halfhansum

I was there too yesterday and have to agree. Many boys and many of them stunning. 3 of them were wearing those sexy underwear that reveils most part of their ass. Delightful.

One reason, a reason, is publicity; the girlie bars (& the girls) are very good at it whereas boy bars are generally very poor at it.
 
Social media offers huge opportunities for bars and agogos to promote themsleves, not just on facebook, but wigth their own web sites - and websites that are kept up to date.
 
In Sunee only Eros, as far as I am aware has its own web page and all to often its re-hashing pictures that are years old. Winner Boys has one but its rarely added to - same for the facebook pages.
 
Some of the Sunee bars mentioned here I have never heard of and yet I am there many days each holiday, so I must have at least walked past them.
 
Success breed success, which boy wants to work in a bar with no customers, which customer wants to drink in a bar with no boys.
 
Even in low season some of the girl bars and agogos are still heaving with staff and customers.
 
If we are a dying breed in Pattaya its only because we seem content to let it become so IMHO.

Nab is a very popular destination after about 1am when the bars all close and for the next few hours boys will drop in as they can - particularly if a friendly farang is in the chair and offering to share his bottle of whisky generously.
 
An hour or two there and boys are much more hospitable to the idea of long time, but at my age it is as much about whether I still have the stamina at that time of night yet alone the cash to splash. 
 
Maybe short times and a decent night's sleep is the way to go ? LOL

I have had zero side effects.

Sunday 15 April 2018
 
Cambodia boy gets a call from his sister (where he lives when he is in Thailand) he has to return immediately to Bangkok as he has the key of her appartment and she returned from Cambodia holiday.
 
Instead of returning with me from Pattaya to Bangkok in the late afternoon, he immediately jumps in a taxi in order not to cause trouble to his sister. Donn't like it, but I can understand it. I don't pay for that taxi.
 
So I'm completely free to do what I want during the last hours. I decide to go again to Soda Massage to see the masseur from yesterday. Same routine, so this is the real happy ending of this April visit.
 
Taxi to airport without any traffic jam, so I'm way too early at the airport.
 
 
Tghank you all for liking my trip report

Well I never...

the prep drug (Truvada or it's generics) was and still is a treatment drug until it was discovered that it is also effective as a prevention drug. As a treatment drug, Truvada (which itself consists of 2 different drugs combined in one pill) always needs to be taken together with some other, single-agent pill, making it a 3-ingredient cocktail. 

My friend buys his medication monthly from his local hospital in the north. It is expensive but it has made a huge difference over the past five years; hitherto, the basic medication preserved life but not quality of life. The hiv clinic serves a large number of people; his impression of their physical condition (and, of course, it's only an impression) is that most of those are not benefiting from  medication is the way that he is. You can imagine how depressing it is for him to be in that waiting room....average wait two hours.
We must not be complacent about hiv in Thailand; yes, there is medication and top-quality products are available. But a poor person will inevitably struggle unless he/she has help. And that's before we consider the implications of prejudice and social isolation.

My friend who’s in a similar position gets totally free treatment from the Thai Goveenment scheme ( as I believe is available to all Thai people) - I can’t comment on better or worse than private but he’s been on that scheme for several years now without any specific quality driven issues arising.
 
It’s sad to say and I’m not suggesting in the slightest that your friend is “at it” but do just be aware that “I need money for (HIV) medicine can be a line for getting a farang ATM to pay out ( continually) as they know that presses certain instant sumpathy buttons in most of us. Again that’s not to say your friend is lying - in a way I HOPE he is actually !
 
For me I personally would offer more than moral support unless there was some very sound reason to differ from that as I DO believe free HIV treatment is available to all.
 
But like the last poster I think upbeat moral support is SO important to any Thai guy who tells you his diagnosis as unfortunately most Thais do still seem to think being HIV+ is simply a death sentence still, when of course with modern retrovirals it’s now absolutely not.
 
Best wishes to your friend though, I hope he gets sorted out and onto a suitable treatment plan urgently if his case is genuine.

This issue  arose for me eight years ago and  things may have changed since then. But my recollection is that the basic medication is free (or at a minimal charge) but it is not as effective as the medication that can be bought at the hospital. The more modern medicines can be expensive.
But as I say, things may have improved.  The victim of the infection whom I support is thriving by the way. You need to  offer optimism as well as compassion (and financial support if required).

