jimmie50

Thanks for clarifying that. I should have been more specific. Sorry for that.

Summer Palace closed during covid, and has not re-opened. Our guide, who has been doing this for 32 years, said she wasn't aware of any plans to open it again for tours. Not sure what the lingering issues may be.

Day 11 Ayutthaya Our day started with an early morning (6:30am!) coach ride to visit Ayutthaya, Thailand's historic core, now an intriguing archaeological park with palace, temple, and statue ruins. Highlights of the day were visits to Wat Maha That and Wat Lokayasutharam. We probably had about four hours exploring the ancient grounds. Our tour guide was excellent and provided a lot of interesting historical information that helped put things in better perspective for me. I had visited Ayutthaya previously with my Thai friends, but even they do not know all of the history. For them it was just a visit to some old ruins, but they could not provide any context. While I enjoyed visiting with my friends, I appreciated this experience more because of the historical information. Next, we had a cruise back to Bangkok, savoring a buffet lunch with Chao Phraya River views, local scenes, and landmarks like the Royal Grand Palace and Wat Arun. It was a full day, with plenty of walking, but well worth the repeat visit. The tour company used Grand Pearl cruise, and the food was excellent and plentiful. It is a smaller boat, so only our group was on board for the lunch and cruise back to Bangkok. I’ve done a dinner river cruise in Bangkok before that was large, packed like sardines, and the food so-so. We returned to the hotel around 5:30pm, so I sent a text to Bee right away. He is still working, but will come to the hotel when he finishes for the day so we can spend a little time together tonight before the bus leaves Bangkok in the morning. Last night in the city. Had Bee not been available, I was considering a visit this evening to FaFa, but would prefer to spend my time with Bee. Walked to a Subway just down the street from my hotel and picked up sandwiches and soda we can share together in the room. Would prefer to do that than leave, run around trying to find a place to eat, order, wait for food, etc., all of which cuts into my quality alone time with him. lol.

From what I can tell, the shops are less expensive and most options are available, but the facilities are lacking compared to Silom/Surawong and walk-ins are not as readily available at most of the shops. They prefer reservations if you want a specific young man. Also, I found it more challenging communicating with the Saphan Kwai shops in English.

That was my dilemma. I had all of these shops I wanted to visit, but once here got quickly side-tracked with other opportunities and never made it to some of the shops on my short list. Wish I hadn't booked the tour to Northern Thailand, but was no way to cancel and was already paid for. As they say, hindsight is 20/20. Next time..

Day 10 Bangkok Well, woke up to the news that the Queen Mother had passed away. Not sure what impact that will have on our itinerary for the day. This morning we are scheduled to go to the Grand Palace, but I suspect it may be closed. I believe we should be ok to visit Wat Arun and Thongburi Klongs. Was just about to hop in the shower when the power went off in the hotel. Pitch dark in the room. Was out for about 30 minutes. No clue what the problem was. Could have been an outage in the area, or just something with this building. The hotel room is larger than Ibis, but not by much, and little to no storage. You can definitely tell this is an older building. It is showing signs of wear over the years. Breakfast buffet was really very similar to Ibis. There was a mix of Asian and Western cuisines, eggs cooked to order, pastries, bread for toast, fresh fruits, cold cereals, juices and coffee. No idea about the cost of breakfast here since it is included in the tour package. Breakfast and Lunch is included every day, plus five dinners. Group is an interesting mix of people, but I find that always to be the case when I have taken other tours. Smaller group than usual, with only 22 persons total. Six from Australia…believe they are all related somehow, late 60’s or early 70’s and retired. Four retired females from Canada who do an annual trip together, again late 60’s or early 70’s. Mother/son duo from LA. Son is probably mid-30’s and mother mid-60’s. Lesbian couple from Arizona…late 40’s or early 50’s. Single female from San Diego. Four male friends from Orlando in mid-30’s who enjoy taking tours together. No hint whatsoever of ‘family’. Way too much testosterone in that group, and interest in the World Series. lol. Two other retired females, but don’t recall where they are from, and then me. Two of the Aussie’s have health issues and were struggling to keep up with the group today because there is a lot of walking involved. In addition to the Tour Director and Bus Driver, there is also a Bus Assistant to help with luggage, entry/exit on bus, pass out cold water, etc. The assistant is a handsome young man in mid-20’s I would guess and sexy as all get out. Had a difficult time taking my eyes off of him. Chose a seat on the bus strategically located next to the ice chest where he retrieves the water for everyone, always look him directly in the eye and thank him by name for everything. He always responds with the biggest smile. Not sure where the staff lodge when we are outside Bangkok, but need to investigate that a little more. lol. No surprise. Grand Palace was officially closed to observe a 100 day period of mourning and to prepare for the funeral of Queen Mother. I suspected that was going to happen, as did most of the rest of the group. We did get to see the Reclining Buddha and Emerald Buddha. The grounds and building that houses the Emerald Buddha were actually more impressive than the Buddha. I had no idea it was so small. Anyway, no real excitement to report. Had a nice lunch at a restaurant along the river not far from the Grand Palace and continued on our scheduled itinerary. Returned to the hotel around 5pm, so plenty of time to get into mischief if I decide to venture back out this evening. Some in the group opted for an additional item to visit the Jim Thompson House. Been there before, so decided against going again. Had a nice chat via LINE with Bee. Decided if I got back to the hotel tomorrow and it wasn’t too late, we will try to meet briefly one more time before the bus heads north on Monday.

