macaroni21

I think I can help with a few of your questions. 3. I have a revew of OneSpa in my blog (https://shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog/2024/03/13/shagging-in-the-shabby/) 4. No need to check IDs in massage parlours. If you see anyone uncomfortably young (which I have never encountered), just ask to change the masseur. 6. More often than not, they deserve no more than the minimum. When I think they're better than average, I may add 10 - 20%. When I am over the moon (which is rare), I may add 30%. I suspect many posters on this forum are shocked that I am giving farangs a bad name by not throwing money around (isn't the superior sahib supposed to do that when meeting the destitute natives?)

As often is the case with Thai journalism, it leaves more questions than it answers. 1. Any sign of a high-speed rail linking the 3 airports? Any sign of building works at least? (They must have won the contract in or before 2018). 2. Has anyone noticed that "the route has expanded to cover a greater distance since 2018"? As far as I know, it still starts at the airport and ends a Phaya Thai (and vice versa). 3. Have they restored the express line (different from the present local line) - the one which they say will have increased capacity to carry a grand 800 passangers a day, which is toughly 0.65 percent of the 123,000 passengers* a day that use Suvarnabhumi? *45 million assengers a yer divided by 365 days.

"The signboard had been removed"... Now THAT'S worrying. The only way to reconcile that with assurances about reopening next month would be if it reopens under a new name and new owner.

There are two possible dynamics at work here. The first is the possibility that Phuket is suffering from foreigner fatigue. Large numbers, with the usual percentage behaving disrespectfully (note that I am not saying they are any more boorish than usual or any more rowdy than Thais themselves can be) tend to induce a certain heightened sensitivity among locals. If there are unusually large numbers of Russians staying longer than usual, the fatigue may be particularly directed at them. The second, and more likely, dynamic would be one where one news story "begets" another, similar one. For example, a kicking story by itself may not be newsworthy and in other times an editor may shunt it aside, but when it follows in quick succession another story of foreigner being boorish to Thais, then it becomes more newsworthy.

What's "gv"?

Whoa, I have not heard of this one before. A google search shows its name to be Aurora Massage @Sukhumvit and: https://www.top-rated.online/cities/Khlong+Toei+District/place/p/17837152/Aurora+Massage+%40Sukhumvit with Line feed: https://line.me/R/ti/p/@359fhjop The comments in the first of the two links above (sorted chronologically) seem highly variable: 5/5 Rattha W. 2 months ago on Google • 1 review Good service 1/5 Y Y. 2 months ago on Google • 9 reviews Cold staff bad service 5/5 Josh 3 months ago on Google • 203 reviews Very comfortable 5/5 Dan C. 10 months ago on Google • 19 reviews It is a place where men should come and relax with a fragrant aromatic oil massage or a scrub for smooth, soft skin. Suitable for taking a break to relieve fatigue. Good service staff, clean store, private, luxury 1/5 Tam T. 1 year ago on Google • 40 reviews No fun. There are no special services, the owner emphasized. 5/5 นายณรงค์ฤทธิ์ �. 1 year ago on Google • 1 review The massage skills are very good, the room is very good and the service is very good. 5/5 Chitsanupong S. 1 year ago on Google • 1 review For good service

@a-447 is right. There is another reason, though. A good percentage of the clients that these businesses serve are in the closet; many married to wives. Their employers are not as open as companies in the West, reinforcing the closet. The shops know that to serve this market properly, they have to make sure that the customer never gets to see another customer, or even any other member of the staff. Thus, it makes no sense to ask customers to come to a central location (the shop). In fact, I think many of these businesses do not have a shop or office. The management operates virtually. The only real estate they lease may be a couple of private rooms here and there, whose addresses they will not release to the public or customers (lest the wife discovers it). That's why they operate the way they do: the chosen boy will meet you at a notified location and walk you to the hideaway. There are exceptions though. Some businesses also run a bar and walk-ins are allowed. But these businesses also operate in parallel the same system where they take email bookings and the boys will meet their customers outside nearer the rented rooms. Even Tokyo Kids, which I have used at least twice, maybe three times but the first time was long ago (or I'm confusing that time with another shop), although they have an address and a signboard outside, I have never been inside. They've always met me outside and walked me to their private room.

I have. A number of times over several years. Nothing to worry about. But always be punctual, in keeping with Japanese norms.