I made a second visit to Winner towards the end of my trip with the intention of offing. On entering I was surprised to find the place very busy and in fact there was a shortage of bench seats around the end of the room, but I quickly slid into a place just being vacated. In fact the shortage was not confined to seats as I looked like a number of boys had been offed already. It was about 11 after all. I ordered a SAN Miguel Lite which is now my favourite tipple in Thailand. I like to think there are fewer calories in it but am not sure if this is the case.
There was only two boys vaguely moving on the stage, but I spotted one wearing a g-string just emerging into the room. Giving him a wave and a smile brought him over. He told me him was 28 and he had broken up with his German boyfriend was was very sad. My neighbour was holding the cock of his boy but under a towel, but I indulged only in a little kissing and cuddling. Winner does not seem to be the place for more extreme activity. My boy said he was bottom and didn’t like to top, so I did check bin and returned to the Complex by motor bike taxi. I am more bottom.
Modest drink prices continue to foster good business for Winner and its boys.

Eros was really back with a bang tonight. Must have been about 15 boys on duty. The new white underwear on the boys look very good.

And don't even mention  ` Google Translate ` ...

It seems that both Eros and Ting Tong were open again last night with proper licences in place.

As Eros reopened soon after I posted that it would be closed for months,it’s a good time to bring up that second hand information with language difficulties is not worth much. Add drinking
booze at a noisy club and misunderstandings come easily. Glad my info was wrong.

Yes.  Eros has reopened.
 
The Ting Tong Red bar has also reopened.

I have had 17 trips to Thailand since 2009 and during that time I have seen a clear increase in the number of younger (say under 30 years old) farang tourists - and not just from the UK
 
Places like the infamous Soi 6 have changed beyond recognition as a consequence. What was a double row of sixty odd enclosed bars where you basically went to shag the girls has turned into a large proportion of 'open' party bars - yes there are still girls a plenty, but bar profits now derive more from young guys drinking and partying hard each night. 
 
Another consequence is that the younger, prettier girls are getting more picky about their customers, who wants to shag a fat, balding old farang with bad teeth when you can get the same money from a 20 something hunk?
 
The Sun newspaper seems to aim for the same demographic these days. Sensationalism and sex sells newspapers and so they major on it and at the same time fuelling the interest of younger guys to venture to Thailand for their holidays.
 
Still plenty of fun for us oldies to enjoy - but Pattaya is still a young city and it continues to evolve.

True, and as I understand it from some bar managers/owners  - the new licences are not ready for issue yet - not that that has stopped the BIB insisting on their removal from bars as now being unlicensed. Honestly, you couldn't make this stuff up could you.... LOL
 
 
But on-topic - please don't give up on Sunee yet guys, I spent a lot of time here last August and had great fun even in low season.

The owner of TingTongRed reports on this facebook page that the TTR restaurant and guesthouse are still open and serving customers, only the bar has issue with license, and it is expected to fully open again on Monday. 
 
I arrive in Jomtien at the start of a Thailand trip Monday and always go over to Sunee on the first evening just to check it out, so hope all back to normal by then. 

Just to add a bit - perpahs, it's a cultural thing because Vietnam is the most communist country from SEA?
 
Guys, what are your views on Russians? Honestly?
That we are a bit rude and pushy? Yep, because how you can trust a person, if it could be a communist party informant? So you have to be suspicious to strangers )). And all these double standards when newspaper and TV (controlled by the government) tell one story about the world and you see another story by your own eyes - should one trust words or better not? These are the rules of living in communist countries...
Of course, it is unconscious thing - we just raised with it in our DNA - that we are surrounded by enemies )
 
Does it mean Russians couldn't be fun and loyal friends? Of course not (that's to DivineMadMan and Paulsf' friendship with Vietnamese guys), but generally the outer world is perceived as a dangerous place and you shouldn't budge - it's a kind of subcouncious attitude )
 
So perhaps it's a bit cultural? Communist society heritage?

Well said, I echo so much of that, and not just with the boy that stays several days, but also the boy who becomes a 'regular' who I will perhaps see several times during a trip and sometimes then from one trip to the next.
 
Yes it is still fundamentally remains a business transaction, but you also get to know each other, find out more about the boys background, family, interests; you can become friendly, and occasionally actual friends.
 
The sex of a short-time can be passionate, but it is mostly about lust, about wanting, about scratching that itch. But, as you say, sex over several days, or sex with a regular can become more loving, more fulfilling. I even try to be more discrete about the money, placing it under their watch or phone for example, easily visible, but avoiding the placing of money directly into their hands.
 
Nevertheless it remains what it is, and I suspect that it is  probably more about my emotional needs as theirs.

After almost three decades of visiting Thailand this is the first time I have made it outside Bangkok.
 
So far, if I was forced into the artificial choice of "pick one only, Bangkok or Pattaya", I would pick Bangkok. Artificial, as they are two quite different flavors. Bangkok is sophisticated and urban to an international standard (in parts), Pattaya is laid-back beach party town.
 
However, so far, I prefer the gay scene in Bangkok over Pattaya.
 
This could just be the result of a lot of experience in Bangkok - good and bad - versus a single snapshot of Pattaya. From experience I know the scene is very changeable, so I plan to visit both in future and see if first impressions change. 
 
