jason1975

Glad to hear that they are still able to come back to work. Thanks for reporting and sharing!

4 of us made our way to Tawan and were seated just before 10.30pm. About 10 customers and surprise surprise there were close to 20 guys working! And yes, some Atlas guys had transferred over! 4 of them if I remember correctly. Variety of guys available including 3 pleasant looking twunks - whom I tipped before leaving later. What I enjoyed about the evening was the atmosphere. The guys on stage did not look bored or disinterested. Some were smiling at customers while others bantered among themselves. They looked like they enjoyed working. At 11pm, the show began. Typical Tawan show. Nothing new. But the guys displayed more energy and enthusiasm so kudos to boss for his powers of motivation. At 11.30pm, the show ended and my group made our way to Foodland for supper and we chatted for an hour. We even took a group photo outside Foodland with Virgin bar as the backdrop! We went our separate ways and I took my guy back to hotel.

I was supposed to spend the night with my guy but I bumped into 3 forum members at Midnight bar. We saw the dark quiet windows at Atlas Bar facing us opposite. Atlas had closed down despite a promising opening start last year. Just one week ago, it was still operating and I had contemplated visiting it but I didn't. Someone suggested going to visit Tawan to see whether any Atlas guy had transferred there. I spoke to my guy. "You want see Tawan muscle man show?" No thank you, he said he would keep himself occupied playing pool at pool bar.

After buying the checkers set, we went to Midnight bar to give it to the waiters. Now they have a proper checkers set to play with. I was unable to play against the Checkers Champion as a customer was taking him out. "Tomorrow I play with you!" he said.

After dinner, we walked around Silom Complex. We looked at the cakes at S/P Bakery. My guy's birthday is next week. Then we went to games section at Central. I wanted to find something but salesperson said they didn't sell it. We crossed the BTS to the other side of Silom Road. We walked past Don Don Donki and I had a hunch it might sell the item I was looking for. We went inside and bingo! We found it!

My guy enjoyed go kart experience tremendously. We took BTS back to Silom. We had Singapore chicken rice for dinner at Silom Complex.

At 5pm, I met my guy at Silom Complex and we took BTS to Chit Lom then walked to Topkart, a new attraction in Bangkok. An abandoned car park had been converted to race track for go kart racing. Pretty high tech with updated timing and scores. Not cheap hence mostly tourists. 700 baht for a session lasting 8 minutes. There was a promotion of 5000 baht for 10 sessions. "You want 10 race?" I asked my guy. He smiled sheepishly and said, "Too many. No need spend so much money. 3 races enough." 20251204_175945.mp4

Day 7 began with usual breakfast at Foodland. Sun was up and weather was good so was in pool for 2 hours then lunch and Netflix and afternoon nap. 20251204_130140.mp4

After muay thai ended at about 10.15pm, we took taxi back to Silom for supper at Foodland. While walking to Foodland, we stopped at Midnight bar to say hello to forum member who just arrived yesterday. Good to see him enjoying company of delightful waiters. I told him we will catch up in the nights to come. Ovrernight staff at Foodland a bit surprised to see me. I was there the previous night at 2am. Today I appeared at a comparatively early 11pm. After supper, we played a bit of pool then went back to hotel room. End of Day 6.

I bought the tickets online in advance and got the Club seats which gave us assigned comfortable seats and a closer view of the fights compared to the cheapest seats at the top of the stadium where it was free seating on hard concrete floor. The club seats also offered easy access to toilets and the chance to see the post match interviews with the winning fighters. The two guys who forum member and I took to stadium enjoyed themselves. I thought of buying a pair of muay Thai shorts as souvenir (and other purposes. Heheh) for my guy but they cost 1890 baht each. I am sure I can get it much cheaper elsewhere.

20251203_203012.mp4 Yesterday was chess night. Tonight would be muay thai night. I met forum member at his hotel at 6pm and we took a taxi to Rajarendaram Stadium to watch muay thai boxing. It was his first time and also first time for his guy. Of course, my guy came along. 4 of us altogether tonight. I have taken my guy to watch muay thai twice already - at Rajarendaram stadium and also at Lumpini stadium in north Bangkok. Fights on Wednesday night unfortunately are by lesser known fighters including some 16 and 18 year old. Few knock outs. Quality of fights was lower compared to those on Friday and Saturday nights. Despite that, stadium was nearly full. Tourist audience. I was seated in front of a large group of Russians. I much prefer the atmosphere at Lumpini Stadium which is filled with Thai spectators.

Sorry mistake. 128 baht. Not 180 baht. Looks like Foodland chicken cashew nut is cheapest!

After massage was meal at Foodland. Chicken cashew nut with rice. 180 baht. No mushrooms unlike Derby King. Could be too spicy for farang tastebuds. Overall cheap and good.

