a-447

Yeah, nah.
Couldn't be Aussies. 'Fuck' is usually every second word. Sometimes it's the only word.

Yeah, nah.
Couldn't be Aussies. 'Fuck' is usually every second word. Sometimes it's the only word.

Yeah, nah.
Couldn't be Aussies. 'Fuck' is usually every second word. Sometimes it's the only word.

I like to stay out of political discussion here, but I couldn't resist. I wouldn't give the nuclear codes to this guy, either!
 

Yeah, nah.
Couldn't be Aussies. 'Fuck' is usually every second word. Sometimes it's the only word.

I like to stay out of political discussion here, but I couldn't resist. I wouldn't give the nuclear codes to this guy, either!
 

Kokopelli passed?  I never knew that; sorry to read of his passing, he was like a twin brother to me.

At first, I really enjoyed songkran, especially the party atmosphere in Silom.
I looked forward to visiting Thailand every April and especially remember a wonderful time I had in Pattaya.
A few friends from Eros suggested I come with them for some fun, so I bought the biggest supersoaker I could find and got right into it. We dropped by every 7/11 and I bought beers and snacks for everyone.
But I started getting annoyed when farang would start songkran a few days earlier when I was not prepared to get wet.  So I decided I'd had enough and decided to give songkran a miss.
I would divide my time in April between Bangkok and Pattaya and was able to escape songkran due to the differing dates in both cities..I'd hang around in Pattaya until the 18th and then head up to Bangkok where it had already finished.
Last year I took part in the celebrations in Bangkok for the first time in years. I had a great time with some friends from Golden Cock and Natureboys outside the bar.
I was planning to go back this year but am now going to Japan instead. 
 

Ah, yes.  The HIV thing!
I wish I had a dollar for every time a Japanese would tell my that HIV was a disease that only foreigners got and besides, there were no gay people in Japan. They'd never wandered around the back streets of Ueno at night or walked past the gay sauna in Takadanobaba, let alone wandered through Shinjuku ni-chome. It wasn't long before doors started closing firmly, but always politely, in my face.
In those days I belonged to a couple of private clubs. Everyone knew me and that I was a resident, not some disease-ridden tourist, so things didn't change. I was still welcomed with open arms (and legs) whenever I walked through the door. But the ticket seller at my favourite gay cinema - a guy I'd spoken to hundreds of times - suddenly became distant (literally, as he would lean back in his chair when I was at the window of the ticket booth!) and no longer had time to chat to me.
But knowing Japan so well, I never took offense.

I grew up in Japan at a time when everyone wanted to have sex with a foreigner - not a relationship or even a friendship, just sex.
No matter where I went, I was the centre of attention and it did wonders for the self -esteem! I was pounced upon as soon as I walked into the gay cinemas and I actually had guys fighting to get to me. I was touched up on the crowded train virtually every day and if I was able to figure out who was "molesting" me and I found him attractive, we'd often get off at the next station and go back to his place for sex. My cock was getting a real workout, morning, non and night.
Then everything changed. The Japanese appeared to lose their inferiority complex vis-a-vis foreigners and started looking at each other.  The days of standing back and waiting for the hordes to go straight for my cock were over. Sure, I still got more sex than I could poke a stick at, so to speak, and I still got touched up in the train but it wasn't the same.
How I miss those days!

https://en.traicy.com/posts/202312142454/
Nishi-Nippon Railroad Hotels will open its first overseas ‘Hotel CROOM Bangkok Silom’ in the summer of 2024.
The building will be eight stories high and will offer 172 rooms in six categories, including double and twin. Eighteen of these rooms will be designed for longer stays, equipped with kitchens and laundry dryers. The hotel will also feature a gym, lounge, and meeting rooms.

It's just for Chinese New Year but Jey Spa masseurs are now adorned in festive colors. And they're wore than wiling to accept red  envelopes from you. 🙂

Flew Nonstop on Thai Airways in Business class, old 777-200 tired plane, but still the best, friendliest service going.