Within Pattaya, I like Jomtien but do not like Pattaya. Pattaya is too crowded to be my idea of a beach vacation. I am very happy to be staying in Jomtien.
 
I started this trip with a visit to XSize in Bangkok where I have had the best and the worst of my experiences. Start with a dice roll. Last time XSize had so few boys there was a crackdown on non-Thais, so I assume this is happening currently. So on to Dreamboys where one of the boys was discretely eyeing me. My experience is that discrete attention is often a better sign than very overt attention grabbing. Asked the mamasan's opinion and got a very positive response, so asked him over. Very charming guy. Then he asks for 4000Bt long time. A little surprising as the bar is busy but not crowded and while I think he is attractive I am not sure he will ring the bell for everyone. However, at least he is up-front and he is the one I like, so we settle for 3500Bt. 
 
I ask him if he is hungry and he is, so ask him to pick a restaurant and he picks a good Thai place and, when I ask, selects the food. After the initial 'up to you' he can make decisions. I like that. Over dinner he tells me he only works when he needs to raise funds for his studies. That is why he is very direct about what he needs. Good for him.
 
We go to Jupiter2018 as it was not open last time I was in Bangkok and I am keen to see it. We arrive after the show. Modest crowd. Excellent female vocalist performing. About 8 boys 'backing' her look like commuters hoping to catch the attention of the next taxi rather than cold fashion models. I feel a little sorry for them. Each is very attractive and I think if these are the guys that are left, the ones that have gone must have been stellar. Another visit is in order.
 
I like this guy and we have agreed to meet when I return to Bangkok. (Yes, there is a gap in the narrative here, fill it in with whatever makes you happy and want to meet a guy again).
 
TheLimoPattaya collect me the next day. They are very good - thanks for the recommendation. I check into the condo in Jomtien, get a bite to eat watching the sunset by the beach and then jet lag kicks in brutally and ends the day.
 
Rise early, swim a few lengths in the pool and them walk as far as I can by the beach around the headland towards Pattaya until the path ends and I am forced to take to the roads. The beaches around the headland are gorgeous with multiple rows of shade trees, no traffic and fewer people. Pattaya is an ugly shock. Crowds, traffic, narrow beach, far fewer shade trees. I pass through Boystown to familiarize myself, walk as far as the Hilton and have a caprina at the roof bar. From this elevation Pattaya looks wonderful. if only I didn't have to go back down to ground level. 
 
In the evening after a nap and more laps in the pool back in Jomtien, I head to Boystown arriving around 9.40pm. Cupidol is the first stop, Five boys and me staring at each other. One has a sense of humor about it. Mamasan says come back later, some boys running late. 
 
I cross over to BoysBoysBoys. One guy is stunning, a couple not for me although I can see why others will like them and the rest, the vast majority, are so far outside my taste range they are U3C - Unfortunate Third Category. This never happens. I am very selective - my friends tease me mercilessly about it - but this high a proportion is rare. Now I wonder if the stunning guy is really a diamond or, by association, must be zirconium. He was checking me out discretely, a good sign, but no need to find out now, I want to explore all the bars on this first visit and what I find is more cases of me staring at five guys, or only finding two guys (Dream Boys) or a further disproportionate U3C representation (XBoys and one other place).
 
The show at XBoys had my hopes up but when it ended the performers I liked were nowhere to be seen. So back to BBB and there they were! A traveling troupe. The next part of the BBB show featured the stunning guy. We talked when he came round collecting tips after the act and he was a very sweet guy. It was an amusing conversation. He was a little wary of what two tops would do, possibly he has encountered a few overly insistent customers, but we cleared that up. I returned to Jomtien pillion on his motorbike, a new and very nice acquisition of which he was proud and consequently drove very carefully (also my impression is that he is a very reliable guy). None-the-less as I went up the Jomtien hill at some speed sans crash helmet it crossed my mind that it would make for an interesting obituary. 
 
And now another discreet gap in the narrative for you to fill with your own happy thoughts.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I am not aware of how widespread any drinks 'quota' is in boy bars, but I am sure it happens?
 
Certainly in many girl agogos there is a monthly salary, and a drinks quota (and sometimes also a barfine quota) and if the girl fails to make that drinks quota she is 'cut' from her salary that month. Harsh but explains why they are often so pushy for drinks, especially in low season. 
 
Easy for the popular ones, but hard on the less popular ones who rely on their salary to pay their room rent, etc.
 
I was going into places like Cupidol last August and finding myself the only customer and having a stage full of twenty or more lads desperately trying to make eye contact in the hope that I would pick them. Sounds idyllic I know, but actually I find it quite intimidating as I feel so guilty for the ones I don't call down for a drink.  But sadly my pockets are just nowhere near that deep, especially at Boyztown prices.

Yes, open tonight.

Eros have just posted on Facebook that they are open again tonight.