Ryanqqq

more than once boys in both Bangkok and Pattaya  told me that we shouldn't eat at least 2 hours before  massage  so it must be some reason for that.
Sorry to hear you did not like Banana but you did right thing going, if we don't go we never know. You may want to give them another try next visit, old rule , one statistic sample is not enough to formulate hypothesis.
As for Jupiter as I said in another post few days  ago, yes it's discouraging looking at their disinterested look but this is mandated by managemnet, I heard it at least two times from different boys. When they sit down with you they are smiling all of the sudden.  All my 3 or 4 post covid offs from there were good to very good and this comes from me who did not like that bar for many years, No I do and visit it at least once every trip. Getting long time mat be very hard but at least they tell you up front they are not interesting in or quote you prohibitive price like 6000  with the same effect.

Day 1 started as an interesting and enjoyable trip report, thank you, but as the days go by the reports are getting even better, thank you even more. Loved Day Five and can't wait for Day Six. 
 
I always try and leave at least an hour between food consumption and swimming or massage or the other. I think it was ingrained in me as a child that you could get cramp swimming too soon after food.

Day 5 here we go!
This is the part of the trip where the excitement is still there but I can no longer ignore the jetlag and the fatigue coming mainly from days 1 to 4. So after Ghanaian guy left, I felt the need to properly recharge in order for me to fully enjoy the remaining days - reminding myself that this trip is a marathon not a sprint.
Woke up at around 11am with a message from "lone wolf" (see Day 2 report) asking if I'm keen to get some crabs. I responded saying that as long as she's referring to the crustaceans, she can count me in. She then forwarded a link of this restaurant in Khet Taling Chan (Mae Khlong)  which is quite far to where I would go for food. But having read the glowing reviews saying how popular this restaurant is with locals, I was convinced. Imagine having good food while people watching!
We meet up at Iconsiam, loaded up on coffee and took a taxi for possibly an early dinner gig. Overall, the food was so worth the trip especially if you like seafood dishes. I particularly enjoyed the grilled crab with roe on shell and the giant river prawns. We order a couple more item and it became obvious that it was too much. I looked around and other items looks yummy too. Kinda the same feeling when you're sitting with a bar boy and enjoying yourself but  also eyeing and low key jealous of the customer and his guy at the other table!
We parted ways and I decided to give Arena another go. I was a bit self conscious how my breath will be like so I got myself a brush and toothpaste in 7-11 before taking the lift to Arena.
After a mind boggling selection process, I asked the uncle to tell my guy not to massage my feet and leg because I have an injury. He walked up to the guy, whispered something and my guy (who introduced himself later as kao) gave me a thumbs up. Hopefully this trick will avoid the masseur for spending so much time down there.
The session with Kao was quite an enjoyable one. Not as intense but exactly what I need given the heavy meal I had prior! I'm glad i went to 7-11 prior as Kao seems to enjoy kissing a lot.
I stepped out of Arena feeling a lot refreshed. I then decided to walk towards Starbucks in Montien Plaza while waiting for things to get busy in Surawong. 
After my coffee, I walked a bit further through patpong market and attempted to satisfy my curiosity by going to Banana Club. Not sure if it's just a bad night or completely a wrong decision in my part but I did not enjoy my time in there. There were only four guys on stage alternating between performances. I know it only takes one guy to make one's bar experience extra special but unfortunately, I can't see any of the four fulfilling that role. After about 40 minutes, I decided to leave and give Jupiter a visit.
Jupiter is totally another Kettle of fish but from experience, I'm already expecting that the possibility of an off will be very slim. I think it got something to do with how the guys project themselves onstage or most probably how they were told to do so. Maybe it's just me but the stage feels more like a catwalk with most guys giving that standoffish model vibe. I can see a couple of ex dreamboys guys in there and remember having good fun with them. But given the vibe they are now projecting, I decided not to call anyone down and just enjoy the show. Jupiter is a type of club I imagine myself bringing my female best mate in and we can have lots of good time - but not a place I can source my BF for the night (and next morning).
Don't get me wrong, maybe Jupiter's approach works for other clientele. And maybe I'm just not their key target market? 
With a not so successful attempt at bars, I decided to taxi back to my place and possibly look at the apps. Found this guy visiting from the Philippines who turned out to be an MB. He showed up half an hour later. I was pleased that he got good banter and can carry a decent conversation. I opened up a bottle of wine apologising to him that it's not the best but he drank more than half of it like a champ. We eventually found ourselves in the bedroom and after the deed had a quick shower and he stayed a couple more hours for a chat.
Today may be a mixed bag bar-wise. But overall, I felt happy and satisfied and can go to bed with a cheeky smile on my face. Got a week more left so I can still afford nights like these.