I did my e- Visa on arrival while in Bangkok and so angry at myself for not noticing an error on my passport expiry date. It self populated from the scan of the passport, but while I scrolled down, I must've changed the date without knowing.

The immigration guy was super nice and great English...when he said there was a problem, I thought it was I entered my hotel address as Bali, because in my mind I was going to Bali first. But that wasn't it, was the wrong expiration date of my passport. My option was to do it online again, go to the VOA counter and he said if I had exact Indo cash, I could pay there. He seemed surprised I had IDR, I paid him...I thought it was a scam, but he gave me an official printed receipt and was easy without having to line up again. It was 500,000 IDR ($30usd) cheap mistake but still mad at myself for being so careless.

I had forgotten how much time from the airport into Jakarta, 1 hr. Grab was about $20usd. 

By the time I got into my hotel and unpacked, it was raining, I just watched some youtube and chatted on some apps and went to sleep.

Next day I was looking on Grindr and someone in the same hotel on a work trip hit me up...a nice 25 yr old guy sent me his pics, but since he was with a large group of people from his job was really shy about meeting, be we did have fun.

The thing that is annoying here, since it's a Muslim country, most everyone is deeply in the closet. Using fake profile pics or old pics. When they do send you a pic, it's always an expiring one....Lots of free action and massage guys. 

One guy asked for a million and I laughed at him, everyone else was 400k-500k.$25-32usd.

Did a live chat with a 26 yr old, looked latino to me and we made plans to come over.

I'm staying at the DoubleTree and they have an executive lounge with free drinks....he's not a big drinker but had 2 beers and got tipsy, cheap date!

He gave a 2 hr amazing massage and GREAT sex....he came about a liter, or so it seemed. He said he hadn't had sex in a long time. This is the advantage over Thailand, where sex is like a job, here it's a treat 😁

I ended up going with him again 2 more times...why keep searching when you found something so good?  No expensive drinks, no crazy off fees but not as convenient as Thailand.
The gay disco Apollo that I went to last time here, has closed, Covid victim. He said there are a couple of places frequented by gay guys...the cover is about $15usd , is a little far from my hotel, no thanks.

Indonesia is so affordable....I had a fat attack and wanted McDonald's, the food was piping hot and fresh, a double cheeseburger combo mean and a filet o fish sandwich was $5....that would easily be $15 is Thailand or USA.

One Grab motorbike ride was 35 cents USD and another was $1,01.

While walking in the street, almost everyone looks at me, like I'm an alien, kind of strange, but there aren't many westerners here, especially walking in the streets.

Tomorrow I'm taking the luxury executive train to Surabaya, even fewer westerners I'm told. Is an 8 hr tip but in a business class type lie flat seat. The sights look nice from the videos I've seen, but I'm sure a couple of hours into it I'll be thinking, why the fuck am I doing this, lol
 

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! 

It was nice to finally meet you and thank you for finding a time for me.
As for tips I,m strong believer in market economy and boys are free to ask as much as they think they can get and we the clints are free to counteroffer, accept or reject it as long as all. Is communicated clearly anf timely I. E.well before deed is done. 
As with all market conditions things change and for example this trip I had pleasure, actually great pleasure, to interact with guy who gladly accepted  overnight  fee of exactly 60% of what he was firmly asking for as late as 1 1/2 year ago. Rare example of guy thinking long term  and result was 7 offs including 4 days tour of Angkor ruins. 
When comes to Babe I think after multiple modifications to his face and slimming his body his glory is slowly fading away. He, while still is born performer and looking still attractive, at least for some, rarely now concludes model parade and days of multiple garlands hanging from his neck seem to be gone. 
Honestly I,d be curious how many of takers he has for supposed 8000 ST. 
Seems that Mean is rising star, on my recent visit out of 8 garlands distributed, 5 were hanging of his neck. Another night I spotted him dining with Oriental girl at UNESCO Foodland and from I could hear from just passing by their table seems he has very good command of English. 
 

