BiggusDikkus

So is one of these drugs, Viagra or Cialis, more effective than the other? Does one have fewer side effects? I've only tried Viagra, and it leaves me a terrible two-day headache.

From the story: Despite the encouraging results from our study and the fact that drugs to treat erectile dysfunction are now available without a prescription Really? Where? (I mean other than at any drugstore in Thailand.)

Very similar to my thoughts on breakfast while vacationing in Thailand. Why waste my calories on breakfast food when mango and sticky rice and the world's greatest cuisine awaits in all its lunchtime and dinner glory? I usually wake up to one of the low- or no-sugar protein drinks sold at convenience stores, then head out for a good cup of coffee. The only place I've found in Pattaya that sells good coffee is an open-air, full-of-character shop called Benjamit, which scouts the Mekong Delta countries for beans then roasts them itself. But I'm not sure if the place has survived the pandemic. The most recent Tripadvisor review is from October 2021. If Benjamit is closed or too crowded, I go to Central Festival, buy a plate of mango and sticky rice and bring it to Starbucks to enjoy with an iced latte. Mmm. Can't wait till my next Thailand vacation.

Thanks for the photos! They're spectacular! I kind of want to stay there again, despite the dark rooms, but first I want to see some current reviews from recent guests.

I've been to the onsen on soi 26. I'm sure there were other gays, in addition to my Japanese boyfriend and myself, but it was not a gay experience. It was a Japanese onsen experience, and almost everyone keeps their eyes averted. You will be disappointed if you are expecting any kind of gay experience.

Does anyone remember this six-bungalow resort just a little toward Jomtien after leaving central Pattaya? It used to be the No. 4-ranked hotel in all of Pattaya by Tripadvisor traveler review. From what I remember, the proprietor was gay and gave you a key to the outside gate so you could come and go any time of night without disturbing anyone. The bungalows were situated along either side of a glorious swimming pool, and the place had a real community vibe. Then, all of a sudden, I never saw it listed anywhere. Not sure if I just wasn't looking for it or if it actually closed. Either way, it seems to be still in business, though, the most recent Tripadvisor review is from November 2018. If it's really open I'll definitely consider it during my November visit. Here's the Tripadvisor listing: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g293919-d656817-Reviews-Le_Prive_Pattaya-Pattaya_Chonburi_Province.html

Thank you very much for the encouragement! Maybe I'll poke my head in the place; he might not even be around anymore. Or maybe to save face, our previous tiffs will be swept under the carpet.

I guess you frequented Nice Boys.

I had no idea they have such a fee. I usually use the almost-hidden beach road entrance because it's more discreet. Sometimes I walk through the connecting doors to that mall that's right next to the property. But I often walk right past everyone in the reception area. Am I talking about a different Avani? It used to be a Marriott?

I love the Avani Pattaya Resort. Giant pool. Beautiful pool deck and garden. Tranquil vibe. Easy access to the property from an unmarked and easy to miss entrance along beach road that is especially useful at night if you've had a bit too much to drink and want to avoid the reception staff and other guests on your way to your room. The rooms themselves are extremely comfortable, almost luxurious. The balconies are small but, wow, it feels so wonderful hanging out on them with guys from the bars. I don't smoke but I do when I stay at the Avani Pattaya Resort and I'm relaxing on the balcony well after midnight. Added bonus: Free use of one of the best gyms in Pattaya.

I had heard another reason: police drug raids wiped out much of the area.

Very good point, one that makes me realize why I have always had trouble with one particular manager. I'll remember this advice next time I'm in Thailand (and avoid that manager's bar).

I don't understand this strategy. Why not lie and say it's your first time, then call out the mama-san when the BS starts?