I live in the USA.  My full retirement age for government Social Security monthly benefits 7 years ago was 66.5 years old.  That's when I retired from full-time work.  I could have claimed that retirement benefit at age 62 but the monthly payment would be approx. 30% less for the rest of my life compared to what I receive now.  At age 65 we are eligible for government assisted medical insurance a/k/a Medicare.

I too have had a case where I mistakenly assumed that the guy who welcomed me into the shop would be the masseur, only to be assigned another. Fortunately the other one wasn't a woman.  The story is in my blog: "This boy cannot," she said

I had arranged my airbnb from day 2, so in the morning I head out to go meet the host and pickup my keys. The room is ok I guess, but I’m starting to wonder who got the idea of misleading sizes in their photos first, grindr or Airbnb. Not to worry, it has a bed, a washing machine and a friendly security guard at the front.
My second arrangement for the day was due to catch his flight from hometown into BKK that afternoon, he is a non-mb in the traditional sense and someone I’ve known for a couple of years now. The expectation from him is generally gifts in exchange for BFE. He stayed with me for about a week and well, I guess his actual boyfriend in farangland may have caught on (to me or one of the others he runs off with) because there was some significant mood change and not much action after day 2 after some private phone calls happened. I got the real BFE from then on, no sex just me buying dinner every night.
As the arrangement had stopped meeting my expectations the gifts stopped. I did of course still enjoy this time with him, we did a bit of restaurant hopping and markets and things, nothing too exciting or noteworthy but always nice to have pleasant company and a translator with a cute smile.  Eventually after his planned trip is over, I get him back to BKK airport and he’s on a flight back to farangland to live happily ever after with visa sponsor #1.
Off to the Apple store to get a replacement airpod, 2500 baht and a few minutes of dodging tables of people touching the new colour ‘same same but different’ phone and I’m out of there into torrential downpours. Oh, this is the rainy season I’ve heard so much about. I’m not one to wade through floodwaters so I spent the night inside wondering what could have been if I decided to outbid the farangland bf, not at the very start of my trip was my conclusion. I should wait at least 2 weeks before I fall in love with ‘definitely not’ a moneyboy again.
I need a good cleanse from all this relationship drama being near me, so I’m off to Pattaya to indulge in some long cigarettes, survey the financial market for investments and see what falls in my lap. Next update sometime soon
 

"when you come back bb"
"come see me soon krap"
"new iphone come out darling, can you buy me my phone break"
The waiting back home for the next trip is always the worst, with loving messages of past flings sporadically appearing in Line, they must really miss me. Lucky for me the wait is over and i'm back in the thick of it once again, dodging the guys I should've known better to avoid in the first place while chasing down the new and shiny ones that will soon become the former.
This report will be breaking some of my own rules, after one previous live report was shown to a guy i was with, i told myself i will never do a live report again.. but here we are, so if you ever feel the urge to show my ramblings to anyone.. just don't! i've got enough headaches in my life. I'm going to do my best to protect the identities of myself and my acquaintances, let's all play nice and respect that.
I'm going to be adding to this report over the next few months, how long, i still don't know because i've quit my job and decided i'll go spend time travelling around SEA as long as I want/need/can. I'm here for twinks, relaxation, food and sights.. in that order.
I’m posting in the Thailand forum, but it will venture out into the unknown at a later date.
 