Pattaya
Hotel
My main criteria for a hotel here was that it had a balcony with an ocean view. I had originally wanted to stay at Baywalk Residence in one of their suites which had an ocean view, however the pricing was on par to the Hilton and I didn't want to pay those prices, especially in Pattaya. I ended up finding the Hermann Hotel which was much cheaper and had the ocean view (well, half ocean view, which was sufficient) and balcony I was after. It's only a short 10 minute walk to BoysTown. The room is big and well-appointed, and reasonably priced. Only drawback was a couple of times early in the morning (maybe like 5am) I could hear a Thai lady yelling in the corridor. Bar
Only managed to get to X-boys, and it was quite good. There wasn't a huge rotation, but the show was quite good, very varied and at times hilarious. Later on, towards the end, the show boys were just dancing on stage with their dicks flopping about, mostly condomless if I remember correctly. Didn't off anyone on this occasion. Massage
Paradise: Had a great time with a boy here. I'm versatile but was in the mood for topping that day so I asked the boy who greeted me who can bottom, and he said all boys here can, so I ended up just going with him. I still ended up bottoming though?? Go figure..  Relax: Started with a foot massage before deciding if I wanted more, the foot massage was good so I decided to go for an oil massage. Had a good time with the boy, I just wanted light fun only that day, but I think more could be on the cards as he tried to stick it in at one point. Transport
Rather than use the cheaper bus from Suvarnabhumi that drops you to Jomtien bus station, I booked Bell Travel Service online in advance. A little more expensive (325 THB), still leaves from Suvarnabhumi but once you get to North Pattaya bus station, you are transferred to a mini bus which drops you to your hotel (and then vice versa on the way back). The bus itself was comfortable and in a 1-2 seating configuration. Other
They are currently ripping up the sidewalk on the non-beach side of Beach Road, so that can be a bit chaotic as you can imagine. To be continued...

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 had a similar problem in Pattaya on my last visit.
For a numbet of years I would have a massage by the same guy every day of my holiday. When Covid struck he returned home and I thought I'd never see him again.
Then on my first night, as I walked through Boyztown, I heard my name being called. I turned around to see him rushing up to me.
I was really happy to connect with him, and he was happy because his walking atm had arrived.
He gave me a long sob-story - some of which was no doubt true- and told me he was desperately in need of money. So I said I'd be back around midnight and he could come back to my hotel. When I went to pick him up, he was sitting drinking with his friends at the massage place. He told me he was to drunk to do anything.
But.,.but...I told you I would come and pick you up tonight! Never mind. I'll see you tomorrow night.
Same,same. Sorry, I'm drinking with my friends.
Next day I get a request for 3000 baht.
When I explained that I wasn't a charity and that he'd have to earn it- I had already given him 2 chances to make some money  - he got very angry and stormed off. 
We never spoke again.

Shame you don't have a photo of their swimming team!

I bet 99.9% of their clients are Japanese men, not foreigners. Lots of guys in Japan in their 20s look like teenagers, and this is natural to those who hire them. It's what they would expect.
I can understand how foreigners might see things differently, but that means they'd have to look for guys in their 30s if they weren't interested in teenagers. At least they would look as though they were adults in their 20s.

Since they are said to be 18 and older, and the Japanese take this very seriously, I'm not sure I see the problem? Are you not allowed to display people who look younger than they are? Should you only display boys who look older than they are? Many Asian guys look younger than they are, but that doesn't make them under age. Look at Thailand! Plenty of young looking guys on display there.  I don't think an agency would take the risk of falsifying ages. I would love to look younger than I am!

