colmx

Please stop trying to analyze my posts. Nowhere did I say that my Chiang Mai experience was based on a 3-day jaunt. How presumptive of you to make such an arrogant statement.
On my most recent trip to Chiang Mai, I rented a car from the airport for two weeks, and I drove with my Lao friend to revisit places I first visited more than 30 years ago, along with some new locations. We drove to Chiang Rai, Doi Mae Salong, Chiang Saen, Doi Tung, Mae Kompong, etc.
And I'm pleased to hear that your experience of Chiang Mai goes back at least a decade. My first visit to Thailand was in 1981. I have been to Chiang Mai numerous times, for extended stays over the decades. I have spent a considerable amount of time in northern Thailand, so I believe I have a fair amount of firsthand knowledge of the area.
I spent New Year's Eve of the new millennium 26 years ago in Adam's Apple Club, as I was staying with a Shan boy who worked there in 1999. At midnight, when the clock ticked into the year 2000, Mohammed, the owner flickered the light switches, and comically announced on the speaker system "Y2K, Y2K".
I do not intend to comment further about this. Especially, I do not wish to derail this excellent thread that @aaroninatl started about his experiences in the north. I was merely giving him a few suggestions for places to visit while in Chiang Mai. I think I am not alone in saying it would be appreciated if you would tone down your pompous remarks.

this good looking guy you tipped just 100 baht ? !
Shame on you even if it was no hanky panky . just for esthetics he deserved at least half of massage price IMNSHO

You may not have explored the cheaper, local areas of Bangkok yet. If you’ve only experienced Silom, that is a business and tourist district so everything is inflated. Venturing a bit further out you may be surprised at how much prices tumble which could close the gap with Chiang Mai somewhat. Likewise it is possible to build your own slower paced routine when not smack in the center.
Serious question, why is Pattaya not under consideration? I don’t rate it as a city when I only go to Thailand for just for vacation….it is unattractive, touristy, messy. But the greater Pattaya area/Chonburi would be a serious contender for retirement. It is large enough to have all urban comforts, but also has the lower prices, slower pace, great access to medical and dental care. And of course bars and nightlife should one wish. A quick ninety minute drive to Bangkok for any embassy affairs. I’m also drawn to staying near a beach though you’ve mentioned that isn’t a big factor for you.
Pattaya isn’t just the end of road for old mongers, apparently there are new upcoming residential developments further along the coast and is expected to get more cleaned up in the next 10 years. I was told by a 40-something expat couple with young children (who are on the well heeled side of things) that they are building a family house slightly outside of Pattaya with a view to it being for the weekends and later on, their retirement home.

Some of those venues were on the same night, but of the 16 nights that I was in Pattaya, there were only 2 nights that we didn't end up in a host bar. And one of those ended up as a late night 'lock-in' with @Vessey in M bar!

Some of those venues were on the same night, but of the 16 nights that I was in Pattaya, there were only 2 nights that we didn't end up in a host bar. And one of those ended up as a late night 'lock-in' with @Vessey in M bar!

17 visits to late-night/early-morning venues! @colmx are you trying to dethrone @floridarob from his vampire crown? 😆

You won't find this bar in Pattaya because it is in Bangkok.

Sky bar is now called h.i.m.

I order the bottle because I want to drink or have the fun of getting the boys drunk. There is no pressure to pay additional boy drinks. They pour themselves drinks from the bottle as does the mamasan in charge. Usually I make it a little more fun by pouring shots and tipping them when they drink a shot. That way they get tips but it’s not the awkwardness of sitting to the end wondering if you’ll get 100 baht or 1000 for your efforts. This is only for new guys I call down from the stage who I do not know well. I dislike boys who come over uninvited and help themselves to the row of shot glasses. One even had the cheek to help himself to a 100 baht note after he had downed a shot uninvited (I happened to have the 100 baht notes in a stack on the table).

Momo/Fun-Ky Bar in Jomtien give peanuts
M bar gives the cold towels as does Gus bar (when the boys remember)

Momo/Fun-Ky Bar in Jomtien give peanuts
M bar gives the cold towels as does Gus bar (when the boys remember)

Momo/Fun-Ky Bar in Jomtien give peanuts
M bar gives the cold towels as does Gus bar (when the boys remember)

Most bars will charge you for a "boy drink" regardless of whether you have opened a bottle or not. However, once you do have a bottle, the boy is usually free to have a second or subsequent drink directly from it, unless of course, they prefer to return to the floor or want to pressure you into buying more boy drinks.
Some bars enforce a limit on how many people can drink from a single bottle. e.g. when five of us (2 farang and 3 Thais, all paying customers) went to Fresh Boys, the bar insisted that we buy an extra individual drink for one person in our group. Fortunately, one of our friends didn't drink whiskey anyway, so they were perfectly happy to order a gin and tonic.