MBK. One of the floors all the way down one side is filled with all the tacky you could possibly want. Where else can you buy snow globes that rain red glitter over a cheesy tuk-tuk replica? I also recommend MBK for mango and sticky rice at the old food court. And across the street from MBK on the ground floor of the kind of new art center is a terrific specialty coffee shop that makes coffee only with beans grown in Thailand. You can buy bags of the beans, which also make terrific souvenirs. In that same building but on a higher floor is a specialty chocolate bar shop that makes world-class chocolate with beans only grown in Thailand. The bars on the expensive side but are wonderful souvenirs (though in my experience I always end up failing to give away the bars to their intended recipients and eating all the bars for myself). Um, maybe too many tangents. Circling back, try MBK.

Thank you for the replies everyone, especially Billy Houston. I was a big fan of your movies back in the day.

Hi everybody: Long time no see! I was last in Bangkok in February of 2020 for a week or so right before everything shut down. I stayed at Le Siam Hotel, which used to be the Swiss Hotel. It's along Soi Convent, one block up from Silom. I liked it. The place was super clean and exquisitely comfortable. The price was relatively low, and the location couldn't be beat. Soi 4 and Patpong were right on the other side of that big construction site. I liked it so much I made a mental note to return whenever I'm in Bangkok, but I attached an asterisk next to that note: Ask about the huge construction site right across the street. Two-and-a-half years ago there wasn't any work going on. It just looked like a building had recently been demolished to make way for a shiny new tower. Now I'm planing a short trip to Bangkok in November, and I'm wondering if any Bangkok residents on this board know if that site has construction work going on? Maybe there are some terribly loud noises emanating from that site and I should consider a different, not so convenient neighborhood. I looked on Tripadvisor, which only has two reviews of the place written after 2020. One was from this past March and the latest from earlier this month. Both reviews say the hotel is quiet, but the most recent one also mentions that construction site. What's going on there? Did covid kill the plans for the shiny new tower? Thank you for any info anyone might have. Love, Biggus Dikkus

Ever since I found it, Cutey and Beauty has been a must-visit destination for each of my Bangkok trips. They used to have a stylist named Yo-yo who gave me fantastic cuts and highlights. My Japanese stylist, who travels the world to cut hair for jet-setter Japanese, would always remark, "Wow, who cut your hair last time? He did a very good job." My reply was always, "Yo-yo, and he charges a fifth of what you do!" I also go to Cutey and Beauty to get waxed. They are very fast and thorough and don't charge much. And they have other services I've sampled over the years. Some 15 or so years ago I showed up in the late afternoon without an appointment asking for a cut, highlights and a facial. I think I had earned a free facial on my point card. But the cut and highlights would be taken care of first. Unfortunately, by the time the stylist was finished with my hair, it was closing time. "No problem," he said, and he drew a makeshift curtain to partition off a back part of the shop. "I'll put the closed sign up and do your facial where nobody will see." I was unsure why we needed to go to such extremes, but, sure. There were only two people left in the shop, me and the stylist, a handsome stylist I would often bump into in DJ Station and flirt with. So behind the curtain we went. Toward the end, with a mask on my face that needed to set for 15 or so minutes, the stylist decided to give me a quad massage. Nice! Hey, that feels really good, I told him. Thus encouraged, his hands made their way up to my crotch. I grew hard in no time and found my belt buckle and zipper being undone. Is this really happening, I wondered? Is this really going to happen? He started teasing me with his fingers, added some flickers of his tongue, slowly working his way up toward wrapping his lips around me. My abs couldn't stop involuntarily contracting. My brain kept telling me this couldn't be happening, that my life never suddenly becomes a scene from a triple-X-rated movie -- that nothing could possibly feel this good -- and that surely the stylist would zip me back up, leave me blue-balled and give me a wry smile any second now. But he kept going, using a slow worshipful technique. His lips seemed to want to linger on my head, but he would soon start to whimper, a beautiful, lustful sound, then take my full length with a satisfying moan. This really was happening, and know I fully understand why the makeshift drapes had been drawn. This had been planned. Maybe in all those DJ Station encounters it was my stylist who had been flirting with me. So the next time I was in Bangkok, I decided again to stop by late in the afternoon, but my flirtatious stylist had moved on. Fast-forward more than a decade. February 2020, before the coronavirus became a pandemic. The owner was in from Europe, Scotland, I believe, getting ready to bug out of Thaniya Plaza and hanging around his cozy shop. He was very proud to introduce me to his new stylist, Nicky, not because Nicky was particularly skilled but because Nicky is exceptionally cute. I had actually been in about a month and a half earlier, and Nicky had cut my hair then, too, doing a terrific job with virtually no instructions from me because of the language barrier. I was explaining this to the owner, telling him I couldn't remember the stylist's name but that he was really young and new to the shop. The owner said it had to have been Nicky because he and his business partner hadn't hired anyone else new. He brought me over to make a formal introduction. He was beaming, proud of his new hire. So was his business partner, who decided he would hang around and guide Nicky through the cut. Unfortunately my idea of how I wanted my hair cut and the business partner's idea were completely different. Nicky became a nervous wreck, and I ended up with a terrible cut. Oh, well. I'm really happy to hear that Cutey and Beauty has survived and look forward to returning next time I'm in Bangkok. I'll stop by late in the afternoon without an appointment for old time's sake.