--- Start of Bangkok ---
Window shades up, tray tables locked, seats in upright positions.. there will be no further safety instruction, here i go.
I had been dealing with a whirlwind of issues before my departure date which saw me flying around my home country for the days before I was set to embark on my longest ever trip, the stress of it all and flights to and fro really messed with my ability to plan this trip. So there i was about to check-in to my Thai Airways direct to BKK without a plan or even an onward flight booking, while waiting in queue i quickly book a flight to Cambodia for 29 days later. ok that should get me past immigration, turns out my Thai airways check-in agent asked if i had an onward flight, but just took my word for it and no one ever asked to see it. 
Thai airways is a solid 8/10 carrier as usual, older planes but service is good and the food was better than i remembered. My only real issue was one of my own doing, i dropped the left airpod out of my ear mid-flight and rather than waking the seatmate next to me i decided to search for it when we land. well, when we landed it was nowhere to be found even with the help of several flight attendants. 
So i'm day one into my trip with half a set of headphones, a pocket full of baht and no clue.

I activate my AIS eSIM (900baht for 5G 30 days/50GB), for reference the comparable AIS SIM at the airport booth i spotted was 2000 baht. I already had baht in my wallet from my last trip so i head down to the taxis and onward to Le Meridien.
First order of business, massage.
I did the Surawong lap, down through the Tawan dogleg and past nineteen. Lots of bums on seats and offers but none that really caught my eye. I decided to head back to one of the mixed male/female shops where there was a guy that could meet my needs in low light conditions. 
Note: now before i tell this story, be aware that i know there were multiple junctures where i could have changed the outcome... i know this.. i am as the french would say Le Idiote (i dont know french). 
I approach the massage shop up to the guy of my interest and the mamasam (i assume) intervenes and asks if i want massage, well yes, I say and point at 60 minutes oil massage while looking and smiling toward the guy i like. she says 'follow me', off i go expecting him to tail in behind me, I pay my 600 baht at the register and right after I've paid I look behind me to discover a Shrek lookalike had followed me in... oh bother. 
I am far too polite to reject this poor lad grinning at me from ear to ear after i had just paid right in front of him, ladyboy mamasan had disappeared  shouting something toward the front of the store the second after i paid, i'm standing there shell shocked while Shrek stomps up the stairs. Ok, suck it up... it's just a massage, maybe he won't try anything, at least his hands look strong.. reassuring myself as i sheepishly creak up the stairs.

I shower in the piss smelling washroom, wrap the towel around my waist and walk towards the curtained 'room' with Shrek guarding the stairs so i can't make a run for it (presumably). Ok face first into the massage bed and out comes the oil, enough oil to fill a tanker evading sanctions, but at least the massage was strong. The reach under didn't take long, oh no, i press my pelvis against the bed, he starts rubbing his (thankfully clothed) dick against my arm and hands as i try to tuck my arms closer into my body... the hints just aren't reaching.
The turn... well, it was inevitable at this point. I close my eyes and do everything in my mental power to remain soft to not encourage this any further (the places my mind had to go will remain unsaid), the thought does cross my mind if this has moved into assault territory as my balls are getting fondled for a good 5 minutes, but let's not dwell on it, I knew what i'm getting myself into by not backing out earlier. I am successful against all attempts from him to make me hard so he can offer the extras, clenched my eyes closed and let out a little sigh of relief when he gave up. Time to shower the buckets of oil off me, it doesn't work, the oil is immune to water and soap, i'm a baby penguin after and oil spill.
I return to the room and he's gone, i guess he didn't want to stick around to see if i would tip (i was going to give him something small as a gesture of good will). i go downstairs and put my shoes on, grit my teeth through a smile to the mamasan then go straight to 7/11 to buy a packet of cigarettes.
I need to process this so i headed to the safety of the highly regarded foodland restaurant, on my way a cute waiter tout outside one of the bars grabs at my arm but the oil.. his hand can't get a good grip as i tell him 'not tonight sorry'. What a sight i must have been, half wet hair, covered in oil, cigarette hanging from my mouth, pale and wide eyed like i've just seen a car crash. 
I eat my chicken cashew, shaking my head, exhausted... what a start to my trip, surely it's going to get better from here

