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I did my last morning jog on Patong beach, a total of 5km from one end to the other and back. There were a handful of other fellow early runners and also some who have not left from the night out. After breakfast, I got on my phone and made 2 appointments for Bangkok the next day. I only had 3 full days in Bangkok and did not want to waste them. I had a few short messages with BKK boy, however I did not confirm a meeting until much later in the day. There was radio silence as I await his confirmation. I spend most of the day running errands and packing. My hotel balcony sunset view where I spent most of my time. BKK boy was finally back online just before 8pm. Conversation was quick and easy with him, he even dropped a call to talk as we confirmed to go to Paradise complex together. He said he will fetch me in 5 mins. I told him to take his time since I was still packing. He reached in 10 mins. I finished what I could, got ready quickly and met him on the beach road pavement at the front. It was a short straight road so I didn’t mind the 3p on a motorbike as he made sure to hug me tight from the back. We dropped off a distance away and took a short walk. We also walked pass a police roadblock stopping all motorbikes to check their license. I have seen this a few times during my stay. Phuket Bars I only went to Zag and Zig Bar’s show twice so I don’t have much info on the other bars. Zig and Zag share and occupy a huge outdoor seating area on both sides of the road. The other bars I saw open were Tangmo bar, the first shop on the street and G-club at the end on the street. I only noticed the Tangmo guys during my second visit. There were about 4-5 guys outside hustling passers-by to enter. Their profile and outlook reminded me of the ex-Viet waiters from Freshboys. I would’ve dropped by if I had another night. The first visit was a Wednesday night, not crowded, mainly couples and a few small groups. There were around 5 coyote dancers on the small stage before the show. They have 2 show times, 8.45pm which ends around 9.30pm followed by a short break before restarting at 9.45pm until closing time of 11pm. The show was only ladyboys lip-sync. I liked the outdoor seating area and the atmosphere. Drinks prices start from 80 baht. Waiters hustles you to take a seat, but does not disturb you after ordering the first drink. The second visit with BKK boy was a Friday night. The place would be packed with a few large groups. He greeted and was greeted by a few of the waiters and workers, which I thought he looked like a regular here. I have not explained that I described him as BKK boy because he originates from Bangkok. He mentioned that he has been in Phuket for 7 years. Also, in our conversation that night, it turns out that a number of those years he worked at Zag, though I didn’t ask in what capacity. He said he still come to Zag regularly now to drink with his friends. I do not usually enjoy ladyboy lipsync shows, but I thoroughly enjoyed this night. Besides the company, I thought the performers and atmosphere was energetic and they interacted well with the audience. I thought BKK boy looked more like the tourist as he snapped pictures and videos to post on his WeChat moments. Two of his close friends, a waiter and a performer joined us and I bought them drinks. I complained to BKK boy that the show only had ladyboys. He replied there will be a boy show, pausing as I thought he was being serious, before cheekily continuing that it will be in my room. We stayed until closing time, having him beside me felt natural and comfortable. He made sure I was taken care and comfortable throughout the night. We walked to the main road where he asked me to wait as he went to borrow his manager’s motorbike to send me back. On the bike ride, he made sure I was hugging him tight. He asked me if I was really not hungry, I re-confirmed that I had dinner before realising he was not talking about food. In our earlier conversations, I told him I just wanted the night out since I have an early flight to catch. As we reached back to my room, he made sure I was fed before saying our goodbyes. It was a fitting end for my Phuket trip, and I found someone who would maybe bring me to Phuket more often.

I am glad to be back both in Thailand as well as in this forum. After I logged into my account, I re-read my last post from my last trip in February 2020. I had strong feelings then, when I left. I did contact Myanmar boy after and promised to meet in April 2020. Of course, that didn’t happen and I did not contact him since. Tl;dr I did meet him this trip but I am not sure I will see him again. In fact, he was one of the main reason I went ahead with this short trip despite all the hoops to go through, uncertainties and risks. He appeared in the line-up for a massage shop I was following on LINE. He was still in Thailand, and I wanted a reunion, two years overdue. Phuket Sandbox notes I travelled under the Phuket Sandbox scheme during the suspension of Test&Go. My Thailand pass approval took 7 days (applied on Saturday, approved on Friday). Upon arrival at Phuket airport, immigration only checked 2 documents; Thailand pass and my pre-departure PCR test, which they took and kept the copy. This was the only time anyone in Thailand asked for my Thailand pass or cared about what scheme I was travelling on. Technically, I could leave and fly off anywhere else after Day 1, of course that would be illegal. After immigration and collection of baggage, PCR test station was outside conveniently next to the pick-up point. I did my PCR test at 6.30pm and the results was in my email inbox at midnight. It was my first time in Phuket so I had to take extra time to research. Thanks to @Midguy1, his trip report was really helpful. I am not really a beach and sun person, so I was not sure how much I will enjoy spending 7 days here. I did. Being a morning person, I loved and missed my daily morning run-walk along the beach the most. I spent the evenings, when it cooled down, watching the sunset daily. Maybe it was the just the laid-back getaway atmosphere I needed. There were a lot of foreign travellers, but it was not overcrowded. I see a lot of Thais as well enjoying their time on the beach. I had most of my meals from the street carts along the beach, not the cheapest but the most convenient for me. As widely discussed, mask wearing were more lax here compared to Bangkok. Depending on your risk appetite, you had options to be away or be in the crowd. Massages I had an average of one massage per day. The massage shops are on one row of Royal Paradise Hotel street, while the bars were on another street around 50 metres away. I like to research using google street view, but it was not possible to view the row of massage shops since it is on a walking path and not a road. Very little footfall, but I do see one or two customers at the shops every time. One of the massage boys told me that it is busier at night after dinner and they close late after midnight. There were about 4 shops open. I only remembered 4massage, as I saw it mentioned in a few sites during my research and it was also on google maps. The other shops' names were either not prominently displayed, written in Thai or I was just distracted by the boys sitting outside. 4massage had the most number of boys, at least 7 at one time. The rest had between 2 to 5 depending on the time of the day. I was pleasantly surprised at the number and choices available. I would say most, if not all were Thai. Prices for oil massage was 300-400 baht. Most did not have duration specified in the menu, or again maybe I was too distracted to notice. I will not go into details for each massage. Overall, massages were average but attention and services were great. Half of the guys specified their tip request which can be negotiated down. I do tend to tip more for those that don’t ask. For the apps, it seemed to me the numbers were small, one or two pages covers everyone in Phuket. Most boys on the app works at a massage place. For those into ladyboys, there is definitely a higher concentration here on the apps and also working at massage places than anywhere else I’ve seen. It was on the apps I found BKK boy, the highlight of my trip. Based on location, I guessed he worked at a massage shop so I started the conversation immediately asking him that. He confirmed, sending a picture of the massage shop and the menu. I quickly negotiated and agreed to his offer for him to come over to my room. He said he will reach in 5 mins, however it was at least a 15 mins walk to the hotel from his shop. I thought it was ‘Thai time’ but turns out he asked for a ride from the shop manager. He was thinner in real life but still looks pleasantly good. I requested to start with a massage, which he did, for a short while. First impressions a little on the aggressive side in bed to my liking, but I saw glimpses of his cheeky and caring side off bed as we had a short conversation after as he sneaked in a goodbye kiss with mask on. He has also mastered the art of texting by not being too pushy or overbearing. After he left, I knew I wanted to see him again. I kept my options open with a ‘maybe’ we can watch the show at Zag-Zig bar the next night which we talked about. The next day was my last full day.

Bangkok I booked the first flight to Bangkok at 8.35am, which means I had to leave the hotel really early at 6.00 am. Airport check-in and security for domestic flight was simple and fast. The Thaismile flight was full. Despite having been in Thailand for 7 days, stepping in Bangkok again felt surreal. I was back and settled in at Le Meridien by 11am. Hotel felt empty such that the front desk manager and cute concierge guy would greet me by name every time I stepped into the lobby. Partially regretting making an early 1pm appointment, I took a short rest before leaving by Grabcar. I somehow forgot about Bangkok traffic as I reached slightly late. My first appointment was at Home Spa, one of the few places along Suthisan road near Saphan Kwai BTS area. Over 2 years, I have amounted some places I follow on Line and Twitter that I would now be able to visit. I would say it is a local place, their posts and ads are all in Thai. When I messaged them in English, they replied quickly and I made my booking with little hassle. The shop was basic but spacious, comfortable and clean. When I entered, one guy greeted me and mentioned the guy I booked. He spoke little English but nothing pointing can’t solve. Payment was requested first before proceeding for the massage. Massage was slightly underwhelming, made up however entirely by his physical being. I decided to walk the stretch of Suthisan road to the BTS since it was my first time in the area which took roughly 20 mins. I took a late lunch and then headed back to the hotel for a quick nap before my evening appointment. I was slightly nervous for my next appointment, it was with Myanmar boy. Before I flew to Thailand, I messaged to his last Wechat contact but he was no longer using it. I booked him through a massage shop so he does know it was me. As many have expressed, it is uncertain whether the chemistry and connection stood the test of time. At 5pm, I was awakened from my nap by a call from him, he called to confirm the appointment time. Near 7pm, another call to confirm my hotel as I went to grab coffee and wait for him. He came in a taxi as I greeted him, he seemed happy to see me. He looked slightly roughened up, as we headed back to the room. He had bruises which he claimed were from a motorbike accident after a drunken night out. He also stayed in hospital for one month because of covid and have not been working for three months since. He acknowledged the situation was not good but have started efforts to look for new work. For the massage place, he only submitted his pictures to the mamasan and works on-call basis. Chemistry and connection was still there, however not as strong as before. I was still glad I got to meet him. I tried to arrange a meetup for my last night but only got a reply after I left Thailand. He seemed to be doing a lot better in our follow-up messages, I may still look for him when I go back. I skipped visiting the bars that night as I planned to have my pre-departure ATK test the next morning. Some random notes of my observation of Patpong area: Patpong 1 without the night market was dead, King’s Castle lady gogo still open and what looks like a new or relocated pool place with ladies. Newly refurbished Thaniya plaza looks nice but did not get a chance to visit. The next night night I visited the ‘gogo’ bars in Patpong 2. Only 3 were open Freshboys, Dreamboys and Hotmale. Moonlight and Jupiter were also open from my knowledge but I did not visit this trip. Drink prices were the same 350-400-450 if I remembered correctly. All had a good number of boys ‘standing’. I went into Freshboys first and was the only customer. The fierce-looking mamasan now dressed down with a polo-tee and skirt greeted me. Was informed they still have a show at around 9.45pm. I got 2 boys to sit with me for a short while before heading to Hotmale. Hotmale had a few more customers inside and outside. Music blasted abit too loud and only one boy that caught my eye though most of them seemed more interested in looking at themselves through the mirror or the floor. I left shortly after for Dreamboys. Dreamboys also had two groups of customers with a reasonable number of boys. I stayed for the first act of the show at 10pm. It was Johnny and 2 other boys with the ‘gogo-coyote’ dance. I was mesmerised and impressed by the moves of one of the boys wearing the crown. Was this a return of gogo? Because Freshboys also had this gogo-coyote dance number in their show that I would watch the next day. I left that night with no offs. On my last full day, I booked another afternoon session at Home spa. This time I decided to book a Grabbike which could weave through Bangkok traffic. This massage session could be the second highlight of my trip. He looked better in person than his photos. He started the massage with a towel on but would loose it not long after. I thought he still had underwear underneath, as with the previous guy but then I felt something brush my leg a couple of times before realising. His normal massage I would say is good but then he moved on to his special moves around the thigh and groin areas. He made sure I felt it as he added force and aggression to it. Honestly, I don’t think I have felt anything like that, at least not for some time. He spoke little English but we managed a short conversation after. A definite repeat for the next trip. That night, I would return only to Freshboys. I had the same cute Cambodian boy who spoke little English sit with me again, this time with another one of his friend. I was the only customer again until the last segment of the show when a couple walked in. I found myself talking to the friend more but I knew I was going to off cute Cambodian boy. He was one of the dancers in the gogo dance segment where I was also impressed with. There were a total of 12-13 boys and I thought all of them were decent and at least smiled or made eye contact. It was my last night so I decided to tip all of them. Mamasan then convinced me to take the friend as well just for supper, which I agreed since I enjoyed talking to him. We went to a place just down the street. Again, I talked more to the friend as he was complaining that he received a message from his other boss that the casino along the borders were re-opening so he has to go back there to work. After the supper, I said goodbye to the friend as me and cute Cambodian boy headed back to my room. I enjoyed his physical companionship but his lack of English communication made it difficult for a deeper connection. He stayed the night and was a light sleeper so he woke up early when I got up. We exchanged contacts and said our goodbye. It was a short but fulfilling comeback to Thailand. As I got on the plane, I left with two ‘Miss you’ on my phone this time.

