Travellerdave

Over 20 years of visiting Pattaya I have experienced the floods but the ones this year seem to be more severe than previously. Whether this is to do with global warming and climate change I would not like to say. I suppose nature is trying to reclaim the land and turn it back to a flat swampy terrain covered with trees and scrub which you see in areas which have not been developed or farmed. 80 years ago the small fishing village of Pattaya consisted of wooden houses built on the slightly higher land near Walking Street and raised above flood levels with piles. Man has concreted over the natural terrain which used to allow the rain water to soak away gradually. All this has happened also in more developed countries but there it’s emiellorated by a higher standard of infrastructure not like that present inadequate engineering in Pattaya for the described by z909. Thais are capable of erecting impressive structures but they are spoiled by greed, lack of planning and general bribery and corruption.

Vessey’s account of the economics of being a rent boy in Pattaya is an excellent presentation of the realities of their lives. It caused me to reflect on my own experience of rent boys in Pattaya over the last 20 years concluding with my last trip in February last year. One boy I remember going back to my second trip years ago stands out in my memory. I was sat talking to a pal in one of the concessions on the gay beach during the late afternoon when two boys appeared and after some hesitation seated themselves close by. One was a really nice looking twink in the 18 to 20 range whereas the other was rather older maybe 26 to 29. We very quickly invited them over and bought them drinks. The older one could speak some English but the younger none. He said that they both worked nights at a laundry but the younger had only been there a week having arrived from Korat. He (the older)had come to the beach to try and find a farang to help him with his rent, whereas the twink was just sightseeing. After perhaps half an hour my pal went off with the older to his hotel whereas I took the younger to a short time room. I returned to the beach the next day hoping to meet him again but he didn’t appear and the day after I went back home. Returning a couple of months later I visited Sunee and spotted him dancing in the Euro Boys Gogo. I offed him and discovered that after our first meeting that he had transitioned over a week or so into full time work in gogos which he found much to his liking than the laundry.

As I initiated this thread in the photos section I had better join in. i have visiting Thailand mostly Pattaya. now for 20 years but unfortunately not in the last 18 months. Mostly my visits have been relatively short (3 to 4 weeks) but about. 15 years ago I did stay for several periods of 3 months. I have not maintained a record but I must have engaged the sexual services of over 150 Asian rent boys. On first contact my first concern has been the attractiveness of the boy and then I would want to know what he would permit in bed. In a bar with the noise and limited English it is sometimes difficult to pin this down even with the help of a mamasan and on the telephone occasionally impossible. In the past I liked a period of kissing and of late I have become more bottom so important to ascertain that he would top. The question of whether he was gay was not in the forefront of my mind, although I do remember it coming up occasionally when the reply was often vague. During my longer stays after a couple of weeks of bar hopping and beer drinking I calmed down and took boys for extended periods during which I got to know them fairly well even to the extent of meeting their family. With one very attractive boy I became his classic daddy, giving significant money and presents. I regarded him as bisexual, with him admitting to enjoying sex with girls, even having a bar girl as his girlfriend whilst living with me. But he had had a lot of gay sex with other farangs, and told me that he often enjoyed it and especially liked being desired by gay men.

I hope it will reopen when the pandemic has run its course and gay tourists return in numbers.

Perhaps tourists could arrive by parachute via Suvanaphuni. ? I have a few happy memories of taking boys to Koh Larn for the day - usually to the beach where the monkeys live.

Pleased to hear from you Biguyby - like you it’s now over a year since I’ve visited our favourite town and for me perhaps over two years since I was last at the Sansuck. I spent quite a few happy evenings round the pool sometimes on my own and sometimes with my latest boyfriend. It was a memorable gay venue.

My experience with the theft of the $100 bill I describe above together with a very small number of other negative experiences represents a tiny % of my interactions with Asian rent boys as a gay visitor to Thailand over the last 20 years. I wonder what the percentage would be for the majority of str sex tourists taking girls to their rooms or those who seek ladyboys. I would guess it would be higher for the latter. I’m sure their will be no official statistics !.

Of course you have to be careful when taking boys back to your hotel or apartment. Once I was robbed because of my carelessness whilst I was staying at the Ambiance some years ago. The room safe was situated near the entrance door from the corridor and there was a further door before the bedroom. I had contacted a very attractive boy from an app for an overnight stay and by the morning everything seemed fine. I had enjoyed sex several times during the night and before he left I went to the safe, unlocked it and took out some baht from which I gave him his tip. Later as I was leaving the room I noticed I had left the safe door open and on checking the contents found that a $100 bill, left over from a trip to Vietnam was gone. I enquired at the desk and told what had happened and asked whether they knew the boy, but they said he was new to them and gave me quite rightly a lecture about being careful about boys and safes. I checked the app a few times - I think Romeo, but he did not appear.

Even better accompanied by a cute boy ?

Over the last four years I’ve settled on staying in the Complex. I’ve used the Agate, Poseidon and Zing and have been happy with all three, although for the last three trips I’ve stayed at Zing choosing one of their larger upper floor rooms. I like the pool which is large enough for swimming although I’ve spent more time laying by it with boyfriends. It’s gay friendly rather than being a gay hotel as is the case with the Poseidon where I never saw a female guest. it’s now more than a year since I was there which is the longest period without visiting Pattaya and I miss it a lot - particularly for Asian boys and having sex with them. Maybe later this year ? Hope so !