True for me too.
Here's my two cents' worth (again). IMHO, it is important to distinguish the Bangkok scene from the Pattaya scene. They have been bifurcating for a long time. The Pattaya scene depended heavily on winter exiles from the Northern hemisphere, and we know where the trend is heading. Pattaya has never managed to be much of an attraction to the gay Asian travellers.
The Bangkok scene is a more complex story. Its three parts: gogo bars, massage, and social-and-dancing locales, are going on separate trajectories. I believe the social-and-dancing venues are doing fine. Business is robust, not just on Silom Sois 2 and 4, but also in places like Fake Club, etc. Bangkok attracts the Asian travellers. To the farang, it may be difficult to tell a Thai apart from another East or Southeast Asian, but eavesdrop on the language they use and it will be clear how much the Asian traveller is contributing to gay scene tourism.
The massage business looks relatively healthy too, though, as with all massage businesses around the world, there is always considerable turnover, i.e. shops exit the business, new enterprises start up. I credit this to the fact that the shops outside of the Silom-Surawong area continue to depend largely on local custom as their bread-and-butter clientele. Tourists are icing on the cake. The shops in the Silom-Surawong area are more tourist oriented, but because of the healthy flow of Asian tourists, they're doing OK.
More importantly, the massage shops continue to attract young men as workers. Understanding why they can attract young men into the industry whereas the gogo bars struggle to do so helps us understand the strategic mistakes the gogos bars made over the years.
The Bangkok gogo business: A part of me thinks their days are numbered. I would say that they are being killed by two things: the tea money and the horrible strategic mistake the market leaders made to expose themselves to the general public through relying on the non-sex-buying customer. Let me elaborate.
Tea money: While I don't have the insider figures, I think this is a key factor in the exorable rise in prices for drinks and offs. Of course, high prices limit sales volume. Tea money may also be the factor holding back gogo bars' reinvention. They don't seem to be able to try anything new, and I suspect this has to do with the terms of the tea money deal. As soon as bar tries to experiment with the business model, the tea-money-collectors will want to charge more.
Exposure: When the gogo bars began to welcome hordes of straight tourists, they basically put a jinx on their staff recruitment. It gets harder to recruit when the gogo boy is expected to put himself on stage for people to gawk at them, even worse then he is expected to be part of an explicit show. The calculus is like this: The boy will do it if there is a high chance of an off. But if the great majority of the audience are only there to gawk, the boy earns little for "shaming" himself. So recruitment falls off a cliff.
Here's something to observe when you're next in a gogo bar. Look at the ages of the performers in the Big Cock Parades or other explicit show items. They are the older ones. Dream Boys', Sol's and Tawan's stable now have a significant number of guys in their 40s. I doubt if they get off'd. So why do the bars keep them on their roster? Because they're the ones more likely to be prepared to show cock. The young ones won't do it.
There is another strategic mistake the gogo bars made. They have left too much of the management in the hands of gatoeys. I think some bars are run as employment-creation platforms for ladyboys. The mamasan's primary objective seems to be creating jobs for her fellow ladyboys. Shows with fancy costumes and lip-sync don't attract the the boy-offing customer. They attract the gawkers, which then reduces the boys' chances of getting off'd, which then exacerbates the shaming the boys have to endure for working in a gogo bar.
Yes, the economic progress that Thailand has made, the rise in wages, have generally made it less attractive or necessary to work in the sex industry. But the massage parlours have no difficulty recruiting. Only the gogo bars. So, economic progress does not explain everything, which is how I came to the view that the the factors unique to the gogo bars - exposure, gawking, ladyboy acts - are the real killers.
 
 

Took Mike Taxi from Pattaya to BKK 1200 baht, driver showed up early, like always...was a female 😲
Had to stop for gas before leaving, why she wasn't prepared? Then restroom stop within 45 mins, wtf.

Got to Tarntawan, feels like home here, I know all the staff.

Was going to meet my German friend at Circus at 9pm, so I slept even though I wasn't tired.....
Stopped by Hot Male on my way to Circus, didn't see Alex so I just kept going.....Circus was busy but not packed. Watched the drag shows from outside and talked to a couple of the host boys from Cambodia....My German friend that lives here usually wants to go home early, but we stayed until midnight, I was surprised, but he liked one of the Cambodia boys and he tipped him....he never tips boys, lol

Did a walk around soi 6 from Silom as all the massage shops were closing and went to Super A....was late, sad and disappointing  @reader maybe I was just too late 😟

Walked back to Hot Male and Alex was there, his night off but was drinking (surprise, lol) I like him so much.