The one advantage the gogo bars still have over the apps is that you can examine the goods before committing yourself and see the real thing, not an outdated photo of somebody else. Of course if they parade fully clothed it's less appealing. In the Good Old Days it wasn't so much the gogo dancing that appealed to me, nor even the shows, so much as the whole atmosphere of the bars, with the boys spontaneously interacting with each other as well as the punters.

A photo from our last walk on Ao Nang beach, the evening before leaving the south I had to make a new flight booking for us to return to Bangkok. We had missed our return flight due to the quarantine period. Since Thai Airways ignored my request to change our booking, I decided to give my money to a different airline for the return flight. I purchased one way tickets to Bangkok for us on Nok Air. Phang Nga bay from the air, just after takeoff from Phuket: On final approach into Bangkok, the plane flew over the mouth of the Chao Phraya River, where it snakes its way into the Gulf of Thailand Nok Air uses the old Don Mueang airport. The airport still looks much the same as it did years ago, with some renovations. Even though it's a much smaller airport than Suvarnabhumi, they still somehow managed to park the plane at a gate that required about a kilometer of walking through the terminal to reach the baggage claim hall. In Bangkok, we checked in to the same room we previously had three weeks earlier at the Furama Sathorn. The next day was Chinese New Year, February 1st. I had no plans, and that afternoon asked N what he wanted to do tomorrow. I was pleased that he didn't give me that old Thai standby answer, "up to you". I decided to go along with whatever he wanted to do for the next couple days after returning to Bangkok. He made a phone call, and told me we were going on a road trip the next day. What a nice experience he planned for us. That morning, I found myself in a very nice new Honda van with some of N's friends and two Buddhist monks in saffron robes, on a road trip to Ayutthaya. The van belonged to one his his friends, who drove. The plan for the day was visiting two large temples in the historic district of the former capital of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. For the first part of the trip, N and I sat together in the second row of seats in the van. When the two monks joined us along the way, I switched to riding shotgun in the front, the two monks sat in the second row, and N and a friend sat in the third row. As we drove through heavy Ayutthaya traffic due to the holiday, songs from the Eagles and Aerosmith were pumping from the stereo. I just went along for the ride, carefree and taking it all in, as it was N's chance to entertain me for the day. I had no plans or agenda, and it was kind of amusing to watch N having fun, and acting as the guide, as the day he had planned for us played out. Some of the best and most interesting experiences when you travel happen when you relax, and don't ask too many questions, or as the Thais say "don't think too much". In Ayutthaya, for a couple kilometers, there were vendors lining the main street that leads to the historic temple district. The vendors all sell the same thing - huge bags of air puffed and brightly colored fish food, and small live fish in plastic bags. The live fish are sold for release in the temple ponds, for merit making. This was the first time I've seen these huge bags of brightly colored fish food for sale anywhere in Thailand. I have seen containers of small fish food pellets, and bags of day-old bread for sale near many other wats around Thailand, but not these giant sized bags of vividly colored fish food. Apparently these Cheetos-looking fish snacks are something unique to Ayutthaya. Not to miss out on any potential customers, this vendor also had bags of day-old bread, and bags filled with fish food pellets for sale. They can be seen in the lower right portion of the photo. The first temple we went to was a Buddhist temple with a heavy Chinese influence. There was a huge gold Buddha statue inside the main building. The place was packed with people due to the Chinese New Year holiday. I'm not sure what this man is doing, but he's holding an open bottle of Big C brand cooking oil in one hand and a white lotus bud in the other hand. Of course the lotus bud is commonly found in temples, used in prayer rituals, but the cooking oil? The tuk tuks in Ayutthaya are a different type than the Bangkok style. They are kind of a mini songtaew, with two bench seats in the back, running along the sides. In the front, there is a steering wheel, not handlebars. Also, the front cab has doors, with roll-up windows. They remind me of the three wheeled vehicles that were still in use in rural Japan until the 1980's. This red model is kind of sporty, complete with a set of vintage mag wheels. The second temple we visited had a huge ancient chedi, There was a very steep staircase, where you could climb up into the inside of the chedi. Once up in the chedi, we looked down through an iron grate to see two monks far down inside the base of the chedi, sitting and counting large piles of coins. In the center of the photo, the staircase is visible, with people climbing up into the chedi. We had a fun day trip, and it was good to see Ayutthaya once again, after many years. The following day N insisted we take a tuk tuk ride in Bangkok. I hadn't been in a Bangkok tuk tuk in more than 30 years, but I did not want to deny him his fun. It was my last full day in Thailand, and rather than resist, I decided not to "think too much". Of course, N chose a tuk tuk that made a mandatory stop at an Indian tailor shop on the way, one of the most common tourist scams in Bangkok. The way it works is that if the tuk tuk driver delivers potential customers to a certain prearranged shop, for each visit, they receive a stamp. After filling a card with 10 stamps from the shop, the driver receives 4 liters of free fuel from the shop. Usually these shops are either jewelry stores or tailor shops. So we spent 5 minutes inside, looking at bolts of cloth that could be made into clothing. I had no intention of buying anything, and in 5 minutes, we were back on our way. Our tuk tuk as it entered Silom Road, with Saladaeng Road on the left. Looking back on my quarantine experience, as it worked out, it was really not as bad of an experience as it could have been. I can think of many worse places to be than being sequestered in a hotel room with a hot Thai boy for 8 nights of mandated quarantine. I could have just as easily have caught covid at home, and not in Thailand as I did. But then I would have been in isolation by myself, instead of with N. Luckily, I had enough time in Thailand, and the quarantine happened early enough in our trip that with some strategic juggling of our schedule, we were able to travel everywhere we had planned to, with one exception. The only planned location we had to cancel on this trip due to the time spent in quarantine was a few days in Pattaya. But Pattaya will still be there waiting for my next trip. One benefit of this quarantine escapade is that I didn't need to spend time in Bangkok during my last full day in Thailand to get a covid test to enter the USA. Under the revised US CDC rules, if you can show a positive covid test result within the past 90 days, and have a medical certificate clearing you for travel, no test is required to enter the US. Upon showing these medical papers at Suvarnabhumi, there was no issue checking in for my flight without a covid test. In case you are interested to know what the quarantine expenses were, I paid 30,500 baht for N to stay in the hospitel with me. I exchanged money only once, at the beginning of my trip in Bangkok, enough to cover the entire trip. I then deposited this money in my K-bank account, so I could withdraw it at ATM's. Using the exchange rate at the time I bought my stack of baht, N's quarantine equated to about 910 US dollars. This amount covered both his hotel fee and the hospital charges, and included N's ambulance ride. The hotel and hospital fees were billed separately. My hotel fee and hospital charges came to 41,500 baht for the 8 nights, and there was no fee for an ambulance ride, as I drove myself to the hospitel. This difference in pricing is because of dual pricing for Thai citizens and farang tourists. And this was with my second PCR test being paid for by the Thai government under the amended rules for the 7 night Test & Go program. I have read that some people have been charged far more than this amount to be quarantined in other parts of the country. It probably helped that we were not near any cities. Khao Lak is not heavily developed, and is very lightly populated. I'm guessing in Bangkok or other large cities, the charges may have been substantially more. It also helped that we only needed to quarantine for 8 nights each, not the 10 days they originally told us we would be staying. Several times during our month together, N told me that he really liked to be able to get away from Bangkok. He said he enjoyed being in quiet locations with not so many people, like the bungalow resort where we stayed for a few days. I surely hope to see N the next time I travel to Thailand, and I made that clear to him. He has sent me messages already since I left, telling me he wants to travel with me again next time. Another evening view from the 12th floor balcony of our room at the Furama Sathorn, my last night in Thailand. With the way the world has dramatically changed in the last couple years, I just hope that it won't be much longer until many more people will travel to Thailand, and bring the tourist income that that is so much needed by many people and businesses there. Even though we had to be quarantined, I had a really nice time in Thailand. Would I go again under the same circumstances? You bet I would. It sure beats sitting at home looking out the window, and waiting for who knows how long for the pandemic and travel restrictions to come to an end. I've already started thinking about where I want to travel on my next trip to Thailand. I am counting the days until my next flight to Thailand, when I hear those electrifying words on the loudspeaker, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the captain speaking. In a few minutes, we will be landing in Bangkok". Until that magical moment arrives, I will continue to be the daydreamer.

I am much the same, preference is for the massage places, now that I have long gotten over the entrance and selection nerves I make sure to communicate with the boy my 3 wishes for being there, a good massage is number 1, 2 and 3 follow very soon after the massage 😁

I read that in the 1940s London's Windmill Theatre was allowed to have naked ladies on stage - provided they never moved! Just like statues. Having stayed open all throughout the war, including the Blitz, it adopted the motto, "We never closed." Some wit changed that to "We never clothed!"

