splinter1949

From the description of what happened, I don't see how anybody would think it was sex trafficking, unless the employee is just disgusted by older men with younger men.

On a related note, I departed Bangkok last month via the satellite terminal. Here are some pictures I took, which should give you an idea of the shiny new addition to the airport.
The gates for the satellite terminal are numbered starting with the letter "S", as you can see from the sign hanging from the ceiling in the main terminal. 

Follow the signs and they will lead you to a set of escalators going down deep into the basement.
 
 
More escalators, but this time there are staff to make sure that you're headed in the right direction. 

Then you're down into an utterly sterile space where you wait for the shuttle train.

To be continued.
 
 
 

From Pattaya Mail
By Barry Kenyon 
Thailand is heading up discussions with Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia to seek agreement that a tourist visa or pass for one country means travellers can visit all five without further bureaucracy. The Thai premier’s adviser Prommin Lertsuridej said, “Thailand will lead negotiations for tourists to require one entry visa to travel amongst us.”
 
 The idea is not entirely new, but plans have collapsed in the past as the various countries have their own specific requirements and prices. For example, Thailand now offers some countries, for example South Korea and Russia, 90 days visa exempt on arrival and without any payment. Cambodia, on the other hand, charges virtually all foreigners for the compulsory e-visa or visa on arrival and offers just 30 days. Laos meanwhile still requires evidence of covid vaccinations (or risk compulsory testing at Vientiane airport) and has different regulations from Thailand about bringing foreign currency into the country.
Srettha Thavisin, the Thai prime minister, intends to use visa conformity amongst neighbors as a lever to encourage European Union countries to allow visa-free travel for the five Asean nations throughout the 27+ nations operating the Schengen visa system. Agreement on such a bold move is unlikely for the foreseeable future as security and immigration controls are dominant concerns amongst all EU members. In any significant discussions, most Asean nations are keen to be under the leadership of Thailand which welcomes the most foreign tourists and has recently dismantled its own remaining visa regulations for the vast majority of its visiting vacationers.
 

i consider it great idea and hope it will bear some fruit. If memory serves me well it was raised first by Vietnamese Prime Minister. if revenue is concern nothing stops country from collecting payment at point of entry in exchange for,  say , sticker in the passport but without any paperwork required

Day 2
First full day and kind of quiet. After energetic night and jet lag still lingering  I took it easy. D and me had breakfast at Foodland of all places and parted ways. As it happened I did not see him anymore this trip even if visited Tawan quite a few times, Perhaps he went home or it was just bad luck.
I had some dental work to do at Thai Smile. Passing by I stepped in just to book an appointment but doctor was  expected to be free in few minutes and since I had money on me I just wait and had it done . Then feeling bit sleepy decided to energize myself with massage so went  to soi 6 and Nut from Maha spotted me approaching from mile away and grabbed me  right away. Sweet , talkative , tiny but  very muscular guy and I was happy with our 1.5 hr session. Massage made me hungry so I took motorsai to Charoen Krung soi 49, you guessed rightly to Madrid Tavern for my first pizza this trip.
 Late afternoon jet lag made me wanting badly to get some sleep so I returned to the room, set my alarm for 21.00 as I was supposed to pick up Y at Moonlight as agreed yesterday and collapsed on the bed.
It was good idea with that alarm since I was sleeping soundly. After making myself looking decent – in Thailand I have habit to shave just before I hit bars in the evening and went to Moonlight. Y was there already , I bought him a drink and told him we will go after the show.
 At 10 pm bar was almost empty bar even if it was half an hour before show. But models and floor boys soldered on regardless. By 11 filled up nicely to about half capacity.
Show quite decent. There, s new model, I guess his nick is  Sam or similar. Quite handsome . Several new, floor boys, as well. Lack of crowds did not mean disaster as some high spending farang was holding court and was distributing tips by a handful.
Y when sitting with me  asked by said farang to join for round of drinks. Y asked my permission and he said  for 15 minutes only. I agreed and it was a good move costing me nothing. After 15 minutes, and gulping 2 or 3 shoots he was clutching in his fist no less than 900. 
So it seems that sparse crowd doesn’t mean financial disaster. All depends. On another hand during my time there i.e. 10 to 11.45 my off was only one and I was, sitting in good position to see comings and goings through the door. So at 11.45 we went to Happy Beer Garden to have some meal, no prize for guessing what I had. Y ordered something simple as well which can’t be said about most boys I used to invite there.
Since Raya is across the street few minutes after paying the bill we were already in the shower. Y never disappoints and did not even try to this time either. 2nd night and 2nd great one. Will I ever get decent sleep while in Thailand?

