CurtisD

My approach to mama sans (I am defining this broadly to include any and all bar staff who try to assist you in selecting a boy) is, I suspect from most comments I read on boards, not the usual. I view them as my source of local knowledge. They do know their boys. My objective is to leverage their knowledge to identify the boys most likely to be compatible. While I have visited Bangkok regularly for over thirty years my visits have generally not been frequent enough to keep in touch with individual boys and the boys turn over faster than the mama sans, so I am more likely to meet the same mama san than the same boy. So I want to be, and generally am, on good terms with these ladies/guys. In the bars which I regularly visit (X Size is one) I generally welcome the mama san, buy her/him a drink, ask her/his views on the boys, and give her/him a tip whether or not I off a boy. These ladies know that if my evening is a happy one, I will return the next night with a 'thank you' tip. If it is not so happy I may not return that trip or if I do, there will be no 'thank you' tip and the tip that night will be more modest. It is an approach that has worked for me. I have not had an incompatible boy for a long time. When I was winging it on my own 'infallible judgement' I had about a 30% failure rate. As Vinapu notes the skinny ladyboy mama san in X Size is on a planet of her own in terms of lack of basic interpersonal skills . If the others are there she does not approach me. If by bad luck she is the only one on duty then I have to make it work. This I do by taking firm control of the conversation with a combination of the blocking hand signal and the polite but firm stare that suggests that if you annoy me the death of one thousand screams will be yours. She then answers questions and otherwise keeps quiet. She knows the boys, so her answers are worth having but, unlike when I am talking to the other mama sans I do not take her word completely (she is far too focused on that night, no thought for the future) and will leave for other pastures if my radar is detecting poor vibrations. In bars that I do not visit regularly I will make contact with a mama san if they do not get to me first and again take control of the conversation (absent the heavy duty stare that is only required with the one particular mama san in X Size). If they are helpful they get a tip. If I am happy they get a 'thank you' tip the next night. And now I have another good source of information. It has happened that a mama san has advised me, regretfully, that none of the available boys at her bar will suit me (I am arriving late) and has then taken me to another bar which her network tells her has boys I will like and has introduced me to the mama san there, for a happy result all around.

Following Numazu's lead: Hotel: Le Meridian City: Bangkok Visitors Allowed: yes Joiner fee: no Security: In lobby, charming and welcoming. Have never been asked for ID. However I have the feeling they probably cast an experienced eye over visitors and may exercise "quality control" if they see something they do not like. Atmosphere: Very friendly. Often see others with companions at breakfast or pool. Staff are friendly to companions and companions like the place and the food as they can ask the staff for a particular Thai dish if they do not see it. Hotel: Hansar City: Bangkok Visitors allowed: yes Joiner fee: no Security: At door, never asked for ID. Atmosphere: Staff friendly and helpful to companions. Have not seen anyone else with a companion there, but no issues with other guests.

(1) On a recent trip to Bangkok I caught only the first part of the show at Tawan as the friend I was with was keen to explore other bars. The dancers who opened the show seemed to arrive just for that, they had not been around earlier. They had the swimmers build that I seek but too rarely find. Do they just arrive, open the show and leave, or is it possible to make their more intimate acquaintance? (2) I continue to fail to make it to Pattaya, but live in hope. If anyone has stayed at the former Marriott since its rebranding as the Avani, can you please share your experience.

Thank you Vinapu, now I can enjoy myself without that little cloud of doubt at the back of my mind.

In Bangkok I usually stay at the Meridian but if it is full I use the Hansar which has a doorman 24 hours but where, because of the layout, you do not go past reception. Passing through the lobby with the boi du noir does not concern me - I sometimes pause there with the boy for a cocktail or a snack - so this is not something I have thought about until this post. The thing that does pique my curiosity is the need several posters see to have ID checked. I have always frequented the go go bars on Soi Twilight or Tawan or Jupiter and have simply assumed the boys there are of age. Am I horribly naïve?

I am sure the Gay Gods will smile upon you and bless you with more loungers and boys.

Firecat, thank you very much. Numazu, you clinched the sale!

I have been a regular visitor to Bangkok for over a decade but have never been to Pattaya. Now I am planning my first trip and after searching various websites I can't find anything that seems to match Le Meridian which I use in Bangkok: five star, guest friendly, easy walk to nightlife, swimming pool relatively free of children (I swim to exercise). In your collective wisdom, is there an equivalent option in Pattaya? If the answer is 'no', is there an equivalent in Jomtien or, generally, what would be the closest match? All advice appreciated.