My social security benefits will be a very small portion of my overall retirement income, I am not going to worry about it.  It has no impact to my retirement finance.  I may claim it at 62, or anytime after 62.  It is really not a big deal to me. 

you guys are such weaklings ! And I wonder what so heavy you guys are carrying  going to , after all tropical country ?
On serious note , to  some people spending 400 instead of 73 may make sense , to others watching  their baht more closely it's quite a difference. There's no right or wrong in the train vs taxi issue. It's just good to know there are options. 

The clearest mapping of this, (though getting a bit out of date now, as it was researched in December 2022) is the blog of Shamelessmack.
He has maps of the Silom/Surawong gay businesses here:
Map of Silom-Surawong area, December 2022 – ShamelessMack2 (travel.blog
 
 

definitely correct and minimum tips as well as massage fees are reflecting that.  But everybody is welcomed and usually there's somebody who speaks bit of English so no reason to skip  visiting those shops
fully agree, I only use ATM when my cash inevitably runs out toward end of trip . Even then I try to withdrew 20000 or 25 000 if machine allows  to reduce impact of those fees ( 220 in Thailand and 125 here per withdrawal ).
I can also buy baht here locally and rate works to about the same I'd be exchanging money in the airport before customs ( better rates at train station but those booths are closing at night and often most pressing need after arrival is money for taxi.
 

that explains the room rate!

Exchanging cash in TH is still the most economic option (if you don't have a bank account in TH).
Withdrawing cash from ATM, adding Thai ATM fee, conversion rate of my local bank (3% less than bank interchange rate) plus fees of my local bank, means about 5% loss to bank interchange rate. Exchanging cash in TH gives you below 1% loss (was even better before Covid, I think?).

100% correct! 
If there is, I won't be able to explain my yearly pilgrimage to Thailand since 2016. 
On a serious note, I guess this reinforces the fact that the massage shops in Saphan Kwai area are more targeted towards the locals?

You did right thing. If you answer yes they will use so called  "dynamic exchange rate" which is less favorable for you . You decline , your bank will use their exchange rate and you end up paying bit less for your amount of foreign currency . The same applies when purchase is done by credit card , always decline conversion to your currency and get charged  in local one, be it baht , tala or taka

The choice is whether you want the transaction done in the local currency or in your home currency. If you choose your home currency, the bank that runs the ATM or Card terminal will charge their exchange fees for doing the currency conversion.
Generally its better to chose local currency, especially so if you have a debit/credit card that charges 0% fees on foriegn transactions. (Usually you are just charged the mastercard/visa transaction fee)
You might find it cheaper to have it done in your home currency if you have an exceptionally high fee % on your card for foriegn transactions.