Preliminaries and getting to.
 This was my first trip to Thailand after leaving workforce for good and as result it was also longest of them all (so far I hope).Also first covering month of January, I was in that month before twice but only for ,few days in the beginning  back in 2003 and at end last year.
I keep travel diary on evert trip everywhere  so  no need to stretch my memory, cleaning glasses from time to time will suffice to produce this report. Reading it this morning I noticed that some occurrences faded from  memory already which makes point again not to be upset about small things as they are soon forgotten for good.
Winter trip has advantages of escaping cold but also carries risk that weather may go in the way. It was exactly a case this time. When we boarded plane snow  blizzard started . It was sudden and energetic and as result we took off exactly 2 hours later than scheduled. Considering that at Narita I had originally exactly 2 hours connection time it was obvious that something will happen. Either, like last time I took that route plane to Bangkok will be waiting but luggage arrive day later or I need to be placed on another flight that evening or day after. Did not bother me as nothing I could do on my part.
 I did not enjoy flight much ( one of those things faded from memory I mentioned before but diary remembers). It was cold inside and this comes from guy who likes winter over summer. For first few hours entertainment system did not work which I don’t care but  in modern aircrafts one can’t turn on reading light if screen is dead so I lost few hours of reading time. And to add to my misery , food was nothing memorable and that is charitable.
 But as always there  was bonus – nobody seating beside me. I always fly at the back , middle section , aisle seat , hoping for that to happen  and it did again. I noticed that elbow space is as important as legs one on those long flights.
 We landed as we departed , exactly 2 hours after scheduled time and  were advised to see agents  who will inform as about further connection. This being Japan , was organized very well. Indeed lady was holding placard with Bangkok and my flight number, told me where to go and there another agent  gave me boarding pass for tomorrow morning , advised to pick up my luggage , pass immigration and go to the parking spot nr 16 where shuttle bus to hotel  will be waiting. It was all in print on small piece of paper. Impressive enough. Japan I thought. Then somehow things get a bit less smooth as I was waiting exactly 2 hours for my luggage to emerge entertaining myself with Whatsapping, e-mailing  and Lineing.
After that we were back to Japan. Bus arrived and was filled to capacity with people sharing my misfortune, from  what I heard  not only Bangkok bound but also Bejjing and Saigon but somebody said Manilla passengers were lucky to be placed on next flight departing tonight.
At the hotel   they knew exactly why we are there, there was special counter arranged and we got our keys and coupon for supper tonight and breakfast tomorrow as well as information about bus to the airport departing in the morning. In short all my questions at Narita were answered before I even asked them.
It was too late to go to the city 1hr train trip away  so I settled in the room and did not even bother with evening meal. Just made my tea and went asleep.
 As for breakfast ‘opulent’ is understatement. All tasted soooo good and I feel sorry for myself that days I was eating more than I need  are over.
 I was placed on Thai flight and again had luck of nobody seating beside – it’s after all still 7 hrs flight. I already commented in another thread, meal they served was probably best airplane meal I ever had and no, after that breakfast I was not starving or something , it was just  extremely tasty, just pork with rice but made for kings and CEO’s .
This way instead of landing at 22.30 , I arrived at 17.40 next day and day 1 of my trip started.
still Christmas time in Japan

Scat Airlines ? I wonder what this is all about

Hey friends,
I recently availed the PCR28 testing service at Pulse Clinic in Silom, and I have to say, it was a remarkable experience. They're offering a 50% discount on their comprehensive STI testing, which now costs 6,700 baht. This test covers 28 different infections, with results delivered in 7 days. If you're in a hurry, you can opt for a faster turnaround with an extra fee. The clinic is easily accessible, located near the BTS Sala Daeng station. I found their service to be excellent—fast, efficient, and professionally handled. It's a great opportunity, especially since such extensive STI testing isn't readily available everywhere. Highly recommend checking it out!
For more info, check out their website: https://pulse-clinic.com/pcr-dna-test-for-28-infections
You can also purchase PrEP, PEP, and they can do other general blood work for you. They also have IV infusions to help you get over jet lag or give you a boost if you drank too much the night before.
I have no affiliation with this clinic but as a happy customer I wanted to share my experience and I hope that it would encourage others to get tested more frequently. 

Ok, I am already back from 39 Underground (no need to stay any longer 😉 )
It's just a 2 minutes walk from the Saphan Khwai BTS Station at the dead end of a small soi. Entrance fee was 250 (weekend price). At 2 pm it was already crowded. About 100 Asians and 2 Farangs 😉
The sauna spreads about 4 floors, 3 of them underground, hence the name. There is also a little bar and a roof "garden". In the very dark underground there was action on every square inch. As expected, most of the guys were more into Asians, but I had my fun too... plenty of it. It's not the cleanest place on earth, but I found it acceptable. All action was raw, never saw a condom in usage. I hope they use at least PREP since it's much cheaper here in TH. Today was naked theme, that`s why you only got a small towel and you were not allowed to carry the towel in the action areas.
So for me, the visit was worthwhile, even though I was more or less the only Western guy there. 
 

Hi I've been lurking in this forum as I'm currently travelling around Thailand, just went to Prince and thought I'd post.
90 minutes, 1400 minimum to Prince, 2000 to the therapist. Well worth it. Great facilities, full service, whatever you are up for. They can send you pictures on whatsapp if you want, or you can just pick someone out from the lineup. Mostly more built style guys. My therapist was a college student doing this part time. Very sweet, massage was okay, he seemed a little tentative, everything else was fantastic. He was rock hard for most of the session.

