macaroni21

Some of us have jobs, alas.

I recall we had a discussion about this as Thailand was emerging from COVID and the bars began to reopen. For a while, dream boys, hotmale etc had boys in jeans too. It was suggested in the discussion - sorry can't remember who said it - that the BIB had different rates for underwear and jeans. I can thus understand if a bar, newly reopened, with uncertain cashflow, would choose to pay the lower rate (boys in jeans) until business improves enough to afford the higher rate (in underwear). But here I am just recollecting what ii think I had read about a year ago. I don't vouch for the accuracy of such a theory. Perhaps more recent visitors can confirm: are the lads in dream boy, hotmale, fresh boys etc in jeans or underwear now?

Or the reverse. I've come across at least one boy who was "T&B" but in the room obviously can't do B, says it hurts too much and so on.

@spoon Whilst Riobard's post indicates he is familar with Tawan - and the body type found there - I would be careful not to leave him with the impression that Arena, VCK, Jey Spa or Sabaidee have similar types. The odd guy at these places might come close to the bodybuilder or semi-body-builder look of Tawan, but generally speaking Tawan is in a class of its own. Most (on some days all) of the guys at those four places cannot hold a candle to Tawan's. If you want an idea of what's more typical at these four places, look at the body type displayed on Jupiter bar's Facebook page. I'm referring to the boys doing the catwalk in videos, not the boys selected for Jupiter's static ads, some of whom could be outside models hired for photoshoots. While I haven't done as many rounds of the Saphan Khwai places as some experts here, I believe Saphan Khwai is more a twink paradise.

Starting with this newly uploaded post Saigon in the heat of April, there will be a series of reviews of five massage places in Saigon (Ho Chi MInh City) on my blog. It may take a few days for each of the rest of the posts to come up because I am still putting finishing touches onto them, in between catching up on work. It was a rather last-minute escapade. I found myself with a relatively free week and decided I would use it "productively". Since it had been at least 10 years since my last visit to Saigon, it was time to re-acquaint myself with this city.

I had thought of that actually, but it would have spoilt my joke. So I decided, mea culpa, to be a snob for the sake of a joke. 😛

Not Bangkok but in Sukothai. 40 years ago. It was perhaps 40 degrees most of the day. The hotel said "a/c" on it's outside but after waiting an hour (it was already past sundown) for the room to cool down, it was obvious the machine had no gas. It was the hotel's best room, one of only 2 with a/c. I took a walk through the neighbourhood to find another hotel. Saw one but it didn't even say "a/c" on its signboard. Enquiry at its desk confirmed that a fan was all that was available. The night heat felt like a ton of bricks and I could walk no further to find another hotel in the then very dusty town. Back in my room I couldn't even lie on the mattress till past 1 or 2am. The foam mattress had absorbed the day's heat and lying on it felt like lying on a park bench that had baked in the sun. Can't remember now but I don't think I had any sleep at all, sitting on a chair in front of a fan blowing warm air at me. I was sweating all night and a wreck in the morning. I remember this night better than the archeological ruins of Sukothai. Haha. I also remember one time in HK when the humidity was oppressive even though temperature-wise, it was only registering 26 or 27 degrees.

Somebody needs to tell the Thai Meteorological Department that their alarmist messaging is caring away tourists. I'm sure they will then announce a "smart heat index" - which is the temperature one experiences inside one of the country's massive shopping malls... where the smart part of the population is anyway.😛

I'm not in Bangkok now so I am not speaking with any personal experience. But, intrigued by the OP, I looked up weather sites and they seem to be saying Bangkok's maximum is around 36 or 37 degrees Celcius with 60 - 70 percent humidity. This maximum temperature is not unusual for this time of year, though I agree it is not pleasant in the least. As for the humidity, I have no recollection of "normal" from previous years, so I can't say. I know the OP referred to "heat index" which is some combination of temperature and humidity to simulate what the body feels, but it does seem a little alarmist to speak of 45 degrees. I have experienced (in Thailand) temperatures up to nearly 40 degrees, though with lower humidity, in Chiang Mai, Isaan and Sukothai, and 35 or 36 degrees in Bangkok. Indeed one needed to take precautions such as a hat and lots of water, and I would programme my days to avoid having to go out during the hottest 4 - 6 hours of the day, but I still managed enjoyable visits. Partly, aclimatisation helps - new arrivals from temperate countries may suffer the most - but it is also important to jettison farang habits like walking in the sun or sitting out on the sidewalk and do as the Thais do. I suspect weight issues also "weigh in" - though this may not be the politically correct thing to say.