Yes, all of them. I was in Thailand 25 days in Dec, slept in 11 different hotels and had a guest most nights and some days too and only once (Zing, Jomtien Complex ),my guest was asked to leave Id and even they only on his first visit but not next day. So don't worry about that part although to avoid potential embarrassment still make sure your guest has some id on him. In almost impossible case when hotel is making a fuss remember that those days hotels are very cheap and you can easily find one for 500 baht to host you and your guest for a few hours

The irony of it all is that if they had won, they'd pretty much put all the right wing media out of business, since those assholes do this all the fucking time and never bother to correct the errors because the errors are the point.

Hope you are aware of this phenomenon, named Songkran? That water splashing festival around 14/4-even though the govmt seems to have it forbidden once more? Avoid! see the blog of christian for an overview of changes in BKK (general) he left Thailand-used to live in BKK long time untill covid struck- and came back last dec. christianpfc.blogspot.com.

I support large fines, jail time, and putting names on no-fly lists. IMO, public air travel is a disaster these days, and I speak about it to anyone willing to listen, especially politicians. I have no problem blaming Trump for the ungodly mess. He's unleashed a cocky arrogance that knows no boundaries. The current situation is very dangerous. I fail to see how it can be sustained without extreme protective measures. As a result, I am flying much less than ever. And I'm very careful about the airline I select. I personally LOVE mask wearing. I haven't had a cold or flu symptoms in over two years. I also LOVE avoiding the bad breath in our world. Masks can be wonderful, if you care about your well-being, and you care about the health of others.

From CNN CNN)More adults in the US say they identify as LGBTQ than they did a decade ago, according to a new Gallup poll, a trend largely propelled by Gen Z adults. The percentage of adults who told Gallup they identify as LGBTQ has doubled since 2012, per the polling firm, from 3.5% of Americans then to 7.1% of Americans in 2021. The rise can be attributed to Gen Z, according to Gallup -- about 21% of adults born between 1997 and 2003 identify as LGBTQ. Meanwhile, 10.5% of millennials, the generation that includes adults born between 1981 and 1996, identify as LGBTQ, per the poll, and the percentages dwindle among the preceding generations. Among LGBTQ adults in the US, more than half of them -- nearly 57% -- said they were bisexual, according to Gallup's poll. That encompasses about 4% of all US adults. Gallup reported that 20.7% of LGBTQ respondents identified as gay, 13.9% as lesbian and 10% as transgender. Bisexuality is the most common LGBTQ identity among members of Gens Z and X and millennials, Gallup reported, with 15% of all Gen Z adults saying they were bisexual. It makes sense that a greater percentage of Gen Z identifies as LGBTQ compared to older generations, said Sharita Gruberg, vice president of LGBTQI+ Research and Communications Project at the Center for American Progress. Gruberg noted that the world in which the younger generation lives is one where same-sex marriage is legal nationwide, as well as one where awareness and visibility of orientations and identities other than heterosexual and cisgender continues to grow. "Gen Z has grown up at a time when stigma around LGBTQ identities is on the decline and rights are expanding," said Gruberg, who was not involved in the poll. "As greater awareness about the diversity of sexual orientations and gender identities grows, and as stigma surrounding LGBTQ identity lessens, we're likely to see more people self-identify as LGBTQ." https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/17/us/lgbtq-population-increase-gallup-cec/index.html

From Bloomberg News In downtown Bangkok’s Patpong area, most evenings are quiet. Before the pandemic, it was one of the world’s most notorious red-light districts, attracting foreign tourists to its many bars, nightclubs, and massage parlors. With the tourism industry decimated by two years of Covid-19, most of the street’s businesses are locked, with “Closed” signs in the windows. At the area’s night bazaar—for decades the place to buy Red Bull T-shirts, Thai boxing pants, and fake Rolex watches—the vendors are gone. Thailand wants to get them back. Tourism accounted for one-fifth of the country’s gross domestic product before the pandemic, with almost 40 million foreign tourists generating more than $60 billion in 2019. In early February, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha’s government began allowing vaccinated travelers to enter quarantine-free. Like many countries that are now treating Covid as endemic, Thailand is eager to jump-start its tourism industry. But visitors expecting bustling restaurants, bars, and markets may be in for a shock, because many of the small businesses that played major roles in Thailand’s tourism ecosystem closed during the lockdowns and haven’t reopened. And large, higher-end businesses are offering steep discounts and special packages to capture the few visitors who are still traveling, squeezing out the smaller operators that have survived. Thailand’s strict travel regulations, such as requirements to take multiple Covid tests and provide proof of medical insurance with at least $50,000 coverage, will also limit the type of people who come, according to Bill Heinecke, chairman of Bangkok-based Minor International Pcl, one of Southeast Asia’s largest hospitality, restaurant, and lifestyle companies. “Now when you travel generally, first and business classes are full, while economy is empty,” Heinecke says. “So the kind of travelers that we’re seeing now are the higher-end travelers who tend to stay longer because of all the hassle you have to go through.” Continues at https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-16/pandemic-has-thailand-s-tourists-returning-to-closed-bars-and-empty-streets

Quick note on vaccine status in Colombia. I am seeing more and more businesses in Colombia require proof of vaccination status this trip. I have had no issues showing my info on a phone and explaining what each section means. But be certain that your “guests” have their Colombian vaccination certificate (el carnet) with then when going out, or you may be refused entry in many locations.

My first visit changed my life...it even resulted a couple of years later in my taking early retirement. And a pay-cut! I hope your experiences are just as thrilling.

Irony, hypocrisy and contradiction are long lost on the Trump Republicans. It's very unfortunate. Now it's say anything contrary and see if it sticks. It does not matter that the day before the asshole Republican said the exact opposite. Just give Fox and friends their sound bite. Google the recent Tom Cotton/Dick Durban kerfuffle to see a perfect example of this. The Couric/Palin interviews aired on CBS Evening News where Katie was anchor. Not 60 Minutes. There are some wonderful sources, possibly available on YouTube, where Couric, Steve Schmidt, and Nicolle Wallace explain the rationale. Couric's questions were fair. Palin was not vetted properly. The Palin selection turned out to be a disaster. McCain believed she would be a good choice for the Republican base. At the time, he was not wrong. They loved her. Not sure anyone truly knows how he felt about all this closer to his death. In testimony during the NYTimes trial, Palin blamed The NY Times for destroying her reputation. She complained that her popularity had suffered at the hands of then editor James Bennet. Based on her testimony, she clearly misses being a cause celebre, and may still maintain some denial about where her disfavor originated. The truth is, the Couric interviews acted as the nails in her coffin. She exposed her incredible ignorance and her unpreparedness for the job, any job. Smart American voters were furious. Her mental instability became much clearer years later when HBO released Game Change, the must-see film about the Palin disaster. Steve Schmidt and Nicolle Wallace consulted. The fabulous Julianne Moore won an Emmy for her amazing performance, which Palin gave a thumbs down. Palin is an idiot of her own making. Hers is a sad story that didn't have to go the way that it did. She was not ready for prime time, and IMO, still isn't.

From Thai PBS World Thailand to consider cutting second COVID-19 tests on international arrivals Thailand will consider a recommendation from an airline tycoon to reduce the steps required for international entry, by doing away the second COVID-19 test, currently required on the fifth day after arrival. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul met with AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes, who suggested measures to improve the “Test & Go” scheme, specifically the removal of the second test requirement. Anutin said that he has asked the Department of Disease Control (DDC) to consider the idea, as they are concerned with the safety of the people. AirAsia also claimed that many tourists, such as those from Malaysia and Singapore, are interested in coming to Thailand, but are discouraged by the onerous procedures involved. Anutin admitted that they cause inconvenience for foreign travellers, but he thinks there should be a balance between reviving the economy and the safety of the people. https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thailand-to-consider-cutting-second-covid-19-tests-on-international-arrivals/

I think he hoped that she'd excite the base and reach out to women voters. She sure excited the base... and alienated everyone else.

Thank you everyone for taking the time to write such detailed and informative responses. This is all really helpful. Can not wait to be back in Thailand next week! It’s been far too long.

As a part-time observer of US politics, I was always staggered that such a seemingly reasonable man as John McCain would select such a disaster as Palin to be his running mate. Was he so desperate that no-one else would have been a better choice? Had his vetters really done their job? How he must have regretted that selection for the rest of his life. As soon as she got tangled up in the 60 Minutes interview about which magazines she read and then the baloney about seeing Russia from her front door, I don't understand why he just did not drop her - from a height on to hard concrete.

Thanks for all these responses. I am also curious about the rates they are charging. Now if a dozen or so Brazilian guys move to Bangkok then we would have quite a lovely assortment. I just bought my tickets to Bangkok and I’m beyond excited to return and explore the city. I’m hoping the nightlife can return to decent levels by then. At any rate, airbnbs seem so cheap now and the flight was cheap. So it’ll be a lot of fun regardless.

Everybody says they'll appeal, until the legal fees come due. The worst thing about Sarah Palin was that she was a harbinger, not the bottom of the barrel we all assumed.

I know what you're saying, but mask wearing on aircraft/public transit *is* federally mandated. Forcing the code out of the Flight Attendants I don't see as a problem, what are they going to do that's worth than the prospect of a fiery death? Few of these dumbasses have attacked the cockpit though. I kinda hope the worst of them keep it up and have to explain to a future employer why they can't ever fly again.

If just standing, i would remove the gogo title too. Maybe we should call them statues. Although, plenty of gogo bars still have choreographed shows. I think at least 3 gogobars that still open in bangkok with shows. Might be more. The two that i know still posting videos/live in social media are moonlight and jupiter.

Dead as in "and the land has been sold".

There is nothing better than getting away from the Metropolis with a loved-one, experiencing rural Thailand. And then returning!

I cannot resist noting that "go go dancing " existed in the Good Old Days but has been replaced by "go go standing" for well over a decade. Apologies for going off-thread.

I hope name change will not affect off fees and expected tips

Not sure about African guys, but I have seen Russian escorts (this was before Covid), their prices were at least double the local Thai counterparts rates, and they were very popular among the affluent Thai customers.

Lunch at Le Normandie restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental. Very expensive but magnificent. My favourite restaurant in the world.