Day 10 continued - in Siem Reap
At 12 noon I left hotel , took 9$ tuk-tuk to the airport   and while flying high above Cambodia I realized that I got  infamous senior moment in the hotel. When emptying safe box I put pile of 100 000  riels ( 25$ ) in 5000 notes on the night stand and forgot to pick it up from there. Can only imagine  how happy cleaner  was finding it and hope she was not stupid enough to report it to the reception but harvested that pile in full.
As my mom used to say ‘ in nature nothing gets lost , only finds new owner”.
 In ½ hr we were landing already. Airport looks very pleasant  but was empty, our plane was only one at time I was there. My driver greeted me immediately but I told him I need to do my survey. In improvement to early reports now there’s place one can buy snacks, there are desks for taxi and public bus to the city as well as  kiosk with SIM cards. Unfortunately I couldn’t  see departure area as there are guards who are admitting actually people who are departing only.
 This tells us whole thing is Chinese  built , run and milked. There are no such restriction in Phnom Penh.
Quite possible in generation people will be marveling of how far sighted builders if this airport were but for now it’s just waste od space and money as old airport was running well and was very close to the city. I’m not buying BS that it needed to be closed because vibrations were hurting ancient temples. In my 5 visits there I never heard any plane landing or taking off. Anyways if we don’t have what we liked we must like what we have.
 It's about 1 hr. to the city and one can take car  for 35$ or van for 40$ or public bus for 8$.
Apparently there’s  also postal bus for the same 8$ but I did not find any information not stop for it there so it needs to be confirmed.
 






 
 
Half way is very modern highway which is joining old National Road number 6. One hour and 35$ later I was in hotel. Big room with balcony , separate shower / bathtub area and toilet itself. Breakfast included and even small pool at disposal, all for 40$ , life is beautiful. Knowing S is coming I was waiting for him , he updated me where he is and finally knock into door and happy squeak from him. It look he was really happy for such vacations.


 
Today we took it easy , went to Old Market area to eat something  and returned to the room as two happy people have no better place to spend rest of day and night like bed , specially knowing driver will be 8 am on the dot. I know him and was sure so instructed S to behave but forgot to instruct myself so we had some steam in the room before we fell asleep..
 
 
 

Day 10, still in Phnom Penh
 In the morning we turned fully synchronized , he wanted to go to the gym and me to Royal Palace right after they open at 8. Our good bye embrace was  quite long and then for  first time in my zillion meetings with boys in Thailand and Cambodia   I heard apology from guy that he charged me too much.
 I was quite touched  , I knew I gave him bit more than market but bit doesn’t meant twice or trice more. He told me what he needs money for and for me it sounded quite pleasurable so all I could say was ‘ my pleasure’ and there was not an inch of exaggeration in my statement. That was sweet indeed.
I could walk to Royal Palace but being strong believer of supporting local industry  I hailed tuk-tuk . Of course local industry thought I may be stupid tourist and quoted me something like 16000 for what it‘s walking distance so I offered 1$ (4000) and kept walking and of course local industry agreed ‘ ok, ok , 1 dollar” , three minutes later we were there and I spoiled local industry with 2000 tip.
 I was one of first visitors and almost felt I have place to myself  for first few minutes. Here are some pictures





 
In hour and half I completed my tour  and went to Warsaw for a breakfast hoping they will have rye bread and Polish sausage which is exactly what I was served plus some other cold cuts and cheeses. Again it was too opulent but after 10 days of feasting on hotel and Foodland treats of fried eggs and toasts I cleaned my plate.
  As cold cuts tasted surprisingly un - industrial I asked and my suspicions were confirmed. They have local source , another Polish guy who produces  sausages, hams and other treats. Chesses were from the stores though . Who would think ?, Polish ham made in Cambodia ! All that plate for 5$ ( 20000), tea included.
 Then to hotel to pack whatever little I had. On Whatsapp I contacted driver who help me  with his car in October of 2022 if he can t pick me up from the airport. I was surprised answer was immediate and on top of that he remembered  very well me and even hotel I was staying because he asked if I still will stay there. No,  this time instead of Royal Crown and Men’s  I opted for Kings’ Rock on the same side of river, around the corner from Royal Crown and walking distance to Old Market.
I guess not many tourist are hiring drivers to go to Banteai Chhmar temple so it’s how I become so memorable. He even recalled when we asked local lady how far temple is she told us about 20 minutes by motorbike while in fact it was 1 hr by car. So much about local knowledge !
 I  told him not to rush as it will be my first time in new airport and I want to walk around before  we set off for the city.

