starbum

Vinapu, your type of guys is my type too! That's why I love following your adventures. Keep it up!🥰

I'm planning for departure on 4th Feb.  I'm taking a gamble on this.  Wish me luck!
** I'm waiting for Royal Gazette to release tomorrow (hopefully) so that I can start my bookings.

Yes for the 1st question. I believe the answer is yes to your 2nd question depending how your country's requirements.

I was in a similar position. Only a week between applying for the Thai Pass and my flight date. After two or three days had passed I had only the acknowledgement I was getting seriously worried.
I then found this website https://asq.in.th/thailand-pass?tpOpen=1&rushIt who promise you the pass in 6 to 48 hours. Or a refund.
I paid up and got the pass in an hour!
 
Recomended.

I do !

according to recent post on Twitter , Moonlight will re-open on Thursday, Jan 27
see below       Moonlight Bangkok   @Moonlight_Silom · Jan 24   We are back to open for service. According to the prevention of the epidemic of covids of the Ministry of Health on January 27 onwards It will be open from 7 pm until 11 pm. See you soon.  

I'm planning for departure on 4th Feb.  I'm taking a gamble on this.  Wish me luck!
** I'm waiting for Royal Gazette to release tomorrow (hopefully) so that I can start my bookings.

Hyatt Bangkok allow me to cancel the booking even though it states that no cancellation is allowed after I email them and of cos showing them the TP rejection.
Years ago when there is a huge protest, Thai Airways also allow me to cancel my non-cancellation ticket after I called them.
Something I like about Thailand is that they are willing to make things happen unless it is beyond their ability.  

Hyatt Bangkok allow me to cancel the booking even though it states that no cancellation is allowed after I email them and of cos showing them the TP rejection.
Years ago when there is a huge protest, Thai Airways also allow me to cancel my non-cancellation ticket after I called them.
Something I like about Thailand is that they are willing to make things happen unless it is beyond their ability.  

Christmas  again? that soon?

Day 9 continued
I’m not big fan of luxurious accommodation , not only because of costs but I noticed that I tend to spend more time in the room luxuriating as opposite to more Spartan digs where  I tend to leave as soon as I settle. But here with the view I wanted to have a  tea, then coffee and soon I noticed that day  is graying and that is my first day ever in Chiang Mai.
From there it’s about 20 minutes walk to closest city gate Chang Puak. Few steps and big disappointment as Adams Apple  is permanently closed with  ‘ for rent ‘sign. What one can do ? Smile and carry on to nearest banana pancake stall to have some nourishment. It was quite dark already but Chiang Mai is easy to navigate with moated old City at the Center  so I crossed Old city to Chiang Mai gate on opposite end, turned left along the moat toward Tapae gate,   crossed moat there and went straight to soi 4 to my planned destination – Classic House massage. Entrance has sign but still it’s easy to miss as is covered in greenery which on another hand stands out so you know you are there. Very discreet entrance, few boys inside and friendly mamas an behind the counter who gladly explained procedures and prices, told me there are more guys in the back room.
 
Tariff for 1.50 hr. massage 600 , minimum tip  I forgot but something like 800-1000 and when learned I will be in the city 4 days told me that 5 massaged will get 6th free with immediate idea how to squeeze 5 massages in 4 days – take 2 boys for 4 hand massage. I liked that but today I settled on 1on1 treatment. My guy was handsome but massage was so, so , perhaps he was afraid he will crush me or something so treaded lightly . Too long nails  were bit annoying so I knew tomorrow it will be somebody else and even eyed candidate, telling all and sundry it will be different guy every day to save face and told candidate ‘ tomorrow you ‘ extracting nice  smile. Little I know why he was smiling but that revelation will come soon. Clearly I was undermassaged so still in the soi pulled smartphone and on Grindr or Romeo  I found  enticing , manly , muscular guy offering massage in the room, asked him to be in Viangbua reception at 9pm. And leisurely walk to hotel to arrive as planned. There was some guy in the reception waiting for somebody and I had feeling it was me he is waiting for so I bravely asked to receive confirmation.
Muscular with traces of handsomeness, but quite feminine and 5 years much older than in apps picture.  Not quite fraud but  somewhat misleading but that is included in risk of using apps I thought so resigned to my fate and invited him upstairs. Nothing to write home , after undressing still bit feminine of the same  age, massage good and proper , better that one I had in Classic but it was clear he is looking for speedy end. Normally it would upset me  but considering I was not as impressed with his looks and mannerism as I was when checking him on apps I considered it a blessing that he is not keen on lingering.  1500 was overpaid but that is what I agreed to,   hoping for slower massage with manly hunk getting fast by girly one. My first night in Chiang Mai was lonely one but treat nevertheless as I could sleep with open windows , rare treat in Thailand. Hoping for better tomorrow I slept  very well ending my day 9.
Tapae gate and Classic House discreet entrance

