jimmie50

While I would like to place the blame on Orange Overlord #47, the system has been that way in the US for some time. Not sure why we find it necessary when going from one international flight to another that things need to be re-checked and additional security. Screwy system for sure.

Had a brief video chat on Line this morning my time, evening his time as he was preparing to go to work. Not sure if the video chats are going to be a good thing or bad thing. lol. Seeing him up close and personal like that just makes me want to turn around and catch the next flight back to Bangkok. Getting myself into serious trouble here.

The escapades were definitely reduced towards the end as I was wanting to spend as much time as possible with Cam. Still had a number of shops that I wanted to visit but never got around to it. Not sure that will happen on a future visit, either. Too new and too early to think about what extra-curricular activities might look like when I return. Something still to be discussed and negotiated between us. Previous relationship was monogamous. Not sure that will work in this situation given that Cam works at Hotmale. Foreign territory to me in such a relationship. Cannot say I am thrilled about him possibly going off with other men, but realize at the same time it is his job. Seriously thinking about paying the off fee for the 3-month visit so he keeps his number and job, but isn't working during the time we are together. Something I need to discuss with him, but also with the bar. Not sure how open the bars are to such an arrangement.

I would welcome any relationship advice. I am far from an expert in this field. lol. I need all of the help I can get!!!

I have arrived back in Denver. I can honestly say leaving Bangkok this time was extremely difficult. My heart is still there. Not only am I trying to adjust to travel and time differences, but leaving Cam was more challenging than I expected. As I get back into my old routines with family and friends, this emotional roller coaster will calm down...hopefully. Before making any concrete plans for a return trip, I want to reflect on the last two months and sort through things carefully in my mind and my heart. They always say absence makes the heart grow fonder. We shall see what the next few months bring. Flights from Bangkok to Denver were uneventful. Suvarnabhumi did not seem nearly as busy to me on departure as on previous trips. No lines at check-in, security or immigration. I was glad in Singapore that I had a 4 hour layover. Arrival was at the last F-gate in Terminal 2 and departure gate was at last B-gate in Terminal 3. I would not have made a short connection...that place is huge. Arrival in SFO was also strange. No other international arrivals at the time so no lines at immigration. Never seen that before in all of my travels at SFO. There is always a back up there. Slight delay for departure to Denver due to runway construction at SFO, but otherwise a good return trip, although very long and very travel weary.

Good question, and it was something we did talk about. I don't know that I have a definitive answer. He has never had a girlfriend per se, but has been with girls for sex and enjoys that. He enjoys sex with men, too, and isn't inhibited or limited to just certain things. I would say he was bisexual. He has actually had a previous 'boyfriend' experience for a brief period of time with someone who was a customer at Hotmale. This was when his status was still legal and he was able to travel. They took a couple of trips together (Phuket and Pattaya) as well as spent time together in Bangkok. The customer was from another Asian country. This was a couple of years ago and once the Asian guy returned to his home country he basically ghosted Cam. Cam has not seen or heard from him since that time...at least this is what he has told me. Cam was honest about his future plans. He wants to make enough money to build the new house for his parents, then return to Cambodia and continue working on the family farm. In addition to growing rice and sesame seeds, he wants to raise goats and tortoises. I guess there is a lucrative market for both in Cambodia. We did discuss how his family might react if he returns home with this old, white farang. I think we would probably live elsewhere together, but nearby...not with the family. lol. During the conversations he has never expressed a desire to get married or have children. I specifically asked if he felt pressure from his family to do so and he said 'no'. His four siblings are all married and his parents have 14 grandchildren. That doesn't meant it won't change in the future, but for now it doesn't seem to be an issue. Having said all of that, I realize these are things he has told me and may not be 100% truthful or accurate. They could be things he is saying because he thinks that is what I want to hear. For all I know, he could actually be married and have three children! Just have to be able to filter through some of the things they say and sometimes it simply comes down to blind faith. Don't really know truth from fiction.

Went to the show at Banana Club, which was quite good, btw. Would recommend it. Naturally, when we arrived the number guys were on stage and the show had not started yet. No sooner was Banana guy off stage then he had his phone out and was sending me a snarky message about showing up at 'his shop' with another boy. I didn't bother to respond. Think he will shortly be blocked on Line, if he hasn't already blocked me. lol.