I am not a long distance person, so that wouldn't work. If this ends up happening, I'll be changing my retirement plans from Colorado to Thailand. Like you, I have 'been there, done that' with a young man in Peru and another in Guatemala. Was in a long term for ten+ years with someone from Taiwan, but we lived together both in US and Taiwan. So, from that standpoint, the only way this would really work for me is if I am living in Thailand. Going to take my friends up on their condo offer and plan to return in February for at least two months, possibly three. That will allow us to spend more time together and really get to know each other better. For now, just going slow and easy.

No website. I think they have Facebook page, but no photos of boys. They also have twitter, but only photos of the shop. That will give you an idea about their facilities. Neither of those have been updated recently, though.

The guys are really handsome, and others from the forum like this shop. I believe TongTong is a favorite among the group. I imagine some of the guys are willing to break the rules if they have an interest in you as well. Don't know about that. I have just had better luck other places.

Yes, this is the Prestige. I really like the Sathorn location. Never been to their new location off Sukhumvit, so cannot speak to the facilities. I was told by therapists at Sathorn that there is no elevator at the other location, so if steps is an issue, they did not recommend it.

Well, that was never in the plans, but I am certainly open to the possibility. I was in a ten year relationship with someone from Taiwan. We lived together in the US, but also lived in Taiwan for awhile because of his job. I was able to take a sabbatical, and found it possible to teach English when we were living in Taiwan as a way to keep myself occupied and also to meet people.

Massage shops are still open everywhere, and the shops we all prefer are still sending out their daily updates via LINE. I did notice today some of the shops posted a tribute of some sort to the late Queen Mother, and some of the therapist photos they are all wearing black showing respect. Others it was simply business as usual. Not in Silom area anymore, so cannot say about the clubs there, but several of the young men in the tour group went to Soi Cowboy last night and it was business as usual. I would assume it would be the same at Fresh Boys, Hot Male, Moonlight, et al.