The next day we traveled a couple hours from Ao Nang to a remote, but large and very impressive Buddhist wat. This is a place that N had told me he wanted to visit since we had arrived in the south. The wat is beautiful, and there were very few people there, we nearly had the place to ourselves. Of all the Buddhist temples I have seen in Thailand, this one is prominent, due to the rich gold ornamentation everywhere, and its impressive size. These immense cloisters, lined with Buddha statues, extend around all four sides of the base of the main chedi: It seemed odd that such a large and distinctive temple was located very far from any center of population. We traveled through miles of groves of palm oil trees and rubber tree plantations to reach the location of this temple. Rubber trees are seemingly everywhere in many parts of the south. Thailand is the world's leading rubber producer. Our last day in Ao Nang was reserved to visit area a couple area beaches. We had relaxed at the beach for a couple days in Khao Lak before we were sent to quarantine, and were ready for another beach day. To reach the nicest beaches, we took a shared 10 minute longtail "water taxi" boat ride from Ao Nang Beach to Railay Beach. Several of the best beaches in the area are only accessible by longtail boat. Each water taxi holds eight passengers. The longtail boat associatioon is a cooperative run by local fishermen. The boat system is very well organized. There are ticket kiosks at both ends of Ao Nang beach. You tell them your destination, buy a roundtrip ticket at 200 baht per person, and hang out a few minutes until there are enough passengers to fill the boat. If you are impatient, you can pay 1,000 baht, and not wait until the boat is full. We only had to wait about five minutes for the boat to fill with people. There are no piers, you wade out into the surf, and board the boat that is floating in a couple feet of water. The Railay peninsula, where these beaches are located, is isolated from Ao Nang by high limestone cliffs. This beach is one of the most picturesque beaches in Thailand, with the aqua colored water, highlighted by the large promontories at each end of the beach. There are several companies that specialize in rock climbing, and we saw a couple people in harnesses scaling the cliffs in the area. Railay Beach has a population of interesting looking monkeys. They all have white rings around their eyes. Although Railay Beach is beautiful, our destination that morning was Phra Nang Cave Beach. It can be reached on foot via an easy 20 minute walk from Railay Beach. The pathway leads through a grotto filled with limestone stalactites and a few stalagmites. The limestone cliff hangs over the foot path, forming a cool open sided cave to escape the sun. The majority of tourists on these beaches appeared to be Thais, very few farang here: As we were walking through the grotto, I heard a loud thunk, and turned to see that N had walked headfirst into a low hanging stalactite, about one foot thick. It was wrapped with brightly colored ribbons, but like many young people, N's eyes were glued to his phone as he was walking, and he missed the large stone object hanging from the grotto ceiling, at eye level, directly in front of him. Luckily, he had his sunglasses propped up on his head, so they took the brunt of the impact, instead of cracking his head. The only thing injured was his pride. After that incident, he put his phone away for at least two minutes while we continued walking. At the southern end, Phra Nang Cave Beach has two shrines with many wooden penis offerings inside shallow caves in the limestone cliffs. There are no hotels or shops on Phra Nang beach, it is completely unspoiled. We walked about 10 minutes to the northern end of the beach, and had the area all to ourselves. Usually, in high season in pre-covid times, these beaches were wall to wall with tourists. Now was a great time to visit these beaches, as much of Thailand is uncrowded, even at the peak of the tourist season in January. After a couple hours relaxing at Phra Nang beach, we walked the path back to Railay beach. On the way, I stopped to take this photo of someone scaling the rock face. It's a bit hard to see, but if you follow the rope up, you can see the adventurous soul in the center of the photo: Back at Railay Beach. The water taxis are only allowed to stop at this beach. That's one reason we didn't want to stay there. Although the boats make for a visually pleasing photo, they are loud. They are powered by car engines with no mufflers, similar to the boats in the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok. Phra Nang Beach is silent, with no boat traffic. The return boat back to Ao Nang filled up with passengers in just a few moments, and 10 minutes later we arrived back in Ao Nang, just steps away from the hotel. After a few hours exploring and relaxing on the beaches, it was time to head back to the hotel for a quick shower. After lunch, we drove to Nopparat Thara Beach, the next beach north of Ao Nang. There is a nice tree shaded park, and many small shops, just in back of the beach. These were a couple Thai style iced teas we ordered from a local shop along Nopparat Thara Beach. Two fancy drinks that cost 55 baht each: The drinks were artistically made, complete with lots of whipped cream, chocolate wafers, and loaded with pieces of fresh mango, strawberries, and orange slices, crunchy cereal flakes, chocolate sauce, a rolled wafer cookie, and the cups had a handmade palm frond carrying handle. The toppings alone on the drinks were equivalent to a full dessert. Much higher quality, and less expensive drinks than you find in chain stores like Cafe Amazon or Starbucks. It took the lady at the shop about 4 minutes to decorate each drink with all the toppings. to be continued...

for me Bangkok is best city in the world for vacation. Pattaya is good after dark but not much to do during day after initial 2-3 days

On the way to Ao Nang, it was a very scenic trip by car through mountain passes, with many sharp bends in the road. The flat land of Khao Lak begins to give way to impressive limestone karst mountains that seem to pop up around every bend in the road after entering Krabi province. Ao Nang is the center of tourist activity in Krabi province. Ao Nang's location is home to some of Thailand's most scenic beaches. There are also numerous offshore islands that can be visited on day trips from Ao Nang. We stayed at the Krabi Heritage Hotel in Ao Nang. I chose this hotel because of the good location, and the stunning views from the superior sea view rooms located on the top floor. I stayed there for six nights, and N stayed for five nights, since his quarantine in Khao Lak ended one day after mine did. Our room at the Krabi Heritage Hotel The next three photos were taken from the balcony of our room at the Krabi Heritage Hotel. The huge volcanic eruptions in the Tonga islands in January contributed to spectacular colors in the sky every day at sunset. All three areas where we stayed in the south were affected by the tragic tsunami that occurred on Boxing Day in 2004. Of all the locations in Thailand hit by the giant wave, Khao Lak suffered the heaviest damage and loss of life, due to the fact the land is so flat in that location. The wave swept large boats inland about one kilometer from the coast in some areas of Khao Lak. One large police boat has been preserved where it landed about one kilometer inland, as an outdoor display at a small tsunami museum, a reminder of the devastation and loss of many lives in the region on that day. King Bhumipol lost a grandson to the tsunami in Khao Lak in 2004. In beachfront areas throughout the region, there are visual warnings of the danger. One day we traveled from Ao Nang to Khao Sok National Park, in Surat Thani province. The main attraction there is the huge Cheow Lan Lake, and surrounding rainforest. This area receives more annual rainfall than any other part of Thailand. The lake was formed in 1987 when a large dam was built. In order to form the huge lake, a portion of Khao Sok National Park was intentionally flooded by the rising waters, and today the lake provides electricity and a constant supply of fresh water to the region. Longtail boats can be rented to tour the lake and view the interesting landscape of the area. Many boats carry groups on tours, but I decided to hire our own private boat for two hours, so we could have the boat to ourselves. There is only one booth selling tickets for the all longtail boats. The prices are on a large board, and are non-negotiable. We decided that a two hour boat ride was sufficient, not wanting to sit on a plank seat in a wooden boat for longer than that. There were two options for a two hour boat ride; 1,700 baht for an uncovered boat, or 2,000 baht for a boat with a small sun shade. We didn't want to sit in the blazing sun for two hours, so we rented the boat with the sun shade. This being a national park, the fee to enter the national park was 300 baht for me, and 60 baht for N. This is not included in the boat rental fee. Then they charge an extra 20 baht on top of that for a boat usage fee. In addition, they require everyone, both Thais and foreigners to show your vaccination record to enter national parks nowadays. They also wanted to see my passport and Thailand Pass QR code. No buildings can be constructed on land inside the national park, however the government allows some floating bungalows to operate for overnight guests. The neat groups of floating bungalows are anchored near shore, and placed in various parts of the huge lake. About halfway through the boat ride, we stopped at a group of floating bungalows for a toilet break. Attached to the rafts of bungalows was a floating park ranger station. Water everywhere, and that potted plant next to the bungalow died of thirst. Southern Thailand has a large population of Thai Muslims, as evidenced by the numerous mosques and women with scarfs as head coverings throughout the region. This large mosque is right in the center of Ao Nang, on the hill leading away from the beach. Some restaurants do not serve any pork dishes due to their religion. to be continued...

Glad that u make what seems like a nightmare for most to an actually the best way to deal with quarantine. I wouldnt mind to be stucked in a hotel with someone i adore enough to bring him travelling with me especially if the alternative is staying there alone. And yes, it is definitely worth the money to spend for that kind of luxury!. Though your experience definitely affirms my thought that a short trip to thailand is definitely not worth it at this time. Too much hassle and much less rewards.

no doubt and right thing to do too

To everyone who has commented, thank you for your kind words. I wanted to make sure N was able to stay in a comfortable hotel room, and he did appreciate that he didn't have to go to the government facility. I completed my travel and health insurance claim today, and sent it off. In addition to the hotel and hospital charges, I included all the canceled nights of hotel stays, and the lost return airfare to Bangkok. My insurance policy included trip interruption, so we'll see how much they will actually pay out. I'll leave a note here in a few weeks, after the claim is settled, to let other Thailand travelers know if it was a good policy that I chose. Although I can't claim N's quarantine charges on my insurance, it was worth the money to have him stay with me. It helped both of us make it through the ordeal much easier than it would have been for both of us to be several kilometers apart.