Sorry if I am pouring cold water on your fun moment, but the word "loka" is from Sanskrit. It means the world or the universe. (see 4th paragraph of https://kr-asia.com/in-the-top-flight-everything-you-need-to-know-about-traveloka-part-1-of-2) Not everything revolves around the Western world or European languages 😘

Indeed, I have had that experience. Wherever possible I book directly with airlines' sites. But these aggregators are good for finding out which airlines fly to the the destinations I am looking at and for price comparisons.

In the context of aviation, maybe the expression should be trash in crash out.

Easy to forget one's own presence unless one looks into a mirror. I don't know about @Lucky but it's something I'd rather not do as the years creep up.🙃

I second @Keithambrose suggestion. Since you don't often go to the big city, you may not realise how Patpong road has changed. This blogpost from last December should give you an idea, complete with a few photos: https://shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog/2024/01/16/patpong-night-market-now-has-food/

It's been 23 months since the last post (April 2022) in this subforum, about a jazz festival in Hua Hin. Doesn't look like many members go to this beach town. I passed through the town one afternoon on my way back to Bangkok from further south and took some pictures. Didn't spot anything gay, but the place has a nice relaxing feel to it. https://shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog/2024/03/10/passing-through-hua-hin/

What?

I think this question has been overlooked: should parents have the right to make such decisions for children? Here's an analogous question: are parents allowed to tattoo their children?

The data for the graphic-map seems to be taken from this table: https://pophealthmetrics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12963-016-0073-5/tables/1 How exactly this article got its estimates (and that's the word they used) is unclear. Frankly, not only Thailand, (23%) but I also find the percentages for China (14%), Hong Kong (28%) and Japan (9%) hard to believe. Way too high.

I have read that even in the African countries without a high Muslim population there has been a push to circumcise boys and men because it was seen as offering some protection against HIV. How much protection, I don't know.

Hahaha. Basically, this update from the authorities sounds like "Nothing to see here, folks. Move on."

Ladyboys are also mentioned here quite a lot. Read the threads about robbing on Pattaya Beach Road and the latest one about an afray in Soi Nana 🤣

I would also add that if a bar has a significant number of Japanese customers, it will make sense to collect the tip upfront. This is the practice in Japan, and so, Japanese customers would be more comfortable about it because it signals to them that the bar management takes responsibility for the quality of services provided. It's kind of opposite to the situation where a bar says, what happens after you leave the bar is between you and boy (both in terms of service and remuneration) and we wash our hands of it.

I agree with @12is12 You've written the post in a manner that simply recounts the facts and lets the facts speak for themselves. Indeed, it serves as a cautionary tale for others. You've also been very fair by describing how the mamasan resolved the matter promptly and satisfactorily. Thank you. What remains as a bit of a mystery is how the upfront payment of 1500 baht for "tip" was even requested in the bar itself before you set off for your hotel. Was it condoned by the mamasan? Paid to the mamasan/bar cashier? Or paid to another boy for "safekeeping" for Jack? If the latter, it would be suspicious. That said, over 20 years ago, I did have a similar experience, where a bar on Sukhumvit Soi 23 (Bangkok) told me that their practice was to collect the tip in the bar itself before the boy goes off with me. I thought it strange then, but the bar manager explained it something along these lines: (a) the boy should have no reason to ask for more money at the end of the session, (b) if the boy does not perform, come back to the bar the next evening and let us know; we will not transfer the pre-deposited tip to the boy. In that instance, the boy did well and I had no reason to go back to the back the next evening. But till now, it remained the only time ever that I have encountered such a practice of collecting the tip upfront. So, what I am saying is that this practice of collecting the tip upfront may be rare, but is not unknown. And if the bar is a reputed one (which Circle Pub seems to be), it may be for a good reason - as your own experience has shown.

This is very interesting. It's a site for Asian travellers (I suspect majority Japanese) judging by the handles used by those posting comments, and by the fact that it offers automatic translation into Japanese, Mainland Chinese, Taiwanese Chinese, Korean and English (cool use of technology). I think it charges businesses for advertising/listing. It's great to see sites catering to Asian travellers. They are the one who will keep gay businesses in Asia alive and well.

Hmmm... The clues: 1. Soi Nana. 2. Five a.m. 3. Ability to mobilise 100 sisters within a day. Professional jealousy perhaps?

So, the next time we use OneSpa's rooms, we may meet a woman in the corridor? Or we may hear a woman moaning away in the next room? Hmmm. I think I will pass