Day 9 Bangkok - Part 2 Whoever designed and decorated this hotel did not realize that disco died in the late 70’s or early 80’s…I feel like I am in a time warp and transported back to my college days. LOL. Much prefer Ibis Silom! Totally different clientele in this establishment. Predominantly caucasians, with mixture of American, European and Australian judging from accents/language. Very few Asian tourists here, but some Middle Eastern. I am pretty sure they must have an arrangement with different tour companies as it seems they host a lot of groups. As anyone checked in they were handed a typed letter that said the hotel would be conducting a mandatory fire fighting and evacuation drill for staff on TUESDAY, 24th October, 2025 between 16:00-17:00. Very reassuring when you realize this is October 24, but sure is not Tuesday…it’s Friday. Sitting here laughing as a type this. All of the staff was gathered outside in front of the building for the training, with members of the fire department giving instruction. That left nobody in the hotel to help any of the registered guests. Just rolling on the floor now I am laughing so hard. The hotel is similar in size to Ibis Silom with similar amenities, but much older. Very near BTS Asok and Terminal 21. Checked in with the Tour Director…older Thai lady who set up shop just off the lobby to provide assistance and information to group members. Meet and greet social the first evening is optional, she said, so I decided to skip it to give me more time with Bee. He had to be at work early the next morning so couldn’t spend the night, but we enjoyed the evening together. This trip has produced a number of unexpected and surprising developments. Didn’t think I would meet anyone via Grinder; didn’t expect Sam from Paradise would want to spend time with me outside of the shop; and didn’t expect Bee to broach the subject of boyfriend. Was not prepared for that conversation and did not see that coming at all. So, would appreciate thoughts of forum members on this. Exact words: “I want to be your boyfriend, what should I do? I’ve never had a boyfriend. I’m not sweet. I’m straightforward. I like my privacy. Would you accept me? I’d like to know your feelings.” Advice, suggestions, comments, recommendations…?!?!? Says the age difference does not bother him whatsoever. Distance is something we can figure out. Those are the two big obstacles I threw out during the conversation. In case you were wondering…he hasn’t asked for anything, has a decent job with one of the big banks, and provides some support to his parents. Most of his family, including a much younger sister, was killed in 2004 tsunami. He was just 10 years old at the time. From what I can gather it is only him and his parents who survived. I really don’t know what to make of this proposal. What, precisely, does boyfriend mean to him, especially since he says he has never had one? Will a request for assistance come later on? Hate to be skeptical, but when you have just met someone within the last week, then go from a couple rounds of great sex and companionship to let’s be boyfriends, it raises all sorts of red flags in my mind. Perhaps I am reading too much into this and should just go with the flow?

Good to know. That's hilarious.

Day 9 Bangkok - Part 1 It has been such a very long time, I had forgotten how nice it is to wake up beside someone. Had some quality snuggle time before taking a shower together, then went down to the breakfast buffet. No problems, as when I originally made the reservation for the hotel I had booked for two persons. LOL. Call it wishful thinking. In reality, from reading various posts on the forum I decided it was best to do it that way instead of raising questions if/when bringing a guest back to the room. If I had a guest and they wanted to eat breakfast, it would be covered. If not, it wasn’t something I would need to actually pay for unless they were physically present. After breakfast we headed back upstairs, said those last few parting words with strong hugs and a few minutes of deep kissing and off he went back to Paradise. He asked me to send him messages from the US and to keep in touch when I went home. Assured him I would, and told him to let me know if he changed shops, changed jobs, moved, etc. During the course of our evening together, I actually learned from him that the guys who work in the massage shops are also available to ‘off’. Not all shops, and not all boys, but some. New piece of information for me. He said he will usually get one customer per day, but some of the guys don’t get anyone. Off fee paid to the shop is similar to amount paid to the clubs. For some strange reason, Paradise is 555 Baht. Such an odd amount. lol. Next time I will dispense with all the cat and mouse game and just take him straight away to stay with me. He said he never went off with a customer before, and also never did sexual things with them like we did…only handjobs. Of course, isn’t that what they all say? Color me skeptical. Feeling somewhat melancholy…a little excited about the tour starting and getting to see different areas of Thailand, but thinking about all of the fun I have experienced in Bangkok like never before and really hate to be leaving the city. Thai friends have invited me to use their condo in Pattaya during the winter months in Colorado and I just may take them up on the offer so I can spend more time in this glorious city. Bangkok and Pattaya are not that far away from each other. Much closer than Denver and Bangkok!!! LOL Need to pack, check out of Ibis, and take taxi to Galleria 10 off Sukhumvit. Had message from Grinder guy #2…the one I really like. We will get together later in the evening after the tour ‘meet and greet’. Seeing Bee again will make leaving Sam bearable. I feel like I should put a revolving door on my hotel room…or a post a sign that says ‘take a number. Wish this would have happened to me 30 years ago!