Day 4
With my pretend BF Nam leaving, I am once again single and excited to explore what this city can offer.
One thing I was so curious about is how people in this forum have talked extensively about the different massage shops in the Saphan Kwai neighbourhood. The reviews seems to be a  mixed bag but I am curious to try it myself. 
I exchanged Line message with Kman and 15M. They responded flooding my phone with photos of their lineup for the day. I can easily identify 3-4 guys from each of their offerings so I decided to risk it and go in there without reservation.
Given my general lack of sense of direction, I decided to take a grab taxi which, given that it's non peak hours, only cost 130 baht. I am running out of funds so I set the drop off to Saphan Kwai station. Halfway there, it started to rain  like crazy I started to worry ill get soaked. Luckily, the rain stopped a few minutes before we arrived. I immediately scanned the area and can't find any bank or ATM machine nearby. I tried my luck climbing up the station hoping there's a machine and there it was.
Before dispensing cash, this particular ATM machine quotes an exchange rate and asks you to confirm if you accept it. I usually press "no" and from experience, my online banking statement looks like I  saved around 25 to 30 USD from my 10k baht withdrawal. Not an expert so I can't explain why.
After placing cash in my wallet, I looked to the right and lo and behold, I saw KMan's signage! So I made my way down the station towards Kman.
I was expecting that the place will be on the rough side like Arena but I was wrong. Downstairs was decent, I was given a bottle of water and their iPad to browse through their menu. I chose a masseur named Dang and minutes later he went down to meet me, take my footwear and take me to the room.
Disappointingly, the room I was given don't have a private bathroom but luckily it's just opposite my room. Dang just smiled and used his hands to direct me to the shower.
He then took a shower and returned to our temporary love nest. He looked at me and started speaking in Thai which I responded with a confused look. We had a good laugh and he said he thought I am Thai. This kinda broke the ice.
Dang gave a more than decent massage although he lags behind Knott from S'sense who I think will be the standard for this trip. Saving grace is he's not the type that will spend so much time massaging your feet. He gave each body part generous attention.
When it's time for the more interesting part, he asked me to lie on my back and gave me a body to body massage which was actually pleasant. It progressed further from there. He's a bit shy and would constantly look at me sheepishly smiling. Kinda threw me off guard but I decided to ignore it. Tried planting as much kisses as I can and he welcomed it all. "You like to fuck please?" He asked. I chuckled in my head and nodded. How can I say no if he asked so politely!
We finished and of course he got more than the minimum tip under his profile. I kinda like this system of having minimum tips as it removes the guesswork and makes the transaction more straightforward. If unsatisfied, Just give the minimum tip and add a bit more if its the other way around.
Not quite sure if ill make an effort to come back to this area. It's really out of the way and not worth the travel if you're only visiting one shop. I made a mental note of possibly book a hotel in the area for a day  to sample everything Saphan Kwai can offer. Maybe two nights to include a Chatuchak shopping trip?
I should have taken the BTS back to my apartment but I wasn't thinking properly in a post coital phase. Got stuck in the grab taxi for 1.5 hours but I entertained myself by browsing through Grindr. 
Ghanian guy seemed to have seen me online and sent me a Line message. He asked if I want to meet up and I replied ill let him know after dinner what my plans are. He responded cheekily  inviting himself to dinner and then back to my place for drinks. He quoted same price as before but told me not to be shy to tip (he's learning from previous experience!). I looked outside and the impending rain looks a bit daunting so I decided to cancel bar plans tonight in favour of my gorgeous Ghanaian mate.

good your brought valid point - towels problem which may arise if we entertain more than one guest per day. In some hotels is easy to get extra one , some  may charge for the privilege ( I think Raya does) but definitely we need to take it into consideration. Few times I resorted even to going to the market and buying one or taking extra one from home. Got my lesson few trips ago when Grindr guy visiting in day time was bit offended when I presented him with towel which was obviously used previously (by me).
......
In Senso used to me guy nicked M, we had great chemistry and on top of his good looks and excellent massage skills I liked him for exactly the same reason, he reminded me , including voice, my childhood friend ( just friend )  

Wine Connection on lower level of Silom Complex (on your left as you enter). Quite acceptable bottle in 500-600 baht range.