What I thought was going to be a difficult conversation to have with Cam turned out to be quite easy using forum members as a jumping off point. With so many traveling forum members in Bangkok at the same time, Cam was able to meet a few of the members when getting together for our evening meetings. That allowed us to have some very serious conversations about a host of things…family, goals, dreams, relationships. He was curious about how we knew each other. I explained a little about the forum without going into too much detail, but said we had a shared love of travel, especially Asia in general, but specifically Thailand, and an appreciation for Asian men. Especially grateful to @jason1975, because I was able to use his boyfriend relationship as the starting point in our conversation. Not to drag this on forever, and also wishing to keep some of our conversations private, let me just say we are going to work on a boyfriend situation. I have no exact date for my return to Thailand. As of now, I am looking at November, December and January as a three month trial. Even though it is seven months away, which will be a bit of a struggle for me, I think we both need time away to be sure it is what we really want. I also need to recoup physically and plan for such a lengthy stay financially. Because my family will be doing other things this year over the holidays in November/December, it is a good time to get out of Denver...in addition to the winter weather. I need time to explore airfares and research Airbnb options. The free condo will not be available, and I don’t believe I will even share with my friends that I am planning a return trip. Otherwise, they will try to organize activities and I want this trip to only be about me and Cam. If anyone has any recommendations regarding Airbnb/3-month rental, please let me know…preferably in Silom/Sathorn/Bang Rak area. I will share that Cam originally came to Thailand legally for work. He was in construction. Pay wasn’t the greatest, and he said foreign construction workers are not treated very well. He also was a waiter in a restaurant. He has gone back and forth a number of times without any problems and was always able to renew his visa. That all changed with the border conflict so he is limited in what work he can do now with no visa and also unable to return home because it would risk his ability to return to Bangkok for work in the future. Kind of a catch 22 at this point. The objective for him and his other four siblings is to save money to build his parents a new home. They have lived in their current home their entire lives. They are rice and sesame seed farmers. The house is infested with termites and becoming very precarious. He has managed to save and send home 50% of what is needed to build the new house, so he stays in Bangkok and does this work since he is the youngest, single with no children. His other siblings are all married and have children. Once they have enough money for the new house, he plans to return home. That has been part of our discussions, because I certainly would not want to be living in Bangkok if he has returned to Cambodia (near Siem Reap). Anyway, we did quite well together for seven days and both of us are interested in making this work. Three months will put things to a real test, bring new or unexpected challenges, and either make us or break us. We shall see what the future holds. We would live together in the Airbnb over the three months. He wasn’t really looking for a relationship, nor was he hoping for a sponsor. Knowing myself, once I return to Bangkok in the fall I will probably take on most of the responsibility for our living expenses to allow most of his money to be sent home. I am sure there are obstacles we will face that neither of us has thought of or talked about. Appreciate hearing any words of wisdom or advice from forum members.

continued…Installment 29: Six days turned into seven, basically because neither of us was ready for the time to end. Not sure what my rationale was for ending the initial three days on Tuesday morning, considering my return flights do not depart until Thursday morning. Thinking back it was probably to keep my options open for last connections. Whatever the rationale was, that went completely out the window. Had messages from Paradise guy, Banana guy (another story, lol), Chaichana guy, Green guy and Rainbow Dragon all wanting to meet one more time before leaving Thailand. I managed to come up with various reasons as to why I would have no time. Paradise guy was a little more insistent than the others. He was determined to spend my last night in Bangkok with me and then ride along to the airport. I had other plans and was just as insistent with him that it wasn’t going to work. Finally agreed to see him for a brief period of time late Wednesday afternoon at the shop. Finished packing for the most part, showered, and headed to Paradise. Few last minute things I will need to throw in my bag tomorrow morning. During the seven days together we would sleep late, go to breakfast, do some shopping at one of the malls, go back to the condo and take an afternoon snooze before heading out to dinner, go to a show at one of the clubs, then back to the condo for some fun (as I like to say…doing the wild thing) before falling asleep. We had lots of time to talk about a lot of different things which I will share in a different post. To close out this report, let’s just say it started with a bang but in some ways ended with a whimper. lol. The experiences and escapades were greatly reduced towards the end because of my desire to spend it mostly with Cam. Some final comments about our dinners out and club visits. Enjoyed dinners at Sarica, Happy Beer Garden, famous UNESCO Foodland, Yayoi in Silom Complex, and a return visit to G’s. I would say out of all the shows we saw that the one presented by Banana Bar was the best by far. We went on Friday evening and the place was packed…SRO. The entertainers thrived on the packed house and the energy level was off the charts. It was just electric and exciting. Very mixed crowd, but way too many to even count. Went to Circus and was disappointed. The performers have very little room to work in, seating inside is uncomfortable and way too crowded. Didn’t care for the environment at all. Wouldn’t be high on my list of places to return. Jupiter show was mechanical, cold and sterile. Lacked any energy. Best thing at this club was a pre-show singer. He was excellent and very entertaining. I would actually pay money to go see him perform on stage somewhere…he was that good. Looked a little like Mario Lopez. Saturday evening, mixed crowd with more females than males and only 16 customers total. Also went to Fresh Boy, Moonlight and Dream Boy again. Have already reported on those and nothing new to add. All-in-all is has been a great trip. Already planning a return trip for later in the year. Tentatively looking at November and staying for three months…provided they don’t change the 60-day visa to 30 days. Want to do the 60-day plus 30 day extension if possible. Might investigate the Multiple Entry Visa as well. Will include more details about that in my follow-up post about Cam.

