DivineMadman

Outstanding!

while we're on the topic of maps - I recently noticed that google maps no longer shows soi twilight (see screen shot below). I wrote a comment note to them about it and perhaps others might be so inclined. Giving them the benefit of the doubt maybe, just maybe, someone somewhere considers it not a true street so they took it off??? However Soi Cowboy is pretty much the same and it is still shown on the map. I am sure it's not a big deal, but I don't see why the street with so many gay--oriented businesses doesn't show up. It makes it that much harder to add/correct business locations on the map.

Currently there are two tourist visas - single entry ($40) and multiple entry ($200). For the single entry visa, I think but have not verified, so don't rely - you can still get a re-entry permit before departure at Suvarnabhumi or BKK immigration office for about 1,000 Baht.

I wouldn't rely on the thaiembassy.com website. It is not official and may not be up-to-date. The official no-messing-around government regulation that just came out saying that there is now a limit of 2x visa-exempt entries at land border crossings per calendar year is reported and discussed on the thaivisa,com forum.

I still get BBC World News. I have heard that in the past the government has blocked specific portions of the broadcast that might discuss sensitive topics - don't know if that may have been what you experienced.

I used to stay at Le Meridien a lot and never had a problem with joiners - but I haven't been there for a few years.

A fun cooking class that also gets you into the Klong Toey neighborhood ("slum") is Cooking with Poo and Friends. http://www.cookingwithpoo.com Much more laid back than Blue Elephant. I highly recommend it. For naughty, out of Silom, but still easy to reach by BTS, try King Spa (http://www.kingspabkk.com) and/or Body Club (http://www.bodyclubbangkok.com). I've had a lot of luck at both but I seem to recall other board members having more mixed experiences.

If you only have five days then you have a perfectly fine itinerary. I posted previously I think Inle Lake is great, but of course fine to save it for another trip. Or decamp from White Party chaos directly to Inle Lake and get caught up on sleep there for 5 days. You can't really go wrong, as long as you're going somewhere.... -- "Up to you" Yangon - Consider trying to time your visit to Schwedegon in the late afternoon early twilight hours. Photography much improved and in the evening easier to appreciate the joyful use of neon in the shrines. -The day (time) of the week that you are born is associated with a certain animal, which you'll see in various shrines (like the different positions of Buddha in Thailand). Tiny little statues of the appropriate animal can be interesting trinket souvenirs, if you have family who like those sorts of things. (Although Thursday's child might not appreciate the gift of a rat.) - Yes the traffic is bad, but there's a lot of fine colonial architecture to be seen -- if you find that interesting. The ones that I found the most interesting were the not-yet-restored older buildings, especially if you can go in (such as an old post office) -- colonial era decay, as it were -- best found with a guide and good walking shoes. (BTW - If it helps your mindset, try to celebrate the traffic - in the scheme of things regular Burmese people got the right to purchase cars only recently. Also enjoy the absence of motorbikes in Yangon - although this too may be changing.) - There was a time when a drink at The Strand Hotel was de rigeur. Probably not so much these days or for you youngs. Bagan -It will be interesting to hear your reports on the impact of the earthquake. There are usually a lot of artists around (and a few in) some of the temples working and selling. Interesting to chat up and see them working. (Some real cuties too.) I agree w/VInapu boat ride up to see Mingun is great. Of course not the end of the world if you can't make it. Probably goes without saying, don't be disappointed if the balloon ride is cancelled because of weather. If it happens great - but be prepared it may be cancelled. -THere's a nice market (Nyaung) in Bagan. Nice to walk around, if you enjoy that sort of thing (as I do). Mandalay I really really enjoyed the U Bein teak bridge outside Mandalay. Visit in the late afternoon, maybe for sunset. Make merit by releasing owls. Can go on a little boat ride. Nearby is a beautiful temple. If you're not crazy enough to try to trek up to Mandalay Hill for sunrise, typically people go later afternoon to be there for sunset. It's beautiful, a bit festive and you will probably meet a lot of locals looking for the opportunity to chat up foreigners. Beautiful and great fun. Other I'm sure your guide will be picking out the best temples for you to visit. PM me if you want some names, but generally go with the flow. I really enjoyed Emma Larkin's Finding George Orwell in Burma if you're looking for a book to read on the flight over. Enjoy.

The announced reason for the Grand Palace being closed those days (Dec 1-2) is for a special merit-making ceremony for the late King. The no-secret special meeting of Parliament around that time and other recent announcements might lead one to speculate that the closing might also be related to the formal naming and ascension of Rama X.

A think a lot of people already know about the StickmanBangkok.com website and weekly columns. He has long written about the Bangkok straight bar scene. If you take his observations over the years as reasonably reliable, then the premise of the OP's question is simply incorrect. According to Stickman the straight bar scene has very much been in decline. In his view one reason is not so much the apps as online escort agencies. The columns make interesting reading.