Day 3
Spent a good part of the early morning catching up with work and by around brunch time, I am having a dilemma which app to order my nourishment from: Grabfood or Grindr. Obviously I chose the latter. The novelty of being able to have such service delivered to your doorstep during a work break is so appealing to me.
Since it's a bit early, Grindr was relatively quiet yet the selection is decent. After 40 minutes, I am making my way down to fetch my mid morning snack - a hunky guy from Myanmar. I asked him if we could buy something to eat first before going up. He said yes but I guess it took a while for him to understand given the bewildered look on his face when I started walking towards the street.
He started to relax and became more chatty when we enter my apartment. We had the usual conversation exchanges (where you from?, first time in Bangkok?, how long you stay?) while finishing our snacks. 
He then stood up and asked if he can go shower. With Ghanaian guy using the extra towel last night, I went fiddling through the drawer looking for some fresh towels when I heard the magic words "come with me?" Of course, Who am I to decline? 
After another steamy session, he stayed for around half an hour more with us cuddled up and him showing me some memes and funny videos some of which I couldn't understand (but gave it a polite chuckle). After he left, I threw the towels in the washer and hang it out to dry for future BFs to use. Definitely a disadvantage of being in an air bnb.
Decided to do some retail therapy this time so off I went to platinum mall. Nothing has changed much since I went last year except more and more shops are doing live stream selling while looking after walk-in customers as well. Talk about multitasking! I went straight to the top floor where the food court is and was pleased to see that the lunch swell has finished. There's a couple of stalls that have Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction one of them a Hainanese Chicken stall that I always go to. One order is around 70 baht but serving size is quite small so I always order two and requests that they put it in one plate to make me look less of a glutton. I then paired it with Mango sticky rice and Thai iced tea (a.k.a my Platinum Meal). Old habits are hard to break. 
After buying a couple of stuff, I went back to the apartment to rest and prepare for the night. Got myself some decent cheese and a bottle of wine which turned out to be a letdown. Any tips where to find good wine here in Bangkok?
When the time was ripe, it was decided that freshboys will be the destination tonight. I was careful walking past Screwboys as the guy working there that I met a couple of days back is getting a tad too dramatic with his confessions of love and proposals to be together. When I stopped replying, the messages escalated to another level of drama. I am hoping that the translation app he uses causes this.
Stepping inside, the first person to greet me was Nam. He's working in there as a waiter and I did offed him last time I was there. His face brightened up gave me a hug and asked if I remember him.
Just for context, while Nam is good-looking, he's not the usual guy you would off especially if youre after a guy with good built (he's medium built with a baby paunch) and he's not as well endowed down there unlike the guys on stage. However, what sets him apart from others in my book is quite personal. He's a dead ringer/doppleganger of my first highschool crush who's also my best friend. The resemblance including the height, built, dimples, playful demeanor is just uncanny. The only and huge difference I know is that my highschool crush is next level conservative and ultra religious. So I guess Nam brings something extra to the table: the fantasy / nostalgia of a previously "forbidden fruit" now within my reach. For some reason, there's still that feeling of giddiness and warmth when Nam sits next to me and showers me with attention. 
So I stayed there for the whole night. If I have to be honest, this is my least favourite bar and would be in the bottom of my list if Nam is not in there. The only reason for this  is it seems that people working there are a tad more "in your face" when asking customers for tips and drinks. I am not being naive and acknowledges that bar workers from Mamasan, touts, waiters, bar guys are after tips and would squeeze out every opportunity to make it happen. Maybe it's just me but I prefer a bit more subtlety rather than for example one of the waiters asking me for tip the moment he puts down my first drink. Or the Mamasan asking "you buy me drink?" After asking my name and where I'm from.
But going back to the happy part. I was enjoying the show especially with my imaginary highschool sweetheart Nam, sitting by my side,  lots of cuddling, flirting and his hands wandering  around my body with his mischievous bedimpled smile convincing me that "we go home together tonight". 
And we did. 
At least in Bangkok, this nerdy, socially awkward and closeted highschool guy's dream came true.

I did a similar thing but hesitated to give out cash because the airbnb place is not a hospitality establishment (yes, I'm an overthinker!). 
So what I did is order a small extra for the guards when I have food delivered. Usually a cold bottled drinks or packet of snacks. They seem to appreciate it.