Later that afternoon, after 2 PM, I drove to the hospitel, only about five minutes away from the bungalow where I had just left N. After unloading my belongings, and parking the car, I was directed to a table set up outside the entrance of the hospitel. Soon a nurse appeared in full protective gear. She was dressed like a member of the Fukushima nuclear plant clean up crew, shoe covers and all. I was interviewed by the nurse. She asked me about any current medical conditions, health history, and of any possible chronic health conditions. This interview and any covid symptoms at that time, depending on their severity are what determine whether you will stay in a hospitel, or be admitted to a regular hospital as an inpatient, and placed under treatment. As a tourist, the positive PCR test dictates that you will be placed in quarantine, under the current regulations. Once the nurse was satisfied that I was healthy, I was given a small canvas tote bag with the hospital name on it. Inside the bag was a digital thermometer, a pulse oximeter that clips on a fingertip, a plastic bag containing 10 green surgical masks, and a small bottle of hand sanitizer gel. We were required to take our armpit temperature and oxygen readings twice a day, at 10 AM and 6 PM. I was instructed to take a photo of these readings from the two instruments, and send them to the nurses at the hospitel lobby via the WhatsApp phone app. There were 3 nurses on duty at the medical station in the open air hotel lobby every day. Check in and check out time at the hospitel was after 2PM daily. At 2 PM, a couple accounting staff from the hospital arrived at the hotel to assist the nurses and hotel front desk staff in coordinating the financial accounts for every person in quarantine. If anyone had symptoms and requested any medication, that was added to the final bill. There was no option to bill the insurance directly, for either the hotel charges or the hospital fees. I tried to get them to accept my insurance directly, and was told that they would not accept any insurance payments or authorizations, they would only take cash or a credit card from the individual as payment. I was assured that the total amount of the two bills together, the hotel, and separate hospital bill, would not be more than 50,000 baht per person. Payment was to be made in full at check out, and before being given the medical clearance certificate. There were maybe 50 - 60 people in quarantine when I arrived. Since the hospital was in partnership with a second hotel, also used as a hospitel, it looked like they were receiving some good income from this side business, while still keeping the hospital beds available for people with serious medical conditions. The other hospitel was also offered to me, but I chose this one from the two. The following morning, N called me from the bungalow, and told me an ambulance from the hospital would be bringing him to the hospitel that afternoon. I could no longer use the car, as my quarantine period had begun, and I was not allowed to leave the hotel grounds. The charge for the short ambulance ride from the bungalow to the quarantine hotel was 2,000 baht (about 3 km). When N arrived by ambulance, I went to the front of the hotel to meet him, and help get him checked in. The ambulance was merely the hospital's taxi. The ambulance attendants did not even open the back door for N to climb out of the vehicle. Not that N needed assistance, but still, it was an ambulance. I watched as N went through the exact same process, with the nurse dressed like she was ready for a walk on the moon. Once we went into the lobby and approached the reception desk, I was told that N could not stay with me, and that he would need to stay in a separate room. I had to get assertive once again, this time with the hotel reception staff and hospital personnel, to again protect our interests. With my best poker face, I politely let them know that if we could not stay together, then N would not be a guest at the hospitel, and he would be going to a free Thai quarantine facility at the government hospital. I was a youngster the first time I came to Thailand more than 40 years ago, and I've observed a few things over the years. One thing I have learned is that Thais will not miss an opportunity to empty a farang's wallet of any baht they possibly can. I was confident they did not want to lose out on the money i was prepared to pay for N's quarantine stay. Sure enough, after a lengthy discussion in Thai, and a couple phone calls, the hotel reception staff and hospital staff switched to English, and a representative from both groups spoke to me. Miraculously, they had changed their stance, and agreed to let N stay with me, in my room. I suspect their respective managers or business offices that they had contacted by phone couldn't bear the thought of my money remaining in my wallet, and not in their cash register drawer. My bluff had worked. Of course, if they had given us separate rooms, we would have stayed together anyway. It just made it much easier for us to be in one room. N's meals would have been sent to an empty room if we had been separated, and it would have created much inconvenience. I must say, they were not very clever at business affairs. By staying together, we freed up another room in the quarantine wing of the hotel that they could then rent to more people, who were arriving daily. No hotel staff were allowed to enter our rooms, so nobody would have checked up on us or have known otherwise that we were staying together. Maid service was not provided. Requests were sent to the front desk for supplies (bottled water, soap, toilet paper, tissues). Plastic trash bags were provided daily, and all waste, cans, bottles, etc went into the bags, and were left outside the door to be picked up. The room was at ground level, so both the entry door and the sliding patio door on the opposite side had outside access, and there were no enclosed hallways or elevators. This photo of our hospitel room shows the outdoor patio where we ate every meal. Of course with no maid service, the room did not look like that for long. We took a larger side table than the one shown in the photo out onto the patio to use as a dining table. Just beyond the wall at the rear of the photo was Khao Lak beach. We were allowed to wander the attractive hotel grounds, but not allowed to use the swimming pool. The hotel had one wing dedicated as a hospitel, and the other side was open to regular hotel guests, so the pool was reserved for the regular guests, to keep them away from the guests in quarantine. As you can see in the photos, the buildings have rooms on two floors. Our room was on the ground floor. The entire L shaped building was reserved for quarantine guests. There was also another quarantine building behind this one, but only a few of those rooms were occupied. This was the view from the patio, where we sat and ate breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. If you look on the grass, you can see a towel and pillow someone used for sunbathing. Three meals a day were provided in take-out plastic boxes. A mix of Thai and Western foods. Always fresh fruit included, and the typical horrible Thai hot coffee every morning, along with fresh orange juice. Luckily I had stopped at a 7-Eleven on the way to the hospitel in the rented car to purchase 10 cans of Nescafe iced coffee, as a substitute for proper coffee, one can for each day. N was not a much of a coffee drinker. The Nescafe canned coffee was much more palatable than the hotel java. The hotel provided each room with a case of 1.5 liter bottles of drinking water, and more could be ordered. There was also a limited room service menu for food and drink items (not included in the hospitel package). The delivered meals were left on a small table just outside the door. A knock on the wooden door let us know it was time to eat. One day for lunch, to give you an idea of the meals, we had BBQ chicken, rice, yum woon sen with shrimp and chicken, and vanilla ice cream for dessert. Don't get me wrong, this was not a banquet, it was small portions served in small divided take out boxes, but it was enough food. We didn't go hungry. We ordered food once from the room service menu, and N ordered a number of big bottles of Leo Beer several times from the bar. Once N realized that the food ordered from the room service menu was from the same kitchen that provided our regular meals, he gave up on that idea, and turned to the old Thailand standby of 7-Eleven. We ordered items to be delivered a few times from a 7-Eleven that was about a kilometer away, including a few of 7-Eleven's infamous microwaved meals. N would go into rice withdrawals if the meal served was western food. One day for lunch the chef had made nice plump homemade beef hamburgers on homemade buns, and served with french fries. N would not touch his meal. He wanted rice three times a day. Although he wasn't fond of western food, he could inhale two bags of Lay's potato chips from 7-Eleven in under ten minutes. The Thai food served was not ultra spicy, but there was enough red pepper in it to let know you were eating genuine Thai food. It was spicy enough for N, so I guess you could say it was medium spicy, but not Isan flamethrower hot. I saw people smoking on their patios, drinking beer, sunbathing in the compound, exercising outdoors, etc. Other than the fact we couldn't leave the hotel grounds, there was no real hardship in staying there. It's not like we were sentenced to Bang Kwang Prison. Since I was able to share the room with N, it certainly made it more enjoyable, if we didn't fixate on the fact we couldn't leave. I must say, if I had to go through that quarantine alone, it would have been a harrowing ordeal to endure. A few times I thought of the Hotel California song by the Eagles, "where you can never leave". N took photos of everything, and I mean everything we had to eat, including our takeout food boxes during quarantine. He did this everywhere during the month we were together, not just in quarantine. He even took photos of some street food that we carried back to the Phuket hotel one evening for a snack. I asked what he did with all the photos of food, and he replied "put on Facebook". I can understand taking a photo of a nice looking multi dish dinner, but fried rice in a plastic take out box served in a quarantine hotel? Now I know why I don't have a Facebook account. I had purchased a bottle of green chiretta at home before my trip after reading about how it is successfully used in Thailand prisons to quell the spread of covid. I had read an article published by Chulalongkorn University, and they indicated that after taking the capsules for eight days, the virus was undetectable. They went on to claim it is effective in inhibiting viral replication, exactly what we needed. It is an herb, the Latin name is Andrographis paniculata, or “Fah Talai Jone” in Thai. I purchased it as a precaution, just in case I needed it on my trip, and was darned glad I had brought it in my suitcase. We both took the capsules for eight days. When I first showed the bottle to N, I asked him if he wanted to take it. He looked it up on his phone, translated in Thai, and yes, he said wanted to take it every day. I didn't need to convince him, after he translated the name into Thai, he was eager to take it. N said the pills can be purchased in pharmacies and 7-Elevens in Thailand, and it is very commonly used. I bought mine through iHerb, it is the Nature's Way brand. I chose that brand because it is an extract, standardized to 10% of andrographolides, so it's a good strong dose, not just powdered leaves as some companies fill their capsules with. Here are links to the article in case you want to read what Chula U. says about green chiretta and covid: https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/50619/ https://www.newswise.com/coronavirus/read-medicine-labels-how-to-safely-use-green-chiretta-against-covid-19/?article_id=757479 I have had the vaccines and a booster shot, and N has had two different western vaccine shots. He wisely avoided the less effective Chinese vaccines when they were offered to him. So this certainly kept the virus and symptoms in both of us to a minimum. We both had a very negligible symptom that lasted less than 48 hours. The only symptom we noticed was a slightly runny nose, much less than you would have with a common cold. I don't know if the green chiretta helped, but I would take it again if I contracted another respiratory virus. Chula University claims it inhibits viral replication in the body, so I believe it may have helped to knock out the viral load fast. We were directed to contact the medical team via the app, and only go to the nurse's station if needed for medical issues. A few days before my scheduled release from quarantine, I sent the nurses at the hotel a WhatsApp message asking for my exact release date and time. I had to deal with renewing the rental car contract, and wanted to know for sure when I would be freed from captivity so I could drive back to Phuket airport to take care of the car contract renewal. To my surprise, the nurse responded that I could leave the following afternoon, after paying both the hotel and hospital bills, and then receiving a letter of release from quarantine. This meant only 9 nights total, including check in day, not the 10 plus check in day originally quoted by the medical team. Good news! The way they re-calculated the isolation time was beginning from the day the swabs were done, not the next day, when the result of the test was received. Originally upon check in, I was told my release date would be on January 26, but they modified that to the 25th. I wasn't about to stay there a minute longer than required. One of the nurses sent this flow chart to my phone. Note the original release date of the 26th. The next afternoon I checked out, and I had to leave N to stay alone that night. Out of my month in Thailand, that was to be our second and last night apart. I think he was having thoughts of my possibly driving off into the sunset, leaving him there, and not returning to pick him up the next day. I could not stay at the hospitel that night because my release paperwork was complete, and my bill was already paid in full. I was more than happy to jump in the Toyota and put that place in the rear-view mirror until the next day, when I would be back to settle his bill, and we could continue our trip together. We had talked it over, and rather than rush back to Bangkok, and go to Pattaya for a few days as planned, we decided to continue our travels in the south, and stay an extra five days. My rented car was in the hotel parking lot, and raring to go as soon as we were both free of quarantine. We decided we wanted to see Ao Nang more than we wanted to go to Pattaya for the umpteenth time. I had booked the rental car from Phuket airport for two weeks, and the agency at Phuket said I had to return to Phuket with the car to renew the contract. So since N's quarantine ended one day after mine, I drove to Ao Nang to spend one night alone in a hotel there. This was the same hotel that had to be canceled earlier. The following morning, I drove from Ao Nang south to Phuket province, about a three hour drive, to renew the car contract at Phuket airport. It was an ordeal to get the car renewed. The car rental counters are in the secure arrivals area, and not accessible to the general public. I knew this was going to be an issue beforehand, because of the way the airport is designed. I had N write a note for me in Thai, explaining that I needed to access the car rental counter, rather than chance it to pantomime with the airport police. I showed the note and the rental car contract to two different groups of airport police, and after reading it, they smiled, but would not let me inside. I was beginning to wonder what he had written on the note. Then I noticed a man sitting at a table with a banner above him that was marked "Tourism Authority of Thailand". He spoke fluent English. I let him know it was an unusual request, but since I was a tourist in need of assistance, he was more than ready to help. I explained the difficulty I was having, and just like Moses parting the Red Sea, he had a woman from the car rental counter seated in front of me in under three minutes, writing a renewal contract for the car in the lobby of the airport. Then after a quick lunch, I went back to pick up N in Khao Lak, where he was finishing up his last day of quarantine. When I walked into the room, he was sound asleep at 2 in the afternoon. He said since he had been alone last night, he had stayed up all night drinking Leo Beer, and watching shows on the big TV. Then another long trip back to Ao Nang, where both of us stayed together that night. It was a lengthy day of driving. I spent about 10 hours behind the wheel that day, driving in parts of three provinces to tie up loose ends, so we could resume our travels, and finally put the quarantine behind us. Free at last! to be continued...

