vaughn

Work has got a bit busy for me, it might be a couple of days before i write up the Bangkok part of the trip. It does get a bit better from here

have you seen the twink they have working the front desk area at LM? I'd brag to him about it 😂 If anyone ever finds him on Grindr i NEED his Line

This is where my trip went downhill, I woke up incredibly sick. At first i thought it was a hangover, I rarely drink so when I have a big night like I did at Winner then it does hit me hard, but it progressively got worse throughout the day. I ventured out briefly to restock water and get some food for my stomach, only to be met with water buckets thrown at me and soaking me with freezing cold water. Again, I've got to say this only happened outside of the complex, inside the guys actually asked me first and i said no in english then attempted some thai "mai ao, mai ao, pwy", the bar girls were the ones that splashed first and asked questions later. It did frustrate me a little, I'm all for enjoying the sport of it but after that I just had to retreat back to my room and rely on Grab deliveries. The Russian family were now on the receiving end of a chesty coughing sound through the walls every 30 seconds all day and night. I suspect i caught something on my flight and by the time the incubation period hit i was soaked with water for half a day and then drinking, so my immune system just gave up. This lasted the rest of the duration of my time in Pattaya, only on the day I was taking the bus up to Bangkok did i feel well enough to be outside again. --skip forward a few days-- Roong Reuang bus from Jomtien to BKK, can't beat the value of 150 baht. Then Grab from the airport to Le Meridien, finally starting to feel better and back in the comfortable surrounds of one of my favourite hotels with Songkran all over in Bangkok, while Pattaya seemed to just be ramping up. I stopped in at a pharmacy to get something to clear up the minor remaining cough and congestion, but I didn't feel sick anymore so off to explore. I did the Surawong, soi 6, silom rd then back through thaniya rd massage loop. plenty of guys on offer, but I wasn't quite up for extras yet so I got a vanilla massage at Urban Thai. I did notice the new 9-teen on the Surawong end of Soi6 but every time I walked past there were just one or two guys sitting on the tables opposite, I wasn't sure if there were more indoors? Along that route there must have been 100+ guys to pick from, it really was tempting with a few, but not yet, just scouting.

If i were looking to try something new in the gay scene my first thought would be to try an replicate the success of the straight bars of Pattaya Soi 6. Open front bar downstairs with grabbers in skimpy clothes/swim suites to bring them in, guys getting a few drinks, then 500 baht ST rooms upstairs to do the deed. But the reasons it might not work are vast, to name a few: Smaller customer population for gay venues, less foot traffic Older existing clientele in our bar areas. Soi 6 seems to draw more of the younger tourist crowd, the 2 week millionaires seem to be the real money makers for Soi 6. I might be wrong in this observation, but it's what I noticed when i walked through there a few times Gov zoning / locations available, I don't know how they get away with it but it seems the gay areas have less flexibility in offering any on-premise action Finding staff that will work in their speedos to be in the bar and out the front bringing in customers There is basically no marketing at all for any of the gay scene in Pattaya, it's off the radar for most gay guys my age that might be inclined to try it out.

-cont I did a bit of an evening stroll around the complex and down to Dongtan beach and back, the blue water barrels starting to form along the roads, the water gun sellers displaying their wares.. it's coming. I made my way back to agate and I put my head on the pillow, then suddenly the sounds I fear most.. screaming child and loud Russian family in the adjacent room. This is the second stay in a row with the same issue here, I don't blame the hotel (or anyone really), but I'm not going to bring a bunch of twinks through my room and pound away when there are literal children on the other side of the wall. If they can hear me as clearly as I can hear their every move then it's just not something I'm comfortable with. I don't think I'll stay at Agate again, next time I'll go back to Poseidon, The Venue or East Suites. Anyway, the next day after a run along the beach i perched at O'Delicies, this is my favourite coffee spot in the complex, the food is decent and coffee is ok. I like that they enclosed the balcony section of the cafe, it's much nicer to watch the Soda boys arrive in the comfort of aircon. After eating and a short rest I went back to Soda, I had round 2 with the same guy, the second time is always the best in my opinion, no wondering from either of us what we want and things move in a nice motion. By the time I was making my way out to get one of the plastic protective pouches for my phone it had already begun, buckets of water coming my way when I got out to Thrappraya Rd. Holding my phone and trying my best to dodge the bar girls I got the pouch and headed back to the safety of the complex. I've got to say the guys in the massage shops and generally the patrons in our little gay enclave were more respectful in taking 'not right now' 'no' 'please no powder'. Well I was soaked, shoes and all, I wasn't prepared for what time it starts, i headed headed back to Sophia's at sundown for dinner, this time for the pork, before making my way to Winner Boys in Sunee. It's been tough times in Sunee for a long time now, but chatting with the owner at Winner it sounds particularly hard at the moment. Building owner has decided to raise rents, high season wasn't quite as high. I did my part and rang the bell all night to give back to the bar that has given me some of my best nights in Pattaya, there's not many places left that have actual guys on stage in underwear with hands on activities possible. I hope things turn back around. Back to Agate drunk and clinging to the back of motosai for dear life, greeted once again with sounds of the Russian family next door.

