the gays with a fondness for history. On the other hand, Tom Holland has a very good podcast series with another historian, Dominic Sandbrook, which is on Youtube. It is called "The Rest is History" and is well worth a listen. If you want o hear a good academic series of Youtube talks on gay history, google "Noel Malcolm" and "Pharos Foundation". That will bring up a series of lectures by Sir Noel Malcolm for the Pharos Foundation on the history of homosexuality in early modern Europe. The Pharos Foundation has a whole series of lectures on various themes on their Youtube channel. They tend to focus on speakers with a conservative viewpoint, but Sir Noel Malcolm's lectures had no particular conservative bias.

For massage, there have been good reports about this place: https://gay-massage.gr/about-our-massages/ It is located at at Konstantinoupoleos Avenue 66, in the Gazi area of Athens. It is €35 for a massage in their shop, and there have been reports that they will give a bj for an extra €30. Have not had chance to attend myself. Would appreciate a report back if you go.

I must say though, I preferred staying in Sitges rather than Barcelona city anyway. The first time I went to Barcelona, I stayed in the city. I found that after a tiring afternoon of debauchery in the sauna, the fact that the nightlife got going extremely late didn’t really suit me. The next time I went to Catalonia I stayed in Sitges. I found the gay bars there got going a bit earlier in the evening. Also, the gay bars in Sitges are all close together, which makes it bit easier hit a few in the one night, which you might be want to do if you’re a tourist. My understanding is that gay Sitges is open for business and is busy every night from June to September, but that the gay bars then often close up on weekdays in the off-season, and only open Friday and Saturday night. So if you’re thinking of going to Sitges in the off season, it’s probably best if you could stay on a Friday or Saturday night. Of course, if you’re only going to Barcelona for the escorts in the sauna, a cheap hotel deal in Sitges on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday could be ideal. I’m aware of the irony of posting this “off-season” advice on the day before the 1st of June! I might bump this post next October.

If you are travelling out of season, one solution might be to stay in one of the beach towns outside of Barcelona with good rail connections to the city. Outside of the summer beach season, you can get good bargains there. For instance, Badalona on the northside is just 24 minutes by train to Barcelona Sants, and Sitges in the south is only 41 minutes by train to Barcelona Sants. In each case, there’s a train every 15 minutes. I just looked on Booking.com, and for the last week in October there are several good hotels between €70 and €90 per night within 5-10 minutes walk of the train station available in both towns Might be a good option if you are thinking of just hiring guys in Thermas sauna, rather than planning to have a guy come to your room. Both towns will be dearer during the summer season, as they are beach towns, but outside of high summer both would be worth checking out. A factor for Sitges though, is that the gay businesses there organise events like “Bear Week” and suchlike during the shoulder season, which extends the more expensive period for hotels.

This is something I have struggled with too - I fantasize when at home about having lots of fun in Thailand, but when I get there, suddenly my libido is lacking. Then when I get home I regret I didnt do more,....

Cool Photos jamiebee!

An interesting assignment. I find the idea of "favourite" books hard to compute when one is thinking of both fiction and non-fiction books. There are so different it is hard to quantify them together. I decided in the end that I would have two fiction and three non-fiction books, and make my choices then. It was hard to narrow it down to 5, and hard to say just a sentence about each and be meaningful. (I cheated a bit and added a bit more in brackets after each sentence, just like this!) TMax made a quite sensible choice to restrict his picks to just one theme. Fictional Choices Dubliners by James Joyce. In common with many others, I find the idea of reading one of his longer books is a bit too much, but I genuinely enjoyed this book of short stories by James Joyce -he was a master of the short story form, and his use of the idea of an epiphany as a theme is really well done (however, you would probably need to have an interest in the thoughts and life-ideas of somebody in an Edwardian European society to be really able to enjoy them. Joyce's world is very historically and culturally situated) The Quincunx by Charles Palliser. This is a big rambling intricate historical novel, in a sort of pastiche of a Dickensian style (even though it was written in the late 1980s) that succeeds in creating this sort of world that a classic 19th century novel created, albeit more R-rated in style. (If you are a fan of Dickensian novels such as Great Expectations. you would likely enjoy it, although it is about 700 pages it is quite the page turner) Some non-fiction choices: Roumeli By Patrick Leigh Fermor. My big fascination, apart from Southeast Asia, is Greece, and this book is an interesting meditation on northern Greece, blending historical insight and descriptions of 1950s travel (especially worth reading if you are thinking of heading to Meteora for the first time). Mad about the Mekong by John Keay is a page-turning historical account that retraces the 19th-century French expedition up the Mekong River, blending adventure, colonial intrigue, and modern reflections on the region. (A particularly good primer for anybody heading to Laos for the first time) Very Thai, by Philip Cornwall Smith. A good book for somebody who was fascinated by the physical reality of Thailand, like amulets, blue pipes and concrete seats, and wanted to read a bit about what they meant culturally. (I think I recommended this before, but worth recommending again, and unlike the above two books, I might recommend getting this after your first journey to the LOS rather than before)

Perhaps one thread is enough?

It is not very clear who on your site is an "executive model" and who is a "premium model". Therefore hard to figure out how much you should be expecting to pay.

Shame to see that Olddaddy acting the gobshite is derailing this thread in particular. Sorry to hear of the passing of Denis Houard. His patter during the shows was quite witty, and he had a very distinctive voice. I never met the man personally, but I will miss his presence the next time I visit X-Boys,