Songcran - I avoid it like the plague. When booking a trip I check carefully the dates.

Yes I have had couple of great meals at the Poseidon. I have stayed there also - the hotel is 100% gay.

Very interesting and sobering data there Z909. During my occasional visits to Bkk I used to go running in Lumpini Park in the early evening and found breathing the air not good and so kept the runs short. I suppose that air quality in Pattaya would be variable but mostly better, particularly on the beach and in the Complex. I recall stopping at a cafe on a busy road there and having to sit virtually next to the road in amongst the fumes from innumerable motor bikes and diesel baht buses. I shifted my seat when one further back became vacant. A waitress said “you no like sit there” I replied about the fumes and she said it was bad for those who work there.

That photo of the Zing Resort showing they are opening on 1 July is encouraging for me taking into account the U.K. government’s plan for foreign travel to be allowed from 17 June {I Think) . I’ve pencilled in a trip for July. However there is no word from the Thais as to if and when they will reopen. I have stayed there a number of times and liked the rather basic but adequate rooms and the decent sized pool. Happy memories sitting by it with boyfriends. I wonder if the Ambience in Boystown is open - that was my regular place before the Zing.

Over the years of my visits to Pattaya as a gay tourist, I have used both Grindr and Romeo to good effect, but with the latter it is important to upgrade by paying the small subscription to more easily get in contact with the more attractive boys. I occasionally logon to Romeo whilst at home but just now I was not impressed by the display. There was only two boys available in the 18-24 bracket and they were outnumbered by ladyboys, which are of no interest to me. I did recognise one of the older expat farangs and had a good online conversation with him. Romeo is of course suffering like everything else from the lack of high spending tourists. Gay Expats tend to have their regular boyfriends. It remains to be seen what contribution the dating apps make when and if things return to “normal”

Thanks z909 for that rather interesting and appropriate guide which If printed it would occupy perhaps one third of an A4 sheet of paper. If you were able to extend it to say year 2003 or 2010 I think you would have to compress it to stay within 1 page !. Maybe not, but in the period 2002 to 2003 when I discovered Pattaya there must have been 20 + gogos and many more gay bars. The apps are not substitute for the bars although they do have their place. I’m like a 100 metre sprinter poised on the starting block waiting for the gun to sound so as to return and spread prosperity amongst the bars and boys. Cant see it happening for at least 6 months. Government here in U.K. are warning us not to book any sort of travel until the pandemic situation is clearer.

I agree with daydreamer that whilst having a.longer term relationship it’s good to get away from Bkk or Pattaya for a few days to avoid things getting stale. The boys always like that and sometimes suggest it. With LTR boy I actually visited his family home in Samet Sakhon near Bkk. I was nervous about this but it turned out ok especially when I took 8 family members for a nice meal with lots of beer. They knew all about his work in Pats and it turned out I wasn’t the first farang he had taken there. I also went with that boy and a friend and his boy to Koh Samet for 3 nights at a beach resort. Lots of fun in and out of the water with our boys wearing very sexy speedos we bought for them in Pattaya Central sports store. Lots of stares from other guests of course. A great break indeed from trawling the bars in search of that 5* boy. I also agree with Londoner regarding the ambition of the boys to have a LTR. Great prestige is gained by showing your farang off to your friends and having him buy them drinks. The ultimate is when he is persuaded to develop a relationship with Western Union whilst back home (I have to plead guilty myself)

Yes on reflection I should have included the boys from Cambodia and Laos. In recent years they have been a very welcome addition to the Thailand gay scene. I hope to see them again when the wonderful day arrives for normal travel.

This is a very interesting survey and I am not surprised to see that meetings and offs after the first one usually prove to be better. That has by and large been my experience when I have had boys for multiple nights. The reason I think in my case is that I pay relatively well so from the second meet the boy will give good service knowing he will be well rewarded for pandering to my sexual tastes. in recent years I have visited Pattaya for multiple short periods whilst about 10 years ago I was able to stay for a couple of months. During those trips I settled after my first week, with one boy rather than “ do the butterfly”, with him being a live-in boyfriend. Although I did occasionally spice things up with threesomes. Looking back I believe those periods were the best periods of my adventures in Thailand.

Yes I assume the majority of Pattaya’s sex workers are still back at their homes in Isaan where the living is much cheaper and maybe a few low wage employment opportunities exist. Meanwhile the bulk of their customers are in some form of lockdown in farang land reminiscing about happy times.

I’ve also noticed the quantity of ladyboys logged onto Grindr and Romeo when I’ve occasionally checked looking for boys I remember. Compared with pre-COVID there were few boys in the prime 18-25 age group - in fact outnumbered by ladyboys. Yes the reason about no alternative work is likely. But I wonder also if there is more of a market for ladyboy sex in lockdown wanted by expats, whereas gay tourists like me want boys and we are not there.

The investors in that hotel must be hoping for tourists to return and maybe putting pressure on government to make happen.

I wonder if we could collectively name over 10 Sunee gogo’s ?

Biguyby,- yes thinking about it - the Coco gym must be as you say on the 4th floor. During my February trip I visited I think 5 times. The entrance was on beach road via a lift. There was not much else on that floor.

The ninth floor was a gym a year ago called Coco. I went there a few times.