Prologue During Covid I have been consistently too optimistic about the probability of international travel. I repeatedly book trips only to eventually cancel them. I carry on regardless and book the next trip, but my expectations have slowly diminished, to the point that I was not really expecting to make this trip to Thailand. It was only after the e-tickets arrived that I truly believed that this trip was a Go. I should have been elated, but after the initial euphoric rush I was strangely flat. I organized the mechanics of travel down to the last detail and took steps to eliminate anything within my power that could cause problems. I imposed a self-quarantine for the seven days prior to my PCR test, excusing myself from pre-Christmas events and Christmas dinner itself. I booked a limo service to the airport as Uber have become a little less reliable. But I did not get into the usual personal preparation or have a plan of what to do other than seeing Bangkok Guy. I continued to drink and eat a little too much and not exercise enough. My mood should have been up, but pre-Christmas socializing was leaving me flat. One evening, returning home after a fabulous dinner party, the flat feeling really struck me – what was going on? I know myself well enough that if I take the time to stop and reflect I find the patterns that point to the problem. When I am flat something is weighing on my subconscious, and the trick is to identify what it is so that I can deal with it. I realized I was very concerned. Very concerned that something would prevent the trip. Very concerned that after two years of Line-only contact the chemistry between Bangkok Guy and I will not be the same. Behind the concern is the fact that Bangkok Guy is deeply under my skin. Possibly too deeply. Many things have kept me bouncing along and sane during the disruption of the last two years and my connection with Bangkok Guy is one of them. Forced separation has intensified the importance of the connection. There is no point in letting an anticipated problem which may or may not eventuate weigh you down. You need to do what you can to ensure the outcome you want and then hope for the best, but be mentally prepared for the worst and have an attractive Plan B. So I took charge of my drinking, eating and exercising. I can stroll the beach confident that I look presentable in swim shorts. I went through the Koh Samui guide and found things to see and do. For the days in Bangkok I have a list of restaurants to try and possible overnight trips. The trip is now in shape to be an excellent holiday and a great first encounter with the World after the last two years. And if the chemistry with Bangkok Guy is still good, that will be the icing on the cake. But if I am honest with myself, the icing is of more interest than the cake.

Thank you. I was quite concerned. He has recovered well, no lasting symptoms.

Pass PCR Test, Will Travel I pass the first of four PCR tests, don my N95 mask and away! After allowing for empty seats to separate passengers, both my flights are fairly full, in contrast to the terminals which are ghost towns. No taxiing delays with a que of one for the first flight and two for the second. Passengers all following covid safety protocols. I had been warned that my ears would ache from the N95 mask and this was very true, but the only negative until the leg to Koh Samui. Thai health and immigration were very pleasant and efficient and it took only around 40 minutes from disembarkation to being seated in the departure gate for the five hour wait for the official quarantine connecting flight. The health officials in Koh Samui were also very efficient, so the whole process of checking papers to record who sat where on the plane, getting the PCR test and getting into the hotel’s single-party transport went smoothly. Bangkok Airways, not so much efficient. The flight is supposed to be a quarantine one. However, the plane was not parked at the gate but some distance away. To get there we crowd into a bus, not a hope of distancing. Long drive, then a wait inside the bus until we can board. Among my fellow passengers were a group who were somewhat lax in masking, as though the mask itself was a powerful talisman regardless of how it was worn. I avoided them in the lounge, but no hope of doing so in the bus or on the small plane. Grrrr….. Efficiency resumed at my hotel. They had me pre-register on-line a few days before arrival. On arrival I was taken directly to the room, shown how to get the room service menu from the TV and told to stay in the room until my test results arrived around 8am the next morning. I was not given a key, so if I left the room it would be obvious as I could not get back in, in theory. In practice my hosts had left me access to my private terrace from which I could slip directly into the pool and swim to freedom. Not wanting to abuse their hospitality or be a selfish idiot I content myself on the terrace with sunshine, fresh air, the smell of flowers, excellent Thai food and a Chang beer.

I bought my first smart phone a year back, principally for use in Thailand and to navigate LINE at home. A huge step forward was made a few days ago when i finally discovered , or rather was told, how to access in-coming mobile phone-calls. It took me twelve months to make that discovery. Just about sums- up my relationship with mobile technology. On the other hand, I've bought a few for someone as presents, each one more advanced (and expensive) than the previous one! In that respect I'm an expert.

Day 22 V has a day time job so we went for breakfast earlier only to find smiling 18past19 coming there at the same time so we enjoyed food together. V did not stay with us long rushing for work and when he left 18past19 revealed secret why he was so visibly happy this morning. Last night he had pleasure hosting X, one of Moonlight models and was absolutely thrilled by the experience. Being good friend he told me that I must off him too and he will support me in this pursuit. What can I say ? true spirit of friendship and cooperation. He even suggest I’ll try tomorrow as he will be visiting some local friends for a party or meeting and is removing himself from the market. Here I need to make some remarks. Few members past and present share fondness for the same type of guys I do so when we are in BKK together it’s almost inevitable that either by coincidence or design, like with V case yesterday, we off the same guys who know that we are friends . And this is when professionalism of our boys is showing up as they maintain utmost discretion, never commenting, not even musing the word on meeting with another guy. I can recall perhaps more than dozen of such parallel cases and only once, several years ago I heard comment about my , long departed from the forum friend from boy ‘you like to kiss but your friend likes fuck right away” . That’s it, not even particularly revealing as it still did not reveal who is fucking whom , not that I was curious or even cared . There was case I mentioned recently of boy showing my neutral picture made on stairs of BBB Inn to another member not knowing that he knows me and that ‘s about it in 21 trips over 20 years. So I must say we can share guys safely in knowledge that what happens in our room stays there. Today I designated day as touristy, I took subway to Sanam Chai station, most beautiful of MRT stations , steps from Wat Po and short walk to Grand Palace which I did not manage to visit because it was already closing. Street around Tha Chang and Tha Maharaj piers , usually very busy were quite empty , another sign of those missing millions of tourists. Going back I took Chao Praya Tourist Boat at 30 baht 1 way (not sure it was regular or senior rate ) to Saphan Taksin and it was not more than 1/5 full for the same reason. Late afternoon we has some rain, I was about to leave to see again T at Sabaidee when it started , fortunately umbrella is included I room amenities at Crowne Plaza. Not that I needed it much as by time I left Lumpini station rain was over . It was only rain I had in 25 days I spent in LOS this trip. T knew I was coming since he was asking me on Line since morning “ will you come to see me today ?” , and we had our usual 1 ½ hr. session. Mamasan did not mention marriage today , likely my previous answer was satisfactory and self-explanatory. I promised to see him at least once before I go home as my trip is getting to an end. Today I was planning to visit HotMale because you may recall I promised cheerful M, one with wife and children that I will off him one day. Cheerful was only one attribute but he is also cute and handsome at the same time, allowed me to sample his kissing skills last time we were sitting together and made sure I could feel his rigid thing too. All in all, a must. Ah-poo, guy I mentioned already was there on the stage and smiled broadly seeing me , perhaps hoping for repeat but I had other designs today , fortunately some customer, not much older than him by the way , perhaps noticed our smiles exchange and called him over and in few minutes world saw them both marching away. I called M for a drink, asked him matter of factly if he wants to go with me but warned him that I want to see show in the bar. This was what he wanted to hear as he was taking part in 2 numbers and likely he wouldn’t be available earlier anyways. So we had more time to talk, motive of him being fond of fucking girls but being fucked by guys was repeated, I joked that perhaps I should take one more guy with us and that idea was taken surprisingly seriously and immediately approved. He even showed me which guys have ‘beautiful cock ‘ as he put it an I warmed to an idea of having private sex show in the room. Not the first time , actually it were two Tawan boys on my birthday few years ago who seized occasion , planted idea and suggested they organize such a gift for my birthday. It turned to be fun, not to mention fact that one who was bottom clearly enjoyed it and even more getting paid for his own pleasure. Few other times it was not as much fun but then was a case of top and bottom taken from Fresh Boys in soi Twilight which actually in the room amused themselves by changing a roles they offered to play to a loud laughter of three of us. I sensed I kind of surprised him when I told him he can chose guy who will go with us and to my great pleasure he picked up one I hoped he will do without any hint from my side. They were together in one of show numbers and he told me he likes him the most. Coincidentally so did I as guy was very well built and only thing which in my opinion stopped him from being model there was his height as he is pretty short. Let’s call him T2. M was tasked with obtaining his OK, than I invited T2 for a drink and it was plain that they both are happy and anticipating fun. First tab, 3 drinks 1200, 2 off fees 1000, in meantime 3 100 baht tips to all big cock performers, one can see that Thai economy got quite a lift via that bar tonight. When we were leaving it looked everybody in the bar was smiling, even me , the sponsor. Sight of 2 guys penetrating up close is not necessarily that appealing to me but I was hoping that like few times before , it will turn to fun spectacle. And that muscly T2 will stay till morning. I knew already M must leave before 2 to see his controlling wife. Nobody in the hotel blinked an eye seeing patrician with 2 wingmen i.e. grey haired guy with 2 entertainers. If I expected some fun , what happened exceeded expectation. Good I had some beers so we had quite a talk before they started performance and it was plain that they like it. I’d venture it was not their first time together. I spare you particulars if only because this day narrative is already too long ‘ wink, wink’ but certainly hotel provided , strawberry flavored, condom was used with gusto and more. Guys had fun but so did I with more to come. When we went to shower together I asked T2 if he wants to stay till morning , not only he agreed but I sensed by way he answered he was expecting such a proposal. So M went home primed to have sex with his wife by his own admission and T2 with me retired to finish such fun filled day 22. No idea what pumped him, Sidegra, me ( LOL ) , fact that he just had fabulous sex with guy he liked to have sex with or sight of compensation on his only 2nd night after he returned to bar after quite a long absence but he sported impressive hardon till very morning which was a good idea as it generated 500 bonus over agreed tip. 3 more days left and shockingly I still have some funds available, pays to be prudent and not off guys right , left and center I guess.