Thanks for checking. Haven't been online much these last few days. What was originally going to be three days/nights with Cam turned into 7 glorious and wonderful days and nights. I promise to update everyone soon on my last few escapades and my time with Cam. The time with Cam may actually require a separate post, but will see once I get a chance to start posting again. Let's just say I am healthy and very happy.

I don't know about Midnight, but you can certainly off guys at Rainbow Dragon after hours. Bar closes at 3am, though, so rather late to be hanging around just to off someone. I preferred exchanging Line info and making arrangements to meet on his off day or before going to work in the afternoon. Much easier to arrange that way.

continued…Installment 28: Had an ok night, but thinking about the drive back to Bangkok and not sure if my body was functioning at a normal level I decided it was probably a good idea to skip breakfast and just had water. ok…please don’t chastise me…lol. I admit it…I am a spoiled American. While I do enjoy taking public transportation, for some things I just prefer door to door service. So at the recommendation of a forum member, I booked a car/driver with LimoPattaya. Picked me up at Zing exactly on time at 10am. Traffic was light up until we got into central Bangkok, so the driver made very good time. Provided bottled water, told me to let him know if I wanted to stop anywhere along the way, professional and friendly service. Advanced booking online, but no payment required in advance to make the reservation. Price included tolls, which seemed to be many along the route. Cost was THB 1600, plus I gave him 200 tip. I know, I know…there are cheaper options out there. I wanted to be picked up at the hotel and dropped off at condo, so I was willing to pay the price for that service. Already had a text from Cam before I had a chance to let him know I had arrived back in Bangkok. Hopeful that I have no health related issues like I did in Pattaya the day before, because it is going to be a crazy, hectic race to the finish line. Already know I will need to spend some time with Paradise guy, Chaichana guy and Green massage are asking me if we can meet one more time, Banana guy actually did text me when I was out to dinner at Dick’s Cafe. Simply told him I was in Pattaya. Didn’t offer any additional information. Think he is regretting the aggressive tone of his message now. Not sure if I will make any time for him before I leave or not. Undecided. Still want to make my way back to Ganymede, and a host of other shops I was planning to visit this trip but haven’t managed to get to just yet. Seven weeks seemed like a lot of time at the outset, but now I am having this sense of urgency. Also concerned about the status of my flights for the return trip. Paying close attention as jet fuel supplies dwindle in most of Asia and no end in sight to the Orange Overlords war games. I also want to spend most of my time with Cam. Decided to simply relax at the condo the rest of the day. Had a text from Paradise guy, but said I wasn’t feeling well and would let him know a good day for us to meet. Skipped lunch as well and continued with water only up until dinner time with Cam. Met at our usual time and location, 8pm at Midnight Bar. This time we both went upstairs to give mamasan the off fee as I wanted to confirm plans for the 3-days. Made sure mamasan clearly understood Cam was mine! Went to Sarica again as it is good and also convenient. Ate inside the A/C. Just had some rather bland noodles, avoided anything spicy, and only ate about half of my dish. I was feeling ok, but not wanting to take any chances or push my body too much. Saving as much of that for Cam as possible. After dinner, I asked him which show we should go to and he actually had an unusual but admirable request. He asked if I would mind going to Hotmale, because there had not been many customers and he really wanted to support the club and his friends. I enjoyed the show at Hotmale, so that was fine with me. He said a couple of nights they didn’t even have the show because there was not a single customer at show time. Most of the bars and clubs are noticing a significant decline in customers due to the situation in the Middle East. The comment I hear most often is peopler are leaving Thailand trying to get home, but nobody is coming to Thailand at the moment. Customers are canceling or postponing their travel plans until this mess is sorted out, or airlines have canceled flights due to lack of jet fuel. No win situation for businesses here. So, we went to Hotmale and earned some bonus points with mamasan. Handful of other customers…all Asian…two groups of two females and another group of two guys and a female…plus me and Cam. Not a huge crowd, but better than nothing. After the show we headed back to the condo for our usual routine…shower, wild thing, sleep. Slept late, went for some breakfast, then Cam went to the fitness room where he worked out and I simply admired the view. I can never get enough of that view. After his workout, we said our goodbyes and he headed back home. No sooner had Cam left and I returned to the condo than I received a text from Paradise guy. His usual…what are you doing. Said I was thinking about going to get a manicure. He informed me he had taken the day off and was coming to see me. No previous discussion about this. Total surprise. Guess he didn’t like the fact I put him off the day before since I wasn’t feeling well. Anyway, he said he would be at my place around 1pm. That gave me a chance to tidy up a bit and hide any evidence of an overnight guest. lol. Showed up with a container of those small, white coconut pancakes I like but are difficult to find, plus bael juice. Strange combination. First time I have actually had bael juice and enjoyed it, but not so much with the coconut pancakes. Chilled out watching YouTube videos on television before deciding it was time to take a late afternoon nap. Naturally, we needed some physical exercise before the nap. Needless to say we were exhausted after all of that exercise and slept a good two hours. Took a shower and then he headed home. All in all, a wonderful afternoon. I should probably be writing that this was the end of the story for the day…that I rested in the evening for my upcoming three days with Cam. However, things took an interesting turn of events and the stars aligned perfectly. What was originally going to be three days/nights with Cam turned into six days/nights. This includes the overnight after returning from Pattaya. After Paradise guy went home, my plan was to just relax and chill out at the condo. Wasn’t really entertaining any thoughts of going anywhere. Then I received a message from Cam…well, several messages back and forth and we both ultimately wanted more time together since the end of my trip is approaching quickly. We were able to have a really good conversation that previous night which I will share in a different post. I will just say for now that he came back and stayed the night with me again. I told him at this point it was foolish for him to just go home on Friday and come back to me on Saturday…he might as well stay with me the entire time, and he readily agreed. Informed mamasan of the change of plans and paid the off fee for six days. Think I am becoming a VIP at Hotmale. lol. Of course, this puts a kibosh on all of my other meets. Willing to forgo all of that to be able to spend my remaining time with Cam. Sorry to leave everyone hanging, but I don’t think I will be online much or updating my trip report for the next few days. lol.