Thanks to @emiel1981 during his visit to Thailand in December 2025 I was able to accompany Emiel and visit my first Sky Bar in Bangkok = Akara Sky Hanuman in the Phloen Chit (Lumphini) area of Bangkok.  I truly enjoyed our time there and I have desired to do it again.
Yesterday presented that opportunity as I decided to celebrate my birthday at the Zama Sky Bar - here in Jomtien - which sits on top of the 38th floor in the  D Varee hotel.
As of now, August 2026 - it is the highest sky bar in all of Pattaya - as the other sky bars only reach 34 or 32 floors.  But, there is a lot of construction going on in the Pattaya area and I believe that the Grand Solaire will be the tallest when completed at 67 floors.

https://www.instagram.com/reels/DWGogKhERsG/
 
I invited the 3 players from my Jomtien Complex TenPin Bowling Competition, where I sponsored the Sunee bar, my Thai BF and his best friend - so it was the 6 of us.  During one of my health walks last week I had visited to make the reservation and as it was in the late afternoon they let me walk around the 2 different distinct floors to choose the best table - which I chose on the upper level which was in the extreme corner where the sweeping views of the Jomtien Beach skyline and Koh Larn are beautifully visible.  Unfortunately, during our dinner it lightly rained on us but we resisted to be moved to the lower floor to be seated in an internal space.  As it was so cloudy, the sunset was almost non-existent.
We started off with our mocktail order from their fabulous drink menu:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jzMU3uEEQ4vQHHWBI0HLPc89-zteP4vh/view?usp=sharing
 
While we were enjoying our drinks, the maître d' presented us with a nice bottle of Welland Barossa Shiraz - I was perplexed - and the maître d' explained to us that one of my friends back in Europe had instructed the Zama Sky Bar to surprise me and present this wine to us.  This was truly an incredible surprise and very much appreciated.
Afterwards, we ordered our dinner from the menu - note that the menu is only in English - which made ordering somewhat difficult - as all of my guests were Thai - but they were great at using the translate feature on their phones to help them decide what to order.  Here is a link to the menu:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RD_69JRMsGeykialGNYAVef3qd8oU68V/view?usp=sharing
We had to dedicate one chair at our table to hold the lovely flowers that were given to me as well as the presents.
Our food was served and during our meal - it was time for the Zama Sky Bar show - where the bartender is juggling flaming bottles and bongo drum dancers are circulating around the restaurant going to each table.  Eventually they reached our table and Khun Dew "volunteered" to be the lucky one to beat the bongo drums - it was very entertaining.

Zama_Skybar_Bartender_show.mp4   Zama_Skybar_bongo_drum_dancers.mp4   After finishing our meal, our waitress delivered 2 birthday cakes to our table - another perplexing moment for me.  I had purchased a cake earlier that afternoon and gave it to reception when I arrived and with the 2 numbered candles I told them in which order they needed to be in to express my proper new age.  Unbeknownst to me my Thai BF had also delivered a cake to the restaurant when he arrived - he arrived after us as he came directly from his job.  So, the waitress had placed 1 of the 2 birthday candles on each cake - so "double your pleasure".  The restaurant staff comes to your table and sings the obligatory Happy Birthday song.  There were many birthdays last night being concurrently celebrated.
My Thai friends enjoyed their meals - but they would have preferred dishes that are more spicy - and with the menu only being in English it made things somewhat difficult to understand what dish could be the most spiciest to their liking.  As this is mainly a tourist type of place - it is geared to the palate of foreigners.  Anyway, they enjoyed themselves nonetheless as they had endless opportunities to update their social media feeds with these exciting photos and videos.
Afterwards, we went back to Supertown in the Jomtien Complex to continue the birthday festivities, first at the Sunee bar and then we finished at the M Bar.
I share this "review" with all of you in case you may want to do something different and unusual during your stay in Jomtien - that is very similar to the many skybar entertainment places found in Bangkok.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Maybe after the high season is over, they can use some of that $440 per night profit to install a proper bathroom wall and door to replace the current balcony curtain. 

Is that clear, blue sea really Pattaya?

Keep in mind that growing older is considerably better than the alternative!  😂
But getting older, especially on holiday in Pattaya, certainly has its developing challenges. 
I still try and see as many boys as I can, but these days, at 72, I am a pretty crap shag compared to even a few years ago. 
I can still get erections, but not as strong as they were, at least not staying as strong as they used to; even with medical assistance, although that certainly helps. I tire more easily, and my lower back can now all-too quickly give-out in certain positions. I also manage to cum far less often than I rememeber.
So why do I persist?; simply because I still love interacting with hot naked young Thai lads. I love my regulars, and I still love the hunt for new boys amongst the bars every time I return.
And I am finding that I am developing my own coping mechanisms to help compensate. For example, a slow sensuous oil massage can still have my tired old cock waving about and screaming for attention by the 'turn-over'. With some short-times, I find I can still enjoy being a 'side', even with non-penetrative sex. I am accepting that I don't have to cum myself every time (actually I couldn't these days even if I wanted to). Previously I was always the top, but I am increasingly enjoying being the bottom. And finally, I find threesomes to be increasingly enjoyable; I can participate as and when I want to, and my usual Thai partner, who is fully versatile, slips easily into the lead role to help bring events to an overall happy conclusion. 🥰
So into my 70s, and my holidays continue to be fun for me, even though year on year becoming subtly different. 
Hopefully I will be returning in a little over two weeks to put my aging body to the test yet again! 😂 Can't wait! 🥰