Day 8 Bangkok Well, as the saying goes, too many men and too little time. Realized when I went down for breakfast this morning at the hotel that tomorrow is Friday and I will transfer from Ibis Silom to the tour hotel in the afternoon for the beginning of the next part of my adventure. There are still so many different massage shops I had hoped to try that are not even going to make it on the short list, which is very sad and disappointing. Now that I have also dipped my toe into the world of clubs, it has wet my appetite to check out some of the others. I am afraid these adventures to explore more will have to wait for another trip. There will be some ‘down time’ on the tour where you can opt out of certain experiences, and I may take advantage of that while still in Bangkok. Once we are on the road going to different communities, not sure what mischief I may get into, but am definitely planning to keep my options open. Already know when we reach our final destination of Chiang Mai that I want to visit Aqua CNX and Classic House. Also mentioned to Woody about possibly going to the club there, Adams Apple, if we have time. Anyway, planning to lay low this morning at the hotel and probably sleep a little more. Not sure what time Paradise young man will contact me, but expect that won’t be until later afternoon or early evening, which gives me a little time to play during the afternoon. lol. Had a lazy morning hanging out at the hotel. Was not sure if I wanted to venture out for fun or not. Had mixed feelings about whether the meeting with my Paradise guy was actually going to happen. You just never know about these things. Was hopeful that all would go according to plan, but trying to be realistic at the same time. As it turns out, there was no need to be worried or concerned. He lives about 50 minutes by motorbike outside city center. Sent me a message via LINE to let me know he was going to head my way around 2pm. Ask if he had a swimsuit and told him if he did to bring it. If not, we would go and buy one. He had one. Since he was coming for the afternoon, I decided against venturing out and getting into any more mischief. At the recommendation of @vinapu, had the lunch special of cashew chicken at my hotel. For me, it was the best of all three locations. Had no mushrooms whatsoever, plenty of white meat chicken and cashews along with red, green, and yellow peppers as well as onion. Also came with a fried egg, which was a nice touch. By the time ‘Sam’ arrived it was close to 3pm. Came up to the room, we changed into swimsuits, and went up to the rooftop to enjoy the pool and relax. Ordered a couple of appetizers to snack on as well. He said he had already had lunch, but wasn’t 100% sure he was being honest with me. Knew it would be awhile before any dinner, so couldn’t hurt to have a couple of things to snack on. He also had a beer…I stayed with my Thai tea. Was just a nice change of pace and relaxing afternoon. Eventually headed back down to the room where we proceeded to enjoy a shower together, some play time, serious cuddle time, short nap, then headed out to explore the night market and find a place to have dinner. Just a nice relaxing evening compared to what I have been putting my body through the rest of my trip. lol. Decent restaurant on Silom not far from Night Market. Had some Sea Bass soup and Wagyu grilled steak. I am not a big seafood lover, but actually enjoyed the soup more than the steak. Sam preferred the steak. He also enjoyed another bottle of Chang. He was so polite and really over-protective of me while we were out walking around. Wanted to make sure I was ok and having a good time. I was enjoying the attention and the affection. Headed back to the hotel for some more playtime before falling asleep with my arms wrapped tightly around him. Magical, blissful evening for me…hopefully for him as well.

