[Massage shops on Sutthisan Winitchai Rd.]

3 hours ago, vinapu said:

5 hours ago, reader said:

Now if they made it "GoGuy" I'd understand.

I think they made it googuy to resemble google

Possibly comes from the Thai word กู or Goo. Used by younger Thais, mostly guys, for the first person pronouns of I and me. Considered informal and friendly among young friends. Polite society typically considers Goo to be, well, rather impolite....

[First-timer: confused about how massages work]

16 hours ago, kachun214 said:

I read a survey conducted by a local Thai Twitter account, and they said that the usual tip is only 300 - 500 baht for a handjob.

This is the current rate for Thai customer massage shops -> non-sex massage shops in non-tourist areas.  

[Songkran question]

22 hours ago, Shax said:

On the topic of Songkran, just wondering how is the crowd like in Bangkok after that weekend? (E.g. will it continue to be crowded throughout April or most would leave after the Songkran weekend)

Most years, there's a noticeable drop off in tourist numbers after Songkran. Overall much less crowded if that's your preference.

[New PCR28 STI Testing at Pulse Clinic Silom]

On 2/12/2024 at 10:47 PM, khaolakguy said:

I wonder if this is based on their clients rather that the wider gay population.

Many HIV prevalence surveys of MSM are not client or facility based; rather, MSM population based in specific geographic areas. The numbers actually are shockingly high. This represents a failure of the current interventions and outreach efforts to the reach the MSM community effectively. 

[New PCR28 STI Testing at Pulse Clinic Silom]

On 2/12/2024 at 10:41 AM, Pantherz said:

33% of gay men in Bangkok (Thai and non-Thai) are HIV positive. Only 68% of these individuals are undergoing treatment for HIV. 

Most of the surveys conducted look at MSM or male sex with male, rather than those who identify as gay only.

[Don't be stingy]

Local guys on Prep.

Best to assume a limited understanding of the compliance issues involved. Also quite expensive for many local guys. How long can they afford to buy it, do they really take it everyday, are they doing regular testing for HIV and other STDs, and so on. 

[My First Time in Bangkok - November 2023 Trip Report]

12 hours ago, PeterRS said:

In 1998 Matthew West was brutally murdered coming out of a gay bar.

Matthew Shepard 

[Is the gay scene dying off ?]

6 hours ago, PeterRS said:

His name is Meechai Ruchuphan.

Mechai Viravaidya 

[Apollo massage Bangkok]

His name is Lahno

[Can we tell massage men that oil breaks condoms?]

Shift the sex to the beginning before massage starts and prior to any oil. It generally throws the masseur off for a few seconds, but they never object. Eliminates the risk of condom break from contact with oil...

[Medicine ( when travelling for extended periods)]

Generic drugs are generally of good standard and quality in Thailand. The Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) produces generic equivalents for many off-patent drugs. There are also a number of good quality private sector pharmaceutical manufacturers.  

This sector of the market is fairly well regulated and the high volume pharmacies on Rama 4 between Silom & Suriwong are reputable and trustworthy.  

Also good to keep in mind that Thailand can sometimes negotiate a lower price for newer drugs not-off-patent. The exact same drug sold in the West but sold at a lower tiered price. 

There are a number of private sector pharmaceutical organizations that interface with government to facilitate pharmacies to provide low cost generic drugs with broader access (than the West), as well as advice for customers. 

This greatly relieves the burden on the public sector's universal health care system.

 

[Tour of Bangkok spas March 2023]

Masseur fatigue can also be long term in nature. The guys who've been at it for many years can get burned out, mechanical, and lose their touch. The younger & newer guys are sometimes a better bet.

Also, given the very high volume of customers at Prime, there may be better alternatives with equally well trained staff (e.g. Green Massage/Suriwong, Natural Massage Soi 6). All minutes away from Prime on foot - and also more happy ending friendly. 

[Cambodian mystery and Thai solution - first trip of 2023]

Most of the guys providing services experience very complicated, stressful, and difficult lives—defined by grinding poverty and never ending financial obligations to the bottomless pit of very dysfunctional and often broken families.

They generally lack the critical thinking skills that most Westerners experience as second nature. Very few of them actually like working as service providers despite the smiles, genuine affection, and good nature they so readily share.

They will also not hesitate to completely reject you & your money, no matter the amount, if they don’t like you for whatever reason (e.g. fear of losing face, or loss of face, is by far the biggest driver). The interactions with the vast majority of their clients are opportunistic (and in real time) and a fleetingly brief transactional part of their lives.

In my experience, this is generally an accurate profile of who you typically meet. They are young men without much direction, ability to plan, very poor father role models, and not much hope for the future. Of course, there are exceptions to this but they’re few & far between.

[Gay frequented gyms bkk]

The Olympic Club at Pratumwan Princess Hotel (far end of MBK, National Stadium BTS stop) is a very gay friendly place. Most of the clientele are Thai guys who are a bit older. It used to have much younger clientele many years ago. However, it’s still a popular place for gay Asian travelers. The Olympic Club also has great facilities – gym, pool, etc.