Day 9
 After my guy departed I was left with my dreams so to speak and sleep soundly till quite late. Late breakfast for 16000  in Dolce Vita, quite sumptuous and then I went to Royal Palace  as last two times I was in Phnom Penh it was still closed due to covid scare. Now is reopened for for some reason was closed today and I was directed  to come tomorrow .
So decided to treat myself with tour of island at confluence of Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers , tuk-tuk for 15$. It’s mostly new developments , in 2001 it was mostly wasteland but still at the southern top fishing village on boats survived. With new bridge  access to an island is easy but old ferries are also circulating quite frequently.
Tonle Sap river from new bridge
 
Central Phnom Penh from other side

Fishing village on the boats 

mighty Mekong in Phnom Penh

 
Returned to hotel around 13.00 hoping my last night companion will keep his word and indeed first Line came’ I’m coming soon’ and then at 1pm on the dot  he showed up greeted in the lobby by welcoming committee i.e. me. Another fabulous , no rush session and it was darkening when he left.
 I feel hungry so decided to try that Polish place I discovered last night. I chose quite typical fare of chicken soup and schnitzel with potatoes, only beer reminded me I’m dining in Cambodia , not in Europe. Very tasty but in my opinion servings were too generous for the climate. I was hungry and still did not manage to eat it all. 11$ plus tip.
My treats (glasses not included) :


 
 In meantime I received another cheering message , this time from S (day 3 ) that he is planning to join me in Siem Reap tomorrow evening.
 After exhausting exercises of last night and this  afternoon I felt bit in need of nap so went to hotel
for 2 hours sleep rightly expecting that tonight it will be another session.
 In the evening to my headquarters in Phnom Penh i.e. Space Hair. For another evening of fun there.
 My last night guy did not waste much time to inquire if he should see me come after work which I guess both of us expected to happen. I must say I got quite drunk tonight , switching to gin and tonic did  better  job  that those lady -like Margaritas and Cuba Libres.
Of course not that drunk to forget where I live or that I will have guest tonight, all was under control.
 Soon after me my guy showed up and I had impression he was even more clingy and passionate then last night and in the afternoon.
 

Day 8
My room was booked without breakfast  so in the morning  I purchased breakfast coupon  for $8, princely sum in Cambodia  and went to sister venue OK Boutique around the corner where breakfasts are served on top floor with beautiful view over central Phnom Penh.
 Yesterday I purchased tour to Killing Fields. Very sobering place where mass executions were conducted by Khmer Rouge. I was there on my first Cambodia trip in 2001 and wanted to see what changed during those years.
They were supposed to pick me up at 10.00 , I was waiting on steps of my hotel and when I got impatient 45 minutes later guide finally appeared to pick me up. We went to few other hotels to pick up other tourists as well as picked up few at another sobering place – infamous S-21 Tuol Sleng prison.     
Killing Fields  are on the outskirts of Phnom Penh and while 23 years ago road leading there was atrocious , now is paved all the way. Another thing I noticed is absence beggars without limbs , victims on landmines. Them they were I ubiquitous all over Cambodian  cities , now is rarity to see one. I wonder what happened as a lot of them then were quite young. One hopes they were taken care  of somehow.
On the road  they played movie about Pol Pot life , rise and fall, very objective and hiding nothing. Including my Cambodian  pet peeve- fact that after Vietnamese removed  Khmer Rouge, their  atrocities were will known and 2 million skulls strewn in the countryside  and still Thailand and West supported their regime of so called Democratic Kampuchea on international stage including UN seat. If we think that politics are dirty there’s no place better to contemplate it than Cambodia.
Centre point of the place is temple -like  monument with skulls on shelves, new thing there is another monument picture of which I show below.



 
Sadly,  that place along with Tuol Sleng are a must visit at least once to understand better what happened in Cambodia but also to appreciate how far country moved from that horror although past is still present and oddly house of Ta Mok, one of Pol Pot’s bloody henchmen in Anlong Veng close to Thai border is still place which I was told some locals still visit with reverence.
 I remember talking to some journalist well versed with SE Asia affairs in mid-80ties and he told me that thanks  to Khmer Rouge and their  killing spree Cambodia is only country in the region without problem of grandchildren still toiling in half slavery  to pay debts their  grandparents  took to pay for their wedding.  That would explain Ta Mok nostalgy I’d say.
 It was nice to return to vibrant city , after a bit of rest and my obligatory mid-day tea I decided to try massage at Arthur and Paul gay hotel. Inspiration came from one of our tour participants being picked up and dropped there. It looked as classy place so I said to myself “about time to see and try”.
 For 8000 riels (2 $) tuk -tuk took me there. I was hoping guy I spotted on Grindr, hunky hunk working there will be present but unfortunately no. 1.5 hr massage fee was 28$ , certainly well above Cambodian standard. There were 4 guys available, none of them   close to my type but all smiling so I picked up one whose  smile was widest.
 Room quite spiffy but container with soap in the shower was empty , not for that price thought I. After morning experience certainly I was not in the mood to complain or get sour about anything. Massage was skilled but when temperature raised and was time for masseur to remove his excessive clothing i.e. undies and towel he quoted me tip of 40$ , again quite a sum for Cambodia but if one gets massages in classy places must be prepared to pay thought I and agreed.
 At least I’m glad I tried the place. Next time I will be trying to secure that hunk I guess. Right beside Artur and Paul is Rambutan, popular in gay circles  with rooms about  half price of those at A $ &P but still twice as much I’m paying at my OK Palace . I did not need an accommodation but after  running whole day on breakfast and bottle of Hanuman Black beer I gulped on my way from Killing Fields not at 6 ot 7 pm I was hungry so  decided to eat there.
Another tourist place with prices to match ,  15$ I paid for dinner  I summarized in my diary as ‘; money not spent well” .
Upon return I  alighted on Pasteur street and then walked to soi where my friend told me Toolbox bar was resurrected    and asked me if that is true. Indeed I found it, from info I got it’s just across the soi whom old location but inside was nobody and outside was sitting lone twink , not exactly of my type but for those venturing there I confirm , Toolbox was resurrected.
 It was short walk to my hotel from there and when passing Saravoan Royal Palace hotel on street 178 I thought I have stroke . Warsaw ? Polish place that far ? Indeed it was newly opened restaurant  so for those craving Central and Eastern European food there place for you and very easy to find – right beside old location of Blue Chili bar and 200 meters from National Museum. Price list looked quite human so I took note where I will have my dinner tomorrow. Too bad I overspent at Rambutan when I could have likely better food ( I love schnitzels an European soups) for ½ price and steps from my hotel.