Day 7 Bangkok - Part 2 OK, I cannot believe I am going to admit this, but I have become such a slut on this trip. I am acting like the kid in a candy store for the very first time. I’m exhausted, but this drive or rush inside keeps moving me forward. Saw my Paradise guy and it was just as great this time, only we dispensed with the scrub and also no need to waste time or play the coy games. Both of us naked from the get go, showered together before and after, and a lot more play than massage. Was joking with him at the end of our time together while still in the massage room and casually…and really was joking when I said it…told him ‘I could take you home with me right now!’. His reply caught me off guard. He said ‘not today, working; tomorrow ok, not working’. So I had to ask if he was serious, and had ever gone with a client before and he said yes, serious, and never with client. First of all, they aren’t allowed by management if they are working. What they do on their off day is their own personal business, though. While I take most things like this with a grain of salt…he may say something similar to all of his clients…I would like to believe he was being genuine. I felt there was a connection between us, and he was surprised I sent him a text and arranged a second meeting, as I had promised. Evidently others have said similar things but never followed through. Anyway, he will text me tomorrow and we will make whatever arrangements regarding where and when to meet. After that it was off to Foodland and another sampling of cashew chicken. I prefer Foodland version over Derby King. While Foodland version did contain some mushrooms, it was only a minimal amount and not that tube-like mushroom at DK. DK was also slightly more expensive. I got an appetizer at Foodland in addition to the chicken and a Thai Tea (same at both locations), and the bill was still less than DK. By this time it is around 9pm. Walked down to Hotmale to check out show time. Show was to begin at 10:30pm, but I decided to go ahead in now and just wait. I could relax in the AC and enjoy a drink while waiting. I knew if I walked back to the hotel I would most likely stay in the rest of the evening. Walked in Hotmale and I was literally the only customer. Nobody else in sight other than people who work there, and number boys on stage just like at Moonlight. Was rather depressing and really uncomfortable. Probably 15-20 boys rotating on and off stage in groups looking at me desperately with pleading eyes to rescue them from the misery. So strange to make the young men parade on stage when no customers are present. I really don’t get this. Also, being the only customer, I had the complete attention of Mamasan. There was no escaping it. It was so bad I was trying to avoid eye contact with any of the guys on stage. Finally, after 30 minutes of Mamasan hovering I selected one young man to come and sit with me and bought him a drink. This was just to shut up Mamasan and get her to go away. OMG. During this time, two potential customers walked in, looked around, and walked right back out. Also, I had specifically asked Mamsan if all of the boys where Thai and to indicate which ones could speak some English. She confirmed all Thai, all speak English. I knew this was BS, but was no point in arguing with her. Anyway, the young man I selected did have some limited English skills. He was 27 from Cambodia. His older brother also works there and was on stage at the same time. All the guys here are what I would call twinks. Didn’t see anyone you could call muscular or manly. Anyway, had a nice conversation with the young man and decided on a whim to go ahead and off him. Didn’t think I would ever do that, but might be my last opportunity, so why not. lol. Paid the club fee of 500 Baht, plus a much pressured tip for Mamasan of 100 Baht and was told the fee for the young man was 2000 Baht to be given directly to him. I believe the actual amount paid to guys is negotiated between the parties…not based upon what Mamasan said. In any event, I specifically asked him if he had to share any of the money I give him at the hotel with the club and he said no, he keeps all of it. So, off he went to get dressed and shortly after we were out the door. By this time it was 22:00 and not a single customer in the club. Assuming unless a last minute rush the show may get canceled for the evening?!? Not sure how that works. Only did short term with the young man, especially since I will have overnight company tomorrow with my Paradise guy. Like I said at the beginning of this paragraph…I have become such a slut!!!