+1
but you were faster so I'll wait, send him to my room after, LOL

if it's any consolation I see the same in my own place after I returned, few mild cases of Omicron and most venues closed for 3 weeks. Today is 6th day after I arrived and I'm still locked at home waiting for results of mandatory test taken on arrival. They already called me 3 times to make sure I'm home so I'm stuck. Bright side is I have time to write trip report to torment you guys.
And no, I don't live an authoritarian country in any sense. 
World went amok over covid issue, lunacy prevails. I like description ' manufactured panic" , brilliant !!!.
Only consolation is , all countries seem to be stupid over issue , either too strict or too lax so we in the same boat. The same follows with populations, a lot of too panicky or too dismissive. I'm already enemy of some neighbors because I dared to travel and return bringing unspeakable danger  to the whole building. I'm kidding you not.

Day 8 .  
It went without saying that we will have repeat  of the day  and night today. I don’t even remember who said it first but it was obvious. Tip was increased substantially as good work should be rewarded properly . Breakfast in French restaurant  on the corner, very cheerful waitress who seemed to like N very much thank you and I was pretending I don’t  notice it. Quite sumptuous with signature crispy fresh baguettes , I liked it very much, tasty , classy and filling. He went to his room and then to gym, I chose internet exercises in the room. As mentioned before I was subject of massive attack from that Grindr  guy  and tried to fend his messages off until around noon got tired and decided finally to go to Pattaya proper.
Rest of daylight was spent walking about and it was quite depressing sight with all those shops and restaurants boarded or at least closed. Walking street completely dead bar one survivor – 7/11. On another hand signs of clinging to life were encouragingly numerous, I had a dinner in newly opened kebab restaurant on 2nd street.  Few massages were opened with guys anxiously waiting for customers, a lot of walker along Beach Rd and girls ubiquitous, forced to take their trade to the streets with bars closed but generally Pattaya was bit depressing sight with devastation much more pronounced that in Bangkok.
Alt Heidelberg closed but Berliner café and Salt and Pepper still operating. Few quite big hotels closed, in others only few windows were lit. Surprisingly exchange rates in few still opened places were at least as good as in Swampy’s basement by train station. Sunee – dead, those complaining in the past about Arabs racing motorbikes now have their day, sois quiet like pre-pandemic funeral home.  Boyztown, dead zone with only Scandic opened with 3 guys on duty , one of them veteran of many years there. But baht busses still 10 baht. Internet café in soi post office still opened and tailor in Pattayaland also did not give up. Not as cheerful like before but still standing.
So Pattaya girls and boys are not giving up, no matter what trade they are in.
It was darkening when I returned to Complex , straight to N’s shop for massage and right after I extracted him from there by way of paying 300 off fee and we went to Agate greeted by knowing smile of lady at reception. If last night was steamy , this one , my last in Pattaya for now ,   was nothing short of volcano , geyser,  earthquake e.t.c. I think people of certain age should conduct themselves with  more dignity and modesty   but since nobody was watching us    I took  an option to be young again with quite a success ending day 8 well stretched and exercised.

mid -day traffic nowadays on Beach Rd
 

just for fun,  green wall  as seen from my room at Agate, cant add sound of chirping birds
 

Yesterday I watched a youtube video on a trip (recent) to Kanchanburi and part of the trip consists of a slow train where the locals were charged for 3 baht while 100 baht for foreigners.

Yesterday I watched a youtube video on a trip (recent) to Kanchanburi and part of the trip consists of a slow train where the locals were charged for 3 baht while 100 baht for foreigners.

Yesterday I watched a youtube video on a trip (recent) to Kanchanburi and part of the trip consists of a slow train where the locals were charged for 3 baht while 100 baht for foreigners.

Yesterday I watched a youtube video on a trip (recent) to Kanchanburi and part of the trip consists of a slow train where the locals were charged for 3 baht while 100 baht for foreigners.