Now we've been reduced to counting quarters. 😂

I think there's a The Quarter Sukhumvit too. I vaguely remember walking past it in December. That makes four and completes the set?

'The Quarter' is a chain, so there are several. The one on Tarntawan is called The Quarter Silom. What is being discussed here is The Quarter Saladaeng. I know of one more: The Quarter Hualamphong.

We need a volunteer to watch the 79 Adult Show and post a review, though we should also be prepared to chip in and buy the volunteer severals beers to help his recovery from the trauma of heteorsexual titillation. 😁

Way back in the early 1990s, there was a gay gogo bar on Thaniya called Banana Bar. It literally had a banana in its logo, displayed on a neon sign among the numerous neon signs of the street. The bar itself was on one of the upper floors of a building on the eastern side of the street closer to Suriwong Road than Silom Road. I must have visited it just once or twice. It didn't leave much of an impression on me. I can't even remember if it aimed at Japanese men.

Total = 4000 baht. Was that before or after the "50% off"?

My blog post https://shamelessmacktwo.travel.blog/2023/01/05/fifteen-strokes-and-its-time-to-move-on/ is about my encounter in December with one of the featured guys in Jey Spa. Not good enough for a repeat session, though.

@abidismaili mentioned 7500 a week, so that's about 30000 a month. 10800 in a supermarket is a third of that. That said, sex work is not regular work for most of them in the trade. It would be nice to get 5 clients a week, but I reckon many do not. Also, social shame and the ickiness factor of going body to body with someone who could be your grandfather can make the supermarket career option way more attractive by comparison.

Although Prime is justifiably known for its reliability in delivering good massages, I fear standards may slip when the boys are tired, as they may well be seeing the steady stream of customers. Your report on 15M is useful for others even if it wasn't a satisfying session. From my admittedly limited experience of the saphan khwai places (and Ganymede and what's-its-name on Soi Ari) I'd agree they aim for fun rather than therapeutic excellence.

I'll second that - a useful service. Thanks for taking the trouble.

Awww, thanks @floridarob for the shout-out. To answer a few questions above, @tm_nyc - it was a conscious decision to turn off comments. My posts come in spurts and starts, and for months between travels I may not post (nothing to report) and so have no reason to even look at my own site. This may frustrate people who put questions there, and they may think me rude to not reply. I would rather they put their questions here in GayGuides and this way benefit from the collective wisdom of many others, not just me. @Marc in Calif - Having done the other parts of Bali before, I had no urge to go trekking to the other towns; not even Ubud which I personally think a bit overrated (but that's just me). Furthermore the trip was half work and I didn't want to risk putting myself in the smaller places where wifi might be uncertain. Even in earlier visits, I have not come across gay places outside of the main urban area in Kuta - Seminyak - and I have not seen mention of any online (except 1 or 2 clothing-optional resorts). So, if you know of some, please share. I may check them out the next time. I've never been to any of these advertsed clothing-options places (no real interest) but I once had a longish conversation with someone while we were both stuck in transit at Singapore's Changi airport, waiting for a delayed flight to Manila. I don't fully recall the details (I don't even recall his name now!), but I do recall his general observation that the one (or was it two?) places he had been to were quite isolated, and there was limited choice beyond the in-house staff. Also, he said something about poor customer traffic, thus poor upkeep of the premises. But this is second-hand information. Would certainly appreciate if others had better and more recent information.

But... but... it's been so for at least 40 years!

If Russia were to make it a criminal offence to avoid conscription even if one were overseas, would it then be incumbent on Thailand to arrest and extradite accused persons?

For @vinapu and others into Tawan types:

My sample was not large enough to be able to say what's "reasonable" or what the going rate was. The boys generally asked for 400,000 to 500,000 rupiah (there was one case of 600,000), and I generally agreed to those requests. Were they on the high side? Possibly, but I honestly do not know. @dscrtsldnbi in his post from October 2022 described the rates from 2019, before Covid. He said 200,000 - 400,000, so I was paying 50 - 100% more than that.

Wait, since when was @vinapu into pretty faces? Didn't he say some of his hookups looked like axe murderers?