Went over towards ScrewBoys, everyone was outside because was a drag show on....I cruised and chatted with a few guys, one really got my attention. I told him to see me at Hot Male when he finished. He and a friend came over and said they were going to Banana Bar for after hours.....I went to my hotel to refill some cash (I don't have so many pockets) and went to Banana Bar, you'd never know anything was open on soi 4, was pitch dark..... went upstairs and found Screwboy guy and we hung out and got progressively drunk together.

Invited he and his friend back to my hotel, but first a stop at Foodland for food.....then so much fun back at my room. We went on for HOURS....I hope to see him again tonight, I hope he's alive, he still hasn't read my line message.

I woke up horny around 11am and checked Grindr...was some guy my type, said he was hanging out at Lumphini and would come for 1000 baht, no need to negotiate at that price.

I waited outside of the hotel to make sure he looked like his pics....he did. 30 minute massage then we had some good sex, another one I'd see again, maybe tomorrow.

The screwboys guys only asked for 1000 each if I went with both, was almost like 2 for 1 .....

First night was a good one....I hope the rest of the nights are as much fun.



 

After a rather long pandemic-related break, I visited Bali again in December 2023 - January 2024. Here are my findings - I'll try to keep them factual, succinct, and to the point.
A. General picture of how Bali looks like now. The pandemic has had a devastating effect on them. Pretty much every single restaurant and place of business I remember from before the pandemic is not there anymore. Up-market places (e.g. Bambu, Mauri - these are restaurants if you wonder) are still going strong but they are more an exception to the rule than the rule. December and January are supposed to be high season there (well, not exactly because of the rain season, but still, this is one of the busiest periods there, normally). This year, the average occupancy in Seminyak in December was 37% only. It went up to about 75% around Christmas and New Year but went back to well below 40% immediately after. The locals are worried: they claim they'd had an amazing summer with tourist numbers being much higher than normal but from October onwards, it suddenly went all quiet yet again. To give you a practical example: normally, it takes about an hour to get to/from the airport to/from my hotel in Seminyak. This time, the drive was only 30 minutes. The absence of the usual tourists is very much palpable: the usual Australians are not there anymore and the influx of the Russians and the Chinese still cannot compensate for it.
B. The scene and the entertainment sector. Apparently, Seminyak is not the centre of nightlife and entertainment anymore. For some inexplicable reason, it all has moved up to Canggu. Nobody understands why. I've never seen Potato Head and Ku De Ta half-empty - they are now. Even Finns (a beach club 'up north' from Seminyak) is going out of fashion now. I am not a party person and I strongly dislike clubs. I can only report that the good old Seminyak places are still there (MixWell, BaliJoe, etc) but they are less crowded than before. To be fair, I've NEVER been inside any of them, so I can judge only by the look from the outside. The good old 'spas' are still there as well - the Banana Spa, Elegantz, Adam's Apple etc - but they look very sad these days: I had to pass by the Banana Spa entrance several times over 3-4 weeks, and I've never seen any sign of activity at all. I wasn't tempted to sample the offers in any of the usual places (see the list above): they all have the look of abandonment and desperation.
Connoisseurs of Bali (or just the readers of my earlier reviews) might remember the reports about M Spa at the heart of Seminyak, just next to Ku De Ta, The Seminyak hotel and the flea market, that was closed for good in 2019. It had been an iconic establishment there for many decades but, as I've been told this time, everything had changed when the owner of the premises Paul (some might still remember that the building M Spa was based at was called The Paul's Place) died in late 2018 - early 2019. The heirs had no interest in retaining his property business and all his properties were put on sale immediately. Sadly, M Spa couldn't secure the necessary funds to keep The Paul's Place to themselves and they had to vacate the premises. They have been refurbished and yet another faceless and completely empty (I've passed by them daily and have never seen a single pundit there) generic massage parlour is operating there now (girls offering foot massage). I don't think it will survive.