Day 7 Bangkok - Part 1 Lazy morning in the hotel room while waiting around for my 13:00 appointment at Phoenix. This is another shop in the Saphan Khwai area, although a good 25 minute walk from the BTS station. If using Google Maps, it will get you to the general vicinity of this shop, but not the pinpoint location. Coming out of BTS, I think it is exit 3 down to street level. Walk past Big C to Sutthisan Winichai Road and turn left. Follow this street until you reach Inthamara 25 Alley. This is where Google will mess you up. It actually shows the shop located much further down Inthamara 25, when in reality it is only about 20 meters from Sutthisan Winichai. It will be on your left just past a food stall. They do not open until 13:00, and is a cash only establishment. To be honest, I am not sure I would want to give them access to any of my credit card information anyway. If I said Phetboy was a small, no frills operation, Phoenix is what I would describe as sketchy and dingy. Reception area was filled with young men all sitting around on their phones or gathered around a large pool table playing a game. I counted 15 young men just hanging out. Do not expect anyone at this shop to speak a single word of English. Be prepared to use a translation app. I tried to imagine from what I was looking at where they recorded the videos they post occasionally on LINE, because nothing looked remotely like it inside. Only one of the five I had pre-selected the day before was in the shop when I arrived. I really didn’t want to linger around on the main level waiting on someone else, and he was one of my five choices, so proceeded with scheduled appointment. They only offer one hour sessions, and no options other than basic oil massage for 600 Baht. Tip for any of the young men is the same…1200 Baht. Massage room was on the 4th floor. Not sure why we didn’t use the 2nd floor rooms, as they had just opened and I was the only customer. 3rd floor appears to be housing for some of the boys. Room did have a shower, and it was large enough for two persons. Adequate hot water and drainage. Large wooden table with thin pad and a very small pillow. Walls within interior and exterior of the facility are painted this bright lime green. Paint is peeling off the walls. Cleanliness is definite not high on their priority list. In other words, the facilities in general are in pretty bad shape. Also, some of the young men looked pretty rough around the edges. I know some people like that…just not my type. Therapist I selected was cute and a nice young man. 22, Thai, from Chiang Rai…that’s about all the info I could gather. Session started with a shower together, so you knew from the ‘get go’ where things were going to end up. Started with dry presses on feet, legs, back, shoulders and back down. Did this a few times for maybe a total of 10 minutes. Brought out a bottle of oil, then using the translation app asked if I wanted oil massage or ‘something else’. lol. No idea if he was gay or man. He certainly had very few limitations. Like I have so often found, many of the guys don’t like to kiss. Otherwise, anything I wanted to do he was willing and able. Would I go back to this shop…probably not ever. Cannot in good conscience recommend it to anyone. Would I see him again…if he worked in a different environment…then definitely. Just not at Phoenix, which is kind of sad because he could be successful at other shops. Anyway, decided I did not want to walk back to Saphan Khwai BTS so called for Bolt and took that directly back to my hotel to avoid afternoon crowds. BTS was also having issues today and trains were only running every ten minutes on Sukhumvit Line for some reason. Decided to contact my guy at Paradise to see if he was available for Round 2. He is, so will be going there around 17:30, then check out Foodland for dinner and thought I might check out one of the other clubs…possibly Hotmale.

Possible, but if so I missed that part of the transaction. I am basing my reaction to the facial expressions and body language of the performers.

Well, to know they are forced to do so by management to enhance the club receipts is simply wrong and makes me even less interested in revisiting this establishment. That, coupled with the overall negative experience, definitely takes it off my list in the future. Hate it for the guys, because they are the ones losing money in that situation.

Sorry. Usually I am tired when writing my posts, and I have so many thoughts and things to report rolling around in my head...LOL.

Yes, I knew that was outrageous request. No harm in his trying. lol. He had me pegged for typical tourist. I get it. I wasn't going to pay that, though. Probably shouldn't have agreed to the 2000, but he was so darn cute and adorable. Just couldn't help myself.

I may need to check out Happy Beer Garden, and completely for get about Ibis for lunch even though I am staying here. lol. Only have eaten breakfast here.