I've really enjoyed visiting Myanmar. Highly recommend it and look forward to reading about your trip. If you have the time Inle Lake really is a great place to relax. Note that the Burmese are a fairly conservative society so when you're on your cultural tourism activities long pants rather than tourist shorts are a good and respectful idea. Many temple complexes won't let someone in wearing shorts (same but not as extreme as BKK Grand Palace). A pre-dawn walk up Mandalay Hill to catch the sunrise can be magical, if that's your thing. I found people out in the countryside very much appreciated when I wore a traditional Longyi. Something to consider if your comfortable doing so. Laquerware and textiles can be good locally-sourced purchases. Although any trip report can of course benefit from the occasional dramatic episodes, I hope you clue in your Burmese friend sooner rather than later about your boyfriend situation , , , , As always, enjoyed this report and look forward to future reports.

Agreed - thanks for the updated info.

For Siem Reap I recommend Hatha Khmer Massage. http://hathakhmerspa.weebly.com/siem-reap.html BKK most recently discussed extensively: http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic/10628-crowdsourcing-best-massage-options-for-a-non-massage-customer/ http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic/10441-gay-massage-in-bangkok-a-happy-ending-necessity/ Happy hunting.

Full moon party resumed November 14, which included a special tribute to the late king. I would be remiss if I didn't say, "Be careful." I would be further remiss if I did not say, "Have a great time."

oops. delete

I agree with what Anddy has written above. In a way it's easy to find a masseur who can check off all three boxes, but because there are too many variables no one can say with certainty where (or even who). With appropriately realistic expectations and some suggestions where your odds might be favorable, and a little luck, the result can be mutually satisfying and rewarding. Senso is super convenient right on Sala Daeng. A few years ago it went through a bit of a toxic period, where it declined in popularity, but I haven't heard anything bad about it in a while. Good looking guys, comparable massages, a bit more expensive than other spots. Select from a lineup, depending on when and how the stars align there may be a good selection or just a few. It's a nice place. I hope Senso fans chime in. There are other very good spots that deserve mention but they fall on and off the radar screen. Jey Spa. Dr. Bear. Sanctuary by A. Candle T Spa. The Bridge. Many others. General rule: The best massage is the one I'm getting right now.

In a normal year, Bangkok is a great place to celebrate NYE. This year it looks like things will be subdued. Khaosod reports that Central World will not be having it's NYE party, and I read that some of the beer companies announced they will not be setting up beer gardens, which used to be fun places to hang out with friends, enjoy the crowds and celebrate. Some hotels are reported to have cancelled their big NYE events. River boats are also a fan fave for NYE. So, yes it's high season, the weather is nice, it's a fun time to be in BKK, and it's hard not to laugh at the Christmas carolers who wander through the various mega malls giving their own take on Christmas standbys, but hard to predict what it will be like in BKK this year.

I think the most recent update on this - at least as far Bangkok is concerned - was when Michael asked for recommendations a few months ago. http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic/10441-gay-massage-in-bangkok-a-happy-ending-necessity/ So you want personality, passion and proficiency.... All are possible at any of the shops, legit and not legit. I don't want to be in a position of recommending Prime Massage, which has GREAT Thai massages, but no guarantee about sex, even though I've had great sex there, so I'm only focussing on the happy-ending guaranteed shops. As far as the proficiency of the massage, I think that at the sex factories (Arena, Banana, Bangkok, Bonny, Prince & V-Club) the quality of the massages is basically the same. Good, serviceable, but probably not necessarily well-trained. The manager may be able to direct you to someone who is particularly good, but I'm sure I would rely on that. They're more informed about cock size, what the guys will or won't do, and might just find questions about Swedish massage techniques baffling. Based on my own experience at V Club (4x I think?), the massage is irrelevant and the ersatz masseur tried to dispense with it as quickly as possible and move on to the fun stuff, but others probably have different experiences there. The sex factories give you the chance to select from a lineup. That may give you some comfort that you can pick someone with the right personality spark. A lot of people like the "pick the guy who's smiling at you" technique to try to improve the odds that if not a real connection at least the guy knows that pretending there's a connection is part of his job. At Prince you could ask to sit with the guy first, maybe over a drink. It's a nice lounge sort of place. But not sure it's a particularly common thing to do. At Bonny and Bangkok you can chat up potentials street side and select your guy, assuming you can pry them away from their phones. [Of course if you go to Bonny or Bangkok Massage then anyone and everyone working on Soi Twilight will know, so if you are juggling barboys, those aren't the places to go.] Arena there are usually some guys hanging out outside the door, so there's a chance to chat there, but a lot of the guys are inside. All I can add is - sometimes that shy ones are really, really good. So only picking mr. smiley means missing out on lots of potential great experiences. My own very subjective experience with guys from the Prince are that they have been very very talkative, easy going and fun. Is it a guarantee? Absolutely not. Urban Male has a lineup, but a smaller selection of guys than the factories. The massages there are much better than average. The factories are more likely to have guys with some English, which might help with the personal connection. Facility with English tends to be inversely proportional to the distance from Silom/Sathorn. There are of course massage guys on Hornet. Smaller or mid-size places that I like tend to have better-trained masseurs. The ones keep in my rotation and highly recommend are: Baan Taewa, Body Club, Leo and King. In each case I usually schedule ahead. Sometimes it's a regular guy I like; sometimes I've selected from photos. The massages are excellent and I've been able to get that sweet spot of personal connection and rollicking good fun with my regulars. But I understand that selecting from photos is not for everyone. Also, this is just my experiances. Other people I am sure have different views. Zesus was a smaller shop near Chatuchak that I used to like but it has now gone virtual -- outcalls start at 2,000 plus taxi fare all inclusive. Personal connection, passion and a rigorous but not too rigorous massage? My best advice is forget about wanting or expecting it all. Odds are just not working in your favor. Lower expectations and sample freely and often. When things do click keep that guy in regular rotation.