Day 20 In the morning quite unusual request from my guest , he wanted to borrow my underwear as he felt he need a change so I gladly provided spare one ones luckily I had. Then we went for breakfast which at Crowne Plaza is quite opulent affair. Checking the crowd one could notice that there were few tourist but mostly so called hi-so Thais. No doubt crowd checked us too but even if it was obvious what kind of couple we are, nobody blinked an eye , neither gusts not staff , waitress actually addressed him first which I found very nice. Two westerners , executive looking gentlemen who arrived to a table near us actually greeted us with ‘good morning‘. Selection was nice change from usual fried eggs and toast breakfasts so I feasted on rye bread and Swiss cheeses while my companion had usual Asian fare fortified with some seafood and other luxuries. Then I released him and went to Hualampong as today was supposed to be day of closing station and moving all trains to Bang Sue but for some reason it did not happen. It was normal traffic but also hosting plenty visitors taking pictures of few steam engines parked on the platforms. I even learned than in 2 days train to Ayuthaya will depart from this station so for now Hualampong is alive and kicking and news about it’s death are clearly exaggerated. Still curious I took MRT to Bang Sue Grand Station to see if there are any changes there but it looked the same like 10 days ago as terminus of both SRT red lines and spacious covid vaccination center. Being there I recalled thread in our forum about G-Beat spa close to Saphan Kwai BTS so I decided to check it out. Here’s link to this thread : https://www.gayguides.com/forums/topic/37106-loving-the-boys-at-g-beat-spa-in-gay-bangkok/ I had problem finding it simply because I did not realize it THAT close to the station so walked around neighborhood , visited nearby wat and returned toward station to final find it easily. How to get there – at Saphan Kwai take exit 3 and when you will be coming down the stairs on your left you notice kind of small plaza and you may even notice stylized “GB” sign on left side. So as macaroni 21 pointed out in the thread it’s no more than 100 m from the station. By the way there are few more guy staffed massage places on this plaza. Greeting mamasan explained that if I don’t have an appointment which obviously I did not he will call guy of choice for me – had selection on the tablet. Of course first one I liked had already appointment , second one was 5 minutes away and third 15 , we did not go further as I opted for 5 minutes one. Massage 600 for 1 ½ hr, for extra 50 upgrade to VIP room with shower inside , boy’s minimum tip of 900 was indicated ( it looks that they have personalized min. tip there ) , instead of waiting inside I went to 7/11 to buy some drink and when I was back nice looking , next door type smiling therapist was already there. Very basic English but friendly and handsome look provided receipt for successful session worth the trek that far. There was massage , afters , fun and laughter.1200 so min tip exceeded by 1/3. Recommended . In meantime T is sending messages on Line if I will see him today so I decided to head to Sabaidee straight from there , BTS to Asok and MRT from Sukhumvit. Nice reunion after few days of absence , mamasan even went as far as ask when I will marry T to which I responded defensively that he has girlfriend already. Then back to Crowne Plaza where I was supposed to meet another member who recently arrived under Test and Go program and parked there – 18past 19. We were supposed to meet downstairs in the lobby. He told me that we will meet his local friend as well as equally local ‘ friend’ there and when I went down I kind of suspected who that ‘friend’ may be as I spotted attractive handsome guy on his smartphone sitting on the bench . 18past19 showed second after and we both recognized each other after more than 2 years since we meet last time in BKK. I was introduced to both friends and off we went to soi 4. Since V, the ‘friend “ was very good looking I did not waste time to ask what his name is only to be reprimanded by 18past19 to slow down since he is his boy, LOL Sure, I know my place in line but since 18 was engaged in conversation with his other , regular friend it was my duty to makes sure his V is entertained when we were trekking so I got his name , guessed correctly Cambodian city he is coming from, all just in case 18 may decide to give him time of. I was not hungry having eaten already in place beside Sabaidee after massage so had my Chang while three gentlemen had their dinner and then we voted that next destination will be Hot Male so off we went. I Lined newscene that we are heading there and he joined us there. There was some time before show and one guys on the stage was smiling nicely so I decided to call him over for a drink and who knows , feel perhaps. Talkative Myanmarese, very open minded , married with 3 children , wife doesn’t know where he is working , he likes to fuck girls but to same degree likes being fucked by a guys. He also updated me which boy in bar has beautiful cock , this planted in my mind some sinister idea about the future . Not before long planted quite a few kisses on me so I made firm promise I will off him before I go back home but not today, tipped him for his troubles couple reds , sent him back to the scene, watched part of show including big c**k show, tipped participants, all 3 of them and at one point waved good bye to both members and both friends wishing them Merry Christmas as today is Christmas Eve and I left. Where I’m from Christmas is actually celebrated more on Christmas Eve than Christmas Day itself so I felt somewhat festive in a traditional sense, childhood memories and all that. Because of that instead of bar off I decided to be good boy and go to Holy Redeemer in soi Ruan Ruedi for midnight mass. Took taxi for 60 baht and went there. It was well attended, did not drag too long and early Christmas Day I walked all the way from there using bit circular way as Lumpini Park was closed for the night ( soi Ruam Ruedi is diagonally across park from king’s statue ) . Fresh midnight air made me realize that now I don’t need to be good boy anymore so I took circular way through Silom , Patpong 2 and Suriwong hoping I will meet somebody to share Christmas cheer with but now with bar closure at 11 pm it was too late and other than Foodland everything was in deep sleep already. Passing by , surely I peeked into world famous restaurant , in good times usually at that time full of bar employees dining but not in those covid days. So my very busy day 20 I finished lonely in the bed and shame on me, I liked it. Christmas spirit I guess.

Day 18 Today we went for breakfast to French place in the corner. Then N went to his gym and I took motorsai to Pratamnak Hill to see Big Buddha and admiral. Last time I was there it was crowded , this time with even better weather at Big Buddha were probably more stray dogs than pilgrims and tourists combined. But it added to the charm of place, quiet , nice breeze and good views few pictures to warm your hearts longing for Pattaya Going back I took motorsai to the Jomtien bus station and bought ticket to BKK for tomorrow. At 2 , like yesterday Art arrived for massage and again managed to put me to sleep during massage without singing lullabies. There’s something soothing in his stokes. Who knows when we will have another chance ? In the afternoon Gaybutton , his board friend R and me had another dinner together , this time we settled forum on Mexican which I’m not big fan of and I’m glad I went along because my dish, some chicken salad in big tortilla was tasty and serving was big, I did not even manage to eat it all. I updated them on my trip goings , we discussed covid and current Pattaya situation , great interesting afternoon , thank you gentlemen both for inviting me again. At one time today I got message from aussie_ who after left Panorama last night went to Sunee , to Nice Boys and had great time there. So when I meet z909 at Jomtien we decided to pay a visit in that bar.. Before stepping in we did grand tour of the plaza only to see shops boarded and bars closed including Winners. There were few boys at Nice Boys , mostly eating and drinking in the corners , few pretending to rotate on the stage were deep in their smartphones and even if few looked quite attractive it was impossible to even make an eye contact. Nobody seemed to pay any attention to us nor to few other customers who popped in from time to time . Certainly it was my first in any Thai bar ever to feel completely ignored , even when we wanted a check it required loud scream “can we get a check please” because earlier signals were completely ignored. No idea what trick aussie _used yesterday to have good time , what we got I’d call none time. It was just like watching paint dry even if there were at least 3 guys I’d gladly invite to sit, have a drink and collect some tip for a feel. Most attractive did best job of hiding behind the beam with his back to us. I was not even upset when we left, just amazed of what happened. Is not that I’m crossing that bar off my list and certainly will visit it again in future if only to see if it can go even lower. It was just strange. Disappointed and in a sense disgusted we went to Boyztown counting on consolation and indeed it was full of life with show already going on in the soi and perhaps as many as 100 spectators. Mamasan Aek greeted us with a smile. My last night off spotted me as well and instantly sent me a message ‘ why you are not coming to drink with me?” to which I answered ‘ don’t you see I’m with boyfriend ?”. That’s an advantage of visiting bars with friend as always it can be claimed we are with boyfriend. Nobody will believe but everybody will get signal ‘ leave me alone”. In front of me I spotted sitting very handsome guy and asked Aek if he is BBB boy, he was indeed so I asked him to invite guy for a drink . Too bad I promised N night together and am leaving tomorrow as if was fine specimen definitely worth an off. All I got tonight was handholding session in the open but definitely I will be looking for him in a future. Rewarded him 100 baht for his time and 200 for good looks, drink outside was 100 and boy drink 150. I liked spirit of cooperation of bars in the soi banding together trying to revive Boyztown and leaving competition for later. After the show I parted my ways with z909 , shook hands good bye as we will not meet this trip again and took motorsai to the Zing where N sitting in front of his shop, now closed for a day , spotted me in a distance and rushed toward me for out last night and his last tip this trip. This was a reason our time tonight was less steamy but much, much more clingy.

Day 17 In the morning well deserved breakfast at hotel, German style cold cuts plate for 190. Surprisingly N opted for the same. I told him his presence next night is required, thank you very much but stay tuned on the Line as it may be well past midnight when I return to the hotel . I did not plan anything but since BBB yesterday looked promising I was preparing ground just in case I will stay in Pattaya longer tonight. When he went to his gym I fired up Agoda and for the same reason I booked cheap 500 baht room in Nature Beach Hotel in soi 11. As I mentioned earlier , after 2 weeks I kind of miss food I normally digest so went to supermarket near Jomtien airport bus station and stocked on rye bread and cottage cheese. At 2 pm Art arrived as agreed yesterday for a massage and he is so skilled even if only self taught that he managed to put me to sleep mid-day !!! Than I realized that he was my only encounter this trip with guy engaged in previous trips. Yes , Soviet was repeat too but I don’t count him as previous encounter was completely forgotten by both of us and I realized only after we met that it’s not our first time. After he left, previously asked to repeat the feast tomorrow at the same time I went to Jurgens in View Talay 1 for my fil of schnitzel and potatos. Not as good as at Alt Heidelberg or Berliner Café but still closely resembling on original. 360 with beer. Well filled up I went to Walking Street and marched whole length from Bali Hai pier . not that was much to see as almost all bars were closed but here and there were traces of life returning Sad truth is that still on once such busy boisterous street only one business survived intact and that is 7/11. Not quite family destination already and likely it never happen but for a moment that street is dead indeed as adult entertainment destination. In Panorama I met with aussie_ again and we talked waiting for the show. In meantime from time to time I indulged in my newest hobby i.e. combing through Grindr and I noticed that one of guys there may be one sitting in front of BBB. Since he looked attractive I fired him message on Grindr ‘are you guy in black t-shirt with big X on the back ? ‘. That got him interested , he started looking around so I waved at him. We agreed to solve once and for all climate crisis after the show. In spirit of collaboration bars in Boyzown now are combining efforts to put that outside show together and first number with few very muscular guys was music to my ears. Around 10 pm aussie_ left Panorama and shortly after I took my newest friend to that room , smartly booked in the ,morning. Very basic but with all expected conveniences, full washroom , working safety box and A/C, for 500 one can’t expect more than that even in those trying times. Great body and above standard performance by my newest friend would made it memorable evening but unfortunately he made it pretty clear that he is interested in finishing business as soon as possible not knowing that in my eyes it’s cardinal sin. As soon as it was hinted I kind of fast lost interest mindful that well tried N is waiting for me anyways, chalked off agreed 1500 tip as a loss , Ok, not quite due to attributes mentioned above but money not well spent . I even generously offered to give him a lift to Wat Chai in taxi I hailed on the Beach Rd but I was grinding my teeth quietly. As Christian PFC says, no repeat. Lined N to come to hotel as I’ on my way and at 12.30 am we started another steamy and stormy sleepover. THAT was well spent money no doubt and subsequent night was secured before we even hit the sheets. Despite slight hick up with Grindr guy , it was great busy day with three encounters even if that day 17 ended with pretty sleepless night.