 
In the  room I freshened up , took shower to remove oil  after that massage , packed my pockets with money – you know my system perhaps ,50 $  this pocket, two 20$ in another few 10 , 5 and 1 in third one, some 20000 riels here and some 10000 there . This way I don’t need to show wad of money when tipping or paying bill. This all in preparation for another fun evening at Spice Hair bar.
 Walked there and when arrived, I guess it was 21.00 or 21.30  there were no customers but 7 guys on duty already. How do I know? Because seeing them unemployed I took pity and ordered 8 drinks. You should hear  an applause , probably heard as far as    Sum and Moon hotel which is next door to the bar.
 Fun started , luck had it that two guys I liked the most positioned themselves beside me and soon after bar started filling up with patrons and few more boys. Guys made sure I’m entertained, I stole kiss or 4 from guy on my left, made discretely  sure that guy on my right is not a girl by strategic hand placement   and it was well understood by asking question where’s my hotel. Hour or two later he expressed curiosity to check if I have balcony and view from it which led to suggestion  he is willing to  check it after bar closes on his way home.
I explained to him that in case he will feel tired there’s sofa in the room which led to an instruction where I’m supposed to wait for him. Around 1 at night I left , waited where instructed which took a while because as I said earlier, guys there must stay on duty as long as bar is opened . Knowing procedure it was sweet waiting. Soon after were at hotel. No fuss over bringing guest that late, no questions asked. In the room he notices sofa is not comfortable enough but bed is big and shyly ( ok, not) suggested we share it which we did in gusto.
 Fabulous 2 or 3 hours, when he left it was still dark, earlier in the bar he  offered some plausible explanation why he can’t stay till morning  so I was Ok with that , if only because he offered time compensation “ if you want I can come at 1 tomorrow “  which felt like Christmas day for me.
 

this is continuation of trip report from Thailand section at this link:
https://www.gayguides.com/forums/topic/41442-better-to-be-retired-than-retarded-thailand-and-cambodia-in-january-2024-trip-report-brief-but-long/#comment-374666
 
Day 7 , Phnom Penh part.
I had e-visa so immigration was breeze. I exchanged some money into riels as airport rates are only minimally lower than city ones ( 4000 vs 4065 for 1 USD).
 Some people don’t bother and are using dollars since Cambodia is practically dual currency country and is not  unusual to pay 10 $ invoice   with 6$ and 16000 riels ( 4 $) for example. Some places are quoting prices in riels  , other in dollars but both currencies are accepted everywhere and only exceptions I know is visa on arrival and tickets to Angkor ruins where one must pay in USD exclusively.
 If you decide to bring dollars just make sure notes are  intact without any tears , pinholes and writings on them, I saw 1 dollar banknotes rejected because of those infractions.
I prefer to use riels  with exception of big ticket items like boys’  tips as getting change from 50 or 100 $ bill may be problematic in country where dinner cost 5 $ and haircut 2$.
 Other airport purchase was SIM card for 1 week , it was 7$ if I recall correctly and then tuk-tuk to hotel for 9$. Those who want to save money on getting to hotel solution is to take bus from airport parking lot for 1000 or 2000 or leave airport area and get one of the waiting tuk-tuks outside for something like 5-7$ but I did not bother.
 Room was not ready so I went to Dolce Vita for lunch and returned in 1 hr to find everything ready. I stay in OK Palace hotel, twin of OK Boutique in the same soi where I stay last time. Entry to the hotel is palatial and so is   room. Both hotels are in street 19Z, appendix like short soi across from National Museum and walking distance to Royal Palace and whole central area including my Phnom Penh headquarters Space Hair bar.
hotel's entry


view from the window

sleeping machine and the room


 
 In the room I noticed I forgot phone charger in  Bangkok and girl on reception suggested I go to Kandal Market where there are phone shops. Bingo indeed. Instead of walking  10 minutes I took tuk tuk for whopping 4000 and returned in style by cycle rikshaw for the same amount.
 After setting in I walked around admiring smells and sounds , bought tour to Killing Fields  for tomorrow and at around 21.00 I walked to 136 street to my headquarters – Space Hair bar.
 I wish we had something like that in Bangkok although they operate on different formula . Staff are exclusively hunky and in shape – see sample from their recent Facebook.