This is sad, though not unexpected news. As previous posters have noted, Boyztown has been in decline for years, if not decades. I think it was nine years ago that I made an unscheduled trip to Pattaya. I dragged my suitcase through Boyztown because I wanted to stay in a gay hotel. I just like staying at places that cater to a gay clientele. It was the weekend after New Year's. I first checked the hotel across from Ambience, Le Cafe Royale. They had plenty of rooms but in each the bed was sagging in the middle and the room itself smelled of mildew. No thank you. I walked across the street to the Ambience, which used to never have vacancies around New Year's, so I figured I'd be pushing my luck. But they also had plenty of rooms. And all of them also smelled strongly of mildew. Worse, the rooms were quite small and dark. Then I was showed one of the "penthouses" on the top floor. No mildew. A firm bed. A big, comfortable, wide-open space. So I stayed there, and although I was very happy with my room, when I went out that night the decline of Boyztrown was in full view. The "boys" themselves had gotten much older. I went in for a drink to every go-go bar I could find, and there was no one on stage who caught my eye. This was a Saturday night. The Saturday after New' Year's Eve. The bars with open walls that face the street were eerily quiet. The tables outside the Ambiance and Le Cafe Royale were mostly empty. These places used to be filled. But now there was no more party atmosphere; the exhilaration of being in Pattaya was gone. I ended up having a really great time that night -- after convincing myself, "Well, maybe things are better in Sunee Plaza." I don't know if they were, but as soon as I got off my motorbike, I was greeted by the cutest guy I had ever seen, and we ended up drinking the night away. He called me a "hotel queen" for choosing to stay in the Ambience penthouse instead of one of the mildewy rooms below. But this is all history. If the bars and hotels that have been hanging on for so long are finally pulling the plug, maybe that entire block that Boyztown inhabits can be remade into a truly great gay resort. Some better hotels would be nice. Maybe a couple nightclubs -- real Soi 2-style night clubs -- could supplement the go-go bars. So many gay travelers to Thailand these days are young Chinese, many of whom seem less interested in meeting go-go dancers and more interested in meeting one another. A nightclub or two might serve that desire. So might a large Boyztown swimming pool and deck Pool party, anyone?

By the way, I keep wishing I could go to this New Year's event, which is being held at The W: https://www.whitepartybangkok.com/

I've been there a few times. It's a really great hotel and sometimes you can get a bargain rate if you book the night before. The clientele is mostly young and mostly straight but there are quite a few gay couples as well. It's also upscale, which might make the walk to the elevator uncomfortable if you're with a one-night stand. But it is also no problem, and no one will ask if both of you have already checked in.

Please start a thread on first encounters. It's a great idea! I plan to make at least two more somewhat lengthy additions to this thread, one regarding my last night in Bangkok back in 1996, and one about my most recent trip.

