macaroni21

I asked them on Line whether their Sukhumvit branch is open again, and they confirmed it is. So, the December notification about closure seems to have been reversed. I don't know the reason why they reversed their decision but maybe their business fell off sharply when they expected customers to travel all the way to their other shop in Lat Phrao.

First of all, let's not imagine that Myanmar has anything even resembling a functioning government whose remit runs to all corners of the county (as coloured on a map). Some reports suggest that the Naypyidaw government controls little more than 60% of the map-coloured area. Big patches of the territory, particularly the border areas whether minrotiy ethnic groups live are controlled by rebel militia. These militia are always desperate for money to buy arms. So if a Chinese scam entrepreneur offers to set up a business in their territory, and offers a cut of the takings to the militia, he will likely be welcomed with open arms. One can imagine the militia reploying ts forces to help the scam centre maintain "security". The recent threat of the Thai government to cut off power and internet access seems to be working. One might say it should have been done a long time ago, but I can understand that the Thai government did not want to trigger more waves of refugees of the civilian population fleeing into Thailand due to power cut-off. The difference this time is that bad rep was hurting Thailand's tourism ambitions, and so Thailand had to act at last. There are different rebel militia groups along different parts of the border. The above video is only about one part. I don't know if there are similar agreements reached with other rebel groups in other stretches of the border to shut down their scam centres. Even now, I wonder how long this positive "solution" will last. Maybe as soon as things quieten down, the scam centres will be up and running again? After all, the militia groups' need for cash remains unchanged.

You originally refered to the pier as Pontoon Pier, but lately, you're calling it the Platoon Pier. Auto-correct somewhere?

I'm not doubting you because this sounds like a first-hand observation, but it may seem curious since only a month earlier, @Gottago reported that Aurora had sent out a Line message saying that this branch (Sukhumvit Soi 4, a.k.a. Soi Nana) is closed. I had received the same notification. Is it possible that the shop had been sold and, while open for business, is now trading under a different name?

Watermelon Spa. Oh my, read the Google reviews (the one-star ones are always fun to read): 2 months ago The place is filthy. The masseuse are busy with their cellphone while you fall asleep. The beddings are old and re use over and over again. The smell of the whole place is like a urine. The small towels smelled-pretty bad. This place is disgusting. I am very disappointed. 2 years ago ❌ Super Dark Rooms and barely lit Common Areas ❌ Smelly beds both in faux Turkish bath area and massage rooms ❌ insistent therapist offering EXTRA SERVICE ❌ beware of PICKPOCKETS as they don’t have lockers to keep your belongings safely in their very dark vicinity ❌ Government agencies must look into their sanitary permit. I don’t think they passed in accordance to spa standards. 2 months ago Horrible. She used her phone the whole time, I’m shocked worst I ever had. I should have checked reviews. Deeply regret I feel vilolated after 8 months ago Woke up with even more pain in the shoulders. I booked an massage for 1,5 hour but it was not even an hour. The whole massage the therapists where talking to eachother and of when they were not talking to eachother they were at their phone during the massage, very unproffesional. The salon was very very dark and to cold. I understand why you had to pay directly when stepping in to the salon. Wouldn’t recommend. 2 years ago Disgusting unchanged sheets / was asked to wait for more than 5 mins after I changed and when we went to the spa there was more of like caressing that happened instead of actual massage. My company and were placed together with half curtain opened and the towel that was used by my company was just folded and placed back in the bed. VERY UNHYGIENIC. Worst massage ever. With all the caressing that happened made me wonder if their specialty is offering ES? 2 months ago Use your mobile phone while having a massage? Why are foreigners so casual? It was the first time I had such a casual massage. Even though I wanted to be very gentle, I didn't feel like he was doing a massage at all. He just kept applying oil to my feet and just kept doing the same steps. I've been gone for so long and I don't know what I'm doing. I really don’t want to come here. Fortunately, I only used my feet. Remember to read the comments again in the future Note by macaroni: The above was translated from Chinese. In Chinese, the 3rd person pronoun is not gendered, so the "he" used in the comment could well have been a she. 6 years ago Worst massage I've ever had. Wish you could do -5. Music was definitely not relaxing and was too loud. Shouldnt call them therapists at all. The people kept talking to each other whilst performing something they call a "massage". I booked an aromatherapy oil massage. Which is meant to be relaxing. She used her elbow for most of it. Booked 90 minutes and was only given 60 minutes. Luckily the owner was there so we only paid for 60. Come to think about it luckily they did 60 minutes as I would have had to throw away more money and I'd definitely be in more pain. The person seemed inexperienced, incompetent, in everything apart from a maseuse. Slapped and elbowed more than massaged. Would have preferred to be elbowed by The Rock. I feel more stressed than relaxed. I have no idea why they call themselves a massage place or even a therapist. I need sessions from a therapist to help with the mental trauma!!! Note by macaroni: But hey, this place has been in business for six years, so they must be doing something right.