As they say, I have been burning the candle at both ends. Think it finally caught up with me.

I think the issue is because they are working in a massage shop. It is my understanding that massage is one of those 'protected' jobs that are restricted for Thai only. What I have read online is that the Thai government does not make a distinction between the different types of massages. Everything seems to be classified as 'Thai Massage', which is one of those protected categories. If the guys chose some other line of work, they could perhaps obtain a work visa. It is called the Alien Law Act and was enacted in 2008. There is a rather lengthy list of jobs which foreigners are not permitted to do: massage shops, banks, tour guides, beauticians/hair cutters, handcrafts, etc. I think one of the reasons for the law was the preservation of Thai culture. Not sure what the full rationale was/is.

continued…Installment 27: Thought I would update forum members on the massage shop situation in Pattaya. Had a text from both the guy at MV and Soda.saying they were going back to Laos within the next day or two. Don’t know about other shops in Supertown, but these two particular shops told the boys they could no longer work there. They are tired of dealing with the police and want no more problems, so want no more illegals working at the shop. If that was the intent of the police raids, then I guess they probably consider the raids a success. However, if the raids were simply a shake down to gain money from illegals…if no more illegals, then no more money. May have backfired on them. Perhaps those forum members who actually live in Pattaya have more information. I am merely passing on what two guys (both illegals) from two different shops have shared with me now. I can understand the frustration from shop owners if this is accurate. Feel sorry for the boys, though, and their situation. The guy from Soda said it will probably be a couple of years before he can return once he goes home.

continued…Installment 26: Last day in Pattaya turned out to be a real dud. Woke up with a scratchy throat and a little nauseous. Not sure what brought that on. Decided it was probably best to skip breakfast. Took some medicine for the nausea, then popped a Halls cough drop in my mouth and laid back down. Probably slept two or three more hours. Stomach seemed to have settled down a bit, but later in the day it went from nausea to diarrhea. Sorry gentleman…I know…TMI. Let’s just say I didn’t venture far from the room and there was no fun activity on the agenda. Since I will be heading back to Bangkok in the morning and already have plans to meet Cam in the evening, thought it best to give my body a chance to recover from all of my recent activities. I also think it quite possibly could be from too much sun on our boat trip. I am very fair skinned and burn easily in the sun. Have had similar issues in the past from sun poisoning. Some medication I take recommends avoiding prolonged exposure to sun. Disappointed that I did not get to experience Pattaya City. Next time I will plan to spend more time exploring Pattaya, and perhaps even make it a trip with Cam. I know from our conversations that he loves the beach, and I don’t believe he has ever been to Pattaya. Concerned it might not be a safe place for him, though, if the Pattaya police are so aggressive about rounding up illegals.