Afternoon was massage time with regular massage guy at Adam Massage on soi 4. Unlike the shops at soi 6, which do not have music, Adam Massage has soothing spa music which makes it best experience in the neighbourhood. B2B was as fantastic as I remembered. A great massage is able to make up for loss of sleep.

Wednesday I woke up at 8.30am. I made my way quickly to Foodland to place my order for 84 baht breakfast set before 9am. My guy later scolded me for not sleeping longer. I said it's my holiday time. I can sleep after holiday! After breakfast, I enjoyed an hour at the swimming pool. Then I went to laundromat to do my laundry. While waiting for laundry to be ready, I shopped and ate at the local market.

Supper at 2.15am on a Tuesday morning was only my group comprising 6 of us. No other customers in Foodland. Just the Foodland staff and us. 3 of them followed me back to hotel room for drinking and poker card games. I had to remind them to lower their voices as other hotel guests were sleeping. At 4am, they left and I concluded a memorable night of chess, checkers and cards!

At 2.15am, we had to leave Midnight bar to have supper at Foodland. I told Checkers Champion that I will get him a proper checkers set so that we can play a proper game next time. I want a rematch. No one expected him to be that good! And he knows it and even said, "You win me, I take off my shirt!"

To be fair to the waiters at Midnight beer bar, they only know the game of checkers and they have always thought the name was chess. They don't know the actual name is different. Nevertheless, they are pretty good at checkers. We played several games of checkers (using chess board and pieces) for about an hour as we were waiting for some guys in bar to finish work so that we could have supper together. While Team Chess (3 of us comprising my guy and me plus a forum member who joined us) won overall more games of checkers against Team Checkers (4 of them), one Myanmar waiter is so good that he stayed undefeated!

After chess at Foodland, my guy and I took a walk around Patpong. The other 2 guys went back, happy with their short time tip for playing chess. When my guy and I walked past Midnight beer bar, the waiters saw us holding our chess sets and shouted to us, "Chess! We can play chess!" Intrigued and skeptical, I sat down with them. I passed them my chess set and asked them to set up the board for a game. This was what they came up with...

How I miss being able to swim in a pool! The pool at Silom Serene, while small, is not blocked from the sun in morning and afternoon so perfect to hang out and get some outdoor exercise. After a swim and relaxing in room, I met some forum members for dinner before tonight's special programme. Tonight was chess night. At 9pm, I gathered 3 other participants. All Vietnamese. They learned how to play chess in school. 4 of us would be at Foodland for 3 hours to play and determine 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. I came in last place due to this last match where I played as white. Thinking back, I shouldn't have lost!

After checking out of Raya at 12pm, I walked over to soi 3 to check into Silom Serene. I booked it for 3 nights until Friday then I would move to condo with kitchen. A young tall cute Thai hotel staff welcomed me into the hotel. He kept my luggage one side and gave me a ticket to claim it later at 2pm when hotel check-in begin for my booking. What to do for 2 hours? Go for a massage for course! I crossed Silom Road and went to Sun Massage, the first massage shop in soi 6. I have been visiting this shop because of the cute Vietnamese guys. Hehe. Not many staff on Tuesday noon. About 6 to 7 guys. I picked one guy and up we went to top floor. As this was my first time with this guy (the guys I met previously have not arrived for work), he did not know me so he was fully clothed during the massage. It was only after 30 minutes that he asked me, "Body to Body?" Yes, of course! After the massage, I walked downstairs. Massage guy offered me hot green tea to drink which I appreciated because most of such shops only gave bottled ice water. As I sipped my tea, I looked at the guys waiting at entrance. More guys now. About 15. None of them I met before otherwise awkward conversation. I headed to hotel, checked-in and guess who carried my luggage up to room? Young Thai gentleman! He wore a nametag with words "Trainee". I asked for his name. "My name is Pao Pao. Nice to meet you." Yes, nice to meet you. I thanked him for helping me and slipped him a 100-baht note before he left. 20251202_140713.mp4

@943mbqak

The second disadvantage of Raya is lack of swimming pool. When the weather is nice and sunny, being stuck inside hotel room is just criminal! Raya is also next to Surawong Road which is noisy with traffic. Lastly, of course, Raya is not cheap. Its higher prices probably reflect its popularity among Japanese guests who frequent soi Thaniya (both the bars and the golf shops). I will always have fond memories of Raya because of the many nights I spent with guys when Soi Twilight was around next door. For a weekend trip, Raya is ok but a trip longer than a week requires another hotel. And so I checked out of Raya at 12pm on day 5 and made my way to Silom Serene on soi 3.

Day 5. Time to check out of Raya Hotel. As much as I like it for its location, big rooms and the glass shower, there are some cons for me. Firstly, there are no toothbrushes in the toilet! Imagine you come back with a guy at midnight and both need to brush teeth (before you can start kissing!) and you realise you need to ask reception!

Go in a group and get bottle of whisky for 4000 baht. Unlimited mixers and can invite models to drink with you.