very productive day indeed , congratulation on not wasting precious vacation time.
Even bigger congratulation on excellent trip report, high five from me on both accounts.
While some members swear by apps  I agree with you that monetary savings are not compensating  from fun of chase in the real world be it bar, spa or just a street. But I guess it may depend on price one is willing to pay for his fun.
Few  people mentioned that Africans, being somewhat rarity  are quoting higher than local trade. Not necessarily illogical but as your adventure  proves market still works and yes , if we are too stingy we may lose the boy but if boy is too greedy he may lose his customer. Most likely Ghanaian decided that on this evening it's better to get still handsome 2500 than risk of getting nothing.
Glad you are  supporting what i always say loudly that Tawan is friendliest bar of them all.   It's boys may not be everybody's taste , it goes with every bar but atmosphere is still friendly and engaging in  more than one way.
I also noticed than , at least Asian part of clientele is getting younger to extend that if bar was less friendly my white hair soon would feel out of place.
As for tip for getting intimate , sadly some of customers forget their obligation and tip stingily or nothing. On one of may last visits there was farang sitting with boy for more than hour exploring contents of his briefs in quite a detail and after he left boy sitting with me told me he left his friend with nothing. On another hand If I intend to off boy I don't tip him for sitting with me, logic being he will get his tip soon. Indeed in Tawan if I came with intention of offing particular guy I don't even but him  a drink preferring to entertain his bar friends and he is still content with knowledge his off tonight is secured.
Guys complaining about lack of drinks, offs and tips are part and parcel of whole experience. We all heard it plenty. Then we come three month later and guy in question is  showing his new motorcycle (not motorbike, mind you ) and quite shiny smartphone too.  Truth is though, luck is not distributed evenly and they may go weeks or even months without an off. I tipped one Tawan guy I offed previously just for being there and boy I was sitting with told me he is glad I tipped  his friend because he did not have an off for 2 months.
as for anxiety related to guards don't forget what oils everything and 100 baht tip on day 1 or 2  does the trick. The same goes with cleaning ladies. As matter of policy I never leave those tips until departure, rather prefer to do it up front.
Very smart of you for being careful not to overnight with apps generated guests as if something goes wrong we don't have recourse. Even taking unknown guy from bar for long time we should look deeply into his eyes although usually those novices  generate other type of problem   - promising long time to get an off and then trying very hard to get out on ' you cum,  I go ' principle 
Waiting impatiently for day 3

Day 2.5
To resist the urge of showing up in the bar early, I tried to distract myself by focusing on work and when that proved to be futile, decided to switch to the apps.
Grindr got a reasonable buffet of guys with varying rates quoted with the most common ranging from 1500 to 2000. This can be argued as reasonable if you account for savings from not having to pay entrance, drinks and off fee. But where is the fun in that? What caught my fancy was a good drizzling of gorgeous African guys. This reminded me of how much I miss and want to go back to Brazil but plane fare remains laughably high from where I came from (even my SA friends are unable to visit home).
I exchanged message with one of them who said he's from Ghana. He quoted 4000 and I responded with a non committal reply as I have plans to be out and about that night. We traded WhatsApp details just in case.
When i can no longer contain my excitement, I decided to taxi towards Surawong and treat myself to a foot massage. At least I can enjoy people watching while someone got firm hold of my feet preventing me from marching straight to the bars!
After the massage, I decided to head to Tawan. The nice beret wearing Uncle hastily ushered me inside while trying to explain that it's a "BDSM boy show" I responded with a wink and  he smiled. The interior did not change since I visited last year. I noticed though that there's a set of stairs leading to a second floor/platform/stage. Not sure if it's new or I didn't notice it previously as I was sitting quite far inside away from the stage last time.
One thing I appreciate with Tawan is the fun, friendly and relaxed atmosphere. The guys roam around socialising with guests. I even saw one guest with his hands inside the guy's short for like forever. No judgement but I hope he gets an off or a generous tip! 
Maybe I'm getting old but I swear Tawan's clientele especially the Asians are getting younger and younger. My gaze was low-key fixated to a couple of cute twunk until I reminded myself my intention of being here. 
From my peripheral vision I saw a Tawan guy sat beside me but I tried to play it cool. He then introduced himself as Tun (?) and a couple of minutes later, when he starts getting comfy and cheeky, his hand found its way under my shirt giving me massage and whatnots. We kept on chatting during the show reminiscing how the old site across the street was better and how Tawan is now mainly a "show bar" and how rarely they get boy drinks or offed now. I just shrugged my shoulder saying that maybe its low season and hopefully things will be better for him in a few months. He said most guys in the bar goes for around 3500 to 4000 with a few going as low as 3000. I nodded and just gave him a smile.
I was really enjoying my time with him when my phone starts beeping. I stepped out and it was the Ghanian guy who suddenly had a change of heart and lowered his rate to 2500. You gotta love lean season! With that information, I tipped my Tawan guy and bid Surawong good night.
I was a bit paranoid meeting with this Ghanian guy because I'm in an air bnb outside the Silom area and I'm not sure how the guards will react when I bring a guy to my unit. My fear turned out to be unfounded as we even got a smile and a salute from the one of the security guys when we entered. You gotta love Thailand!
In the apartment, we wasted no time and things escalated and got steamy quite quickly. The session was so intense and tender at the same time. He looks much better in person and well built. I could just look at him the whole day. However, there's still that Brasilian or specifically a Carioca "factor" missing from the experience. I can't explain it.
We had a good chat after and I was getting wary that the post-play chat is taking quite a while he might be thinking of staying the night? It's a personal policy that I don't let people I met first time via app to stay overnight - only those working in the bars or GP Sauna in Brazil once I have done my due diligence.
So I pretended and said that I would like to go out and eat and asked him what his plans are. I think he got my cue and said that he'll be making his way home. I paid as agreed plus a reasonable tip. He's too gorgeous not to be given a tip to be honest.
After sending him on his way, I went back to my room and gave myself a high five for a productive day two!