This trip report might just boil down to a few posts, the reasons for not as much to report will become evident soon enough. Leading up to this trip let me indulge you in some context with a brief a life update: I had just recently ended things with a guy I was dating for the past few months back in farangland, it was messy and I always find it incredibly difficult to tell someone I don't want to continue with them, but it had to be done. To add to things on the home front, my work have unfortunately realised I'm more capable than I like to let on, so there has been stress coming from that direction as well. Do you know what I need, a nice little getaway to 'surround myself in the culture' of Thailand, again. I've almost given up on trying to explain away these trips at work now, they surely know whats happening. -begin A jump, skip and hop via Changi and I am shoes on the ground in BKK Swampy, Exit 4 to my Nams taxi sedan and then we're pushing down the highway by 11am to Jomtien, 1200 baht to the driver, early check-in allowed by Agate, everything is coming along nicely. It's been about 9 months since I've been back in Thailand, even longer since I was last in Jomtien complex (end of 2023). There have been some changes, some bars have new names around the horse shoe, the soi with Sophia's has had some minor cosmetic enhancements and a barber shop, Soda still exists so that's my first stop at about 1pm or so when the boys show up. My last encounter at Soda when I gave my line to the guy things escalated a little too quickly for my taste, so I hadn't been back to Soda since incase I find myself under attack. Did I learn from this mistake, no, but thankfully after I reluctantly gave my Line to the new guy this time he didn't give me the same treatment and the guy from before doesn't appear to be there anymore. This Soda guy was very sweet, not much English but we don't need the formalities of spoken language to engage in our interpretive dance. With a warm release from both he and I leaking down onto the massage table we're done and a nice tip exchanges hands. I head back to my room to freshen up and then as the sun goes down I venture back out to Sophia's for one of my favourite meals in the area, this may be controversial but I rate her chicken cashew above the Patpong institution we all know and love. Enough blasphemy for the first post, i'll be back to continue later.. the beginning of Songkran (D-DAY)

I've just been googling, I haven't been there but i believe this is it (@hojacat can confirm?) https://maps.app.goo.gl/YdVBHYLLxBuzeZYf8 http://www.shan-yue.com/EN/home/Default.asp

Amazing, great writing! I genuinely hope you will have more to come from Saigon. HCM is so very high on the list of places I have wanted to explore deeper for some time now. It does have a scene that hides just below the surface, but not knowing the viet culture or language it has felt just out of reach when i visited. I'm sure if I spent the time to really research it could pay great dividends.

I have thought about this a lot recently. I've been a P4P guy since my early-mid 20s (now mid-late 30s) and it's never really been about not being able to get it for free, paying just provides more opportunities with less time wasted, rather than just being another horny guy on the apps begging for a taste. I travel specifically for the purpose of exploring P4P and cruising spaces, I find it more honest to just offer an exchange rather than going on dates that I have no intention of following up on just for sex when i'm in other countries. I do sometimes date outside of the P4P scene, but recently i've been thinking that if i'm going to get in to a long-term relationship they might need to share the same hobby as me.