Alrighty, I did a quick Google search of the thre new venues you mentioned. I don't know about you @bkkmfj2648, but I don't see myself checking them out. Barrio bar has a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BarrioCebu?mibextid=LQQJ4d. Page has lots of young women dressed and looking alike, like clones. Takes some scrolling to see a handful of malse in the photos, but they all have their arms around females. Also, this video clip https://www.facebook.com/BarrioCebu/videos/1180599116955650 - all standing room, ear-splitting music, flashing lights, nearly everyone less than half my age (maybe one-third). Cartel Studio https://www.facebook.com/cartelstudiocebu/. Scrolled its Facebook page for exactly two seconds when my eyes got assaulted by these boobs. Shocking violation of my sense of aesthetics. Closed page almost immediately before I was further traumatised. Finally, there's Uptown. It has a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/uptowncebu, in which there are a few video clips that will give you a flavour of the place, such as this clip: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=601380819268405 While there are more males than females in the crowd, it looks more like one of those late-night venues for young Thais around Third Road in Pattaya. Also, all standing room, no seats, ear-splitting music, flashing lights. Probably only gets going after 1 a.m. In short, the kind of place I flee from rather than gravitate to. All three venues: Not my scene, 🤩

Yup, not even Green Massage put their staff in green shirts 😂 But won't be easy for the shop to stand out when hidden behind the stalls of Patpong 1.

What the hell is an LGBTQ+ student?

I don't know.... but I have a feeling those are very old pictures on their website. The boys depicted may not be working there anymore. Of course I haven't kept a diary, but my sense is that I have seen the same pictures for a long time.

+1 I have had opportunities to talk to Myanmar workers and refugees working illegally in Thailand, The situation they are in, plus worries for their families left behind, are very moving. The civil war there is not something we should make light of. And I hope @PeterRS resumes participation in the forum. I'm sure I speak for others too when I say he was missed.

On China Central Television, and inspired by the Tai minority in southern Yunnan province (yes, related to the Thai people) and their love affair with elephants, an all-male dance performance for Chinese New Year: The Tai/Thai ethnic group originated in Yunnan. Those that migrated south into the Chao Phraya floodplain became today's Thais. Lots more stayed behind in Yunnan. What I'd be curious about is whether the language has stayed similar or have they diverged to be mutual incomperehensible.

Of course if they have cute dancers (cuter than these two please) it might help it go down a little better:

Or go mad to this one:

Did you use one of their short-time rooms? What was it like?

Oh, one more first-hand incident: I was in a Type 2 place in Pattaya some years ago getting a foot massage. In came a 40- or 50-ish woman who looked Indian but who spoke with some element of a British accent, and asked for an oil massage. When the receptionist asked her, "Man or Lady", she said "Man". A boy was called out from the interior. She smiled broadly at him, I think she liked what she saw. She then began to ask him - in the front parlour with the three or four foot massage customers hearing every word - whether he will do "more than massage". She said something about "a boyfriend experience". The boy almost died. He actually staggered backwards. The really funny thing was that my gaydar was pinging loudly. He was good-looking, no doubt, nearly as pretty in an effete way like an actor in some Boy Love movie. What I don't know is which was the real shocker: that she was opening asking for sex in a public room or that he was expected to do it with a woman???? This woman must have been watching too many Boy Love movies and thus acquired a taste for this kind of look.

I think you are both right. "Kids" seems to be an umbrella ogranisation with branches or franchisees in many cities; conceivably there could be two or more operating within Tokyo itself. And since each branch or franchisee operates on a "call the boy in when there is a booking" model, it may be possible for a boy to be listed at more than one branch.

Isn't that what we all aspire to be? 🤣

The bathroom window is frosted. Is the bedroom window - your reply to keithambrose suggests that there is another window -- also frosted? Very much like a modern 3- star Japanese hotel.

@reader if you are referring to Surasak BTS station, then it is still some 700 metres walking to Heaven Sauna* - quite challenging for @Olddaddy I think. Then again, if he's going to take a taxi from Bally Suites to DJ Station, then taking a taxi to Heaven will feel almost as near. * I would take a Silom Road bus instead.