Thank you very much. I will try to get to my latest trip, but perhaps a bit later. To tell you the truth, it was not very exciting.

I don't think it was an off fee, at least not the whole thing. I'm sure the tout made off with at least 1,000 baht. And I am also sure that I bought a drink for the guy who came to sit with me. I probably bought more drinks than that. But not 2,200 baht worth, and I never signaled that I would “off” the boy from Isaan. But it was clear to me that I would be paying at least 2,200 baht before I could leave, not that any threats were ever made. It was more like persistent pressure.

I would later look for it, on several occasions, but without much success. That first night in Bangkok, as I was leaving Galaxy Boys, I was told to go in the opposite direction from how we arrived. As it turned out, the soi the bar was on met up with Surawong, maybe a block and a half from the hotel I was staying at. Also as it turned out, I had been on Soi 4 when the tout led me away. I found that out the very next night, when I had to find Telephone to meet a Japanese friend who was also traveling in Thailand for the first time. This night, I arrived a bit early. I didn't want to repeat my mistakes of the previous night, regardless of how adventurous they turned out. So I was better prepared when the same tout approached me again. I gave him a firm no. This time instead of craning my head and looking at the businesses as I passed by I would look ahead of me, and sure enough, there was Telephone, not far up the soi, on the left. How could I have missed it last night? But before I could step inside I was again waylaid. This time by something or someone tugging at the cuff of one of my pant legs. I looked down. It was a little boy. He looked barely old enought to walk but he must have also been able to run. How else could have he sneaked up on me? When I stopped to look down and met his gaze, he bowed, his hands together, in what I had read was a wai. I was gonna ignore him and just head to Telephone, mindful of what had happened the night before when I had allowed myself to be so easily swayed. But something about that small, barefooted kid tugged at my heart. I got to wondering how old he was. Couldn't've been much more than 3, if that. And then my over-active mind stirred up recollections of what I might have been doing on a Saturday night when I was 3. I pictured myself sitting on a carpeted floor, in a converted garage, watching a black and white TV with my brothers and sisters, none of whom were hungry that night, none of whom had ever known what hunger must feel like. I had a fortunate middle-class upbringing. And now in my early 30s I was able to travel to an exotic destination half way around the world from where I had grown up. Why was I fortunate to enjoy this little boy's country while he was in the street begging? So I decided to reach into my pocket, dig out some change and drop it into his hands. Then I had a second thought. I pulled out my wallet, squatted down so the two of us, the fortunate tourist and the hungry native, might be face to face. I peeled off a couple 100-baht notes, folded them up and handed them over. As soon as I did, the little boy did the fastest 180 I'd ever seen and scampered away with surprising speed until he was safe at the feet of his mother, tugging at the hem of her skirt. I remained in a squatting position, rather shocked that I didn't get even a “thank you.” I felt almost wounded not getting one. And now I would have to stand up and let everyone in this crowded street see my embarrassment, gawk at the gullible tourist. My Bangkok trip was not turning out how I had planned. Still squatting and looking toward where the little boy had run, I decided to stand up and to walk as quickly as possible to the door of Telephone. I had already spotted the entrance before I felt the tugging at my leg. Now it promised me sanctuary from the stares and snickering of bystanders. So I stood up, ready too make a beeline for my goal when the most surprising and gratifying thing happened. Everyone sitting down at the outside tables along Soi 4 had apparently been watching my encounter because they broke into applause. I looked around. So many young smiling Thai faces. I paused to soak up the Saturday night energy, which had suddenly turned very positive. I smiled back, then walked into Telephone. That great energy would last. It turned into one of the greatest nights of my life, one that would not end until 5am. Really, though, it did not end until two Sundays later, when it was time to go back home. I had a late flight, after midnight, so in the afternoon, with a few hours to spare, I thought I'd go look for Galaxy Boys. It seemed fitting to spend my last night in Bangkok — after saying goodbye and exchanging phone numbers with all the people I had met during my stay — in the same bar where I had spent my first night. That same sleazy bar I had never told anybody about. I got lost, though, and could not find it. Still, there's a story from my search that still rattles around my mind on a daily basis. Perhaps that story will be my next entry in this thread.

