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I'm not sure I'll give it another go 🙂 But that seat might well have been the problem. Qatar used to be my favorite airline when I lived in `Vietnam. They had great legroom on their flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok in economy. Qsuites is still something I want to do. Thankfully I have not booked through any of the middle Eastern Airlines. Flight are all cancelled from here. I'm also lucky that I booked my flight last Friday. A day later and even the economy tickets were 2k. Today is my flight with Condor and I'll update my experience with their seats.

Fair point. To be clear, I’m not saying flying backwards was definitely the cause. It was just a thought after the fact, trying to explain an experience I’ve never had before. I’ve flown lie-flat business class many times and never had this issue. This was the first time I simply couldn’t find a relaxed position at all, no matter how I adjusted the seat. Whether that was the rear-facing layout, the specific seat design, or a combination of things, I honestly don’t know.

So, first some context. Last week I flew business class from Bangkok to Amsterdam with Etihad. The first leg was okay. Not amazing, but acceptable. The seat could get into a reasonably comfortable position, although the recline was very slow. Every time I stood up or adjusted something, it took forever to get the seat back to where I wanted it. Annoying, but manageable. The second leg, though, was a real problem. No matter what position I put the seat in, I just could not relax. There was always pressure somewhere. Lower back, shoulders, legs, it didn’t matter. I kept adjusting, reclining, sitting more upright, trying everything, and nothing worked. My muscles just stayed tense the entire flight. I could not properly relax my back or my body at all, which was honestly exhausting on such a long flight. What made it more confusing is that I was flying backwards on that second leg. At the time I didn’t think much of it. People always say it shouldn’t matter. But afterward I started wondering if that was actually the issue. Thinking about it now, it kind of makes sense. When you sit facing forward, acceleration and movement push you into the seat. Flying backwards, it feels like you’re subtly being pushed forward all the time. Not in a dramatic way, but just enough that your body never fully lets go. That might explain why I constantly felt pressure and couldn’t get into a truly relaxed position, no matter what I did. I don’t know if that’s the full explanation, but it was a very strange experience. I’ve done plenty of long-haul flights, and this was one of the few times where my body just never settled. At all. Now here’s where it gets interesting. Friday, I had to book a last-minute one-way flight from Berlin to Bangkok. Business class prices from Berlin were insane. Everything was €2,000+, and Condor was even advertising business class at around €3,400 one way. Completely unrealistic. So I decided to book economy, with the idea that I would just take all possible upgrades afterward to make it as comfortable as possible. I didn’t really have another choice. After booking the economy ticket, I clicked on Upgrade. Suddenly, Condor offered me a business class upgrade for around €600. In the end, I paid roughly €1,135 total for business class, last minute, Berlin to Bangkok. Same flight. Same seat. Same service. I’m not complaining. I accepted that upgrade instantly. But it does make you wonder how airline pricing actually works, when the advertised price and the real price can be that far apart.

That's easier than keeping him of the boys!

They aren't just doing this for no reason. I’ve seen plenty of clips of ladyboys getting into it with customers, so if a condo is taking action, it’s probably a frequent problem. They’re just looking out for their residents. And man, that second question (he) had me laughing... they definitely aren't playing the PC game! I just realize that a lot of guys will not be happy. They are losing their "Ich habe es nicht gewusst." defense. 🤣

Yes, or why not sponsor it? I do not know the exact number of visitors to this site, but I can imagine there are far more lurkers than active posters. This board clearly has value for advertisers. I recently had my visa matters handled by a sponsor from ASEAN Now. Also, we did have websites that promoted what was happening in the scene, didn’t we? Nicky something comes to mind. Then the old listing websites like Utopia Asia. Still looks like a website from the 90's 😅

Thanks for reminding me of the "Man-To-Man guide" in the Netherlands. Published by Rob from Amsterdam. May he rest in peace.

I can see how my comments could be misinterpreted. My point is not that social media does not work. It clearly can, when it is used well. But I do think that places like Gus Bar, Sunee, or M Bar are busy mainly because of what they offer. That is an inference from observation, not a claim of hard data. There are also good examples of social media being used responsibly in the girly bars, such as Buzzin Pattaya or Mr Egg Thailand. They create engagement without putting random customers on display. When customers appear, it is with consent. That is the point aligned with the OP. Social media can work in this scene without indiscriminately filming identifiable guests. Once that line is crossed, privacy becomes part of the marketing discussion. I agree with @macaroni21 on this. And in practice, YouTubers tend to be the worst offenders here. Unlike bar owners, they have little to lose if customers feel uncomfortable, while the bars carry the long-term consequences. But let me also point out my own hypocrisy. The months before I came to Thailand, I would absorb every YouTube video I could about the scene in Thailand.

I am not treating this as either one or the other. I am saying that, in this setting, the balance matters, and right now it is off. Showing that a bar is busy does not require filming customers who did not agree to be on camera. You can show atmosphere, staff, or events without putting guests on display. Plenty of places already do this. In a restaurant, most people do not really mind if they appear briefly in the background of a video. In bars like these, privacy is something people reasonably expect. And this goes back to the original point. The question was not whether marketing works. It was whether filming customers and putting them online without concern for privacy has become normal. From what I see, including people choosing not to go to certain places because of this, it risks driving customers away rather than bringing them in.