I've just enjoyed catching-up on these experiences, particularly the ones in Chiang Mai where P and I are probably at our happiest. I've just read about Adam's Apple....it must have been very disappointing. Exactly the same thing happened to me many years ago before P and I were together. I'd booked up Lotus, the gay hotel opposite where I'd stayed on numerous occasions, to be near AA, only to find that it was closed for renovation. The CM venues tend to be spread-out and I was devastated but I fell on my feet in one of the two bars in a soi just down the road and met-up with a guy who'd just returned form his monkhood stint. One of my idiosyncrasies is a preference for short-haired, shaved guys! Really cute and charming.... more my type than the Shan guys who were said to be dominant at AA. That's the great thing- one of the great things- about gay Thailand; the next attractive and willing guy is always just around the corner. The unexpected joy always awaits. I miss it badly!

If you liked the boy and you did have great time together I don't see any wrong here by buying him a phone my moto in life it's better to be generous and kind then cheap Cahrlie. I am doing only long term with a boy because I like the illusion of "boyfriend" companion besides the fee agreed I don't mind from time to time to buy the boy a gift such a perfume ,shoes , clothes atc. as he wishes it's a part of the adventure with him and if both sides are statisfied and happy I never regret doing that.

Day 12 Such is the secret of well executed night that at breakfast question ‘will you buy me a new phone ? ‘ could be matter of factly rephrased “will you buy me that 12000 phone today ?’ which allowed me to counter propose ‘ no , that for 8000 only”. See how easy it is, LOL. So again off we went to that store where I was treated with spectacle of salesman dancing around S , extolling virtues of 12000 model and me faking an interest in 4500 model of the same make (Vivo ). All that in vain as I stood my ground at 8000 and was intended to indeed. Then all of the sudden 10000 model become attractive but I had my answer ready although requiring going to the quiet corner where I whispered “ you sleep with me tonight for free and I buy you that 10000 one or sleep for free and give me back 2000 I gave you this morning and we have 12000 one.” That was brilliant as it’s always very hard to part with money so WE settled on the first offer, 10000 and tip free night. Now you know why I called S historical figure – he made that old fool Vinapu joining long line of farangs buying their guy a phone. Such was his charm that I still don’t regret it. Both happy we returned to hotel where phone was arrested till tomorrow morning, we had some steamy moments as celebration of new acquisition and at noonish he went home and I went to continue my walks around old city mindful of fact that at 2 B, the body builder is scheduled to come. Arrived on time indeed. Such a body can’t be wasted as masseur so I suggested we change roles, he will become sandbag like me and I will massage him. I did very good job and tipped him well too. Before we started he modestly show me on his phone internet offer of some dreamt about shoes for just only 650. Yes , he got it too . I’m on shopping spree today it seems but that the secret of good mood. Exhausted after all that opening and closing wallet and massaging such substantial hunk I decided to have a rest in form of visiting Chiang Mai railway station. Took songtaew there for 60 baht as it’s quite far from old city. New and shiny train to Bangkok was ready to depart in few minutes, always enchanting moment for me , railway man at heart my whole life. No hunk is able to distract me from counting carriages of passing train, no matter how manly and muscly he would be. At 6 p.m. on the dot national anthem was played and right after train started rolling toward Bangkok 12.5 hrs. away. Not too many passengers, presumably more will join on the way but 1st class seemed to be filled by farangs. Not exactly cheap as lower berth in 1 st class costs 1600 odd baht it seems romance of rail travel still has hold on many not to mention savings on night at hotel. Perhaps I should try that one day at least one way. Leisurely walk to Classic for last massage there this trip. As mamasan suggested time to fork 1000 for 4 hands massage. From massage point of view it doesn’t make much sense , probably 2 session in row with one guy would make more of it because 4 hands requires not only massage skills but great degree of coordination between boys. You may feel strange if on is massaging your left shoulder while other takes care about right calf. But for fun and that was my intention, 4 hands can’t be beaten as long as very important condition is met : boys must be comfortable with each other. Common mistake is to force one guy on another which may not work due to shyness, friendship, blood relation or guys simply not being fond of each other. Cure for that is simple: chose one guy and let him bother with choosing second one. Chances are he will be good match. You may warn that 2nd guy still needs to be approved by you and if you have specific requirements you need to tell up front. Since it was my 4th time there and no doubt guys are updating themselves about clients I did not make much fuss, chose one and left him with task of getting helper of his choice. Fun intended , fun achieved. Massage was quite ok with one tasked with above the waist and other one with the lower carcass, it was how they chose to work. After a while I started being active and we had good , laughter filled time indeed. 1500 a head tipped, well received. Then S and I jumped on his motorsai heading for his friends restaurant. Too bad I’m leaving as friend was quite handsome boss and if I was longer would investigate option of getting my hands on him. S was visibly eager to retrieve his treasures arrested in my room but to his credit while night was more quiet than previous two he kept his side of bargain to successfully finalize my day 12

Day 11 We had breakfast together, then I packed my meagre possessions and taking advantage of my newest friend’s motorsai we went to my new digs – impressively named and even more impressively looking Phor Liang Meun Terracotta Arts Hotel in small alley 1 block from Chiang Mai gate. In normal times I likely would be to stingy to rent room there but covid times are depressing hotel prices exponentially so even such beauty and luxury become affordable at 1200 , breakfast included. Since after last night there was no doubt that S will be my companion for next 2 I checked him in and he got his own door card as there was no way I let him to sleep at home even if he is married with a child. Specially with such modest tip expectations, right? palatial Phor Liang Meun terracotta Arts Hotel, lobby and a room When we settled in he suggested that we visit electronic shop as he wanted to check some new phone model so we went , remember WE have a vehicle. Phone in question had price tag of 13000 but now was on promotion for 12000. I was even asked if I like it, how thoughtful. But no, at no time suggestion was made I should chip in because as Ecclesiast says it is time for everything , for laughter and cry , for sowing and harvest and so on. Then we parted ways string in knowledge that I will come to Classic for massage with somebody else but take him home afterwards. I continued with my tourist program, visiting temple after temple and when I got too spiritual I decided to bring myself to the level by going to Sanctuary Spa, not far from my hotel, easy to find as it’s facing moat close to SuanPrung gate. Entry is bit forested with ample greenery. It was only one guy on duty, others could be called in but no need since guy was handsome, tall , muscular and bulgy. I always say all we need is 1 bar and 1 guy in it so decided to try my wisdom. Fee was 1000 baht for 1.5 hr session, min tip the same and off we went. Both massage and afters were outstanding , truly were so tip was increased to 1500 and we parted ways both smiling. If I was not engaged with S , there was another candidate. But I like S. and after all that sightseeing I kind of miss him so slowly but surely I walked again to Classic where S din not even bother to present himself as it was known that today is somebody else’s turn. Mamasan reminded me that 5 massages are getting 6th free and since tomorrow is my last day he suggests 4 hands. Today it was B, the body builder. That was pleasure to extend that I asked him to come to my hotel during day tomorrow handing him over hotel’s business card and my Line. S was waiting in the wings but when we were done he confidently emerged and soon after motorsaied me to a dinner. During which suggestion , mind you, just suggestion was made we can go to the mall to do some shopping. Not that I need to buy anything but obviously he did so I just tagged along. We had a good luck as some Adidas shoes were on sale and so were jeans but of course nothing stopped US from buying 2 pairs of shoes , jeans shorts and jacked . WE bought , I paid but I kind of had fun witnessing how I’m manipulated into opening my heart and wallet . Even now recalling it I smile. Truth is all those good were good value for quite a modest price and I thought in view of night past and future, worth the expense. Now we know what low LT tip means, LOL. There was pressing need for a belt for another 1200 but despite shining eyes, my short ‘no’ did the trick and pressure eased down. In the room all goodies were arrested and I told him he will get them on day of my departure as I don’t want him to poke them into eyes of his friends in Classic as long as I’m here. He got the concept. Before you call me old fool etc let me tell you that now my fun started and I would be ungrateful asshole if I did not state that I was greatly rewarded for my troubles all night long, it’s why I smile. Even skillful suggestion I will buy him that phone tomorrow did not spoil my fun. I think this is what happens when guy makes sure you like him. So my day 11 , busy and expensive turned still to be memorable and full filled , fuck the money.

Day 8 . It went without saying that we will have repeat of the day and night today. I don’t even remember who said it first but it was obvious. Tip was increased substantially as good work should be rewarded properly . Breakfast in French restaurant on the corner, very cheerful waitress who seemed to like N very much thank you and I was pretending I don’t notice it. Quite sumptuous with signature crispy fresh baguettes , I liked it very much, tasty , classy and filling. He went to his room and then to gym, I chose internet exercises in the room. As mentioned before I was subject of massive attack from that Grindr guy and tried to fend his messages off until around noon got tired and decided finally to go to Pattaya proper. Rest of daylight was spent walking about and it was quite depressing sight with all those shops and restaurants boarded or at least closed. Walking street completely dead bar one survivor – 7/11. On another hand signs of clinging to life were encouragingly numerous, I had a dinner in newly opened kebab restaurant on 2nd street. Few massages were opened with guys anxiously waiting for customers, a lot of walker along Beach Rd and girls ubiquitous, forced to take their trade to the streets with bars closed but generally Pattaya was bit depressing sight with devastation much more pronounced that in Bangkok. Alt Heidelberg closed but Berliner café and Salt and Pepper still operating. Few quite big hotels closed, in others only few windows were lit. Surprisingly exchange rates in few still opened places were at least as good as in Swampy’s basement by train station. Sunee – dead, those complaining in the past about Arabs racing motorbikes now have their day, sois quiet like pre-pandemic funeral home. Boyztown, dead zone with only Scandic opened with 3 guys on duty , one of them veteran of many years there. But baht busses still 10 baht. Internet café in soi post office still opened and tailor in Pattayaland also did not give up. Not as cheerful like before but still standing. So Pattaya girls and boys are not giving up, no matter what trade they are in. It was darkening when I returned to Complex , straight to N’s shop for massage and right after I extracted him from there by way of paying 300 off fee and we went to Agate greeted by knowing smile of lady at reception. If last night was steamy , this one , my last in Pattaya for now , was nothing short of volcano , geyser, earthquake e.t.c. I think people of certain age should conduct themselves with more dignity and modesty but since nobody was watching us I took an option to be young again with quite a success ending day 8 well stretched and exercised.