Day 6 Bangkok - Fresh Boys Was running just a tad late for the 22:15 show due to my extra-curricular activity at Avarin. Having never been to Fresh Boys before, I assumed it would be similar to my previous stop at Moonlight with low attendance and a late start. Boy, was I wrong! Show started on time, and the place was packed. Papasan could barely find a place for me to sit. Felt like I was in a can of sardines. Since the show had just started, I did not see the beforehand parade of number boys, but would guess in total around 30 boys. First couple of acts seemed like more something I would see in a leather or fetish bar. Lots of skin, erotic playfulness, and big cocks. Show was definitely more risqué with lots of nudity compared to Moonlight. Not sure how to describe the majority of guys here…definitely not what I would call muscular or manly; but, also not completely twinkish, either. Kind of an in-between, mixed bag I would say. A couple just slightly chunky. Perhaps this is where the new term twunk would fit?!? Since the club was so crowded, even if there was a boy I would have been interested in there was absolutely no space for him to sit beside me. Would have been forced to either sit on his lap or he on mine…either could be fun. lol. Seemed like a mixed crowd. Mostly Asian males, maybe a half-dozen caucasians, and a couple of females (also Asian). Around 60 customers total. There seemed to be several little groups here. Fortunately, because it was so crowded I was able to fade into the background and be absorbed so papasan and mamasan left me alone for the most part. To be honest, the waiter was more annoying. Prissy thing prancing around all over the place screaming for attention! Total turn off. Several of the groups were definitely in party mode, with a number of boys being invited to join them. Got the impression these are frequent customers well known to all and mamasan gave them extra special attention. No clue how many bottles were consumed by these couple of groups, but must have been substantial income for the house! One caucasian gentleman sitting dead center in the back row must also be a somewhat regular and very popular. At one time I counted seven boys he had with him with probably as many bottles of alcohol. They were frequently sending shots up on stage for their buddies, sent shots twice to the drag queen (she was NOT amused), and even sent shots to the DJ. So, when I say party atmosphere…you get the idea. Shower show was somewhat amusing, because once they two guys were soaped up they had a challenging time standing or moving around in the soapy water. Couldn’t help chuckle to myself and wonder which one would fall first. Drag queen was ok from my perspective. Wasn’t really anything wrong with the performance. Just seemed to lack energy. Enjoyed the one at Moonlight much more. It seemed most of the sex was oral, with anal simulated but no real penetration. Perhaps that came later after I left. I stayed through the big cock show with hitting the pole and had reached my limit by this time. Too loud, too crowded, and too many drunk people for my taste…to be honest. Guys walked around for tips after hitting the pole with their cocks, but it was difficult for them to get around the room because it was so crowded. Also, I would have considered tipping but it was so dark inside I could not see inside my wallet to know which note I was pulling out. I sure as heck wasn’t going to grab a 1K note instead of a 100, so didn’t tip at all. (Sorry, guys!) While Moonlight was somewhat boring and a little depressing (aside from Mr. Boss), I am not quite sure I understand the business model of these clubs or the financial acumen of the boys. The club is packed so apparently business is good. Yeah for the club. I am not sure how that success filters down to the boys. If they are invited to join these ‘big spender’ groups for drinking during the show, but only receive a minimal tip for that pleasure but no offing, how is that to their benefit. Could I afford to invite a handful of boys over to sit and drink with me for an hour, give them a couple of hundred baht for their time, and send them back to the rotation…sure. But, that’s not me. And my guess is there were a number of people in the bar just like me who would prefer some 1:1 time with a nice young man in conversation, one drink, leading to an off for the young man. That would be much more lucrative and financially beneficial to the young man…at least one would think so. Versus spending a couple of hours with a wealthy donor for a couple of hundred baht. That math just doesn’t make sense in my book. So the young men flock to the big spenders which basically restricts their availability to other, possibly more generous customers in a 1:1 situation. So, at least for me, visited Fresh Boys but probably would not go back due to the party atmosphere and exclusion of quality 1:1 interaction. Just my perspective, guys, as a first timer. Between the two clubs, would go back to Moonlight but not Fresh Boys. May try Hot Male tomorrow night. See how I feel.