Almost all guys from the picture were present  on at least one    of three nights I visited there. As always almost means one was absent and that one was precisely one I wanted to see as we met already quite closely  before. But if I don’t have what I like , I like what I have.
Boys there are only to accompany you for drinks and talk. Forget about offs and off fees. Surely if you have designs on one or more you must be very , very discreet and be prepared  for meeting absolutely outside working hours. Boss there , while very sympathetic is also very strict and serious about those rules. Cambodian Prince I had debacle with last year was fired on the spot  for leaving 1 hr. earlier than scheduled and apparently only because he got drunk
 Drinks are not expensive 4-6 $ but if you get heated like me , they add up but this is cost of fun. Some guys are somewhat touchy-feely , others less so, kiss or 7 can be stolen after few rounds of drinks , hand and knee holding is available and generally is a lot of fun. Guys are not pushing you for drinks  and absolutely no word of ‘ tip’ is spoken but obviously depending on time they sat with you  and how long you were holding their knee or hand you should tip them. I gave 5- 10 $ to those few who sat with me for prolonged time. Drinks are what oils bar keep in mind so when boy empties his buy him another one or he may choose to, leave your table.
But there are absolutely no situations like I had sometimes in Thai bars when boy gulped his drink in on ego and was looking for another one. It’s why I wish we have such bar in Bangkok. Easy , pleasant and no hard sell tactics.
Not only boys got plenty of drinks but also myself so when I was leaving at about 2 am I was quite drunk and 90$ lighter , not to mention about 100 000  distributed for tips. But it was fun worth of every minute and every penny spent. Unfortunately I went home empty handed so to speak. I had designs on one of their boys but neither one of us was brave enough to start serious discussion.
 Before I went to bed for fun I checked Grindr and had “ Hi “ from quite attractive looking guy but had that senior moment and did not realize that this guy ( I’m notoriously bad reading people from pictures ) was indeed one I had designs on in bar. It only dawned on my next day in the afternoon. But by then damage was done. Not only I spent night in cold bed but also he figured out that I rejected him and was doing his best to show that he cooled to me. Oh well, lesson learned

From CNN
About two weeks after his oldest son’s funeral, South Carolina state house Rep. Brandon Guffey says he received a private Instagram message with a laughing emoji.
Gavin Guffey, 17, had fatally shot himself in a bathroom in July 2022, and the grieving father was searching for clues on what led to his suicide.
Then Guffey and his younger son began to get messages demanding money in exchange for nude photos of his late son. Anyone on Gavin’s Instagram followers list who had the last name Guffey got similar messages, his father says.
The family began piecing together Gavin’s last moments and discovered he had encountered a scammer on Instagram and unwittingly became a victim of sexual extortion, a crime the FBI warns is increasingly targeting underage boys and leading to an alarming increase in suicides nationwide.
Now Guffey is suing Instagram’s parent company, Meta, for wrongful death, gross negligence and other claims, saying it does not do enough to protect children like Gavin from online predators.
The lawsuit, filed in South Carolina state court last week, accuses Meta’s social media platforms of causing a range of problems in children, including depression, low self-esteem, anxiety and eating disorders. It alleges that Meta uses algorithms to aggressively target adolescents and does not do enough to keep them safe from harm.
In the suit, Guffey says Meta does not have tools in place to protect underage kids who use its platforms in “almost every aspect of their lives” and are unaware of its potentially negative effects.
Minutes before he died by suicide at his home in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Gavin texted his younger brother and his friends a heart-shaped symbol of love – ❤️ – on a black background.
Since then, Guffey has been outspoken about his son’s death and sponsored legislation last year that makes sexual extortion an aggravated felony punishable by years in prison if the victim is a minor or vulnerable adult or if the victim suffers bodily injury or death directly related to the crime.
State senators passed the bill and named it “Gavin’s Law” before sending it to Gov. Henry McMaster, who signed it into law.
Before Gavin’s death by suicide, scammers had reached out to him on Instagram, convinced him he was talking to a girl his age and persuaded him to send nude photos, his father says.
The extortion started almost immediately after. The scammers demanded money, and Gavin sent $25 via Venmo, which is all he had at the time, Guffey says. He pleaded with his scammers to give him more time.
Sextortion predators typically trick young victims, usually teen boys, into believing they are talking to girls their own age. They persuade them to send explicit photos and videos, and threaten to publicize those images if a payment is not sent.
The scammers are typically located outside the US. Shame, fear and confusion often prevent minors from seeking help or reporting the abuse, the FBI says.
“The FBI has seen a horrific increase in reports of financial sextortion schemes,” Douglas DePodesta, special agent in charge of the bureau’s Memphis office, said in a statement. “We need parents and caregivers to work with us to prevent this crime before it happens and help children come forward if it does.”
Sextortion scams have increasingly made headlines nationwide. In August, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan extradited two men from Nigeria for allegedly extorting young men and teenage boys.
One of the men was charged with causing the death of Jordan DeMay, 17, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his Marquette, Michigan, home in March 2022. The case is still pending.
Continues with photos
https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/30/us/rep-brandon-guffey-instagram-lawsuit-cec/index.html

The last two holidays I have stayed at the Zing for a number of days. 
Good clean, basic hotel with a nice pool. Guest friendly and ideal for 'boy shopping'!