I have only done it a couple of times. I had a situation where i rented an airbnb but the building by-laws prohibited short time rental so the building manager would follow me around every time i was coming in and out, it was a minor inconvenience and the owners fault they weren't respecting the building restrictions, but still was a bit annoying.

I don't date from bars, but from my experience with every group of gay guys i've ever met. It will turn into a problem, jealousy, and headaches for you. Tread carefully if you like the bar and/or the guy.

careful, I might find myself walking into kings castle by accident and wake up questioning everything

Ok thanks, I did find myself in the bar I was intending then. I even walked through there the next day looking at the stairs thinking, which one did I go up last night, I didn't even drink much, I was just on autopilot. There were probably about 40 guys in stage, but really not many twinky twinks that night, that made me start to doubt where i was. An asian guy I spotted in the elevator at my hotel had 2 amazingly hot guys with him, i regret not asking which bar he was at, but didn't want to make the elevator ride awkward for him.

"The restaurant of choice for degenerates the distinguished gentleman" - Michelin Guide 2025

Ok, this is a question I probably deserve to be ridiculed over, but genuinely cannot figure out if I was in Freshboys or Hotmale the other night. I went up the stairs and at the top of the stairs I turned left into the bar, with the stand seating on the wall to my right that wrapped around the stage. The guys were in white short shorts. The reason I'm asking is that last time I was in Freshboys I could have sworn it was straight ahead at the top of the other set of stairs with a slightly different layout, but I don't recall hearing anything about Freshboys moving locations in the last year and i think i took the wrong staircase but i was not sober/thinking so i didn't look at the signs. Was I in Freshboys or Hotmale? can anyone help shed light on if I'm going crazy or not haha. Either way, good selection of guys, mostly slim-fit types, erotic show with a good amount of skin on show, and a packed crowd. The guy i took off was very sweet and amazing, but more to come on that when the trip is over and i write a report.

I did 1 day of Songkran and have been sick since, maybe unrelated, but assuming wet clothes for hours didn't do me well. I think i'll stick to bkk and let pattaya have their fun to themselves for the additional half a week of splashing

Is the water splashing over in Silom now? I've been in Pattaya but i got sick on day 1 so have had to rest and recover and avoid getting wet (as much as possible). going up to bangkok tomorrow, so i'll likely miss the action i'm guessing.

The exact amount of time it takes to get to my hotel, both shower, do the deed and shower/pay. If I want more than that i'll do LT.

yeah, either could be right. the mind of a mamasan is a complex mystery 😂

I was thinking it could be that the customer had already prearranged to see the smaller guy so mamasan tried to divert attention from him

Rough night. you win some you lose some, hopefully the rest of the trip goes better

I usually walk slowly through the bars and take up the offer to sit at one of the bars in the middle of the row, order a drink and sit somewhere that i can see the surrounding bars and look for where i'm going next. You should expect the guys catcalling you as you walk around asking you to come for a drink, some will try to pull you into their bar, some will just smile and wave as you walk by. For the first time it can feel a bit overwhelming but smile and take it all in. If you sit with a guy but decide to keep looking a small tip 100B is usually a good idea. The mamasan (manager) will usually hover around asking for a drink and/or a tip as well, if you feel like it you can buy them a drink but if they're being annoying just say not right now. It can help to have the mamasan on side, especially if you plan to be a regular at that bar and need their help to translate or find a guy that meets your needs. Ask the guy you like to sit with you for a drink, confirm what you're looking for and ask how much they expect, pay the bill to the bar = you drink(s), his drink(s), his fee to leave the bar (off fee). If you take a guy back to your hotel, then in the room after your services you pay his fee that you confirmed with him. Short time (ST) = he leaves after service, Long Time (LT) = usually overnight, the prices can vary from guy to guy and bar to bar so it's better to just ask him rather than assume.

Speaking of short time rooms.. Has anyone used the ST room at freshboy? What is it like, clean? condoms and lube supplied? price? My next trip I have some friends that don't know what i get up to staying in the same hotel, so considering giving ST rooms a try to make things easier. Either that or maybe I'll switch hotels and make up an excuse.

Just doing some research and thought i'd share, I found a tour on tiktok, it's in thai but gives an idea of the layout.

1/0? it looks like just sauna, but I'm not sure yet.