Day 6 Bangkok - Phetboy and Avarin Had made an appointment for the afternoon at Phetboy in Saphan Khwai area. My original thought was to visit this shop early afternoon before BTS was too crazy, hang out in that area of Bangkok for some dinner, then visit Phoenix in the evening. However, getting a response from Phoenix via LINE was challenging to say the least. I finally decided whoever was managing their LINE account had very limited English skills. Eventually, I started writing my messages using Google Translate and would copy and paste the Thai version into LINE; then need to translate the Thai reply back into English for me. Slightly frustrating process. It became so late with the back and forth that I decided to schedule something for tomorrow with Phoenix and shortlisted five possible young men. I was told all five would be available. Will arrive when the shop opens at 1pm and need to make the final selection. I had a short list of three young men I was interested in at Phetboy based upon their daily updates via LINE. All three would be available. Turns out the guy I selected was from Laos. Photo was pretty accurate, although his online photos do not show his back, which is covered completely with a tattoo. I don’t dislike tattoo’s, but also don’t like when the body is mostly covered by them or they are not tastefully done. Shop is very basic, for those who have never been. My assigned room was up one level. Two rooms on that floor. They were very busy, so business must be good. Room next to mine was occupied as were two rooms on the next floor up. Shared shower with urinal on the floor. Two customers waiting as I left, so a popular shop for sure. Other customers whom I actually saw where all Asian. No frills here. Mattress pad on the floor. However, after being on tables with thin padding, I actually preferred this as it was more comfortable. Waiting area is small. Several therapists were hanging out in this area as well. Don’t know if they were waiting for clients, or would be available for walk-ins. I will say this…out of all the places I have been so far this trip, here I felt uncomfortable and had the feeling of age/size discrimination from the young men hanging out in the area. Just the overall demeanor, tone of voice, facial expressions. It just gave me a strange vibe. I did not get that same vibe from my therapist. I had arrived about ten minutes early, so he was not even there yet. Massage was not great, but better than I expected from a shop like this. His style was a little more aggressive than I like, and not much intimacy. He is a freelancer and I have seen his photo listed on other shops in this area. Would I hire him again…possibly, but at a different shop. Would I return to Phetboy, in all probability, no. They only seem to offer one hour massages and prices vary from 400-600 Baht. Minimum tip varies by therapist, but mine was 1000 Baht. I gave him 1500 Baht. They also offer outcalls. When I made the reservation, they asked if I wanted in-store or outcall. If there was a next time, I would opt for the outcall to my hotel. Made a quick stop at Big C for a couple of personal toiletry items before taking BTS back to Sala Daeng. Still processing my thoughts on Phetboy and feeling somewhat unfulfilled, I decided that I would definitely go check out the show at Fresh Boys tonight. Went back to the hotel to rest for awhile and decided to head out for dinner around 7pm. Knew that Fresh Boys opened the doors at 8pm, but wasn’t sure I wanted to get there that early. After eating I walked through the night market down to Surawong. I had remembered reading a post on the forum recently about someone’s experience at Avarin and how things advanced from foot massage to oil massage. Since I had some time and my experience at Phetboy was less than desirable, I thought I would walk past the group of massage shops on Surawong and just check it out. Urban was all female except one lonely male. They were very busy with most chairs filled and this is a large facility. First Avarin shop was mixed male and female therapists and not really anyone that caught my attention. Shop was not busy. The Green Massage was also empty, with all guys out front except one female. She was very aggressive or pushy at trying to get me to go inside. Nobody really caught my eye, either, so I kept walking. Second Avarin shop also had no customers with all guys outside except two females. I kept walking across the entrance to the hotel, but one cutie had caught my attention. He had looked and smiled as I walked by, was young and twinkish, and my gaydar was telling me there was potential here. So, I turned around and walked back, looked at the menu board, was undecided until the one female who appeared to be in charge said I could select anyone I wanted. I said ‘anyone?’, to which she replied yes so I pointed at the cute boy and said him. Foot massage. I was about to try my hand at the same thing had previously been reported on the forum. Turns out he is Thai, 24, and identifies as gay. Anyway, during the foot massage there was some noticeable arousal on my part. There wasn’t another person in the shop. Rest of the staff was still sitting outside in the front. Just the two of us inside. He noticed, eyes got a little bigger, smiled and looked at me, and continued with the foot massage. But, I could tell he was keeping a watchful eye above my knees. After about 15 minutes of this cat and mouse game, he finally asked if I would like oil massage. I had no plans of refusing, but sheepishly said ‘with you? full body?’, to which his reply was yes and mine was a resounding YES! We left the smaller shop and went two doors down to the larger shop with private rooms and in-room showers. To be honest, I enjoyed the game as much as the massage. This experience was far more rewarding and fulfilling than Phetboy. Foot massage was 300 Baht; addition of one hour oil massage was another 500 Baht. Gave therapist negotiated 2000 Baht tip. He initially requested 3000, but I knew better to accept this thanks to the forum. Finished up with a shower…alone unfortunately…one person stalls here and still just enough time to get to Fresh Boys for the show. Will report on that later.