C. The business. I relied solely on the apps, this time. Interestingly, the most popular app over there is still Grindr. Hornet is almost unheard of. Scruff is still reasonably popular but Growlr, which used to be used quite extensively, isn't anymore. Jack'd is a waste of space. All of the apps work perfectly well via a VPN and, bizarrely, for days in a row without any VPN whatsoever. Here is what the menu in December 2023 - January 2024 looked like. A massage (we are talking massage, not 'massage') might have cost you as little as IDR 85k and up to IDR 200k (at the time, US$1 = IDR 15k approx). As usual, there was no correlation (either direct or reverse) between the cost of the service and its quality. A massage session with extras would be IDR 400k - IDR 750k. Again, there was no correlation (either direct or reverse) between the price and the quality of the service. To be clear - we are talking outcalls here (i.e. the 'masseur' will visit you at your hotel).
- service providers. Before the pandemic, almost all service providers were either Balinese or Javanese. It's not like that anymore: during my 3 and a-half week stay there, I encountered this time a much wider range of service providers: Sulawesi, West New Guinea, Borneo, Bali, Java. Many of those were employees at Adam's Apple, Elegantz, Banana Spa before but decided to go freelance.
- massage. Generally, the quality has deteriorated (we are talking massage rather than 'massage' here). These days, even if you request a Swedish or a deep tissue session, it will inevitably transform into a Balinese massage session when you are massaged by an elbow and a forearm, mostly. Before the pandemic, if I asked for a deep tissue, I'd get it (not necessarily of a good quality). These days, it is Balinese only, even if you ask for something else. This was my major disappointment. Even in (expensive) hotels, you ask for a deep tissue massage and end up with 'forearm and elbow' in the end.
- service quality, customer service and product stewardship. Generally, it still remains high. Unfortunately, the hard times do influence the quality though. Before the pandemic, I couldn't have imagined a conversation like that: "Sir, could you give me IDR 800k now and I promise I'll give you a free massage tomorrow?" Bali used to be one of the very few places where conversations like that had been unthinkable - sadly, not anymore.
- individual reviews.
= A Sulawesi guy, early 30s, former employee of Adam's Apple, Elegantz and Banana Spa. IDR 400k for the job (massage + extras). Massage was very mediocre: not enough pressure, poor technique, slipped into 'forearm and elbow' almost immediately. The endowment was small, didn't perform well, asked for IDR 800k as an advance payment for a free massage afterwards (obviously, he didn't get the money). I didn't contact him again.
= A Balinese guy, mid-30s, a spa worker (a regular hotel spa, not a gay spa). IDR 750k for the job. Exceedingly good massage but did slip into 'forearm and elbow', eventually. The endowment was average but very good fucking technique, genuine passion. Met twice.
= A Balinese gay, early 40s, IDR 700k for the job. Very good massage, didn't slip into 'forearm and elbow'. The endowment was huge by local standards (i.e. average European), outstanding fucking technique and genuine passion (I came hands-free). Met him 4 times.
= A West New Guinea guy, late 20s. Free service (see below). Average massage, a rather small endowment but great genuine passion and very good technique. Met him 3 times.
= A Javanese guy, late 30s. Free service (see below). No massage, average endowment but great genuine passion and very good technique. Met him once.
= A Borneo guy, mid-40s. IDR 600k. Very good massage, didn't slip into 'forearm and elbow'. The endowment was small, but he was a very good bottom. Met him once.
= A Javanese guy, early 40s. Free service (see below). No massage, very small endowment but he was an outstanding and passionate bottom. Met him once.
D. Free services. I've been visiting Bali for many MANY years, and it was the first time that anyone - moreover, several people - explicitly told me they wanted a free session with me. These are mostly local professionals ('local' doesn't mean Balinese - it means someone who lives there now; 'professional' means a person of independent means who isn't a spa worker/masseur/etc) and could be as young as 25 and as old as 50. Judging by the pre- and postcoital conversations with the locals, the main reason for it is the lack of foreigners: while they are still used to the earlier abundance of choice, the choice isn't there anymore, and they are getting desperate.
 

He was about to open a bar but regretted when he discovered that most of his cliente will be" the miserable ones in their 70's who look miserable,are unhappy faces most look far older than their ages  and don't like to get with the times "... LOL