I am still learning from the guys and how they are doing their business. Tonight I learned something new. 
I used to be a complete social butterfly on my previous trips to BKK - preferred no repeat policy. But two guys have changed me on this trip. I would usually wake up in the mornings with Line messages from both of them "What are you doing today?" or "Will you see me today?" Of course, I am aware that what they really want to see is my wallet rather than myself. Since they both have been very nice, with great physical features and no rushing attitude, I have been meeting them 2-3 times each already. I was supposed to meet one of them tonight, but at the last minute, he asked me if i could wait until 1 am (instead of our original appointment at 11 pm). As much as I was frustrated, I understood that his goal is to maximize his nightly income. I was indeed planning to bring him and one mamasan to Pullman King Power seafood buffet tomorrow night for a "farewell" dinner. he knows that i have already made a reservation. when i said no i wouldnt be able to wait until 1 am, he stumbled. 
Then I texted immediately to Jupiter mamasan. Luckily, mamasan was able to send me a boy of my choice from Jupiter promptly. the boy was already in my room within next 15 minutes. He has a handsome face and muscular body, but I was not prepared to see an appendage with a few foreign bodies embedded underneath the skin. he turned out to have a cheerful personality. he was able to make me forget the other guy who did not keep his promise...  sometimes things happened for a reason.

The "muay thai" guys are from this bar/restaurant called ChangSha*. The content creator only put it's location in the VIP section which I'm not a member. I also did tried searching for it as well but I can't find. The creator only mentioned that it took him 30 mins drive from Sathorn. It could be quite far from the silom area.
Here is another youtube video focusing on the bar/restaurant. The guys are mostly straight (as mentioned in the video) and they will keep you company while drinking eating. I'm not sure if there are any other services provided.
*ChangSha is a location in China.
 

Hope there are more before my trip in Feb 22.

It was supposed to be Jun 2020 trip but Thailand did not let us in, then I tried my luck for October this year but canceled it. When Thai Pass came to an effect I decided to finally utilize that prehistoric  ticket I bought back on Dec 3, 2019 for Jun 2020.
And here I'm, feeling like chewing gum after 27 hrs trek, locked in my hotel room, waiting for a nurse to come and take my sample for dreaded PCR test. 
First time took Swiss and must say that their good reputation is well deserved, massive Boeing 777 plane was surprisingly full with plenty of mixed Thai-Caucasian couples prominently visible in statistic sample and a lot of young people. 
Few nice surprises on arrival. Thai bashers will be disappointed to hear that admission process was extremely efficiently conducted, well organized and well staffed. In reality they want to see your passport, Thai Pass QR code, immigration T6 form or whatever it'called AND YOUR BOARDING PASS FROM LEG BRINGING YOU TO THAILAND, somewhat unexpected.
At 6 am weather  extremely pleasant, perhaps no more than balmy 23,even now at 9.30 I' m sitting in my room with balcony door wide opened, AC turned off and all that in the room actually facing the sun.
Traffic was also light, Sunday morning has it' s charms. 
Dtac booth selling Sim cards was opened, just past luggage belts and I noticed 1 exchange booth open but rates were kind disappointing so I did not change money there. 
Somebody reported messy and disorganized taxi procedure but it was not my experience,as you leave customs area there tables with names of participating hotels and somebody will lead you to your car from there. I must say I need to bite my tongue not to ask my hotel representative if he would be interested in LT since he will be right in place on the Moonlight stage. 
That is it for now, I will try to update you guys but test, results and well deserved rest first before I even venture anywhere from my temporary and quite pleasant confinement. 
 

Next in opening line is Fresh boys, I visited on Tuesday, familiar Mamasan, ( no, not Lucy), few fully dressed boys on the stage so it, s just beginning but start it is !
Twink lovers would pick somebody, that sure thing. Drink 350, boy drink the same. 
Mamasan told me that Tawan will be moving across the soi, news confirmed  by one of their boys I met on Wed in Sabaidee spa. At this time, no sign of moving though. 
The same Tuesday at Jupiter I survived (barely) shock of my life. 20 years after I first went there I received a smile from one of their guys and it was, repeated few times. So when they did their usual parade, still fully dressed and handsome as always I rewarded him with 500 note so that historical moment was not lost neither on me nor on my pocket.
For  now they have karaoke format with few guys on duty waiting in the wings I. E. on their phones and not paying attention to audience and their but considering circumstances it makes some sense. Smiling guy was kind of exception. I should take an  advantage of situation but that night I had another expactancy, not realized as I learned later.
At one point karaoke stopped and for few minutes guys made their usual parade on the stage and audience, whole few of us and still couple od them managed studiously  to avoid even cursory eye contact so old habits die fast but as I said, there are signs of encarougemnt. 
SoiTwilight is now green space, even if fully boarded and inaccessible, I will post picture later as I have it in plain view from my Raya window.