+1

I put the question of whether someone of Asian heritage but raised in the U.S. would be a "farang," "kohn Asia" or something else to the language department of a school in Sukhothai (long story). The answer was an unequivocal "kohn Asia," not farang.

I believe that G.O.D. is still closed. DJ Station closes at midnight.

It is long-settled U.S. law that Customs searches at borders do not need a warrant. See, for example, 1977 Supreme Court case "United States v. Ramsey." So customs agents can ask you questions, check your bags, turn on your devices and look around. They can make their decision based on their judgment and experience. No warrant is needed. If you have a password on your device and refuse to open it for the Customs agent, or have a lock on your bag and refuse to open it, I think you will find that the agent will seize the property and can have it sent to a lab to be opened. Whether there are additional penalties for failure to cooperate with a Customs agent in a lawful search, I do not know.

Yes, Customs can search your possessions, including computer and electronic devices. They can do so without a warrant.

Just to add some diversity to the opinions here, I've never minded the street vendors. I'm seldom in a rush, don't mind crowds and to me it's part of the joyous, chaotic, overflowing fabric of the city. I miss the the flower market, to name just one lost gem. Much of the same drive to "modernize" and clear the sidewalks leads to things like the clearing out of the community at the Mahakan Fort, one of those quirky Bangkok places that are fun to visit and explore and sit and chat with locals, and will all too soon be gone. I don't think Old Town Hanoi would be nearly as fun if the sidewalks were cleared.

Some general thoughts and then a couple of specifics. Pictures where the subject looks like he is 14? Eeew. Really, really, really hope your friend was kidding when he said that. If the U.S. has been checking you thoroughly you might be in a database that the U.S. shares with Thailand (or other countries). The U.S. most certainly does cooperate with Thailand on these matters. I have no idea if Thai Immigration is plugged into this, but if you come to the attention of/under the scrutiny of the Thai police for any reason and your name is "flagged" in their computers, they may well check your devices and forget about burdens of proof in Thailand ... The law in the U.S. There is some technical precision to the statement that, here in the U.S., the government has to "prove" the image is of a "child" (i.e., below whatever age the particular statute specifies). Age is an element of the crime and the government has to "prove" each element. However, it is simply and unequivocally false to suggest that the government has to prove that by means of hard evidence such as birth certificates or such. The age of the subject of the image (the victim) can be determined by the jury (or the judge) based just on the image alone. So to put this in the context of the rule "the government has to prove each element of the crime":- (1) the government introduces the photo, (2) the defendant says, I don't have the guy's I.D., but I got it off the internet, and he's asian, not young" and (3) the jury says, "we think it's an underage individual" ==> PROVED. For the doubters: Two quick examples I found in 5 minutes research: The Statute In New York "Whenever it becomes necessary ... to determine whether a child ... was under an age specified... the court or jury may make such determination by any of the following:  personal inspection of the child;  inspection of a photograph or motion picture which constituted the sexual performance;  oral testimony by a witness to the sexual performance as to the age of the child based upon the child's appearance;  expert medical testimony based upon the appearance of the child in the sexual performance;  and any other method authorized by any applicable provision of law or by the rules of evidence at common law." New Jersey jury instructions: "A person who is depicted as or presents the appearance of being under the age of 18 in any photograph, film, videotape, computer program or file, video game or any other reproduction or reconstruction may be inferred to be under the age of 18. It is not a defense that the defendant did not know that the [child][children] [was] [were] under the age of 18 or that the defendant believed that the [child][children] [was] [were] 18 years old or older, even if such a mistaken belief was reasonable." (Emphahsis added) In the U.S., some State or Federal child pornography laws may have different knowledge rules, but don't count on protection there. The New Jersey rule quoted above is a good example - it is not a defense that you reasonably thought the subject of the photo was 18. Child pornography are deliberately meant to be extreme. Of course, as a defendant you would be permitted to make the case to the jury that the subjects of the photos are not underage, but good luck. Don't expect sympathetic juries, don't expect expert medical testimony ("They're not young, they're asian") to come cheap, and of course the point is that if you're already at trial your life is in the crapper anyway. The rules are harsh. Prosecutors don't have the time or inclination to go after everyone, so they are not going to go after everyone, and judges (and juries) are good at protecting against over-reaching applications of rules like this. Still, why risk it.