continued…Installment 25: Had a restless night as the A/C unit in my room does not work the greatest. Should probably have requested a room change. As a result, I slept a little later than usual, then headed down to breakfast. Caught up on emails and messages, then showered and decided to go out for a little people watching and something cold to drink. Zing Resort and Spa is a good location. Facility is a little dated for sure. Breakfast is buffet and okay for me. They will do eggs to order. Mixed bag as far as other guests…many single males, which I would expect, but a fair number of couples and even families. I detected a number of Australians, and also many Russians staying here. Room is large with a private patio. Bathroom is small. TMI probably…but when sitting on the toilet my knees are literally touching the wall opposite. Barely enough room in the shower for one or even to turn around completely. Rather disappointed by that. Pool area is nice. Would I stay here again…probably, but also want to try the Agate if I return in the future. Walked to the end of the street which runs into Soda Massage. There is a coffee shop with nice outdoor sitting area. I had my favorite Thai Iced Tea and was able to observe two massage shops directly across the street…MV Massage and Pattaya #1 Massage. Turns out they are listed as two separate shops but in reality it seems to be the same with side-by-side buildings. Same therapists, anyway. This gave me a chance to observe the guys as they gradually arrived for work and make my choice from a distance before actually approaching the shop. Once I had my therapist picked out and had finished my drink, I left the coffee shop and proceeded out like I was going to walk back to my hotel. Naturally, one of the guys grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the shop…massage, mister? Oil massage? 60 minutes? Of course, I was counting on this. Looked at their sign as to what they were offering, saw they had aloe vera lotion, and price was the same as Soda…THB 400 for 60 minutes. I was noncommittal about massage until I confirmed I could pick the therapist. Once he said yes, I pointed directly at the guy I had been watching the last 30 minutes. Deal was sealed. This shop was similar to Soda in that the rooms are really small cubicles large enough to have a massage table but not much else. Walls do not go floor to ceiling, so privacy is an issue. At least I was the only customer at that time, so not many loud noises or other voices to distract from the environment. Only male therapists, but female manager. Hooks on wall for clothes. Offer of shower, but not required. Said I had just taken a shower at the hotel about an hour ago and was good. No problem with that. Communal bathroom, so no en-suite available. Turns out the guy I chose is from Laos. Been in Pattaya for two months. Will be going back home next week, but plans to return the following month. Before the massage even started he had stripped down to his underwear. No need to guess where this would end up. His massage skills were not nearly as good as the guy from Soda the night before, but he was much more sensual. Again, as things progressed and I flipped over there was no mention of special services or request for tip. If I had to guess, I would say he was gay. He actually initiated kissing, which I love, and the underwear vanished showing a nice sized rock hard appendage. Interesting to me he was willing to do everything except penetration. He said the police had raided the business last week and five of the guys were arrested. So when it came to penetration he said ‘no sex’. Shop not allow sex because of raid. From my perspective, everything else we did would also classify as sex, so not sure why they just consider penetration sex. In any event, I still left happy. The five boys had to pay a THB 30,000 fine each, and the shop did not help the guys at all. They had to come up with the money on their own. Not sure how the police determined the guys had engaged in sex at the shop?!? Anyone have thoughts about that? Or was this just a shake down by corrupt policemen. Gave the same tip as the night before, THB 1000 and 400 for the massage. He also asked me how long I was staying in Pattaya and wanted to exchange Line account info. Had a text message from Soda guy. Guess he saw me leaving the other massage shop in the afternoon and wanted to know why I didn’t stop by and say hello. Told him I honestly didn’t see him or know he was working at that time. I just walked directly back to my hotel, which was the opposite direction of his shop. I knew where this conversation was headed from the start…he wanted to know if I was coming back to see him tonight. I said I had plans to meet a friend for dinner, then we were going to visit a couple of bars on Walking Street. Didn’t