It was 5:30 a.m. Tokyo time when my alarm went off but it was easy to climb out of bed. With purpose. I was leaving for Bangkok later that day and I still had to pack. It wasn't until 8:30 p.m. that I was able to check into my hotel. That's 10:30 Tokyo time. I was hungry and tired, not to mention sweaty, having had to walk and lug my suitcase for the last kilometer or so. I did not go straight up to my room to shave, shower and get myself ready for a Friday night on Silom. “Or maybe on Patpong,” I thought to myself. “Patpong is supposed to be getting busy with gay bars now that Soi Twilight has turned out the lights.” Before I could take a look around, I needed some calories. So I broke one of my Cardinal rules of traveling in Thailand — I ate dinner in the hotel's restaurant. Side note: I was the only solo diner in the place but I was mostly doing the same thing everyone else in the restaurant was, using my phone to scroll through my social media accounts. Even couples fed their smartphone addictions rather than make conversation. So rather than feel lonely, I was part of the club. I was also feeling my age. I didn't get up to my room, unpacked and showered until after 10. I was exhausted; there would be no Friday night out in Bangkok for me. All I could do was crawl in bed and let memories of my first trip to this megacity unspool in my head. That night I also broke a Cardinal rule. Was it really 23 years earlier? Must've been. Like tonight, it was a Friday, but when I arrived at my hotel much further into the night, I was exploding with energy. I just had to wash up, pull on a pair of designer jeans and a Calvin Klein T-shirt and find my way to the fabled Silom Soi 4, to Telephone, to Rome and so many other bars and clubs I had only read or heard about. Could I find the soi on my own? I probably could have squeezed my guide book, “The Men of Thailand,” into a pocket, but I wasn't going to embarrass myself. I wasn't going to look like a foolish tourist. And besides, how hard could it be? One alley over from Patpong, TMOT told me. And my hotel was a 10-minute walk down Surawong from Patpong. It would be easy. So off I went. I would sate my hunger at a street food stall on Patpong. I was going to get the full Bangkok experience. Then, finally, I began making my way to Soi 4. As I recall now, I was almost at a jog. And maybe my haste was my problem. I ended up making some wrong turns. As everyone knows, there are two Patpongs, but I let this slip my mind. When I finally did turn into Soi 4, well, that's when I broke that Cardinal rule. Only I did not realize it until several long minutes later. ”Are you looking for the gay bars?” someone asked. How did he know? That's exactly what I had been trying to do for, what, 15 minutes? Was I on the wrong street? Again? How many wrong streets could there be? I had initially missed Soi 4 and not realized it until I saw a sign for Soi 2. Surely I didn't double back too far. At least I hadn't got all the way back to Patpong. And who is my interrogator? A gay basher? I don't think I would admit to a stranger back home that I was looking for “the gay bars,” but this is Bangkok, and TMOT, while perhaps failing to give more specific directions to Soi 4, did insist that gays are not harassed in Bangkok, that even taxi drivers wouldn't think twice if I told them to take me to “the gay bars.” So I could tell this guy the truth, whoever he is. ”Yes,” I managed to say. He smiled. He knew the answer. So at least “The Men of Thailand” was right about Thais not being prejudiced against gays. I felt braver. I could safely add to my one-word reply. “Do you know where Telephone is? Is this Soi 4?” ”Follow me,” I remember him saying. “I'll take you there.” So off we went, back out of the alley I was sure was Soi 4. Apparently I had been wrong again. When we got to Silom, we turned right. We walked past the nicknack stalls of the night market. We walked by the first Patpong soi that I had missed earlier in the night. We passed the next Patpong street. Is that really a Christian bookstore on the corner? Odd place for a Christian bookstore. And aren't we going in the wrong direction? Or maybe that was my mistake all along. I was supposed to take a right at the end of Patpong, not a left. Wow, that would have saved me a lot of time. I could already be in Telephone, flirting with a cute local. Or maybe Rome. I really want to go to Rome. I've