Sorry for derailing this thread even more, but I had to google "oldest prostitutes in the world" and found this 12/11 year old articles:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/sep/17/oldest-prostitutes-amsterdam-70-twins
Meet the oldest prostitutes in Amsterdam – they're 70-year-old twins [...]
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/amsterdam-s-2-oldest-prostitutes-retire-after-50-years-1.1394319
The longest working prostitutes in Amsterdam, twin sisters Louise and Martine Fokkens, have officially retired — but only after 50 years of work and over 350,000 clients served.
"I was a little bit tired," Louise told As It Happens host Carol Off in an interview that aired March 18. [...]

Phuket 
Bars
Didn't go to any, next time! Massage
4 Massage: Only went here this trip but quite glad this place still exists, although they have moved just around the corner from where they previously were. I went with 3 different boys here, one of which I've been seeing since 2019 who is always good fun. He massaged my legs for probably 5 minutes before the main event started, but he always gives me a good time. Another who was messaging me on Grindr on my last trip to Phuket (2022) I finally got the chance to try, and he was very good and happily bottomed for me, and another boy who was relatively new was also quite good and bottomed for me also (requested an inflated tip which I just had to laugh at). I always have a good time here. Hotel
Baan Paradise: Situated in one of the streets in the paradise complex, it was decent enough and close to all the action. I had a balcony room so was able to look out onto the street and watch the people go by. It is a pretty lively area with people coming and going, plenty of restaurants, bars and massage shops (for gays and straights), and it is only a short walk to the beach.  Other
Didn't do much else here, and although Phuket isn't one of my favourite destinations, I still feel drawn to it every once in a while. Maybe for the massage boys, who knows. It is quite a big island so I may try staying in a different area next time. The Phuket Smart Bus runs up and down the west coast from the airport down to Rawai and it is reasonably priced for 100 THB one way. Doesn't run super often though, maybe once an hour or twice in the busy periods. Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat)
A boy I met in Jomtien a few years ago went back home to Korat and asks me occasionally to come visit him so I thought I would considering I didn't have much else to do. I also wanted to try out the long distance trains, which were easy enough to book online, and very affordable. The train left from the new Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, which is absolutely massive but probably good forward planning for the future. I took a 2nd class aircon carriage which was comfortable enough. My hotel was less than a 10 minute walk from the train station, and after meeting the boy at Terminal 21, we later had a look around some of the attractions in the city as well as going to the tower back at Terminal 21 to look at the view over Korat. Boy stayed overnight, which was my only overnight this whole trip as I don't usually like long time. He also insisted on buying me dinner which I thought was sweet. I only gave myself one night here as I wanted to give myself an out incase things went pear shaped. Would I go back? Maybe, but it wouldn't be somewhere I would go regularly. I did see some farang there though. On the way back to Bangkok, I was in a 2nd class aircon carriage and this was the type with the open windows and also the back door was wide open as we went. I really enjoyed watching the scenery go by, and really interesting and exciting to see all the new structures for the train lines going up, which are massive and seemingly a little out of place in the countryside, but I think these are for the new high speed rail that is going to Laos and other places? I had a cute guy sit next to me for some of the trip, and I offered him some of my bread (which he declined), and later on struck up a short conversation with me before he got off at Saraburi. Final thoughts: I had a nice time and just kinda tried to pace myself since I was here for a while (and also not incredibly fit). I'm slowly building up my list of regulars which is good for future trips, and ate quite a lot of nice food. And same as always, I would often get mistaken for being Thai (which I take as a compliment), even in bars, and it's amusing when they talk to me in Thai and I just kinda look confused, or say something like 'kor tord na kap, English na kap'. I'll get around to learning Thai one day. My next trip may be in June/July, or December, or both. I'm not sure yet. But I do want to visit a few more places, like more islands. Thanks for reading! 