promise anything. Said if I had time and saw him sitting outside I would say hello. Wanted to keep my options open in case something or someone peaked my interest at a bar. Was meeting forum member @bkkmfj2648 who lives in Pattaya for dinner at Dick’s Cafe. As I was walking to Dick’s Cafe, I noticed a bit of what I considered unusual activity outside of MV Massage and Pattaya #1. Couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but something just didn’t look right and the actions of the few guys standing outside was not the usual engagement with passersby. Looked over at Soda and there was absolutely no guys sitting outside there. Not a single person. At first I was thinking business must be good, all the guys with customers and the rooms full. But my gut was telling me something wasn't quite right. Very strange that there was not at least one or two guys out in front. The place appeared deserted. Sent a text message somewhat jokingly to Soda guy that I stopped by once again but he was nowhere to be found. Didn’t get an immediate reply, which I didn’t expect if he was with a customer, but later he said there was a problem at the shops and he wasn’t there. He was at the beach. By this time I had connected with @bkkmfj2648 at Dick’s and I shared my observations. He immediately said the police probably raided the massage places…again. They had just done it last week. The guy I had in the afternoon at MV had mentioned earlier about five boys from the shop where he worked. Looking primarily for ‘illegals’ from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. @bkkmfj2648 said this happens often at the shops in Pattaya. He said the frequency could be because of the recent elections and the police in Pattaya probably want to prove to the higher ups in the new government that they are doing their jobs. Or, could be because of the ongoing conflict with Cambodia. Or, could be one of the officers needed a new iPhone 17 and decided to shake down the guys for the money. Who knows what their reasons are…maybe they are related to the Orange Overlord and don’t need any reason or justification. Just do as they damn well please…but I digress. Had a nice dinner with @bkkmfj2648 As I said before, it is nice to be able to put a face with an online name and share experiences/escapades. Talked about the gay scene in Pattaya and life in general. Enjoyed Dick’s Cafe. Food was good, cute waiters (tried to obtain a phone number without success), and overall great atmosphere. Good location to do some people watching as the entire area is very festive. Seemed to notice more older farangs in the Supertown Jomtiem Complex than I did in Silom area of Bangkok. Did not see many Chinese tourists, but did observe a number of Russians, especially at the Zing. After a nice casual dinner with excellent conversation we headed over to Sunee Boy to watch the show. I was really impressed with the choreography and energy level of the performers. The makeshift stage or platforms they were dancing on seemed a little dangerous and I was expecting someone to go crashing through the top at any moment. Interesting mix of traditional Thai dance interspersed with modern, high energy. Naturally, all twinks and had my eye on two in particular. Boys would flirt when on stage with eye contact, smiles, etc., but once they finished performing they didn’t really mingle with the customers but either went to Best Boy for costume change or to hang out with each other. Really was a great show. After the show we headed over to M Bar, which is a pillow bar. Never heard that term before, so I had no idea what it meant. Also never heard of a boom boom room above the bar if you wanted some play time with one of the guys. Got a good education in Pattaya. Some cuties at this bar, too, and very friendly. One in particular peaked my interest. However, throughout the evening I had been keeping in touch with Soda guy to make sure he and the other guys were safe, if they had returned to the shop or were still at the beach…bottom line is they did not receive the all clear to return so a large number of them where still hanging out together at the beach. This means none of them made any money for the evening. He was very good at using that against me. He read me like an open book. It didn’t take too much twisting of my arm to invite him to the hotel. Forget massage. Just the fun part. I wanted to make sure he could get to the hotel safely, though. Last thing I wanted to happen is him get picked up by the police because he was coming to meet me. He assured me he could get there safely, so I agreed. @bkkmfj2648 and I said our goodnights, discussed possibly going to Pattaya City clubs the next night, then I was meeting Soda guy at 11:15pm in front of the hotel. Otherwise, I definitely would have been offing one from M Bar.