Day 2
My body clock decided to wake me up at 5am. Not ideal but I decided to make use of the time to go to 7-11 and fill the fridge with provisions for me and my future boy du jour. Received a notification that my two work meetings were cancelled which means I suddenly have the full day to myself without anything planned.
Realised that it will be the best timing to finally try Jay Fai's cooking.  Turned out to be a good decision as I came to know later that they closed down for like two weeks the day after.
There's already a short queue when I arrived. Had a pleasant chat with another travelling lone wolf while waiting for the place to open. Decided that we'll share and split the bill so we can order more. We were so committed to stay in the queue that we had coffee delivered via grabfood while waiting! Overall, the food was worth the wait. It is on the pricier side though - average one gogo bar entry per order and the crab omelette which was so heavenly - equivalent to one boy massage tip not included. 
With my stomach full, I can now craft today's game plan. I checked out S'sense and immediately shortlisted three. Given their availability, I booked a cutie named Knott for a two hour session in the afternoon.
S'sense turned out to be a contrast with my experience in Arena. While both enjoyable, S'sense gives out a more spa like vibe compared to Arena's more rough and Spartan atmosphere.

Prior to starting, Knott asked what extra I will avail. From the line message, there are minimum tips for extras you will require. I was surprised at first but looking back, I realised talking about it upfront made things flow smoothly. Of course I chose the body to body extra 900 minimum tip.
And Knott turned out to be a gem! His massage skills is top notch and you can judge by his long massage strokes that he knows his stuff.  The way he used his elbows, arms, palm and knuckles was so skillful I started to relax and actually enjoy the session. He was so attentive as well. He asked me if I was cold - however I was so lazy to request for the vent to be turned the other way so I just said I'm ok. When he touched my skin, he chuckled and said "No you lie, you cold!" and adjusted the air-conditioning.
The extras were so good as well. He's a well built guy so the extras was more than enjoyable. He's very generous with his body and initiated kissing amongst other things. When we both finished, there's still half an hour left so we got cleaned up and he continued the massage. I don't know why but I felt a bit shy when he kissed me on the forehead to signal the end of the massage. Needless to say he received more than the minimum tip from me!
I stepped out of S'sense feeling rejuvenated and my jetlag melted. Made my way back to the apartment planning what the night will look like.

Great report. However, you can share the vanilla too. We like it all here.