This recent trip was the longest I've stayed in Thailand (nearly a month) and was enjoyable despite some random health issues that decided to pop up. Rather than a day by day account, I'll just outline some interesting points.
Bangkok
Bars
Dreamboys: I went here a few times, mainly to see my favourite boy and managed to off him just once. I think he is popular because on another two occasions I visited the bar, he was already booked by a customer. I felt as though the quality has dropped since last time, but there are still some gems.  Screwboys: I was surprised by the high quality here actually, and there were lots of good choices to my taste. I had a short list of two, and it so happened to turn out that they are brothers (and Vietnamese). Took the older one first, and his English skills were really good and he was quite charismatic. The following night I went with the younger brother. Both were satisfactory, nothing earth shattering but an enjoyable time nonetheless. Mamasan was helpful and wrote down the badge numbers of boys that could do my requests. Freshboys: Didn't off anyone here, rather just watched the show and had a drink. I liked the choices here though, lots of toned twinks. Tawan: Just went here for the show as the boys here are much too big for me. Really relaxed atmosphere (although packed in like sardines), and the most x-rated show with a fucking show and jerk-off show amongst others. There were a couple of smaller looking guys in the rotation that would have been suitable for me, as well as the waiter. Banana bar: The majority of the show is katoeys, but they are the most stunning I've seen in all of the bars. The boys don't get much stage time, but I did spot one that I had offed previously when he used to work at Freshboys so we had a drink together. Smoking is allowed in this bar so you will smell like an ashtray when you leave. Moonlight: Went mainly for the show, which is very tame these days. Lots of good options in the rotation though, plus there are the models. Hotmale: A good line up here, and a good show (with very nice dicks). I went back with a Cambodian guy and he was lots of fun. Jupiter: Firstly, very impressed with the quality here. All model material and I could have easily gone with any of them. Mamasan told me the off fee and expected tip for boy, which he said 3000 for short time which I thought was a little on the higher side but maybe because they are models, the higher tip was expected. Or inflation. I ended up going with a nice Cambodian boy, sex was pleasant (but not earth shattering), and afterwards when I gave him 3000 he asked 'is that all?' I was confused, so then he said his rate was 5000. I was dumbfounded. To avoid any conflict I offered 4000 which he accepted. Note to myself for future, to always ask the boy what his tip expectations are, even if you know what the market price is. Kinda left a sour taste in my mouth, but this doesn't reflect so much on the bar itself. You live and you learn, and I'll put it down as an expensive mistake. Sol: The only bar I didn't manage to get to, but there is always next time. Massage
Prime: I went here quite a few times, as I always do, and it's always high quality and run like a well-oiled machine. Advance bookings are required, although I think they are getting a little quieter now that high season is slowing down a bit. Jey Spa: My first time here. I booked in advance a boy who I had been admiring for quite some time, and I was really happy I finally met him. Exceeded my expectations too. Facilities are quite nice, and they are very responsive on Line. Senso: Only my second time here. The boy that I had last time was on vacation, so I chose another who was smiling and waving at me. He was a lot of fun and definitely worth a repeat when I come back. Kman: Last trip I had an excellent time here, so ended up booking the same boy and had an excellent time again. Prices here are much cheaper, but I tip generously. Hotels
Quarter Silom: Good location. The rooms are a little small but well-presented, and with some interesting lighting controls. Rooms are not sound proofed, so you will hear everything. This hotel attracts I think mostly gay clientele, and there is lots of eye candy. Crowne Plaza: Probably my most favourite hotel in the area, but it does come with a hefty price tag. Very quiet, and very guest friendly. I came in late one night with boy in tow, and a manager-like person even pressed the elevator button for us. Le Siam: It's decent, and I did like staying on the other side of Silom Road for once. There are heaps of food options on Convent road which was great. Room size was okay and it is a little dated, but the price point was appropriate.  Other things of note
I finally met the esteemed @vinapu in person! My first forum member I have met, and we had lunch at Happy Beer Garden, whilst having pleasant conversation. Nice to meet you! To be continued...

I do a lot of threesomes. Some boys I already know work happily together. But generally my MO is to pick the boy that I want as second, and we discuss and then invite the third.
Sometimes in a bar there are a number of boys around the table and I might just jokingly point at two of them and count 1-2-3 on my fingers and see what their reaction is. Sometimes it is just laughed off, sometimes it is met with enthusiastic nodding, then it is 'game-on'.
I also find it helpful to have discussed with the boys who might do what to whom? 
The first time in the room for a new threesome might be a bit slow as the boys are often shy of one another. But with the lights lowered, and a little gentle direction from me and it usually works out ok, although obviously some better than others.
Once a threesome has been established it usually just gets better and better. Perhaps with food offered afterwards as they chat and get to know one another.
Winner Boys should be excellent for threesomes, established boys like Nam and Bank are usually totally at ease with them, Nam in particular is usually very proactive in getting the 'party' started!

Latest batch of pics from the Winner Boys FaceBook page.
Having visited the bar several times last month I can confirm a number of new boys and overall a more lively and positive vibe about the bar than I remember for a number of years.





 

For muscled twink admirers, Home spa has added a new masseur to its roster.

In Foodland Patpong last week a fight broke out while I was there.....rumor has it that it was about no cashews in the cashew chicken....

So you won't be shortening "กรุงเทพมหานคร อมรรัตนโกสินทร์ มหินทรายุธยามหาดิลก ภพนพรัตน์ ราชธานีบุรีรมย์ อุดมราชนิเวศน์ มหาสถาน อมรพิมาน อวตารสถิต สักกะทัตติยะ วิษณุกรรมประสิทธิ์" next time you visit? 😄

Of course if you like  the combination of a boy plus sand and sea there is sometimes the option of taking your off or boyfriend to the beach. Whilst staying in the Complex I’ve taken suitable boys for a late morning breakfast and then for an hour or two at what’s left of the gay beach. Once last year I had a boy accompany me into the calm sea where we had some fun swimming and  splashing in the warm water. Lovely memory which deserved the promised enhanced tip.