Must of been a different Sunee Bar, or in some other location in Supertown. There was no butch or macho dancers here. lol. Only going on what he told me. I am naturally curious, so if we are engaging in any type of conversation I will usually ask them if they identify as gay, straight, or something in between. He specifically said he was straight. Asked the question because I wasn't getting a gay vibe...but who knows. For every person he mets there is probably a different story. lol.

continued…Installment 24: I had no definite plans for the evening and was tired after the busy day. Debated whether I would even go out and decided to take a nap. Woke up around 7:30pm and decided I would at least walk around Supertown area and perhaps grab a bite to eat. Headed out after taking a shower. It was still early in the evening, so it appeared that things were just starting to get busy. I saw a number of straight couples exploring walking street, and way more Caucasian guys than I had seen in Bangkok. Of course, a good number of young Asian guys entertaining the Caucasian guys. The scene for me was similar to what I experienced in Soi 4 of Silom. Lots of outdoor seating at all of the venues, facing each other with walking street in the middle. Again, I was reminded of the face off staring competition we had as children. Who will blink first. Not surprised that Asian guys not attached to a farang had their noses buried in their phones. They would occasionally look up, someone might say hello or smile, then back to their TikTok, texting or game. Later in the evening there were young guys trying to persuade passers by to come inside for the show. I didn’t venture into any of the clubs. Save that for tomorrow night. Decided to check out the massage shops instead. Didn’t care for the shops on the main street (168 Relax, Beach, Bua Siam). Seemed to have more female workers than males at these three shops, and none of the males were of interest to me. Just didn’t like the overall look of the shops, either. Considered MV and Pattaya #1. May go back to one of them tomorrow, but settled on Soda as they had more guys and several that really interested me. Because I had gotten a little too much sun on the boat today, I chose a 60 minute aloe vera cream massage. Regular oil massage is THB 300 and the aloe vera cream was an extra THB 100. It is interesting to me that shops here do not offer 90 or 120 minutes sessions. Not an option at all. 60 minutes is the maximum. Rooms were basically mall cubicles large enough to hold a massage table and nothing else. No room to walk around the table. Walls did not go floor to ceiling, but had a huge gap at the top. No sound proofing whatsoever. The cubicles did have locking doors as well as a curtain. Hook on wall for hanging clothes. While they had nice calming music playing in the background, there were too many other noises for it to be a relaxing experience. Loud conversations among the guys, easily overheard other customers on either side of you trying to engage in conversation with the therapist, something that sounded like a commercial drill constantly revving up, no A/C unit in the cubicles…just an overhead fan. Communal bathroom with two shower stalls, sink and toilet in separate room. Common hallway from rooms to bathroom, so not a good experience if you are shy I would imagine. I believe there were five cubicles. Older gentleman using a walker and accompanied by an aide was in the cubicle next to me and kept shouting out for his aide. Very distracting indeed. I would classify all of the guys who work at the shop as twinks. My guy had no English skills, but we were able to manage with Google Translate on phones just fine. Btw, he was from Laos. Important fact to note later. Before starting the massage he removed his shirt. A promising sign. I wasn’t sure what to expect regarding massage, but it was actually better than I expected. The aloe vera was a good choice and very soothing on the sunburn. Started on my feet and worked his way up. Was expecting some more sensual elements when he got to the glutes, but nothing. As a result, I was thinking perhaps this was just going to be massage. When he started working on my back, he straddled my ass and I could very distinctly feel something dangling. At some point he had removed his shorts, so things were once again looking more promising. He had me flip over and from that point on there was no more massage…just play. Interesting to me is he never asked about extra or special services, nor was tip ever discussed. It seemed to me as this was considered as part of the package. He was definitely a willing participant, but had his limits. No penetration. Also important to remember for future post. Pretty sure he is straight. At the conclusion he asked if I wanted to shower and I actually declined. I was just down the street from Zing, so decided I would just shower back at the hotel…especially since he wasn’t planning on joining me in the shower. I mentioned (via translate) that we had never discussed tip and he only asked for THB 500. That seemed ridiculously low to me, so I gave him THB 1000 and he was very happy. He asked how long I was staying in Pattaya and if I would come and see him again. Provided his Line account info. lol. The therapist was just my type and provided excellent service. The shop, however, leaves much to be desired. I didn’t care for the overall environment at all. Much prefer the Bangkok shops. Took another stroll down Walking Street and decided after walking past the Mexican restaurant that I was a little hungry. It was 9:30pm, so the restaurant was very quiet…only one other customer who was visiting with the manager. Most people were at the bars by now. Food was actually very good and fairly authentic. I only had the Quesadilla, though, as I wasn’t that hungry. Several nice looking guys working here, but one in particular started two weeks ago and his English was exceptional. We chatted a bit, and since there were no other customers I invited him to join me…just for conversation. Invited him to get a drink and put it on my bill. He was very friendly…almost too flirtatious…which could give some people the wrong impression or idea. He is new and just a little too eager to please the boss and keep customers happy. Anyway, it was an enjoyable dinner with good company. I would definitely recommend and return to this restaurant. By now it was 11pm and I was exhausted from the day. I decided to head back to the hotel with no plans to stop along the way. Think that was a wise decision, because within 15 minutes of arriving in my hotel room it was like the clouds opened and there was a tremendous downpour. I seem to recall walking street is covered, so perhaps no impact to the bars from the rain. However, not all venues are protected so weather must have been a negative impact until closing time. And yes, I was just as flirtatious right back at him. Quite a bit of friendly banter went back and forth, and I really was hoping to persuade him to join me at Zing...but alas, no offing...at least not during working hours. lol.