@roughjock is right. The Olivia shops (there are a few) are Type 2 massage parlours. The masseurs and masseuses often wait outside the shopfront and will be aghast if you openly discuss sex right there. Neither will the receptionist or manager discuss this. Moreover, the default operating model here is that the therapist is assigned to you by rotation though the receptionist is likely to ask if you want Man or Lady. If you fancy a particular chap, you will have to assert yourself and say, "No I don't want this ugly, lame, acne-ridden fella (no offence intended, buddy); I want the other guy who just walked past us smelling like a chimney and going into the backroom to take a dump, but who looks like Adonis to me." Because no discussion about extras can take place in the front of the shop, this is the kind of place where you take your chances. The Adonis may or may not do anything other than massage. If he is looking for extra tips, he will signal one way or another after the two of you have gone into the privacy of the massage room. But then you will have to negotiate the compensation. However, since they all know that a male customer answering "Man" to the receptionist's question "You want Man or Lady?" is 99% likely to be gay, there is a high chance that something supplementary to massage will be offered at the halfway point in the session. But many will not agree to receiving penetration. A recent story about a neighbour of Olivia's is this one. One more thing: I have had the experience of coming out of the massage room in towel, on my way to the showers, only to see a near naked woman in towel coming out of the same shower. Memory indelibly seared into me. These shops take women customers too. The boy's finger that explores your hole was also exploring some woman's cunt one hour earlier.

Not sure about the connection that you're alluding to between a discounted price and Patpong. If anything, I associate Patpong with overpriced, like the drinks, boys and tips.

Let's hope they know what's needed to make a bar successful and work REALLY HARD at it. But, all reinventions of businesses need investment, and I hope they haven't spent their last bahts paying the former owner, but instead have enough left over to invest anew. The easiest and cheapest way to find out what's needed to revive the bar is to read this forum🥰. One can learn a lot about what regular visitors to Bangkok want to see in a bar. Here's a quick run-down of improvements needed: 1. Boys: The boys they have are physique-wise competitive with the market. They could be presented better (lose the red pants and T-shirts). They should be the ones bringing drinks to customers (not waiters) so that opportunities are immediately created for a personal smile and interaction. In the process, lay off the waiters and save costs. 2. Offer a private dance option, e.g. 500 baht for 15 minutes in a small screened off corner. Hands-on allowed, but no cumming. 3. Create a system for customer feedback (online platform) about boys' performance after take-out. Incentivise feedback by offering a discount code in response to feedback received. Customer can redeem the discount code for 50% the cost of a drink or off-fee within, say, 12 months. (I think McDonald's or Burgerking has something similar in several countries). Naturally, use the feedback so obtained to (a) get rid of duds and (b) give a "best performer for the month" cash award to which boy gats the best agreggate feedback. 4. Pricing: To regain market share quickly, they need to run a series of promotions over the next 6 - 12 months. For example: One free boy-drink for every customer drink. It saves the customer 400 - 500 baht, but the cost of pouring an extra drink is probably no more than 20 baht for the liquid and maybe 50 baht commission to the boy. This encourages customers to call a boy to his side, thereby increasing chances for offs. Makes it profitable for boys to work there as well when chances of off are enhanced. Another example: First 20 customers of the evening gets 50% off first drink, and 50% off the off-fee. Makes itself look busy, not half dead. 5. Make the show more interactive and fun: Example, spin a roulette or draw-a-card game with five rounds where each winner (customer) of a round gets to strip a boy of one item of clothing. Needless to say - last winner gets to strip the underwear. Another example, Hire a beefy boy. Have a lucky draw for a customer to oil the boy up for muscle posing, then have another lucky draw for another customer to wipe him down. (Can do similar for a soaping/shower show.) 6. Marketing: Post regularly on Facebook. Open a profile (and post regularly) on WeChat, Sina Weibo, Instagram, TikTok, if they haven't already. Not difficult to handle multiple languages using online translation tools. Post a picture or short video and write/translate a simple caption.

There is an existing SM bar (with girls) at that dangerously tight turn (Patpong Soi 2) midway between Foodland and the Silom Road end of Patpong Soi 2. It's been in business for a very long time, so maybe if you're right that it's going to be an SM bar, somebody thinks there's a growing market for this?

@vinapu has given several good possibilities as to why the tipped boy did not call. Simply it's European thing - I agree. We often forget what is practiced in our own cultures may not apply elsewhere. I can think of one more reason. In both this case at Hotmale and at Moonlight, you were expecting the boy to call. I don't know what exactly you wrote in your note but it seems you wrote a mobile number. Maybe @reader or @colmx or others who know a lot of boys can advise, but I have a sense that the boys no longer use "traditional" phone numbers for calling. They all use LINE, and I don't think it is possible to add a "friend" in this app just simply from a mobile number, yet without first adding a "friend", there is no way to follow up with a chat or call. To add a "friend", one needs the LINE ID or LINE QR code. And so even if a boy were interested in contact after receiving your tip-note, there would be no way for him to call back. Having said that, I'm not that au fait with LINE app since I only use it when I am in Thailand, so perhaps others can confirm or refute what I just said - it would be interesting for the rest of us to know LINE's protocols better anyway.