My favourite interaction with Guido was when he called me a "young boy" when I was nearing 40 years old hehe

I think its fair to say that Apek is far from the average bar boy, he trained and ran the Pattaya city marathon in 2024, has a real get up and go about him

I think its fair to say that Apek is far from the average bar boy, he trained and ran the Pattaya city marathon in 2024, has a real get up and go about him

Never seen that before, but I guess many of us have developed our own little rituals both on our arrival back and again on our departure.
My own rituals are both simple and similar. I still start and finish my holidays at the Queen Victoria Hotel on Soi 6, which has been my 'second home' since 2010. I always have a balcony room on the top floor overlooking the busy soi below. My interest in the girls in the bars below have long since dwindled, but I still just love the whole atmosphere of the place.
As I arrive, I throw my bag onto the bed, walk over, open the big balcony window, walk out, lean over the railings and welcome myself back, savouring the noisy activity below. On departing, my last act before I leave my room to get my taxi,  is to repeat the process, promising to myself 'Until next time'! 
I still get emotional every time as I leave, my boyfriend assumes the tears are for him, and indeed some of them are, but also some are for just leaving Pattaya, my 'Happy Place', to return to my normal life back home in England.
I still enjoy my life back home, it holds friends, family and the many activites I get immersed in, but it is an almost entirely celibate life these days, both conventional, and respectable. A far cry from the 'happy' massages, sweaty short times, and the general, hands-on, late-night debauchery enjoyed inside of some of my favourite boy bars.

No major religious holidays resulting in 'dry' days and bar closures in Thailand between Oct 24 and Dec  5 this year

I can confirm, I met christian a few times IRL in Bangkok, Pattaya and Jomtien. And even though I think he is a very nice person, and I love his blog, he NEVER tipped me. 

Good point, Vinapu. MauRICE can make interesting contributions, but there’s definitely a streak of vitriol running through many of his posts.
Part of it seems to come from a kind of self‑righteous mindset that is increasing common online: as long as someone holds the “correct” views on Middle East politics, or the “right” opinion on how much to compensate a service provider, then their tone in their postings apparently doesn’t matter — they can still consider themselves the better person.
Combine that with a generally sneering attitude toward older white men, who make up the majority of posters on this board, and it’s hardly a recipe for winning friends or influencing people.

Hey everyone,
this is the continuation of my Dubai trip report. I arrived at BKK in the morning of February 27. Luckily, I had an entire row to myself and could sleep quite well during the roughly 6h flight from Kuwait. 
Before immigration I got a SIM card from AIS and then waited for quite a long time in line until I was finally clear to enter Thailand. All my flight’s luggage had already been cleared and I couldn't find my checked bag at first. Eventually, I was guided to an unclaimed baggage counter and luckily, my bag was there. 
I did a bit of research beforehand and found the bus connection to Jomtien to be quite convenient so that was my plan. I went to the ticket counter and bought a ticket for the next available bus which was only around one hour later. In the meantime I just listened to a podcast and watched the people around me. About 15min before departure I was supposed to be at the ticket counter again and they directed all the passengers to the bus. My bag was loaded into the bus and I took my assigned seat. The seat next to me remained vacant and I didn't mind the extra space at all. The bus took off and after an uneventful ride we reached Pattaya. There were like two stops in Pattaya before the final destination Jomtien. The bus was perfectly on time, I grabbed my luggage and started the short walk towards my Airbnb in one of the Talay buildings. 
Check-in was a breeze and I was happy to unpack my stuff and take a refreshing shower. 
I already had some plans for the evening: when I was initially planning my trip, I asked for advice here in the forum and got in touch with the fellow forum member @bkkmfj2648 who gave me great advice and also offered to show me around the area. When I arrived at my condo, I texted him and he suggested we meet up for dinner. We met at the entrance of my building and went to Dick's for dinner. Right from the start we got along very well and that positive impression just manifested the more we talked. He showed me around Super Town and introduced me to the M Bar where we went first for a show and some drinks. For my personal liking, M Bar felt too “soft”. The guys were handsome but more on the super twink side. Although I'm totally not opposed to twinks, I do like it a little more masculine. We went to Candy Bar next and I could identify a bit more with the vibe there. Overall it was a good introduction to the Jomtien. When I got back to my condo, I gave myself a little treat as well. After my arrival in Jomtien I checked out Grindr of course and got in touch with a few handsome guys. One who I really liked was still available and was eager to come by. Perfect ending for a first day. 
To be continued…