continued…Installment 23: Got up at 7am and went down for the hotel breakfast. We have a 9am booking for the boat trip, so need to leave the hotel no later than 8am to arrive on time. We will be doing some snorkeling, swimming, and have a BBQ at the beach. My friends booked a private tour, so nobody else will be on the boat with us…just the four of us plus three guides. I believe the island is Koh Larn, although I won’t guarantee that to be the case. It was different than what they had originally talked about. Any time I attempt boat tours in Asian countries, the first dilemma is always finding a life jacket that will be large enough for me. Just like I can never find clothes to purchase here, life jackets simply won’t buckle together on me. lol. Getting on to the boat was the next challenge. Steps down from the dock were quite steep and very slippery. At least there was a sturdy handrail I could grasp on to tightly. Once on the boat, the ‘captain’ gave safety instructions. He was probably mid or late 30’s, Thai, grew up in the area near the dock and been doing this most of his life. Kind of short and on the stocky side. Definitely not my type. The other two guides, however, were quite adorable. One is still in high school, 17, and does this on weekends and during school breaks. The other was in university, 20, and also does weekends and school breaks. The 20 year old was definitely a twink with the cutest ass. Really wanted to play with it, but managed to behave myself. Arrived at the area for snorkeling, so everyone was in the water. Challenge number 3 was getting back on the boat as there was only a short ladder with one step. Took the 17 year on the boat pulling me up while the 20 year old was pushing from behind. Someone should have been making a video. It would be hilarious. Didn’t mind at all that the 20 year old was pushing my ass. 17 year old went by the nickname Donny and 20 year old by the nickname Bew. Ended up getting a couple of nasty bruises on my upper arms from the ordeal. Moved to a second location for more snorkeling, but this time I chose to remain on the boat. Didn’t want to deal with trying to get back on from the water, and was also a little tired. After 45 minutes we pulled up anchor and headed to the beach. While a little easier getting in and out of the boat at the beach, still a bit of a challenge for me. All in all, it was a fun day and something different. Not a huge seafood person, so didn’t particularly care for the grilled shrimp, crab, squid, etc., but my options were limited. There are a number of companies that offer similar tours. My friends had used this one previously and had a good experience, so I don’t believe they really shopped around. After our BBQ lunch, we returned to the dock, took showers, and headed back toward Zing. Another hour long drive. My friends dropped me off at the hotel around 4:30pm and then headed back to Bangkok. They have work and school in the morning.

continued…Installment 22: Traffic to Pattaya was terrible. I can remember visiting Pattaya before and it would take about two hours to drive there. Between sheer numbers of vehicles, road construction, and lane closures, I think it took us close to four hours just to get to the outskirts of Pattaya. By this time, everyone was hungry so we stopped at this very expensive Japanese buffet. Not what I would consider a traditional buffet. You ordered from an online menu via QR code. It was a set price per person, but then all you could eat of whatever you ordered. We each ordered a number of things and then shared. Total came to THB 2700 for the four of us. That came to roughly $82 USD or $20 per person. It was too late to be lunch, so we just made that our dinner. Considering that, I suppose the price was reasonable. Service was excellent, food was great…would definitely return, although I am not sure I would ever be able to find it again. Not sure if it is part of a chain or a one off location. Continued on to our lodging after dinner, which took about another hour. I wanted to stay in Jomtien Complex, not at their condo at the Base, so I booked two rooms for us at Zing Resort & Spa. Once we got checked in and settled into our rooms, I think everyone was exhausted and pretty much crashed for the night. No late night adventures to report…sorry to disappoint.

Good advice, thanks! Kind of why I am leaning towards doing nothing at the moment and just seeing how things play out once I have returned to Denver. Plus, the unknown element in this is what his thoughts or feelings are about such an arrangement...and what the arrangement might look like from his perspective. Since it hasn't been mentioned or discussed between us...he has no idea what I am thinking. I have been able to do that on the forum, but it isn't something that has come up in any of our conversations. He may say 'thanks, but no thanks' and have little or no interest in such a thing. On the flip side, he might be thinking about something similar but unsure how to approach me. Way too many variables here at the present time, so better to hit the pause button on myself. As the old saying goes, don't get the cart before the horse. See how the three days together go first. Then proceed with caution.

Walking around Jomtien Complex this afternoon I took a couple of photos. I believe this is the shop you are talking about.

As @vinapu would say, we can thank the Orange Overlord for this mess. 😭

Currently in Bangkok, and haven't heard or read anything specifically about jet fuel here other than concerns similar to other places in general. However, I do know from stopping on our way to Pattaya for gasoline that it is being rationed at almost all stations here. I think the current limit is THB 600 or approximately 18 Liters per person/vehicle.