You are mixing general tourism with this type. People who are interested in sex tourism are not influenced by generic promotion in the same way. They actively look for information and feedback in places where they can get real answers. I use social media too and see those posts. Nobody comes to Thailand because they saw yet another boy’s birthday or a drag show video. What people actually want to know is what the going rate is, what they can expect during a massage, how things really work, and whether a place is worth visiting. Those are exactly the questions being asked and answered on boards like this. That is where word of mouth happens and where decisions are actually influenced. And to be clear, this was never a debate about whether social media can be useful in general. The original point was about indiscriminate filming of customers and putting them online without consent. That does not attract the kind of people these venues depend on. If anything, it drives them away. Privacy matters in this context, and ignoring that is far more likely to harm business than help it.

I think Soi 6 is actually a poor comparison. It did not become famous because of social media. It has been well known for decades because of what it offers and how everything is concentrated in one place. You can compare it to a street with twenty furniture shops next to each other. People go there because they know exactly what they will find, all in one area. Soi 6 offers cheap, fast, and very visible access to sex, and that alone has always guaranteed foot traffic. Social media mainly became relevant during Covid as a way to supplement income when bars were forced to close. That does not mean it is the reason Soi 6 is busy now, nor that the same logic applies to boy bars. The dynamics between male–female and male–male markets are simply different, especially online. I also do not buy the idea that people already in Pattaya need social media to discover that Jomtien Complex is a gay area. Anyone who is already here knows exactly what it is and what it offers. There is no added benefit there. I also seriously doubt that people choose a holiday destination because a bar has a TikTok or Facebook presence. More importantly, I do not think the real issue is bars promoting themselves. The issue is customers being filmed and shown online without consent. That was the concern being discussed. There are countless YouTubers walking through these areas filming everyone indiscriminately. You can clearly see people trying to avoid the camera, covering their faces, or moving away, yet the filming continues anyway, often without blurring faces afterward. These creators are effectively making money off people who just want to enjoy a drink in peace. Calling this the new normal does not make it acceptable. It is not normal, and it is not legal. Thailand even announced a crackdown on this type of filming last year, and rightly so. Edit: One additional point that is worth mentioning: arguably the busiest lady bar in Pattaya, Windmill, has a very strict no filming policy. There are clear signs everywhere, and every customer is explicitly informed of this rule by the doormen before entering. Privacy is taken seriously there, and it clearly does not hurt business. It is also worth noting that Windmill is not even located directly on Walking Street itself, but in a side soi, yet it still attracts huge crowds consistently. That rather undermines the idea that constant visibility, filming, or social media exposure is a prerequisite for success. These bars thrive on word of mouth in places where their potential customers already gather, such as forums and community spaces. That is exactly how I, and many others, find out what is going on in Pattaya.

Well, we promoted it from a private message to some users to a public thread on the board for all.

Whatever it is, we gave it a bigger platform then it could have hoped for with this thread.

Yes, and that is what bothers me the most. I also have the feeling that it is the foreigners Asian and western, that misunderstand the tradition.

That is the issue. It would not be legal to do so in many countries. I also assume that you were not aware of what I was talking about exactly and that these particular dolls don't interest you. I can understand the issue with weapons, they can be used in real robberies. When it comes to drawings or dolls, they've lost the plot completely. That is why I added the donkey comment, because I know there are countries where men are being treated for deceases they caught by having sex with animals.

I know forums where you first have to participate via the normal posts before you are able to send DMs. Not saying that it is "the" solution, but it seems like "a" solution.

Well, that proves that lying about dick-size also works, because I got one too.

I think I've hard about that piece of trash. But my point was about the morals of most people who have sexual desires they may not and do not act on IRL. That was what the commotion was about in France. I'm saying that it shouldn't matter what the dolls look like, it's a doll, not a living being. It wont corrupt people more than violence on TV or video games.

Not in relation to any lifelike dolls. What happened?

I actually find this interesting, mainly because of the technology. Lifelike skin and materials will clearly be useful later on for robotics. That’s where this is really heading. What I think is stupid is all the fuss around it in France with Shein for example. We all know the difference between fantasy and real life. Watching a violent movie doesn’t make normal people go out and hurt others. People have brains. People have morals. Most people know exactly where the line is and don’t cross it, so why frustrate them even more? They should trow in some dolls of donkeys so we can save some people from getting rare fungal infections. 😂

I used to think she was amazing. What I’m seeing now doesn’t feel like an older version of Madonna, but like someone I no longer recognize. It makes me wonder if there are still artists who choose to age with grace.

When I was there last week I didn't see him. They had around 4 boys sitting with customers and 4 boys on stage at around 9:30 pm. Nice Boys must have had 10 boys. Most were sitting with customers with some hanky panky going on. Boys were trying to hide it all behind pillows on their lap.

You sure you're not Old Mommy? 😂

I was watching this story today. Even though I'm not attracted to manly man, nutcases come in all shapes and sizes. A reminder of the dangers around. I couldn't find anything about this on the board, if I missed it, feel free to delete this.

Have you been shopping on Beach Road?