heard so much about it. The best gay nightclub in Asia, they were calling it. My new best friend then brought me out of my own thoughts. ”Where are you from?” he asked. I told him. “How many times have you been to Thailand?” “When did you arrive?” “How long are you staying?” Hey wait a minute, I thought. How far are we going to walk? One alley over from Patpong, right? And this neighborhood doesn't really look like a nighttime entertainment district anymore. In fact, we seem to be passing a hospital. A Christian hospital. I didn't realize there was such a big Christian influence in Thailand. My inner monologue is often over active. It also has the ability to make the exact same sound as a needle being dragged across a vinyl record when it's about to change topics. “Who is this guy I'm with?” I finally thought. I didn't actually ask that question out loud but I could see a little anxiety in his face as he noted my own. ”Just a little bit more,” he assured me as we turned right onto I don't know what street — a street that did not have nearly as many Friday night revelers on it as the street where I had met ... Who? Who the hell is this guy? And then it hit me. “Oh, no!” my inner monologue screamed. “I broke the TMOT Cardinal rule — ‘DON'T GO WITH TOUTS!’” ”Obviously we're not going to Soi 4,” I managed to say with a snarl. “Where are we going?” ”A gay bar,” the tout answered. “Trust me. You'll like it.” He was practiced. He recognized that I was about to turn back, so he turned into a desperate conversationalist, keeping me stupidly talking to him as we continued turning corners and walking down poorly lit streets until we were there ... Under a sign that read, Galaxy Boys. We walked up to the second floor and into a very dark, very uncrowded bar that had at least a dozen go-go dancers. All young, maybe late teens, early 20s. All with perfectly lean but beautifully defined bodies. All with smooth, bronze skin. All with long, lithe legs. All with supple calf muscles that took shape much higher toward the knee than I had ever seen before. All dressed in nothing but bikini bottoms. And those smiles! The walls appeared to be black, and there was little light, only dim beams that lit the boys on the stage. The ones in the shadows were pulling out their little soldiers and rubbing them until they stood at attention. The achievement of a full erection would bring a broad smile and a glance my way. The tout was right, I kind of did like this place. In fact, I was entranced. There's something to say for sleazy bars. Especially when no one sees you walking into one. I ordered a beer and sat back while the tout walked toward the entrance where he engaged the manager, at least I think she was the manager, in an animated conversation. More of the dancers smiled my way. I smiled back, unsure what else to do. You can probably guess the next several events. The manager and tout would return. The manager would insist one of the boys come down and sit with me. He put his hand on my thigh, and one of my hands on his thigh. His skin was warm, smooth, a little damp. I found myself in the same conversation I had been in minutes earlier with the tout. The go-go dancer took my hand and placed it further up his thigh, so that my pinky was rubbing his cock. He giggled when my head turned, betraying my startlement. ”I like you,” he said without pronouncing the k. I stared into his eyes, and as I searched for the proper response — Was there one? — he began to kiss me. It wasn't a peck, but a full, lips locked, open-mouthed, gentle jaw movement kiss that my tongue remembers well to this day. ”I like you, too,” I said, pronouncing the k and figuring I might as well state the obvious. “I'm also hard as a rock.” I don't think he understood that but the tout and manager seemed to know that the time to pounce was right and they were back at my sofa with a 2,200-baht bill. ”For one beer?” I sneered. ”No for boy off too. And must pay boy another 2,000 baht at hotel.” Apparently it had already been decided that I was taking the best kiss I had ever had back to my hotel. But I balked. I was on my way to Soi 4, remember. I never made it to my intended destination that night. I left Galaxy Boys and returned to my hotel as it had been ordained for me. ... I'm not sure what will come next, a report on Night II of my most recent trip to Bangkok, or me reminiscing about that first trip 23 years ago.